stan Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 hi Leon, one year after off free meds is not enough, you have to wait a good year more and i think some of your symptoms will improve; after 6 years taken, two years (2,5 years) is a minimum to be better, DP/DR will diminish... for anxiety 12 years paxil - cold turkey 1,5 month - switch celexa 1 year taper; total 13 years on brain meds 67 years old - 9 years med free in protracted withdrawal rigidity standing and walking, dryness gougerot-szoegren, sleep deteriorate, function as have a lack of nerves, improving have been very little Link to comment
Bukowski Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Hope you still hang in Leon Link to comment
Roads Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Yes, hang in please. Could you please tell how do you do? I am sorry to disagree with you stan, but I don't think it will necessarily take as much time. Each journey is unique and unpredictable. I pray god that tramond's will be far shorter than what you put forwards. (and I pray god that yours will soon end too). And it perfectly may be far shorter than that. Hey tramond, I know how distant and irrelevant optimism can sound in hell. But please, when you will feel well, this is hell which will sound distant and irrelevant. I am so sorry for what you are going through. Hang in please. First AD -sertraline- in 2007at the age of 13 because of child abuse 2009-2013: intricate story of multiple wds, meds and cts, gradually became a living mess Feb 2013: last CT from a cocktail of four drugs, symptoms are relenting but witness a constant sharpening of the brain Link to comment
Barbarannamated Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Nucynta (tapentadol) is very similar. Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment
Shanti Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Wow, my Pharmacist once told me I can't take Ultram with anti-depressants! Your doctor should have known better. This is why my doctor gave me Vicodin instead. Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012. Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38) My Paxil Website My Intro Link to comment
Barbarannamated Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Wow, my Pharmacist once told me I can't take Ultram with anti-depressants! Your doctor should have known better. This is why my doctor gave me Vicodin instead. I was just on the Wiki SSRI Discontinuation page and tramadol is mentioned as an aid is discontinuing although no citation is given. I went in an gave the page bad grades! Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment
Shanti Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Wow, my Pharmacist once told me I can't take Ultram with anti-depressants! Your doctor should have known better. This is why my doctor gave me Vicodin instead. I was just on the Wiki SSRI Discontinuation page and tramadol is mentioned as an aid is discontinuing although no citation is given. I went in an gave the page bad grades! OMG. I'm glad you did that. Seriously, we have to practically become doctors to do our doctors jobs! Here's a list of major drug interactions for Ultram. Link There are in addition to this about 200 more drugs that are a moderate interaction. Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012. Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38) My Paxil Website My Intro Link to comment
Bukowski Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm very sorry to bring bad news. Leon is not here any more Form his facebook profile it appears that he couldn't stand the terrible suffering anymore and couldn't find other solutions than to leave this world This is very sad Hope you did find peace Leon Link to comment
compsports Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm very sorry to bring bad news. Leon is not here any more Form his facebook profile it appears that he couldn't stand the terrible suffering anymore and couldn't find other solutions than to leave this world This is very sad Hope you did find peace Leon Oh my god, how heartbreaking. Thanks for letting us know. CS Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment
Maybe Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Oh please no...that is so unbelievable sad It was so hard that he had this whipslash incident while going through wd. I always had hoped for a positive update from him and now this. I am so sorry for him and his relatives Bukowski, are you also on the German ADFD forum? Leon has been quite active there and the people should know of his passing. End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in. Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left. Link to comment
Bukowski Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Bukowski, are you also on the forum? Leon has been quite active there and the people should know of his passing. No are not on the German forum - I also think they should know. Ps. I sent you a PM Link to comment
karenp Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 This is so awful. I can't believe this happened. He was suffering so terribly. Zoloft: 1997-2010 Effexor: 2010-2011 cross taper to Prozac Prozac: 2011, 60mg, current 17mg Ativan: 2005-2006 PRN, 2007 daily, tapered off June-Sept 2011 Mirtazapine: 2010-2012 Lamictal: 2011, 100mg, current 45mg Klonopin: Sept 2011- Feb 2012 3mg Seroquel: 2013, 150mg, current 45mg Link to comment
Shanti Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 God Bless his family. I'm so sad to hear of this. Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012. Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38) My Paxil Website My Intro Link to comment
solida Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I cant believe this!!!.I was talking with leon on the phone about visiting each other in Switzerland some time..... He was fighting so hard and I can t believe that he lost it. I m very sad and my heart goes out to his family and everybody who will miss him.......He was such a wholeharted person. solida Sept.2007 Citalopram for burn out,reverse reaction Paroxetin 20mg,5 weeks,had to stop because of reverse reaction after a manic episode,severe withdrawal hit after 6 weeks, hospitalization twice,during the first 2 years withdrawal got worse and worse disabled since Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 8, 2011 Administrator Share Posted November 8, 2011 This is very sad. I'm so sorry he could not find the help he needed. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
stan Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 what a tragedy! for anxiety 12 years paxil - cold turkey 1,5 month - switch celexa 1 year taper; total 13 years on brain meds 67 years old - 9 years med free in protracted withdrawal rigidity standing and walking, dryness gougerot-szoegren, sleep deteriorate, function as have a lack of nerves, improving have been very little Link to comment
Lor95 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Please say this isn't true...... I'm absolutely shattered. God bless you Leon, rest in peace my friend. Paxil 20mg 1995 for panic disorder/anxiety. 3 attempts to w/d c/t. Horrific w/d hit after 1 month each time. Straight back to 20mg. 2003-2007: 30mg. 30mg to 20mg slowly over 2007. 20mg to 15mg (liquid) (Jan 2009) - big problems, back up to 20mg (pill) immediately. Recovered slowly. 20mg to 15mg (liquid) (Dec to Feb 2010) - suicidal. Back to 20mg May 2010, could not stabilise. Dec 2010 to 31/01/2012: 20mg~9.6mg in tiny drops. 21/02/12~9.0 08/03/12~8.4 22/03/12~7.9 12/04/12~7.5 03/05/12~7.1 24/05/12~6.7 14/06/12~6.3 05/07/12~6.0 26/07/12~5.7 17/08/12~5.5 ALSO ON 1MG XANAX Link to comment
angie007 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 God Bless you Leon, may you find the peace you craved for so long. My prayers for LEON AND HIS FAMILY, such sad news. RIP LEON. Began taking 30mg Seroxat on 15th Jan 1997 for grief issues. Remained at that dosage until Dec 05, did doctor ct, akathesia set in along with being non functional and overly emotional, brain fog. Doctor prescribed prozac, propranelol and diazeapam to counteract side effects, and told me to ct those 3 after 2.5/3 months use, induced wd seizure on 2nd day after ct. Was reinstated on seroxat 20mg in april 06, remained at that dose until Nov 07 and began a very slow taper lasting 56 months, finally DRUG FREE on 11th may 2011. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted December 29, 2011 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 29, 2011 Seriously, we have to practically become doctors to do our doctors jobs! In my experience, it isn't "practically", it's for real. More and more I find that doctors have no idea what they're doing. So far, I've diagnosed my own gluten-intolerance (IBS, *NOT*), lung "infection", too low cholestrol, et cetera. And I find that most doctors know nothing at all about nutrition. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted December 29, 2011 Administrator Share Posted December 29, 2011 I've always said that managed care means YOU manage them. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Barbarannamated Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 A friend asked me about DCing tramadol and I looked more closely at the pharmacokinetics ~ It looks like a triple-whammy : opiate AND Effexor (serotonergic and noradrenergic) all in one med WOW My friend has been taking this on an as-needed basis for pain and her friends and family have been VERY concerned about her labile and hostile moods --attributed to menopause ~ I repeat --->WOW ~opiate dependence and Effexor all in one Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment
Whatever Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Unfortunately, I have dealt with Tramadol as I was given it after ankle surgery. I had no idea that it was basically a SNRI and is chemically very similar to Effexor. It is not exactly an opiate and not as effective as say, Vicodin. This taught me that before filling any prescriptions - I have to read about the drug first. Tramadol is considered safe by the medical community (shocking right?), when it actually has a high potential for abuse, addiction, and dependence. For many, tolerance grows quickly and more and more is needed to stop the pain. Just like opiates. There is an epidemic of abuse of Tramadol both in the US and for military personnel stationed in the Middle East. Since Tramadol is not a controlled substance, it is easily obtained on the Internet via online pharmacies. This is a huge business. In the Middle East it is available OTC. I do believe that in time, this drug will be scheduled as a controlled substance in the US; it may already be a scheduled drug in some US states. Google "Tramadol Withdrawal" and you will find pages and pages of people who got hooked on this insidious med, deeply regret it and are suffering. Of course, their MD's never told them that it had antidepressant properties, they might not even know, and were told that it was a non-narcotic safe drug that was a better option that the highly addictive opiates. Right, if given the choice I would take a natural or synthetic opiate over Tramadol anyday. The withdrawals are nasty, mostly due to the SNRI properties. The withdrawals are not only worse than, but last longer than withdrawals from opiates. Stay away! Withdrew cold turkey from six medications: Celexa, Zyprexa, Depakote, Ativan, Ambien and Phentermine in 2002. It has been 10 years since I told polypharmacy to take a hike and have joined this forum to let others know that success is possible and to hopefully save people from experiencing the suffering that I did under psychiatric "care". MY STORY "TENSION is when we try to be who we think we should be, RELAXATION is when we are who we really are." Link to comment
alexjuice Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 A friend of mine went through a tough AD w/d and started on Tramadol for chronic pain. He never attributed his poor feelings to his discontinuation of his AD. He seems to be feeling better since starting the Tramadol. I feel very sad for him after seeing how similar this drug is to venlafaxine. Maybe he alleviated some w/d unknowingly by starting on this one for joint pain. It's a real shame about these drugs. "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted February 7, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 7, 2013 A friend of mine went through a tough AD w/d and started on Tramadol for chronic pain. He never attributed his poor feelings to his discontinuation of his AD. He seems to be feeling better since starting the Tramadol. I feel very sad for him after seeing how similar this drug is to venlafaxine. Maybe he alleviated some w/d unknowingly by starting on this one for joint pain. It's a real shame about these drugs. Tramadol gets a bad wrap, and my experience was not so dire. I used it successfully to taper off methadone (given for pain). I slid off over 9 months and have not looked back. There have to be some folks who are sensitized, but I did not find it to be the in the same league as ADs, the effects of which made me quite ill. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Barbarannamated Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Tramadol gets a bad wrap, and my experience was not so dire. I used it successfully to taper off methadone (given for pain). I slid off over 9 months and have not looked back. There have to be some folks who are sensitized, but I did not find it to be the in the same league as ADs, the effects of which made me quite ill. Thanks for sharing that, Skyler. I have mixed feelings about tramadol. I take hydrocodone (Norco preparation- less acetaminophen than Vicodin) occasionally for pain but have problems with it's binding effects. Have wondered if tramadol may work. Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment
alexjuice Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Barb, Without being a chemist, I saw a things on the wiki page that would give me pause. Skylar may have been okay with it, but I'd avoid that one if it were me. Pharmacologically, Tramadol is similar to levorphanol (albeit with much lower μ-agonism), both agents have SNRI activity. Dextropropoxyphene (Darvon) & M1-like molecule tapentadol (Nucynta, a new synthetic atypical opioid made to mimic the agonistic properties of tramadol's metabolite, M1(O-Desmethyltramadol)) also have similar activities. Tramadol is also molecularly similar to venlafaxine (Effexor) and has similar SNRI effects, with antinociceptive effects. It has been suggested that tramadol could be effective for alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and phobias[6] because of its action on the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems, such as its "atypical" opioid activity.[7] However, health professionals have not endorsed its use for these disorders,[8][9] claiming it may be used as a unique treatment (only when other treatments failed), and must be used under the control of a psychiatrist.[10][11] In May 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued a Warning Letter to Johnson & Johnson, alleging that a promotional website commissioned by the manufacturer had "overstated the efficacy" of the drug, and "minimized the serious risks".[12] The company which produced it, the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH, were alleged to be guilty of "minimizing" the habituating nature of the drug, although it showed little abuse liability in preliminary tests.[citation needed] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol Since I have extensive (bad) experience with venlafaxine I would avoid a pain killer that appears similar in substantial ways. If I had a pain problem, I'd favor the opiates, even though they can be tougher to obtain and present some problems of their own. I once heard Dr. Drew Pinksy say, and which agrees with my observational experience of opiate addicts: "Heroin [opiates as well] isn't actually that dangerous a drug, chemically speaking. Aside from overdose risk, it's safer relative to alcohol, stimulants and other recreational drugs." In other words, if you don't die from misapplication the collateral damage isn't particularly bad. I'd rather have smoked heroin (which I never have) than taken Effexor. Could I go back in time, I'd even have injected heroin (a horrible risk-adjusted proposition) rather than taken an antypsychotic and probably Effexor as well. /rmble "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
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