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About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms


Altostrata

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Just to add my own views/experience on this topic:-

1. I've been on and off of prozac several times until the last time it pooped out on me. Tried to reintroduce when on mirtazapine and all hell broke loose.

2. Same happened with Mirtazapine although I'm stuck on it right now and upping the dose did nothing except cause insomnia and a quick taper which worked in the past failed so reinstated within days. Mirt did nothing for my depression then and only stopped me going into w/d's when reinstated

3. Diazepam I've used for 1 week short courses with no problem. Having then been put on them to cover my bad prozac mirtazapine situation and left on them for 6 weeks at 15mg I was c/t'd. After 4 weeks I was reinstated at 12mg and apart from a few weeks of moderate stability my experience turned into the hell of c/t again and is where I currently am. This could be due to the many med changes but tbh I believe the reinstatement of benzos after you've stopped them is to be avoided at all costs unless your life depends upon it. Having been thoroughly kindled on benzos I'm anticipating a tough long slow taper next year. I think benzo reinstatement is not worth the risk in my experience. Other a/d's appear more forgiving to updosing and reinstatement.

Dosulepin 75mg 1996 - 1997 tapered off no problem - Prozac sporadic use between 1995 and 2011 usually 9 months then off.

Mirtazapine 2015 tapered off after 4 months no problem -Prozac 20mg 2012-2015 tapered off no problems

Prozac 20mg April 2016-May 2016 stopped ct after 4 weeks due to adverse reaction I believe to be serotnin toxicity due to mirtazapine interaction

Escitlopram 10 mg May 2016 - cut to 5mg May 2016  stopped ct November 2016 no W/d's noted

Lyrica 300mg May 2016 - July 2017 - Taper from Jan to Jul 17 awful taper.

Lofepramine 150mg  November 2016 - January 2017 Swift w/d as it didn't work

Quetiapine 75mg November 2016 changed to 150 XL May2017 changed to 150mg IR July 2017 reduced to in 25mg steps from July to 50mg Oct 17. 37.5mg 12th Nov 17 - 35mg 20 Nov 17 - 30mg 22 Nov 17 - 25mg 24 Nov 17 dropped to 20mg Dec 17, 15mg Jan 18. Current taken at bedtime.

Quetiapine dropped Jan 17th 2018.

Dosulepin 75mg May 2017 - increased in 25mg steps to 175mg Oct 17 Reduced to 150mg Nov 17 current taken at bedtime

Diazepam 15mg May 2016 - c/t'd by shrink after 6 weeks. Reinstated at 12mg after 4 weeks June 16 - current 4mg 3 times a day morning, 2.30pm and bedtime.

Mirtazapine 15mg since March 2015 - current - pooped out within 4 weeks

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Do after reading this, it seems like I probably waited too long. It’s been 1.5 months. I tried reinstitutung prozac which I only used for 10 days previously. I’m also a mess: anxious and depressed. I went nuts on Prozac yesterday.?i have the shortacting effexor and the beads. Should I try it? 

Edited by Downbutnotout
Put the wrong drug in .

 

2001 Remeron , Celexa, prozac a week on lithium. 

2014 went off effexor and trazadone in 3 weeks. 

2014 zoloft (hyper reaction) put on effexor 75 mg. Was stable until 2017 

2017  Trazadone 50 mg (June) Effexor to 113 mg (2 weeks) Effexor 150 mg for a month . Took 75 mg until November. . Lithium 10 days, Lamactil 10 day  aug-nov15 ativan

October : Prozac bridge to get off 75 mg of effexor Used 10 mg of prozac. Stopped prozac 3 wk 

Dec 6, 7 Upped trazadone from 50 to 100 mg Did it for 3 days Stopped it

Dec 7 , Dec 8 Took prozac again 0.1 , 0.1, 0.6 stopped it

Dec 11 and Dec 12 upped it to 100 again

Dec 15 , 16,17 went back to 50 mg of trazadone

December 18 Began 3 beads of effexor  Dec 25 began 5 beads of effexor take 10 mg of omneprazole daily

 

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I also took some ativan, but haven’t used that in 2 weeks. It is also playing on me.  I fo have the desire to use it but I haven’t. I was only usin 1/2 ti a 1/4. 20 pils in 6 months. It’s probably a factor up? Now that I cut out the prozac I ODST I guess I’ll get really miserable. My husband says my violent reaction makes it “badbad,” 

 

2001 Remeron , Celexa, prozac a week on lithium. 

2014 went off effexor and trazadone in 3 weeks. 

2014 zoloft (hyper reaction) put on effexor 75 mg. Was stable until 2017 

2017  Trazadone 50 mg (June) Effexor to 113 mg (2 weeks) Effexor 150 mg for a month . Took 75 mg until November. . Lithium 10 days, Lamactil 10 day  aug-nov15 ativan

October : Prozac bridge to get off 75 mg of effexor Used 10 mg of prozac. Stopped prozac 3 wk 

Dec 6, 7 Upped trazadone from 50 to 100 mg Did it for 3 days Stopped it

Dec 7 , Dec 8 Took prozac again 0.1 , 0.1, 0.6 stopped it

Dec 11 and Dec 12 upped it to 100 again

Dec 15 , 16,17 went back to 50 mg of trazadone

December 18 Began 3 beads of effexor  Dec 25 began 5 beads of effexor take 10 mg of omneprazole daily

 

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Downbutnotout, those questions are very specific to your particular situation. Please ask them in your Introductions topic Downbutnotout: Started a bridge to get off effexor

 

What we see here very frequently is that going on and off psychiatric drugs, even if you have no symptoms at the time, makes the nervous system hypersensitive to any neuroactive substance, such as other psychiatric drugs, some supplements, and even foods. The hypersensitiivty can cause outsized adverse reactions to dosages that didn't bother you before.

 

That is why we suggest reinstatement at very low doses, doses that most doctors believe will have no effect at all. We always caution people about thinking more is better. When it comes to psychiatric drugs, more is often not better. When your nervous system is sensitized, it can take quite a while to settle down after you take a dosage that's too high for you.

 

Since we don't know what dosage is too high for you, we always start with very low dosages. You can always increase it (gradually) if , after a trial of at least a week, you feel you need it.

 

 

 

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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So you only updose if you’re side effects are from getting the medication out of your system? So how do I know my effects are from the medication bring out of my system or just bring depressed? I added 3 mg of Effexor back in but how do I know that’s really the problem? My effects are anxiety, horrible depression. But how do I know it’s from the effexir 6 weeks ago, the upping of trazadone or the short reinstatement if prozac which has made me insane?How will I know the reinstatement of Effexor beads is going anything??

 

2001 Remeron , Celexa, prozac a week on lithium. 

2014 went off effexor and trazadone in 3 weeks. 

2014 zoloft (hyper reaction) put on effexor 75 mg. Was stable until 2017 

2017  Trazadone 50 mg (June) Effexor to 113 mg (2 weeks) Effexor 150 mg for a month . Took 75 mg until November. . Lithium 10 days, Lamactil 10 day  aug-nov15 ativan

October : Prozac bridge to get off 75 mg of effexor Used 10 mg of prozac. Stopped prozac 3 wk 

Dec 6, 7 Upped trazadone from 50 to 100 mg Did it for 3 days Stopped it

Dec 7 , Dec 8 Took prozac again 0.1 , 0.1, 0.6 stopped it

Dec 11 and Dec 12 upped it to 100 again

Dec 15 , 16,17 went back to 50 mg of trazadone

December 18 Began 3 beads of effexor  Dec 25 began 5 beads of effexor take 10 mg of omneprazole daily

 

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Reinstatement Caused my withdrawal symptoms, after being off Paxil 40mg for five months I was fine until I reinstated twice the first time I took a pill I was horribly sick for a few days. It has been almost 3 weeks since I took my last 10mg and I'm still not right. I wish I would have learned about this website first.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Administrator

bob, quite often we find people are sensitized to "normal" dosages; our recommendations for reinstatement are usually tiny amounts to start, to see what happens.

 

On 12/19/2017 at 4:46 PM, Downbutnotout said:

So you only updose if you’re side effects are from getting the medication out of your system? So how do I know my effects are from the medication bring out of my system or just bring depressed? I added 3 mg of Effexor back in but how do I know that’s really the problem? My effects are anxiety, horrible depression. But how do I know it’s from the effexir 6 weeks ago, the upping of trazadone or the short reinstatement if prozac which has made me insane?How will I know the reinstatement of Effexor beads is going anything??

 

DBNO, we've discussed this in your Intro topic. Please go back and re-read it.

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 had several responses to my signature. I am very concerned about my well being. I am not feeling well and from your response I tapered too quickly. I want to work with my Dr. and be sure that I am doing the right thing. I added the 20 mg Prozac because I have nothing else and need to hear back from Psychiatrist. I tried to summarize my sign. To make it clearer.

1994-2009  Zoloft for migraines and depression .  topomax 25 mg , inc zoloft til ineffective.  and  . 2009.  . Dr put me on Cymbalta and Pristiq.  2 months dropped the pristiq , quickly weaned me from cymbalta. I was so sick.

2009 New Dr. on Effexor up to 150 mg & Xanax .25 mg

 Dec Effexor and add Trintillix which I tried while .I was really sick from Trintillix.

75mg Effexor and 5 mg Trin. Lots of withdrawal symptoms and nausea and headache from Trintillix . Wanted to stoptaking Trintillix and wean from Effexor. Continued 75mg for week. Then 32.5 mg for two weeks. Then 32.5 every other day til last week. I also take .25 mg Xanax for anxiety .  

 

I had had a difficult time which is why I looked up this site. On Jan. 9 went to PC after having flu like symptoms and anxiety. Not the flu or my thyroid. Dr. Suggested 20mg Prozac. I could have taken Effexor but I wanted to get off . I am getting very frustrated and scared with this.

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  • 1 month later...

Unfortunately ,too late reinstatement throw me into kindling.It's been 6 years now .stranded whenin I reinstated Prozac after 10 months off .I got adverse reactions since that 2012 ,till now even if I switched to lexapro in 2016 nothing helped.

Mars 1997- juillet 1997 Anfranil 25 mg, Tranxène 5 mg, Librium 10 mg, sulpiride 50 mg (juillet 1997)

Oct 1997-nov 1998 Anfranil 25mg, Tranxène5mg (rétabli ces deux médicaments seulement)

Nov 1998-mar 2000 Drugs off ( tapered with my psychiatrist help)

Avril 2000-juin 2001 Anfranil 25mg, Tranxène5mg (réinstatement these only drugs after 18 months off)

jul 2001-sep 2010 Prozac 20mg, Tranxène 5mg (passé de l'anafranil 25 à Prozac 20mg depuis juillet 2001)

jun 2007- jan 2010 Tapered Tranxène 5mg ( quick tapered  it while steel on Prozac 20 mg(les choses se passaient bien, pas de retraits)

sep 2010-mai 2011 Prozac 20mg conique (les choses se passaient bien sans retrait)

mai2011-mar 2012 Dugs gratuits (les choses étaient bien, pas de retraits)

mars 2012 rétabli Prozac 20mg (too late reinstatement = adverse reactions ) 

mar 2012 -apr 2016 prozac 20 mg on / off plusieurs jours cold turkeyed ( going on it back & forth )  et réintégration (effets indésirables et embrasement, neurotoxicity ) 

avril 2016-2018 lexapro 10mg on / off depuis sep 2017 lexapro tapering (effets indésirables et embrasement)

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  • 1 month later...

So, I really never suffered from depression. I did suffer from anxiety. I had been taking around 1 mg of Xanax for approx 4 or 5 yrs. Due to life circumstances, I made a huge mistake. I was feeling overwhelmed and went to a psychiatrist for the first time in my life. I went on Lexapro, most of the time at 30mg for 2 yrs. I then lost my job. She added 2mg of Abilify for the last 8 mos. of those 2 yrs on Lexapro. Time passed and my life got better. I don’t believe the Lexapro or Abilify helped me in the least. I CT’d off the Lexapro and Abilify at the same time. After about a month, I went into a hell that is indescribable. I suffered for 5 mos and am amazed I am alive.

 

I tried reinstating Lexapro using the liquid. It was a disaster. Someone on the forum gave me advice to stay away from the liquid. The person saved my life. The liquid was much too strong. I then got tablets. I  split a 5mg tablet into quarters. I started taking 1.25mg. I stayed on that for a month. Very, very Slight improvement. I then took 2.5mg. Stayed at that for 4-6 weeks. Then 5 mg, 7.5, 10mg, 12.5, and finally 15mg. I stayed at each increase for 4-6 weeks hoping I could stop. 15mg is when the intense dread and fear subsided. Although there had been improvements along the way. At most every increase, I had a couple of days of awful adrenaline surges. It was rough. I was taking 1mg of Klonopin per day at the time. 

 

I am now tapering the Klonopin. I am down to .475mg per day. I haven’t returned to work. But I am alive. I am there for my children and husband. I feel that I am severely traumatized from what happened. 

 

I think many people would benefit from reinstating with a portion of a tablet rather than liquid.  I would love to get off of the Lexapro someday if I can gather the courage and the strength to try. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with this. I was seriously planning to end my life, the suffering was so intense. No where near anything I had ever experienced in my entire life. 

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added spacing

in Aug 2014, prescribed 20 mg of escitalopram.  Oct 2014, upped to 30 mg.

In January 2016, "doctor" added 2mg of Abilify

I had been taking .5 Xanax in AM and PM for a few years

Xanax November 23rd, 2016 .25   5 times per day

Took .5 Ativan in AM and .5 Ativan in PM 10 hours apart for 2 weeks and 2 days. I stopped Ativan on Nov 4th 2016

I cold turkeyed off escitalopram and Abilify on September 4, 2016

i crosses over to 1 mg of Klonopin in Dec 2016. 

Since withdrawal, I have occasionally taken 10mg or 20mg propranolol when my heart was pounding uncontrollably

Supplements Magnesium, Vitamin C, Natural Calm magnesium drink.  Just started  11/16/16 Lactium supplement 167mg at night.

Godiswithme: I'm very scared   Godiswithme: Xanax taper after cold-turkey of Lexapro and Abilify

Jan 2017. Slowly reinstated Lexapro over 4-5 mos to 15mg. Have stayed on that amount. 

Sept 2017. Started tapering 1mg of Klonopin. As of May 2017, I am at .426 mg of Klonopin split into 2 doses per day. 

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On 2012-10-08 at 7:17 PM, Altostrata said:

 There are reports of people with prolonged post-withdrawal syndrome who did better taking a drug at full dosage 2 years later. If you want to do this, please consult a doctor, we cannot advise you on it.

Hello, I'm wondering if there are any links to these reports? Trying to find people who reinstate late with success.

Various  ADs: 2007-2011

Seroquel- 500mg: Jan, 2011 - Jan, 2013

Amitriptyline- 150mg: Jan, 2013 - Jan, 2017, stopped Cold Turkey

Clonazepam: 1mg on and off: 2014- March 2018

Reinstate amitriptyline- 5mg April 1, 2018 

1mg Amitriptyline - April 14, 2018 onwards

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We occasionally have people here who have done this -- reinstate years later at full dosage. Sorry, I can't give you the links.

 

For safety's sake, we advise an initial dosage that's very, very low, to see how it affects you. You can increase dosage gradually if you think that will help, but if you take too much right off, you could be suffering the after-effects for a long time.

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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Alto, also the majority of Psychiatrists recommend reinstatement (and ER docs, and cardiologists apparently in my case), so that's something to note. Many patients are pressured by their doctors to reinstate when overwhelming WD symptoms appear. For the most part, reinstatement is the only clinically proven way to alleviate WD symptoms, per the literature for whatever that's worth. :(

Lexapro 10 MG 3 years on (Begin Summer 2014)

3 months taper duration (Begin taper Jan. 2018, end late March 2018.)

Reinstated 1MG liquid on April 9, 2018

Upped dose to 2.5 mg (2.5 ML) on April 12, 2018

Upped dose to 4mg on April 16, 2018

Upped dose to 5mg tablets on May 1, 2018

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Yes, Bonzee, that's why we recommend it. Please read this topic from the beginning.

 

However, reinstatement need not be at full dose.

 

Quite a few physicans are not aware reinstatement is the appropriate way to treat withdrawal symptoms, and they do not know how to recognize withdrawal symptoms.

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...

In benzo tapering, updosing or reinstating is strongly discouraged due to possible "kindling" which makes it even harder to taper the next time you try.  Is the same true for antidepressants and mood stabilizers?  The reason I ask is my biggest fear is tapering and falling into a bad depression.  It would be nice to know if I could take the "emergency exit" and reinstate if I needed to.  

Valium 8.87 mg - Holding at 8.87 mg.  Liquid tapered to 8.87 mg and began hold starting July 10.   Split into three equal dissolved liquid doses taken at equal intervals (8 hours apart).  Began liquid titrating at 11.0 mg.  Tapered to 9.0 mg, then held for May and June on 9.0 mg solid Valium to try and let my symptoms stabilize.  Benzo history:  Had been on an average 3 mg of Xanax since 1989. Started tapering the Xanax in February of 2015 because I thought it might be the cause of my increasing symptoms.  Was not aware that the overly prolonged Xanax taper my psychiatrist put me on was resulting in benzo withdrawal (figured this out on my own via Internet six months ago).   Crossed over from Xanax over to 20 mg of Valium in January 2018. 

Effexor XR 187.5 mg -  March 2017 - present.  Reduced from 225 mg to 187.5 mg in February 2018 with no significant adverse effects.

Mirtazipine 30 mg  - March 2017 - present.  Tried reducing by alternating 30 mg with 15 mg every other day for 2 weeks in November 2017, but felt depression creeping in so reinstated to 30 mg.

Lithium 450 mg -  Holding at 450 mg.  Cut from 562.5 to 450 on July 21 with no significant adverse effects.  Had been on 675 for a year prior to 562.5.  Was on 1,350 mg continuously from 2010 - May 2017

Parnate 50 mg -  January 2011 - March 2017.  Had felt pretty "good" on the parnate.  Started having unexplained health symptoms in 2013.  I told my psychiatrist that an ER doc had said it might be due to my psych meds, and I wanted off of them to eliminate that variable.  Psychiatrist ripped me off the lithium and parnate over a one month taper.  My mood an anxiety plummeted, so he put me on the Effexor - Remeron ("California Rocket Fuel") combination -- thanks a lot.

 

Prior to above, numerous different antidepressants tried since 1989.  Ones I can remember include Zoloft, Lamictal, Ablilify, Luvox, Seroquel.  On psychiatric meds continuously since 1989.  A "good patient,'"always taken exactly as prescribed.  No illicit drugs, average of 1 beer per week.  No health problems other than mild sleep apnea and the symptoms the  psych meds have caused.  Have had two neuropsychologcial tests done since I started tapering the Xanax -- they confirmed significant cognitive impairment in the areas of executive functioning, processing speed, short term memory, etc. (consistent with my reported cognitive symptoms).

 

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I'm not sure how kindling happens with benzos, but SSRIs definitely can become more difficult to taper each time.  There is also a risk of severe adverse reactions when reinstating if it is not done soon enough or at too high a dose.  There is a lot of information in this thread :

Your best bet is to taper very slowly to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.  If they do happen during the taper, you may be able to do a small updose, which is preferable to tapering all the way off too quickly and having to reinstate.

 

 

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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On 12/24/2017 at 5:46 PM, bob35 said:

Reinstatement Caused my withdrawal symptoms, after being off Paxil 40mg for five months I was fine until I reinstated twice the first time I took a pill I was horribly sick for a few days. It has been almost 3 weeks since I took my last 10mg and I'm still not right. I wish I would have learned about this website first.

Why on earth did you reinstate if you felt fine??

in Aug 2014, prescribed 20 mg of escitalopram.  Oct 2014, upped to 30 mg.

In January 2016, "doctor" added 2mg of Abilify

I had been taking .5 Xanax in AM and PM for a few years

Xanax November 23rd, 2016 .25   5 times per day

Took .5 Ativan in AM and .5 Ativan in PM 10 hours apart for 2 weeks and 2 days. I stopped Ativan on Nov 4th 2016

I cold turkeyed off escitalopram and Abilify on September 4, 2016

i crosses over to 1 mg of Klonopin in Dec 2016. 

Since withdrawal, I have occasionally taken 10mg or 20mg propranolol when my heart was pounding uncontrollably

Supplements Magnesium, Vitamin C, Natural Calm magnesium drink.  Just started  11/16/16 Lactium supplement 167mg at night.

Godiswithme: I'm very scared   Godiswithme: Xanax taper after cold-turkey of Lexapro and Abilify

Jan 2017. Slowly reinstated Lexapro over 4-5 mos to 15mg. Have stayed on that amount. 

Sept 2017. Started tapering 1mg of Klonopin. As of May 2017, I am at .426 mg of Klonopin split into 2 doses per day. 

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summitbound, we suggest reinstating at a very low dose for this very reason -- to avoid triggering a reaction from a sensitized nervous system. We have seen generally good results with non-benzo drugs. (Even so, reinstating does not always work.)

 

While Ashton was a ground-breaker in many things, this is one area in benzo tapering where her conclusions are debatable. She derived her concepts from addiction medicine, where the drug user is strongly discouraged from updosing for fear of escalating the addiction. We don't think of people as addicts.

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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On 4/11/2018 at 4:38 PM, Marsx said:

Hello, I'm wondering if there are any links to these reports? Trying to find people who reinstate late with success.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/?do=findComment&comment=189351

 

in Aug 2014, prescribed 20 mg of escitalopram.  Oct 2014, upped to 30 mg.

In January 2016, "doctor" added 2mg of Abilify

I had been taking .5 Xanax in AM and PM for a few years

Xanax November 23rd, 2016 .25   5 times per day

Took .5 Ativan in AM and .5 Ativan in PM 10 hours apart for 2 weeks and 2 days. I stopped Ativan on Nov 4th 2016

I cold turkeyed off escitalopram and Abilify on September 4, 2016

i crosses over to 1 mg of Klonopin in Dec 2016. 

Since withdrawal, I have occasionally taken 10mg or 20mg propranolol when my heart was pounding uncontrollably

Supplements Magnesium, Vitamin C, Natural Calm magnesium drink.  Just started  11/16/16 Lactium supplement 167mg at night.

Godiswithme: I'm very scared   Godiswithme: Xanax taper after cold-turkey of Lexapro and Abilify

Jan 2017. Slowly reinstated Lexapro over 4-5 mos to 15mg. Have stayed on that amount. 

Sept 2017. Started tapering 1mg of Klonopin. As of May 2017, I am at .426 mg of Klonopin split into 2 doses per day. 

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On 5/1/2018 at 7:21 AM, Songbird said:

I'm not sure how kindling happens with benzos, but SSRIs definitely can become more difficult to taper each time.  There is also a risk of severe adverse reactions when reinstating if it is not done soon enough or at too high a dose.  There is a lot of information in this thread :

Your best bet is to taper very slowly to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.  If they do happen during the taper, you may be able to do a small updose, which is preferable to tapering all the way off too quickly and having to reinstate.

 

 

Will you please give concrete examples of “severe adverse reactions” to RI? Thank you. 

in Aug 2014, prescribed 20 mg of escitalopram.  Oct 2014, upped to 30 mg.

In January 2016, "doctor" added 2mg of Abilify

I had been taking .5 Xanax in AM and PM for a few years

Xanax November 23rd, 2016 .25   5 times per day

Took .5 Ativan in AM and .5 Ativan in PM 10 hours apart for 2 weeks and 2 days. I stopped Ativan on Nov 4th 2016

I cold turkeyed off escitalopram and Abilify on September 4, 2016

i crosses over to 1 mg of Klonopin in Dec 2016. 

Since withdrawal, I have occasionally taken 10mg or 20mg propranolol when my heart was pounding uncontrollably

Supplements Magnesium, Vitamin C, Natural Calm magnesium drink.  Just started  11/16/16 Lactium supplement 167mg at night.

Godiswithme: I'm very scared   Godiswithme: Xanax taper after cold-turkey of Lexapro and Abilify

Jan 2017. Slowly reinstated Lexapro over 4-5 mos to 15mg. Have stayed on that amount. 

Sept 2017. Started tapering 1mg of Klonopin. As of May 2017, I am at .426 mg of Klonopin split into 2 doses per day. 

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3 hours ago, Godiswithme said:

Will you please give concrete examples of “severe adverse reactions” to RI? Thank you. 

 

Not sure how you meant that question, Godiswithme. It has a pugnacious tone that tempts me to respond, "Try it and see."

 

If you read this topic from the beginning, and you really should, you will see full and detailed cautions about why one would be cautious about reinstatement. If you don't know what "sensitized nervous system" means, you are fortunate. Please don't take any risks while going off psychiatric drugs that might sensitize your nervous system.

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 hours ago, Altostrata said:

 

Not sure how you meant that question, Godiswithme. It has a pugnacious tone that tempts me to respond, "Try it and see."

 

If you read this topic from the beginning, and you really should, you will see full and detailed cautions about why one would be cautious about reinstatement. If you don't know what "sensitized nervous system" means, you are fortunate. Please don't take any risks while going off psychiatric drugs that might sensitize your nervous system.

I said, “please”. I said, “thank you”. It was a question. How on earth is there a pugnacious tone to it? I know one thing. I would never say “try it and see” to another human being about a question like that for ANY reason. Yes, I did have a sensitized nervous system and I wouldn’t wish that on any other human. So, if anyone could please help me, I’m trying to find out what some examples are of severe adverse reactions to reinstatement. I asked a similar question on my thread a year and a half ago and no one responded. Thank you, Alto, for your gracious response. 

Hopefully, someone will be kind enough to answer my question. 

 

in Aug 2014, prescribed 20 mg of escitalopram.  Oct 2014, upped to 30 mg.

In January 2016, "doctor" added 2mg of Abilify

I had been taking .5 Xanax in AM and PM for a few years

Xanax November 23rd, 2016 .25   5 times per day

Took .5 Ativan in AM and .5 Ativan in PM 10 hours apart for 2 weeks and 2 days. I stopped Ativan on Nov 4th 2016

I cold turkeyed off escitalopram and Abilify on September 4, 2016

i crosses over to 1 mg of Klonopin in Dec 2016. 

Since withdrawal, I have occasionally taken 10mg or 20mg propranolol when my heart was pounding uncontrollably

Supplements Magnesium, Vitamin C, Natural Calm magnesium drink.  Just started  11/16/16 Lactium supplement 167mg at night.

Godiswithme: I'm very scared   Godiswithme: Xanax taper after cold-turkey of Lexapro and Abilify

Jan 2017. Slowly reinstated Lexapro over 4-5 mos to 15mg. Have stayed on that amount. 

Sept 2017. Started tapering 1mg of Klonopin. As of May 2017, I am at .426 mg of Klonopin split into 2 doses per day. 

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By your response, I think you already know the answer to your question. By the way, read the topic.

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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4 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

By your response, I think you already know the answer to your question. By the way, read the topic.

I did read it. 

What enjoyment could I get from asking that question if I already knew the answer? 

Whatever. I think the answer would contain valuable information to share with everyone.  

in Aug 2014, prescribed 20 mg of escitalopram.  Oct 2014, upped to 30 mg.

In January 2016, "doctor" added 2mg of Abilify

I had been taking .5 Xanax in AM and PM for a few years

Xanax November 23rd, 2016 .25   5 times per day

Took .5 Ativan in AM and .5 Ativan in PM 10 hours apart for 2 weeks and 2 days. I stopped Ativan on Nov 4th 2016

I cold turkeyed off escitalopram and Abilify on September 4, 2016

i crosses over to 1 mg of Klonopin in Dec 2016. 

Since withdrawal, I have occasionally taken 10mg or 20mg propranolol when my heart was pounding uncontrollably

Supplements Magnesium, Vitamin C, Natural Calm magnesium drink.  Just started  11/16/16 Lactium supplement 167mg at night.

Godiswithme: I'm very scared   Godiswithme: Xanax taper after cold-turkey of Lexapro and Abilify

Jan 2017. Slowly reinstated Lexapro over 4-5 mos to 15mg. Have stayed on that amount. 

Sept 2017. Started tapering 1mg of Klonopin. As of May 2017, I am at .426 mg of Klonopin split into 2 doses per day. 

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What that means is: Your question is answered earlier in this topic.

 

You tend to ask the same questions over and over, Godiswithme. Please look carefully at the information that's already here before asking again, save the staff some work.

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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  • 3 months later...

Why it's good to crash!  (MOD NOTE:  Please see this post)


When we crash, it’s scary, very scary. But there is a bright side. Look at it this way. When we take these tablets, our brains adapt over time. The buoyant supply of neurotransmitters makes our brain reduce the production of said neurotransmitters. That’s why they stop working, or why we lose feeling. So we know our brains adapt. So why do we have delayed withdrawal, sometimes leading to a crash? – Well I reckon, (and this has got some scientific basis), that we have a reserve of neurotransmitters, we still have some drug preventing the reuptake, but it’s loosened a little from tapering and the reuptake is happening at a slightly faster rate than our downregulated production can replace them. Now a slow taper gives the brain time to adjust and increase the production as lower levels of neurotransmitters send the signal to our brain to do so. That’s the ideal for a slow taper. But sometimes the brain can’t increase production fast enough. This may be through a too fast taper, or increased stress hindering the process and using increased amounts of those neurotransmitters. This is when we crash! So why is a crash actually a good thing? – Because the brain WILL react, it will be given a very strong signal to increase production of the neurotransmitters. It will kick in to make the brain stable again. This is very uncomfortable to go through, but it’s actually a positive jump in healing. During a crash we should be careful not to react to the panic. Stay calm and accept. Think positively about it. Take the baby steps while our brain adjusts and trust that it will. Try not to go negative and spiral down. There is the option of a small increase in drug to help the brain stabilise, but for many this doesn’t help, it can confuse the emergency process the brain is going through. The best thing to do is recognise, hold the taper and wait it out with strong minded positivity that things will stabilise. I find a mantra of ‘I’m not scared of this, I accept it’ helps.

 

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added mod note

1995 aged 18 Started 20mg Seroxat and 50mg Half Inderal Beta Blocker for anxiety / 1996 stopped beta blockers / 1997 stopped Seroxat

1999 Started Seroxat 20mg again / 2000-2016 mainly stayed on Seroxat with some drops to 15 and 10mg / Sep-Nov 2016 tapered from 20mg to 10mg / Nov 16 Major crash and massive hike from 10mg to 40mg / Dec 16 - Jun 17 struggled with insomnia and bouts of depression (not had serious depression previously) / Jun 17 Increased to 45mg Seroxat with little improvement / Mid Oct 17 lowered to 40mg, Nov 1st 17 lowered to 35mg / Mid Nov 17 back up to 40mg / Jan 2018 down to 37.5mg / 8th Feb 2018 down to 35mg / 20th Mar 2018 down to 32.5mg / April gave up cigarettes (tough) / 14th May 2018 down to 30mg / 27th June 2018 down to 27.5mg / 24th July down to 25mg / 20th August Crashed

 

Dropping 2.5mg every 4-6 weeks provided have been level for at least 2 weeks of that. After 4-6 days from drop I feel moderate increase in depression and anxiety with mood swings of up and down, sometimes excited to point of mania. Subsides over 7-21 days to base level. 

 

DO CBT, ONLY WAY OF ACCEPTING SYMPTOMS WITHOUT GOING NUTS AND LETTING IT SPIRAL. I can even handle consequences of having a few drinks.

 

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On 9/12/2018 at 7:51 AM, WackoSirJacko said:

Why it's good to crash!
When we crash, it’s scary, very scary. But there is a bright side. Look at it this way. When we take these tablets, our brains adapt over time. The buoyant supply of neurotransmitters makes our brain reduce the production of said neurotransmitters. That’s why they stop working, or why we lose feeling. So we know our brains adapt. So why do we have delayed withdrawal, sometimes leading to a crash? – Well I reckon, (and this has got some scientific basis), that we have a reserve of neurotransmitters, we still have some drug preventing the reuptake, but it’s loosened a little from tapering and the reuptake is happening at a slightly faster rate than our downregulated production can replace them. Now a slow taper gives the brain time to adjust and increase the production as lower levels of neurotransmitters send the signal to our brain to do so. That’s the ideal for a slow taper. But sometimes the brain can’t increase production fast enough. This may be through a too fast taper, or increased stress hindering the process and using increased amounts of those neurotransmitters. This is when we crash! So why is a crash actually a good thing? – Because the brain WILL react, it will be given a very strong signal to increase production of the neurotransmitters. It will kick in to make the brain stable again. This is very uncomfortable to go through, but it’s actually a positive jump in healing. During a crash we should be careful not to react to the panic. Stay calm and accept. Think positively about it. Take the baby steps while our brain adjusts and trust that it will. Try not to go negative and spiral down. There is the option of a small increase in drug to help the brain stabilise, but for many this doesn’t help, it can confuse the emergency process the brain is going through. The best thing to do is recognise, hold the taper and wait it out with strong minded positivity that things will stabilise. I find a mantra of ‘I’m not scared of this, I accept it’ helps.

I found what you have written really interesting.  I wish I could have held on to my crash state recently but could not and made the choice to up dose.   It was too intense for me because of some personal stress as well.  

9/2013-4/2014:  After moms death, was prescribed a series of meds for short periods of time that didn't work. Zoloft, Lexapro,  Nortriptyline, Liquid Prozac, Cymbalta. 

1/2014-9/2014. Clonzapam: Given Lamictal, stopped Clonzapam at .125mgs  

1/2015-4 2017 Remeron: 41.25 -0.025mgs

7/2015-11/2018 Lamictal: 200mgs-0.05 mgs Had paradoxical reaction to Lamictal wd, broke my heart to take a benzo but wasn't sleeping. 

3/28/2019 -2/5/ 2021  Clonazapam: 0.625mgs-.00115 Med Free 

July 27th, 2022**Severe Setback due to surgery/ anesthesia. 

9/7/22-10/4/22 Trazadone 50-100mgs for sleep, 10/13/22-11/13/22 Trazadone 1 mg to stabilize

10/4/22-11/20/22 Remeron 7.5mgs (for sleep doesn't work) 11/20/22 7.3 - 12/31/22 6.3 

2023: 1/18/23 6.1 - 6/6/23 3.6  6/16 3.4  6/28 3.0 7/12 2.7  7/28 2.5 8/11 2.2 8/23 2.0  9/5 1.8  9/16 1.6  9/30 1.4  10/13 1.2  10/26 1.0  11/9 0.8  11/22 0.6  12/6 0.4  12/23 0.2.

2024 1/4/24  Remeron/Mirtazapine free 

Additional Support:  Armour Thyroid 75mgs, Magnesium Glycinate 300-500mgs,  L-theanine 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Just to clarify, WackoSirJacko, this is in the case of an unintended crash and you are pointing out that it may have a silver lining.  You are not suggesting that anybody should intentionally cause such a crash. I don’t want anyone in a state of desperation to read this the wrong way.

 

Good post by the way. 

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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Thanks WackoSirJacko for your thoughts. 

 

 

1994 began Paxil 20. Jan2018-began taper @ 2.5 mg every 6 wks. 10mg Paxil on May 12/2018

May 2019 - 9.75 mg Paxil; July 12/19 9.5 mg

July 20/19 -9.75 mg

Aug  12/19 10 mg Paxil 10 mg Prozac, “Prozac bridge” ;Vit D 1000iu 6 per day, magnesium bis-glycinate 200mgx3, Omega 3 600mg x3, gaba 600mgx2, Inositol powder

Meditation, tapping, breathing and grounding, yoga, art, counselling 

Aug 21 dropped Prozac; increase Paxil to 15mg

March 8/2021. Reinstated to 20 mg Paxil

July 2021 added .75 mg Wellbutrin

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

a couple of questions about reinstating: 

how do you know if increased anxiety is a bad reaction  to reinstating or it it's the 'normal' effect of  starting the drug as most ssri's seem to list anxiety as an early side effect? 

if you don't have a reduction in withdrawals fairly quickly, how long should you leave it before upping the small dose - most ssri's don't seem to show any beneficial effects until around 6 weeks or more so is that how long you should stay on the small dosage before increasing it? 

 

Took prozac 40 mg for 20 years.

January 2017 started cutting down prozac by 12.5% a week. End of February 2017 completely off prozac and withdrawals began.

Currently taking Levothyroxine 75 mcg, Magnesium citrate 200mg,Sage leaf 50mg daily

Amlodipine: October 2017 , discontinued 26 Feb 2019; Candesartan:  26 Feb 2019, 4mg.

Discontinued magnesium citrate 200mg Apr 3rd 2019

Reinstated prozac:  14 Jan 2019, 1mg; 26 Jan, 1.5mg; 4 Feb, 2mg; 16 Feb, 2.5mg; 2 Mar, 3mg; 5 Mar, 2.5mg, 23 Mar, 3 mg; 6 Apr, 3.5mg, 14 Apr 4mg, 23 Apr 5mg, 10 Jul 8mg, 1 Dec 20mg, 1 Apr 2020 40mg 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi All,

 

Was trying to get an overall idea of how reinstatement worked for people who had posted their stories in this thread. I have compiled a spreadsheet (attached) which details all the user experiences shared in this thread in hopefully an easy to read quick view.

Some of the feedback was a little hard to gather exact details from, however you should be able to at a glance see how many people reported success with reinstatement and the time windows reported.

Hope this helps 😃

 

Edit: I should add that the majority of user experiences reported an improvement in symptoms after reinstatement.

 

image.thumb.png.e3316128fdd680727dd308477fa55050.png

Paroxatine - 2004-2006

Effexor XR 75mg 2006 - 2016 (Discontinued Feb 2016) - Withdrawal for 6 months.

Effexor XR 75mg Re-instated June 2017 (Discontinued Dec 2017)

Effexor XR 2-3 mg Re-instated March 10 2018 - 1 day (Didn't work)

Effexor XR 2mg Reinstated (Again) May 11 2018. 6 Beads

July 2018 - 0.0mg of Effexor. Zilch

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wow- thankyou so much for taking the time to do this!!!!

Took prozac 40 mg for 20 years.

January 2017 started cutting down prozac by 12.5% a week. End of February 2017 completely off prozac and withdrawals began.

Currently taking Levothyroxine 75 mcg, Magnesium citrate 200mg,Sage leaf 50mg daily

Amlodipine: October 2017 , discontinued 26 Feb 2019; Candesartan:  26 Feb 2019, 4mg.

Discontinued magnesium citrate 200mg Apr 3rd 2019

Reinstated prozac:  14 Jan 2019, 1mg; 26 Jan, 1.5mg; 4 Feb, 2mg; 16 Feb, 2.5mg; 2 Mar, 3mg; 5 Mar, 2.5mg, 23 Mar, 3 mg; 6 Apr, 3.5mg, 14 Apr 4mg, 23 Apr 5mg, 10 Jul 8mg, 1 Dec 20mg, 1 Apr 2020 40mg 

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  • 1 month later...

Has anyone else reinstated late after 3 weeks. I got reinstated 3 months after cold turkey last year. Is it still possible to still recover? 

1996 prozac 20mg I

1998 Seroxat 

2011 - 2016 citalopram 20mg

2016 fluoxetine upto 40mg for approx 10 weeks 

2016 16th June - until 2018 7th March sertraline 50mg 

propranolol 10mg to take when needed) 

2018 13th March - started mirtazapine 15mg, stopped 03/04/18

2018 2nd July reinstated sertraline 50mg. 

Started tapering October 2018.

Straight swap from 25mg sertraline to 10mg citalopram 18/5/19 stopped 21/6/19 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
46 minutes ago, A14n said:

Has anyone else reinstated late after 3 weeks. I got reinstated 3 months after cold turkey last year. Is it still possible to still recover? 

 

Within 3 months after last dose  is the period during which reinstatement most predictably works.  It can also work after 3 months.  It varies according to the individual.

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 Feb. 22: 7.6mg

Taper is 90% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, anti-candida, 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.

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i wonder how many people have reinstated at a full dose but haven't stayed here to report on the results as this is understandably a site for coming off drugs, not going back on. 

i've tried searching for info on the net but there's such a myriad of sites out there and i have no idea where to start. i'm very close to updosing to a full 20mg of prozac but have managed to hold off so far because of fears of kindling. i am so desperate for some relief from my symptoms. i don't want to get back to how i was on the pills before but i do need some sort of relief from my mind for the sake of my sanity.

 

Took prozac 40 mg for 20 years.

January 2017 started cutting down prozac by 12.5% a week. End of February 2017 completely off prozac and withdrawals began.

Currently taking Levothyroxine 75 mcg, Magnesium citrate 200mg,Sage leaf 50mg daily

Amlodipine: October 2017 , discontinued 26 Feb 2019; Candesartan:  26 Feb 2019, 4mg.

Discontinued magnesium citrate 200mg Apr 3rd 2019

Reinstated prozac:  14 Jan 2019, 1mg; 26 Jan, 1.5mg; 4 Feb, 2mg; 16 Feb, 2.5mg; 2 Mar, 3mg; 5 Mar, 2.5mg, 23 Mar, 3 mg; 6 Apr, 3.5mg, 14 Apr 4mg, 23 Apr 5mg, 10 Jul 8mg, 1 Dec 20mg, 1 Apr 2020 40mg 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
9 hours ago, thecowisback said:

i'm very close to updosing to a full 20mg of prozac

 

If you decide to increase it would be better to increase by small increments.

 

From Post #1 of this topic:

 

On 10/9/2012 at 10:17 AM, Altostrata said:

There are reports of people with prolonged post-withdrawal syndrome who did better taking a drug at full dosage 2 years later. If you want to do this, please consult a doctor, we cannot advise you on it, the doctor is going to have to monitor your reaction to the drug.

 

These are forums for people who want online support for staying on drugs:

 

depressionforums.com or PatientsLikeMe.com

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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