Psychiatryisevil: Permanently disabled due to psychiatrist's poison

[psychiatryisevil]

A certain psychiatrist put me on Abilify, which I took for a total of five days. The result: hospitalization due to near-heart attack and now three years later I am left with heart problems that are so bad I can barely function. I now must move in slow-motion or else my heart will start pounding so hard it feels like it's trying to rip from my chest cavity. I am completely disabled and cannot do anything that even comes close to raising my heart rate.

 

I let that slide because the psychiatrist still had me tricked. After all, he was there to help, right?

So he puts me on Effexor XR, Fluvoxamine and Ativan.

 

Another wasted year passes, and it suddenly comes to me: there is not and never was anything wrong with me. Seeing this psychiatrist and taking his poison - all it ever did was make things far, far worse.

 

So I immediately stop taking the three "medications" mentioned above, which was about a week ago. Since then, I've began to experience things mentally and physically that seem more at home in a Superhero comic book. I've tried to manage by sleeping a lot, but it barely helps. I would explain but what I'm seeing and feeling, I do not know the words for. The closes I can come to is living inside a Dali painting. The only thing keeping me alive now is the knowledge that this is all temporary.

 

The worst part about it is that the psychiatrist just up and left, replaced by some guy with about as much education on the human body as a common zoo animal.

[LoveandLight]

Someone will be along to give advice soon..I'm sorry you've gone through this.

 

But your description of living inside a dali painting - I can relate! Good description.

[akakoom]

greetings psychiatryisevil

 

sorry to hear you are going through so much misery.  true, psychiatry is a pseudoscience.  the psych docs seem to be more interested in being perceived as a real doctor and handing out medicine to fix a psychiatric problem like it was a chest cold.  they are desperate for scientific recognition.

 

you have come to a good place here tho.  a lot of hard earned wisdom from the mods and members here that have gone through a lot.  and if you ever need to vent, the members understand that too

 

stay strong and remember every day gets you closer to wellness

 

best wishes

[mammaP]

Hi and welcome to SA. I am sorry to read that you suffered such a bad reaction to abilify, which doesn't surprise me as many people have adverse reactions that are life changing.    I am concerned that you have stopped 3 drugs cold turkey after a year.  This is not a good idea as withdrawal can be horrendous as you are finding out, and can last a long time for many people.  If you were ok when taking the 3 drugs I would seriously consider reinstating them ASAP and tapering them slowly, especially as you are still suffering from the reaction to abilify.  We can help you to taper safely so you don't suffer the awful withdrawal that some of our members are experiencing. 

 

I would taper the venlafaxine first because it is the one with the worst withdrawal symptoms because of it's short half life. The fluvoxamine may cushion the withdrawal so that the taper is easier.  As you have been taking ativan for a year also it may be best to keep that until last as that can help with tapering the fluvoxamine when you start that taper.  

 

Here are some topics for you to look at, so you can see why I am suggesting you reinstate. No-one EVER wants to reinstate and everyone is determined to 'tough it out'  but this is not like just detoxing your body until it is out of your system. The drugs make changes in your brain over a period of time. Cutting the drugs throws the brain into chaos, sometimes it is a very long time before it starts to get better. Tapering slowly means the brain can adjust naturally to the lower dose before the next cut.  It takes time but it is worth taking that time to be able to function as well as possible.   

 

What is withdrawal syndrome http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/

 

About reinstating to stabilise  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-stop-withdrawal-symptoms/

 

Tips for tapering venlafaxine http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/272-tapering-off-effexor-venlafaxine/

 

Tips for tapering fluvoxamine http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5095-tips-for-tapering-off-luvox-fluvoxamine/

 

Tapering multiple drugs. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2207-taking-multiple-psych-drugs-taper-the-antidepressant-first/

 

We don't have a topic for tapering ativan as that is a benzo but you will find information and support in our members only benzo forum.

 

It will help us if you can put your drug history in your signature strip for us, you will find instructions how to do that here..

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/?view=getnewpost

 

Sorry for all the links, I hope I haven't over;loaded you with information! Go through them slowly, it is important that you understand what is happening and the best way to get off the drugs permanently.  

[Altostrata]

Welcome, PIE.

 

I am very sorry you're going through this.

 

As mammaP said, cold turkey off 3 drugs is a high-risk strategy. Rather than reinstating all 3, though, if I were you I'd reinstate the Ativan at full dose and Effexor XR at half-dose -- see the links mammaP gave you about titrating Effexor.

 

How much of each drug were you taking?