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Alternative therapy - plant spirit medicine


Nelly

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Do you think it is OK to begin some treatment using plant spirit medicine " for a better life" while tapering off Prozac? I have informed the registered practitioner that I am tapering off Prozac, she is considered very highly by others. I am thinking that she will take my current situation into consideration, when providing treatment. many thanks

Prescribed Venlafaxine 150mg ..........

 19 Feb 2019 stopped Venlafaxine 150mg cold turkey. 06 March 2019 restarted Ven 125mg. 04 April 2019 9 mini pills. 02 May 2019 8 mini pills. 01July 2019 7 mini pills. 18 Aug 2019 6 mini pills. 24 Sept 2019 5.50 mini pills. 11 October 2019 5 mini pills. 5th May 2020 Reinstated Ven 125 mg XR 9 pills.

9th Nov 2020 Update Started splitting dose to twice per day

02/02/2021 can’t stabilise without symptoms. 
03/02/21 9 mini pills @ 10am 

Updated.... July 2021 108mg, Sept 2021 107mg, 

tapering steps to be updated

current dose 14 July 2023 80mg

23.07.23 75mg half way ! 

 

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  • Moderator

Hi Nelly-- All this is going to do is make your wallet loose weight.  For some people there might be a positive effect through the "placebo effect" but I wouldn't count on it.  I am all for spiritual healing and alternative medicine, when there is some science behind it.  I've been a herbal practitioner for over 25 years and know how effective herbs can be.  I did some digging on "plant spirit medicine" and it tripped every red flag there is.  I was not able to find any reference at all about what plants are used and how beyond some "new age babble".  The only other references I could find were for charging you money to get certified as a practitioner, for work shops or treatments.   I really doubt that these treatments will hurt you, but I really doubt that they will do you any good either. 

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

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  • 1 month later...

Do you think it is OK to begin some treatment using plant spirit medicine " for a better life" while tapering off Prozac? I have informed the registered practitioner that I am tapering off Prozac, she is considered very highly by others. I am thinking that she will take my current situation into consideration, when providing treatment. many thanks

 

Hi Nelly, I've been using kava extract a few times a day while withdrawing and it works WONDERS! You should be able to find it at most health food stores. If you can't, then look online. Its just a concentrated alcohol extract. I use a small syringe and wash it down with a little fruit juice (you might find it very bitter). Also, only OCCASIONALLY, I use kratom (but be weary because this too can become addictive. I use the kratom if i'm having bodily pain from the withdrawals. I usually take a teaspoon of powder and wash it down with water. I've also invested in some supplements that have proofed incredibly beneficial to my withdrawal. I'll list them below:

-B-Complex - helps with energy 

-Vitamin D - your body uses your stores of vitamin D when withdrawing from a toxin (SSRIs and Benzos are toxic), so it's important to replenish (get some light sun if you can as well)

-Lions Mane Extract (a wild mushroom) - helps your brain with cell renewal and rewiring, and also helps with neuro-emotions.

-Liver Rescue (I forget exactly what's in it)- again, helps purge toxins, your liver takes a major beating from psychotropic drugs

-Omega 3 (preferably FISH oil if you aren't vegetarian, it absorbs significantly better than flax seed oil) - again, helps with brain regeneration and cognition (and helps about everything else too. Dewy skin anyone?)

-Probiotics - your "second brain" or "gut" is surrounded by neurons and having a healthy gut flora helps tremendously with overall well-being, physical and mental

-Magnesium - helps with sleep problems, and protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. 

-Melatonin at bedtime: a naturally produced chemical in the brain that makes you sleepy, but when withdrawing,your brain doesn't produce enough most of the time

-Benadryl (I know this seems out of place) - antihistamines actually bind to the same and similar receptors as your psychotropic drugs do, so it helps minimize symptoms and helps with sleep (bedtime only)

-epsom salt baths - not only very relaxing, especially before bed, but magnesium is the main ingredient in epsom salt, so it helps to pull toxins out of your body. The more regularly you do this, the better you'll feel. 

5-HTP- is a chemical by-product of the protein building block L-tryptophan (helps with sleep, even if you take it during the day) and and works with the central nervous system to produce serotonin. 

 

I know it's a lot to invest in, but I can personally attest that these supplements help sooooo much by eliminating of minimizing almost all withdrawal symptoms. Let me know how it goes if you decide to take this route. But definitely get some kava extract ASAP!

 

Good luck!

Bipolar 2 (Accompanied with OCD, Severe General Anxiety, Panic Attacks, PTSD, MDD, Suicidal Ideation, Mania, Reverse SAD)

Lexapro 20mg (tapering)

Lamictal 200mg (tapering)

Clonazepam 3mg

Xanax 1mg

Prazosin ?mg

I take Benadryl and Melatonin to sleep

I take Multi Vitamins and Magnesium

Supporting Husband and Mother

Best Friend and Sister Have Bipolar Disorder

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  • Moderator

Hi Sierraloha--  Welcome to the group. That's a very interesting mix of supplements you're taking.  Would you please start a thread in the Introductions Forum so we can get to know you.

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

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  • 2 months later...

Found some info on kava here.

 

It seems to have been banished from the European and Canadian markets due to causing liver problems and deaths.

 

It's not easy to know what's good and what's bad for you...it's a djungle. :unsure:

1988 - 2016 Different sorts antidepressants from Anafranile to Voxra. A couple of attempts to quit, but relapsed (?).

10/7 -16 From 225 mg Venlafaxin to 200 mg - No problems

31/7 -16 From 200 mg Venlafaxin to 175 mg - Minor panic attacks now and then

1/10 -16 Switched straight off from 175 mg Venlafaxin to 150 g Voxra on doctor's ordination (due to difficulties to cope with working as little as 25%)

-Bad withdrawal symptoms; dizzieness, nausea, insomnia, nighmares, heart pounding, panic attacks, malaise

4/10 -16 Continued with 150 mg Voxra and added 150 mg of Venlafaxine

5/10 -16 Removed Voxra on advice from SA, went back to 175 mg of Venlafaxine and will continue slowly tapering it out.

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

To search the site use a search engine like google and type in survivingantidepressants.org + topic.

 

Here are some SA discussions on kava:

 

does-anyone-use-kava

 

kava-kava-piper-methysticum

 

sleep-remedies-on-prn-basis   Kava:  Mentioned in Post #4 onwards.

* 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

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