Blondiee1915 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 @rapunzel2 I developed thyroid problems after I stopped lexapro. No thyroid issues prior. Then in WD my THS increased but I was still in range however, I was still experiencing awful fatigue I finally found a functional doctor who ran a full panel and I was diagnosed hypothyroid. I was put on armour thyroid and it did help with fatigue. Now I stayed on that dose too long and it looks like my numbers dropped a bit again so I am raising. I do believe WD affects everything including thyroid. Are you on synthetic or NDT? Do you know your labs? How is your iron and cortisol? 04/10 Luvox 25 mg PM, Nortriptyline 1 mg PM 03/08/19: Buspar 2.5 mg AM, 5 mg PM 01/01/19: Xanax 0.125 AM 5 times a week. Occasionally, 0.125 twice a day AM & noon 12/18 Armour Thyroid 60 mg (for hypothyroidism) Supplements: B Complex, B12 (adeno), multi-vitamin, D, Adrenal Cortex, iron Lexapro 20 mg 2007 - 2013 with various attempts to stop 2013 found a new Dr and started trying other meds: Prozac, Notryptoline, Effexor, Buspar, Gabapentin, Paxil, Nardil Lexapro 15 mg 2015 - 04/2016 Vibryiid 10 - 15mg 05/16-06/16 NO MEDS 07/16 - 10/31/16 Reinstated 10/31/16 at 2.5 mg lexapro, increased to 5 mg 1/13/17 switched to Luvox 50 mg before bed 1/20/17 Luvox 37.5 mg PM 12/18 Luvox 10 mg PM, Nortriptyline 2 mg (started Nortriptyline 06/17 at 10 mg) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cici Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 (edited) withdrawal and thyroid disease flare ups?? Hi , I was diagnosed with hashimotos (underactive thyroid with high antibodies) a few years ago and take levothyroxine daily which I think was triggered by trying to taper off quite a few different drugs simultaneously in a very chaotic and mismanaged way in the year prior to being diagnosed. Im currently tapering in a very controlled and incremental way (Ive learnt my lessons!) from 10 mg Lepraxo and am holding at 8.25 right now. Im pretty sure each little cut is really triggering my hashimotos and raising antibodies. The symptoms apart from the usual withdrawal ones feel very like a hypothyroid flare up. I wondered if anybody experienced a similar thing and if so, how they were dealing with it. Its really complicating my withdrawal strategy!! I suppose this question goes out to all those with autoimmune problems. Thanks very much, Cici x Edited June 9, 2020 by ChessieCat added topic title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avrgejane Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Id like to know too because I too am Hashimotos. I take NDT and try to eat as gluten free as possible. It does end up sneaking in there I know....gluten is in everything! I haven’t gotten my labs done recently because withdrawal messes everything up and I didn’t want to start taking T3 during withdrawal because of fear of it making symptoms worse. I’d love to know if having Hashis makes withdrawal that much worse. I’m sure people with Hashis do recover from withdrawal though right?? Avrgejane (47 year old female) 2015 - approx. 5-6 months on cipralex due to miscarriage stress, 10 mg, tapered over about 2-3 months successfully 2017 - Approx. 8 months on cipralex due to miscarriage stress, 10 mg, tapered over about 3 months successfully Beginning of July 2017 - took approx 3 Ativan sublingual .5 and about 4 oxycodone for pain from miscarriage. Mid July 2017 - took 1/2 prozasin 2mg (1mg) and 1/4 zoplicone 5mg (1.25mg) for about 2-3 weeks but made me feel awful so I CT. August 2017 - 5 days of vaginal valium 10mg after pelvic floor pain after D&C. August 11, 2019 - prescribed amitriptyline for nerve pain in teeth, started at 12.5mg for a week, then 25mg for a week (panic attacks), increased to 50mg for 2 weeks (panic attacks), increased to 100mg for 4 days (panic attacks) followed by an extremely quick taper - 50mg for 3 days, 25mg for 3 days, 12.5mg for 3 days, 6mg for 2 days. Have not taken amitriptyline since Sept 30th, 2019. Took Clonazipam intermittently (14 in 40 days average .25-50 mg) from Aug 25-Oct 8, 2019. Currently taking 90mg natural desiccated thyroid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Karma Posted June 20, 2020 Author Administrator Share Posted June 20, 2020 I am completely off of Effexor and managed withdrawal and appropriate thyroid treatment throughout. I was on Effexor for 21 years, tapering off the last 13 years. I learned I had Hashimoto’s and Celiac about 15 years ago. Started working with a nutritionist and was introduced to NDT as Armour Thyroid. (Currently use Nature-Throid and Liothyronine). My experience is getting the diet and nutrition right enabled coming off the AD. But at some point I realized western medicine was limited in its ability to optimize thyroid treatment so I found functional medical professionals to help me optimize. Check out the links above. Studies prove T3 (liothyronine) helps with depression symptoms. But it’s important to have co-factors like iron, B vitamins, potassium and sodium supported. One should also look at supporting adrenals. I believe adrenals get beat up quite a bit by ADs. My experience is to get a baseline on what your thyroid symptoms are and what your withdrawal symptoms are so you can tell the difference. Keep logs and only change one thing at a time. I have recovered from withdrawal, but likely had my Hashimoto’s under control through diet and thyroid treatment. Hope something here is helpful. Karma 1 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Istm Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Does anybody know if thyroid issues developed during withdrawal, resolve after withdrawal or if we should treat them? I’ve never had thyroid issues before withdrawal, now I think I’m hypo (I have all the symptoms and my test indicate hypo) thanks a lot. •august 2016- feb 2019: on and off SSRIs (fluoxetine and agomelatine) also unknown drug and clonazepam for a short amount of time _________________________________________________________ •January 25 2020: 50mg of setraline and clonazepam 1mg •March 2020: increase to 100mg of setraline •May 2020: stopped setraline, fast tapper 3 weeks. stopped clonazepam, according to how my psychiatrists told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taperstruggles Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 (edited) Titled: Thyroid issues from tapering Has anyone developed thyroid issues during or after tapering off meds? Is there any connection?? I have recently developed hyPERthyroidism as well as slightly elevated cortisol levels and I'm wondering whether it could in any way be connected to my taper or is it just pure bad luck to develop that at this time? Incidentally when I first developed anxiety issues 10+ years ago it was first thought to be a thyroid issues as I had all symptoms of hyperthyroidism as I was losing weight and shaky as well, however levels were on the higher side but within range. While on lexapro my levels have been significantly lower, mid-range for all these years, they have been checked multiple times, weight went up a lot, I've been super tired while on meds. Now that I've lowered my dose significantly I have developed hyperthyroidism with levels above range and the same symptoms as 10 years ago. Losing weight, shakiness, palpitations, diarrhoea, trouble sleeping and being slightly hyper etc. Is it possible that lexapro some how kept my hyperthyroidism 'in check' somehow and now that I am on a lower dose it's started back up? Edited December 23, 2022 by manymoretodays merged and added title Aug 2011 - June 2013 - 10mg escitalopram June - October 2013 attempted to taper off escitalopram, GAD returned on lower dose, tapered back up. Late 2013-June 2016 10mg Escitalopram Mid 2016 aprox 6 months (including taper up and down) on 15 mg escitalopram during life crisis due to death in close family Late 2016-June 2021 10m mg escitalopram June 2021 - 5 mg escitalopram stayed on this dose an entire year, no WD symptoms 30 June 2022 - 4 mg escitalopram, no WD symptoms 23 July 2022 - 2,5 mg escitalopram, holding indefinitely. 7 January 2023 - 3,2 mg escitalopram. Went through major life crisis that has threw me into crippling anxiety and depression. Stabilising here for the foreseeable future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus manymoretodays Posted December 23, 2022 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 23, 2022 (edited) @Taperstrugglesmerged your topic to pre-existing one Start at the first post and have a look, your questions may be answered. Edited December 23, 2022 by manymoretodays Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks. Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988. In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm. Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time). 5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014) 12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs. My last psycho med ever! Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to 2016 Dec 16, medication free!! Longer signature post here, with current supplements. Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016. And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed. Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022. Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜 None of my posts are intended as medical advice. Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider. My success story: Blue skies ahead, clear sailing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelsears Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 @Karma Hello Shep lead me to this post and I find it so interesting. I was just diagnosed with hashimoto. I cried for hours. Just the the thought of adding to my already hell of withdrawals seem too overwhelming. I’m not sure how to proceed my standard thyroid test come back normal but my TPO is at 258 IU/ML and my TG 4.4 IU/ML. My doctor (function) want me to try Low dose Naltrexone. I have terrible PTSD from the Zoloft reaction so the thought of taking anything new gives me so much anxiety and from what I’ve read about this medicine it can cause depression. I can’t handle any more metal anguish I’m on the edge now. I’m currently on a pretty restricted diet (no dairy, soy, gluten, caffeine, refined sugars, so im going to add cutting out nuts, eggs (mades me sad I raise chicken for eggs), corn, and grains. I’ve been vegetarian for 28 years slowly reintroducing meat but it’s causing a lot of boating and gas. So not sure that’s going well. I’m just looking for some guidance to make sure I’m not adding to the withdrawals. Do I treat do I not? Is this caused by withdrawal? Is this making withdrawal worse? Uggg just so much. would a good sensitivity test be helpful in determining which foods are causing inflammation? so sorry for all the question. I’m going to go back now and read through all your links you posted. I appreciate all your doing to help other. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! August 2018 50mg Zoloft for PPD November 2021 stopped taking Zoloft October 2022 back on 50mg Zoloft December 29th 2022 upped to 100mg Zoloft (horrible adverse reaction) January 8th 2023 Ct off Zoloft (by hospital) 1/9/23 100mg 3x daily gabapentin 2/9/2023 taper off gabapentin March 2023 -current .5mg Ativan daily May 2023 .5mg am and .5mg pm Ativan 4/25/23-reinstated 1.5mg liquid Zoloft 7/8 10mg liquid Zoloft 8/1 started Ativan taper 0.067mg daily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeLiveInHope Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 Glad I found this. Thank for from a newly diagnosed Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto). will you all well. 2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this). 2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet. 2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!). 2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember. My full drug history can be found in my opening post WeLiveInHope —————————————————— My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Karma Posted June 7, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted June 7, 2023 @Kelsears You have high anti-TPO antibodies. The anti-TPO attacks an enzyme normally found in your thyroid gland, called Thyroid Peroxidase which is important in thyroid production. Basically your body is attacking your thyroid as if it is foreign. Removing certain foods from your diet may help, but you may also need to treat your thyroid. There is a book called Hashimoto’s: Taming the Beast with good information about dealing with Hashimoto’s. It talks about diet and treatments that can be helpful. LDN can be helpful in stubborn cases, but selenium or even iodine can also be beneficial. I usually start with supplement options, but that is my bias. Since I’ve gotten my thyroid treatment in a good state (I use Liothyronine and Armour Thyroid) I don’t keep up with the information as much as I used to. If you go to Stop the Thyroid Madness and search for TPO a number of posts will come up. The information on that patient advocate has been quite helpful to me. My advise is always to do one thing at a time. If you’re severely restricting your diet, give that some time and recheck your TPOs. If the antibodies are coming down, that’s a good sign. After that you may want to reintroduce some of the foods, one-at-time to find out what you can include in your diet. (I eat a lot of eggs and periodically check my antibodies, I’ve kept my antibodies in check). Final recommendation is to keep a log of your most obvious symptoms on a daily basis. That way you can get to known your body and identify when things are degrading or improving. Love and light, Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeLiveInHope Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 9 hours ago, WeLiveInHope said: Glad I found this. Thank for from a newly diagnosed Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto). will you all well. That’s meant to wish you all well. 2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this). 2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet. 2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!). 2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember. My full drug history can be found in my opening post WeLiveInHope —————————————————— My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeLiveInHope Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 5 hours ago, Karma said: @Kelsears You have high anti-TPO antibodies. The anti-TPO attacks an enzyme normally found in your thyroid gland, called Thyroid Peroxidase which is important in thyroid production. Basically your body is attacking your thyroid as if it is foreign. Removing certain foods from your diet may help, but you may also need to treat your thyroid. There is a book called Hashimoto’s: Taming the Beast with good information about dealing with Hashimoto’s. It talks about diet and treatments that can be helpful. LDN can be helpful in stubborn cases, but selenium or even iodine can also be beneficial. I usually start with supplement options, but that is my bias. Since I’ve gotten my thyroid treatment in a good state (I use Liothyronine and Armour Thyroid) I don’t keep up with the information as much as I used to. If you go to Stop the Thyroid Madness and search for TPO a number of posts will come up. The information on that patient advocate has been quite helpful to me. My advise is always to do one thing at a time. If you’re severely restricting your diet, give that some time and recheck your TPOs. If the antibodies are coming down, that’s a good sign. After that you may want to reintroduce some of the foods, one-at-time to find out what you can include in your diet. (I eat a lot of eggs and periodically check my antibodies, I’ve kept my antibodies in check). Final recommendation is to keep a log of your most obvious symptoms on a daily basis. That way you can get to known your body and identify when things are degrading or improving. Love and light, Karma Some of these suggestions I have already initiated based on some guidance from a peer to peer site on thyroid dysfunction. Thank you for your input. 2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this). 2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet. 2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!). 2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember. My full drug history can be found in my opening post WeLiveInHope —————————————————— My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelsears Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 @Karma thank you so much for all the info. I’ll definitely order that book. my doctor order me a Dutch test and food sensitivity test to see what my hormones are doing and to see what foods are triggers. She did mention a few different supplements Inositol, selenium, glutathione, vitamin D, and omega 3s. Im not even sure what the symptoms are. I’m still in active withdrawal and reinstated ( which has reduced some of my symptoms, waiting to stabilize before tapering) a small dose of Zoloft not to long ago. thank you so very much! August 2018 50mg Zoloft for PPD November 2021 stopped taking Zoloft October 2022 back on 50mg Zoloft December 29th 2022 upped to 100mg Zoloft (horrible adverse reaction) January 8th 2023 Ct off Zoloft (by hospital) 1/9/23 100mg 3x daily gabapentin 2/9/2023 taper off gabapentin March 2023 -current .5mg Ativan daily May 2023 .5mg am and .5mg pm Ativan 4/25/23-reinstated 1.5mg liquid Zoloft 7/8 10mg liquid Zoloft 8/1 started Ativan taper 0.067mg daily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeLiveInHope Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crips/2023/7170564/ This is a interesting article recently published on fluoxetine inducing thyroid abnormalities. 2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this). 2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet. 2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!). 2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember. My full drug history can be found in my opening post WeLiveInHope —————————————————— My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femme47 Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 27 minutes ago, WeLiveInHope said: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crips/2023/7170564/ This is a interesting article recently published on fluoxetine inducing thyroid abnormalities. Interesting article there are also other SSRI (escitalopram, paroxitine that can induce the thyroid abnormalities ). I was prescribed the treatment for the hypothyroid while taking the SSRI but how would you know if this was caused by the drugs.. I have recently tried to stop the hypothyroid treatment but didn't feel, though the doctor doesn't think it's because of the thyroid problems, I am still going back to my previous dose that seemed was working.. Current Meds: Levothyrox 50mcg; Suppliments: Vit D,Vit B6, Magnesium 2014 21 Oct 2015 Nov Lexapro - 5mg including the taperring off but not slow enough 2015 Zoloft 25mg Nov 9 days ; 25 May 14 days of 25 mg2016 27 Oct - 29 Oct 18 Lexapro 5-6.5 mg slow taper down to 1mg or less 2018 Nov- 2020 Jul - Free of All psychotropes 2020 Jul - 2022 Jan Ixprim 37.5mg 1 to 3 times/ daily; Jul 20 - jul 21 Tramadol 50mg x 3 tappered off slowly 2021 Clinical Trial of Therapeutic Cannabis Apr - May 2020 Gabapentin 10 Aug 500 mg; Sep 600mg; Oct 700mg: Dec 800- 900mg. 2021 Gabapentin Jan 900mg; 28 Jun 800mg; 14 Aug 700mg; 28 Aug 600mg; 9 Sep 500mg; 23 Sep 400mg; 9 Oct 300mg; 29 Oct 270mg; 4 Nov 250mg; 14 Nov 200mg; 22 Nov 170mg; 8 Dec 200mg; 2022 Gabapentin 3 Jan 300mg; 24 Feb 200mg; 23 Mar 180; 4 Apr 168mg; 12 Apr 150mg; 23 Avr 135mg; 1 May 100mg; 9May 90mg; 6 Jun - 4 Sep 80mg down to 50mg; 5 Sep 100mg; 22 Oct 80mg taper down to 20mg 28 Dec 2021 - 2023 Amitriptyline 1 Jul 1mg titrated to 6 mg on 27 Sep; 20 Oct 7mg; From 28 April tappered slowly to 9 Jun 6mg; 28 Jul 5.5mg; 31 Aug 5mg; 6 Sep 4mg; 21 Sep 3mg; 3 Oct 2mg; 18 Oct 1.5mg; 1 Nov 1mg; 15 Nov 0.75mg; 29 Nov 05mg, 11 Dec - stopped it; 19 Dec 0.3mg reinstated; 3 Jan 0.25mg; 8 Jan "jumped off" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeLiveInHope Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 40 minutes ago, Femme47 said: Interesting article there are also other SSRI (escitalopram, paroxitine that can induce the thyroid abnormalities ). I was prescribed the treatment for the hypothyroid while taking the SSRI but how would you know if this was caused by the drugs.. I have recently tried to stop the hypothyroid treatment but didn't feel, though the doctor doesn't think it's because of the thyroid problems, I am still going back to my previous dose that seemed was working.. I don’t know. Sadly, until the medical community takes a much closer look at the connection between thyroid and SSRIs, none of us can ‘know’ with 100% assurance. And, since it is not in the economic interest of the pharmaceutical companies, they also won’t be funding such a study on a meaningful scale. Furthermore, if history has taught us anything, such a study would only be attempted with pharmaceutical backing when they are on the brink of announcing yet another miracle cure. Much like SSRI withdrawal was denied (and, largely still is), we are at the mercy of correlations, experimentation, and lived experience of our own and each others to gain any meaningful insights and progress. None of us can know, until we try. It would be useful to know before experimenting with drugs, alas, that’s not the logical world we live in when it comes to iatrogenic harm. 2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this). 2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet. 2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!). 2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember. My full drug history can be found in my opening post WeLiveInHope —————————————————— My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsmith442 Posted September 3, 2023 Share Posted September 3, 2023 Wow, I'm so glad I found this thread. I'm wondering if anyone can give me guidance on where to start on treating my hypothyroidism. I started having health issues in 2010, my biggest symptom being fatigue, was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and was put on Armour Thyroid. I was switched to synthetic at some point, I can't remember when or for how long but currently have been on Armour Thyroid 15mg for 2-3 years, maybe longer, I can't remember. I've been off fluoxetine for about 7.5 months. I was on 20mg for 4 years. Reiterating that I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism before I was put on psych meds so hoping that I'm off my thyroid will heal a bit too. A year ago I was having REALLY painful periods so I had my hormones tested using the Dutch test which showed low sex hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone), low dopamine, low adrenals hormones (Cortisol, DHEA). I still deal with fatigue, it's extreme at time, I think I have adrenal fatigue, I get run down SO easily. I've also been diagnosed with leaky gut and low stomach acid I think using the NutrEval test. It also might be worth noting that I avoid gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine (most of the time, I have started drinking black tea again). I've been reading the stopthethyroidmadness.com site and think this could be the missing piece to my health. I have a ton of the low cortisol symptoms listed on this website -- some of which are symptoms that have been mistaken for my "mental health" symptoms (depression, anxiety, unable to handle stress, low tolerance to loud noises, anger, panic, SI, obsessive compulsive tendencies, irritation, inability to focus, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, feeling extremely hungry -- this all paints a perfect picture of myself! I'm shocked). I'm completely overwhelmed with all the information on this site. Where do I start? Do I get the book? Do I wait until I've healed more from WD? I'm supposed to get my thyroid labs done in less than a month so I can continue getting prescribed Armour. Do I find a new doctor? 2010-Present: Armour Thyroid (synthetic sometimes, can't remember when or what but mostly on Armour) 2014-2017: Paroxetine (Paxil) 30mg; tapered per Doctor's instructions. 3/25/2019: Started Fluoxetine (Prozac) 20mg. 8/18/2020 - 10/15/2020: Switched to Bupropion (Wellbutrin) 300mg, had adverse effects. 10/16/2020: Reinstated Fluoxetine 20mg. 7/2020: CT off Fluoxetine per Doctor's instructions. 8/2020: Reinstated Fluoxetine 20mg. 8/2022 - 1/2023: Linear taper 10% reduction every 2 weeks. Currently 11 months off Fluoxetine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Karma Posted September 3, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted September 3, 2023 13 hours ago, tsmith442 said: I'm completely overwhelmed with all the information on this site. Where do I start? Do I get the book? Do I wait until I've healed more from WD? I'm supposed to get my thyroid labs done in less than a month so I can continue getting prescribed Armour. Do I find a new doctor? Get the book on thyroid from Stopthethyroidmadness. On the website they recommend good thyroid labs. If you can get those labs at your thyroid check, that could be very helpful. But be aware some doctors aren’t willing to order the recommended labs. Based on your description, it is likely you have adrenal fatigue. The problem is that with an adrenal imbalance you aren’t going to be able to increase thyroid treatment sufficiently to eliminate hypothyroid symptoms without causing other problems. That could actually be more of what you’re experiencing than withdrawal, but that is speculation. If your doctor is willing to learn and work with you, you may want to keep your current doctor. Finding doctors who really understand the thyroid/adrenal connection can be challenging. Before making any changes, make sure you are stable with your withdrawal symptoms. Keep a log so you tell if you’re at a baseline of symptoms and then gradually make adjustments. Karma 1 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsmith442 Posted September 3, 2023 Share Posted September 3, 2023 Thanks for your response, @Karma! I do think I am stable with my withdrawal symptoms, things have improved SO much, almost a 180 compared to where I was at 6 weeks ago. Since 6 weeks is a short time, I'm open to giving it more time but I also agree with your speculation in that I'm experiencing AF more than WD. My inner compass is telling me that I'm ready to at least figure out next steps. In your opinion, do you think as long as I believe my WD symptoms are stable, it's a good time to get things tested? Or do you think I should wait several more months? 3 hours ago, Karma said: Based on your description, it is likely you have adrenal fatigue. The problem is that with an adrenal imbalance you aren’t going to be able to increase thyroid treatment sufficiently to eliminate hypothyroid symptoms without causing other problems. Does this mean, in your opinion, I should treat the low adrenal function before treating the thyroid? From what I've read on the STTM site, it sounds like this is the case? If so, do you still think it's worth me getting the recommended thyroid labs from the STTM site or wait until I am able to improve my adrenals (cortisol, DHEA)? Thank you! 2010-Present: Armour Thyroid (synthetic sometimes, can't remember when or what but mostly on Armour) 2014-2017: Paroxetine (Paxil) 30mg; tapered per Doctor's instructions. 3/25/2019: Started Fluoxetine (Prozac) 20mg. 8/18/2020 - 10/15/2020: Switched to Bupropion (Wellbutrin) 300mg, had adverse effects. 10/16/2020: Reinstated Fluoxetine 20mg. 7/2020: CT off Fluoxetine per Doctor's instructions. 8/2020: Reinstated Fluoxetine 20mg. 8/2022 - 1/2023: Linear taper 10% reduction every 2 weeks. Currently 11 months off Fluoxetine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Karma Posted September 4, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted September 4, 2023 4 hours ago, tsmith442 said: Does this mean, in your opinion, I should treat the low adrenal function before treating the thyroid? From what I've read on the STTM site, it sounds like this is the case? If so, do you still think it's worth me getting the recommended thyroid labs from the STTM site or wait until I am able to improve my adrenals (cortisol, DHEA)? It has been my experience and observation that treating adrenals first results in better outcomes with thyroid. However, if you are currently taking Armour and need refills, it is likely you will need to have labs run anyway. The results of thyroid labs could be revealing, but that is your call. I recommend you do more research with STTM and do some testing to determine whether you have adrenal fatigue or not. If you validate you need adrenal treatment, then when you feel stable move forward very slowly. Only do one thing at a time and monitor your symptoms to discern whether you are improving or declining. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsmith442 Posted September 6, 2023 Share Posted September 6, 2023 Thanks Karma! I’ve been deep diving into STTM while I wait for the book, joined the RT3/Adrenal group, and reached out to my doctor to see if she will order me labs. May I ask you your thoughts around using hydrocortisone to increase cortisol? It’s the only thing the Adrenal group has recommended to me but I refuse to take it (assuming low adrenal function shows up on my next test) since it’s a pharmaceutical but am curious to hear your thoughts, experience. I think I read you had no problem getting off it. Do you attribute healing your adrenals to it? I also read on a different topic on this site about SSRIs decreasing cortisol, hormones and thyroid function. Have you heard anything similar? I am hoping my that getting off of Fluoxetine will help heal all of these as they all tested really low last year before I was off. thanks as always 2010-Present: Armour Thyroid (synthetic sometimes, can't remember when or what but mostly on Armour) 2014-2017: Paroxetine (Paxil) 30mg; tapered per Doctor's instructions. 3/25/2019: Started Fluoxetine (Prozac) 20mg. 8/18/2020 - 10/15/2020: Switched to Bupropion (Wellbutrin) 300mg, had adverse effects. 10/16/2020: Reinstated Fluoxetine 20mg. 7/2020: CT off Fluoxetine per Doctor's instructions. 8/2020: Reinstated Fluoxetine 20mg. 8/2022 - 1/2023: Linear taper 10% reduction every 2 weeks. Currently 11 months off Fluoxetine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Karma Posted September 7, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted September 7, 2023 22 hours ago, tsmith442 said: May I ask you your thoughts around using hydrocortisone to increase cortisol? It’s the only thing the Adrenal group has recommended to me but I refuse to take it (assuming low adrenal function shows up on my next test) since it’s a pharmaceutical but am curious to hear your thoughts, experience. I think I read you had no problem getting off it. Do you attribute healing your adrenals to it? I am glad to hear you joined the RT 3/adrenal group. They really understand adrenals and thyroid. Just don’t let them rush you off antidepressants. If testing indicates you have low cortisol, then low dose cortisone dosed according to a normal circadian rhythm may be necessary to provide your body with the hormone necessary for normal bodily functions. For example, thyroid hormone cannot be utilized effectively in the body without sufficient cortisol hormones. We are talking physiology doses. I was on hydrocortisone for over 10 years. I slowly tapered off over a period of time. I wouldn’t say I had no problem tapering off, but with enough patience, I was able to do it. I still use adaptogens today and occasionally have to stress dose. But there was no other way for me to regain vitality because my thyroid treatment was not successful until I treated my adrenals. 22 hours ago, tsmith442 said: I also read on a different topic on this site about SSRIs decreasing cortisol, hormones and thyroid function. Have you heard anything similar? I am hoping my that getting off of Fluoxetine will help heal all of these as they all tested really low last year before I was off I’ve heard various things about SSRIs, cortisol and thyroid. In my own experience I have to take a bit more T3 than would ordinarily be recommended because I am still on alprazolam. My personal theory is that they do interfere with thyroid, adrenal and other hormones, but I don’t have any data at hand except my life experience. I believe that people who are depressed, probably needed to have appropriate thyroid treatment rather than being placed on SSRIs. But like much in mainstream medicine the establishment uses lousy TSH labs to diagnose and treat and that leaves people hypothyroid. They then prescribe SSRIs, benzos, statins and blood pressure medicine, when if they had just appropriately treated thyroid function all else would resolve. (Now, I will step off of this soapbox and answer your last question). I can’t say whether getting off fluoxetine would allow your adrenals to heal. I haven’t seen any evidence that it will or won’t. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor littlebird Posted March 11 Mentor Share Posted March 11 After years - YEARS - of telling GPs and psychiatrists I was concerned about my thyroid, got a blood test done and I've got hypothyroidism. I was reading long term use of Seroquel can cause this, wouldn't be a bit surprised if that is the case. Wondering if recently tapering that drug is what finally made symptoms get bad enough I could get tested/believed? Hoping I can find ways to heal from this that don't involve adding in more medications. I'd never wanted to take hormones as part of my transition (just not part of the journey I'm on personally, I know this has been life-saving and very positive for peers), but from what I'm reading HRT is how this is often treated? Ha! Might end up on HRT after all. I dunno, we'll see! My local health center is very backed up, might be awhile before I can get more information. Experiencing a lot of feelings about being prescribed this off-label to help me sleep when really the reason I couldn't sleep was cPTSD. Then again, it's been over 2 decades and PTSD research has come a long way. That wasn't even mentioned as a diagnosis until less than 10 years ago. Pronouns: they/them/theirs Started on Prozac in early 2000s to treat cPTSD, been on various cocktails ever since. 2002-2004, 2017-2022: Buspar, tapered down to 0 2016-present: 100mg Seroquel for sleep -> May 2023: 90mg -> June 2023: 81mg -> September 2023: 72mg -> switched to brand name, much too strong, down to 60mg -> October 2023: 54mg -> November 2023: 50mg -> January 2024: 45mg -> April 2024: 40.5mg 2016-Present: 100mg Wellbutrin SR -> January 2023: 75mg IR (37.5mg 2x a day) -> February 2023 (33.75mg 2x a day) -> July 2023 (30.37mg 2x a day) -> August 2023: 27.33mg 2x a day 2018-present: 25mg Pristiq 2015-present: 600mg Gabapentin (200mg 3x a day) -> December 2022: 300mg Gabapentin (100mg 3x a day) per GP's recommendation after side effects -> March 2023: 90mg 3x a day (switched to liquid suspension) -> April 2023: 81mg 3x a day -> September 2023: bad generic, switched back to homemade liquid; too strong after bad generic, down to 70mg 3x a day, still bad. Adjusted slowly till at 60mg 3x a day, much better. Long hold till -> December 2023: 54mg, still feels too high after November Seroquel switch from brand name to generic, doc recommended 50mg which feels better -> January 2024: When Wellbutrin went down, Gabapentin started putting me to sleep, went down to 45mg, then 41mg to stay awake, so far so good -> February 2024: 36mg, still too high, 34mg -> March 2024: 31mg, STILL too high, 30mg Supplements: Multivitamin w/magnesium, probiotics, digestive enzymes, anti-viral nitric oxide nose spray as needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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