Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted October 31, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 31, 2020 The drugs numb us. As we reduce them our feelings return. Issues that you had pre-drug are not going to magically go away. You need to learn and use ways to cope/manage them. You might be able to use self help resources, like the following, or see a counsellor who can teach you techniques to manage. CBT is more general, specific for health anxiety might be better. https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/healthanxiety.htm * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
jozeff Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 Hi nick, How are you doing man? It's been a while! Hope to hear from you. Cheers Jozeff Sep- 2016 - Okt 2017 citalopram some months 15 mg some months 20 mg Nov 2017- Apr 2018 citalopram 25 mg Apr 2018 - Jun 2018 citalopram 3 month TAPER too fast from 25mg to 16.5 mg (0.1 mg per day decrease, felt horrible and crashed) Jun 2018 - Aug13th 2018 citalopram trying to stabilize at 16.5 mg for 5 wks - August 14th 2018 - April 29th 2019 citalopram 18 mg (1.5 mg updose). 2019 apr 27 : START taper citalopram @ 18 mg: 29Jun 16.4 mg / 19aug 15.4 mg / 25aug 15.2 mg / 30sep 14.0 mg / 4dec 13.1 mg 2020 03Jan 12.75 mg / 28Jan 12.29 mg / 18Feb 11.83 mg, 25Feb 11.68 mg hold.. / 7May 11.33 mg hold...., 4Aug 10.98 mg / 5Dec 10.0 mg 4 month hold... 2021 30mar 9.8 mg / 06apr 9.5 mg / 13apr 9.4 mg / 14may 8,5 mg / 04jun 8,0 mg / 11jun 7.75 mg, 02jul 7.35 mg / 09jul 7.2 mg hold 3 weeks during holiday /31jul 7 mg/ 8aug 6.8 mg / 15aug 6.63mg / 22aug 6.5mg / 1sep 6.3 mg / 8sep 6.15 mg / 15sep 6.0 mg / 22sep 5.9 mg / 29sep 5.8 mg / 04 oct 5.65 mg / 10oct 5.55 mg / 17oct 5.45 mg / 24oct 5.35mg / 30oct 5.25 mg hold 3 wks / 22nov 5.15 mg / 01dec 5.1mg / 12dec 5.0mg / 20dec 4.85mg / 30dec 4.70mg 2022 08jan 4.5 mg / 16jan 4.4 mg / 23jan 4.3 mg / 27jan 4.2 mg / 18feb 4.1 mg / 25feb 4.0 mg / 04mar 3.9 mg / 11mar 3.75 mg / 18Mar 3.65 mg / 09apr 3.55 mg / 16apr 3.45 mg / 23apr 3.35 mg / 01may 3.25 mg / 8may 3.15 mg / 17may 3.10 mg / 28 may 3.0 mg / 7jun 2.94 mg / 18 Jun 2.88 mg / 27 jun 2.84 mg / 05 jul 2.80 mg / 16 jul 2.75 mg / 23 jul 2.70 mg / 01aug 2.65 mg / 09aug 2.60 mg hold 5wks / 18sep 2.55 mg / 25sep 2.5 mg /02oct 2.45 mg / 10oct 2.40 mg / 19oct 2.35 mg / 27oct 2.30 mg / 05nov 2.27 mg / 14nov 2.25 mg / 22nov 2.20 mg / 29nov 2.10mg / 09dec 2.05 mg / 15dec 2.0 mg 2023 hold 2.0 mg for 5 months / 05may 1.95 mg / 14may 1.90 mg / 24may 1.87 mg / 02jun 1.85 mg / 17jun 1.82 mg / 27jun 1.79 mg / 07jul 1.75 mg / 31jul 1.72 mg / 12aug 1.69mg / 27aug 1.67 mg / 04sep 1.65 mg / 09sep 1.63 mg / 22sep 1.61 mg / 27sep 1.60 mg / 12oct 1.58 mg / 18oct 1.56 mg / 31oct 1.54 mg / 06nov 1.52 mg / 18nov 1.50 mg / 04dec 1.48 mg / 11dec 1.46 mg / 22dec 1.45 mg / 28dec 1.44 mg 2024 01jan 1.43 mg / 06jan 1.42 mg/ 10jan 1.40 mg hold / 08apr 1.38 mg / 15apr 1.36 mg / Link to comment
jozeff Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Are you doing well nick? Cheers Jozeff Sep- 2016 - Okt 2017 citalopram some months 15 mg some months 20 mg Nov 2017- Apr 2018 citalopram 25 mg Apr 2018 - Jun 2018 citalopram 3 month TAPER too fast from 25mg to 16.5 mg (0.1 mg per day decrease, felt horrible and crashed) Jun 2018 - Aug13th 2018 citalopram trying to stabilize at 16.5 mg for 5 wks - August 14th 2018 - April 29th 2019 citalopram 18 mg (1.5 mg updose). 2019 apr 27 : START taper citalopram @ 18 mg: 29Jun 16.4 mg / 19aug 15.4 mg / 25aug 15.2 mg / 30sep 14.0 mg / 4dec 13.1 mg 2020 03Jan 12.75 mg / 28Jan 12.29 mg / 18Feb 11.83 mg, 25Feb 11.68 mg hold.. / 7May 11.33 mg hold...., 4Aug 10.98 mg / 5Dec 10.0 mg 4 month hold... 2021 30mar 9.8 mg / 06apr 9.5 mg / 13apr 9.4 mg / 14may 8,5 mg / 04jun 8,0 mg / 11jun 7.75 mg, 02jul 7.35 mg / 09jul 7.2 mg hold 3 weeks during holiday /31jul 7 mg/ 8aug 6.8 mg / 15aug 6.63mg / 22aug 6.5mg / 1sep 6.3 mg / 8sep 6.15 mg / 15sep 6.0 mg / 22sep 5.9 mg / 29sep 5.8 mg / 04 oct 5.65 mg / 10oct 5.55 mg / 17oct 5.45 mg / 24oct 5.35mg / 30oct 5.25 mg hold 3 wks / 22nov 5.15 mg / 01dec 5.1mg / 12dec 5.0mg / 20dec 4.85mg / 30dec 4.70mg 2022 08jan 4.5 mg / 16jan 4.4 mg / 23jan 4.3 mg / 27jan 4.2 mg / 18feb 4.1 mg / 25feb 4.0 mg / 04mar 3.9 mg / 11mar 3.75 mg / 18Mar 3.65 mg / 09apr 3.55 mg / 16apr 3.45 mg / 23apr 3.35 mg / 01may 3.25 mg / 8may 3.15 mg / 17may 3.10 mg / 28 may 3.0 mg / 7jun 2.94 mg / 18 Jun 2.88 mg / 27 jun 2.84 mg / 05 jul 2.80 mg / 16 jul 2.75 mg / 23 jul 2.70 mg / 01aug 2.65 mg / 09aug 2.60 mg hold 5wks / 18sep 2.55 mg / 25sep 2.5 mg /02oct 2.45 mg / 10oct 2.40 mg / 19oct 2.35 mg / 27oct 2.30 mg / 05nov 2.27 mg / 14nov 2.25 mg / 22nov 2.20 mg / 29nov 2.10mg / 09dec 2.05 mg / 15dec 2.0 mg 2023 hold 2.0 mg for 5 months / 05may 1.95 mg / 14may 1.90 mg / 24may 1.87 mg / 02jun 1.85 mg / 17jun 1.82 mg / 27jun 1.79 mg / 07jul 1.75 mg / 31jul 1.72 mg / 12aug 1.69mg / 27aug 1.67 mg / 04sep 1.65 mg / 09sep 1.63 mg / 22sep 1.61 mg / 27sep 1.60 mg / 12oct 1.58 mg / 18oct 1.56 mg / 31oct 1.54 mg / 06nov 1.52 mg / 18nov 1.50 mg / 04dec 1.48 mg / 11dec 1.46 mg / 22dec 1.45 mg / 28dec 1.44 mg 2024 01jan 1.43 mg / 06jan 1.42 mg/ 10jan 1.40 mg hold / 08apr 1.38 mg / 15apr 1.36 mg / Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 16, 2021 Administrator Share Posted July 16, 2021 Hello, @nick1990, how are you doing? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 Hey @Altostrataand @jozeff! I am doing well, thank you both for asking. It’s late here but will get a detailed response in the coming days Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Miko789 Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 On 3/5/2020 at 2:44 AM, nick1990 said: UPDATE Hey all, been a very interesting month. After seeing a naturopath and nutritionist, we have agreed that this is likely not a thyroid issue. However, we had a good look through my last few years of blood test results and it seems I have been very low in a few essential vitamins and minerals. B12 has been low for years, Ferretin too, and also Folate. I was started on a really good quality, practitioner only multi supplement, as well as Maltofer (Iron supplement) and honestly, my energy has come right back for the most part. I have been sleeping well, being able to do lots more things through the day, not needing to sleep at all through the day and just feeling better mentally/emotionally too. I have also had 3 weeks of B12 injections. They make me feel warm and fuzzy and relaxed afterward for about an hour. I have been advised to continue these, once a week for 6-8 weeks. Either way, I'm definitely noticing a lot of improvement. I am still having some waves, especially when overdoing things, but they're more identifiable and don't include the debilitating fatigue. Also, headaches and migraines are lessening too, I have been doing some back strengthening exercises and they are helping a tonne. I even managed to surf yesterday for 4 hours and feel fine today, which has been unheard of for a fair while. I have resumed tapering slowly and am not too far off 20mg now. I think I am starting to feel better as a result of slow tapering. I'll continue with the supplements and B12 shots, as well as slow tapering - but all in all, things are finally starting to look up. had iron deficiency and folate, took fro 5 weeks supplementation, hope you got it sorted out, diet change can help maintain levels, because pmeds can lessen levels 2011 protracted withdrawal symptoms from Effexor, managed to come off 2013-2015 risperidone consta 50 mg, started tapering from March 2015 to 1,66mg/day and from 02/2015 started seroxat 10mg/day 01/17 Seroxat 2,0mg,olanzapine 5mg,risperidone consta 25mg/every 15days 05/17 Seroxat 1mg,olanzapine 5mg,risp.consta 25mg/every 15days 06/17 Seroxat 2drops,olanzapine 5mg,liquid risperidone2mg 07/17 Seroxat 1 drop,olanzapine 5mg,Risperidone 0mg, 10/17 Seroxat 0mg,olanzapine,5mg,Risperidone 0mg, 12/17 Seroxat 1/2 drop, olanzapine 5mg, 04/18 Olanzapine 1,25mg, 04/18 xanax 0,5mg 24/06/2019 doc said to take 10mg olanzapine for 13days and down to 5mg been taking 10mg for 14 days, 5mg for 8 days and tapered to 3/4quart. 5mg for 14 days, 1/2 for 14 days, 01/08/19 2,5mg 08/2021 5mg olanzapine Supplements Omega 3, Turmeric, Bacopa monneri, Mucuna Pruriens Link to comment
nick1990 Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 Hi everyone. First, let me apologise for taking so long to get back to you all. It has been a busy month or two. Well, here goes; I have been slowly tapering down from my original 60mg Citalopram and now am on approximately 16-17mg. Hell, there have been some crazy times, ups and downs and roundabouts, and there are still plenty more to come.. BUT I want to make a clear point here to all - Now that I'm tapering slowly and understand the process so much more, WD is only a very, very, very small background noise, and most of the time it is not even existent! I am living my life pretty normally (whatever that means 😉). A few years ago I would have not thought this reality to be a possibility - I thought that I would suffer from debilitating WD effects until I had completely tapered off the Citalopram. This has not been the case AT ALL! If you read back through my introduction timeline, you will see that I had some really hard times with WD - Not as rough as some have it, but by far the roughest thing I have ever experienced. Things get so much easier though. You must listen to your body though and HOLD! This is not a race. It has been said time and time again, but the Turtle really wins this race, not the Hare. I'm not nearly done yet with tapering. It will take me a few years yet, but I'm happy with where I am - I pause on tapering when I'm going through a tough life situation; sometimes for months at a time. When I feel up to it, I slowly taper again. This works. Something which I think Is important to mention is that coming off an SSRI (and likely most psychiatric medications) after long term use can leave you feeling a bit naked to the world and it's ups and downs. That has been my experience at least. Things can feel quite intense and raw at times. I have spent my teenage years and 20's being drugged and numbed out to so many emotions that most (non drugged) people have a long time to process and learn to cope with. I have not had this privilege - So in essence, I am like a 15 year old in a 30 year olds body, sort of haha.. I'm still trying to figure things out, and deal with the anxious, sensitive personality which has emerged as I have lowered the SSRI. I have anxiety (real, organic anxiety - Not the chemical WD kind) which can feel completely overwhelming at times. I have not had this since I was a child - Health anxiety is intense to say the least, though I am learning to cope. It is not easy at all, and I do have moments where I feel that staying drugged would have been a better option. However, I know that is not really the case - And I am forever grateful to have found this forum when I did and develop a deeper understanding of what these drugs do. I have adopted a sort of mantra, through Buddhist philosophy, that life is painful. We suffer and struggle - But that is just one side of the coin - The other is that we feel and witness immense beauty; No Samsara, no Nirvana. In other words, no pain, no gain. As hard as it can be, I would take a hard life, filled with learning and growth over an easy, emotionless life any day. Love to you all. 5 Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted September 6, 2021 Moderator Share Posted September 6, 2021 Hi Nick-- it is so good to hear from you. Sounds like things are going pretty well all told. Thank you for the excellent post. Personal accounts of how things are going are so helpful to the rest of the membership. Something to remember, you've been making it through ADWD which will give you the tools and inner strength to get through anything else the world throws at you. It can be challenging, but quite exciting to be learning about your emotions. You are not going into it cold though. During all those years of being drugged life lessons and social morays have been sinking in, they are just hidden and need to come to the surface. The teachings of Buddhism can be quite helpful. I think ChantingJo has a thread her, if you can find it, it would be worth a read. She has full recovered and is living quite the life now. 1 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
Sottana Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Nick, how have you been? 2008: start Lexapro 10 mg which is quickly upped to 20 mg. 2008:2013 try at least four individual times to get off Lexapro, never get lower than 5mg, settle at 15 mg. 2015: again, attempt to get off Lexapro and get to 5 mg. After 6 months, feel i'm stabilizing but go back on a higher dose because of one stressful event. 2016: go to 20 mg from 15 mg due to work stresses, hit severe tolerance for the first time and become very suicidal. 2016-2017: try viibryd and cymbata in an attempt to feel better. Also add Lamictal 150 at some point. 2017: eventually land on paxil 37.5 and Lamictal 150. January 2018: cut paxil to 25. April-July 2018: reduce Lamictal in 50 mg increments till im off August. 2018: reduce paxil to 20 mg. december 2018: dropped Paxil to 18 mg, SEVERE CRASH. March updosed to 20 mg April 11: dropped to 19.4 mg due to akathsia (still experiencing akathsia symptoms from updose) April 20: 19 mg Paxil May 4: 18.7 Paxil July 5: 18.2 July 12: 17.8 Aug 19: 17.5 Aug 26: 17.3 Oct 20: 17.1 Nov 3: 16.9, 8/17/20: 16.6 after nine month hold, 8/24/20: 16.4, 8/31/20:16.2, 9/14/2020: 16.0, 9/21/20: 15.8, 9/28/20: 15.6, 10/19/20:15.4, 10/26/20: 15.2, 11/2/20: 15.1, 11/7/20: 14.8, 3/6/2-: 14.5, 3/20/20: 14.3, 4/3/20: 13.9, 4/10/2021: 13.7. 4/21/21: 13.5, 5/5/2021: 13.1, 12.2 8/12/2021 (slowly microtapered to this number. I just can’t remember the exact dates), 11.8 9/6/2021, 11.6 9/13/21, 11.2 9/27/21, 11.1 9/30/21.....11/5/21 switched to 10 mg tablet. I am holding to stabilize for the foreseeable future. 3/25/22: 9.4, 5/6/22: 9.0, 5/30/22: 8.25, 6/7/22: 8.1, 7/722: 7.65, 8/16/22: 7.39, 9/22/22: 6.91, 10/1/22: 6.78 Medication signature.docx Link to comment
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