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Auto immune diseases triggered by SSRI withdrawal? Mast cell activation?


NoMeaning25

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I feel this is very important. Is there any articles on this? And does the auto immune diseases heal as the withdrawal heals, or is the person stuck with the disease?

 

Reason im asking, ive had problems since coming off antidepressants and have been diagnosed with the following:

 

Fibrocystic Breast Disease (Proper diagnosis)

interstitial Cystitis (Proper diagnosis)

Possible Endometriosis (Dont have a definite diagnosis as cannot go for laparoscopy, but doctor strongly thinks i have this)

 

I probably have dysautonomia, chronic fatigue syndrome and a host of other things as well

 

So basically what i need to know is, will it go away or is this permanent?

 

Alto, in a thread you said some rare people develop auto immune diseases in withdrawal. Is there really any hope left or am i in the minority of people who will really not recover?

I mean 23 months free and i am doing WORSE than ever. 

 

I have constant fl, infections etc etc etc it never stops.

 

Before this i was healthy, before i went on this rubbish i was healthy.

 

Look, obviously im scared to death, so i would appreciate 100% honesty. If there isnt much hope for me, just tell me and i will accept it.

 

 

 

Was on Citalopram 20mg since Feb 2008 - switched to Paxil 20mg in August 2010

Tapered way too fast in April 2012 by skipping days. Taper completed in 6 weeks

Tried prozac 20mg for 3 days - felt spaced out, not better.

Tried 30mg Cymbalta for 2 days. SEVERE ADVERSE REACTION

Antidepressant free since 14 August 2012

Birth control on and off during this time - Last taken 18 June 2017 - Morning after pill 

Started mainly using 0.5mg Xanax beginning 2016 for severe panic attacks and anxiety due to trauma

Xanax on and off never more than 0.5mg at a time, never taking it 3 days in a row - used sparingly 

 

6 Years antidepressant free - Still in severe withdrawal with over 60 symptoms

Severe setback started May 2018 with no let up to date. Developed many new symptoms like tremors, inner vibrations, insomnia, visual distortions and dr/dp are 100x worse, i have severe sensitivity to movement, My dizziness and vertigo got worse and it now feels like im constantly rocking on a boat, my anxiety is sky high, suicidal idiation is back, i feel extremely brain damaged 

 

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Olivia, have you looked into the possibility of copper overload causing these symptoms. You can do a google search on it, or mensahmedical.com has a video in the resources section. I am doing a paleo autoimmune diet and it seems to be helping a lot. You can google that as well. I don't know that I have an AI disease, but it also lowers inflammation.

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

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I am also following an autoimmune style diet at the moment. I like the one from thepaleomom. It's quite restrictive - mostly meats, veggies and coconut fat, but it has helped me feel a lot better. 

 

I avoid foods like nuts, seeds, grains, dairy, cocoa etc as much as possible as they always seem to trigger me. My fatigue has greatly diminished and my brain works better since adopting this diet. 

Off Lexapro since 3rd November 2011.

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You might also want to look into the histamine intolerance thread, as some of us struggle with HI when coming off meds. I personally have issues with most high histamine foods and they greatly affect my mental state. 

Off Lexapro since 3rd November 2011.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I also have fibrocystic breast disease and it did actually develop after starting ADs. It did settle down

but can't remember when. Dysautonomia is dysfunction of the nervous system and has many causes

including withdrawal.  Fibromyalgia, ME/ CFS all have similar symptoms to withdrawal and side effects

of SSRIs, I have friends who were diagnosed with fibro after stopping effexor. One doctor believed I had 

CFS then another mentioned fibro but I know it is from the effexor and withdrawal. 

 

I know this is hard for you Olivia but it will get better than this. I tried the paleo type diet too and it helped

a great deal, maybe it would help you too. I let it slide when I was moving house and I felt worse so I am

working on getting back to it because I felt so much better on it. 

 

Give it a try, you may be surprised! 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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have you looked into gluten and autoimmune connection?

 

I'm on gluten-free-casein-free diet. it seems to help!

in 2002- 0,5 tablet cipramil for half a year, ended it uneventfully. in 2006 - citalopram for half a year, ended in horrific state, ditched the drugs CT. 2007-2008 not feeling well but drug free. in 2008 prozac 20mg + quetiapine 25mg. 2009 tried to stop, ended up in hole after couple of months, started zoloft. 2009-2011 zoloft 50mg. went to 25mg in 2011 summer, it resulted in half a year horrible suffering. reinstated, changed drugs, nothing happened. by 2012 beginning suddenly felt great and CT meds. after 4 months came suddenly most horrible human suffering that's possible. was started on prozac and questiapine. started tapering slowly, GFCF diet and Hardy Nutritionals vitamins in 2013 summer. 

current medications: 1) fluoxetine and quetiapine since Aug 2012; 2) Daily Essential Nutrients by Hardy Nutritionals 7 capsules / since May 2013 + omega3; 3) Gluten-free-casein-free diet since june 2013

Started withdrawing slowly since april 2013. Mostly around 10% cuts. 

April'13 - March'14: fluoxetine 40mg -> 19,5mg; quetiapine 50mg -> 40mg
April'14-March'15: fluoxetine 19,5mg -> 14,4mg; quetiapine 40mg -> 22mg

April'15-March'16: fluoxetine 14,4mg -> 7,4mg; quetiapine 22mg -> 15mg

April'16-March'17: fluoxetine 7,4mg -> 5,0mg; quetiapine 15mg -> 7,25mg

April'17-March'18: fluoxetine 5,0mg -> 4,0mg; quetiapine 7,25mg -> 0 (as of 1st Feb 2018)!!!!

April´18-March´19: fluoxetine 4,0mg - > 2,3mg. Jumped off fluoxetine 1,4mg due to pregnancy in July 2019. Oct 2019 severe withdrawal syndrome started.

Took mistakenly a complex for hormonal support that included pregnenolone dec2019-april2020. Stopped it april 2020 and immediately severe akathisia started. Have had life threatening akathisia since, 100% disabled, suicidal, very hard to hold on. 

 

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I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia the first time I came off SSRI. I now believe the burning joints pains and tiredness are withdrawal as the symptoms stopped when I was put back on the SSRI and re-started on stopping it again. I'm 28 months off and the pains are much better than they were 8 months ago. I discovered the pain gets much worse if I eat gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, high histamine or refined sugars. They are non-existent if I avoid all those things.

Hope this helps and hope things improve for you soon.

01/2006 Put on Prozac for anxiety and panic attacks 08/2008 Came off Zoloft after tapering don't remember taper, lost weight, felt like had cold constantly, very panicky, pain everywhere (misdiagnosed fibromyalgia), head funny.05/2010 put back on Zoloft03/2012 came completely off Zoloft followed Dr standard taper- no appetite, lost weight (0.5 stone), flu-like feelings constantly, pain everywhere, head funny, nausea, very panicky, very strong emotions etc Lost 1 stone.04/2013 improving. actually put on some weight and hungry most of the time. Still burning pain joints, stomach upset, headache/feel faint and emotions very strong. Chest very painful too.01/2014 improving still. Gained weight!! Still hungry. Still headache/feel faint and strong emotions and chest/shoulder muscles painful. Periods irregular and very painful. Very tired. Joints burn only if eat refined sugars. Started eating fruits again.03/2014 2 years off. Now intolerances developed to nuts and soya. Permanently hungry, Emotions strong but started healing psychological reasons I was put on antidepressants with therapist. Shoulder pain bad, heady often, very tired.06/2014 flu-like symptoms returned, many intolerances, stomach painful, skin crawling feeling, muscles painful, very emotional. :-((

09/2016 over 4.5 years off, no real changes in symptoms, still much pain, headiness, heart weird, digestion bad, hormones unbalanced, nausea yet very hungry, tired, flu like symptoms etc etc.

<p>taking - vit C, probiotics and digestive enzymesI have Aspergers Syndrome.

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I do think withdrawal syndrome can trigger autoimmune diseases, either through dysautonomia or changes in gut function.

 

I developed the thyroid antibodies for Hashimoto's thyroiditis myself about 9 months into withdrawal syndrome. Physiological stress and cortisol overload is thought to be among the causes of this.

 

Autoimmune diseases are now thought to be related to overall inflammation. It may be possible to lower overall inflammation with, for example, anti-inflammatory diets. According to alternative health practitioners, this can slow or eliminate autoimmune reactions.

 

Anecdotally, people do report feeling better.

 

Inflammation in the gut makes the gut less efficient at breaking down foods and more permeable, allowing the release of irritants into the bloodstream. These irritants contribute to inflammation and increase autoimmune activity as the body's defense system tries to go after the invaders. This becomes a chronic cycle.

 

Conventional medicine is completely mystified by autoimmune diseases. However, a lot of research is now being done on the role of digestion and gut bacteria in systemic inflammation.

 

I agree, look into the low-histamine diets or anti-inflammatory diets. (Paleo not so much if you want low histamine; meats tend to be high in histamine.)

 

It could very well be that histamine-producing foods or unhappy gut bacteria contribute to some of the alerting symptoms we see in withdrawal syndrome. Trying an anti-inflammatory diet might help a lot of people.

 

For example, see http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

 

A low-histamine diet is more restrictive, see http://www.histamineintolerance.org.uk/about/the-food-diary/the-food-list

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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've found this very helpful for basic eating guidelines....the only problem being the high meat content:

 

http://www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol

 

I like how it eliminates most problematic foods like nuts, grains, seeds, spices etc and emphasizes vegetables. I've found most spices and seeds seem to aggravate my immune system and cause a stress response. 

Off Lexapro since 3rd November 2011.

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Something I read yesterday (what, who?) said elevated stress hormones increase intestinal permeability, so I guess they could directly cause AI issues in withdrawal. At least I know I am a walking bundle of stress hormones.

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

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I too am almost a year into Zoloft withdrawal and just last month have been told I am positive for Autoimmune. I was tested two months after stopping Zoloft and was negative for Autoimmune..but HAVE been a walking stress case this whole year.. Slowly recovering and healing.. I am retaking my ANA test among other blood tests, and will be seeing a Rheumatologist soon.. I think it is my thyroid if anything ( have been hypothyroid in the past..which healed itself).. or my body is just suffering from my overactive nervous system and anxiety. I started an anti-inflammatory diet today actually. I am curious to see how that affects my body..

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This wouldn't surprise me in the slightest one bit.

 

I really really 100% believe that there is a strong role between a healthy nervous system and a healthy immune system. I am so over-run and worn down. Never been sicker in my life.

 

What helps me - avoiding irritating foods, etc. And SUPPLEMENTS with specifically the following for healthy immune: zinc - I had to have been low in this, I could feel the difference the same day for goodness sake! - also vitamin C and lactoferrin. When I began the lactoferrin I felt so sick! immediately after taking it - why? massive die off of toxic pathogens in the body. Of course these aren't miracles and my body "got used" to these supplements so much that I'm almost back at square one, feeling over-run and sick. But I tried stopping the supplements and it got worse.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that the immune system suffers greatly during withdrawal, both from the stress of withdrawal and the withdrawal itself. Serotonin activates cells in our immune system and when that is too low or too high which is probably the case in withdrawal, who knows what is really going on to our immune function.

 

May we all heal fast.

Zoloft: 2002 - sometime 2003 CT
Celexa: 2004 - 2007 20 mg
Effexor XR: 2007 - 2009 300 mg!!!
Effexor XR: 2010 - 2011 tapered down to 18.75 mg, hard time with interdose withdrawal
Prozac: 2011 5 mg till October, then got more depressed tried to updose to 10mg for three days and I became suicidal and very ill
tapered to 2 mg then stopped Feb 20, 2012. Restarting Celexa 10mg March 2017 due to rough patch in my life (anxiety and depression).

Link to my intro page here

Also : was addicted to Klonopin 2004 - 2008, tapered in 2008. Still have on hand for panic, but rarely used.

Suspected mold infection living in moldy room 2012.

Supplements I take: Multi, probiotic, wild Alaskan salmon oil, C, D3, methylB12, niacinamide, whey protein isolate

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Oh I just wanted to add - I feel you about being so long off and thinking it's actually WORSE now. Let's see, I have been off all serotonergic agents since Feb 20, 2012, so that is about 2.5 years off. I have so many symptoms popping up now that I didn't have earlier, but looking back so many are gone that I did have... but some come back and then go away again. It's so hard to know what's up or what's down. It can take years. I have read and been told. Maybe even several... I was on for about 10 years. And the last 5 or so were generally negative expereiences on the drugs, with the last year being completely a nightmare because I had adverse reactions to them then, not just withdrawal or poop out, but actual bad experiences. I think that's why this is taking so long for me. I spent the greater part of my 20s on them, when the mind is fully developed but there is still a lot of neuro-stabilization that has to now be all re-done.

 

Bless you for your strength.

 

Jason

Zoloft: 2002 - sometime 2003 CT
Celexa: 2004 - 2007 20 mg
Effexor XR: 2007 - 2009 300 mg!!!
Effexor XR: 2010 - 2011 tapered down to 18.75 mg, hard time with interdose withdrawal
Prozac: 2011 5 mg till October, then got more depressed tried to updose to 10mg for three days and I became suicidal and very ill
tapered to 2 mg then stopped Feb 20, 2012. Restarting Celexa 10mg March 2017 due to rough patch in my life (anxiety and depression).

Link to my intro page here

Also : was addicted to Klonopin 2004 - 2008, tapered in 2008. Still have on hand for panic, but rarely used.

Suspected mold infection living in moldy room 2012.

Supplements I take: Multi, probiotic, wild Alaskan salmon oil, C, D3, methylB12, niacinamide, whey protein isolate

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Something I read yesterday (what, who?) said elevated stress hormones increase intestinal permeability, so I guess they could directly cause AI issues in withdrawal. At least I know I am a walking bundle of stress hormones.

 

Makes sense! Apparently athletes who do very stressful training take certain supplements for this reason - colostrum being one of them, I believe. Because of all the cortisol they produce. 

Off Lexapro since 3rd November 2011.

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Something else interesting I have read...are that lectins, found in many foods, but grains/nuts/seeds in particular, actually block serotonin release. So if we are lower in serotonin than the average person...then our bodies probably have less ability to cope with these foods.

 

I've certainly felt a lot better since giving up grains. 

Off Lexapro since 3rd November 2011.

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  • 5 months later...

This is happening to me, now.  I feel absolutely awful, worse than I've ever felt physically and just tested positive for autoimmune markers.  I was tested 6-8 months ago and did not have any abnormalities.  Yay!  Life just keeps getting better and better.  (And I do eat mostly an anti inflammatory/paleo.) I never imagined after getting through withdrawals I'd end up with a disease feeling worse than ever.  Just unbelievable!  :angry:

05/11  Gabapentin 1800mg, nardil 60mg, 05/12  Rapid taper & d/c both
12/12  ER: Risperidone .5 mg 2x day 1 wk/then .5 mg 1x day, 02/13  Risperidone d/c
03/13  ER: Seroquel 150 mg, Celexa 20 mg (d/c after 1 week)
04/13  E&T: 10mg zyprexa, 20mg Celexa, 150mg trazodone, 2mg Clonazepam (Zyprexa and Celexa d/c after 1 week)        
05/13  Rapid taper & d/c Trazadone, clonazepam reduced from 2 mg - .5 mg, Gabapentin 300 mg 3x day
06/13  Clonaz .5 mg - .125 mg

12/13  Clonaz 1/8 mg, gabapentin 240 mg 3x day

03/14  Clonaz 1/8 mg, gabapentin 100 mg 3x day

09/14  Clonaz 1/8 mg, gabapentin   33 mg 3x day   11/14  Clonazepam 1/7 mg

04/15  Clonazepam 1/11 mg

08/15  finished taper

 

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From what I see in my time online so far, some recover all the way, some recover partially, some don't seem to recover.

 

My bladder has also been assassinated. I already had bladd probs, but antidepressants worsened it. Also have made it possibly irreversible, whereas BEFORE meds, maybe my bladd probs could have been reversed.

 

I feel the best option I have is prayer.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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Yep, at the same time as poopout I developed autoimmune arthritis and skin condition that usually shows way before my age.

Paxil start September 2003 due to Fluoroquinolone adverse reaction that I wish doc. knew what it was. 10mg. most of the time with a few short runs of 20mg. FAST tapered 3 times and finally hit poop out or a reaction to nsaid's in Nov.2013. Started a 10% taper Jan. 2014 and have been ok until Sept 14 and went through a short hell. Now plodding through and looking for the light with unrelenting insomnia and pain, fog, loss of interests....<p>12/20/14 - .8mg.

1/01/15 - .75 mg.

1/15/15 - .42 mg. better sleep now, hope it continues...

2/11-15 - .25 mg. doing really good!! 2 weeks feel 85% of old me!

3/17/15 .14 mg. Knee pain bad!

4/07/15 .05 mg. this is so small now that I am estimating and just licking it off palm small as a "." 

4/13/15 NOTHING !!!! Took my last little micro dose on 4/12/15. 

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The liver doctor I have been seeing sent me to a rhumy guy he said I was fine...something in my blood plus a rash I had on my face made him think something was wrong.  By the time I got to he rhumy guy it was gone of course he did not do any blood work or xrays or anything just looked at me.  Long ago after prozac so in the 90s I was told I have fibro and was treated with you guessed it a tricylic antidepressant.  There are now drugs to treat pain as is effexor and all the others.  Do you see the way this goes. 

 

Long ago Scotty and I had this talk on pp about how a drug causes a problem often life long and once you have this lifelong problem they sell you other drugs to treat it.  All stemming from the first drug they gave you.  Often a drug like the first drug they gave you will "treat" the problem especially if your in withdrawal.  We can only wonder about the very expensive patent drugs to treat Arthritis .. only wonder how many of them are being used to treat what started as a drug reaction. 

 

from wiki 

" Infliximab can cost $19,000 to $22,000 a year pe"

"Enbrel for arthritis is approximately $20,000"

 

and guess what..

"

Enbrel Among Five Drugs to Get Cancer Warnings From FDA

 

even more money to treat the cancer. 

"The drugs in question are Remicade, Simponi, Humira, Cimzia and Enbrel. "

 

I am not saying it was planned... just saying wow what a cash cow. 

 

I believe fibro is categorized as an auto immune disease as for a long time only a pain specialist or a rhumy doc could dx it... but they change their minds a lot with this one so stay tuned. 

peace all

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Has anyone had a positive ANA then a neg after wd recovery?

Various SSRIs/SNRIs 7- 1/2 years

Went Cold Turkey from Celexa 2011, Stayed Off

Psych Drug Free and Loving Life (over 6 years and counting)

 

How I Stay Well: Diet, exercise, meditation, supplements, etc

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I have been trying to start my own thread on this...anyways, I am producing Autoantibodies now and i initially began poducing them in 2009 after taking generic effexor. I havent been well for 8 months. Has anyone here had a positive ana result or a diagnosed autoimmun disease? I suspect the drugs have played a role in this mainly bc no one in my family except me has any type of autoimmune disease. I have lupus type symptoms.

Various SSRIs/SNRIs 7- 1/2 years

Went Cold Turkey from Celexa 2011, Stayed Off

Psych Drug Free and Loving Life (over 6 years and counting)

 

How I Stay Well: Diet, exercise, meditation, supplements, etc

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Zepp,

 

There is discussion of this here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6722-auto-immune-diseases-triggered-by-ssri-withdrawal/

 

Alto believes the drugs play a role and has experienced issues herself.  Its worth a read

 

Dalsaan

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist.

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September.

Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015.

Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15).

Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past.

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

>My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan

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The liver doctor I have been seeing sent me to a rhumy guy he said I was fine...something in my blood plus a rash I had on my face made him think something was wrong.  By the time I got to he rhumy guy it was gone of course he did not do any blood work or xrays or anything just looked at me.  Long ago after prozac so in the 90s I was told I have fibro and was treated with you guessed it a tricylic antidepressant.  There are now drugs to treat pain as is effexor and all the others.  Do you see the way this goes. 

 

Long ago Scotty and I had this talk on pp about how a drug causes a problem often life long and once you have this lifelong problem they sell you other drugs to treat it.  All stemming from the first drug they gave you.  Often a drug like the first drug they gave you will "treat" the problem especially if your in withdrawal.  We can only wonder about the very expensive patent drugs to treat Arthritis .. only wonder how many of them are being used to treat what started as a drug reaction. 

 

from wiki 

" Infliximab can cost $19,000 to $22,000 a year pe"

"Enbrel for arthritis is approximately $20,000"

 

and guess what..

"

Enbrel Among Five Drugs to Get Cancer Warnings From FDA

 

even more money to treat the cancer. 

"The drugs in question are Remicade, Simponi, Humira, Cimzia and Enbrel. "

 

I am not saying it was planned... just saying wow what a cash cow. 

 

I believe fibro is categorized as an auto immune disease as for a long time only a pain specialist or a rhumy doc could dx it... but they change their minds a lot with this one so stay tuned. 

peace all

 

I was given tricyclics for pain and those are the same meds that everyone else in my chronic pain support groups get shoved down their throats.  Now, a bunch of people have developed symptoms that their docs say are "unexplainable," but are obviously side effects.

 

I got off under what I was told was a safe taper, but BLAM, obvs I'm here bc my WD is severe.  Overall, I'm one of the least drugged on here, at some of the lowest doses, for way less than most other people, but I am def one of the severest.

 

I just really don't think that chronic physical pain should be treated with off-label psych meds.    

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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The liver doctor I have been seeing sent me to a rhumy guy he said I was fine...something in my blood plus a rash I had on my face made him think something was wrong.  By the time I got to he rhumy guy it was gone of course he did not do any blood work or xrays or anything just looked at me.  Long ago after prozac so in the 90s I was told I have fibro and was treated with you guessed it a tricylic antidepressant.  There are now drugs to treat pain as is effexor and all the others.  Do you see the way this goes. 

 

Long ago Scotty and I had this talk on pp about how a drug causes a problem often life long and once you have this lifelong problem they sell you other drugs to treat it.  All stemming from the first drug they gave you.  Often a drug like the first drug they gave you will "treat" the problem especially if your in withdrawal.  We can only wonder about the very expensive patent drugs to treat Arthritis .. only wonder how many of them are being used to treat what started as a drug reaction. 

 

from wiki 

" Infliximab can cost $19,000 to $22,000 a year pe"

"Enbrel for arthritis is approximately $20,000"

 

and guess what..

"

Enbrel Among Five Drugs to Get Cancer Warnings From FDA

 

even more money to treat the cancer. 

"The drugs in question are Remicade, Simponi, Humira, Cimzia and Enbrel. "

 

I am not saying it was planned... just saying wow what a cash cow. 

 

I believe fibro is categorized as an auto immune disease as for a long time only a pain specialist or a rhumy doc could dx it... but they change their minds a lot with this one so stay tuned. 

peace all

 

I was given tricyclics for pain and those are the same meds that everyone else in my chronic pain support groups get shoved down their throats.  Now, a bunch of people have developed symptoms that their docs say are "unexplainable," but are obviously side effects.

 

I got off under what I was told was a safe taper, but BLAM, obvs I'm here bc my WD is severe.  Overall, I'm one of the least drugged on here, at some of the lowest doses, for way less than most other people, but I am def one of the severest.

 

I just really don't think that chronic physical pain should be treated with off-label psych meds.    

 

 

That is what got me on this misery train too... prozac for pain in my leg ..it is all in my history... a couple of years into wd I was put in a pain clinic as I had not slept a full night in 2 years then they gave me trycylics then .. which lead to more drugs later.  I hope you can get off and stay off this one.  I know coming off a tricylic is hard but I ended up polly drugges with trycylic and ssri at the same time. Eventually leading to an antipsychotic and more crap after that it is a slippery slope...  drugs the root of some evil that is for sure. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Has anyone had a positive ANA then a neg after wd recovery?

Have you? 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Has anyone had a positive ANA then a neg after wd recovery?

 

Have you?

No, i am just hoping this is wd related and i dont end up having a life long autoimmune problem.

Various SSRIs/SNRIs 7- 1/2 years

Went Cold Turkey from Celexa 2011, Stayed Off

Psych Drug Free and Loving Life (over 6 years and counting)

 

How I Stay Well: Diet, exercise, meditation, supplements, etc

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I have read on another site about people who are wondering if the ssri drugs they took started the auto immune disorder they have... at the time I read that none of them had been told by a doctor that ssri drugs had been the cause we know how long that takes to get a disorder added to a drug leaflet... very long indeed... first they need to find somebody to do the research and who is going to pay for it... there in lies the problem. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Well there is a thing called Drug Induced lupus and i think it is known that chemicals (environmental triggers) can lead to autoimmune disease. I believe that the drugs cause immune system dysregulation and this can push the individual toward an auto immune disease. No one in my fam has an autoimmune disease so this is a shocker.

Various SSRIs/SNRIs 7- 1/2 years

Went Cold Turkey from Celexa 2011, Stayed Off

Psych Drug Free and Loving Life (over 6 years and counting)

 

How I Stay Well: Diet, exercise, meditation, supplements, etc

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Well there is a thing called Drug Induced lupus and i think it is known that chemicals (environmental triggers) can lead to autoimmune disease. I believe that the drugs cause immune system dysregulation and this can push the individual toward an auto immune disease. No one in my fam has an autoimmune disease so this is a shocker.

Yes I know my sister has it not sure how long she will be with us. 

there is this but it is about rats

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/10/1077.full.pdf

 

  I tried to put a copy paste here of what it says but I can't manage it sorry

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22251606


 


"


 contemporary investigations have revealed that depression is linked with inflammation, and that SSRI/SNRIs possess significant anti-inflammatory actions. While these anti-inflammatory properties initially only related to work undertaken on cells of the peripheral immune system, it has recently become apparent that these drugs also exert anti-inflammatory effects on microglia, the principal cells within the CNS that regulate and respond to inflammatory factors. "


 


So it would make sense for inflammation to increase after these drugs are stopped( I would suspect cold turkey to be worse than taper but don't know...) They do affect the peripheral immune system... since the immune system is poorly understood who know where we go from there. The affect on the CNS is even more interesting and compelling as we live with that fact daily in withdrawal. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Still have all of these problems since stopping and now am 29 months free. No signs of it getting better which makes me think its permanent, i have tons of auto immune diseases caused by SSRI's.

Was on Citalopram 20mg since Feb 2008 - switched to Paxil 20mg in August 2010

Tapered way too fast in April 2012 by skipping days. Taper completed in 6 weeks

Tried prozac 20mg for 3 days - felt spaced out, not better.

Tried 30mg Cymbalta for 2 days. SEVERE ADVERSE REACTION

Antidepressant free since 14 August 2012

Birth control on and off during this time - Last taken 18 June 2017 - Morning after pill 

Started mainly using 0.5mg Xanax beginning 2016 for severe panic attacks and anxiety due to trauma

Xanax on and off never more than 0.5mg at a time, never taking it 3 days in a row - used sparingly 

 

6 Years antidepressant free - Still in severe withdrawal with over 60 symptoms

Severe setback started May 2018 with no let up to date. Developed many new symptoms like tremors, inner vibrations, insomnia, visual distortions and dr/dp are 100x worse, i have severe sensitivity to movement, My dizziness and vertigo got worse and it now feels like im constantly rocking on a boat, my anxiety is sky high, suicidal idiation is back, i feel extremely brain damaged 

 

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Hi everyone, I am in my 7th year of w/d, and most horrible symptoms have gone away, but I have what seems to be fibromyalgia in my upper  leg muscles, can this be a symptom of w/d? :(

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for anyone experiencing autoimmune type problems, are you getting a positive ANA test?

Various SSRIs/SNRIs 7- 1/2 years

Went Cold Turkey from Celexa 2011, Stayed Off

Psych Drug Free and Loving Life (over 6 years and counting)

 

How I Stay Well: Diet, exercise, meditation, supplements, etc

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Share on other sites

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22251606

 

"

 contemporary investigations have revealed that depression is linked with inflammation, and that SSRI/SNRIs possess significant anti-inflammatory actions. While these anti-inflammatory properties initially only related to work undertaken on cells of the peripheral immune system, it has recently become apparent that these drugs also exert anti-inflammatory effects on microglia, the principal cells within the CNS that regulate and respond to inflammatory factors. "

 

So it would make sense for inflammation to increase after these drugs are stopped( I would suspect cold turkey to be worse than taper but don't know...) They do affect the peripheral immune system... since the immune system is poorly understood who know where we go from there. The affect on the CNS is even more interesting and compelling as we live with that fact daily in withdrawal. 

 

 I think the key word here may be regulate... 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia the first time I came off SSRI. I now believe the burning joints pains and tiredness are withdrawal as the symptoms stopped when I was put back on the SSRI and re-started on stopping it again. I'm 28 months off and the pains are much better than they were 8 months ago. I discovered the pain gets much worse if I eat gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, high histamine or refined sugars. They are non-existent if I avoid all those things.

Hope this helps and hope things improve for you soon.

 

The first ssri I was put on for leg pain gave me a severe adverse reaction I was on it less than 2wks.  After that I had more pain tho I was given the drug to treat nerve pain in my leg after an accident... the next 2 years I suffered terribly insomnia was crazy sleeping a couple of hours in 24 and pain everywhere not just in my leg.  After 2 years of suffering like this and upright 2 hours out of 24 either sitting or standing... I did not realize this till I was filling in forms for a pain clinic referal and had to track it for the application.  At the pain clinic the pain specialist dx me with chronic fatigue/fibro and put me on a tricylic antidepressant to treat it called amitriptyline .. He actually had me start the drug a wk before as he said it would take a least that long for me to catch up on some sleep to be able to withstand the program I was to go into.  I did sleep the first 10mg pill I slept for 20 hours... I know stupid considering I was a single parent..and all.  I went in patient to the pain program for 6 wks.  It was difficult to keep up as I had been down so long but I managed and was a lot better after... however side effects oft he amitriptyline were I had to take it at 5-6 pm or I would not wake up till afternoon the next day... withing an hour of taking it I was dizzy and could not see... I could not see well enough to watch tv or walk straight.  So every night after dinner life stopped. I took it for a long time thinking I would be right back to laying down all the time if I did not take it that it was the only game in town.  

After a time I can't recall how long I could not keep up again ... I was not working I was just trying to keep my and my sons home together ...everything else came second and I could not manage that.... so zoloft was added. I had energy again I could do things but intrusive thoughts burst into my head like run the car into the cement barrier and end this. I stayed on it... I know sounds bizarre now knowing what I know... I did not think the craziness was from the drug... as I did not know the craziness I had when on prozac was the drug either... so when the zoloft turned on me I thought I was once again having the craziness that was inately me... the same thing that happened when on prozac... This was the early 90's I did not learn that drugs could and did cause that type of insanity till 2008... about a 20 year wait. 

On the zoloft and tycylic I gained 30 pounds.  I was eventually switched to  paxil... this is getting too long and I forget what I wanted to say. 

sorry... 

A long time ago I found a link to mitochondria damage and chronic fatigue/fibro... I then learned some drugs cause this damage ..prozac is one.  I made a post about it here under fibro or chronic fatigue it so far has not seen much action. 

I don't know for sure how could I but there is that connection I found years ago. 

If you search this site you will find what it says. 

It is not so much knowing the drugs caused it is knowing how to fix it... I can't find a cure... maybe there is none.  Cause cure... corruption all c words. yes sometimes I make inflammatory remarks to go with the inflammation in my body. 

It bothers me more when I type it out as I remember all the suffering I had and all the times I believed only to be sucker punched again ... I feel like a sucker and it has taken my entire life to date to figure it out. 

I am going to wish you peace and go seek some for myself because I know the only good state to live this sort of life in is a peaceful state. 

anything less hurts me and likely you too...

peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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i developed a frozen shoulder whilst tapering 2 years ago - ended up taking oral steroids for 3 weeks which kick started the recovery.

 

i also have a low positive cardiolipin antigen reading - they are the antibodies for antiphospholipid syndrome (or something like that).  That is also considered an autoimmune disorder.  

Started in 2000 - On 150mg most of the time, (but up to 225mg at highest dose for 6 months in the beginning)
Reduced off easily first time - but got depressed (not too much anxiety) 6 months later
Back on effexor for another 9 months.
Reduced off again with no immediate w/d - suddenly got depressed and anxious ++ again 3 or 4 months later.
Back on effexor - this time for 3 years
Reduced off over a month - 6 weeks later terrible anxiety - back on.
Rinse and repeat 4 more times - each time the period before the anxiety comes back got shorter and shorter
Jan - July 2012 75mg down to 37.5mg;, 8/3/12 - 35mg. 8/25/12 - 32mg. 9/11- 28mg, 10/2 - 25mg, 10/29 - 22mg, 11/19 - 19.8mg; 12/11 - 17m,
1/1- 15.5mg; 1/22 -14mg, 2/7 14.9mg, 2/18 - 17.8mg - crashed big time: back to 75mg where i sat for 2 years....

4th  March 2015 - 67.5mg;   31st March - 60mg;  24th April - 53mg; 13th May - 48mg; 26th May - 45mg;  9th June - 41mg; 1 July- 37.5mg; 20 July - 34mg; 11 August - 31mg; 1st Sept - 28mg;  1st Dec - 25.8mg;  28th Dec - 23.2mg; 23rd Jan-21.9mg; Feb 7th- 21mg; March 1st - 20.1mg, March 30th - 18mg

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