Moderator Frogie Posted April 27, 2017 Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2017 Hi Brassmonkey: Congrats on reaching 0! How awesome. I'm having a lot of nausea when I hit the 7's. Apace41 and I are working on that. I just had a quick question for you. When you did your taper, did you have many symptoms? Like I said I'm working with Apace41 (he's really doing everything he can for me). I'm waiting a month after I'm stable and then have decided to try your taper. I think I might be able to sneak past the 7's that way. I don't think my body can take a full 10%'taper all at once and that why I'm nauseous. Really appreciate you answering my question. Need to see pictures when you get back from China! Take care, Frogie xx PREVIOUS medications and discontinuations: Have been on medications since 1996. Valium, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Prilosec and Zantac from 2000 to 2015 with a fast taper by a psychiatrist. Liquid Lexapro Nov, 2016 to 31-March, 2019 Lexapro free!!! (total Lexapro taper was 4 years-started with pill form) ---CURRENT MEDICATIONS:Supplements:Milk Thistle, Metamucil, Magnesium Citrate, Vitamin D3, Levothyroxine 25mcg, Vitamin C, Krill oil. Xanax 1mg 3x day June, 2000 to 19-September, 2020 Went from .150 grams (average weight of 1 Xanax) 3x day to .003 grams 3x day. April 1, 2021 went back on 1mg a day. Started tapering May 19, 2023. July 28, 2023-approximately .87mg. Dr. fast tapered me at the end and realized he messed up. Prescribe it again and I am doing "slower than a turtle" taper. 19-September, 2020 Xanax free!!! (total Xanax taper was 15-1/2 months-1-June, 2019-19-September, 2020) I am not a medical professional. The suggestions I make are based on personal experience. Link to comment
Chuck83 Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Congratulations brass for your SSRIs free life. 2001, Amisulpride (deniban) - 3 months, I taper in some weeks 2001, Seroquel, 4 weeks - quit cold turkey, 2001. Efexxor, one pill adverse reaction 2002. Amitryptaline (mutabon mite) - 4 months, I taper really faster in some weeks around more 10 years drug free 4 December 2013, 7 drops of citalopram , adverse reaction December 2013, Italian supplement called serenplus with tryptophan, 9 pills adverse reaction, quit cold turkey. After December 2013, Im drug free. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted April 27, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2017 Hey Frogie-- yes, I had ever symptom in the book, any symptom people mention here I've had it. The trick was to keep them at a manageable, livable level. That's where the slide method came in to play. By dropping a small amount the symptoms usually stayed at a manageable level. In the beginning my WDnormal level was very low, meaning the symptoms were bad pretty much 24/7 so each drop didn't register a whole lot. After a couple of years of tapering my WDnormal level had risen to a point I started to notice fluctuations after I would do a drop. It took another year before I could really see a pattern following each drop. From there on it was pretty steady improvement each taper. It was all dependent on the rise of the WDnormal level. As my brain sorted things out it could see the changes more clearly and I could understand the cause and effect of each change. Through it all I was able to maintain a slow steady improvement because of the smaller drops. The smaller drops caused milder reactions so I wasn't faced with having to struggle through being hit hard after each one. The one thing that people here have a hard time understanding is how long it takes to do this. As I mentioned in the first paragraph it took three years before I could really tell things were on the mend. The day to day, month to month fluctuations are just the "normal" course of events and don't count for much. They have to be suffered through, worked with, lived with and ignored, but over the course of a lot of time they will slowly improve. Myself and many others here are proof that the methods do work. We have to develop the patience of saints. I've mentioned before that WD is going to be the hardest most painful thing someone will ever do in their life. It's an easy statement to make, but hard as h*** to live through, but every member here has what it takes, deep inside, to make it through. All they have to do is "do it". 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
Moderator brassmonkey Posted April 28, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2017 To me twice in two days is starting to form a trend, and in this case a very disturbing one. We have had a second member state that they are about to purchase a supplement whose primary ingredient is rat poison. I am well aware that homeopathic remedies contain minuscule amounts of the active ingredient. Which may be fine for "healthy" people, but we are not "healthy" people. Our nervous systems and in fact every system in our bodies have been compromised by the drugs we have been taking. We have to be EXTREMELY careful with what we put in them. A minor reaction for "healthy" people is magnified 1000X for us and can be catastrophic. In both cases the medications being considered or taken have had red flag warnings on the internet stating that they are dangerous, have extensive lists of harsh side effects, little or no clinical testing and only anecdotal evidence that they are effective for things that are unrelated to ADWD. All of the claims of positive effects are being made by the people who are selling the products, another red flag situation, while the adverse reactions are buried in the more comprehensive and less bias web sites. This is where personal research comes in. Before taking anything, dig into it way beyond the reviews on Amazon or Supplements-R-Us. There are a number of reputable medical information sites that will help you to get the full story. It is the responsibility of each and every member here to know what it is that they are about take and to be as well informed as possible as to what is in it and what it will do before they swallow. If there is any doubt what so ever, don't take it. We are all going through a very tough, painful period of our lives and every one of us longs for the quick fix. We can not allow that desire to cloud our judgement. We have learned from hard experience that we can not trust the ones we have been taught to trust. That goes beyond just the traditional doctors to include all forms of alternative medicine. It's a very sad and sorry state of affairs, but we are reminded of it on a daily basis here. We have to keep our heads as clear as possible and not get caught up in the panic we feel and start doing irrational things if we are to make it through. 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
ShakeyJerr Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 To me twice in two days is starting to form a trend, and in this case a very disturbing one. We have had a second member state that they are about to purchase a supplement whose primary ingredient is rat poison. I am well aware that homeopathic remedies contain minuscule amounts of the active ingredient. Which may be fine for "healthy" people, but we are not "healthy" people. Our nervous systems and in fact every system in our bodies have been compromised by the drugs we have been taking. We have to be EXTREMELY careful with what we put in them. A minor reaction for "healthy" people is magnified 1000X for us and can be catastrophic. In both cases the medications being considered or taken have had red flag warnings on the internet stating that they are dangerous, have extensive lists of harsh side effects, little or no clinical testing and only anecdotal evidence that they are effective for things that are unrelated to ADWD. All of the claims of positive effects are being made by the people who are selling the products, another red flag situation, while the adverse reactions are buried in the more comprehensive and less bias web sites. This is where personal research comes in. Before taking anything, dig into it way beyond the reviews on Amazon or Supplements-R-Us. There are a number of reputable medical information sites that will help you to get the full story. It is the responsibility of each and every member here to know what it is that they are about take and to be as well informed as possible as to what is in it and what it will do before they swallow. If there is any doubt what so ever, don't take it. We are all going through a very tough, painful period of our lives and every one of us longs for the quick fix. We can not allow that desire to cloud our judgement. We have learned from hard experience that we can not trust the ones we have been taught to trust. That goes beyond just the traditional doctors to include all forms of alternative medicine. It's a very sad and sorry state of affairs, but we are reminded of it on a daily basis here. We have to keep our heads as clear as possible and not get caught up in the panic we feel and start doing irrational things if we are to make it through. Thank you for the caring reminder that desperation and good reviews on Amazon are not the best things upon which to make a decision! SJ Main thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14472-shakeyjerr-say-hello/ History: Prozac & Lithium from 1999 to 2003. Ended up back on after 4 months because taking a beta-blocker caused immediate depression (just 2 doses - turned out I didn't even need it; I had no other withdrawal symptoms - I might have ended up med and withdrawal-free otherwise ). - Switched to Effexor (75mg 3/day) and Seroquel (50mg 3/day) in 2010. - Did a self-taper during 2016. - Developed Discontinuation Syndrome 02/17. Supplements: Magnesium-Glycinate 400mg split into 4 100mg doses throughout the day. Vitamin C 500mg - once per day. Fish Oil 1360 mg (950 mg Active Omega-3) - twice per day. I'm not a doctor. I use the internet, experience, and trial & error. Seek medical advice if necessary. Link to comment
aberdeen Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Brass!! I was away for a while and just saw this now!! Its finally here. the big leap to "0"!!!!! Very proud of you fellow traveler! I think we started our journey around the same time, back on paxilprogress. Its a long journey but so worth it in the end.Its so important and worthwhile that the length of time just seems to shrink as soon as you finish. I agree that stopping anytime sooner than we did might have caused trouble to our system. I think it's wise being so cautious at the end at to carry on below 1mg as much as possible. I bet whatever you experience now will be the end of it. Its like the final bits shift into place now that there is literally NO drug in the system. Congratulations!!! So happy for you!! As a lyric from one of my favorite Canadian bands, the Tragically Hip says "Its been a long time running, its been a long time coming. Its well worth the wait" 2 Timothy 1-7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Effexor 75mg to 262.5mg 2005-2010 for post partum depression Started having poop out mid 2010, also switched generic brands, then crashed in Dec 2010 (anxiety/ "terror", intense DR, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, chills, insomnia, horrible intrusive thoughts, disorientation, ect)Rapid "tapered" from 262.5mg Effexor in 3 months Tried Celexa,Cipralex, then Paxil to deal with wd(this switching made things worse and added akathesia) Found online support and started tapering Paxil 7 months after quitting Effexor (at this point was having small windows). Paxil taper: dropped 10% every 4-8 weeks Year 1 October 2011 to Nov 2012 20mg to 10mg Year 2 March 2013 to Feb 2014 10mg to 4mg Year 3 April 2014 to May 2015 4mg to 1.1mg Year 4 June 2015 1.1mg , dropping by 10% until .5mg, after then dropped by 0.1mg every 5 weeks until 0.1mg. Finished! Official last dose of 0.1mg on June 15/16 Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 2, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2017 Thank you Aberdeen-- i was wondering where you were, until I found out that you were out living life on a tropical island. Looks like you had a wonderful trip. Yea, we go back to the very beginning, meeting back at Prior Place. We've shared a lot together, but are both proof that slow and steady is the only way to go. I have to agree that pushing well below 1mg really makes a difference. Now that the drug is out of my system I can still feel the changes happening. They're very subtle and easily missed, but things are still different each day and throughout the day. Just over an week and we are off on another adventure. Two week plus in China. Got a reminder on Facebook the other day that's its only been one year since I retired. Boy, we've put a lot of miles on in that year, and not planning to really slow down any time soon. 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
Moderator Frogie Posted May 2, 2017 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2017 Thanks Brassmonkey: As you can see, I'm now learning to take it nice and sloooow... I would rather go slow and not have too many symptoms, than have someone (the dr) tell me, "just skip the 7's and go down to 5, and take the anti nausea meds I gave you." He told me that a couple weeks ago at my physical. Can you imagine the mess I would be in if I did that? I really appreciate you taking the time to answer me. Yes it is h*** and the hardest thing I've done, but I'm going to get through it with help,from everyone on this site. Thanks again... Take care, Frogie xx PREVIOUS medications and discontinuations: Have been on medications since 1996. Valium, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Prilosec and Zantac from 2000 to 2015 with a fast taper by a psychiatrist. Liquid Lexapro Nov, 2016 to 31-March, 2019 Lexapro free!!! (total Lexapro taper was 4 years-started with pill form) ---CURRENT MEDICATIONS:Supplements:Milk Thistle, Metamucil, Magnesium Citrate, Vitamin D3, Levothyroxine 25mcg, Vitamin C, Krill oil. Xanax 1mg 3x day June, 2000 to 19-September, 2020 Went from .150 grams (average weight of 1 Xanax) 3x day to .003 grams 3x day. April 1, 2021 went back on 1mg a day. Started tapering May 19, 2023. July 28, 2023-approximately .87mg. Dr. fast tapered me at the end and realized he messed up. Prescribe it again and I am doing "slower than a turtle" taper. 19-September, 2020 Xanax free!!! (total Xanax taper was 15-1/2 months-1-June, 2019-19-September, 2020) I am not a medical professional. The suggestions I make are based on personal experience. Link to comment
Survivor1 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Hello Brassmonkey, Congrats on making it to 0! I wish you well on your recovery. I am considering your slide method when I resume tapering and have a question regarding it: if after making the first mini-reduction, you feel withdrawal symptoms, do you push through to the second, third, fourth drops, or do you stabilize after the first drop (or whichever drop) when withdrawal symptoms first show up? Thanks for your help. Cheers! PAST Gabapentin: about 6 months in 2015, 300-900 mg, cold turkeyed Sept 2015 (at same time dc'd Klonopin) Klonopin: June 2014- Sept 2015; 1mg tapered over 6 mths, dc'd at 0.25mg, withdrawal hellish (perhaps because of concurrent dc of gabapentin) Mirtazepine: Jumped off at 2.4 mg. (stable in 8 months). Seroquel: June 14 - July 24, 2016, 25 mg alternate nights; smaller doses for shorter periods. Total use about 3 months Lamictal: March 19, 2018 - 1 mg; March 23 - 1.25 mg; April 6 - 2mg. Discontinued at 2 mgJuly 1, 2018 due to Steven Johnson Syndrome. CURRENT Supplements: Vit D, turmeric Naturethroid: 65 mcg for hypothyroidism Trazodone: Oct 2015 - June 2016; 75 mg tapered over 2 mths, intense w/d after 3 weeks. Reinstatement: 07/25/16 - 25 mg; updosed 08/03/16 - 50 mg; 10/01/16- 62mg; 03/24/17 dropped to 50 mg (stable in 2.5 months) Current psych meds: Trazodone 50 mg Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 11, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 11, 2017 Hi Survivor-- It's typical, with the slide method, to have some symptoms with each of the four drops. Experience shows that they will hit a day or so after the drop, but should resolve themselves after five or six days. This will leave you back at your WDnormal baseline so you can do it all again a week after the drop. There could be a small carry over from one drop to the next which should sort itself out with the extra two week hold. That's what it's there for. Some people do experience symptoms that take longer to resolve, frequently they will wait until they have returned to their WDnormal baseline before doing the next drop. In the beginning I found that the symptoms were so mashed together and my WDnormal was so low that it really didn't make much difference so I continued on the weekly schedule in spite of how I felt. There can be an adjustment period at the beginning of a taper while your body figures out just what is happening to it. Once it's used to the idea of tapering things get a lot smoother. 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
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 11, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 11, 2017 Well, we're 98% packed. Monica's in the bedroom playing with the last few details. We have all day tomorrow to sort out the last little bits then catch a shuttle to the airport the middle of the evening. A thirteen hour flight and we're in China for two weeks. First stop, Shanghai Disneyland for a day then on to the scheduled tour. I did a lot of work on the one in Japan and a bit on the one in France but nothing for this one, so I really can't wait to see it. I'm very excited about the tour too. Yangtze river cruse for four days with fantastic scenery, the terracotta army and much more. All internet is very restricted in China, there are a couple of hacks we are going to try, but I'm not counting on being on line for a couple of weeks. More when we get back. 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
MollyN Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Whoop woop!! Happy days!! Drug history 20mg paxil in 2001 - 4 months use 20mg paxil in 2003 - 2 months use 20mg paxil in 2008 - 8 years continuous Withdrawal history: March 2014 - disastrous alternate day taper Jan 2015 - 15mg to 10mg. Disaster Sept 2015 - 10mg to 5mg. Disaster. Reinstated to 6mg. Relief Oct 2015 - started slow 10% taper Oct 2016 - at 4mg- stop taking paxil (not recommended) I'm not a medical professional. Seek advice from a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 11, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 11, 2017 Looks like I've picked up a case of "Morning neuroanxiety". I've been noticing it for the past week or so. Wake up fine but after an hour I've got all the symptoms, tight chest, tense muscles, tunnel vision, shortness of breath. Not to a debilitating level, but very noticeable. By mid afternoon it seems to break and everything is fine. This morning is just the same, no abnormal outside stress, but still I'm very uptight. I know that the couple of days before traveling are usually stressful for me, and that could be it, but it feel more like a neuro/chemical thing. Oh well, it's a beautiful day and I have more important things to concentrate on anyway. 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
Survivor1 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Thanks BM for explaining the slide. Have fun on your trip! PAST Gabapentin: about 6 months in 2015, 300-900 mg, cold turkeyed Sept 2015 (at same time dc'd Klonopin) Klonopin: June 2014- Sept 2015; 1mg tapered over 6 mths, dc'd at 0.25mg, withdrawal hellish (perhaps because of concurrent dc of gabapentin) Mirtazepine: Jumped off at 2.4 mg. (stable in 8 months). Seroquel: June 14 - July 24, 2016, 25 mg alternate nights; smaller doses for shorter periods. Total use about 3 months Lamictal: March 19, 2018 - 1 mg; March 23 - 1.25 mg; April 6 - 2mg. Discontinued at 2 mgJuly 1, 2018 due to Steven Johnson Syndrome. CURRENT Supplements: Vit D, turmeric Naturethroid: 65 mcg for hypothyroidism Trazodone: Oct 2015 - June 2016; 75 mg tapered over 2 mths, intense w/d after 3 weeks. Reinstatement: 07/25/16 - 25 mg; updosed 08/03/16 - 50 mg; 10/01/16- 62mg; 03/24/17 dropped to 50 mg (stable in 2.5 months) Current psych meds: Trazodone 50 mg Link to comment
Cheeky Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Brass monkey your success in tapering had given me confidence. Can I ask you what you mean by WDnormal, I'm a little confused and did you feel better as you went down in dose? 1995 started Paxil 20mg slowly increasing to 50mg 2014 I decided to tapper myself not knowing how too and crashed , DR added 50mg of Seroquel Through the years made many mistakes tapering Started Tapering Both drugs at the same time 7.5% per month Paxil 9% Seroquel doing daily micro-taper Guided by Mark Horowitz 31/3/24 Paxil 10.31mg 31/3/24 Seroquel 9.9mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SkyBlue Posted May 12, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 12, 2017 Looks like I've picked up a case of "Morning neuroanxiety". I've been noticing it for the past week or so. Wake up fine but after an hour I've got all the symptoms, tight chest, tense muscles, tunnel vision, shortness of breath. Not to a debilitating level, but very noticeable. By mid afternoon it seems to break and everything is fine. This morning is just the same, no abnormal outside stress, but still I'm very uptight. I know that the couple of days before traveling are usually stressful for me, and that could be it, but it feel more like a neuro/chemical thing. Oh well, it's a beautiful day and I have more important things to concentrate on anyway. Hello Brass, Love your attitude about the neuroanxiety--it's there, but you're not letting it stop you. Have you had any luck with magnesium? I've started dividing my daily dose into morning and night. I can still often wake up w/the WD panic spike, but I figure that getting magnesium first thing is a good idea. Enjoy your trip! ! ! ! 2020: After 18+ years (entire adult life) on Paxil, a dangerous doctor-led "taper" in 2015, and four years tapering off the last 1 mg thanks to SA and the Brassmonkey slide, I AM COMPLETELY FREE OF PAXIL! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Forever. 2021: Began conservative, proper, CNS-respecting taper of Zoloft, led by the only expert on me -- me. Making own liquid. 5-10% plus holds. 2022: Holding on Zoloft for now. Current dose 47 mg. Hanging in, hanging on. Severe protracted PAWS, windows and waves. While I may not be doing "a lot" by outside standards, things are graaaaadually getting better. Yoga (gentle to medium); walks; daily breath practice; nutrition, fruits/veg; nature; water; EastEnders (lol); practicing self-compassion, self-care; boundaries; connection; allowing feelings; t r u s t ing that I, too, will heal. (--> may need to be reminded of this.) "You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story." - Baylissa Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SkyBlue Posted May 12, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 12, 2017 Cheeky, I think Brass might be traveling now, but I know he's written about "WD normal" around the site--it's been very useful to me personally! I think I'm summarizing it correctly to say that "WD normal" is a constantly changing baseline that improves the lower we go down. This has been very true for me. Maybe try "WD normal" in the search bar or google "survivingantidepressants.org: WDnormal." 2020: After 18+ years (entire adult life) on Paxil, a dangerous doctor-led "taper" in 2015, and four years tapering off the last 1 mg thanks to SA and the Brassmonkey slide, I AM COMPLETELY FREE OF PAXIL! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Forever. 2021: Began conservative, proper, CNS-respecting taper of Zoloft, led by the only expert on me -- me. Making own liquid. 5-10% plus holds. 2022: Holding on Zoloft for now. Current dose 47 mg. Hanging in, hanging on. Severe protracted PAWS, windows and waves. While I may not be doing "a lot" by outside standards, things are graaaaadually getting better. Yoga (gentle to medium); walks; daily breath practice; nutrition, fruits/veg; nature; water; EastEnders (lol); practicing self-compassion, self-care; boundaries; connection; allowing feelings; t r u s t ing that I, too, will heal. (--> may need to be reminded of this.) "You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story." - Baylissa Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted May 12, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 12, 2017 Here's a link. Withdrawal Normal Description Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
aberdeen Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Hey Brass, have fun on your trip! I think travelling taxes our systems, so i'm guessing that morning anxiety is a combo of 1) travel stress and 2) being all done the taper and feeling it a little, and the combo is like a double whammy. Its a crap symptom, even when its mild, its irritating for sure! You're getting there! 2 Timothy 1-7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Effexor 75mg to 262.5mg 2005-2010 for post partum depression Started having poop out mid 2010, also switched generic brands, then crashed in Dec 2010 (anxiety/ "terror", intense DR, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, chills, insomnia, horrible intrusive thoughts, disorientation, ect)Rapid "tapered" from 262.5mg Effexor in 3 months Tried Celexa,Cipralex, then Paxil to deal with wd(this switching made things worse and added akathesia) Found online support and started tapering Paxil 7 months after quitting Effexor (at this point was having small windows). Paxil taper: dropped 10% every 4-8 weeks Year 1 October 2011 to Nov 2012 20mg to 10mg Year 2 March 2013 to Feb 2014 10mg to 4mg Year 3 April 2014 to May 2015 4mg to 1.1mg Year 4 June 2015 1.1mg , dropping by 10% until .5mg, after then dropped by 0.1mg every 5 weeks until 0.1mg. Finished! Official last dose of 0.1mg on June 15/16 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SkyBlue Posted May 12, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 12, 2017 Ah, perfect--thanks, Gridley! 2020: After 18+ years (entire adult life) on Paxil, a dangerous doctor-led "taper" in 2015, and four years tapering off the last 1 mg thanks to SA and the Brassmonkey slide, I AM COMPLETELY FREE OF PAXIL! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Forever. 2021: Began conservative, proper, CNS-respecting taper of Zoloft, led by the only expert on me -- me. Making own liquid. 5-10% plus holds. 2022: Holding on Zoloft for now. Current dose 47 mg. Hanging in, hanging on. Severe protracted PAWS, windows and waves. While I may not be doing "a lot" by outside standards, things are graaaaadually getting better. Yoga (gentle to medium); walks; daily breath practice; nutrition, fruits/veg; nature; water; EastEnders (lol); practicing self-compassion, self-care; boundaries; connection; allowing feelings; t r u s t ing that I, too, will heal. (--> may need to be reminded of this.) "You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story." - Baylissa Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted May 14, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 14, 2017 Hey Brass - I was a bit slow on the uptake here, but congrats, great big huge congrats on hitting 0 You get all the smiles today! What an inspiration you are. 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 15, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 15, 2017 Greetings from Shanghai. Thanks Sky blue and Gridley for covering for me. Internet is pretty tricky here so I probably won't be able to post much. SA is a "forbidden" site so it takes some doing to get on to it. Have to run for breakfast and to catch the bus 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
Moderator Emeritus SkyBlue Posted May 15, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 15, 2017 Wowwwww!!!! Awesome, Brass! Can't wait to hear more about it!!!!!!! Hugs!!!!! P.S. You're very welcome -- my pleasure. 2020: After 18+ years (entire adult life) on Paxil, a dangerous doctor-led "taper" in 2015, and four years tapering off the last 1 mg thanks to SA and the Brassmonkey slide, I AM COMPLETELY FREE OF PAXIL! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Forever. 2021: Began conservative, proper, CNS-respecting taper of Zoloft, led by the only expert on me -- me. Making own liquid. 5-10% plus holds. 2022: Holding on Zoloft for now. Current dose 47 mg. Hanging in, hanging on. Severe protracted PAWS, windows and waves. While I may not be doing "a lot" by outside standards, things are graaaaadually getting better. Yoga (gentle to medium); walks; daily breath practice; nutrition, fruits/veg; nature; water; EastEnders (lol); practicing self-compassion, self-care; boundaries; connection; allowing feelings; t r u s t ing that I, too, will heal. (--> may need to be reminded of this.) "You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story." - Baylissa Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted May 15, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 15, 2017 Forbidden! Yikes. Why? 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
mustangwoman Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Have a great time! zoloft 2004-08 tapered too fast(2 weeks) Luvox 5/08 100 mg 07/10 40mg via small reductions, 08/10 39mg, 09/10 38mg, 10/10 37mg, 11/10 36mg,2/11 35mg, 5/11 34mg, 8/11 33mg, 11/11 32mg, 01/12 31mg, 03/12 30mg, 4/12 29mg, 5/12 28 mg, 8/12 27 mg, 11/12 26 mg, 1/13 25 mg, 3/13 24 mg, 4/13 23 mg,6/13 22 mg, 7/13 21 mg, 8/13 20mg, 10/13 19 mg, 11/13 18 mg, 12/13 17 mg, 1/14 16 mg, 3/14 13 mg, 9/14 10.9 mg, 1/15 10 mg, 3/15 9 mg, 5/15 8 mg. 11/15 7.12 mg. 4/16 5 mg, 6/16 4.5 mg, 9/16 4.2 mg, 1/17 3.48 mg, 2/17 3.2 mg, 4/17 2.2 mg, 5/17 2.0 mg, 6/17 1.74 mg, 7/17 1.58 mg, 9/17 1.27 mg, 11/17 1.0 mg, 1/18 0.79 mg Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 21, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 21, 2017 Greetings from Xian (she n). We have reliable WiFi for a few days. SA is still a forbidden site though. The Chinese government doesn't want too much outside information coming in. So they block certain sites news, Facebook and the like. It really is a very modern country very clean and friendly. But there are a lot of stairs and you have one walk most places. We did take the subway to Disney land. Both were very exciting. Just got off the Yangtze river cruise this morning and flew here to Xian. Have to cleanup for dinner and a show. More later. 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
Moderator Emeritus Shep Posted May 22, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 22, 2017 Safe travels, Tom. Look forward to reading more about your adventures. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted May 22, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 22, 2017 Sounds great. Enjoy your fantastic adventure. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
MollyN Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Ni hao Tom! Great to hear interesting reportage Drug history 20mg paxil in 2001 - 4 months use 20mg paxil in 2003 - 2 months use 20mg paxil in 2008 - 8 years continuous Withdrawal history: March 2014 - disastrous alternate day taper Jan 2015 - 15mg to 10mg. Disaster Sept 2015 - 10mg to 5mg. Disaster. Reinstated to 6mg. Relief Oct 2015 - started slow 10% taper Oct 2016 - at 4mg- stop taking paxil (not recommended) I'm not a medical professional. Seek advice from a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 23, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 23, 2017 Chi chi Molly. Flew to Beijing this morni g, way too early. It's a totally different city from the others. Much more traditional. Still all the modern stuff has been added in the last 30 years. But it's a different feel. Saw the terricota army yesterday. That's impressive. 10000 bigger than lift clay soldiers all buried in a pit bigger than several football fields. Have to find dinner on our own tonight so have to get going. 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
mustangwoman Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 Have fun! Hope you are having a great time, and that the neuroanxiety is a memory. zoloft 2004-08 tapered too fast(2 weeks) Luvox 5/08 100 mg 07/10 40mg via small reductions, 08/10 39mg, 09/10 38mg, 10/10 37mg, 11/10 36mg,2/11 35mg, 5/11 34mg, 8/11 33mg, 11/11 32mg, 01/12 31mg, 03/12 30mg, 4/12 29mg, 5/12 28 mg, 8/12 27 mg, 11/12 26 mg, 1/13 25 mg, 3/13 24 mg, 4/13 23 mg,6/13 22 mg, 7/13 21 mg, 8/13 20mg, 10/13 19 mg, 11/13 18 mg, 12/13 17 mg, 1/14 16 mg, 3/14 13 mg, 9/14 10.9 mg, 1/15 10 mg, 3/15 9 mg, 5/15 8 mg. 11/15 7.12 mg. 4/16 5 mg, 6/16 4.5 mg, 9/16 4.2 mg, 1/17 3.48 mg, 2/17 3.2 mg, 4/17 2.2 mg, 5/17 2.0 mg, 6/17 1.74 mg, 7/17 1.58 mg, 9/17 1.27 mg, 11/17 1.0 mg, 1/18 0.79 mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted May 23, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 23, 2017 I've only been to Beijing for 4 days last November and was surprised when you wrote China is clean. Also I literally couldn't breath one night which forever reminds me not to ever take air for granted. My nostrils and mouth got red and swollen in 4 days and I was literally relieved to be able to go home... I guess no town in the northern hemisphere is at its best in November. Everybody from one group had at least one experience of being badly ripped off by taxi drivers which made our Chinese hosts really sad. Apart from service people others were very friendly and took great interest in light haired and light complexion people asking us for a photo. I imagine all the beautiful parks must be great in May. Enjoy! Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 27, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 27, 2017 I will have to agree about the air quality Bubble. That was pretty bad, but the rest of the city was clean, no trash on the ground, no piles of filth, that sort of thing. When you compare it to cities like Cairo or Nairobi where there were huge piles of garbage everywhere, or even cities here in the states with trash all over the place, they were quite clean. I did pick up a sinus infection of some sort and am producing a lot of pretty disgusting gunk. We found most of the people very friendly and somewhat helpful and had no trouble navigating the subway system. We avoided the taxis because of the communications problems. Dealing with the street vendors could get tricky and we had a couple of bad experiences with porters trying to change the amount we had agreed to pay. But other than that no real problems. The parks were amazing and the entire city was covered in flowers. The countries high population was very evident everywhere. In short the place is crowded everywhere you go. You stand in line, get pushed and shoved and it's hard to walk at times. The feeling of the crowd is different than here in the states though. It's much more accepting and laid back, while here in America it is a lot more angry. We did have to be on alert for pickpockets in a couple of places, but that's common practice when traveling in crowded areas. There's also the striking difference on the skylines between say Shanghai and Los Angeles. LA has a small compact down town area where as Shanghai has miles and miles of high rise apartment buildings, 20,000 over 20 stories and 10000 over 30 stories. It's the same for all their big cities. We had a good flight home followed by a four hour struggle with the shuttle service. We arrived home about midnight last night got supper, showered and fell asleep for twelve hours. More later. 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
AmyK Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 It's wonderful to see how you travel, Brass! I was in China 1996, long time ago. A fascinating country. Not always super friendly in the big cities though. I liked Guilin in the south. Hugs! Current dose: 0! Free! Quit June 2017. 2017: Last dose zoloft: 17 June 0,00065 mg 18 May 0, 001 mg 14 May 0,002 mg 9 May 0,003 mg 28 April 0,006 mg 19 April 0,009 mg 8 April 0,013 mg 25 March 0,019 mg 22 March 0,039 mg 18 March 0,052 mg 16 March 0,079 mg 4 March 0,086 1 March 0,099 mg 22 February 0,11 mg 15 February 0,13 mg 6 February 0,145 mg 24 January 0,15 mg 19 January 0,19 mg 10 January 0,20 mg 3 January 2016: 0,98 to 0,22 mg; 2015: 2,35 to 1,01 mg; 2014: 4,9 to 2,5 mg; 2013: 9,1 to 5,1 mg; 2012: 15,7 to 9,7 mg; 2011: Started on 25 mg - then 50 mg- dropped to 25- to 12.5 mg - back to 25 mg - after 18.75 mg started tiny tapering to 16.6 mg Started on 25 mg Zoloft in March 2011 due to stressrelated tinnitus that gave me panicattacks. Had a terrible reaction to Zoloft from start, but was told to "hold on". After four months I was stuck. Therefore the long taper. Crazy, I know... Super sensitive to drops and have dropped by 4-6 % from the previous dose. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 28, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted May 28, 2017 The country has really changed in the past twenty years. All of the modern building has happened in that time. The big cities are dominated by high rise apartment buildings and very modern office blocks and a lot of very futuristic designs. All designed and build in the last twenty years. There are wide streets and freeways that put LA to shame, and excellent subway systems in all the big cities. We used them in both Shanghai and Beijing with no problems. I really liked Shanghai, it had more of an artsy college town feel to it, more people spoke english and if you acted lost on the street people would just stop and help. We stayed near one of the big universities and the tree lined streets were very comfortable and inviting with their little shops and cafes. We had no trouble navigating the subway to get from the hotel to Disneyland. Which, although different from the American parks, was a fantastic place. Wide, open plazas, easy access to the rides, places to sit and watch the crowds and very reasonable prices. The park was very busy, but didn't seem crowded. Our longest wait for a ride was only forty minutes, in a long shaded hallway with lots of fans and air circulation. One of the waiters at the cafe where we had lunch saw my "big camera" and was very insistent that I follow him to a special place to get a great picture of the castle through some trees. He was right. We stayed until closing so we could see the final fireworks/laser show and ended up with a rather crowded subway ride home. It was a truly wonderful experience. The next day we joined up with the tour group and didn't stop moving for the next two weeks. 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
mustangwoman Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Awesome Tom!!! zoloft 2004-08 tapered too fast(2 weeks) Luvox 5/08 100 mg 07/10 40mg via small reductions, 08/10 39mg, 09/10 38mg, 10/10 37mg, 11/10 36mg,2/11 35mg, 5/11 34mg, 8/11 33mg, 11/11 32mg, 01/12 31mg, 03/12 30mg, 4/12 29mg, 5/12 28 mg, 8/12 27 mg, 11/12 26 mg, 1/13 25 mg, 3/13 24 mg, 4/13 23 mg,6/13 22 mg, 7/13 21 mg, 8/13 20mg, 10/13 19 mg, 11/13 18 mg, 12/13 17 mg, 1/14 16 mg, 3/14 13 mg, 9/14 10.9 mg, 1/15 10 mg, 3/15 9 mg, 5/15 8 mg. 11/15 7.12 mg. 4/16 5 mg, 6/16 4.5 mg, 9/16 4.2 mg, 1/17 3.48 mg, 2/17 3.2 mg, 4/17 2.2 mg, 5/17 2.0 mg, 6/17 1.74 mg, 7/17 1.58 mg, 9/17 1.27 mg, 11/17 1.0 mg, 1/18 0.79 mg Link to comment
Recommended Posts