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2010- Two years of severe headaches. Bad vision in one eye. Muscle pains. The doctors did not say anything. 2012- anxiety appeared. the first drug sertaline - a paradoxical reaction. I got depression, ss thoughts and other bad symptoms. 2012- 2016 paroxetine - - I tappered slowly, but I did not know yet that it should be stopped more slowly. 3 months without paroxetine and withdrawal syndrome appeared. Return to the drug worsened the matter. I crashed. Bridge with fluoxetine. A year passed. at the end of September 2016 I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I did test in two different laboratories. 08/08/2016-now fluoxetin 20 mg 01/05/2016- now- triticco / trazadone 75 mg clonozepam - 04.03.2017. from 20.11.2017 I started tapper from 0.5 to 0.125 mg- when I got some relief from Lyme treatment. Now I am treated with ILADS ( Lyme and bartonella) and also tapper psycho drags. I want to not rule out the syndrome and stop the drugs safely. I am asking for support and exchange of experience, especially people who suffer from Lyme disease. I need to make plan. How to discontinue: clonazepam 0,125 mg, fluoxetine 20 mg and trazadon 75 mg How I feel now: Antibiotics have sustained discomfort from the urinary tract and improved the results of cytology. I have more windows, but I still experience strong hits of depression and pain in small joints, a specially neck. Through complicated diagnostics of Lyme disease and the syndrome, I do not know which symptoms are from what. Thank you for your attention, sorry for mistakes.

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

Hi everyone, I am hoping for a little advice. So a few years ago I started taking CBD, some Ambien, and melatonin for my insomnia. Earlier this year I was going trough a lot of stress and had to up my ambien, and started using delta 9 to help me sleep. I used it for three of four months and I was using a lot every night to sleep. Got addicted and my anxiety went through the roof and I went to the emergency care unit and they proscribed Zoloft and xannex, Three days later i ended up in the hospital with anxiety and panic attack and thinking I was having a heart attack. I stopped the delta 9 and was told to keep taking the scripts. I had bad withdrawn on top of taking Zoloft. My insomnia got 100 times worst and I started taking Trazodone and Ambien and I still only get 4-5hrs of sleep. Half way through the detox and taking Zoloft I was up for 40hrs straight. After three and half weeks I decided I did really didn’t need to Zoloft so I asked my doctor what to do. He said to do a four or six week taper. Drop to 25mgs and then half of that and then stop. I stopped to 25mgs and had a few bad days. And about a six days later I felt much better. But I started reading this site a decided to hold at 25mgs. But my insomnia is still hanging around. And my work is starting to notice and I’m a a PIP which I might not survive, Any advice on how to deal with this? I’ve never used anything like these before and I don’t want to go through anymore withdrawals Thank you everyone.

Hello everyone, This is my first post, and I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the supportive environment this forum provides to individuals grappling with antidepressant withdrawal symptoms. The particulars of my journey can be found in my signature block, but in short, I've been navigating a three-month withdrawal process following an abrupt cessation of over three years of antidepressant use [cycling through the TCA class of drugs with Amitryptoline, Trazadone (Trittico), and Mirtazapine (Remeron)]. The withdrawal symptoms were triggered by the decision of my psychiatrist to abruptly switch me to Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine, an SNRI). After complaints of fatigue and depression, his expectation was that the SNRI would give me an energy boost. This switch was aggravated by the decision to not cross taper. Instead, within 24 hours stopping Remeron and starting Pristiq triggered nearly manic side effects. I was in a hyper-agitated state, dizzy and unable to sleep. He suggested I continue with Pristiq for a week to see if symptoms improved, after they did not, he cold turkey transitioned me to an SSRI (Lexapro) to test its efficacy. Unfortunately, this change didn't bring any improvement. Ultimately, we attempted to reinstate Trittico at a very low dosage. By that point, however, my body had become hypersensitive and reacted adversely to any changes. About 100 days later, my withdrawal symptoms are still significant, with only sporadic periods of reprieve. My most debilitating symptoms include severe dizziness and disassociation (which can last for days), brain fog and forgetfulness, hypersensitivity to certain foods and stimulants like sugar and caffeine, intense anxiety and insomnia, and a persistent, severe ache in my neck muscles that make it feel as though my entire head is trapped in a vise. I also suffer from a constant, low-grade stomachache. These symptoms are negatively impacting my work and personal relationships, which leaves me questioning whether I should consider reinstating a low dosage of one of the original successful drugs (Amatryptoline, Trazadone or Mirtazapine) in an attempt to alleviate these issues. Alternatively, I'm wondering if it would be better to continue without introducing drugs, out of fear of potentially exacerbating the situation. I've also explored virtually every dietary supplement available, but I'm unsure whether any have a real impact. Despite maintaining a healthy diet and exercising lightly each day, I'm not witnessing any significant improvements. Does anyone know of any reliable methods to lessen these symptoms? Since Pristiq seemed to have caused this effect on my body, are there any other people who have transitioned from TCAs to an SNRI and experienced the same negative symptoms? What does the recovery timeline look like? At 90+ days, I am severely demoralized and considering restarting anti-depressants. Having read through numerous posts on this forum, I am well aware there's no simple solution. However, my confidence in my psychiatrist has been completely undermined due to his choices to rapidly switch me through medications and his subsequent trial-and-error approach in trying to correct that initial error. Currently, I take 25mg of Xanax at night to aid sleep, but this doesn't guarantee a restful sleep, and I often wake up in a state of panic. I'd be grateful for any advice or guidance on what steps I might take next, as it feels as though I've exhausted all my options. I'm currently undergoing therapy to tackle my baseline anxiety, which has been beneficial, but it doesn't tackle the fundamental issue - the alterations in my neurochemistry and the impact that years of antidepressant use has had on my brain. I am hopeful that there are strategies or tips out there that might alleviate these symptoms and assist me on my journey towards a drug-free life. With sincere thanks.

Hello everyone! First of all, I'd like to share my story. My introduction to psychiatry happened due to a ridiculous misunderstanding. I'm a programmer, and in 2021, I worked quite a lot for several months without proper rest. I stayed up late, and as a result, I experienced severe fatigue. I was concerned about dizziness, poor sleep, cold hands, and sometimes increased anxiety with a feeling of shortness of breath (oh, how trivial they were in reality). These symptoms made me turn to the first neurologist, who prescribed Cinnarizine, presenting it as a means of improving cerebral circulation. After taking this Cinnarizine for a month and a half, my condition worsened, and I felt mild apathy. It became difficult to work, and concentration was also affected. As I later found out, Cinnarizine acts similarly to neuroleptics on dopamine receptors and calcium channels. Then I had the misfortune of turning to a second neurologist, who diagnosed me with an anxiety disorder and prescribed the antidepressant Trazodone and the neuroleptic Sulpiride (all of this happened in March 2022). From that moment on, my life turned into a nightmare. And despite the fact that I only took Trazodone for two weeks at a dose of 100-150 mg and Sulpiride for two weeks at a dose of 100 mg. The number of symptoms has expanded from the initial 4-5 to... up to 200 terrible symptoms. Here is just a part of this list: there was muscle rigidity and drooling (parkinsonism) couldn't take a full breath, was constantly suffocating for several months called an ambulance multiple times a day had episodes of breathing cessation swallowing was disrupted, food got stuck in the throat (dysphagia) felt like I had lost myself, like I wasn't me developed akathisia, constantly pacing around the house constantly complained and asked for help couldn't understand text and video, didn't understand people's conversations couldn't continue working as a programmer, lost income for several months went into a huge debt felt like I was between worlds, as if I wasn't entirely myself (derealization) weakness appeared, couldn't do sports anymore started sitting at home all the time double vision appeared had constipation and bloating, dryness in the mouth and some red spots on the tongue In general, the entire list would be too long to publish. At that time, I didn't understand what was happening at all, because I had never taken any medication in my life, and I rarely got sick with a cold. Therefore, I started undergoing a large number of different tests and consulting with various doctors, mainly neurologists and psychiatrists, because regular therapists couldn't find anything and didn't know what was wrong with me. Due to constant suffocation, I couldn't sleep and somehow managed to fall asleep only on my stomach for 1-3 hours. Therefore, the next doctor prescribed me... Quetiapine for sleep. I took it for two weeks in a dosage of 25 mg. It's clear that it didn't improve my condition. The next step was to visit a private clinic, where they gave me vitamins, cleaned my blood from toxins, but also for some reason gave me... Risperidone. I took this medication for a week in a dosage of 3-4 mg and for about two weeks in a dosage of 2 mg. In addition, I took Escitalopram for one month in a dosage of 10-20 mg, Mianserin for one week, and Agomelatine for two weeks as a sleep aid, one tablet, I don't remember the exact dosage. Then, on Risperidone, I gained more than 10 kg of excess weight in just a couple of weeks, walked slowly like a turtle, and looked like a zombie. Eventually, I realized that doctors wouldn't help me and started to investigate the situation on my own. I reconstructed the timeline of events and saw that things started to worsen from the moment I started taking medication. It was in August 2021 when I was still taking Agomelatine. I decided to quit all medication immediately and only use natural and safe remedies for my recovery. At first, I deeply researched the topic of neuroleptics and antidepressants and for a couple of months was horrified by the realization of the situation I was in. Very few people reported a complete and successful recovery even after discontinuing these medications. However, although rare, there were stories of people who got better. I started my journey to recovery and decided to apply everything possible. At first, I learned about all types of damage that these drugs can cause. They include: loss of nerve tissue due to neurotoxic action (that's why neurogenesis stimulation is needed in any case) receptor blocking disturbance of neurotransmitter balance severe avitaminosis (the body neutralizes toxins by binding them to vitamins) disturbance in the functioning of the genetic apparatus (which is why the side effects are so difficult to correct) mitochondrial dysfunction (it is precisely for this reason that there are strong asthenia, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and many other side effects of neuroleptics) accumulation of psychotropics in the body tissues (metabolites can be detected in urine even a year after intake) worst of all, psychotropics also disrupt the functioning of stem cells, DNA repair systems, and neurogenesis. This greatly complicates recovery in addition, all organs and systems, not just the nervous system, are affected Then I began to search for all existing methods and means to correct each of these disorders and apply them in practice. As a result, it took me about 10 months to alleviate approximately 80% of the symptoms. I lost weight and my libido and erectile function were fully restored, my dreams became vivid and interesting again, it became much easier to breathe and engage in sports, and I could work as a programmer again. In two months, I paid off all my debts and started making a profit. I started to deeply and thoroughly study biochemistry, genetics, and neurobiology. Now I can't find doctors who can tell me something new, they know much less than me and now they should pay me for consultations, not the other way around. Some of them at least honestly admit it. At the moment, I still have some consequences from the psychotropic drugs. The most worrying are a slight stiffness of the neck muscles, a crunch in the throat when swallowing, a slight brain fog that occurs quite rarely (previously it was constant to the level of semi-fainting), and a slight weakness. I continue to work on eliminating the consequences and understand that it will take some more time. What I have learned: there are methods for restoring DNA and it is not CrisprCas9, it's a completely different method it's possible to accelerate neurogenesis by at least 5 times there are many ways to naturally increase dopamine without taking antiparkinsonian drugs in any case, it is necessary to replenish vitamin reserves. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to vitamin E, vitamin B3, Omega 3, Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, and others. it is necessary to live correctly for a long time in terms of daily routine, nutrition, physical activity, etc. so that regeneration processes proceed as quickly as possible In the end, I decided to deeply and thoroughly study this issue, but it takes time. Anyone who wants to support my research, with the permission of the administration, I can give my contact information. I want to work on research and restoration of the nervous system, and at the moment, there is already a large amount of material that needs to be turned into a book or something similar. In addition, as a programmer, I can create a website with a recovery journal, brain structure tests, publications of restoration methods, and more. I am waiting for your suggestions.

Hello to all! I was tapered, over a period of two months w/doctor's help, off of venlafaxine xr, buspirone, trazadone, and abilify. I had taken venlafaxine xr and abilify for 7 years and the other two for 14 years. Prior to the venlafaxine and abilify, I was on lexapro for 7 years. Considering the multiple meds and number of years of having taken them, I believe that my doctor tapered me down much too quickly. What is a real kicker is that when I contacted her to tell her I was having terrible symptoms, she diagnosed me over the phone with allergies and told me to go see my GP for further help. I did that, and he said they were all withdrawal symptoms. He assured me that time will heal me. He advised me to drink a lot of water, get exercise, and a lot of sleep. It's been over 5 months now, and I'm still symptomatic although they have reduced in minute degrees of intensity. I go from always being sick to feeling sicker and then back to being sick. My symptoms include burning, stinging, tingling skin on my arms; hot flashes (did those years ago with menopause); insomnia; lack of energy and motivation; icy-cold feeling hands, lower legs, and feet; brain-freeze feeling in the right backside of my head; and sensations of being stabbed throughout my body. The skin sensations are constant. The only thing I take now is fish oil--nothing else. When I first went off the drugs I also had terrible, intense, insatiable itching. The more I scratched, the more I itched. That has subsided, thank goodness. Has anyone experienced any similar symptoms? If so, did they eventually disappear? Did you ever experience a window? So far, I don't think I've had one. I would appreciate any help.

Hello everyone! Happy to have found this place and start my tapering journey. I'm in my 30s and have had undiagnosed sleep apnea (and probably other issues) for what I feel is most of my life. In September 2020, my lack of restful sleep caught up with general pandemic anxiety and I began having panic attacks. I saw a psychiatrist in June 2021 and started on 25 mg sertraline (generic Zoloft), and am now at 100 mg. I started CPAP therapy in January 2022. In November 2022, my psychiatrist started me on 25 mg trazodone for insomnia and not being able to sleep through the night. He bumped me up to 75 mg (1.5 tablets) and I adjusted to 62.5 mg (1.25 tablets) using the pill cut method. The trazodone isn't working any miracles and I'm still waking a few times throughout the night, but at least I have a decent bedtime now. I want to taper sertraline first. It served its purpose well and I'm in a better space. Also, I've gained 20+ lbs (9+ kg) since being on it, even though my diet and lifestyle have gotten better with the gym opening up again, and so on. I got a milligram scale to make my own liquid and will use Brassmonkey's slide method for a taper of 10% per cycle. Hope to give back to this community any way I can!

I had postpartum depression 18 years ago. I started antidepressants then. Over the years, I was switched to Zoloft, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Prozac, Wellbutrin and Buspirone. In that time period, my PCP never considered I may not need the meds. I have a very stressful job, I raised three kids, went through a divorce, and was diagnosed with MS. In that time period, more and more meds were added until the last 6 months when I asked myself, WHY are we adding more meds instead of taking some away? Why are we not looking at the big picture and trying to figure out what I actually have and don't have? Why has no one considered this? Not even me? My original doctor "lost my file" after being with her for 20+ years when I decided to get another opinion and find a doctor to listen. I don't have exact dates or drugs, just memories of being switched and a long history of taking them. The straw that broke the camel's back... I was taking Wellbutrin 300 mg since I can remember Buspirone 10 mg (added 6/2022 by new PCP) Trazadone 150-200 mg since I can remember for sleep (I didn't even know it was an antidepressant) Xanax .5mg-1 mg since I can remember- only recently did my new PCP suggest this was not a safe drug to continue The new PCP didn't "feel comfortable" prescribing mental health meds, so I was sent to a psychiatrist. I have only met him via virtual visits. He prescribed: Clonazepam 1 mg in place of Xanax .5-1 mg Mirtazapine 7.5 mg in place of Trazadone (cold turkey) He also suggested if the mirtazapine didn't work, go ahead and take it with the Trazadone, and the Wellbutrin, and the Buspirone! I read about the drug interactions and Serotonin Syndrome and started freaking out. FOUR MEDS??? WTH? I am NOT EVEN SURE I NEED THESE MEDS!!!!!!!! I completed the psych forms and marked all 0's for anxiety/depression. My anxiety does happen at night mostly in regards to family issues and work. I do need something to take at this point because the Trazadone wasn't working. I was pacing the house, awake for hours-insomnia. I was struggling with agitation, restlessness, high BP, and other things. I agreed to stop the Trazadone 200 mg and replace with mirtazapine 7.5 mg. I also discontinued the Busipirone 10mg due to a drug interaction suggested with the filling of the mirtazapine. That was one week ago. After stopping Trazadone 200 mg nightly and the Buspirone 10mg daily (due to a potential interaction), I do believe I am experiencing withdrawal or Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome. A day or two later, I experienced feeling like I was "on speed", if I actually knew what that felt like. It has continued through the weekend and I am now aware of it and can breathe through it happening. Last week, I was extremely anxious and irritable. Over the weekend my husband also noticed these symptoms persisting. My sense of smell/taste/hearing has been extremely heightened and so has my arousal level. I feel like I have tunnel vision and am disoriented, dizzy, and nauseous a few times. Today I had to leave work and come home. I took .5 Xanax to calm myself. My MS protocol for fatigue is to take Adderal 10mg daily. BIG mistake. It was a horrible morning. It was classic- I sent a message and a made a phone call to him and 6 hours later I got a MyChart message. I asked for help today in dealing with these symptoms. He denied Trazadone would have this effect and told me I shouldn't be taking Adderall and Xanax. Well, NO FREAKING KIDDING! It was either that and come home from work to bed, or go to the ER. He said nothing more other than he'd see me at my appointment this week. He basically has deemed me a drug addict with never meeting me, I think. I had been researching for the past week and came upon the article by Adele Framer. I am a very educated person and have lost faith in medical doctors. I was able to find the article with information I needed to know what this is I am feeling and how my psych would react. It's been a week out and he didn't suggest titrating or any help. I have never been so frustrated with medical doctors. My "chief complaint/concern" that no one asked me about is actually how to stop taking all these meds and do I really need them??? Do I have depression? Anxiety? I found this group, and hope to learn more. I hope to have support from people experiencing similar issues when medicine and doctors no longer seem to be listening. Thanks for reading. Tomorrow is a new day, and I know I can make it better.

I’m at a total loss as to what to do. I’m in the worst wave of my life which was worse than acute for me after tapering from a benzo. I feel as though I am in severe withdrawal. I am kindled and it’s to the point I can’t eat anything without having a reaction and have been unable to shower. I was in the hospital back in December and am back here again and am only worse. In some ways when I take my Gabapentin dose, it helps some symptoms and in other ways, it makes me feel horrible. I cannot get stable to taper Gabapentin. I really am at a loss as to what to do. They don’t understand here and recommended a few options for me with them being ECT, TMS, IV Ketamine and the medication that was recommended was Ritalin and Vyvanse as my levels of dopamine are low along with serotonin and norepinephrine. I had gene testing done and that was determined along with the MTHFR gene mutation, so l-methylfolate was recommended. I can’t take anything without my system overreacting. I am kindled a few times now and my dosing schedule for Gabapentin has been all over the place because I feel I reached tolerance and some days I end up taking more than I normally do. I wish I could just be placed into a medically induced coma and taken off my meds because I don’t know how I’m going to get through this being in this condition. I want to get off of this med, but have no idea how to do so at this point anymore. I was titrating in water and reducing that way, but I am totally stalled out as I’m not functioning. Things are totally unbearable and beyond uncomfortable. I’m losing hope every passing day. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Ativan - two years consistently - February 2016 - Up to 10 mg/day - March 2016 - 1.5 mg/day - April 2016 - 0.75 mg/day - May 2016 - 3.0 mg/day - August 13, 2017 - 0.15 mg/day - September 4, 2017 - Switched to 1.5 mg of Diazepam - May 1, 2018 - JUMPED!! Zolpidem (Sublinox) - March 2016 - 15 mg/night - July 22, 2017 - JUMPED!! Trazodone - 87.5 mg Gabapentin - 542 mg Amitriptyline - 5 mg

Original topic title: Olanzapine cold turkey (out of presumptuous stupidity, I destroyed myself, and now I am trying to save at least a part of my being) On October 20, 2021, I started olanzapine 2.5mg. per day (which I was advised to split into two doses, to take half in the morning and the other half in the evening), recommended to me by a psychiatrist as a remedy for chronic insomnia, and on November 11, 2021 I abruptly stopped using this medicine, as I read in internet about its extreme neurotoxicity. On the evening of November 14, 2021, something terrible happened to me: something seemed to be turned off in my psyche forever, I lost my whole self, i.e. my emotions, interests, hopes, dreams, hobbies, motivation, flexible intellect, and ultimately the will to live. I tried to restart olanzapine on November 15, 2021, but at that time I did not know anything about effective strategies for reinstatement of the drug, and therefore, already on November 16, 2021, I stopped olanzapine again, but, exhausted by insomnia, had to take 25 mg. quetiapine, which have been in my medicine cabinet for many years without use. On November 17, I impulsively returned to olanzapine, but after a couple of days I stopped drinking it again in order to resume taking it at the end of November, but this comeback was also extremely short-lived and did not exceed the duration of the same couple of days. On November 29, 2021, I took olanzapine for the last time, but the neurotransmitter chaos, provoked by my stupid thrashings, seems to have done me irreparable damage. Over the next three and a half months, I tried to pull myself out of this anhedonic pit with various supplements (I tried fish oil, 5-HTP, St. John's wort, green tea extract, tyrosine, biotin, citicoline, Alpha GPC) multivitamin complexes (I mean B vitamins), peptides (for two weeks I was regularly injected intramuscularly with cortexin) and even psychopharmacological drugs prescribed to me by other psychiatrists, but with drugs of this class I again behaved as haphazardly as possible (about 8-10 times during these months I took phenazepam at a dosage of 0.5 mg., it at least minimally relieved anxiety; 5-7 times I drank hydroxyzine at a dosage of 0.25 mg at night, but it did not help me sleep at all; for three or four days I took a combination of venlafaxine, lamotrigine and trazodone, and once I took two capsules sulpiride, the content of the active substance in which was 100 mg., and one tablet of phenibut at a dosage of 250 mg.). Now I realize that my behavior during these months was absolutely suicidal, and probably only the prompt reinstatement of olanzapine could have saved me, but now almost three and a half months have passed since the last dose of this medication, so my chances of self-preservation seem for me absolutely ghostly. I hope that something else can be done in this situation: I have already completely lost hope for rehabilitation, I have practically not slept all these months due to permanent panic and bouts of neurocognitive hypochondria, I don’t understand how I still haven’t made suicide, because it is unnatural to live in such a state.

Hello all you lovely people, I'm a 29 year old, white, cis-woman from Canada. This is my first time posting on any site like this. And, this may be shocking, my psychiatrist is the one who suggested I do it. She is actually a wonderful woman who fully acknowledges the evils of psychiatry and how much damage pharmaceuticals have caused me and others. She acknowledges that she operates from a place of very limited information about the impacts of these drugs, and is very supportive of whatever direction I want to take my healthcare in. Anyway, here is a bit of my history ... - Difficult (yet privileged) childhood - Got into drugs during teen years - Went to residential substance use treatment at end of teens - Given Trazodone and Citalopram in 2011, stopped taking in 2012 with no issues - Abusive ex gets out of jail in 2014, I begin having debilitating panic attacks and agoraphobia. Go to hospital because I think I'm going crazy, they give me Seroquel and Ativan which calms me down but doesn't fix the situation, of course. This was my first experience with any kind of mental health issue, even through addiction I didn't experience anxiety or depression. - 2014 I go to short term, residential psychiatric facility because I couldn't function from anxiety attacks. Had to drop out of school and take time off work. Put on Citalopram, Ativan as needed, Trazodone for sleep, and Wellbutrin to counter side effects of Citalopram. Stabilized and resumed life. - 2017 attempted to taper off Wellbutrin through doctor's orders of "skip a day" tapering. Horrible experience, intense derealization, suicidality, mood swings, feeling like I would lose my mind. Again, time off school and work. Doctor reinstated the Wellbutrin. Derealization has come and gone since this attempt to get off Wellbutrin, even after reinstating. - 2018 panic attacks come back. Put on Clonazepam. Anxiety goes away. After a year on Clonazepam, I realize I'm on so many psych drugs when I don't want/need to be on any. Take a year to taper the Clonazepam in half. Another year to get off it completely. Coped with Neurofeedback, some supplements, exercise, talking. Did experience withdrawal (mostly nocturnal panic attacks) but nothing life-ruining. - 2021 begin tapering Citalopram from 20mg to nothing over the course of 18 months. Tapering Wellbutrin 5mg every 2 weeks at the same time through a compounding pharmacy. I began feeling better on lower doses of these drugs. - 2022, June: off Citalopram completely for three weeks. Feeling great. No anxiety, sleeping well, sex drive is back, feeling more and more present and less derealization. Feeling my emotions, good, bad and ugly, and happy to have them back. Compounding pharmacy couldn't fill my Wellbutrin before I left for a trip and I was already down to 40mg, so I figured I'd be fine to go off that too. Mistake. After being off everything for three weeks, psychiatrist diagnoses me with ADD and prescribes Ritalin. I take a minuscule dose, 5mg, and after it wears off begin feeling the worse derealization I've ever experienced, borderline psychosis. Extremely distressed. It lasts for three days before I caved and reinstated the Citalopram and Wellbutrin at low doses. - 2022, July: the entire month, I'm experiencing the side effects of going back on Citalopram and Wellbutrin. I regret going back on them. Nausea, headaches, issues sleeping, tremors, no sex drive, extreme brain fog... I've been on 5mg Citalopram and 40mg Wellbutrin for 6 weeks now. I feel better than I did in June when the derealization got bad, but still not feeling well at all. The plan is to taper off one at a time in a few months. Currently, I am experiencing these effects from the drugs: - excessive sweating - derealization/dissociation - confusion (I woke up one night and couldn't remember what I did for work for about five minutes) - no sex drive - passive suicidal ideation (I don't want to die at all, but these thoughts pop into my head) - nausea and low appetite - difficulty with self-care or even feeding myself - low motivation - headaches - memory loss - feeling like I'm on autopilot - feeling empty and purposeless despite having a loving family and network of friends and a successful career If you've read all this, thank-you, I appreciate you. Any feedback from any one, and specifically people with experience coming off Wellbutrin (I don't know why, but it's so hard for me) would be really appreciated. I get stuck in the mindset that I'll feel this messed up forever and that I'm doomed. I read the success/recovery/healing stories on here and it gives me a lot of hope.

Seroquel Abillify Wellbutrin Prozac Lexapro Zoloft Paxil Buspar Hydroxyzine Trazedone Cymbalta Lamictal Propanolol Oxcarbazepine Prazosin Xanax Celexa Amitriptylin Ambien Mirtazapine Hi, 33/F Ive been on all of the above medicines at some point or another from 2002 to recently. I have stopped them all with no withdrawl issues..... except for something very strange has happened recently. Is this withdrawl? Current Meds: Prilosec (GERD), Lasix (IIH) , Lisinopril (BP) I was taking zoloft a couple months ago, and a bit after i started that, i started mirtazapine. I had Covid around this time too. It was very mild. Biggest symptoms were being a mucus fountain, sore throat, a little bit muscle weirdness, and weird headaches, including headaches WHILE sleeping. a couple weeks later my situation changed, im in a much better, happier place (unrelated to meds), so i stopped zoloft. (I have been on zoloft before and had no withdrawl symptoms). Not long after that, i had a weird depersonalization with my hands. Now, i am a very scientific person, i do not act based upon emotions as much as i can... I have no body dysphoria. I was riding in a car on a day i was kind of tired, didnt sleep much (hard night of minecraft), and all of a sudden my hands felt like they weren't my hands. If I'm on my phone texting, my brain just goes "HEY WHY ARE THOSE FINGERS MOVING? THOSE ARENT MINE. WOW!" and my brain is amazed that they are moving every 10 seconds. It's the most disturbing thing Ive ever felt. I don't feel it if I can't see my hands, so for example, if I'm texting In the dark or at my PC. This feeling primarily happens when texting on my phone. Wearing fingerless gloves dampens the effect slightly. I've been really upset over it, and I feel my back and arms be really tense and sore, which is normal for when I'm upset . The only Injuries to happen recently was I was cut by my washing machine, and my cat scratched me. No numbness or tingling at that time. I've been going to therapy since 2003, and have only ever been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, so I am not insane. I have not gone through anything traumatic recently. If anything, I've been having a really good time this month, for the first time in years. Fearing it could be the mertazpine, i stopped it. about a week later, i started sweating profusely at night. drenched. No nightmares. no anxiety. just DRENCHED. a few days after i started to get drenched every night, i woke up SOAKING wet one day, my spine started feeling cold and numb and i had a panic attack. My muscles didnt work, it was as if i were drunk. my head was fuzzy and confused, and i stumbled BARELY into the bathtub. I managed to get into the bathtub, still clothed, and into hot water. I felt a little better, still confused. arms and spine still feel a bit weird,. I went to the ER for the first time in my life. They found nothing wrong. EKG, Chest Xray, Blood work, pee test, and they gave me an IV for hydration. while im glad its nothing seriously wrong (i guess), i am still freaked out by waking up drenched. I still get really upset being cold by being drenched. My arms and hands feel very twitchy. sometimes my legs. I had some mild tingly-ness in my fingertips for a couple days, but thats gone now. It feels the more days go on, the more twitchy i get, and IDK if its med withdrawl from mertazepine, since i only took it for a month. I LOVED the med. i slept really good and had AWESOME dreams.... I have an appt with my general dr on the 30th, but im afraid theyre going to tell me more of "we dont know whats wrong" Feeling twitchy and cold and fuzzy and panicy all the time is absolutely ruining this change in my life that is the happiest ive been in a long time. I am just -so scared-. Also for the record, i keep my house around 70F, so i dont get hot or cold due to environmental factors. I do not get hot or sweat while i am awake. I do not feel hot at night. I seem to feel a bit better as time goes on throughout the day, and im scared to sleep because i know im going to be drenched and panicing. The only thing that has seemed to have improved, is i dont know if i just got used to it or what, but when texting, i dont get a lot of the "My hands arent mine" feeling anymore. but my arms and hands still FEEL physically weird being twitchy. Im holding myself tight and having soreness in my shoulders... I am well aware that i should not be stopping meds cold turkey, but i have never had a problem before this, so i am curious if it could be the issue? Medicine withdrawl? tetanus from my washing machine? Cat scratch fever? Am i finally going crazy? I am scared. what do you all think?>

HI, here santking, 34y "manic" diagnosed episode in 2004. treated w lithium, benzos and prozac. 1000 mg of depakote+benzos+prozac jun-ago 2004. ago-dec 750. + prozac Dec: just 500 depakote (treatment produced strong acne. treated with roaccutan between nov 2004 to oct 2006) 2005: depakote 500 (some months w 750) + prozac and benzos- (lorazepam) dec 2005 - aug 2007: depakote 500 mg aug 2007 - 2009 alternated depakote 500 mg to 250 mg jan 2010 i started with a new psychiatrist: depakote 500 mg until sep 2012 sep 2012 started depakote + antidepressants: depakote 500 + etifoxina / paroxetine and propanodol (?) (until jun 2013) jun 2013: depakote 500mg with paroxetine and propanodol. oct 2013: change paroxetine for trazadone. until Jan 2014. jan 2014: depakote 500mg and leave trazadone jan 2014-oct 2015: depakote 500 mg oct 2015: psychiatrist introduces sertraline. suicidal attempt with sertraline overdose in jan 2016. psychiatrists increases depakote to 750 mg and introduces wellburtin. jan 2016 - dec 2017: 750mg depakote + wellburtin dec 2017 consulting another psychiatrist changed wellburtin to seroquel 25 mg dec 2017 . until jun 2018: 750mg depakote and seroquel 25 mg in jul 2018 I meet the Peter BReggin's books and SA forum and start the withdrawal process. this included consuting with psycotherapist and intense researching meeting content like Icarus project, mad in america, Rachel Aviv articles and Laura Delano's Withdrawal Project (a daily reference) ago 2018: start tapering: depakote 500 mg and seroquel in 12mg dosages (cutting to half) until nov. in dec 2018 I felt the withdrawl synthoms of seroquel leaving (insomnia, vertigo, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, anxiety, fear) Jan 2019: changed depakote dosage -tablets o sprinkles- (125 mg) taking 4 pills daily. May 2019: tried tapering without scale (reducing "half" of sprinkle aprox 437 mg) causing a week of insomnia and panic. returned with 500 mg in June. Aug 2019: started tapering with scale. sep 2019: 450 mg Oct 400 mg. Nov: 375 mg (3 pills daily) DUring November I have been taking 375 mg I have been feeling intense laziness, lack of motivation and fatigue. I tried changing diet: avoiding caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy and ultraprocessed foods. I had a week w insomnia and next week felt sleepness and lack of motivation (after Dec 1) RIght now I'm worried because I still feeling down and need increase energy due to personal compromises. I'm doubting if back to 400 mg or still reducing the dosage. THis based on how I'm feeling and listening the body sensations. I'm doing the tapering based on the 10% standard seeing in Breggin books, TWP and here. This is my history w psychiatry treatments and I would appreciate your help and recommendations for my case. If you need some explanations I will do it. Thank you.

I was prescribed 25mg of Zoloft and 50mg of Trazodone in August for anxiety and sleep. I stopped the Zoloft after a week because I was having severe side effects(chest pain and tightness, panic attacks, extreme anxiety, racing thoughts). After stopping the Zoloft, the side effects were still there, but not as severe as when I was taking it. I continued to take the Trazodone, but felt it never really helped me that much with sleep, so I quit taking it after 8 weeks of use. I was fine for 2 days, slept like a baby and had very little anxiety. On day 3, the insomnia came back and the racing thoughts were more intense. After a week, I still couldn't sleep more than an 1-2 hours a night, so I started taking Magnesium, which has helped tremendously. However the OCD-like symptoms are still there and they are very intense. I'm having racing thoughts, I have to have things done a certain way or I freak out, I can't focus on anything, and I've developed a fear of touching certain things. I'm also having trouble throwing anything a way and for some odd reason I get really anxious doing every day tasks like cooking and doing the laundry. Prior to taking this medication, I've never been on antidepressants or have ever experienced these symptoms. It's been 3 weeks and nothing has changed. Last night, my son came in and took a soda from the fridge and I just flipped out, because the number of bottles that were left were odd and they have to be even. I mean, it's crazy and makes no sense to me. I know what I'm doing is ridiculous, but I can't stop myself. I'm just not sure what to do and I'm starting to feel like I'm going crazy. Are these normal withdrawal symptoms or am I experiencing something completely different?

Hello, I just go straight to my story and maybe you will able to understand it and even help me. I have always been a bit anxious because something is wrong with my mother's side of the family (my 2 cousins, aunts are all on antidepressants because of anxiety and depression, my mother, on the other hand, is not and doing quite fine). My father has led me to be fit and to exercise a lot and it has given me great strength to battle this. But it wasn't something overwhelming and nothing too serious I guess. Some days were harder and somedays I was completely fine enjoying my life to the fullest. Overall I am a positive person, ambitious and a bit crazy and I like fun. During 2016 I really felt great and I wanted to do a photoshoot of me being ripped. So I prepared for it for 6 months where I cut to 6% of body fat. The journey was perfect and I felt like a god. After the photoshoot, I felt really intense restlessness it was horrible and I had a panic attack after I've passed one exam so I went to the hospital and they gave me Trittico. After I think 3 months I was a total zombie and emotionless so I tapered it down in 1 month (really quick taper). I had 75mg before bedtime. But after the taper, I became horribly anxious and I was at unease all the time. These 2 years were horrible, and I tried a million supplements but nothing worked. During that time I met my girlfriend and it was becoming less and less unbearable. During these years I was visiting CBT and my therapist thought me to trust only reason and get to the problem right on solve it. It has helped me tremendously. During 2019 I felt great with some windows of anxiousness and maybe depression, especially in winter. But there were bigger amounts of days when I was good than bad. I started prepping for my first (and probably the last) bodybuilding competition. I went from 93 kg to 69kg ripped to the bone and again during that journey, I felt on the top of the world all the time. I was anxious and depression free. But after the competition, it has started again but it was much worse (intrusive thoughts, restlessness, depression) and I again went to a psychiatrist and he gave me 75mg of Trittico first and also Elicea (citalopram) and I had a horrible reaction to it. I thought that I was going to die. She switched it after a week on 5 mg of it and gave me CIPRALEX (10mg in the morning) and MIRTAZAPIN (15mg) before bedtime. After three months of horrible symptoms and me thinking that I won't recover it got slightly better (I am a teacher in an elementary school. I had these pills for six months and then I tapered them because I was calm but no sex drive, no will, and I was like a high person (but it was really quick taper according to this site). I took it from the end of August till the last day of January (6 months). After 4 months I began to taper, but I just forgot by how much. The first month was horrible, I was totally restless, but my concentration was fortunately good, so I can go to work. Next 2 months I just felt good, strong, going to the gym, only occasional restlessness and I didn't have any symptoms but I remember one night when my brain kind has like a zap and I went to the anxious and depressed state and it stayed that way up till now. My concentration is far from good and it's like akathisia inner restlessness and strong back and chest pain leading from the temple. My girlfriend is still with me despite this all. I have started Wim hof methods: Every day I start with a cold shower 5-10 minutes and before sleep his breathing method. I have been doing it for 2 weeks and I have improved stamina and I am not so fatigued all the time. My sex drive comes and goes. I go regularly to the gym 4 times a week. I don't take any supplement and only protein. I have a healthy diet with lots of protein, fats and complex carbohydrates. I can go to work and do a lot of work on my side job (English Project). But I have this horrible back, neck and chest pain and inner restlessness. I don't want to complain about anything having read all those horrible stories on these forums. I am relatively good despite my condition. I have a girlfriend who has been there in horrible times, loving parents and friends and good work and also I can go to the gym. Sometimes it's really hard and I need to really push myself to do anything. Summary: Current symptoms: chest and back pain a bit of depression, inner restlessness (horrible), speeded up, fatique, I can't really calm down and therefore it is difficult to concentrate- these symptoms are there all the time. 2016 Trittico 75mg ( 3-4 months can't really remember the length) 2019 Cipralex (10mg -6 months -tapering in the last month - big mistake) Mirtazapine (15mg -6 months - tapering in the last month - big mistake) Drug-free: Almost 10 months Unfortunately, my biggest dream of competing and be a natural bodybuilder is lost because it was the biggest trigger for me. I will lift weights only as a hobby. But I don't want to end up on these drugs again. I have accepted these symptoms and maybe I will live rest of my life with the m it if is meant to be. But I would really like to get better because I am like 50% of a person that used to be. What do you think? Do you think time will heal it? Thank you in advance for reading my post and chime in with your opinion. And remember to accept this and do whatever it takes to get better and to heal. Jan

MOD NOTE: contains content which may be triggering for some members Hi, I have been "stalking" this website for a while now, I saw a couple stories that were a lot like mine. I never knew how much harm these darn medications could do, moreover, I was so glad I found that I was not alone in this. I felt like crying tears of relief when I found this community. Im not sure where to start so I will just give a basic "run-down" of my history; I came from an abusive background. My father abused me when I was younger, and my neighbor "took advantage" of me when I was 8, repeatedly. Im thankful I am not in that situation anymore, but those experiences did leave me with some "battle scars." I was diagnosed in early 2014 as having OCD, Anxiety, Depression, Panic Disorder, PTSD, and ADD. I knew I had some things from childhood, like the OCD, Depression, Anxiety and of course the ADD (That one is a bit hard to miss) But I was so shocked to find what had happened to me did give me PTSD. It was such a shock. I was hospitalized in late 2014 for a suicide attempt and that was my first introduction into the Antidepressants. To be honest they never really helped me. I was put on Prozac, not sure the dose, but I quit cold turkey after 3 maybe 4 weeks on it now that I think back to it. No side effects. No nothing. Then I was prescribed with several things back to back, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Effexor, I would only take 1 or 2 pills before not taking them anymore as I just felt the medication just masked the problem without actually fixing it. The only one that really did help a bit was Effexor but I got so jittery it was ridiculous I stopped after 2 days of use. again, no side effects, I was blessed. I was given Xanax for my panic attacks, i took it sparingly. Then I was given medication for my ADD, I thought "why not" and gave it a try since I was having trouble focusing especially in the workplace. I was given focalin. It completely destroyed me. I had a OCD flare up like no other. I ended up hospitalized from early May to late July/ Early August. It was a nightmare even though it did make me perform better, it was OCD hell. I recovered in a few days and was put on Paxil. 40 mg. and Trazadone for sleep which was switched with another type of sleep medication. I would take a combination of Trazadone and a cocktail of other sleep medications on and off. The doctor never warned me of the side effects of these stupid medications. I started having Nervous sweats, shaking which I believe to be called "akathesia", hypersensitivity, more panic attacks, PTSD episodes, OCD episodes. and weird sensations in my private parts that from what I have been reading, is called "PGAD" , horrible insomnia, sensations that are not there, so severe somatization, tinnitus that comes and goes, depersonalization, less able to focus, and an increase in paranoia. I ended up worse than when I started with this mess.. I have been though enough. Since I have been stalking this website I have been following a few stories that were a lot like mine and trying to mimic them in their withdrawal. I went from 40mg of Paxil to 21 mg. Probably too fast. I have been following Hopefull, ASkyFullOfHappy, MamaP, Gentle Steps, Petunia, MollyN especially since some of their stories really mirror mine in one way or another. Im sorry for stalking ya'll, I am actually very embarrassed, but I was recently given the courage to make my own account since I feel like I still don't know what I am doing sometimes, and honestly my symptoms, although they have improved a slight bit, they are not where I need them to be. I hope with some guidance I can get on the right track here, and maybe help a couple people out as well.

Hello, Recent online articles have brought me to this site, and after reading several topics I now realize that I experienced Withdrawal Syndrome when I tried to quit Fluoxetine a couple of years ago. My doctor and I had accepted at the time that I needed to go back on Fluox for the rest of my life, but now I see that it's possible to slow taper and eventually my body will heal. In a way, it's a relief to know the truth and if I had known then, it may have helped greatly with my anxiety. Here's a short summary of my AD history: Prescribed 20 mg Fluoxetine in 2011 (age 35) for symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety (I always considered insomnia to be the worst symptom, causing the others to rear up) Quickly tapered off Fluoxetine in spring 0f 2016 at the suggestion of my primary doctor (who was not the original prescribing doctor). Felt great over the summer, started to feel uneasy in the fall. Reinstated 20mg of Fluoxetine. Crashed in December, upped Fluoxetine to 40 mg and started 100mg of Trazadone for severe insomnia Withdrawal continued to be severe in early 2017, but I started seeing a therapist, going to a support group, MIND diet, light exercise, positive cognitive behaviors, etc. I also accepted the condition I was in and that it would be hard, long work to get better. Spring of 2017 I started to feel stabilized. A consistent, day-to-day "blah" feeling since then. This year I decreased the Trazadone to 20 mg with no detriment to my sleep so far. I informed my doctor, and she accepted that but cautioned me not to decrease anything further. I would like to slow taper the Fluoxetine. My to-do list: inform my husband, my doctor (possibly find a specialist), gather supplies for tapering if I have to make my own doses.

Have been off venlafaxine since November 2017 ( after 16 years) ; went on trazodone and Reboxetine until Nov 2018 and have been drug free since. However really struggling recently despite taking omega 3 / CBD / exercises etc. Problems include fatigue, very low mood, anxiety, no interest in what’s happening around me, can be upset by the most minor event etc. Tempted to try some other drug that may help as I am finding it really hard. How long do the withdrawal effects last and is there hope in persevering?

I tried to titrate of the first pill twice over 2 weeks in a row (ended up taking the second one in desperation). I had been getting 3-4 hours sleep, but after slow (1 week, as I had only taken one pill at the time), I got no sleep. I seem to need more to sleep now, at first could on 25 or less. Now even 3/4 of a pill doesn't work well. Very frightened. I will take twice as long I guess, but I don't know if my sleep will come back, and it has been bad for months. My doctor is trying to get me to take seroquel again, but I have EPS. I hate these drugs, but am afraid I might break down and take it.

I was on paxil for 18 years, my stupid doctor switched me to lexapro without weening the paxil (this happened more than a yer ago) My brain went into total dysfunction. I haven't been close to the same since. Since this time Ive went through a brutal ativan withdrawal and been on 10 different medications. I recently tried to get off paxil 10 mg and made it to 2 1/2 mg and then went into withdraw. I also was weening off abiIify during this time as well. I know now to soon and too fast. I am experiencing extreme fatigue, flu like symptoms, suicidal ideation constantly and some insomnia. Its horrific. I have since bumped my paxil back up to ten mg's about two and a half weeks ago but there is no improvement. As of right now I am also taking 300 mgs of wellbutrin which I've been taken for 6 months. I also take trazadone for sleep. Can someone give me some advice as to what the best path would be from here? I am pretty desperate.

Admin note: link to benzo forum thread - StuckOnMeds: Reinstatement of Clonazapam Fair warning: my journey revolves around PMDD (my menstruation cycle). If this is not your cup of tea, turn back now. Hi! I'm so happy to be here! Here's the short version of my story... I was misdiagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder when in fact I had PMDD. At first, the symptoms were bearable, but after my last child, everything changed. Suddenly, I was not able to make myself or my children food, not showering, not able to pick my kids up from school. Not only that but my self-esteem was shot and anxiety soaring, and I had about one week a month where I could gather myself back up and try to heal before everything started all over again. This went on for over three years. I was completely broken. During all of this, my Psych started throwing meds at me to see what would stick. Unfortunately, nothing would work, and I ended up on 6 meds for depression and anxiety. Finally, I had had enough and approached my Psych and my Gyn about a full hysterectomy and BSO (ovary removal) to stop the fluctuation in my hormones. By this time I had tried all methods of care ranging from DBT to exercise, birth control to relaxation techniques, and so much more. Anyway, I had the surgery, and I felt (and feel) amazing. Like I had been missing out on living. Unfortunately, I was still stuck on all six meds. And so began the titration. I began titrating risperidone at the beginning of 2015. It is important to me to get off this med because I believe it to be the most dangerous. I started at 1 mg, and currently, I am at 0.18 mg. I am taking a break on my titration but intend to jump after my summer vacation and be done with this demon of a drug once and for all. Here is a list of my other meds: Morning: Zoloft 200 mg Wellbutrin XL 300 mg Lorazepam 0.5 mg and 0.375 mg ( also take around 3 pm) Night: Clonazepam 1 mg Trazadone 50 mg Risperidone 0.18 mg (liquid) StuckOnMeds

I was 22 when I went to the doctor because of a broken heart. He put me on effexor. I had faith in our medical system then, I don't these days. He did not even think the birth control I was on was causing a problem nor did he test for any nutrient insufficiency. It was a brief few minutes. I was crying over a break up and that was all he needed to see and hear to pack me up with several trial boxes full of effexor XR. It seemed like the end of the world and I wanted the pain to stop so I put my trust in my doctor and took the pill everyday until I got pregnant a year later. It was a difficult pregnancy. I was not aware I had a genetic mutation in my MTHFR pathway. I don't even know if that pathway was studied much back then...I am 38 now. Just so you have a time line. I don't know if they were aware that antidepressants made the lack of folate worse. No wonder I had preeclampsia and was on bed rest for the entire 3rd trimester. I felt like crap and was at risk for heart attack and stroke. They had to induce 2 weeks early. She was definitely worth it. Her father, however was not. I needed to go back on effexor after the pregnancy to deal with his abuse. In the end, I wound up with PTSD and he sat 6 years in prison. I had developed a drinking problem at this time. I was out of control. The second pregnancy helped me reel it back in. I went off the meds and did not go back on them until I was unable to handle the stress anymore which was about 2 years post partum. I had 2 daughters, I was working as much as possible and in school full time. My significant other was trying to "hook up" with other girls and my second attempt at a family was failing. They added trazadone this time so I could sleep. Instead of dealing with the problem, I numbed it. My behavior changed a lot. I lost interest in the things I was working so hard for, I became compulsive even more than usual, the alcohol abuse returned. The failing of the family sealed everything. I lost it completely, cut myself so badly and tried to commit suicide. I ended up spending a week in the psych ward where they changed up my meds and added abilify and buspar to the cocktail. Apparently I had gone from just depressed to bipolar. I got off the medication after I found myself pregnant for the 3rd time. I married this one. Love him to death too. After I had my 3rd daughter and even during the pregnancy I was having what I thought were a return of my old bipolar symptoms. I went back on all the meds believing they would help me. They actually made me lose control a bit more and eventually I felt so lost and sick that I knew it was time to get off the meds and actually work towards a happy, healthy life. I was weaned off everything except trazadone. I requested to stay on it for insomnia. I had not been able to sleep for years without a sleep aid and it worked for me. The initial withdrawl was bad. I was on the couch for atleast a month after taking my last dose. I made it through. Shortly after I began developing gastrointestinal issues. I was always nauseated and would have stomach aches. No one thought it was from withdrawl or from the trazadone I continued to take. I carried on in my health quest. I began running and cleaned up my diet. I fell in love with Crossfit and added that to the mix. My gastrointestinal problems continued and got worse. I started eliminating gluten and dairy from my diet. It helped a little. Then I woke up one morning with distorted vision, extreme fatigue, and a general feeling like I had the flu...but it wouldn't go away. I worked with a gastro thinking that something horrible was going on in my intestinal track. Blood work, a colonoscopy, ct scans, numerous emergency visits could not pin point anything wrong. It was a mystery. I thought I was dying at one point. Until I decided it was time to go off of trazadone...and miraculously after I was weaned off all the brain fog, headaches, fatigue went away. My gut did not improve much. But I then had an idea what was causing my issues. I was diagnosed with IBS and it was driving me nuts. I was not aware I was still going through withdrawls nor did I associate the deterioration in my mental state with those withdrawls. I thought, my gut was great when I was on effexor. Lets try it. My body rejected it twice. My gastro tried a low dose of elivil which my body also rejected. I worked out that weekend and woke up on Monday and all the symptoms I had before had returned times 10. I felt like I had fried my brain. I have been trying to recover for the past 6 months. I did see a lot of improvement after working with an integrative doctor. We are trying to increase my serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. My adrenals are shot. My cortisol curve is really messed up. The ability for my body to regulate blood sugar levels was horrible for a long time. But is better now. I can have coffee again in the morning when I need it most. I sleep more than I don't these days. Sleep hypnosis works like a charm to help with the racing thoughts at night. My gut has improved, but my diet is super clean and I try and exercise when I am feeling well enough to. I take methylfolate for my mutation and we are working on getting my body to synthesize B6 better with a ful spectrum of aminos I take as a bone broth protein supplement. I still have waves. They were manageable up until this week. I am having a really bad wave. Migraine, my thermostat is not working right (either freezing or sweating), muscle aches, horrible vertigo, vision problems, balance is off, muscle weakness, fatigue yet cannot sleep well. And the emotional roller coaster has not been fun. I can't wait to get off that ride. Horrible panic, paranoia, fear, anxiety, akathisia, and obsessive behavior, cannot handle any type of stress at all. My poor 13 year old got the brunt of it yesterday. I yelled at her because she needed me to pick her up from school because she was not feeling well. I could not handle the change in my morning plans. I apologized later that night, though. I do try and explain what is happening. This is what it is like, though. I know this is a lengthy post, but I feel it is important to tell my story and I am not going to sugar coat things at all. This whole process has been horrible. It is a nightmare for me and for my family. I just have faith and hope that one day I will wake up and I will be healed...atleast I hear that is how things are suppose to happen.

Hi, I'm new to this website. I have been trying to withdraw from antidepressants for about 18 months. When I started by withdrawal, I was taking 20 mg of Prozac, 300 mg of Wellbutrin (to treat side effects of prozac), and 100 mg of Trazadone. A year ago, I told my doctor I wanted to get off my medications because they were not helping and I was feeling increasingly fatigued. She gave me a taper scheduled that had me off the drugs within 2 months. I suffered terribly with anxiety, insomnia, and the worst depression I ever experienced. After trying to persevere, I eventually went back on 10 mg of Prozac and 50 mg of Trazadone to relieve the anxiety and allow me to sleep. Having reduced my dosages and completely eliminated Wellbutrin, I felt better and had more energy than when I was taking the higher doses. Lab tests ordered by a functional medicine doctor revealed that I many nutritional deficiencies despite my healthy diet. She prescribed supplements, including magnesium, fish oil (DHA and EPA), B vitamins, glutathione, and vitamin C. My energy and strength increased and I was able to begin an exercise program. Long story short, because I was feeling better, I began to taper the remainder of my drugs. I am now down to 25 mg of Trazadone and 8 mg of liquid Prozac. I have been taking 25 mg of Trazadone for over 6 months and only just started weaning off the Prozac. Since I reduced Prozac from 10 mg to 8 mg, I have felt fine except for insomnia. I joined this forum because I want to succeed with stopping the drugs for good this time. Thank you so much for this forum and the information you have provided. Past Medications: Paxil 25 mg 2010-June 2012 Prozac 20 mg January 2013 Wellbutrin 300 mg January 2013 Trazadone 100 mg January 2013 Current Medications: Prozac 8 mg Trazadone 25 mg

I have been trying to get off of paroxetine since spring of 1998. Started paroxetine when I was 32, 10 mg, dropped back to 7.5 mg within that first month. Paroxetine made me very sleepy, at first, so I had to take it at night, otherwise, I couldn't drive safely. A brief nap usually fixed it. Paroxetine really helped with depression. Number of depressive episodes since 1995: just 5 in 24 years. Three when trying to taper. Age 35, tried tapering too fast to 5 mg (33% decrease), got irritable, partner said I should go back up to regular dose, so I did. Age 36, breakup with partner. Sad and grieving, but not depressed. Age 37, work stress led to severe insomnia. Tried Ambien, made me hallucinate. Tried valerian, got severely depressed. Had bad CBT (Cog Behav Therapy), got more depressed: "Even therapy won't fix me!" Felt hopeless, but not suicidal. Depression lasted about 2 months. Insomnia continued, so psychiatrist (who saw me for 15 minutes in a group med check appointment - ridiculous!) prescribed trazodone 50 mg. Instantly fixed insomnia problem. Age 41, moved to a new city where I didn't know anyone, got depressed again. No chg to meds. Saw a good therapist, depression resolved in 4 months - not as severe a depression. New relationship. Age 42, saw a new psychiatrist. Switched me from trazodone to mirtazapine. Still sleeping well, but mirtazapine gave me the most bizarre relationship to food. I constantly wanted to be chewing something, munching on something, shot up 15 pounds (I'm short, so this was a significant percentage of my body weight). I tried chewing gum to deal with this weird behavioral urge. The psychiatrist, who would see me for 20 minutes (individually at least!) for med checks every 3-4 weeks, would try to do psychoanalysis on me in the 10 minutes we had left after discussing meds. NOT helpful. Broke up with partner. Age 42, tried tapering off of paroxetine, back to 5mg (33% decrease), got depressed. After a month, went back up to 7.5 mg. Age 43, went back on trazodone, 62.5 mg. I don't remember a taper with switching between trazodone and mirtazapine, since they were chemically similar. Still sleeping well. New relationship, sill in that one. Ages 46-52, had good CBT, and learned how to manage thoughts and behaviors to prevent depression from getting severe or lasting too long. Ages 52-53, very slow gradual taper over 9 months from 7.5 mg to 2.5 mg paroxetine, kept trazodone at 62.5 mg. No depression! Brain shivers every time I dropped dose slightly, but those lasted only about a week. Age 53, OB-GYN put me on progesterone for perimenopausal symptoms. I was fetal-position, immobile depressed within a month. Stopped progesterone and went back up to 5 mg paroxetine. (Why, oh why, didn't I just wait and see if taking the progesterone away would have fixed things?) Still on 62.5 mg trazodone. Age 53 going on 54, moved back to MN, to where I knew lots of people, but also where winters are cold and dark and long. Got a severe infection, took Cipro, which cleared infection but destroyed gut microbiome. Just as the days were getting shorter and darker, and I was commuting to and from work in darkness. 2016 election happened, work supervisors were harsh and critical, had a cancer scare. Too much bad stuff at once, got the most depressed I'd been since my early 30's. I did not feel like myself. Unable to use CBT skills. Over one week, increased paroxetine to 7.5 mg, next week 10 mg. Within 3 days of taking the 10 mg dose, the black, horrible depression lifted. Still on 62.5 mg trazodone. But, this was also after winter solstice, do days were getting longer, and I also increased Vit D and got a sun lamp close to the same time. So was it the drugs or the season? Had 6 weeks of CBT for insomnia, realized I don't need trazodone to sleep. Why didn't anyone offer me this instead of drugs?! Realized true gender identity - maybe that's why progesterone made me depressed, I'm not female or male, even though my body was annoying me with menopause. Still on 62.5 mg trazodone - why mess with meds while sorting out gender? Age 54. Mild winter depression. Thought to myself, 10 mg of paroxetine and 62.5 mg trazodone isn't doing anything! Age 55. Moved back to the sunny state of CO. From Jan - July of this year (2019), slowly, slowly tapered from 10 mg to 7.5 mg paroxetine. No depression. Brain shivers every time I dropped a level, but those lasted only about a week. Spent 4-6 weeks at each level of dosage as I tapered. Still on 62.5 mg trazodone. Plan: Hold stable at current doses of paroxetine and trazodone through early Feb, when days start getting longer. Eat a non-inflammatory diet, start exercising more. Maybe try very slow taper back to 50 mg trazodone over winter, since I know how to sleep well without it. Then taper paroxetine. Then complete taper off trazodone. Be drug-free!

I recently discontinued Seroquel 150mg (prescribed for agitated anxiety and insomnia), and now on Trazodone 250mg and Mirtazapine 30mg. I had been on Seroquel since Sept. 2018 . I feel awful - sleeping less, agitated, angry, depressed, don’t want to get out of bed, lack focus and hard to think straight. I feel dumber and want to avoid. Any insights on how long it may last or how to make it easier? I’m concerned that none of the meds have really helped me with anxiety/depression beyond getting some sleep. I am doing therapy, EMDR, exercise and meditation. I feel like a weird version of myself and don’t want to be around people. I get feeling hopeless about feeling better or like myself again.