machawolf Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, thank you so much for this group it is so supportive when I feel I am grasping at straws! My story: I began becoming depressed around 13. (Of course I would be with the kind of childhood I had, without explaining a lot there was physical, emotional and sexual abuse). I would cut and start to try to commit suicide (like almost jumping off a bridge etc). I was also anorexic and exercise bulimic. When my parents finally figured this out after a few years the family doc put me on antidepressants asap and no therapy. My mother, father, grandmother and aunt have a history of depression so I would have a predisposition for it. Once that antidepressant “stopped working” the switched me to another, I have been bounced through so many I don’t even remember which ones I had. Finally later in high school I went to a therapist, but we really didn’t click and there was no one else for me to see so I went. The year after highschool I had surgery for a foot injury and basically healed for 6 months than worked a little. I went to college the next year and commuted from home still living with my abusive parents. I had a concussion when I was in my junior year of college which I feel may add to this narrative. Finally when I was 22 I moved out to a college apartment and started seeing a therapist that I really liked and clicked with. At this point I started noticing brain fogs. After college I ended up working at a Wendy’s for almost 2 years (with two college degrees), struggling with finances, relationships etc and got suicidal near the end of that 2 years, still on antidepressants that were steadily increased by my doctor. At that point I got myself out of my uncomfortable housing situation and found a job kind of in my field, that at least pays more than minimum wage. I have had a few rough years again dealing with housing etc but I decided to find a therapist and started seeing her in October. At this point I was having brain fog and cognitive issues which is not good when you are working in science. Also I started having some minor mood swings. Finally I decided this spring to go to a Physiatrist. He told me that long term ssri usage can cause cognitive issues and we should try a go without it. I was all for this plan as I have wanted off them a long time but doctors would keep prescribing them without really assessing the situation. I was up to the largest dose of Sertraline 200mg and we took me down to 150 mg. After a few weeks I started getting the symptoms I was complaining about before and then more, like dizziness, fatigue more pronounced mood swings, achy feeling. He decided to keep me at 150 mg another month. I just visited with him last week and now he wants me to do 200mg one day and 150mg the next, which I think seems like a bad idea. My mood swings are more pronounced and on the 150mg days the physical symptoms return. What should I do? Edited July 15, 2015 by Altostrata added paragraph breaks 2001: Started Antidepressants at age 15. 2001-2010: Put on and taken off numerous Antidepressants when they stopped working. 2010: Sertraline 100mg 2012: Sertraline 150mg 2014: Sertraline 200mg May 2015: Started Tapering off Sertraline, 25% Reduction to 150mg. June 2015: Continue at 150mg due to withdrawal, no reduction this month. July 2015: Psychiatrist told me to do alternating day doses of 150mg and 200mg. Tried one week with horrible results and went back to 150mg. Mid-July 2015: I decided the alternate doses and 150mg were not working so I used a pill cutter for an even 175mg August 2015: Psychiatrist told me to stay on 175mg for another month. September 2015: Back to 150mg and tried new doctor. She told me to try Sam-e, taking 200mg daily. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted July 15, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 15, 2015 Hi Machawolf-- welcome to the group, I think you found us just in time. We have found that alternating doses or skipping doses as a way of reducing is a plan for disaster. Each time the dose is varied the brain is thrown into chaos, the only way is to reduce slowly and steadily so the brain has time to adjust. We recommend decreasing by 10% of our current dose every 4-6 weeks as a starting point and then adjusting from there as you find out how your body is going to react. This schedule is not symptom free but the symptoms you do get should be manageable. For right now I would sit tight on the 150mg and let things settle out for a month or so and ten start on a slow taper. There is a ton of good information here, so explore and read. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 15, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 15, 2015 Welcome, Machawolf. As Brassmonkey cautioned, please do not take sertraline inconsistently, this adds to the nervous system upset. Holding at your present dosage for a while will allow it to settle down. Please see What is withdrawal syndrome? Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline) Your physiatrist is correct about long-term adverse effects. He may be interested in the above information as well. Please put paragraph spaces in your posts, long blocks of text are difficult to read. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
machawolf Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 Thank you all for the earlier posts on the books, they are next on my list. I started antidepressants when I was 15, that was the only option given to me, nothing about therapy or other alternatives. Looking back I probably needed therapy more as I feel my anxiety/depression/etc was because of abuse. Now as I am going off antidepressants at 29, for the first time in my adult life and I am nervous. For one I wasn’t properly prepared for what may happen in regards to withdrawal, but that is a different story. I am getting nervous about how my personality may (or may not) change. I feel as though all the hard work in therapy I have done over the years is whittling away with the antidepressants. Past trauma is starting to be more of an issue. I am seeing all these childhood coping mechanisms and behaviors I thought I have worked through come back. Is there anyone out there that has been put on antidepressants in their teen years and then tried to go off them in adulthood that has had a similar situation? How did you make it through? Will the things that I have worked on and my childhood issues reintegrate creating a whole new me? 2001: Started Antidepressants at age 15. 2001-2010: Put on and taken off numerous Antidepressants when they stopped working. 2010: Sertraline 100mg 2012: Sertraline 150mg 2014: Sertraline 200mg May 2015: Started Tapering off Sertraline, 25% Reduction to 150mg. June 2015: Continue at 150mg due to withdrawal, no reduction this month. July 2015: Psychiatrist told me to do alternating day doses of 150mg and 200mg. Tried one week with horrible results and went back to 150mg. Mid-July 2015: I decided the alternate doses and 150mg were not working so I used a pill cutter for an even 175mg August 2015: Psychiatrist told me to stay on 175mg for another month. September 2015: Back to 150mg and tried new doctor. She told me to try Sam-e, taking 200mg daily. Link to comment
Asjf Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 I started Zoloft at the age of 17 and stopped last November at the age of 39 after a 40+ week ween from 150mg/day. Since january of this year my life has been the most challenging it has ever been. Far more challenging than i recall ever experiencing as a teen. Severe and random anxiety almost daily, low energy and nausea a lot of the time. That being said, i'm grateful to be off SSRI's. I feel like i've grown as a human being more in the last months then in the two decades i took Zoloft. And thanks to this site i've come to believe without a doubt that i will recover. I still feel like me, but in many ways i do feel as though my emotional coping skills are again at the level of a 17 y/o. But i also feel that my life experiences as a 40 y/o have given me a lot of clarity that i didn't have as a teen. This whole process has been very scary for me but i feel a lot of hope in the notion that at the end of all this (when my brain has readapted to it's 'normal' state) my life will be far richer than it ever was on Zoloft. I'm sending you much love and light machawolf. On Zoloft 150mg-200mg from 1991-Nov. 2014. Weaned off over 40+ weeks (too fast unbeknownst to me at the time) Protracted withdrawal began in Jan. 2015 Currently weaning off Lyrica (pregabalin). Started Apr. 2015. titrated up to 400mg/day. <p>"The quality of your life is determined by the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably live with" -- Anthony Robbins Link to comment
LoveandLight Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 I started at 17, I'm 32 and the last 8 years have been almost 'missing' to me. Tried to come off on doc advise numerous times..withdrawal..would try and stick out for 6 months thinking it was my original condition and just need to find a cure. Only to go back on. Over and over again. It didn't cross my mind re. Withdrawal and going back on a low dose and tapering. I feel hopeless right now as I've lost so many years and the last year have made no gains as I've mucked up doses too much. But in better moments, I do see hope. It's just elusive. I really really wish I'd never gone on them at17. Sorry ranting and maybe missing the point. I'm sleep deprived 2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare! On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect. Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan. Nightmare that could have been avoided! Link to comment
machawolf Posted August 6, 2015 Author Share Posted August 6, 2015 Thanks Asjf, that gives me some hope and what to expect. I feel like I am reverting to a 15 year old again but hopefully I have learned some adult coping tools along the way! 2001: Started Antidepressants at age 15. 2001-2010: Put on and taken off numerous Antidepressants when they stopped working. 2010: Sertraline 100mg 2012: Sertraline 150mg 2014: Sertraline 200mg May 2015: Started Tapering off Sertraline, 25% Reduction to 150mg. June 2015: Continue at 150mg due to withdrawal, no reduction this month. July 2015: Psychiatrist told me to do alternating day doses of 150mg and 200mg. Tried one week with horrible results and went back to 150mg. Mid-July 2015: I decided the alternate doses and 150mg were not working so I used a pill cutter for an even 175mg August 2015: Psychiatrist told me to stay on 175mg for another month. September 2015: Back to 150mg and tried new doctor. She told me to try Sam-e, taking 200mg daily. Link to comment
pug Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Hello machawolf, How are you doing now? 20+ years of Zoloft 50-100 mg CT 03/2014 for 5 months Back on Prozac 20 mg for 4 months CT since 11/2014 Found this forum the last day of 2014 The secret is to keep going! Time will heal. Link to comment
machawolf Posted August 7, 2015 Author Share Posted August 7, 2015 Thanks for asking pug. I am ...ok. I convinced my psychiatrist to put me up to 175mg so I would be at a lower percentage drop than the 25%. That seems to be slightly helping, I'm at least mostly functional. I had a scary night Wednesday though. I sometimes end up having the tingling sensation followed by immediate need to sleep. This time when this happened my legs just stopped working. After a little while they started working again and I made it to my bed to sleep without waking up for 12 hours. For the past two days I have been overly fatigued and achy. Soooo needless to say I can function(ish) but not well. Mainly I am at the point I know if I go up too much it will bother me and go down too much it will bother me but I want to be off them so, I guess all I can do is keep going and deal as best I can. 2001: Started Antidepressants at age 15. 2001-2010: Put on and taken off numerous Antidepressants when they stopped working. 2010: Sertraline 100mg 2012: Sertraline 150mg 2014: Sertraline 200mg May 2015: Started Tapering off Sertraline, 25% Reduction to 150mg. June 2015: Continue at 150mg due to withdrawal, no reduction this month. July 2015: Psychiatrist told me to do alternating day doses of 150mg and 200mg. Tried one week with horrible results and went back to 150mg. Mid-July 2015: I decided the alternate doses and 150mg were not working so I used a pill cutter for an even 175mg August 2015: Psychiatrist told me to stay on 175mg for another month. September 2015: Back to 150mg and tried new doctor. She told me to try Sam-e, taking 200mg daily. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 8, 2015 Administrator Share Posted August 8, 2015 175mg seems a good compromise between the two dosages. It sounds like you have some odd withdrawal-related symptoms. This may go on for a while. At least you're sleeping -- a lot of people experience the opposite. Let's figure this is the way your nervous system is healing itself. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted August 8, 2015 Mentor Share Posted August 8, 2015 Welcome Machawolf.. Yes you been on drugs a long time, and a high dose of sertraline (zoloft)? . Treat yourself gently, and look forward to finding the real you, a long slow taper........... 1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression. Serotonin syndrome, oh yes! seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol. Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly) pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby). 98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout.... Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol, and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg tegretol 400mg. Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.Mid 15 .... 75mg seroquel, 3 x 1800mg SJW 2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment
Mort81 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Just go really really slow . Check the site for advised tapers. Listen to your body. Many of us on here got very poor advice from doctors and tapered way to fast. Resulting in Debilitating symptoms. You can do it ! Was on 30mg (Lexapro) for 7-8yrs20mg for 3 months (This was my choice my Doc wanted me to drop much faster)15 mg 2week10mg 2 weeks 5 mg 1 week0 since August 24th . PPI Dexlant 30 mg taper has begun. Cutting 20% currently. using zantac as needed. Benzo is currently 0.10mg Link to comment
Mort81 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Its strongly advised on this website not to taper more than 10% per month. Was on 30mg (Lexapro) for 7-8yrs20mg for 3 months (This was my choice my Doc wanted me to drop much faster)15 mg 2week10mg 2 weeks 5 mg 1 week0 since August 24th . PPI Dexlant 30 mg taper has begun. Cutting 20% currently. using zantac as needed. Benzo is currently 0.10mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted August 10, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 10, 2015 I'm merging this thread with machawolf's topic as this is primarily about her journey. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
pug Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Thanks for asking pug. I am ...ok. I convinced my psychiatrist to put me up to 175mg so I would be at a lower percentage drop than the 25%. That seems to be slightly helping, I'm at least mostly functional. I had a scary night Wednesday though. I sometimes end up having the tingling sensation followed by immediate need to sleep. This time when this happened my legs just stopped working. After a little while they started working again and I made it to my bed to sleep without waking up for 12 hours. For the past two days I have been overly fatigued and achy. Soooo needless to say I can function(ish) but not well. Mainly I am at the point I know if I go up too much it will bother me and go down too much it will bother me but I want to be off them so, I guess all I can do is keep going and deal as best I can. Thank you for the update. You are right, we all need to keep going and deal with this in the best way we can. So many people report that given enough time everyone gets better and heals, and that includes us too. 20+ years of Zoloft 50-100 mg CT 03/2014 for 5 months Back on Prozac 20 mg for 4 months CT since 11/2014 Found this forum the last day of 2014 The secret is to keep going! Time will heal. Link to comment
Asjf Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Hi Machawolf. I hope you are doing well On Zoloft 150mg-200mg from 1991-Nov. 2014. Weaned off over 40+ weeks (too fast unbeknownst to me at the time) Protracted withdrawal began in Jan. 2015 Currently weaning off Lyrica (pregabalin). Started Apr. 2015. titrated up to 400mg/day. <p>"The quality of your life is determined by the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably live with" -- Anthony Robbins Link to comment
machawolf Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 Thank you Asjf Ehhh I’m existing. I had a nice weekend were I had fun and could sleep when I wanted and that helped. Now I am back to work not so much. At this point I have figured out I need sleep and rest with light exercise but I can’t seem to get it. I have to work 40hrs a week to make rent (barely) and I have been having to do a lot of chores at home as my roommate has health issues too, so needless to say I rarely get time to rest and my “light exercise” seems to be all the chores and running around at work. I’m at a “I don’t know what to do” point stuck in an endless circle with a very slowed healing process due to circumstances. 2001: Started Antidepressants at age 15. 2001-2010: Put on and taken off numerous Antidepressants when they stopped working. 2010: Sertraline 100mg 2012: Sertraline 150mg 2014: Sertraline 200mg May 2015: Started Tapering off Sertraline, 25% Reduction to 150mg. June 2015: Continue at 150mg due to withdrawal, no reduction this month. July 2015: Psychiatrist told me to do alternating day doses of 150mg and 200mg. Tried one week with horrible results and went back to 150mg. Mid-July 2015: I decided the alternate doses and 150mg were not working so I used a pill cutter for an even 175mg August 2015: Psychiatrist told me to stay on 175mg for another month. September 2015: Back to 150mg and tried new doctor. She told me to try Sam-e, taking 200mg daily. Link to comment
machawolf Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 *moved from symptoms forum I'm trying to piece together if this is a withdrawal issue or a food poisoning issue. I forgot to take my meds one day and the next morning I woke up nauseous and having stomach cramps. I couldn't get back to sleep, I took my meds thinking they would help, dozed off for an hour, woke up and vomited rather violently. I didn't dare take my meds the rest of the day in case of an overdose if I had managed to absorb some. I was in full body pain and dizzy the rest of that day, I could barely move. I also had rather severe diarrhea. I finally managed to eat some plain rice noodles that night. The next day I kept food down and didn't hurt as bad but still felt nauseous when eating. It is two days later and I am still feeling dizzy and nausea. The dizzy I am chalking up to dehydration, but the vomiting, diarrhea and nausea are they withdrawal or did I get food poising? I have had food poisoning before and it was alot like this but I don't remember the nausea afterwords lasting this long. Opinions? 2001: Started Antidepressants at age 15. 2001-2010: Put on and taken off numerous Antidepressants when they stopped working. 2010: Sertraline 100mg 2012: Sertraline 150mg 2014: Sertraline 200mg May 2015: Started Tapering off Sertraline, 25% Reduction to 150mg. June 2015: Continue at 150mg due to withdrawal, no reduction this month. July 2015: Psychiatrist told me to do alternating day doses of 150mg and 200mg. Tried one week with horrible results and went back to 150mg. Mid-July 2015: I decided the alternate doses and 150mg were not working so I used a pill cutter for an even 175mg August 2015: Psychiatrist told me to stay on 175mg for another month. September 2015: Back to 150mg and tried new doctor. She told me to try Sam-e, taking 200mg daily. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted September 16, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 16, 2015 It sounds to me like a reaction to the missed dose, it will probably take a while for your NS to settle again. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
ladybug Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 If it were Effexor I would say it's possible since it has a very short half life and therefore WD symptoms can come on suddenly and strongly from a missed dose. But you're on Zoloft, so I'm inclined to think it was a stomach bug. Hope you are feeling better! a.k.a JMarie Paxil since Mar.1998 2006-2007:40-20mg 2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg 2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg 2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg 1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg 6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg 1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg 7/31/18: 3.9mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted September 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 22, 2015 Hi machawolf, I moved the topic you started in the symptoms forum to your introduction thread here because it was related to your own situation specifically. Please use this thread to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want. How are you feeling now? I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
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