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Hi! I (28f) quit venlafaxine 6 months ago and I’m still suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I will give some context. Around 2018 I took escitalopram for a year for depression. It had no effect on me (with the exception of sexual dysfunction). I quit cold turkey and had no WD. In September 2022 I started venlafaxine for anxiety. I steadily increased the dose up to 225mg in steps of 37,5 each time experiencing various symptoms that would subside after a couple of weeks at which point I would increase the dose again. This continued until January when I reached 225mg, stayed on that for 6 weeks and decided to start coming off it since it wasn’t helping me. I reduced the dose in steps of 37,5mg until I was at 75mg in May. I had withdrawal symptoms after every step with nausea and motion sickness. The step down to 75mg was scary enough that I decided to stay at that dose for a while. The WD from that last step did get better after a couple of weeks and I returned back to normal. In June I broke up with my partner and was experiencing some really intense emotional pain. The next day the same symptoms returned. For the next few months the symptoms would come and go without any pattern that I could tell. On the good days I felt completely normal, on the bad days the symptoms varied in severity. My main symptoms were dizziness, motion sickness, headaches, a strange sensation in my hands, drowsiness, weakness, no concentration, brain fog, difficulty breathing, sensitivity to light and sound, chills, anxiety, confusion. The symptoms were always worse around midday/afternoon. In September I tried taking 20mg of Fluoxetine for 10 days as suggested by my psychiatrist. I didn’t see any difference. I thought I might as well get on with it and reduced my venlafaxine down to 37,5mg. The next 2 weeks were really bad. I had the symptoms I mentioned above at a pretty extreme intensity and lasted the whole day. I could barely eat and I couldn’t get out of bed and was not really present mentally. I was sleeping more than usual (10 hours). After the 2 weeks the situation was starting to improve, so I quit completely (this was in October). I was in bed for the next 3 weeks and then there was a gradual improvement for a few more weeks. I thought that would be the end of it. I felt pretty much normal for like 2 months. I did however have very stressful things happening in December and January. At some point in January my symptoms came back in full and I’m still dealing with them. There was an exception in March when I had a cold and had no symptoms for 2 weeks. One interesting pattern that I’ve noticed consistently, is that if I don’t get enough sleep (not more than 6 hours), I have no symptoms. I feel very sleep deprived but otherwise normal. So this is my experience with venlafaxine. I’ve never taken any other psychiatric meds other that what I mentioned here. I’ve suffered with extremely low energy and insulin resistance all of my adult life. I struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a child.

Hi everyone, I’m new here, (22 y/o Male) and I have been reading all your threads on this forum for quite a while and it gives me great hope. I have a story off my own that I would like to share with you. It’s a long read and I would really appreciate your feedback back on it and where I can go from here. My story starts in 2021. To start I struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and have done since I was 11 years old, I am now 22. In 2021 after 8 years of suffering and sweeping my problems under the rug they finally blew up in my face and I had to deal with them. This included horrific intrusive thoughts, rumination and anxiety all day everyday for about 3 months straight so much to the extent that I had a nervous breakdown and couldn’t do anything. It affected my eating, sleeping and work life and I don’t even like talking about it to be honest. I had heard about ssri’s for many years but never considered them until my back was against the wall and I had no other choice. With much hesitation I started Sertraline in August 2021 (at age 20) and to be fair it did provide a lot of relief. I went from 25mg to 50mg and was on the medication for roughly six months, August 2021 to February 2022. Somehow or other the first time went alright and I successfully cold turkey’d off 50mg in feb 2022 because my prescription ran out. I didn’t have any prolonged withdrawal symptoms or sexual side effects. I also once took 25mg for a day or two in August 2022 but stopped because I didn’t like the spaced out and drowsy side effects. Now this is where I’m getting round to the not so great part. In January 2023 I was resuming my college degree after working for six months. I was anxious being in a new house with new roommates, and was looking for something to help me calm down and settle in. I knew I had left over Sertraline from the year prior. And while giving it some thought I foolishly decided to reinstate by myself and treat them as if they were benzodiazepines. This is where trouble began. I started 25mg again in late January 2023 jumped to 50mg and quit them cold turkey again roughly in around mid April 2023. The reason for doing so is because I was having severe headaches which very well may have been an adverse reaction. I feel very foolish about this because I unintentionally did this to myself when I really, really didn’t need to take the medication. And because I successfully quit cold turkey the first time round I thought I could do it again and was completely unaware of withdrawal symptoms. I was quite wrong, I guess this is what I’m getting to now. I have most the textbook PAWS symptoms I.e. poor to no emotions, anhedonia, lack of motivation/drive. Not to mention the sexual side effects numb genitals,watery semen, no real effect on libido however (thankfully). It’s now roughly 12 months since I last took Sertraline and while I see small windows there’s not much real improvement. I guess what can I do now?. I have heard about reinstating small doses of the drug to alleviate withdrawal symptoms but to be honest I’d rather not touch it with a ten foot pole after what happened. I’m probably outside the reinstating period anyway but I am open to suggestions. So what should I do, I’m no stranger to hard times and I know that this is just another bump in the road and will pass as it has for many others, but it’s starting to drag on a bit. I have often heard that it takes between 12 - 14 months for your dopamine receptors to reset so that gives me hope. I know I am slowly healing as I am getting very small windows but it’s still slow, is there anyone else who was in a similar situation as I am currently?. How long did it take you to recover and is there any feedback you could offer me. Considering that I only took it for 2 - 3 months shouldn’t that mean that I should recover a lot quicker and more linearly?. Can I 100% recover from this, and be even better than before?. Like said I’m hopeful and optimistic and know I will get there. I would just like to know where to go from here. Thank you for reading my story and I look forward to hearing your responses.

Hello, my name is Jami. I am new to this forum and need some support and advice on a taper. I haven't started the Prozac taper yet but i have been injured by the medical field for the past four years. I have come off five diff phyc med drugs given to me for one wd for the next. It has been a brutal couple of years. I was given the wrong advice and Poly drugged because no dr or phyc dr. understood what i was going through. I searched for help and came across a benzo forum and found out what i was going through was benzo wds. and then i was told to come off lexipro . I was on that for 16 years, and it wasn't even being given to me by a phyc dr. I didn't ever struggle with depression or anything. I had an acute situation 16 years ago and just stayed on the Lexapro with no one tell me it is doing more harm than anything? i tapered 20 mlg for 8 months and when i got down from 5mlg to 2.5 something unimaginable happened. I had severe pacing akathisia and verbal aka. I paced for 5 months. I went to ers hospitals, phyc hospitals everywhere, and they all said i had anxiety! I had flu symptoms, chills, burning skin, insomnia, shakes, pgad, muscle pains, joints, agoraphobia, sweats, paranoid, angry etc. and it wouldn't stop? I had full on ssri discontinuation syndrome. No one was able to help me. I was told by a phyc dr that that cannot happen when i did my own research and it can and did. I was then put on Zyprexa with Prozac. 20 mlg Prozac, and 5 mlg of Zyprexa. I decided i didn't want to stay on the Zyprexa so i lowered it right away to 2.5 and then began to taper it by liquid for 14 months. I also was put back on a benzo that i had to taper another benzo liquid for 12 months. I was also having wds from baclofen was given to me again with no clue that was so addictive, and I even was put on suboxone for pain that I had to come off and went through severe wds from. It's been an absolute terrifying nightmare. for me and my family and loss of job and life. I am now 5 weeks off Zyprexa and having horrific wds. and am just taking the Prozac 20 mlg and I feel like when i now take the Prozac my now sensitive brain cant even handle that? I want to come off it but i am scared that i will have aka again like last time. I don't know if the Prozac is an entirely diff drug then the Lexapro now being out of my system for almost 3 years. Can i taper while i am in Zyprexa wd??? and still 6 months now off this valume? I also can't find much literature on Zyprexa wds ? I have all the aches pains anxiety tremors insomnia joints ache teeth hurt eyes blurry. its getting a little better but still very much there. I have spent over 100,000 on tests and treatments being told i have Lyme again and this and that. had major Lyme treatments. nothing worked. Because it's been one drug wd after the next and there is no information out there? These drs don't have a clue??? Its not my Lyme its classic brain injury. I am wondering if anyone has any advice or help for me to get through the rest of this nightmare. Thank you. I cannot even type the major harm and trauma that has been done to me with this, its hard to fathom this can happen to people.

This is a very long story, and it's only a part of it. I have been taking SSRI for 20 years, with several attempts in between to stop, the last ones destroyed my life and only now I realize that they were probably the reason. This is a long and ***** up story that been going on (the extreme phase) for more then a year, but the spiral began around 2020. I'm in severe wd issues for years now (which I only became aware they are wd issues recently, I've been having them I think ever since I tapered down to a smaller dose too fast on the previous AD, not knowing I'm in wd symptoms, I was dysfunctional, not working etc, then stopped it last year while being very unstable, and too fast.... and following other 2-3 extremely fast tapers in the past). This combined with life-long untreated trauma and attachment issues led to an unending spiral of hell and bad decisions, mostly starting 2020 and at its peak now when I recklessly (and in self-sabotage) found myself on Mirtazapine, a nasty powerful drug, while I haven't even started to recuperate from previous and ongoing severe wd issues and side effects. Since end of April I started taking Attivan and recklessly continued it until realizing I have to taper - around two months after - and also did it inaccurately without a scale, and with kindling... Now holding at a little less then 0.5 gram, taking at night (this all started due to sleep issues, sleep anxiety and obsession). I'm also on the waiting list for a psychiatric hospital but now even more doubtful about it since they will want either to give me higher doses of mirt or to replace with another drug, probably. But I'm completely dysfunctional, I had a but light at least from understanding now for the first time how I've been in wd for years, but then this was ***** by going into the mirt.... it was done without intention or thought. And after a whole year of resisting people's advise for me to go back to the previous med from which I never really managed to wd... So instead I made things more complicated. I wanted to write my case here already 6 months ago or even before but couldn't have enough concentration to do that, to manage all the details - my state was so severe already! Severe almost constant agitation, especially when trying to express myself. Even to go here and write. This could have saved me.... i really believe reinstating to the previous drug would have saved me, almost did that couple of times this year (stopped completely around January 2023 after a taper of 5 months following 20 years of being on it, and despite some windows life been hell from then on). I was afraid of having the side effects again, even though they were not even close to what I have endured these couple of years... and much less frightening and debilitating than mirt. In the meantime I continue taking the mirt since 25 days now, minus one night, and suffer worse every day due to its fatigue and breathing issues and the thought about how I will need to taper for years. Just add that I've been in what felt like complete nervous breakdown/burnout/dysautonomia for more than a year now, especially extreme around a year, before starting the mirt. (What I only now come to believe is a type of ) Inner akathisia, inability to stop talking and to listen, inability to control and resist urges - especially emotional ones such as getting approval for my mistakes, punishing myself by over-communicating my mistakes and misbehavior to others and how I feel awful about it - which led to my spouse leaving me, on top of the financial burden I became for years without realizing what it means to be one (she begged me to reinstate, especially when things really got extreme this last year, when I really began to not control my actions - either not being able to act or decide which completely incapacitated me, really, inability to decide on almost ANY action, really felt like a brain injury. Many traumatic and indescribable things when this collided with my parents (the cause of my trauma) and partner losing all compassion for me and any understanding (now when I realize it was all med related). An uncontrollable and out-of-the-ordinary feeling of guilt for every "mistake" I make which led to me endlessly talking about my "state" and trying to solve it in words instead of what REALLY helps me such as body work or even just relaxing and letting things go. Stopped meditating, don't dare to smoke weed which I used to to now and then - not deserving to feel bodily good and at ease until my guilt is "solved". Even writing this now is instead of breathing and meditating which used to be a main aspect of my daily life. The more this crisis evolves the more I'm not allowing myself and kind of fearful of letting go and relax. As if it's dangerous or not allowed, the more I got the habit in being stressed and "in crisis", "needing" someone else to solve it. All along the way I found stuff that REALLY help with some of this - youtube talks about CPTSD and toxic shame, vagus nerve activation, Dharma talks etc. - but I allowed it few and in between until another crisis or "huge mistake" or huge decision led to me NOT ALLOWING them to myself, or simply forgetting how they benefit me (this forgetting thing is really curious) until I do them "too late" and then immediately feel guilty ABOUT NOT DOING THEM, which leads me to stop pursuing them further on... I've been doing this, the rationalization and explaining of everything instead of feeling, for almost an entire year now - when what actually helped and benefited me are the non-verbal elements. I've been exhausting myself to death with this. The fear from feeling and being with the involuntary has become just messed up, despite strong progress along the way, for small periods. As if I needed someone's answer all the time, instead of relying on myself, or instead of realizing I deserve to feel good first, before solving everything (with reinstatement for example, when I couldn't sleep or live out of utter restless inner feeling and indecisiveness, or with pursuing other means that actually felt are doing good - such as microdosing mushrooms which I stopped mid-way). Hardly breathing most of the time due to this struggle and this constant feeling of no clarity and lack of GROUND. It really feels like an addiction being with the negative, the struggle, the hard, the "heavy" in order to live or allow myself to live. I'm in constant stress mode for more than a year, really extreme plus that dissociation and indecisiveness, and a feeling I MUST ACT AGAINST MY INTUITION and harm myself, that led to me almost being hospitalized a few times in my home country, which I didn't do eventually, and one night hospitalization here in Belgium where my spouse and I used to live to which I came back in October, where they gave me Mirt for one night and ruined my life, since I continued taking it since (that "uncontrollable acting against my interest and intuition" in order to then punish myself and be in constant fighting mode). I can't remember when I had a baseline, probably few years ago. I also suspect I have ADHD and/or autism but can't tell anymore due to all the wd issues. My two main axes throughout all this have been - FEELINGS and emotions and SLEEP. The more secvere the crisis became, the less I would able to be with and feel emotionally what is going on, instead dissociating and making things worse inside of me, charging with energy without being able to let it out. I cry very little through all this - the most extreme suffering in my entire life - when a little before, around two years ago, while still in a kind of crisis, I was crying much more. It is a trick of faith that I discovered a very good sleep channel on youtuve which really help me, and right after started taking Mirt which simply knocks you to sleep and works against your natural sleep mechanism. So, it's been almost four years since things started to go "off" for me, some monthjs after a fast taper and then a fast return to 10mg Paroxetine. Since then I was kind of in constant struggle with my feelings, motivation, intuition, spontaniety, executuve function and concentration. A kind of restless anhedonia and extreme urge to punish myself and feel guilty. The indecisie and confusion became stronger in parallel with insomnia issues becoming worse, which became an obsession. Interestingly, in the past when things became too bad like this I reinstated, but this time it didn't even occur to me to upper the dose when it all began - even though my work and relationship were severely harmed by this. Instead, I chose to taper off completely thinking psychedelics will "solve" it all, but unable to follow through with the psychedelic protocol. As I said, this crisis began around 2020 after a fast drop which I reinstated back to only 10mg. Then last year I tapered off during 5 months, after which some things improved while other deteriorated. It's this inner conflict between wanting to contribute what improved and not wanting to go back to old side effect of the med which led me to continue deteriorating despite reaching such a poor state that it made no sense. Of course not everything can be attributed to wd or the meds - but I think my judgement was already so impaired that made me not realize I'm suffering so bad it's not worth to continue like this. I continued where most people would stop and reinstate much much sooner. Really extreem and nasty stuff - while not working and not even able to arrange my stuff around the house, to clean, losing more and more ability to do more and more things. When this became bad enough - but still not as bad as can get - I was staying a few months alone in me and my spouse's place in Belgium, she wanted me to pick myself up and stabilize somehow. I didn't, even though important insights came to light after, including after a mushroom trip with friends (while still having SSRI in my body that block it). My sensory burnout and really lack of energy or clarity to do anything, and sleeplessness, led me to go to our home country and "rest". But there the indecisiveness and guilt became stronger and stronger (although with windows in between), that I got "stuck" there without accepting my need to rest and stay there, obsessing over going back to Belgium while unable to purchase a ticket or even go to visit friends in another city inside Israel. Then last October I forced myself, litterly to go back, while being highly unstable, her as well, and while she was worried she couldn't provide me the support I need. I then arrived (after two plane tickets bought and money wasted) back to Belgium to feeling of incredible guilt and self-hate and confusion and sensory burnout that it made things worse with her. Of course now I realize I should have accepted arriving back, even if did recklessly and against the needs of my body. I also now realize I should have reinstated the med all along, like she begged me to. Eventually she had enough of me staying in a miserable state which became so unbearable to her she nearly lost her mind as well (endless talking in a frenzy about each "mistake" I made, of coming back like this, etc., while not functioning, not finding therapy, not working nor reinstating). So now I'm highly destabilized, she decided to separate, she has zero compassion left for me, I don't want to go back to my home country, but also too weak to start things on my own. On top of it all - which is why I'm writing this - is the fact that I started Mirt without intending to, and kept on it for 3.5 weeks. It is making things worse All throughout this escapade I have managed to find things that really help so so much, like the body-oriented things I mentioned. But I didn't allow it to continue as long as things are not "settled" medically (meds or mushrooms? meds or ashwaganda? etc. each day obsessing about it). So they came and went... At a certain point in home country I managed to try again after months without, to mediate and discovered vagus nerve activation exercises. This gave such a huge benefit. But then I continued to be torn between the meds or alternatives, home-country or Belgium etc., that I went back into the loop and gorundlessness. And this happened also, again, back in Belgium, in a similar manner. Now since the whole mirt thing I'm not allowing myself even a moment of rest, not to mention meditation or other grounding exercises. And even while writing this I feel how I focus on the negative so much when I have so much positive in me! It's like a constant battle and I feel so bad about it - I feel guilty about being negative again and again... But really, I feel all this is without hope now that I ruined my last chance of stability and an acceptable existence (which is with my spouse in Europe and not with my parents in home country. Which is lost.) I became so guilty and unsure about everything that I couldn't even find the therapy I need all throughout, or to pursue it. I think body-oriented work is what I need the most, but also trauma-oriented etc. But I couldn't start with anyone and continue. Now I realize I became like this due to wd issues, more than anything else. I don't know what to do now. I have to find a stable base to begin to heal from all the damage and trauma of this not only last years, even just from last couple of months... And I feel I not only ruined it because of making my partner leave me, but also by starting a new harmful drug. It's while being on the mirt that I start reading for the first time about the proper way to taper, realizing what I've done with the previous drug and benzo, and realizing what I "had" for many years are probably wd issues and not just trauma issues I have to solve by myself. I met with Mark Horowitz two weeks ago, but sadly listened to him and not my intuition about stopping the mirt while it was still a good chance doing it with less wd issues. I also had one meeting with another wd counselor that I may meet again. Right now I feel utterly hopeless, especially knowing this could be solved or bettered so easily already a year ago, and many people tried to tell me that. That I can't control myself anymore and that it could get worse. Drug history: 2003-2004/5: 40 mg Paroxetine 2004-2006: 20mg Paroxetine 2006: fast taper to 0, holding for several months 2006-2011: 20 mg Paroxetine 2011: attempt to fast taper to 0, reinstatement after a few weeks 2011-2014: 20 mg Paroxetine 2014/5: fast taper down to 10mg September 2015: fast updose to 20mg September 2015-2020?: 20mg Winter 2020: attempt to fast taper to 0, after a few weeks on 0 back to 10mg Winter 2020-September 2022: 10mg (crisis, deterioration of old symptoms plus new symptoms starting throughout 2020) September/October 2022: start 4-5 month taper to zero December 2023: macrodose of psylosibin, mostly blocked by SSRI still in body January 2023: zero mg End of April 2023-now: Attivan, changing dosages, the most was 1.5 gram. Tapering since, with kindling by mistake, now on little less than 0.5 mg, at night Spring 2023: trying micro-dosing as well as macrodosing psylosibin August 2023: trying out Amanita Muscaria mushroom microdosing for 3 weeks February 2024-now: 3.5 weeks on 15mg Mirtazapine

New here. I was on Zoloft for 7 or 8 years. It pooped out and otherwise made me feel tired and lethargic with crazy brain fog. I transitioned to Lexapro, then basically every other drug (SSRI, SNRI, BENZOS, MAOI and others) for the next 6 years but nothing worked. It took me a while to figure it out but I became hypersensitive to the drugs. I decided to taper off them in 2009. After a couple of months, my brain crashed. Headache, dizziness, difficult concentrating, internal restlessness, tingling, hypersensitivity to light/sun/exercise. Its 24/7 and lasted since 2009. Because of the hypersensitivity, I am convinced that any drug that targets serotonin receptors I will overreact too. Since Ketamine works in a different way, I am considering giving it a try. My understanding is that it is an NMDA receptor antagonist. It binds to the NMDA receptor protein on cell membranes and blocks glutamate from binding there. Has anyone suffering from hypersensitivity/kindling tried Ketamine?

Hello, I am a 23 year old male suffering from possible withdrawal symptoms (7-8 months in after quitting Fluoxetine). I'll keep it short: since the age of 16 until now, I have failed in all facets of life, with symptoms ranging from the substantial loss of IQ to sleep disturbances which I've never suffered from. Every single day I suffer from body pain underneath my skin (possible sleep deprivation due to my interrupted sleep). I don't experience any waves nor windows. Never. I am unable to enjoy anything and, on top of that, I'm unable to re-enroll back to tertiary education. However, I am grateful for my parents still giving me a roof where I can live — without their support, I would've died in the streets as a homeless person (might be exaggerating, but highly possible as a neurodivergent individual). I want to stop the tingling and the pain on my feet, so I can sleep. Nothing is going away and I only see my symptoms worsening by the day. I... I can't take this anymore. I'm a walking dead person.

I was on ssris from 10 to 32, (started tapering at 30. I was on benzos for 7 years from 23-30. At 23 I was also put on an enzyme inhibitor (omeprazole) by my PCP that increased both the benzo and the ssri in my body, and doctors were not aware of the interaction. My withdrawal saga actually started with me switching from omeprzole to pepcid. Anyway after tapering from benzos and ssris, I developed some central sleep apnea, and my sleep was so bad I couldn't function. For some reason trazodone increases aurosal thresholds and helps sleep apnea I take 25 mg at night. Is this a really bad idea. I'm still in the thick of PAWS, and while functional, definitely low functioning.

Hello, I am looking for information or others experience of life after long term SSRI use. I was on SSRIs for 38 years and have been completely off for 9 months. I started as a teenager and am 58 yo now so not sure what normal is supposed to look like. Though I do not feel depressed, I am still unable to sleep and have had to resort to medication for this. The other experience I have is apathy. I find myself caring about very little. The things I loved before I have no attachment to now. It is a very strange existential space. Wondering if others have had this experience and if it ever changes over time. Thank you.

My story in a nutshell: Always been anxious but got really bad in 2015 Went to see the doctor and was told I didn't have depression but had GAD Was prescribed Sertraline and GP told me coming off them meant “mild to no symptoms” Started 50mg Sertraline 1 Jan 2016 but also quit coffee and alcohol at the same time Brother on 200mg told me you feel better after six weeks Had blurred vision, dry mouth and increased appetite but was otherwise fine (but still anxious) Six weeks to the day (more on this later) I felt more relaxed, clear-headed and less anxious Decided to come off after nine months as to me medicine is a last resort and I felt okay Tapered off over three months Withdrawal started and it was indescribably bad — I can barely even put it into words Went on for a while and I went back to the doctors, was dismissively told it would right itself and that I could always go back on them if I wanted to Didn't have many people to speak to about it but those I did said it was my depression coming back and I need to go back on the meds I knew it wasn't as how I was feeling was an order of magnitude worse than I'd ever felt in my life the the most depression I'd had before that was likely dysthymia as I was always functioning and never missed any work from it (interestingly I don't think the NHS recognise dysthymia and I was never diagnosed with it but in hindsight while not feeling hopeless or worthless I likely have had anhedonia for a lot of my adult life) I suffered alone for about 7–8 months, easily the worst I have never felt in my life: hopeless, worthless and angry in a way that is so extreme as to be difficult to describe After about 8 months it eased up Still with anhedonia I would function okay for a few weeks then my emotions would fall off a cliff and it'd be like being in mini withdrawal for about a week, passive suicidal ideation This went on for 6+ years while I tried to explore alternative methods of recovery (exercise, supplements, etc) As well as this cycle I get constant nose bleeds in my right nostril, I get hand tremors (never had them before Sertraline) if I am stressed and sometimes my memory and thinking goes haywire (not blackouts but difficulty forming and retaining memories even though my recall and clarity of thinking was good before, e.g. once when stressed, I forgot which side of the road cars travelled on and found myself unable to remember quite recent conversations) Exercise and eating well (esp. cutting out sugar) helped but life was still a slog Kind of got sick of fighting this thing about a year ago and had a bit of a breakdown and realised I was on a continuum of passive to active suicidal ideation Hit rock bottom and swore to myself I would never act on intrusive thoughts and started fighting back with renewed vigor Slowly improved through supplements, light therapy, cold shower, lots of exercise and a particularly the Human Givens approach — basically it shows that your thinking affects your sleep and your sleep quality determines your mental state A couple of months later I started taking Moringa powder and within a week the “blackness” had gone (not sure how/why but it is rich in tryptophan) After about a month of taking Moringa I actually started to feel happy; after an 8 year battle, I'd finally beaten this thing However… All was good for a few months until some things in life went badly all in a row and my stress levels ramped up and I've had a few bad months. I am being asked to look at medication by my family but this time a different SSRI. It seems crazy to me given what I've been through but I have promised to at least look at other SSRIs, hence this post. Here are my questions: How different are SSRIs? Can any of the more well-informed members here take a look at my history and let me know what taking a different SSRI might look like? Fluoxetine (Prozac) looks like it is less likely to cause withdrawal symptoms but I've also read if you have had suicidal ideation before it can make that worse. Am I likely to have the same experience coming off any SSRI? I can't imagine being on them life as a) it doesn't address anything and b) I have heard they stop working eventually. I am also very concerned about the data surrounding them, particularly the lack of evidence for the chemical imbalance theory and their ineffectiveness in mild to moderate depression. I know SSRIs work as a placebo for some. I found it suspicious that I started feeling the benefits on the exact day my brother said they'd start working. Almost like my brain expected it. And if I ever got serious side effects like I had before…I honestly don't know what I'd do. And finally, the irony of having had to deal with all this depression simply because I took an antidepressant is not lost of me.

Hi All Just wanted to say thank you this website has saved my life and now that I'm able to join after months of struggle. I have been on quite a few drugs over the years mainly benzo's and paroxetine. I was prescribed 2mg rivotrol or clonazepam for sleep 2015 - 2020 and in 2020 got covid and later suffered covid fog which I release now was WD. Was prescribed 2020 for a 6 month period Propranolol (can't remember dose) Clonazpem 2mg Xanax 2mg (I think) Prednisone 10 tablets a day ( Weaned of reducing buy 2 tablets a day) Paroxetine 10mg. 2020 - 2023 Aug 19 Cold Turkey Paroxetine 10mg Clonazepam 2mg - 4mg 2022 March - 2023 March Ritalin I stabilized after the supposed covid fog was 5- 6 months of absolute hell. And then functioned ok for a year and a half , then things starting getting bad. I think leading up to the Ritalin, I look back now and think it was medically induced Hypomania. As people said I talked alot which I did and then by mid 2023 I was mostly in hyper mania states and especially that last 2 months before I was forced to stop cold turkey as I admitted myself to a rehab for 28 days. Where I suffered withdrawal for 2 weeks. I started working after and after 6 weeks of the cold turkey I've been in WD , December 2023 was absolute hell almost no sleep, debilitating anxiety and depression, panic attacks , brain zaps from sound ( they were worse after a few days of cold turkey) still here tho, lights sensitivity, and lots of fog can't see how I wil ever enjoy life again things I once enjoyed etc Can't even watch TV I mostly live in my head. I'm not functioning and haven't been since the withdrawals kicked in. I believe I've come along way as I have some days where it's bearable and some evenings which I feel almost normal. In December I was suicidal 95% of the time. I have very bad mornings which I believe are because of increased cortisol. Feels now like I'm in 75% wave and 20% bearable window and 5% or less when I might just feel like myself. Although to survive this I've had to not trust my thoughts (especially since being manic last year where I did crazy things) and my intrusive thoughts have been so negative and debilitating the only way it's to say it not me. The bearable windows are mostly in states of Anhedonia or Apathy, which to be honest I'm still suicidal as I do not want to continue living like this not to mention all my family and friends think I went to rehab for drugs which I used every odd weekend think they just assume the worst as being hypomanic they would have to I guess. I honestly don't won't to continue to live like this, I know there are so many worse cases on this forum and I'm only 4 months in. I also know it's too late to reinstate and of the hell I've been through I know its not the right way. I've been taking Magnesium and Omega 3 which I assume is helping as December was harder and I have glimmers of hope here and there not for long. Still sleep between 3 - 4 hours a night waking up every hour. In December used urinate 12 plus times a night now maybe 4- 5 times. I have alot more to discuss and hopefully get some advice even tho I kind of gather that nothing can be done but exist and wait it out. Kind of just existing at this stage mostly on this website and bubble pop in my phone. Thanks all I'm in a bit of brain fog now so hope that makes sense. Also I gather I need to do my drug signature ?

Hi, my name is daffa, Indonesian, 18 years old, the whole 17 years of my life living with stupid social phobia, then searched in google what the **** i was having, then it matched the symptom of social phobia, my uncle (i lived with him) , he just was a stupid traditional man who believed all the nonsense, something mental to him was utterly too hard to believe, so i moved to my parent house, seek psychiarrist, prescribes sertraline, not long, i tried exposure therapy, it cured the **** out. I cant understand why the **** the psychiatrist didnt suggest the therapy instead, after the exposure therapy, i got cured, then the ****in psychiatrist stoppes it cold turkey, then you know. **** happens, now a year gone by, every single thing is wonderful, its getting a lot better, it turned out that i have extraordinary intelligence, grateful for that. Oh yeah, i forgot to add that, i also prescribed olanzapine, cold turkey too 3mg, insomnia still present 4 am now in my nation

Hi, Im 66 yrs old and I just know basic computer so this site is hard for me especially since im severely damaged from too fast a taper and not going slow taper so I know Im doing everything wrong. Please bear with me. I took 20mg Prozac for 26-27 years. Up to this point I was healthy and happy but wanted to get this drug out of my body. I cut the Prozac to 10mg starting Mar 2022 thru Aug 2022. finally stopped Aug 1st2022. During this time horrible insomnia and crazy energy but thought it would go away. Jan 2023 my already severe insomnia got worse averaging 14 hours each week, crazy energy, brain wouldnt shut off cant think, akathesia in body I dont have to pace all the time just some. In Mar 2023 I tried 20mg Prozac for 13 days but it made me more hyper so stopped. I also started getting many UTI's and took lots of antibiotics May 2023 I started getting severe anxiety(never had anxiety before) extreme severe depression, couple months ago started getting night terrors(never had this in my life) extreme suicidal ideation. Cant concentrate to read a book eyes dart back and forth. This is so unbearable day after day. Tiniest bit of stress sets me off. I know all the drugs that I tried were bad for me but I was desperate Ambian 7.5 and doubled dose took maybe 8 times only got 4 hours sleep and made depression worse so stopped. Belsomra 20mg put me to sleep 2 times but didnt work after that and caused depression tryed this about 5 times and stopped. Trazadone 300mg for sleep I got about 6 hours but caused worse depression so I stopped took this about 12 times. Klonopin .5 doubled dose Tried just about every supplement for sleep worked at first but stopped. Im hoping to please get support and looking for people who have taken the drug 25+ yrs and healing. Im fighting for my life

Short Story After 6 months of being on 3 SSRIs and 1 SNRI, tapered from Pristiq for 1 week by cutting 50 mg pill in half. After being stuck in hypomanic like anxiety state for 6 months since i got off, seeking help on next move - small dosage reinstatement, go along with bispurone suggestion from doc, or other? I recognize reinstatement after such long time is contentious. Current Symptoms Anxiety (maybe hypomanic?), switching from distractibility to hyperfocus, brainfog, difficulty organizing thoughts, planning, lack of drive, motivation and sex drive. In the 6 months since i am off meds I had under a 7 days (total) where i felt present, calm, w/ reset nervous system - after a rare moment i was tired enough to nap. The rest of the time I was in an agitated, restlessness nervous state with distorted perception of time (highly accelerated). The higher stress, excitement, or other trigger like intense work session, the stronger the symptoms, which without significant rest, can lead to greater distress and extreme brain fog. Long Story I'm in my early 40s. My depression flared up after end of a long-term relationship. Pandemic isolation happened shortly after. The immense stressors during this period caused bad anxiety. I asked for anxiety meds but scored high for depression so I agreed to anti-depressants. Cycled through celexa, lexapro, zoloft and ending with pristiq; all helped anxiety with mixed sideffects, such as removed drive and motivation, which specifically remained after the meds. My pristiq taper - was told to half my 50 mg dose for a week and get off. I was not dissuaded from my suggestion of cutting my 50mg pill in half - i now know that was bad. In weeks and months since (total 6 months now), I am unable to sustain cognitive performance w/o causing aroused state from which i find almost impossible to return from. In fact a lot symptoms and triggers to a varying degree, except for the risky behavior, look like hypomania. It started during the weeks after taper, with a hyper arousal, over-productive brain. I never experienced something like that before and no bipolar history in me and family. Psychiatrist's response is that its likely anxiety. Strange, as I never got so anxious I could not calm down before from stimuli of social night out with friends, working with a coworker, from an angry conversation, or even intense workout session. In the early months of withdrawal, any sort of excitement/stress lead to insomnia, short term memory loss, or even disorientation in navigation (new to me) and I'm frightened to see time and my life passing so fast. I'm unable to perform at any decent rate at work (work as engineer) so much I'm considering quitting or taking sabbatical if they'd allow me. I seem to have lost whatever drive i still had left before i got on the drugs. Sleep stabilized in last 2 months. Most recently once or twice, I reached tired state and got a nap (common in the before-times). This caused me to finally leave my 'hypomania'/hightened anxiety state, felt present, 'reset' back to normal and thought creatively, calmly for rest of day. Since i left the drugs 6 months ago though, I didn't experience more than 5-6 (individual) days like that. Question I don't know if this is hypomania or just a level of anxiety i haven't experienced or heard of before. I read that although people may get hypomania when getting on these drugs or upping the dosage, in rarer cases its possible to get it when stopping. Given the slow rate of improvement, distress, mental performance at work, and inability to consistently get off feeling anxious state or slow down perception of time (despite doing supplementation, meditation, regular exercise), I'm debating either to go on anti-anxiety med like bispurone psychiatrist suggested, or try small dosage reinstatement to abate some symptoms. Highly appreciate any suggestions, comments. Thank you

Hello, I've been reading this forum since October, and waited patiently to sign up on January 1. I am currently going through the worst time of my life EVER and need advice. My doctor has been no help. I weaned off Effexor, slowly I thought, and might have been able to deal with it, slowly healing my brain. But I lost my job two months after reaching 0mg, and it was a blow I couldn't deal with. I suffer from extreme anxiety, and after agonizing about it, and getting some advice on Reddit from people familiar with this forum, I decided to reinstate Effexor. Started with 2mg (counting beads from one type of Effexor) and now I take 25mg (2 tabs from another brand of Effexor). It hasn't worked. I finally filled a prescription for liquid Prozac which my doctor agreed to give me (she doesn't know how to help me and just asks what I want) and took 5mg last night. But I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I'm so scared. The thought of having to wean off Effexor slowly while on Prozac is freaking me out. Or maybe Prozac won't work. What should I do??

Hey guys I’m not sure really how to post on this website. Not even sure if this is in the right place. I have been on many different medications in the past two years starting with lexapro on and off from ages 15-23. Never knew anything about withdrawal had no problem stopping anytime I literally just stopped and would get moody for a while and that’s it. All this changed about two years ago had been on for 7 months 20 mg and I took myself off 5mg at a time I don’t remember the gap in between each taper all hell broke loose. Ringing in my ears began then and hasn’t went away I experienced numerous other symptoms, panic attacks. I tried going back on and it didn’t work. I started feeling like I wasn’t real and so many other things so they prescribed me a different med but had bad side effects then another med, then another then another , then another 13 different meds have also retried lexapro 3 times in the course of all these med trials for 2 years. The most recent med was Prozac took it for 4 WEEKS helped my depression I was numb. I didn’t like the way it made me feel I always felt wired like extreme energy( not manic or hypomania) and I felt I had to be doing something my heart would be racing like I was literally on drugs and I developed neck and head jerks. I was only on 5mg mind you. So I’ve been off for 63 days for all of those 63 days plus a few days before (it wasn’t this bad before I completely stopped) I have been getting spasms & stiffness , and ALL OVER MY BODY . Head, face(the worst) , tongue, fingers , toes, chest,back , throat,legs. Before I go on I want to comment there was one day while taking the med my tongue felt funny for a hour but went away and never returned. Back to the spasms and stiffness I’m also getting these weird adrenaline rushes like agitation where I want to jump out of my body, body twitching (extreme) and periods where I feel like I can’t be still and I have to keep stretching my arms and legs & extreme panic & feeling unreal which I’ve been dealing with for a while now. So the doctors don’t know what’s going on I’ve been told it’s withdrawal, it’s tardive dyskinesia, it’s dystonia, its not related to the meds (bullsh*t) ,it’s serotonin syndrome, and last but not least “I don’t know”. My doctor gave me the meds for serotonin syndrome but she’s afraid that if it’s not the case and it’s withdrawal then the meds will make it worse . I have talked to my neurologist he’s at a lost for words im scheduled for an mri and have a referral to a movement disorder specialist. So my question is what do you think is this withdrawal?

Good Day, I'm brand new here. Was on 20 mg Prozac since approx 1991. Cut to 10mgs approx 3 years ago. No noticeable impact. Asked my GP (DO) about dropping it completely in March. He said it was small enough dose to just stop. I did. There have been tears as I seem to be reconnecting with feelings. Not a bad thing. However, across the emotional spectrum I would describe emotions and anxiety as going from a previous '2x' status to an 'x squared' range. Everything is more sensitive. It's been 9 months cold turkey. I almost called GP to restart last month. There have been some unusual triggers, plus the status of world we are living in also adds angst. Many times in the recent weeks I've thought, 'What was I thinking here about coming off of this?' Now reading about tapers I see they are more gradual. However being months out now I definitely dont want to go back. However the struggle is real. Looking for comments, advise, encouragement, general thoughts of helpful nature. God bless you all! Age mid 60s...

I am searching for a Dr or NP that is familiar with Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of TX. I discontinued Prozac in August of 2022. I forgot to bring my meds when i went out of state, and then my hubby also forgot them. I thought I was doing OK, and since I planned on starting TMS, I decided to not restart Fluoxetine. I had 2 suicide attempts about a month later, and was hospitalized. Various DR'S have started and stopped a myriad of drugs over the last year. I was finally given Fluoxetine after about 8 mos, but now it does not seem to be working.

It is 21 months since I ceased lexapro after 29 years use following post partum depression and am currently tapering off Diazepam and Temazepam. I was starting to see some windows some 14 months after the cessation of lexapro but strangely and distressingly after 17 months went backwards with virtually no windows and numerous symptoms since including symptoms of Akathisia. I am seeing a superb psychiatrist via zoom in Brisbane who I can recommend if required who considers my situation as protracted withdrawal however I have also recently seen psychiatrists at the 1 centre in Melbourne recently who disbelieve this diagnosis and consider it agitated depression considering my worsening situation after 17 months off lexapro and are recommending commencing an anti-depressant. From all my investigations, I believe my situation is withdrawal (from lexapro and/or the benzo's) as I have many of the reported symptoms (I have tapered down to 1.25 mg and 10 mgs temazepam daily currently for 7 months now). I am starting to question the diagnosis of withdrawal now and would like a 2nd opinion from a non-pharma obsessed psychiatrist before I consider an anti-depressant. Can anyone recommend one ideally in Melbourne, Australia or otherwise anywhere in Australia? Many thanks

Back in 2014 I was prescribed Wellbutrin for depression. Then anxiety and insomnia developed and by the following year I was taking buspar, lexapro and hydroxyzine also. My psychiatrists mismanaged the situation badly by continually adding medications, and increasing dosages. In early 2018, the anxiety and depression began worsening. So I ended up tapering off of lexapro and added pristiq between roughly march-April of 2018. I should add I was also abusing benzodiazepines off and on between 2015 & 2018 (not prescribed). I quit doing that in July 2018 because I became tired of the withdrawal symptoms and extra anxiety that came with it. My heart rate/bp became consistently very high following cessation of the benzos so my doctor thought it would be a good idea to prescribe me clonidine and metoprolol. Which rounds out the six drug cocktail I was on until early 2022. Between 2018-2022, the cocktail stopped helping and eventually made everything worse. I went to see a new primary care doctor early 2022 who said I was on too many things and to taper off some of them. I agreed. Knowing what I now know, I stupidly tapered off of Buspar, wellbutrin, hydroxyzine, clonidine and pristiq in that order in a matter of 4-5 months. At the time I figured it would be best to just get off of everything and start over fresh. I assumed the initial withdrawal would be awful, which it was, although I was still somehow able to function. I also assumed it would take my brain some time to readjust/recalibrate after years of taking these medications. But I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought I’d be largely out of the woods after the acute withdrawal but boy was I wrong. In October 2022, about 1 month following the acute withdrawal I was hit with the most severe anxiety I’ve ever felt. Like waves of electricity surging through my body and a feeling of essentially panic. I also developed severe fatigue, depression worsened, I began having aches and pains throughout my body & severe digestive issues. Also hypersensitivity to just about any medication or supplement. For example I tried reinstating lexapro and buspar but I had a severe paradoxical reaction to both. I had to withdraw from college and quit my job because I couldn’t function. After further research I concluded I was dealing with post acute withdrawal. Exercise & getting out in the sun seems to be the only thing that’s somewhat helpful and I was able to increase my activity over the following months to where I was walking 7+ miles per day often on the golf course between May & September 2023. The anxiety however has just worsened consistently since October 2022. My body has taken a beating too because of it. I’m so worn out. I am back to walking 4 or so miles per day outside but it’s getting difficult. It seems like I initially took a big step back (start of post acute withdrawal), then a couple steps forward, but things have only gotten worse & worse for the last several months. I don’t really know what to do at this point. I’ve spent a lot of money on doctors, brain scans, therapy ect but it’s all been useless for this condition. It feels as though I’m out of options and will just have to try to wait this out until my brain eventually heals.

Hi, I’ve so desperately been awaiting the acceptance of new members. As my title states, I have accidentally kindled myself and am looking for support. I had been on Lexapro 10mg from Sept 2013 - Jan 2023. I was put on it to help my dysautonomia/POTS. It helped for a long time, but in the later years I would have break through “episodes”. Now that I know more about SSRIs from this site, I’m not sure if they were POTS related or breakthrough anxiety from getting to tolerance on the Lexapro. In 2022 I started feeling depression, which was something I had never experienced prior to being on Lexapro. I had always experienced more anxiety. I was also not as loving as I thought I should be towards my kids, so I made the decision to wean myself off in Jan 2023. I thought I had done adequate research and decided on a slow taper that lasted until April 2023, but I now know after finding this site that was still way too quick. I didn’t seem to have any immediate withdrawal symptoms. I do remember the occasional brain zap, not but they would subside before I continued to lower my dose, so I thought I was being careful. I rocked along, managing my waves of anxiety and irritability until July 2023 when the insomnia hit. At the time I was concerned I had other issues going on and didn’t realize it could be protracted withdrawal. When my old go-to’s of magnesium and ashwagandha weren’t working, and were in fact causing the opposite reaction I needed, I had no idea that the Lexapro withdrawal could be causing hypersensitivity. I worked with a naturopath (I have severe trust issues with western medicine, although I’m an RN) to try and correct any underlying problems. She suggested several supplements, which I tried. Some would work for a while and then I would become hypertensive to them or have paradoxical reactions. On Nov. 7th I accepted a full time position at the previous job I had been at and hated due to how stressful it was. The next day I was having a full on meltdown and decided I needed to get back on my Lexapro. I stupidly went to an urgent care and asked for my previous 10mg dose and they gladly gave it to me since I had tolerated it well before. On Nov. 8th I took my first dose before bed (as that’s when I used to take it) and woke up with an intense panic attack. My anxiety had intensified 10 fold the next day and I had akathisia. I decreased to 5mg for the next 3 days thinking it was too much for my system, but it was still too much for my fragile nervous system. It sent my POTS into an awful flare. I couldn’t eat without my heart rate spiking. I stopped it on Nov 12th. In those 4 days I went to a mental health nurse practitioner and she gave me vistaril for the insomnia and Xanax 0.5mg for break through panic. She also wanted to swap me to Paxil, but I was too afraid to try another SSRI. Thank God for the intuition not to try it. I took the vistaril but it made me too groggy the next day and didn’t really help with sleep. I started taking the Xanax at bedtime and it would give me about a 4 hour window of sleep. I took about 20-25 of those before I stopped and threw them away. My health anxiety was back with a vengeance. I went to a new primary doctor on Dec. 5th. He ran a whole bunch of labs that all came back normal and convinced me I really needed to be on the Lexapro. I agreed to try it back at an even lower dose and using the previous manufacture I had used in the past (part of me was convinced I hadn’t tolerated the Lexapro in Nov due to fillers in the pills). I started Lexapro 2.5mg on Dec. 5th around noon. I did ok on it for several days. I was having waves and windows of increased anxiety but was telling myself I just needed to push through it, but on Dec. 10th I determined what I was experiencing was more than just side affects. I was having an adverse reaction - increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, severe anxiety, weakness. I could barely get off the couch that day. I had to go to my son’s Christmas program that night and almost couldn’t drive. I did, but probably shouldn’t have. The following day my husband and I had a long discussion and decided I needed to stop it. My last dose was on Dec. 10th. On December 12th my heart rate was in the 130s walking around (not sure if that was my POTS flare or withdrawal) and I went to see my cardiologist and was put on propranolol 20mg. Since then I’ve been in hell. My vision is blurry and I’m super sensitive to brightness. I’m dizzy most of the day. I’ve got brain fog and my brain literally hurts when trying to think and multitask. I lost about 15lbs in the time I started the Lexapro back in Nov until now due to nausea and lack of appetite. I’ve started a low histamine diet because my histamine levels are out of control and are making the anxiety worse. Sleep is not as bad as it has been, but it’s still not normal. I wake about every 1.5hrs through the night and don’t feel rested in the morning. I get severe DR/DP sometimes and it scares me to death. I’m supposed to start a new job tomorrow. During all of this I was supposed to work out a notice at my old job, but after calling in for a week I just told them I wouldn’t be able to. I’ve been off work for 3 weeks. I have to young children to care for. I’m just so scared. I don’t know what is withdrawal or what is my POTS flare anymore. I’m supposed to follow up with a dysautonomia specialist near me but I’m afraid they’ll just want to put me on more meds and my nervous system is already super sensitive. Has anyone had a similar story to mine? I haven’t come across any yet on here. I do know I’ve slowly been getting better since I stopped, so I know being off the Lexapro is the answer, but I still struggle with severe waves multiple times a day. If it weren’t for my supportive husband and the grace of God, I don’t know where I’d be. If you’ve read this far, thank you. Any advice or words of wisdom would be much appreciated.

May 2024 be a year of healing! At the end of April 2023 I had a total knee replacement. 10 weeks later out of the blue came adrenaline surges. I did not understand what was happening to me. My stomach shut down and I couldn't sleep from all the surges. When I reflect I think I was in a very sensitive state from being on an antibiotic and aspirin and nsaids for 10 weeks. I have always had a difficult time with meds. I went to my doctor and she put me on Zoloft to increase my serotonin. I was reluctant but trusted the doctor. After 13 days I was lying on my couch a human zombie. I didn't want to die but if I did I was ok with it. I had so many side effects. My doctor wanted me to push through but I said no. I did not know anything about tapering so in 5 more days I was in WD. Though I didn't know it. I had some ok days then the adrenaline surges and insomnia and intrusive thoughts hit me. I ended up in a facility because I was scared and thought I needed a new med. They put me on effexor. Then I descended into the darkest pit. After 19 days I got out and my new doctor had me do a quick 8 day taper. During the taper/ CT I found myself in the worst mental state of my life. I was scared of everything but knew I would not go on another med. I found SA and the success stories have been a life line. I knew nothing about this only that a friend had been through something similar and made it through. I cannot believe what my body and mind have endured the last 4 months. I came here because I need some peer support. My husband has been a rock telling me I will heal everytime the depression crashes over me and I have a hard time believing this is my life. Which is almost every day. I have had a few days where who I am is stronger than the symptoms and I can feel a little hope. Usually in the evenings there is a break. Only had a few minutes/ hours where I felt almost myself. I'm looking for positive support where we can commiserate but ultimately there is a building up of each other. I am trying to accept this healing and would like to make a friend or two that gets it. I still have some very debilitating days. My belief in God and my husband have held me when I wanted to let go. I will add a signature but I need to go through my journals which triggers. Wishing and wanting for everyone peace and love and healing!

Thank you for accepting me into this group, I am so grateful to be here. I have only recently (after many different types of tests) realised that I have been in AD protracted withdrawal for around 2 years, it has been the most hellish time of my life. I am so broken and quite distraught that I can't get the help and support that I need to navigate this situation that I have found myself in 😥 I am not sure how to go about making contact with other members so I'm writing this in the hope that someone would kindly point me in the right direction. Thank you.

Hi I'm Becky, after being on multiple different medications over the years for low mood and in 2022 i did a 1 year taper off cymbalta 30mg after being on it for 10 years, I got my accurate diagnosis of adhd at age 42 and was trialled on several different meds for this all giving me anxiety, and panic as stimulants can do, and wellbutrin was horrific. Eventually I decided to go back on an antidepressant due to clenching jaw and other ailments which may have been protracted withdrawal from cymbalta looking back, I tried brintellix, luvox and had bad reactions on miniscule doses and managed to stay on prozac 2.5mg for about 4 months before quitting 3 months ago due to brain fog, flat, and severe panic attacks to point if paranoia. Initial side effects were horrid suicidal thoughts depressed etc than it came good after a few weeks. I saw a naturopath tried me on gaba and saffron etc than started I started having panic attacks constant fight and flight scary intrusive thoughts, i have had to increase clonazepam but its not helping thar much. Currently I'm in this nightmare, I'm wondering if I'm kindled and I'm having another wave, it feels hopeless and I'm losing motivation and hope. Just looking for some kind of strength and information at this point.

Hi, I am is 41 years old. I was on Venlafaxine XR for my vestibular migraine in 2019 to 2021. My dosage was 37.5 mg one tablet every 3rd day which was suggested by my neurologist as i was getting hives from taking the medicine. For my hives I was taking half tablet of Allerga M (Montelukast 10mg + Fexofenadine 120mg) twice a week. I took Venlafaxine XR for 1.5 years and Allerga M for 2 years and then CT it as all my vestibular migraine symptoms had gone away. When i CT from venlafaxine I did not get any withdrawal symptoms for 9 months. Then after 9 months in June 2022 my vestibular migraine symptoms (swaying, light and sound sensitivity, unstable feeling, surroundings looking dim and blurred vision) came back, I tried to re-introduce Venlafaxine XR again but on taking just one tablet after 9 months my occipital area started paining and i started getting internal trembling inside my body. I still tried taking it the very next day too but had the same issue so stopped taking it and went to the neurologist. The neurologist then tried paroxetine (1 tablet) which didn’t suit me and so he then tried the following medicines -prednisolone (steroid 1 tablet), betahistine (2 tablets), flunarizine (half tablet) and all the above made my condition even worse as she started getting leg jerks while sleeping which i wasn’t getting before with my vestibular migraine symptoms. Then the neurologist finally said lets try Venlafaxine XR again as that has helped me in the past in 2019 and inspite of hearing I was having trouble taking it told me to try it again. Then when I tried Venlafaxine XR again i started getting brain zaps and myoclonic jerks and my stomach and vagina started making loud noises. This had never happened before so i stopped Venlafaxine XR and went back to the neurologist. He then prescribed a Benzo - Alprazolam (1 tablet) which i didn’t feel well on as my heart started racing rapidly and i had chest pain as well so then i went back the next day and he gave me Sodium Valproate (anti epileptic medicine) and told me not to come back and see a psychiatrist. Then that night when i took the sodium valproate tablet a glass breaking sound while swallowing started in my ears and my brain and hip started thumping so i stopped the medicine on 17th August 2022 immediately. Then on 19th August 2022 as i had Covid symptoms especially cough and sore throat i took a cough syrup which was Dilo DX syrup (Chlorpheniramine maleate with Dextromethorphan hydrobromide) 5 ML, this is when my entire symptoms changed for the worse. My occipital area started shaking internally and my vestibular symptoms went away. As I was still having covid symptoms like cough and sore throat she took Lecope AD (Levocetrizine , phenylephrine and ambroxol) - 1 tablet while the shaking in the occipital area still continued. I couldn’t understand what the internal shaking was for a week but as they were not stopping and as per the instructions of the neurologist I finally met with a psychiatrist. I was also exposed to green fungus around the same time in the house as it was rainy season here in Mumbai (India). The psychiatrist ordered an MRI of the brain which was clear. After that i met various psychiatrists and neurologists who said this was Functional or somatic symptoms of depression and they tried to stop the internal shaking or vibrations with the below class of medicines which made my condition even more worse as I was unable to tolerate any medications because my nerves used to pull and pain and my internal shaking/tremors used to increase on taking every medication. I used to then discontinue the medication after 2 to 3 tablets. Below is the class of medications tried on me since August 2022 till date:- (Small doses of each medication was tried and discontinued) YEAR – 2022 · Provanol 20 MG (Propranolol hydrochloride tablets IP) - Half tablet - Beta blocker. · Nexito 5 mg (escitalopram)- Half tablet – SSRI Antidepressant · Provanol 10 MG – (Propranolol hydrochloride tablets IP) Half tablet - 2 days - Beta blocker. · Rejunex CD 3 - Multivitamin · Folinext (Folic Acid and methylcobalamin) - 1 tablet - Vitamin · Homeopathy medicine – GAVE EXTERNAL TREMORS · Zapiz 0.25 mg (clonazepam) Half tablet – 3 days – Benzodiazepine. · Provanol 2.5 mg (Propranolol hydrochloride tablets IP) – 3 days - Beta blocker. · Tynept 12.5 mg (Tianeptine) – Half tablet for 2 days - Dibenzoxazepine Antidepressant · Mirtaz 7.5 mg (Mirtzpine) - Half tablet – Tetracyclic Antidepressant · Synaptol 50 mg (Tolperisone hydrochloride) - Half tablet - Muscle relaxer. · Gabapin 100 mg (Gabapentin tablet IP) - Half tablet - Antiepileptic · Homeopathy medicine · Ayurvedic medicine · Evion - LC - Half tablet (Vitamin) · Solopose - MD 0.25 mg (Etizolam) - Half tablet - Benzodiazepine. YEAR - 2023 · 10th Jan - Ascoril D plus ( Dextromethorphan hydrobromide + phenylephrine hydrochloride + Chlorpheniramine maleate) - 5ML - Took it for dry cough · 11th Jan - Lecope AD ( Levocetrizine , phenylephrine and ambroxol) - 1 tablet for 4 days – Took it for sore throat · 16th Jan - Nurewire Tablet - 1 tablet (Vitamin) · 23rd Jan - Cetzine (cetrizine) - 2.5 MG - Antihistamine · 25th Jan - Pacitane 2 MG – Half tablet (Trihexyphenidyl) - Anticholinergic medication · 27th Jan - Allegra 180 - Half tablet (Fexofenadine) - Antihistamine · 1st Feb to 3rd Feb - Atrest 12.5 mg -Half tablet (Tetrabenazine) – Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 inhibitor · 6th & 7th Feb - Benadryl syrup - 2 ML – Cough syrup · 8th & 9th Feb - Supradyn - 1 tablet - Multivitamin · 14th & 15th Feb - Practin syrup 2 ML (Cyproheptadine) - Antihistamines · 18th Feb - Allegra 180 - Half tablet · 21st & 22nd Feb - Mentat (Himalaya Ayurveda) · 28th Feb - Allegra M ( Montelukast 10mg + Fexofenadine 120mg) – Half tablet Leukotriene antagonist and antiallergic medicine · 2nd & 3rd March - Atarax 5 mg - Half tablet (Hydroxyzine) - Antihistaminic medication · 6th March - Pramipex 0.125 mg - Half tablet (Pramipexole ) - Dopamine agonists · 9th March - 1 CBD Gummy · 10th March - Levocet 2.5 MG (Levocetirizine) - Antihistamine · 11th March - Buspin 2.5 MG (Buspirone) - Anxiolytics · 14th March - Levocet - Half of 2.5 MG · 16th March - Levocet - Half of 2.5 MG · 21st March - Bilagra 3 MG (Bilastine) - Antihistamine · HOSPITALISED on 23rd March to 30th March - Vantaxa 5 MG (Vortioxetine) – Half tablet for 1 day - serotonin modulator and stimulator Antidepressant then Prothaden 25 MG (Dosulepin) – Half tablet for 1 day + quarter tablet for 3 days. - Tricyclic antidepressant · 1st , 3rd , 5th & 7th April - Opiprol 50 MG (Opipramol) – quarter tablet - Tricyclic antidepressant · 8th April to 6th May - Lecope AD ( Levocetrizine , phenylephrine and ambroxol) - Mucolytic, Antihistamines and Nasal decongestants – Took it for Sore throat · 10th May - 1 drop of Rudra Taila (CBD drops) · 15th to 22nd May - Metolar 25 MG - Half tablet (Metoprolol Tartrate tablets IP) - Beta-blockers. · 25th & 26th May - Homeopathy medicine (3 pills) · 13th to 15th June - Homeopathy medicines · 16th to 21st June – Neksium 40 mg ( Esomeprazole tablets I.P ) – 3 tablets – Proton pump inhibitor and Motilium M (Domperidone tablets I.P) – 3 tablets- Dopamine-2 receptor antagonist · 26th June - Homeopathy medicine · 14th July to 22nd July – Oflox 200 MG - Ofloxacin Tablets I.P – Antibiotic · 26th July – Gabawin 25 MG – Quarter Tablet (Pregabalin) – Antiepileptic · 30th July – Deslor 5 mg - Quarter tablet - Desloratadine- Antihistaminic medication · 8th August - Half of Allegra 180 (Fexofenadine) – She takes half tablet of Allegra 180 every 3 days for her hives till date. · 30th August – 1 Meftal spas (Dicyclomine (10mg) & Mefenamic Acid (250mg) Anticholinergic and NSAID · 11th September - Homeopathy medicine + Half of Meftal 500 (Mefenamic Acid) · 3rd & 4th October – Half of Syndopa plus (Levodopa (100mg) + Carbidopa (25mg) - Antiparkinson agent · 6th October - Half of Allegra 180 (Fexofenadine) · 7th October – 1 + ½ Lecope AD (Ambroxol (60mg) + Phenylephrine (5mg) + Levocetirizine (5mg) Mucolytic, Antihistamines and Nasal decongestants – Took it for Sore throat AND 2 tablets of Lanol ER (Paracetamol 650mg) - Analgesic (pain reliever) and anti-pyretic (fever reducer) · 23rd October – 1 tablet of NOW - Saccharomyces Boulardii probiotic – 5 billion CFU · 26th October – 1 tablet of Pan 40 (Pantoprazole Gastro resistant tablets IP ) - Proton pump inhibitor · 27th October - Half of Allegra 180 (Fexofenadine) · 28th October – 1 tablet of Nexpro 40 (Esomeprazole magnesium tablets I.P AND 1/4th tablet of Gastractiv 10mg (DOMPERIDONE) - dopamine antagonist · 29th October - 1 tablet of Nexpro 40 (Esomeprazole magnesium tablets I.P - Proton pump inhibitor (Took for 10 days). My current symptoms since 15 months are:- Internal tremors running from head to toe, involuntary movements, nerves pull and pain on taking any medication, pacing, electrical sensitivity to electronics, tingling in hands and feet, burning of skin, external tremors, pain in my occipital area and neck, pulsating at the base of the head which goes down to my entire body. The neurologists did various tests like MRI of cervical spine, F DOPA PET Scan – Brain, Various blood tests, Whole Genome Sequencing (Genetic testing) and all were clear.They then officially diagnosed me with Functional Neurological Disorder (conversion disorder). Currently I can barely walk and im homebound for 15 months now. I currently take only my thyroid medication which is Thyroxine 112 mcg every morning before breakfast – 1 tablet and half tablet of Allegra 180 MG (fexofenadine) – once a week for Hives. The diagnosis that I have received from most neurologist and psychiatrist is that I have Functional neurological disorder (conversion disorder) or Depression and my symptoms are somatic. But I feel this could Kindling or Akathisia or Serotonin syndrome or Mast cell activation or Mold or Long Covid or Withdrawal from the rapid trial and error of medicines but no doctor is ready to help me or give me clarity as to what is wrong with me and why no medication is working on my body? I have tried counselling, EMDR, CBT, DBT, Physiotherapy, ayurvedic, homeopathy and every allopathy medicine possible but my condition doesn’t improve and im really suffering with the physical symptoms especially internal shaking/tremors. I have no idea what has gone wrong and no doctors in India help and they all have put their hands up. Currently no medication/ supplements works on my body and only makes my condition worse. Can someone please tell me what exactly am i suffering from? And is there any cure? I feel helpless and lost as as I have tried everything in my reach and my condition is getting worse day by day. Please Help and Guide me. Thank you so much in advance.

Hi Everyone, I got put on quetiapine for 6 weeks after a bad reaction to fluoxetine (basically I shouldn't have even been given it, i wasn't psychotic I just couldn't sleep an was very anxious). I then quit the quetiapine, its now been 5 months. First few weeks i got 0-1 hours of sleep per night, then a little more. Now 5 months out I feel like it's getting worse again, I can fall asleep but I feel like I am genuinely half awake all night. This leads to me wondering how much i even sleep. I bought a watch to track sleep and it says i sleep for 5-6 hours, but i wake up every 10mins or so. This makes sense, I feel like a complete zombie. Has anyone experienced similar from antipsychotics and has your sleep completely recovered?? If so how long did that take? Thanks!!