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So starting feb 2020 I was put on 20 mg paroxetine and 40 mg adderall. Around may or June I had a mental break and was hospitalized and was put on 30 mg paroxetine and 15 mg olanzapine and when out also taking 40 mg adderall. In dec 2020 decided to just quit taking everything. Did not feel much but was also using alot of cannabis and dxm so it might of mask the withdrawal. Until feb 10th where I used dxm on more time then decided to stop everything. For a while I was fine but on march 17th 2021 I crashed trying to harm myself and ended up in ICU then inpatient for a week. They put me back on 10 mg olanzapine with 150mg× 2 trileptal. I was also on trazadone for sleep nightly. When I was out I took those for about a month until April 25th 2021 where I just wasnt feeling like myself so I tried to CT the olanzapine again. First 3 day was fine and I felt myself again but on the 4th day I had really bad anxiety that I tried to undure but only lasted till 3 pm or so before I took 5mg olanzapine but that didnt help so a few hours later I took 5 mg more. I did get to sleep that night but the restlessness and anxiety stayed with me. From that day I decided to just keep taking 5 mg instead of 10 mg. I also stopped taking the trazadone. Every morning or nearly 2 week I woke up to huge cortisol spike and for a while I couldnt sit still because it's too uncomfortable. So I kept pacing around the house. After 2 weeks on 5 mg things started to calm down a bit and I'm able to sit if I need to with less restlessness. Today is going into week 4 and I had a few day like yesterday with some bad anxiety for like a few hours but overall its tolerable. My question is when should I start tapering as I'm feeling okay, still alot of discomfort but tolerable.

Grand Mal Seizure = No More Psych Meds for Me My primary reason for writing today is to thank each and every one of you who has shared your story on this site – your struggles, your successes, your set-backs, your victories. You have been a blessing in my life this past month. I was so naïve when I started the process of trying to get off of these medications! Here’s my story: I am in my mid-forties, and have struggled with PMDD and depression since I was a teenager. In July of 2004, after years of trying everything short of drugs, I sought pharmaceutical treatment for my symptoms. My PCP started me on Prozac, and I’ve been on ADs ever since. I have tried a few other AD’s, but each had intolerable side-effects, and so I would always return to Prozac. This year, Wellbutrin was added to the Prozac. The ADs give me profound relief from the depression and significantly improve the PMDD. I am able to function. I have a career, family, friends, and hobbies. I’m a Prozac success story. After a few years of being on the meds, I figured that I was one of the people who would be on Prozac for the rest of my life. And I was OK with that. After all, depression is a chronic illness and a fatal one at that. The meds were keeping my problems and crazy thinking at bay. That was about to change. In July 2013, I experienced a grand mal seizure. After my MRI, EEG and blood work came back without significant abnormalities, my MD concluded that the ADs (my meds had recently been increased to Prozac 60mg and Wellbutrin 300mg) had triggered the seizure. No more drugs for me. Wellbutrin was easy enough to leave behind. I was off within 10 days. The only symptom I experienced on withdrawal was an unrelenting headache. It felt as though my head was being squeezed in a vice. I was miserable, absolutely miserable, but considering that the alternative was to have more seizures, the headaches were tolerable. I lost a few hours of work, and I wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around, but I quickly emerged from those troubles. I was ready to move on to eliminating the Prozac. I was SO naïve. I had NO idea of the grip that Prozac had on me, my brain and my body. My MD gave me NO warning of the profoundly debilitating withdrawal symptoms. I thought that getting off of Prozac would be a walk in the park, or, at worst, a walk in the park on a cloudy day. Ha! I was SO wrong!!!! My MD’s plan for getting me off the Prozac was to reduce me by 10mg every 3-4 weeks. The ER MD who saw me for the seizure on July 9th, had already reduced the Prozac from 60mg to 40mg. So, with another 10mg reduction on August 9th, as directed by my MD, I was taking HALF of the dose that I’d been on a month earlier. About 5 days after dropping to 30mg, the psych symptoms began in earnest. I was suspicious and paranoid. I was worthless. A complete failure. I was physically exhausted and in constant emotional pain. All I wanted was to be dead. Every news story reporting a murder was a disappointment – a disappointment that I was still alive but that lucky b@$+@^d – the “victim” – got to be dead. I was done with suffering through this long, miserable life. I was resentful of all of the people who needed me to stay alive – my parents, my son, my friends, my employees. Surely they’d get over it if I killed myself? It was a 24-7 project to talk myself away from the intrusive, poisonous thoughts that my brain continuously bombarded me with. Sleep was no relief. When I was lucky enough to nod off I was plagued by horrific, graphic nightmares. It was worse than being awake. Then, about 7 days after they started, the psych symptoms evaporated. Yes, evaporated. Completely. I woke up, and they were gone. I thought I’d made it through. I thought I was on the other side. Now, it was going to be easy. I’d slow down the tapering going forward. The withdrawal symptoms wouldn’t return. I wasn’t going to let them get in the way of my goal. I was going to do this right and see it through to the end. I would get off of this drug, and off of it on my first try! Wrong, wrong, and wrong again!! The PSYCH symptoms have yet to return, but my reprieve from the withdrawal lasted only 24-hours. The next morning, I woke up and was totally debilitated by PHYSICAL symptoms of withdrawal. The world was spinning. The vertigo was unbearable. Light was unbearable. Sound was unbearable. People were DEFINITELY unbearable. My brain was Swiss cheese and fireworks. What the #%*!! Where did these come from?? Why so suddenly?? And so profoundly??? Was it something I ate? Something I was exposed to? Something I did or didn’t do? Did I need more sleep? Less sugar? More vegetables? Less dairy? More exercise? Less stress? This was a huge setback. I’d experienced some indigestion, head ache, blurred vision and foggy brain since starting this process. The symptoms I woke up with on that morning were of a different caliber. I had to fix it because I couldn’t function like this – not for more than a day, a week tops. Well, I couldn’t fix it. These were the “waves” that people were talking about. Symptoms come and symptoms go. Some days are better. Others are . . . not. I’m reluctantly accepting that getting off of Prozac is going to be a very long, very difficult road. To date, the psych symptoms have stayed away since that first, horrible episode. I get a few hours, if I’m lucky an afternoon here and there, where the physical symptoms subside appreciably. The tough days are the ones where I’m unable to work. Or I get lost driving home. Or I can’t string two coherent sentences together. Or I can’t process the information that’s in front of me. Or people ask too many questions or need me to make decisions. I am bound and determined to get off of the Prozac as quickly as I can. Every time I have a good afternoon or a good day (OK, I’ve only had one of those so far – but there will be more, right?), I think that I’m past the worst of it. I pull out the calendar to map out the next steps in my tapering schedule. Then my symptoms get worse again, and I realize that I need to continue to delay implementation of the next change. When I told my MD of the trouble I was having with withdrawal symptoms, she advised me that instead of reducing the dose by 10mg every 3-4 weeks I could reduce by 5mg every 1-3 weeks. That still seems too fast. I think my next reduction will be only a 2.5mg drop. So, here I am. Sharing this with you all. Hoping that there are others out there who understand what I’m going through. My family and friends don’t get it. And actually, it’s probably best that way. I’m at 3 ½ weeks on 30mg of Prozac, and hoping to make the reduction to 27.5mg before the end of September. Smiling.

Hello Sorry for my poor english I took Seroxat at the request of the doctor because I was suffering from slight anxiety and took it because I trusted the doctors and I took the medicine for 4 months and the last dose of the medicine was 18 months ago: Previous symptoms: - Extreme anxiety, I have never experienced anything like it in my life -Dark Depression (I've never experienced something like it in my life) -Panic -Tinnitus -Eye floaters -A slight electrical sensation in the head -Insomnia Current symptoms: -Eye floaters -Lack of pleasure -Insomnia(Very bad) -Tinnitus(Little improvement) Does it disappear over time or will it last forever? thank noh1995

Hey Guys, m 24 years old.... I was prescribed escitalopram in 2014 10mg,then after my dose was reduced to 5mg...So in December 2017 I quit it without tapering, which m now learning was a big mistake..... Everything was fine till February 5th when I had my breakup.... Suddenly my brain started behaving differently..... I started feeling like everything is Getting away from me.... Anxiety came back.... Slowly slowly symptoms began to get worse.... I used to wake up in the middle of the night, felt like crying most of the time, loose motion, sweaty hands, chronic fatigue.... Now from the last three weeks I feel like my memory is fading, it's like I don't remember all these years wt actually happened, I do remember most of the things but it just feels like I don't remember them with all the feel.... So last week I went to see my psychiatrist and he said it's a relapse case.... I told him maybe it's the withdrawal symptom then he said they only last for 10-15 days..... AND told me to get back on 10mg again.... At night I took my first dose of 10mg, the next day in morning I started shivering and feeling cold..... I went to pee and felt like m gonna faint.... There was a burning sensation under the skin of my arms and back..... I decided not to take these meds.... So m asking you guys wt is the best thing for me to do now.... Should I reinstate with the small dose and then taper it down or just hope that everything gets better with time?

I was on Celexa for 3 years. I started it in high school. Now I am 20 years old. It wasn't helping me anymore. I gave up on life. Quit my job and dropped out of college. I isolated myself and smoked marijuana. Didn't want to socialize with my roommates. I didn't want to go out in public because I felt mentally unstable and embarrass myself. My mood is so unpredictable that I just want to stay home alone. I became very destructive. I guess the Celexa wasn't working. My Mom thinks that Celexa was causing horrible side effects while I was on it and it was making everything worse. I tapered off 3 weeks ago. I feel the same as when I was on it but even worse now. I feel really weak mentally and totally hopeless. I don't feel like doing anything. I'm severely depressed, feel like a burden on everyone because I am. Everything is very stressful for me. I can barely feed myself. I have suicidal thoughts. I'm thinking about all the problems in my life all at once and can't stop. My brain is really slow. I have bad anxiety every morning, every day. I can't help myself get better. I'm just really stupid. I don't really enjoy anything. It's very hard to relax. Very lazy. My memory is awful. My confidence in myself is completely gone. Feel impending doom, waiting for the next bad thing to happen. I am so confused. How long before the side effects from Celexa wear off? I was told it would only be 2 weeks. I don't know how much more I can take.

Hi all, this seems like such a lovely community, I am in a desperate place. I finished my aripiprazole taper 3 weeks ago but because it has such a long half life (45 days I believe) my withdrawal continues and only gets worse. My psychiatrist did it all too fast I think: I got down to 2.5mg then just stopped altogether. I am in mental agony. I have never had such strong suicidal urges, I'd even go so far as to say I have been committed to do it. My family have hidden knives, they supervise my access to the balcony and have taken my medication from me so that I don't take too much. I have been to A&E twice but they don't want to admit me to inpatient because I am withdrawn and quiet and they think the noise in there would cause too much distress. I have an NHS crisis team supporting me but they have put me on two more drugs that I will eventually have to taper from: clonazepam and quetiapine. I am getting addicted to the drowsy feeling these drugs give me and I find myself waiting all day until my next dose so I can experience more relief. For background: I have autism, ADHD and mixed affective Bipolar Disorder and my stable meds are Lamotrigine 100mg and Elvanse 30mg. I have already tapered off so many medications but this antipsychotic withdrawal is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I would love some support as despite going through such a tough mental health journey for most of my life, this is the most isolated I've ever felt. I'm experiencing anhedonia for hours then searing mental anguish that makes me want someone to murder me or for my loved ones to just let me do it myself. I hope I've said enough here. I could write a book but I don't want to waste anyone's time.

Hello everyone, I was on Mirtazapine for about 3 years - 15 mg. I had a stressful time going on and decided to up to 30 mg. I then a few weeks later started suffering from a lump in throat/tight throat feeling, muscle tension in neck, twitching all over body, insomnia. I talked it over with my Psych Doc and we decided to go back down to 15 mg, the twitching is still there, but its not as bad. I still suffered from the lump in the throat feeling, though. I was then precribed 10mg of Lexapro and quickly went up to 20mg within a few weeks on top of Trazadone for sleep. After weeks of being on all of those three meds, I was still suffering the terrible neck tension and lump in throat. I decided to taper of Mirtazapine, and after about 6 months off of that, still going through the same symptoms. So I then decided to get off the Lexapro. I have been off of Lexapro for a little over 60 days now. Still, this terrible lump in throat/anxiety/depression feeling is still taking over my life. The only thing I am on now is Trazadone for sleep (I desperately need that to sleep). I feel like I am not able to enjoy anything anymore, it feels like a switch flipped in my head, some sort of reaction, after going to 30 mg of Mirtazapine and it wont switch back. I have looked up a lot of my symptoms and they sound like withdrawal.... could Mirtazapine messed up my brain for life? its been like 2 years since I started feeling these symptoms. I am hopeless right now. I don't know if I will ever feel better. My Doc thinks I should try Buspirone, but my problem is.... if Mirt and Lexapro didn't work together, should I try another drug? or just be patient and wait this out? Thanks everyone

Hello, my name is Bia, I'm from Brazil and I'm only 16!! I don't know much about this forum and since I'm brazilian my english knowledge is limited, so if I'm doing something wrong please let me know 😄😄 It's been 7months since I started taking Paroxetine, and happened that I forgot to take for two days and I know after reading about I realized that I'm having 'brain zaps'. The reason why I'm here is to know if, when you start taking your medication again the symptoms will stop?? I'm a teenager who needs to study for high school and these brain zaps really distract me... my mom is already mad at me for forgetting to take the pills I don't have anything to do I really need some help right now to know that everything is going to be okay 🙁🙁

Hello everyone, I am a long time lurker but decided to finally create an account. I've read about peoples experiences with Olanzapine withdrawal on many websites so I thought I would share my experience. I was on Olanzapine for 17 years due to a schizophrenia diagnoses, initially they put my on 5mg but quickly ramped that up to 40 mg. I was on 40mg for about 13 years. About 4 years ago I took the initiative to reduce my Olanzapine because my blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, triglycerides levels and weight gain were out of control. I was sleeping 12 hours a day on average and had no energy. Back then I had no idea anti-psychotics could have withdrawal effects or that there was a 10% taper rule, I thought I would slowly reduce my dosage, if I became psychotic I would go back, if not i would continue to decrease. I went from 40mg down to 15mg over the course of about 2 years, doing 5mg drops at a time and I was fine the whole time. About 2 years ago when I got down to 10mg my problems began. The major problem was insomnia, I simply couldn't sleep, at all. I ended up having to go back to 15mg and spent a month on 1mg of Lorazepam just to sleep. I spent a few months back on 15mg. I decided to go slower this time and had my doctor prescribe the 2.5mg tablets which is the smallest dosage tablet, then started to decrease again, this time I dropped by 2.5mg every couple of months and doing this resulted in me getting down to 5mg, still sleeping and symptom free. But after 5mg all hell broke loose. I quickly dropped to 2.5mg and then made my first attempt to go to zero, about 3 days after quitting I was in bed suffering bad, no sleep, severe anxiety attacks, severe agitation, its the worst I've ever felt, I don't have the words to describe how awful it was, as much as I wanted to quit I couldn't take it, in a moment of desperation I took 5mg of Olanzapine and within about 3 hours I felt much better. That is when I started to research how to quit Olanzapine and came across the 10% tapering rule (and all the people suffering like I was). My problem is that I had no way to break up my medication by 10% of the previous dose. The best I could figure out how to do is cut my pills in quarters. I've spent the last 8 months dropping my dosage by a quarter pill every 4 weeks. This has proven beneficial compared to last time. When I got down to a 1/4 pill I split that in half so it was an 1/8 of a pill and spent 4 weeks on that. Then I decided to take the plunge and go to zero. I was more successful this time, while I still have some withdrawal effects I am not experiencing the torturous experience I had last time I dropped to zero. Once I went below 5mg my insomnia came back and got worse and worse the lower my dosage I went. I started reading up on sleep supplements and one by one tried them. I've tried Vit C, Vit D, Zinc, Jamieson Herbal Complex (Relax and Sleep), various dosages and forms of melatonin, Benadryl, Unisom (Doxylamine), various teas, GABA, l-theanine, l-arginine, 5-HTP, CBD, CalmAid and PureZzz's. I had some luck with Jamieson Herbal Complex but once I got down to less than 2.5mg of Olanzapine it became useless. I needed something stronger, I then switched to Benadryl and that put me to sleep but i had side effects, just felt weird the next day, stuffy nose, it wasn't good. I then gave Unisom a try and that worked with no side effect. I was using Unisom for about 4 months but it stopped working after I went to zero. The Benadryl and Unisom only put me to sleep for a few hours anyways, they where not a perfect solution. One thing I found about Benadryl and Unisom is they where very effective anxiolytics, about 70 minutes after taking either one my anxiety faded away. Desperate I started doing more reading on sleep aids and learned about the synergistic effect of combing different sleep aids. I've spent a long time experimenting with different combinations of different products. For anyone that is interested here is what I am taking, I fall asleep quickly and get about 3-6 hours a night, not great but much better than lying in bed with my eyes closed not sleeping at all. Keep in mind that everyone is different so this "recipe" probably won't work for everyone, but I'm sharing it here because I know how brutal the insomnia can be. I wait until I am tired, then half an hour before bed I take 100mg NOW 5-HTP 500mg NOW GABA 2 capsules of Jamieson Herbal Complex (Relax and Sleep). It contains Valerian, Hops, Passionflower and Catnip. Then right before I crawl into bed I take 5mg Vitafusion Melatonin gummies (I found the gummies work best because they dissolve in your mouth when you chew them and so you get a full hit of melatonin all at once, instead of a slowly dissolving tablet in your stomach). I also take 500mg of Vitamin C, 400 IU of Vitamin D and 12.5 mg of Zinc picolinate (Half a 25mg tablet) in the morning when I get up. I cut out all caffeine, no coffee, energy drinks, soda or anything else. I do enjoy hot beverages during the day so I made an exception for decaffeinated Early Grey tea (it has very little caffeine) which I find makes me feel good (relaxed and alert) during the day. I eat only healthy foods including a lot of pro and pre biotics. I exercise, usually just a long walk, everyday. For my anxiety I found the following combo helpful. In the morning I take 1 calmaid, 100mg NOW l-theanine and 10mg of CBD oil sublingually (with no THC in in). That keeps me feeling good throughout the day. I'm going into my 6th week Olanzapine free. My major problems are anxiety and insomnia but I've found supplements that help me. Things are not perfect but they are the best they have been. I'm hoping with time my brain heals and I will be able to sleep without sleep aids and that my anxiety will subside. I go for a blood test on Wednesday so we'll see what the results are. Since my initial drop of Olanzapine 4 years ago I've slowly lost 70 lbs, I'm 10 lbs away from my healthy BMI weight. Every once in a while I pop a Lorazepam for a full nights sleep, but that is rare cause I don't want to get hooked and benzodiazepines. Anyways that's my story. It's taken me 4 years to go from 40mg down to zero and the battle still isn't over. "When you're going through hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill Tip: If you are going to experiment with taking multiple sleep aids, first try one at a time to see if you tolerate it well. If you don't have any negative reactions you can start mixing them. If you try taking everything all at once and have a bad reaction you won't know what caused the bad reaction.

I'm in a pickle. My roommates son was playing in the bathroom one day and was messing with our supplements. He emptied out my Vitamin C capsules & replaced with 200mg 5-htp instead. I'm sensitive to serotonin & had a bad experience a number of years back which had serious consequences for me. I haven't taken meds since. For about a month I'd been getting really ill. I'd be spacey & lethargic then foggy minded, I lost my sense of taste. I thought I had Covid & got tested. Test was negative. I noticed I was more anxious and almost paranoid so I cut coffee out. Nothing was improving. I started feeling flat, having hallucinations then numbness in various places. I went to the ER in panic. After tests & deep investigation and my roommate complaining about her supplements not working we figured it out. (5-htp increases serotonin for anyone that doesn't know.) Its been a month off & I can't sleep, I have electric jolts in my head and body, I can't eat, it's attacking my whole gi system. I feel utterly dead inside. Everything that made me feel good or happy now has the opposite effect, I feel extremely sickened by it. It's a weird sensation to try and explain. I need help

Hello all, I am new here and joining because the last three months have been something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It started in January when I decided to finally start seeing some specialists instead of just my Family Doctor. I started with a neuro for my migraines and a psych to try and figure out a better med for me. I had been on Lexapro (20mg) for just over 2 years ish I think. We had added Wellbutrin to fix some of the side effects about a year ago. Lexapro was just making me so very tired and I was still finding myself having anxiety. So I went to a highly regarded psychiatrist in the area and that is where it all went to hell. First, they wanted me to drop Lexapro and Wellbutrin and start Trintellix. Trintellix gave me terrible nausea and the cost was going to be $350/month WITH insurance. So they looked at my genomind and decided to try prozac instead. After about a week on Prozac (10mg) I began having the worst anxiety of my life. I became instantly agoraphobic and was having panic attacks multiple times a day. I ended up just stopping because I couldn’t handle the side effects. Now they want me to take gabapentin instead. I’ve been off prozac for 3 weeks and the last week and a half has been awful again. Feeling so anxious all the time, increased panic, depression. Not getting out of bed and then all the physics symptoms. I’m trying to figure out where to go from here. I’m currently wanting to try to go back on Zoloft or Lexapro because I never ever would have stopped cold turkey under normal circumstances. any help navigating this hellscape would be so wonderful. thanks.

Hey my name is Hammad I'm from Pakistan and im new to this community, I've read the rules and i find this community quite help ful , because all of this information is not given by our health professionals for some reason so most of us come to the internet to investigate. This discussion website is a very good way to share , get advice and get to know alot of stuff that we wouldn't know otherwise from somewhere else .

Hello! Seeking advice and support having discovered how dependent I am after over 20 yrs of taking paroxetine. Withdrawal symptoms of extreme sustained insomnia, excessive sweating and intense anxiety are making life unbearable and I am horrified at how ignorant I have been about my meds. I now realise GP probably made things worse by suggesting a change to mirtazapine before returning to paroxetine. GP suggested back to 20mg but I couldn't bare the thought of possibly having to repeat the withdrawal so decided on ½ dose (10mg). Not sure if I've done the right thing as still have severe symptoms after 7 days. I now realise all these changes were far too fast but do I hang on to this dose to see if I stabilise and how long do I give it?? I'm just beginning to realise that this is likely to be life changing....not what I'd planned at 58....as may well loose my job and it's a huge strain on family and friends. It's confusing and frightening. See gp on Thurs and feel it would be good to have an idea of what I should be aiming for re medication. He gave me propranolol (a beta blocker) for the anxiety but I've since discovered it could be contributing to the insomnia. Has anyone got any experience of that? With thanks and hoping to be able to share experiences!

Hi. Was taking 4 mg of risperidone for two months. Suddenly stopped taking it for a week (didn't notice any withdrawal). Then took 2 mg for two weeks (approved by psychiatrist). Then took 1 mg for two weeks (approved by psychiatrist). Have not noticed any withdrawal symptoms. Asked psychiatrist if it was okay for me to suddenly go from 4 mg to 2 mg, and then 2 mg to 1 mg. She said it was okay since I hadn't been showing any symptoms. I have read that withdrawal symptoms can surface after months or even a year after you stop taking it. I am not sure what that person's credibility was. I have also read, from a .org website that the withdrawal symptoms are mild and rare. I have stopped taking the 1 mg for almost a week, and I am wondering if I will be alright. I have not noticed any withdrawal symptoms, and I feel like I will still be seeing my psychiatrist for a little while at least. I am also wondering if it is true that withdrawal symptoms can surface months or even a year after you stop taking the medication. That just seems far-fetched to me. Any help is appreciated!

Bolouis Hi everyone - Firstly I'm so grateful for having found this forum through the podcast Let's talk withdrawal. I thought I was going mad as no one would believe the withdrawal symptoms I've been experiencing. Had I found these pages before I would have tapered much more slowly! I have suffered with depression since I was a child but no one has ever asked me about my life or explored why I might be feeling this way. Along with most people, I was told that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain that could be fixed with antidepressants. Over the last few years and with the knowledge that all these meds do is numb me but I remained depressed, I started researching the topic and was gobsmacked by some of the research and information I found. So, I have been trying to get off them since 2017. I am hoping that someone can help or advise me through the awful symptoms I have been experiencing every time I try to withdraw. My symptoms are: Crippling insomnia - I have been prescribed Zopiclone short term but without this I can only manage an hour or two dozing at best Foul metallic taste in my mouth Feeling flu like - hot/cold, shivery, achy, nauseous Headaches almost permanently, pain in my face and neck Tinnitus and brain zaps Anxiety/palpitations Gastric problems, constipation/diarrhea My first proper attempt in 2017 lasted about 8 months but I became so ill that I gave up. At that time I didn't know what was wrong with me and had various blood tests and investigations only to be told there was nothing wrong. I wasn't at first depressed though (not that anyone would believe me). I think I probably became depressed through the illness so hence, I gave in and went back on the meds. I do believe I know the difference between feeling ill and depression but when you've been labelled for so many years, not even your loved ones believe you. So this is my 2nd serious attempt and I've been off now for about 5 months. Again, the symptoms have returned exactly the same as the last time but more seriously this time I became extremely anxious and agitated and ended up in A&E in March this year having planned my suicide. I was put under the Acute mental health team and a psychiatrist but of course they said I had to go back on my meds and prescribed Mirtazapine 30mg. I tried to argue my case but felt I had to give in and took it for 3 days before stopping. I have still not told them that I'm not taking it because I'm scared that they will withdraw their support. I have been signed off sick from work for 2 months now and can't imagine how I will be able to return if this continues. I am aware that I probably tapered far too quickly but I can't go back now. I have great support from my brother and sister and they've helped me research this and claim benefits. I've also been doing daily meditations and yoga for the last couple of months. I think this helps a little especially with the insomnia. I've honestly been feeling so ill and exhausted that before finding this I was seriously thinking of just going back on the meds and admitting defeat once and for all. It's just so horrible when no one believes you or takes you seriously when you're trying your best to drag yourself through each day. So, any advice would be very welcome, so sorry if went on a bit...TIA

Hi all. I am new to this site but I am desperate for advice. my history: I have been on various antidepressants for 10 years (sertraline then escitalopram then venlafaxine). I was on 150mg venlafaxine for about 2 years. I wanted to wean off last April to start a family. On the advice of GP, I went from 150 to 75, waited a month, then to 37.5, waited a month, then every other day, waited a month, then stopped completely. I had no symptoms whatsoever until I started taking the 37.5 every other day, after about 2 weeks I had extreme nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and non stop dizziness. This went on for about 8 weeks, when the symptoms settled down apart from the dizziness. The GP at the time diagnosed me with labyrinthitis and prescribed prochlorperazine/betahistine both which did not help. It was only a few months after that I put it together and realised it could be withdrawal. I had never heard of this at all before so was very naive. I decided to wait a while to see if the dizziness would subside too. However, 6 months on, it had not. I decided to reinstate at a small dose (3mg twice a day, crushed tablets) but saw no improvement. I went up to 6mg, then 12 and then back on the 37.5mg. I have been on 37.5 for just over a week now, but I’ve had no improvement and no worsening symptoms either. Throughout this long time, the dizziness is like a thickness in my brain, giddiness, drunk-like feeling and a bit like I have water in my head. I am desperate to find a way to stop it, it is 24/7 and I haven’t had a break from it for 7 months. I’m at the end of my ability to cope with this, and not being able to start a family is breaking my heart. Please any advice welcome, I don’t know how long I should continue using the 37.5mg, if I should wean off, if I should increase. During all this time, the GP and ENT are still convinced it was a vestibular episode and I am receiving vestibular rehabilitation just in case they are correct.

NOSEXscitalopram I am a 23 years old male and I was prescribed antidepressants 2 years ago, which permanently damaged my sexuality. It was Spring 2017, after a stressful period of time caused by anemia, I began experiencing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. I started having depersonalization, a state in which a person feels "detached" from their mind, thoughts, and emotions. I tried psychotherapy for 2 months, but it was not beneficial for me at all, therefore my next decision was to make an appointment with a private psychiatrist. He prescribed me an antidepressant called ‘Escitalopram’ (also known under the brand names of Cipralex and Lexapro) and said that these medications were well tolerated and the ‘only side effects’ that most of his patients experienced was a dry mouth. A couple of days after starting the antidepressant, my genitals became numb and my sexual functioning decreased by around 50%. I literally felt like I was 90 years old! During my second appointment, I reported this side effect to the psychiatrist, and he reacted by prescribing a different antidepressant. Unfortunately, it was causing the same problem. We then tried a third one which caused more sexual side effects. I kept taking it for about 3 weeks and decided to quit as I had had enough. My psychiatrist informed me, that I might get withdrawal symptoms which are mild and last around a week. When I discontinued the medications, I went through hell! I experienced horrible brain zaps, anxiety, sadness, shaking, insomnia, sweating, and severe problems with concentration - it all lasted about 7 weeks. Additionally, the sexual side effects still persisted at that time - I thought that it could not be possible, so I visited my GP. I had all sorts of medical tests that revealed no abnormalities. Furthermore, I got back to my psychiatrist with the issue, who said that in some cases antidepressants cause permanent sexual dysfunctions. I was terrified. Then I got referred to a urologist, who confirmed that my problem was caused by the antidepressant and unfortunately there was no treatment for it. I am now stuck with permanent damage from these medications and there is no help for me and many sufferers at all. This issue was first reported to regulators in 1991 and the first time any regulator actually confirmed the problem and requested updates of all SSRI/SNRI leaflets was the European Medication Agency in May 2019. Still, there is no research into it and many GPs say that PSSD does not exist. How horrible life can be when you have a condition, which existence is denied by pharmaceutical companies and even medical professionals. I am in an anhedonia state, which negatively affected my progress at university, and destroyed my relationship. I do not think that I will ever be able to have my own family that I have always dreamt of. Antidepressants permanently damaged my sexuality and left me suicidal. But of course, these medications are still recognized as safe and there are more and more people who are prescribed and take them worldwide.

Hi, So quick background.. i took LUVOX (fluvoxamine) a few years ago and was able to come off of it safely and with minimum withdrawal. (I reduced 50mg at a time over a few months) (I know this wasn’t the right way to taper but I didnt know at the time) I took Luvox again this year and as I been withdrwaling, I realize it is MUCH harder. I can BARELY withdrawal 10mg at a time and I strongly feel the withdrawal. I been withdrawing less than 5% to. It just does not make sense to me that I withdrew much faster and easier before and now it is so much harder the second time... I don’t think it has todo with my diet or stress. If you Any thoughts as to why this is, it would be great thanks...

Hi Im new here, I took Wellbutrin for 6 months and I have severe symptoms that got worse over time which can't be explained by any doctor. Extreme fatigue, high bp, extreme dizziness and a feeling of being drunk, muscle twitches, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, appetite loss, derealization and more. Got to the ER twice, did all the bloodwork, got checked by internists, did an EEG and even a MRT. They said I have GAD and its kinda true?but only since like 3-4 months around that time when I stopped. I took 300 then 150 (which didn't affect me that bad) for a couple of weeks and then went to zero. I told my psychiatrist and he said it isn't possible cause none of his patients in 20 years had wd cause if Wellbutrin for that long. Its been 15 weeks and Im anxious about taking it again cause here in austria we don't have the SR or IR versions - just the 150 and 300 XL (!). So I cant take like 75mg and try if it works .. either 150mg or none .. cause as far as I know you shouldn't cut the extended release tablets ... I really need advice ...

Hi all! I am a 22 year old female diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder I, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD. I was heavily drugged at around the age of 14, and I decided to come off of many of my meds in the past year. Unfortunately, I do not have the history of meds/dosages for the past two years but may be able to obtain info from my doctor... Drugs Withdrew from: 1. Trileptal 2. Gabapentin 3. Horizant (form of gabapentin) I was put on Trileptal (I believe 900mg) for Bipolar Disorder around the end of summer of 2017 I decided to come off the drug after about 5 months. I went off quickly, but did not stop cold turkey. Started experiencing tingling in my legs (against clothing or fabric) Started developing a noise sensitivity during this time. Went on Gabapentin (I believe 900mg) in November/December for one month and a half, and had side effects. Came off with my doctor Experienced side effects including insomnia, anxiety, tingling back, chills, temperature changes, heart palpitations, panic attacks, noise sensitivity Went on Horizant for 3 days had side effects, stopped for a day, took it again once, and stopped permanently after 4th day. Had brain zaps for a few weeks with tinnitus Since stopping ALL 3 meds, I now have chronic side effects Tingling (against clothes) Legs (***) front and back of thighs. Intermittent throughout day. Very unbearable.. In both arms (sometimes part of arm sometimes full arm) --less frequent but happens more than back/ribs Back (less frequent) Ribs (less frequent) Tingling happens for a few seconds with back arms and ribs. Noise sensitivity (hyperacusis) Touch sensitivity Head pressure (started after brain zaps from Horizant subsided.) Basically CONSTANT throughout the day. ***** I believe that all of my symptoms are from withdrawal from medications. The chronic pain/tingling against clothing or fabric is the most excruciating. I wonder if anyone knows if this will go away or if it is permanent damage?? Is anyone familiar with my situation? It has been about 2 months since I tried Horizant in February of 2018. It is April 2018 now I don't want to put any more drugs in my body, especially not knowing if it will go away on it's own. I am a college student who is now going to drop out, even though I was doing great in school. All advise/ info helps!! Thank you!!

Hi! My name is Kim. I’m 62 years old. I’ve been on 20mg of Prozac for about 28 years. I started on them from having PTSD as a survivor of childhood sex abuse. I went to talk therapy many times which helped a lot. I have had multiple medical problems over the years that I now believe, in retrospect, are from taking the Prozac. I’ve been to many psychiatrists in my life. They all told me antidepressants were harmless, esp SSRIs, that I could stop anytime I wanted to. But I’ve tried many times and couldnt get off. I was told by the psychiatrist that my symptoms were returning. Years later I realize I was just having withdrawls. In Dec 2018 I started to taper off of Prozac at 10%, per month. I started at 20 mg. When I got to 10 mg., I started having dizziness. It was very bad. I couldn’t shower or do anything. I eventually got somewhat better but I still cannot drive. I can walk but not too far. I have other withdrawl symptoms such as sensitivity to noise, heartburn, constipation, nausea. However it’s the dizziness that is so difficult to live with. I’ve had this dizziness ever since Nov. 2019. It is now Feb 2021. I have held my dose at 10 mg ever since the dizziness began in Nov. 2019. I’m wondering why I am still dizzy 14 months later. Should I taper at a very slow rate, like 2%? Or should I continue to hold at 10 mg? That’s my question. Any ideas?

My Story: Around 2007, I was 19 and was in a 2.5 year long terrible, codependent relationship carrying over from high school. He decided to go into the military and when he left for boot camp, my world (at the time) fell apart and I fell into my first depression. I had never dealt with it before, but I had had 2-3 panic attacks prior (induced after smoking weed). 1 was so bad and scary I went to the hospital "KNOWING" I was going to die. It was so long ago that I don't remember all the details, I just remember how bad it was and my parents didn't know what to do. They ended up taking me to a GP friend who prescribed me 20mg of Paroxetine. I give no blame whatsoever as in my opinion it saved me at the time. I stayed on the medicine for years without ever really thinking about (I had a chemical imbalance after all and the pills fixed it). What truly changed was the end of Sept 2015. I was 27 and my 34 year old brother suddenly passed away overnight (death was ruled as undetermined). I had never known anyone under the age of 80 to day, and to not have a reason amongst many other issues surrounding everything that happened afterward crushed me. At first, I was so shocked at how well I thought I was dealing with the whole situation. Then after 3 months, on Christmas Eve, after going to the cemetery, I started feeling like I was going to have a panic attack. I left a Christmas party, and on the way home it was full blown where I had to pull over. I went into a restaurant bathroom and was on the floor certain that I was dying. It was the worst panic attack I have ever had and it lasted for about an hour. A friend had to come pick me up and take me home. This was the changing point of my life, even up to today. I fell into a depression I didn't even know was possible. It got so back that my psychiatrist upped my dose to 40mg of Paroxetine, and then added Buspirone to "boost" the Paroxetine (don't know how much), .5mg of Lorazepam, and also and antipsychotic (don't know how much or the name). I was a barely functioning, 27 years old and couldn't drive, my parents had to pick me up and take me to work every day for a couple of months and I couldnt even want in a store without holding my mothers hand.

I’m challenged with trying to understand when next to cut my dose of Seroquel. I began a taper in December 2020 because I was experiencing Akathisia and Tachycardia at 87.5mg. In response, my psych lowered me to 50mg from the 87.5mg over the course of a month. whike I am in severe WD, the Akathisia is gone. As well the Tachycardia has improved (with a low dose (15mg) Propranolol to help). However, in addition to the classic WD symptoms, I am still experiencing early morning Cortisol spikes with feeling profoundly hung over in the mornings. It lasts until noon everyday. This was similar to how I woke up before my cut. Except this time it’s no longer Akathisia, it’s a feeling of angst and very heavy hangover until about noon by which time I start to recover....until the next day’s repeat pattern. I am confused as to whether this angst and hangover is still WD or a side effect. I know I still have WD instability but I’m getting to a point where sooner or later I want to cut again. Feeling inbetween a rock and a hard place. How do I judge between side effects and WD so that I can try to get to what is called “Withdrawal Normal”? I will wait another month but feel I can’t linger for very long as the morning hangover is very severe and debilitating. I need to get off the Seroquel but also don’t want to rush and pay the consequences. Any insights to help me distinguish between the two conditions will be gratefully received.

Hello, this is my first post, it’s nice not to just float out in space with this very difficult experience. My story is that I had been on 250 mg of Seroquel in combination with Lithium for about 8 years which kept my bipolar II in pretty good control since 2012. I then had a hypomanic episode in November 2019 (after one of the toughest years of my life, finally cutting contact with my abusive family of origin and the related trauma) that lead to my psychiatrist raising my Seroquel from 250 to 350 mg to help me sleep as I was not sleeping for 3 nights (not to control the hypomania itself). It’s an understatement to say that turned out to be a terrible misjudgment as after about 2 weeks on the significantly higher dose, I started to have severe vertigo as an adverse reaction. This same psychiatrist would not believe my adverse reaction/toxicity was due to the sudden jump in Seroquel, so I ended up switching psychiatrists after feeling talked down to and essentially abandoned. The new psychiatrist believed me and is a reasonable, compassionate person. He and I agreed I must come off Seroquel and quickly due to the vertigo toxicity which had me basically immobilized. In 3 days, I came down from 250 mg to 50 mg. The vertigo disappeared but within days after, I started to have insomnia (I am now sleeping with sleep meds), nausea and acid reflux, headaches and now about 6 weeks in to the withdrawal, the headaches are replaced by terrible dizziness and even more severe nausea, reflux has abated with help of meds. It’s really frightening and painful going through this to say the least, especially not knowing when it will improve. I work full time and have a family to take care of and my husband and I are frozen in a state of perpetual anxiety and a deep sense of crisis. Anyone experienced anything like this with Seroquel/Quetiapine or other atypical antipsychotics? Psychiatrists seem to know next to nothing about this issue. As a side note, I feel unable to raise the Seroquel level due to the severe vertigo issues I had while on it at the higher dose. Thanks in advance for pretty much any guidance or rays of hope, this is hell and I feel I’m on my own.

Hello everyone, I took my first anti-depressant at 21. I am now 43. In the years in between, I have had multiple psychiatric admissions, taken many many different medications, some at high doses, some inappropriate for my diagnosis, and for long periods of time, and had 8 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). I am posting here now because I believe I may be experiencing a withdrawal/discontinuation syndrome. My life has been razed to the ground and I am reaching out, to foster hope, make connection, and see if I can educate and empower myself and find guidance and support to get into healing and recovery. My difficulties began 9 years ago. The only drug I was taking at the time was Citalopram, and I was reducing it. The first thing I noticed was increased sensitivity to sound (e.g. hearing the radiators throughout the house I was staying in). I was working as a counsellor at the time, and I began to have feelings of falling through my chair when working with clients, a sensation of falling downwards and backwards suddenly. I then started to feel strange in the car, as if something toxic was coming through the ventilation system, leading me to feel a bit like I wasn't fully there; slightly afraid I would pass out (I never have) or "disappear". I would pinch my cheeks to try and "come back". I couldn't understand it. For 18 months, I followed the initial thinking from my GP, that I had labyrinthitis, and had various auditory system tests. This revealed nothing. I then went to the London Balance and Hearing Centre and had a thorough check there. They found nothing wrong and said that 40 % of people presenting there they referred on to psychiatry. By this stage, I had stopped driving, stopped working, had considerable difficulties walking - I walked using 2 sticks, and continued to have extreme sensitivity to sound (found the sound of the dishwasher on the floor below almost unbearable). The psychiatrist diagnosed "total serotonin depletion of the vestibular nucleus" with utter conviction (no sample/scan of anything has ever been taken by a psychiatrist in 22 years of treatment), and admitted me urgently to hospital. I was not depressed at the time. I was bombarded with medications. 3 weeks later, I went into depression, but the somatic symptoms I had been admitted for continued. More and more medications were administered. Eventually, I discharged myself and went to another psychiatric hospital. They were shocked at the levels of medication I was on (this was 2013) and proceeded to reduce and change the drugs. I left this hospital in 2014 but my somatic symptoms persisted (difficulty walking, unable to tolerate the sound of the fridges in the supermarket, clinging on to the shelves, tremors in my legs, unable to stand in line....). By this time, I had a diagnosis of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) - which I identify with to this day. This was September 2015. Because, despite high levels of medication, the symptoms were still present and limiting my functionality (e.g. unable to tolerate short attending a short evening course on social media at my gardening group: I couldn’t cope with looking at the screen, sitting on a chair without sides, or the sounds – and had to leave), I decided to change tack and try a different approach. That was when I sought out a trauma therapist and a more holistic path. At this time I was on Quetiapine (250mg at night, 50mg breakfast and 50mg lunchtime), 3g L-Tryptophan, 15mg Diazepam, 60mg Citalopram. Over the course of 3 years, I brought myself down off the meds in a very measured way, one at a time, titrating at what I thought was a slow pace. I managed to come off the Quetiapine, L-Tryptophan and Diazepam. I continued to experience severe somatic symptoms but could walk about a little, go into a bookshop briefly - not able to work or go out for a meal, or the cinema or anything like that. When I began reducing the Citalopram, my symptoms became seriously bad. They emerged approx. 2 – 3 months after reductions e.g. 60 > 50 > 40 beginning May 2017, resulted in severe, disabling symptoms by August: severe tremors, terrifying hyperarousal, unable to tolerate sounds at all, using alcohol when necessary literally to be able to tolerate them or walk when necessary. I made another reduction 40 > 35 > 30 > 25 > 20 from December to April 2018, at which point I became housebound and called the paramedics as I was experiencing states of terror, feeling as if I was about to die, unable to regulate my nervous system at all. I now know, how terribly and tragically misguided my reduction pacing was. I wish I could turn the clocks back. But I can't. Hence my presence here, and prayers that there is still hope that I might recover my health. The emergency services suggested I increase the Citalopram back up to 30mg, which I did - and then up to 35mg, 3 weeks later. By this stage, I was housebound, having violent seizure patterning (not seizures - I never lose consciousness), unable to tolerate the sound of using a telephone, unable to stand to wash up or make food. My therapist began visiting me in my home. At the time, she and I had been understanding what was happening as partly being a releasing of the trapped energy of the trauma of the ECT which I had when I was 29. Indeed, the seizure patterning/muscle spasms look very like this. And my therapist described what she believed was going on in Somatic Experiencing language of "overcoupling": effects of psychological trauma/stress from earlier life + ECT shock trauma + long term use of meds.....all contributing to a dysregulated nervous system. I still believe this to be the case. However, very sadly, my therapist reached the point where she felt unable to continue to support me and pointed me back towards psychiatry. This was utterly devastating to me. I had derived considerable strength and hope from believing I understood what was happening in my body, that I had agency over its process, and was resourced and motivated by this. Being advised that all that was left was to go back to psychiatry, felt like the final straw. I went into severe, suicidal depression. Since then, I have seen several more psychiatrists, 2 neurologists, one neuropsychiatrist. None of them acknowledge that there is any possibility that psychiatric medications are implicated in my somatic symptoms. They put them under "medically unexplained" or "functional neurological disorder". I had 5 weeks in another psychiatric hospital in December 2018 which was largely pointless as I could not bring myself to take further medications, except for the introduction of one, Pregabalin, but at a low dose (because I was looking ahead to having to withdraw off this too eventually, and cautious accordingly.) I am now staying with my parents, in Luxembourg because I am unable to manage on my own in my own home without carers. I am at the lowest point of my life. The depression is severe but largely "reactive", ie an understandable response to losing my world - my work, my community, my functionality and all that that now deprives me of. I am just surviving at the moment. I hope I can find a way ahead. I am new to this website. I wonder how I might best use it to seek support and guidance? I will list the medications I am currently taking: Citalopram 40mg Pregabalin 50mg @ 09.00, 25 mg @ 13.00, 25mg @ 22.00 Diazepam 2mg @ 09.00, 25mg @ 13.00, 25mg @ 19.00, 25 mg @ 22.00 Zopiclone 3.75mg: began tapering under advice of GP 10 days ago, reducing by 1/4 = cutting the pill in half and half again and taking 3/4. He suggested I taper by 1/4 every 2-3 weeks. I feel trapped in a Catch22: I am unable to function in the world as I am. My symptoms are prohibitive of most activities and restrict where I can be, even within my parents' home, as my sensitivity to sound is so great and I am unable to be standing for very long due to the tremors. I am due to see the GP again tomorrow to ask his advice. I do not have a psychiatrist here. I am not keen to see yet another psychiatrist unless this person understands the fight/flight/freeze response, believes in withdrawal syndromes and tapering. My despair lies in the fact that I am sadly not in a position to be tapering really until I have adequate functionality restored. But I don't know how to restore that, how to address the tremoring and sensitivity to sound. The advice I have had from psychiatrists is to increase the dose of Pregabalin to quell the tremors. I am currently on a sub-therapeutic dose. I am reluctant to do this as this will be yet another drug to come off (which holds risks of seizures through withdrawal). Does anybody here have anything they could suggest to help? I am only just beginning to try to understand what the effects might be, on my nervous system, of extensive use of the drugs I have been on in the past, and am currently on. In particular, Quetiapine (I was on 800mg in 2005 and reduced over a couple of years - I never had any psychosis; and again 2013 - 2016 at 300mg), Diazepam (30mg in 2013, now 8mg) and Citalopram (60 for many years, now 40mg). I don't know if everything my body is manifesting is an expression of a depletion of receptors throughout my body? I am doing an online course on the nervous system and understand the intricacy of it, and how every cell in our bodies is affected by nervous system dysregulation. What is the next step? How do I address the somatic symptoms, in particular sensitivity to sound and to gravity: my sympathetic nervous system is "turned up way too high" in response to my standing up = tremors How/where can I find a clinician to guide me? I am due to see a Functional Medicine practitioner next Thursday with a view to try trying to do something myself to help heal my system. Any thoughts on this? I am also acutely aware that my life situation is such that I feel insecure and at sea. So, I need to find a way to create a secure base for myself, professionals I trust, decide which country to live in to do this (I will probably be unable to live alone until/unless I can heal this)..... I understand now that my nervous system is picking up cues about safety all the time. And if my life situation is unstable, it will keep going into fight/flight/freeze in reaction to that too. So, I need to also do some internal work on finding safety in the midst of uncertainty. This is so challenging. I feel very grateful to have this space in which to share and hopefully help each other. Thank you.