Administrator Altostrata Posted August 12, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 12, 2012 I don't think there's any distinction between withdrawal symptom vs side effect. Some withdrawal symptoms are immediate. I guess you could say neuroplasticity is a good thing (a general term for ability to adapt) while neurosensitization is a bad thing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted August 19, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 19, 2012 Happy Forum Day to me. This is my Gold Star post. With it I turn 1000!!! As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 19, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 19, 2012 Congratulations! The next step up is Titanium Butt. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
jr1985 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Hi Schuyler, thanks for always taking the time to reply to my posts. Just wondering how your taper is going? I hope all is well? 2003-2011: Paroxetine,Citalopram,Effexor; Aug/Sept 2011: Effexor to Mirtazapine; Oct 2011: C/T Mirtazapine back to Effexor; Nov/Dec 2011: Fast Tapered Effexor - w/d hell; Feb 2012: Reinstated Effexor 37.5mg; June 2012: Dropped to 35.6mg; Jan 2016: Propranolol 2.5mg per day for general anxiety; Feb 2016: Finasteride 0.25mg per week to slow hair loss; 18th May - 8th June 2019: Started Vyvanse 7.5mg and increased by 7.5mg weekly to 30mg (lowest “therapeutic” dose for adults).; 21st June 2019 - 12th July: Cross tapered from venlafaxine brand Rodomel to Efexor (1/4 > 1/2 > 3/4 weekly before ditching Rodomel); 13th July 2019: Cut Vyvanse dose to 15mg; 15th July 2019: Akathisia returned after years of being free; 16th July 2019: Went back up to Vyvanse 30mg Supplements: Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, Phosphatidylserine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted August 22, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 22, 2012 I don't think there's any distinction between withdrawal symptom vs side effect. Some withdrawal symptoms are immediate. I guess you could say neuroplasticity is a good thing (a general term for ability to adapt) while neurosensitization is a bad thing. Except when you were cautioning me about neuroplasticity and tinnitus! Are some withdrawal symptoms more subject to lag time (may be delayed in onset), flu like symptoms, etc... Then others, tinnitus are more often of brief onset.. eg. appear in an hour after an inadvertent variation in dosage whether it be up or down. Even with individual variation does tinnitus usually present as a more immediate. Then for flu like symptoms, would those be more likely implicated in lag time. Of course to complicate matters, radically different half lives play a role. Thing is, it is more easy to shake immediate type of withdrawal symptoms than lag time type.. or so it seems (this was NOT true the first go round I had with tinnitus.. that did not remit for 2 months, now does so in a few days) Hope the above is not hopelessly convoluted... I really tried to get the gist. Hi Schuyler, thanks for always taking the time to reply to my posts. Just wondering how your taper is going? I hope all is well? My taper is going really well... I just have to monitor the tinnitus daily, the ringing usually hits before RLS. As much as I loathe tinnitus, RLS are worse because trying to sleep is torturous. We can writhe in misery all night and get up completely exhausted. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
xDebbiejo Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Hi Schuyler How are you doing ? Just wanted to say thank you for the advice on the benzo I think I'm now safely off thanks to you Do hope you're ok Many hugs Debbie x 17 years on seroxat/paxil CT off - thought I was dying luckily found this site. 21st May 2012 12mg seroxat Stable - Tapered Diazepam slowish.1st June 10mg Seroxat 2nd June 1mg Diazepam.15th June 9mg seroxat 2nd July Changed to 2.5[ml liquid diazepam]2mg=5ml. 16th July 2ml Liquid Diazepam 2nd August 8mg/4ml Seroxat/Paxil 2nd August 1.5 ml Diazepam 18th Aug 2012 1ml Diazepam 1st - 5th Sept 0.5 Diazepam Free! 13th Oct 7mg/3.5ml seroxat - 26 Jan 2013 3.25ml/6.5mg-Mar 3ml-April 2.7ml-May 2.5ml 01/07/14 very slow taper over the last year now on 0.5 ml of liquid Seroxat ......November 14 Seroat Free!!!!!!! Link to comment
jr1985 Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Hi Shuyler, how have your drops been compared with when you were jerking the dose around/taking it at the wrong time, etc? 2003-2011: Paroxetine,Citalopram,Effexor; Aug/Sept 2011: Effexor to Mirtazapine; Oct 2011: C/T Mirtazapine back to Effexor; Nov/Dec 2011: Fast Tapered Effexor - w/d hell; Feb 2012: Reinstated Effexor 37.5mg; June 2012: Dropped to 35.6mg; Jan 2016: Propranolol 2.5mg per day for general anxiety; Feb 2016: Finasteride 0.25mg per week to slow hair loss; 18th May - 8th June 2019: Started Vyvanse 7.5mg and increased by 7.5mg weekly to 30mg (lowest “therapeutic” dose for adults).; 21st June 2019 - 12th July: Cross tapered from venlafaxine brand Rodomel to Efexor (1/4 > 1/2 > 3/4 weekly before ditching Rodomel); 13th July 2019: Cut Vyvanse dose to 15mg; 15th July 2019: Akathisia returned after years of being free; 16th July 2019: Went back up to Vyvanse 30mg Supplements: Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, Phosphatidylserine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus tezza Posted September 7, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 7, 2012 Hi Schuyler, I just wanted to drop by your thread and say hello and hope you are doing ok. Thank you for all the help you've been! Hugs http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1644-tezza-risperdal-withdrawal/ Seroquel and Mirtazipine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted September 8, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 8, 2012 Hi Schuyler, I just wanted to drop by your thread and say hello and hope you are doing ok. Thank you for all the help you've been! Hugs Thanks Tezza, I appreciate your feedback. UPDATE: The Good , The Bad , and The Very Good The Good.. I was able to cut 30mgs of Lyrica in August, the first Lyrica cut since 4/12, hmm, guess that was a 4 month hold, WOW.. I had not realized this was so long. I also cut .2 mgs of diazepam in August. Awrighttt The Bad.. I was a little overzealous with the renewed tapering so need to hold for 3 weeks, 2 weeks so far, 1 more to go and then it's back to cut time. Though one can reasonably argue holds are taper time, active cuts are best! The tinnitus and insomnia, (RLS not so much), which had reemerged stopped full after 12 days, but another week and a half hold for good measure. THE VERY GOOD! I tried a balance test.. closed my eyes and tried to hold my position without falling. I've flunked these with a resounding failure for the last TWENTY years. The doc (he wrote the first benzo script) who saw this at the getgo said this was a brain stem issue that would eventually put me in a wheelchair. Anyhow, two days ago I tried again, fully expecting to topple over. I held my position without swaying like someone who is very drunk. Seems the problem was caused all along by benzos... WOW. I am now normal in this regard, and who knows, maybe better than. MORE VERY GOOD!!, I had burning in my feet when walking, also for TWENTY years. It's now GONE. I've been walking close to a mile a day, slowly working up to this for the past month, and there is no burning whatsoever. I thought this was fibro.. nupe, was the benzo. (The classic fibro stuff is unchanged, but I'll take this improvement.. yes indeed!) An special SHOUT OUT to Shanti.. your post about burning and Xanax put me onto this. Now to coast off the rest of the diazepam, there is no hurry, though it's good to keep an 'Eye on the Prize'. I'll be cutting diazepam and Lyrica in a tag team effort, followed by Requip at the end. I figure since Requip helps with RLS (arms in my case), this should be at the tail end. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
xDebbiejo Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Brilliant news !!! So happy for you Schuyler :):):):) Love and hugs Debbie x 17 years on seroxat/paxil CT off - thought I was dying luckily found this site. 21st May 2012 12mg seroxat Stable - Tapered Diazepam slowish.1st June 10mg Seroxat 2nd June 1mg Diazepam.15th June 9mg seroxat 2nd July Changed to 2.5[ml liquid diazepam]2mg=5ml. 16th July 2ml Liquid Diazepam 2nd August 8mg/4ml Seroxat/Paxil 2nd August 1.5 ml Diazepam 18th Aug 2012 1ml Diazepam 1st - 5th Sept 0.5 Diazepam Free! 13th Oct 7mg/3.5ml seroxat - 26 Jan 2013 3.25ml/6.5mg-Mar 3ml-April 2.7ml-May 2.5ml 01/07/14 very slow taper over the last year now on 0.5 ml of liquid Seroxat ......November 14 Seroat Free!!!!!!! Link to comment
jr1985 Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Hi Shuyler. How are you? When you say you held for 10 weeks while you were still sensitive, did your RLS flare up randomly during that time? 2003-2011: Paroxetine,Citalopram,Effexor; Aug/Sept 2011: Effexor to Mirtazapine; Oct 2011: C/T Mirtazapine back to Effexor; Nov/Dec 2011: Fast Tapered Effexor - w/d hell; Feb 2012: Reinstated Effexor 37.5mg; June 2012: Dropped to 35.6mg; Jan 2016: Propranolol 2.5mg per day for general anxiety; Feb 2016: Finasteride 0.25mg per week to slow hair loss; 18th May - 8th June 2019: Started Vyvanse 7.5mg and increased by 7.5mg weekly to 30mg (lowest “therapeutic” dose for adults).; 21st June 2019 - 12th July: Cross tapered from venlafaxine brand Rodomel to Efexor (1/4 > 1/2 > 3/4 weekly before ditching Rodomel); 13th July 2019: Cut Vyvanse dose to 15mg; 15th July 2019: Akathisia returned after years of being free; 16th July 2019: Went back up to Vyvanse 30mg Supplements: Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, Phosphatidylserine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted September 14, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 14, 2012 When you say you held for 10 weeks while you were still sensitive, did your RLS flare up randomly during that time? Hi jr… I’m very sorry to hear you are still struggling. I recently realized my hold was 4 months … I held because of tinnitus, not RLS, though I’m not sure the withdrawal ‘profile’ would be any different for RLS. Tinnitus, which was the 'bigger bear' probably would have disappeared had I waited another 2 mos. or so (for a total of six mos.). It is with me now as I cut, but never as loudly as during the first 2 months. That was dreadful, though my sleep was not disrupted as yours is now. I bumped around mercilessly for the first two mos. of the hold because I did not realize a couple of mgs. one way or another, I was on 300 mgs., would make a difference, but I was so sensitized it really did. You mentioned quinine, and I was thinking it might help, to try again. But I did years ago and it did not help… Alto asked if you would be close enough to see the David Healy, MD. , a suggestion I strongly support. ~S As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 3, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 3, 2012 Sorry about the precipitous pull back on the forum. I did not want to give taper advice, but ended up involved all the same, so it was time to refocus. For now, mostly media stuff with a smattering of personal messages (LOL.. 'lil more for the Meister). After 3 days of head banging, I have ordered the following supplements. (Alto, sorry I edited the Omega stuff poorly.. my head was swimming.) I don't need them to help with withdrawal as the 'only' ongoing symptom is tinnitus. But the knee doc wants me to build up cartilage, and the PC wants Vit. D (I got wayyy low a couple of years back) and calcium. Into the mix are fibro considerations. So here goes.. Jarrow Formulas Max DHA , 572 Mg, 180 Softgels Vit E 400 with mixed torphrenols IUs Chelated Magnesium 250 mgs Simply Right Vitamin B Complex NOW Vitamin D 5,000 ius Calcium Supplement (I need to take the chewy kind ) Malic Acid 800 mgs I have taken large doses of Vitamin D before and done very well... no worsening of withdrawal symptoms. Same for magnesium... LOL.. the downside is nothing helps tinnitus but holding. And I'm sneaking in the B complex for fibro (highly recommended on the firbo network.) I'll phase onto this regimen over the next couple of weeks. I did not routinely take supplements in the past because they made me nauseous.. note the absence of a multi vitamin.. those are reallyy bad. Anyhow, I'll be spacing these out over the course of the day. All things being equal, I'll give this a 6 month trial, to see if there is an increase in energy, etc. Hokay.. enuf for now.. except to say, 3 months out and NO burning in my feet. It really was the accursed benzos. Twenty-Five years of being hamstrung by that. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 3, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 3, 2012 Your contributions are always welcome, Schuyler. Please be careful with the B vitamins. Try a fraction of a tablet first. Good luck with the rest. I hope they help. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 3, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 3, 2012 Thanks Alto.. I'm going to start with the B Complex so I can tell exactly what they are doing, and I will cut the tabs. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 4, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 4, 2012 Your contributions are always welcome, Schuyler. Please be careful with the B vitamins. Try a fraction of a tablet first. Good luck with the rest. I hope they help. Alto.. I seem to have 'misplaced' the Omega/Fish oil thread?? I can't find it.. I found Fish Oil caps at BJ's Warehouse (pretty much our answer to Costco). LOL, as what I just ordered on Amazon was held up, I thought I'd ask about these. They have 640 EPA (DEA?), and 240 DEA (EPA?) (copied off the bottle, these are not listed on the site). at a cost of 9.99 for 300 caps. Thoughts? The bottle has Fish Oil and not Omega-3 on the label, is this different? I'm still taking baby steps learning about Omega three.. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 4, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 4, 2012 Search for omega-3 in the Symptoms and Self-Care forum. I don't know what DEA is in a fish oil capsule. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 4, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 4, 2012 Search for omega-3 in the Symptoms and Self-Care forum. I don't know what DEA is in a fish oil capsule. Sigh, I even checked that, must have been some designation that talked DEA as well as DHA.. I mean DHA, and I can't find the thread that I started of posting on for Omega-3, the one on which I made the typos. I've looked and looked. ARGH.. all this stuff makes me feel stoopid. I was looking for this thread.. dunno why search would not pull it up. My link I've had some sort of a life-long glitch when it comes to visually sorting information, it was right there but I did not register it, same happens to me when I'm looking for stuff on supermarket shelves.. I'll look directly at what I'm seeking but not 'see' it. Drives me nuts, so once in awhile I end up asking for help with something obvious. Is fish oil the same as Omega-3 when the DHA and EPA values are the same? I'm really sorry to be so dense, but honestly, I really am trying to get a handle on all this. This is the question I was trying to ask. Thanks for your time. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 5, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 5, 2012 Groan.. if the values look good, and from what amazingly little I know about this, they do (they are marketed under a brand name for BJ's) but the price is sooo low. WOW, .033 cents each. To good to be true, or maybe Omega-3 is starting to come down in price? I thought Jarrow Formulas Max DHA , 572 Mg, 180 Softgelsby Jarrow was supposed to be a good at .08 per unit, but this is much cheaper, maybe too much? As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 5, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 5, 2012 As the first post in the omega-3 topic http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/page__view__findpost__p__44 explained, DHA and EPA are omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil. Personally, I don't believe it makes a difference how much DHA vs EPA there is in a capsule, as long as the total is at least 600mg. Others would say higher DHA is better. Another essential characteristic is that it needs to be molecularly distilled or purified to remove heavy metals and other impurities. I have no idea what the quality of BJ's fish oil might be. You'll have to contact them or look that up elsewhere on the Web. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 5, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 5, 2012 Ohh, I'll bet the quality is not up to snuff. I'll get the oil from Amazon for now and ask who to contact at BJs. One thing I have managed to assimilate is Mercury is not so good... Thanks again, Lynn L As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 20, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 20, 2012 I may have found a new use for my blog! (Well, this dosen't quite fit into the media sub forum, think?) As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 20, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 20, 2012 Love that cartoon! This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted October 21, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 21, 2012 I agree, where is the LIKE button Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 24, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 24, 2012 Recently posted on the Prozac Withdrawal Blogspot. Earlier this week, I went to a day long workshop on adolescents and drugs. The focus was on illegal drugs including marijuana.. Prescription drugs were deemed healthy as long as they were taken according to doctors orders. The presenters talked about how marijuana lowers IQ over the years (true), but said not one word about the cognitive effect of legal drugs. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 24, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 24, 2012 Further cartoon posts will be curtailed because of copyright considerations. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 25, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 25, 2012 This is the first BD I've given import to since I turned 21. Today I am SIXTY-FIVE and counting. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted October 25, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 25, 2012 Happy birthday Schuyler I hope you have a great day today with many more great birthdays to come. Dalsaan x 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 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus areyouthere Posted October 25, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 25, 2012 HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! And many morrrrrrrreeee!!! Fall 1995 xanax, zoloft. switched to Serzone 1996- spring 2003serzone/ xanax/ lightbox. b]Fall 2003- Fall 2004? Lexapro 10 mg. Light box /4 mg. xanax.[/b] 2004 - Fall of 2009 10 mg Lex, 150 mg Wellbutrin XL % 4 mg xanax November 2009- Sept. 2011 10 mg lex., 300 Well. XL, 4 mg Xanax [/b Sept.2012- July 2012 20 mg Lex 300 Well. XL, 4 mg Xanax My mantra " go slow & with the flow " 3/2/13.. Began equal dosing 5 Xs /day xanax, while simultaneously incorporating a 2.5 % drop ( from 3.5 mg/day to 3.4 mg/day) 4/6/13 dropped from 300 mg. Wellbutrin XL to 150 mg. Difficult but DONE! Down to 3.3 mg xanax/ day / 6/10/13 3 mg xanax/day; 7/15/2013 2.88mg xanax/day. 10/ 1/2013...... 2.5 mg xanax… ( switched to tablets again) WOO HOO!!!!!! Holding here… cont. with Lexapro. 1/ 2/2014.. tapered to 18mg ( by weight) of a 26 mg ( by weight) pill of 20 mg tab. lexapro. goal is 13mg (by weight OR 10 mg by ingredient content) and STOPPED. Feeling very down with unbalanced, unpredictable WD symptoms. 1/2/2014- ??? Taking a brain-healing break from tapering anything after actively tapering something for 1.5 years. So… daily doses as of 2/2/2014: 18 mg by weight Lex, 150 mg Well. XL, 2.5 mg xanax, down from 26 mg by weight Lex., 300 mg well. XL, 4 mg xanax in August, 2012. I'll take it. 5/8/14 started equivalent dose liquid./ tabs. 5/13/14 1.5 % cut. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted October 28, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 28, 2012 Andertoons As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 28, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 28, 2012 How about posting cartoons in Off 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. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted November 1, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 1, 2012 How about posting cartoons in Off Topic?Good idea.. done. Update of a sort. I'm on a 6 week hold and just rocked the proverbial apple cart accidentally. I had to stay with my Dad during Sandy (am in MA.. was not a big deal here). As I was getting water and food supplies, etc., it was also necessary to mix a batch of Lyrica. Something must have gone wrong as 3 days into the 5 day lot my ears started with the accursed tinnitus ringing. If error involved the wrong number of tabs., the ringing should have been louder sooner, so it was the wrong amount of diluent, or I did not shake the mixture thoroughly enough.... or maybe the tinnitus had a resurgence just because. ARGH... this whole taper business makes me crazy sometimes. I mean like really, when we hold we should feel better right?, not WORSE! Thanks for reading my rant. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted November 1, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hi Schuyler Could it have been the change in atmospheric pressure from the storm? 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 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted November 1, 2012 Author Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hi Schuyler Could it have been the change in atmospheric pressure from the storm? Dalsaan ... thanks for the try. Nupe.. while the atmospheric pressure change might account for 24 hours, the tinnitus went on for 3 days. I did something wrong. Not the first time and will not be the last. I am now using a new batch and things seem to be improving. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
jr1985 Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 How about posting cartoons in Off Topic? Good idea.. done. Update of a sort. I'm on a 6 week hold and just rocked the proverbial apple cart accidentally. I had to stay with my Dad during Sandy (am in MA.. was not a big deal here). As I was getting water and food supplies, etc., it was also necessary to mix a batch of Lyrica. Something must have gone wrong as 3 days into the 5 day lot my ears started with the accursed tinnitus ringing. If error involved the wrong number of tabs., the ringing should have been louder sooner, so it was the wrong amount of diluent, or I did not shake the mixture thoroughly enough.... or maybe the tinnitus had a resurgence just because. ARGH... this whole taper business makes me crazy sometimes. I mean like really, when we hold we should feel better right?, not WORSE! Thanks for reading my rant. I can relate. I was feeling almost normal during my hold, then the tingling/RLS came back for no apparent reason. It was driving me crazy thinking what could have caused this - inaccurate measurement, random resurgence, etc. Turns out I didn't take Daylight Saving Time into consideration... The clocks went back an hour on Sunday, which is when the symptoms reappeared. I basically dosed an hour late. Very frustrating, I know. 2003-2011: Paroxetine,Citalopram,Effexor; Aug/Sept 2011: Effexor to Mirtazapine; Oct 2011: C/T Mirtazapine back to Effexor; Nov/Dec 2011: Fast Tapered Effexor - w/d hell; Feb 2012: Reinstated Effexor 37.5mg; June 2012: Dropped to 35.6mg; Jan 2016: Propranolol 2.5mg per day for general anxiety; Feb 2016: Finasteride 0.25mg per week to slow hair loss; 18th May - 8th June 2019: Started Vyvanse 7.5mg and increased by 7.5mg weekly to 30mg (lowest “therapeutic” dose for adults).; 21st June 2019 - 12th July: Cross tapered from venlafaxine brand Rodomel to Efexor (1/4 > 1/2 > 3/4 weekly before ditching Rodomel); 13th July 2019: Cut Vyvanse dose to 15mg; 15th July 2019: Akathisia returned after years of being free; 16th July 2019: Went back up to Vyvanse 30mg Supplements: Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, Phosphatidylserine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus tezza Posted November 2, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 2, 2012 HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! I hope it was a very good day for you. Love, Tezza http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1644-tezza-risperdal-withdrawal/ Seroquel and Mirtazipine Link to comment
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