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I will try and make this short. I am a 76 year-old female. I was put on mirtazapine about 2.5 years ago simply for insomnia. I started at 7.5 mg and was quickly increased to 15 mg. It worked beautifully and I also gained weight that I really needed. I stupidly decided to wean myself off because I don't like taking drugs and I have no problems with depression or anxiety. I started at 7.5 mg and was quickly increased to 15 mg. I knew how to do it fairly slowly with liquid and got down to 1 mg with really no problems. At 1 mg insomnia hit and I panicked. I jumped back on. I can't remember if it was to 7.5 mg or 15 mg. I was OK. Then I started titrating again. Nausea and sedation have been the biggest problems. At 1.5 mg. I am suffering badly. I decided to go up to 2 mg and try and stabilize, but I am completely doped,nausea is back and I have no appetite. I cannot afford to lose any more weight. I know this low dose is causing sedation. so I am not sure if holding at 2 mg is going to help me continue my journey down. I am sorry I took this drug in the first place and even sorrier I decided to try and get off it. Not sure what the answer is at this point since doctors have no clue.

I have been off zoloft for 14 months and still have nausea and anxiety. I am considering reinstatement but have read on the forum that it might be a bad idea after such a long time. . I'm scared to try it and make matters worse.

Hello, I am Adriana and I am 32 years old. It all started with severe headaches almost 10 years ago. I have been taking Cipralex 5 mg/day, Lamictal 100 mg/day, and Xanax 3 mg/day for almost 4 months ( November 2022). The major issue is that I have been trying different antidepressants for 4-5 years, anxiolytics, and other pills ( Depakine, Carbamazepine, Gabapentine, Painkillers...etc). My headaches started suddenly and they were severe, I lost a lot of weight and was tired all the time. At the hospital, the doctors treated me for migraines after a series of investigations ( I was diagnosed wrong with multiple sclerosis), seeing that the pain did not disappear, I started to be afraid that I have a disease that the doctors could not find, I had to resign from my job. After 3 months of searching for a disease, I still felt horrible: headaches, laying in bed all day, being afraid of death, of going out, and feeling extremely tired. Then my parents decided it was time to go to a psychiatrist. I was first prescribed Cipralex 10 mg/day and Bromazepan when needed. Then the panic attacks appeared, also the majority of side effects: trembling, insomnia, nausea, and so on. After a week the doctor decided to give me Rivotril and sleeping pills to counterattack the side effects. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact amount of Rivotril given, but it was a small dose. But it did not go well as the doctor promised, and after 2 months I was the same. She changed the treatment with another antidepressant, and it began to be frustrating so I decided to find someone "better". The next doctor gave me Anxiar ( when needed and) Carbamazepine along with Cipralex. My headaches started to be even worse. I started to take strong painkillers, I could not sleep at all during the night. I was treated for sinusitis too. I started going to a psychologist, I explained the whole situation and he sent me with the MRI to a neurologist to check if it is neurocysticercosis. I started to be more and more afraid. For almost 4 years I have been prescribed all types of antidepressants and anxiolytics, painkillers, sleeping pills, and so on. I had lots of ups and downs but the headaches didn't go away. The doctors started to check if I had: epilepsy, Lyme disease, neurocysticercosis, encephalitis, and meningitis, so I spent a lot of time in hospitals. Then I found a psychiatrist that prescribed me Paroxetine 20 mg/ day and Xanax 0,25 mg/ 3 times per day. After a month I started to feel a bit better, I was working and having a "life" again. Then the tolerance to Xanax appeared. I started to take more and more. The maximum amount given by the doctor was 4 mg/ day, but being an addict at that time I went to another doctor to prescribe me more pills. In 2 years I reached a maximum dose of 9-10 mg per day. For me, they were like an escape from all the things I felt: panic attacks, headaches, insomnia. After a while, they did not work anymore, so I started to withdraw them alone, along with the antidepressant. In 2 weeks I removed them completely and in a few days, I got to the hospital for weaning. In the hospital, they made some analyses and I was suspected of pituitary adenoma, this was the moment when I started to be nervous and to have breakdowns. After multiple investigations, it turned out to be a false alarm. My psychiatrist increased the dose of Paroxetine to 40 mg/day and gave me only 4 mg of Xanax. I had more pills so I took 7 mg, then 6 mg of Xanax per day. I have to write an entire novel to explain everything: how I felt, how I was treated, my breakdowns, my ups, and downs, investigations, etc. 2 years ago I started to decrease the amount of Xanax from 6 mg to 3.5 mg/day today. My psychiatrist suggested multiple times hospitalization to withdraw all the pills, specifically Xanax, but I was too afraid to do it and also the conditions in the hospital are horrible. Although I repeat myself, the headaches were severe, they still are. When the breakdowns were worse and more often, I found another psychiatrist. After so many years of taking Paroxetine, I had to withdraw it in 2 weeks, so I could get back on Cipralex, but I mentioned that it caused me in the past severe anxiety, suicidal thoughts, no friends, no job, and no relationships. I was lying in bed all day watching movies, tv series, eating, sleeping, and gaining weight, feeling horrible, miserable, a shadow, a victim, I did not want to live anymore, but paradoxically I am afraid of death. I forgot to mention that I have 5 years of taking almost every day Paracetamol. Additionally, I was prescribed Lamictal, from 25 mg/ day to 100 mg/ day, and 3 mg/ day of Xanax. I have been diagnosed with sinusitis and it needs surgery, so I hope some of the pain will go away. I am supposed to increase the dose of Lamictal, but I am having a rash, and puffy, red, itchy eyes. I need help, I need advice. I do not know what I have to do, withdraw all the pills or just some of them. Taking them is not the solution after so many years. Maybe some of you had a similar situation and can help me. Thank you a lot!

Hello, my name is Sturm! I am from Austria and am looking for someone to read over my story about getting off of Effexor, since, quite frankly, I am terrified that it will last a few weeks more, or that I could get addicted to benzos (see more about that later) in the process (as the worst side effect I have atm is very bad insomnia). I hope I am posting this in the correct place. So, this is a bit of a long story. I have been taken Venlafaxine / Effexor for around 7 months (since January 2022). Around two months ago I decided to taper it (I was at 150mg). We tapered to 75mg. I don’t recall any psychological side effects from this, but I did notice muscle pain (especially from my left leg). I stayed on this for around two weeks, when I tapered again to 37,5mg. I stayed at this dosage for two weeks, and didn’t notice any psychological change besides muscle pain. I was then told I could get off Effexor, or I could take it every other day. I took it every day for a week. By this time, I noticed brain fog, but nothing extremely strong. At this point, after a week of this, I asked the psychiatrist about a prozac bridge, knowing the withdrawal effects would undoubtedly be terrible. The next day (Friday 21.07.2022) I was off Effexor and took 10mg prozac. At this point, I had a decent amount of nausea and akathisia, a reduced appetite, as well as chills, but never experienced brain zaps. The 5th day had the worst nausea. By day 7, the nausea was seemingly gone, and I thought the withdrawal was over, so I stopped taking prozac a few days later (31.07). The next few days were pretty recent, little to no nausea. By August 5th, (roughly two weeks since being off of the Effexor), I had some mild nausea, chills were back, and worst of all, I started having really bad insomnia. Despite bot having taken any prozac in 8 days, I took it again on August 7th, thinking the insomnia happened due to stopping prozac and being off of it long enough for its half life to expire, therefore allowing more of Effexor’s withdrawal effects to occur (since prozac normally suppresses most of the nasty ones). This, however, doesn’t seem to be the case, as of today, August 10th (day 19), I still am having sleep problems. I am also concerned that I could have become dependent on prozac for taking it for around 14 days. Could dependence on prozac be attained that early, or does it normally take around a month to occur? It has been nearly three weeks since I am off of Effexor. When should I expect the rest of the withdrawal to end? When should my insomnia end (before yesterday and the day before (I was proscribed lorazepam, I hadn’t gotten any sleep in three days due to the insomnia). I was proscribed lorazepam 2,5mg to help me sleep at night. Is this safe to take, or will I get addicted? The psychiatrist and nurses at the hospital where I was given this prescription said it shouldn’t be an issue unless I take this dosage for months. Do I believe them?

Just discovered this forum after researching potential fluoxetine withdrawal symptoms. Spent all last year tapering off after being on the drug around 5 years. Now haven't taken any for 9 months. Struggling with debilitating nausea, doctors can't find anything wrong with me, conclude it's due to anxiety. Still getting brain zaps. Maybe I'm suffering a prolonged withdrawal syndrome? Been prescribed anti emetics which don't resolve the nausea. Precribed gabapentin now to treat nausea & anxiety. Anyone out there having long term problems after fluoxetine withdrawal? I don't cope with the nausea now it seems to never end & I've run out of reserves to manage it. Waiting to talk to psych about reintroducing a little fluoxetine. Thanks for reading.

I have panic disorder with General anxiety. I had taken mirtazapine 45mg and I think 60mg at one point over 10 years. Due to a big relapse of major daily panic attacks and severe nausea a Psychiatrist changed me over to escalitopran but left me on 7.5mg of mirtazapine for sleep. For approx 3 years I've been on 20mg of escalitopran and 7.5mg of mirtazapine but doctors keep asking to remove the mirtazapine. Lately I have been quite Nausea each day and wondering if its the two drugs interacting? I am now trying to remove the mirtazapine and cut the 7.5mg cold turkey and was awake all night not having it and severe panic attacks in the night and during the day with severe nausea. So now Im trying to take a 1/4 tablet of mirtazapine which is approx 3.75mg. How should I go about this? I do have a doctor appointment booked as I think withdrawal is already an issue.

Hello, thank you for reaching out. I’ve crashed in my tapering of Effexor and I am now in a extreme situation with daily anxiety, panic and severe gastrointestinal issues. I desperately need advice. Background: over the last year (since March 8 2021) I’ve been tapering brand name Pfizer Effexor XR by using the bead method under the guidance of a Facebook group. I’ve reduced from 75mg to 25mg using 10% reductions every 4-8 weeks. I weighed the beads while reducing all the way from 75mg to 25mg. Unfortunately, on Jan 13 2022 - just a week out from a 10% taper - I switch and reacted badly to a generic formulation (Sandoz venlafaxine XR 25mg) which I only took for 1 day and switched back to brand name with beads. From then on I decided to count instead of weigh. I settled on 91 beads. Things seem to go fine until Feb 16 I noticed I had unusual symptoms and I began to suspect I my dose was too high (nausea, vertigo, restlessness, anxiety/dysphoria); so I decided to check and see if 91 beads was a good average number for my previous pill weight of 83mg I had switched from. I weighted out 5 of my previous doses, counted the beads in each, and the average was actually 86 beads. So Feb 20 I began to take 86 beads. Things seemed go fine with the usual withdrawal symptoms I am used to. But on March 2nd and 3rd I experienced hypomania and anxiety which was unusual. On March 4 all hell broke loose and from the moment I wake up I start experiencing extreme anxiety, diarrhea, nausea, dry heaving, RLS in the morning On March 5th I decided to stop all supplements because I was afraid I was destabilized. My gastrointestinal symptoms became so severe (anorexia, abdominal cramping, nausea, dry heaving, anxiety and panic) that on March 6th I admitted myself to the emergency room. They did nothing for me but refer my to a gastroenterologist (I have yet to see). Since then I have been trying to hold it together but each day I wake up an anxious wreck with my stomach in knots and it doesn’t even began to ease even a little until the late afternoon. I’m terrified that I may have akathesia. On March 8th I saw my GP who prescribed Ativan 1mg just in case of panic attacks. I am so afraid I destabilized myself and scared to updose or decrease my dose or take the Ativan. I am getting desperate but I don’t want to see a doctor or psychiatrist because I’m afraid they will advise to go back to 37.5mg of Effexor or higher; CT me, bridge me or add more drugs. I don’t want to suffer an adverse reaction from going back up or on something else and ending up polydrugged. So I’ve been just holding but each day is a battle and I’m very scared. Please help me know what I should do! 🙏

It's getting worse. Newest symptom is diarrhea, no appetite, and unable to eat. I ate some crackers last night after only boullion for a few days. Had severe stomach cramps and finally vomiting. Is this another Ad withdrawal symptom? I didn't taper properly. My insurance quit covering the drug. Med professional put me on buspar which made symptoms worse. Is this ever going to get better?

Hi there, I was taking 10-20mg lexapro for 3 years and recently decided to come off. Doctor advised following taper shedule: 2 weeks alternating 10 - 5 mg. 2 weeks on 5mg. 2 weeks skipping alternate days. 2 weeks skipping 2 days and then off. I've been off for 2 weeks now and feeling terrible. Less worried about the emotional symptoms but feeling completely ground down and at my wits end by constant niggly physical symptoms.(headaches, muscle tension, nausea, inability to focus, fatigue, sore glands) A friend told me that taking fluoxetine temporarily really minimised her withdrawal symptoms. I'm unsure what to do. Did I taper too quickly? And in which case do I go back on a tiny dose or try fluoxetine? Or is it early days and I should be feeling this crap and do I just need to ride it out? Any advice would be so greatly appreciated as its completely limiting my life.

I have been on Paroxetine for about 10 years. I got Colitis at the age of 38 and started suspecting that Paroxetine was doing more harm than good. I worked to taper down to 10mg. When it was time for a refill, 2/24/22, I thought I had another bottle but it was a higher dose so I couldn’t take it. I was unable to get ahold of my PCP (on vacation) and the office wouldn’t make any “changes” without her involvement. The typical sparkiness started right away but it progressed to Sunday 2/27 when I started vomiting. By the time my PCP and I connected, I had been off the med for just under a week. Symptoms continued to worsen, I had to go to the ER when I got the SSRI discontinuation syndrome diagnosis (3/2/22) I understood that symptoms would persist for a while. I got a SAD lamp to reintroduce serotonin to my system. I also had zofran to help with the nausea. Some days were okay and other days weren’t so good. Evenings were worse. I started vomiting again the evening of 3/18. Last night I lost continence and woke up in a puddle of my own poo. I decided to go again to the ER. They gave me 2 bags of fluids, took blood and did a CT. They sent me away with an “enlarged fatty liver” and a script for Zantac. I don’t feel better and I’m feeling so defeated. My friend shared this site with me. I’m hoping to hear what others have done so that I can get to the other side of this.

Hi I've just joined today and feel quite poorly so won't post a lot. I'm about 10 weeks clear of 40mg of Fluoxetine after 10 years. My mood is ok but I feel nauseous most of the time. It's really affecting my ability to do anything much, tidy up, exercise, go for a walk. Could it be Discontinuation?

I'll try to keep this kind of short. I've finally decided to post an intro today after reading posts on this site for a few years now which has helped a lot with understanding what's going on since most doctors just told me my SSRI discontinuation/withdrawal symptoms-which were unlike anything I'd ever experienced before and physically and emotionally worse than I'd ever felt-were a return of my depression & anxiety or possibly a bipolar disorder according to one doctor. I knew for a fact that it was not my original anxiety & depression, but I had no idea what was happening in the beginning or how to explain it. I had social anxiety, depression, & general anxiety since age 12 and was not allowed to drive/take the bus/go out or do much by myself other than going to school (because everything was too dangerous) by controlling, religious parents with their own high anxiety and agoraphobia. I was never allowed to receive counseling for these issues & when I went off to college, it was an extremely difficult struggle going from not being allowed to do almost anything to suddenly being responsible for figuring everything out on my own. I was also not great with time management skills & knowing how to plan ahead. (I actually relate to a lot of symptoms of ADD & Asperger's, which both greatly affect social skills & ability to get through college and would explain a lot of problems I've had. I have learned more about them in the past year, but can't afford to get diagnosed right now so I've just been looking at support groups for days when my nausea is lessened.) I felt overwhelmed all the time and all my negative thoughts worsened severely. I didn't see the free counselor at college during this time either because I was embarrassed about everything and about asking for help. I finally decided I wanted to try to make a change and try counseling the summer after sophomore year of college at age 20 and was at rock bottom, desperate to not feel depressed. I knew someone who said their antidepressant helped them, so I asked a doctor for medicine and they prescribed sertraline. After taking the first pill, I had a surge of anxiety and racing thoughts that made it impossible to concentrate. Within the first couple days on 25 mg of sertraline, I was gagging and dry heaving over and over for at least 20 minutes as soon as I ate anything. I would also throw up multiple times in a short timespan after one snack or meal. I called my Dr & was told to skip a dose and then change the time I took the dose from morning to night. After a week of this (dry heaving & vomiting all meals) on 25 mg, and another call to the doctor, I was told that digestive issues are a possible starting symptom and to increase to 50 mg. As soon as I increased, the gagging & vomiting increased even more. After 6 days of this, I called the doctor again and was told I could stop taking it altogether since it had been such a short amount of time on it. And to come in for a different medicine Rx after the weekend. The very first day that I didn't take the sertraline, I felt the worst nausea I had ever felt in my entire life. I ended up asking a friend to drive me to the ER because I felt so sick. I told the Dr how I had just stopped sertraline. The doctor said that my pupils were dilated and my reflexes were overactive. Then, he listed off illegal drugs & asked if I had taken those. (No, I've never tried any drug before). He said "You need to tell me what else is going on because the antidepressant couldn't have caused this." And I said "I don't know" and started crying. I do know that people in my family are highly sensitive to medicines and have since found out I have a gene that causes me to metabolize slowly so things build up for longer in my system. Anyway, the Dr left the room and at one point I was given Ativan in an IV by the nurse which did ease the nausea. When the Dr came back, he told me I had SSRI discontinuation syndrome, (he didn't explain what that meant), that I could never try another SSRI, and gave me a Rx for a small bottle of Ativan. My mom said he mentioned something on the phone to her about serotonin syndrome which dilated pupils and overactive reflexes are symptoms of, but I don't remember him saying anything about it directly to me. He also mentioned reinstating a small amount might help but my mom didn't pass this on to me until much later because she didn't want me to take it. After that, I experienced: -more dry heaving which gradually lessened in frequency -random times of vomiting after eating and after exercising when I wasn't sick & the food wasn't bad (or sometimes nothing was left to vomit & only a small amount would come up) -continuing debilitating nausea & dizziness -olfactory hallucination (putrid smell that wouldn't go away, would intensify around strong scents such as soap & car exhaust) -uncontrollable crying at every tiny thing (neuro-emotion, not regular sadness) -uncontrollable rage (neuro-emotion) -intrusive thoughts & floods of bad memories which I "word vomited" in texts to my sisters -didn't want to be around people who I associated with bad memories because it would greatly intensify neuro-anxiety. (I'd guess the feeling is similar to what people mean who talk about experiencing bad drug trips and how it's important to be with people you trust) -nightmares -paranoia/suspicion/distrust (felt like my mom & sister were not really my mom and sister even though logically, I knew it was them. Things feel creepy & sinister -almost like a horror movie sometimes. A post I read here compared the sinister feeling to a bad LSD trip. I have never tried LSD, but I understood what they meant & is the closest way I found to describe it. -cognitive fog (thinking, processing speed, & reaction time is noticeably slower) (I was a slow thinker/processor before, but it feels like I have brain damage now) -memory problems (I was somewhat forgetful before, but am even more so now) -depersonalization ("it feels like the medicine changed who I am & I don't have an identity/sense of self which I still hadn't fully formed before sertraline) -derealization (feel emotionally disconnected & distant from people/atmosphere. I know things are real, but they don't feel real. Sometimes it feels like consequences won't matter or there is no sense of helpful anxiety even in a potentially dangerous situation. Logically, I know they do matter and still want to do the right thing) -anhedonia/apathy/emotionally numb (don't care about things or have the same amount of passion for interests or feel empathy for other people's emotions or feel spiritual even though I had some spiritual beliefs before. Couldn't feel hopeful about anything/future or feel love towards or from anyone. These emotions have slowly returned to a certain degree since then & levels of ability to feel them have changed at different courses of time) -blurred/cloudy vision (when DR was at most intense, vision was different. Hard to explain) -eye floaters ( random black specks & lines) Didn't notice these until a year after DC-ing -constant yawning/air hunger -stomach/digestion issues -burning, tingling, itching, numbness, redness in feet -brain zaps/"crackles" (sometimes annoying, sometimes painful, but my most tolerable symptom) -head pressure/tightness, feels like head is being squeezed -headaches There was also a period of 6 months where I thought certain symptoms were over and after that period, the dizziness returned. Those are most of the symptoms I've experienced in the past approx 3.5 years. They're not in order. I'm 24 now. A few have gone away for the most part (vomiting, olfactory hallucination, yawning) and most are less intense. I have really improved a lot, I don't mean to sound overly negative. But, I still have the issues I went on the SSRI for & I have trouble accepting where I am & worrying about where to go from here & the uncertainty of how long this lasts because it has put lots of areas of my life on hold (I wasn't able to go back to college, I hope to someday) and ended up making things harder to deal with when I was told it would make them easier. (BTW, I am now seeing a counselor). I don't understand why people say SSRI's are not technically drugs when they have this much of an effect on your mind, mood, & perceptions. Sorry if I have over shared, I might need to post a shorter version of this at some point that's easier to read. And I'm still figuring out the layout of the website & where to post about certain questions & topics. I just know that sometimes other people's explanations made me feel better because I had some understanding of what was happening & words to describe feelings I'd never had before and didn't know how to explain. I've also had other stress & health issues and a few (physical health) medicines that have affected my withdrawal progress, but I guess that's a topic for a separate forum. Any advice, similar experiences, recommendations, tips for using the site, or insight into what happened to my brain is appreciated if anyone feels so inclined :)

I have successfully weaned myself off all (well, most -- I am almost off Zoloft) the psych drugs -- ADs, SSRIs, atypical antipsychotics -- and feel almost constantly ill (nauseous) and very scared. Not panicky or anxious, just deep-down scared. I could use some advice. Does this existential dread pass? Surely I can't be unique? Does some part of me fear that I can't cope without drugs? They did numb me. Now I am not numb and it's beyond terrifying. If this is an artifact of drug withdrawal? Have I been irreparably damaged? Or has the "masking" effect of drugs worn of and I am just facing what I didn't want to face before I fell into the pit of ADs? Any thoughts or similar experiences would be welcome. Oh, I am a writer and am struggling back to my former writing self, but it's darned hard. I feel like a cognitive basket case as well as a frightened wretch. katz

All of my symptoms in bolded, for ease of quick scanning for relevance by anyone interested. I have ended up on this website after lots and lots of google research to pin down the cause of my incessant symptoms of a low-grade migraine headache and constant nausea that I have been experiencing for 10 days straight now. My Migraine History: I have been getting migraines fairly regularly (about 2 or 3 each month) since middle school. but they are pretty mild, as migraines go. About 25% of the time, one will be preceded by an aura that is a lightening-shaped blind spot or blurry vision and then the headache will be very severe. And occasionally, one will be accompanied by severe nausea. But normally, my migraines are just quite painful headaches accompanied by heightened sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells. With ibuprofen and extra sleep, they are usually completely gone within 30 hours. During puberty and especially pregnancy, my migraines were more severe in all aspects: nausea, sensory sensitivity, and pain. My Venlafaxine Withdrawal/Discontinuation Symptoms: I did not connect these symptoms to the cessation of Venlafaxine until recently because 1. I did not know that physical symptoms could be related to the cessation of antidepressants. 2. The onset of symptoms did not occur until 5 days after my last half dose of Venlafaxine. 3. I was only on Venlafaxine for 27 days (including a half-dose for the last 7 days). I only made this correlation after several days of googling possible causes, and after including symptoms that I had previously dismissed as insignificant and inconsequential in my internet searches I started experiencing a persistent nausea that did not seem like food poisoning or stomach flu (no stomach cramping, etc.) 14 days ago. There were/are waves when the nausea is worse throughout the day, and a constant malaise otherwise. Unlike the stomach "flu" or food poisoning, there is/was no stomach cramping or urge to vomit. On the 4th day of no relief, I realized that it was just like the nausea I get that sometimes accompanies my migraines. I hadn't equated it with a migraine previously, because there was no headache. I started taking ibuprofen periodically, treating it as if it were a migraine. On about the 5th day, I could feel a headache "trying to set in", which is my usual precursor to an impending migraine (although historically the nausea, if it develops, does not come on until after the headache presents). Since then, I have had no improvement in symptoms. On about day 6, I started googling possible migraine prescriptions and was considering seeing my M.D. the following day, if there was no improvement. I also started googling the combination of all my other mild/querky symptoms to see what else it could possibly be, if not a migraine. These other sporadic symptoms had each seemed inconsequential as they had come and gone here and there, and were easily dismissed. But I was starting to realize they might be related. Muscle Weakness in my biceps that I had noticed when using a steering wheel or when filing through clothing racks while shopping. Crying and/or the feeling that I needed a good cry, without provocation, that felt very similar to PMS (although this was about 10 days after my last menses). Brain Fog in the middle of conversation. I will have to concentrate really hard to remember what the conversation is about, and what I was going to say next. I will forget what my husband told me just minutes ago. Word Recall Difficulty both while texting/typing (spelling) and in conversation (vocabulary). High Pulse Rate of 88pm, which was noted at the medical appointment that I had on the fourth day after my last dose of Venlafaxine, when I felt great. Chills Hot Flashes/Feeling Flushed Sinus Congestion which was present before, but is now much worse, especially at night. Nausea that feels like "Morning" Sickness when there is 0% that I am pregnant. Yes, 0%. At times, I can tell that I will feel better if I eat, and at other times I can tell that eating will make me feel worse. My best time of day is the first 3-4 hours after waking up. Shivers not related to body temperature this one I just experienced last night, and suspect (hope!) is more likely related to my inadverdently taking 2 different antihistamines (diphenhydramine and cetrizine) at the same time! Very pronounced and fast onset of "prune skin" on the soles of my feet, followed by Extreme itchiness on the soles of my feet Another really bizarre symptom that I think might have another cause. ??? I had sprayed the soles of my feet at bedtime with magnesium oil two nights in a row, as I have done in the past when experiencing a severe migraine. I did not bathe or shower until a third night. 5 minutes into my bath, my feet (and only my feet) were EXTREMELY pruny, as if I had been soaking for more than an hour! I have found nothing online indicating that this wierd fluke may be related to the magnesium oil, nor to antidepressant withdrawal/discontinuation. After the bath, my feet were excruciatingly itchy (just the skin, not the nerves) for at least 30 minutes! After much reading on this and other similar forums, I contacted my P.A. that has been assisting in my medication management for the last 3 months. I am going to reintroduce 5 beads of Venlfaxine tonight and see if it makes a difference by the time my afternoon appointment rolls around tomorrow. She is doubtful that any of these symptoms are related to the antidepressant, so I hope this works. I really hope that my experience, along with the litany of literature I will be leaving with her tomorrow, convinces her of this very real and very under-reported issue!

I’ve been on mirtazapine for 6 years and venlafaxine for 5 years. I started tapering off mirtazapine last year and stopped completely 5 weeks ago. I’m still experiencing nausea. My GP said it would be a couple of weeks before it went but it’s been longer. Is this normal?

Hello Everyone, I am very glad to have found this forum. As you will see in my signature, I am a 28 year old female with a long history for Sertraline use. I began taking Sertraline at age 15 for severe OCD/anxiety and have been on it ever since then. At one point, probably around 18 or so, I maxed out at 200 mg/day of Sertraline and stayed on that does to about age 25. Around age 25 I was able to taper from 200 mg to 100 mg successfully without really any symptoms of withdrawl that I can recall. I have worked extremely hard to overcome my illness, and am finally at a point in life where I feel I have amassed enough tools through therapy and support to try to come off of Sertraline completely, especially because we would like to have children within the next 5 years. With the support of my doctor, I am tapering down to 75 mg from 100 mg. It has been about a week and a half since I began the reduced dose and the past few days I have experienced very serious dizziness, headaches, nausea, and fatigue. I have joined this forum with hopes that someone may be able to provide me with tips for dealing with these uncomfortable symptoms. It is so bad that I really should not be driving and had to stay home from work today. My understanding is that pain relievers such as advil and aleve can make SSRIs less effective, so I don't want to take any pain relievers for the headache if it will make the situation worse. I am determined to get off of this medication though it seems it will be a difficult journey. *I would just like to mention that perhaps there is one confounding factor in my situation - I began Gabapentin about 3 weeks ago to help with numbness/tingling in my forearm from cubital tunnel neuropathies. I know this is also a neuro drug, so I figured I would mention it as well. Any tips, support, or encouragement that you can provide would be a huge help! Thank you in advanced! Mademoiselle

Hi folks, After many years on struggling with anxiety, I decided to try an ssri. My doc prescribed 10mg of Lexapro. It caused intense nausea, jaw clenching, and ringing/buzzing in my ears. On the fourth day, I just couldn't take it again. Now, 12 days after my last dose, I am still nauseated and I have an intense case of vertigo. My doctor says my nausea must be caused by something else because the lexapro should be out of my system by now. This of course has totally freaked me out. It's possible this bad case of vertigo was set off by the lexapro (inner ear problems are a common side effect) and that's what's causing the prolonged nausea. But my anxiety is coming up with all kinds of other scarier causes. My question is -- has anyone ever been on an ssri for just a few days and experienced side effects for weeks after? Thanks!

I have been on 40 mg. fluoxetine for past 5 years as treatment for Major Depression and Social Anxiety. June 2016 I began a slow tapering using liquid solution of fluoxetine. Additionally I reduced my nightly dose of Imiprimine and I am successful and holding at 10mg. Dec. 4 2016 I took 16.8mg=4.2ml of the liquid fluoxetine. Dec. 5 I made the decision since I was at such a low dose I could stop. All was well until Dec. 17, at 13 days of no dose, my stomach began having painful cramping, bloating, gas, cold sweats, faint feeling, nausea, fatigue, husband says maybe a stomach bug? Pain and bloating went away on Dec. 21 but nausea and fatigue still with me as of today 12/24. Could this be a virus or very likely discontinuation? I am tempted to try a small dose of Fluoxetine to get some kind of normal back for a few weeks. ​Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated. I would like to get better quickly to enjoy the holidays.

Hello, I'm new here. My dilemma is that I have been put on so many meds( klonopin, neurotin, Cymbalta, Lamictal, remeron). Each one added due to nausea which was thought to be caused by GAD. Still nauseous and have lowered my Klonopin from 4mg to 0mg in one week then reinstated to ..325 a week later, that was 6 months ago. Then 3months ago went down on Cymbalta 60mg to 30 mg. Still struggling with severe nausea and some anxiety. Don't know what is causing the nausea. Could it be the Lamictal? or the Cymbalta? Or whatever.

Hi all, I'm new to this community and I don't know where else to turn to. I was on Paxil (30mg) for over a year mostly for anxiety and secondary for depression. It worked for a little bit (first 6 months or so) then just became the norm and didn't do much for me at all but make me feel numb and uninterested in things. 2-3 weeks ago I decided to stop taking it completely (I know...cold turkey is bad) and the first week was a little alright, just felt like I was tunnel visioned big time and didn't know what was going on around me at all and I'd get emotional mood swings. Then came the 2nd/3rd week I don't have the tunnel vision anymore (as of late anyways), but I started getting really bad stomach aches/cramps and rarely an appetite for food at all. I always wake up in the morning everyday since then with a stomach ache and a little bit of nausea along with shivers and just feeling plainly cold. I was wondering if there is anything I can do or take to get my appetite back and stop the cramps/nausea from happening every morning/into the afternoon. I'd ask my doctor but she doesn't really understand this I believe and it's really hard to contact her and takes forever to see her as it is.... any help would be appreciated, thanks George~ Edit: actually debating to get back on it just to stop this crap but I really dont want to...go back.

. My name is Kim. I'm new to the forum. I am trying to get off of escutalopram. I have been taking it since July of 2014. I currently take 10mg. I take two 5 mg. pills a day. I tried to lower my side awhile ago but I got terrible withdrawals--severe anxiety and headache. I cut it down 25%. After withdrawal effect I went back to regular dose. My psychiatrist is no help. He told me to just cut it in half. No way! He is clueless. I wonder what some of you have to say.

Hello Firstly apologies for the long and disjointed introduction: I'm currently going through some awful withdrawals and haven't slept properly in a few nights! Brief background: I was prescribed antidepressants (Lexapro and Allegron) back in my teenage years for depression. I cold-turkeyed off the Lexapro after a few weeks, as I despised the feeling it gave me. This was done with no issues. I was willing to give Allegron a shot, however after being on it for a month I experienced a mild psychotic episode and promptly took myself off. Again, this was done with no real issues.The last few years I have been suffering with a panic disorder. (Although I somehow remained unaware of what it was, didn't seem to make the connection as I had never suffered from anxiety before.) This came to a boiling point after an overseas trip, when I was hospitalised due to a severe panic attack (I thought I was dying!) I was then diagnosed with Panic Disorder, which quickly developed into agoraphobia. I was prescribed Lexapro 25mg and Seroquel 50mg. I lasted about four months on the Lexapro before begging my doctor to either take me off completely or change me onto something that wouldn't make me feel like such a zombie. I was put onto 100mg Pristiq (switched straight over from the Lexapro) and remained on Seroquel which was bumped up to 100mg. I have spent the last four months researching natural alternatives for my disorder. I have always hated antidepressants, I genuinely do not believe they hold any benefit (for myself personally) - however my doctor continues to tell me that the reason I 'hate' antidepressants is because my brain wants me to remain sick. I am 100% committed to finding a way to deal with my anxiety disorder in the most natural and least harmful way possible - but now comes the hard part - tapering off my current medication.I was told by my doctor that I could stop taking the Seroquel at any point. He reminded me that it was 'non-addictive' and that I may have a few hours less sleep but would encounter no problems coming off cold turkey. I have read a LOT of posts in this forum, and indeed the medication itself says 'DO NOT STOP TAKING ABRUPTLY, however I decided to go with his advice and simply stop taking it. I am on day three of no Seroquel, and let me tell you - I feel like I am losing my mind. I spend the entire night hallucinating, scratching myself to the point of drawing blood because I can't tell how hard I am scratching, and just generally feeling like I'm on a really bad trip. During the day, I'm exhausted, I'm dizzy, I'm extremely weak and incredibly emotional. After reading so many similar stories, and a gradual taper being the main thing suggested for Seroquel, I was tempted to take a small dose last night, however part of me feels like it's already been this long - I almost just want to tough it out rather than go back on the stupid drug. I really would prefer to just be rid of it altogether...does anyone have any advice for dealing with Seroquel withdrawals, besides the obvious gradual tapering? I have already spoken to two doctors, both of which said that I should not be feeling ANY symptoms from stopping the Seroquel, but if I feel really bad I can just take a panadol. (I am about ready to wage war on the medical industry) Secondly, if it isn't asking too much from you lovely people... a few weeks ago I dropped my pristiq dose from 100mg to 50mg. I felt quite okay after doing this, and have not yet experienced any horrible withdrawals from that. I understand a gradual taper for the Pristiq is pretty much crucial, so I plan to drop from the 50mg very slowly. (I am also simply cutting the pills in half instead of the day on/day off method that some people suggest, no stomach troubles yet.) Obviously I would love to be medication free as soon as possible, but I also don't want to do more damage than I need to. My question is, based on my research so far, there are three ways in which I can drop the pristiq: Either switch to a small dose of Prozac and then taper off that (I have never been on Prozac before however) Replace the pristiq with effexor and taper that slowly instead (also never been on effexor but at least it has smaller dosages) OR, start introducing tryptophan slowly and increase that while I taper off the Pristiq. The tryptophan is the option that appeals the most to me, as it is the 'drug-free' option, however I would really just like any opinions or personal experience with any of the above options, I'd much rather do what is best for my body even if it involves going on prozac or effexor to taper. (Oh and, I have read the post about tapering pristiq - extremely informative AND also made me incredibly angry at the lack of knowledge from medical professionals on how to taper effectively. Seems you guys know your stuff more than any of them!) Thank you for reading!

Hello all! I am very new to this forum. I found it while searching for help tapering and managing withdrawal symptoms. From what I have read so far, I am not alone here. I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder between 2006 and 2008. I used to have horrible panic attacks(that would even cause ticks), and I almost never left the house. Since then, my psychiatrist has tweaked doses of anti-depressants, mood-stabilizers, benzodiazapines, and more recently added Pregabalin to the mixture. I feel as if though I can function much better, and I have even been able to go for my AA degree. Here's my problem: I do NOT want to be on the Pregabalin. I know very little about it, and yet it has caused me serious pain and discomfort. It helps greatly with the anxiety, but my body is dependent upon it and my memory is very foggy. I feel trapped, because I just cannot come off of it alone. Stopping it completely is NOT an option. Around 48 hours after stopping, serious withdrawal kicks in--nausea, vomiting, join pain, head pain, GI problems and pain, serious fatigue, suicidal thoughts and much more. This is by far the worst sickness that I have ever been through. It feels worse than the flu. I don't know much about tapering, but I think if I want to stick with capsules, I can go down 25mg at a time with it. If that's too much, I could possibly ask for it in liquid form. I am afraid. Any encouraging words will help. The suicidal thoughts are the worst part..