Staz: Poly drugged & trying to get drug free

[Staz]

Gradually reduced my seroquel from 25mg to 20mg over the last 5 days. Noticing disturbed sleep and a bit more anxiety so I will be holding now for a while until this settles back to my baseline.

Depression still as black as ever and the morning terror of waking to face a new day still as frightening as ever. When seroquel is dealt with I shall wait for a while then recommence my V taper. Although I'll be using liquid titration I think in light of my recent experience I'll not be cutting daily but still using the microtaper method but leaving a few days between cuts.

[kesh]

Hi.

 

Just wanted to share the experience of being on prozac without problems on and off for 25 years, then put on it a final time and it driving me crazy. Anxiety, akathisia, suicidal ideation. Then they gave me benzos and z-drugs and beta blockers. Polypharmacy begins because of harm done by the original drug. Luckily I've realised this is a road to hell only a few weeks in, so hopefully getting back won't be too painful. Already off the z-drug.

 

All the best. People go through hell and get better.

[Staz]

Good for you Kesh,

Unfortunately I trusted a psychiatrist and have paid a heavy price for it.

Staz

[Staz]

Well I blew my no alcohol policy after 3 weeks or so. 4 beers and I'm a wreck this morning. Back on the wagon this evening though. Really disappointed with myself.

[Kristine]

NYE has that effect.  Try not to be too hard on yourself Staz....hoping 2018 is better for us all. K

[powerback]

1 hour ago, Staz said:

Well I blew my no alcohol policy after 3 weeks or so. 4 beers and I'm a wreck this morning. Back on the wagon this evening though. Really disappointed with myself.

Carefull staz being to hard on yourself ,this week ive indulged with food I wouldn't normAlly eat anymore with trying to be healthy .but no big deal ,as you say back on the wagon and watch out for the over critical self .

I wonder if we have issues with impulse control also in withdrawl .

Happy new year to you .

[Staz]

43 minutes ago, powerback said:

Carefull staz being to hard on yourself ,this week ive indulged with food I wouldn't normAlly eat anymore with trying to be healthy .but no big deal ,as you say back on the wagon and watch out for the over critical self .

I wonder if we have issues with impulse control also in withdrawl .

Happy new year to you .

 

Thanks PB. You're right. Draw a line under it and move on and be kinder to myself

Happy New Year to you also.

[Staz]

2 hours ago, Kristine said:

NYE has that effect.  Try not to be too hard on yourself Staz....hoping 2018 is better for us all. K

Thanks Kristine,

Back on the wagon tonight.

xxxxxx

[Frogie]

21 minutes ago, Staz said:

Thanks Kristine,

Back on the wagon tonight.

xxxxxx

Don't beat yourself up. You made a mistake. You will be ok.

 

Take care,

Frogie xx

[Staz]

1 hour ago, Frogie said:

Don't beat yourself up. You made a mistake. You will be ok.

Thanks Frogie.

I wish you a good 2018.

[Frogie]

3 minutes ago, Staz said:

Thanks Frogie.

I wish you a good 2018.

I wish for all of us to have a great 2018!

 

Take care,

Frogie xx

[Staz]

2018 is here and I've been suffering MDD for nearly 2 years now. I've tried so many medications and now am told my depression is treatment resistant. I've really run out of hope. Has anyone else been told they've treatment resistant depression and recovered?

 

[powerback]

3 hours ago, Staz said:

2018 is here and I've been suffering MDD for nearly 2 years now. I've tried so many medications and now am told my depression is treatment resistant. I've really run out of hope. Has anyone else been told they've treatment resistant depression and recovered?

 

Hi staz ,we believed these so called experts to begin with so please be careful believeing anymore of what they say .its infuriating what there industry does to us .never loose hope .I need to hear this myself alot also.

PB

 

[Staz]

Thanks PB. I'm really down today and despondent. Another year of misery awaits me and I feel so stuck. My psychiatrist has basically given up on me with his ECT suggestion and being on benzos lowers the chances of that working and the procedure has some long lasting side effects for most that try it. Kristine mentioned it in one of her posts.

[Kristine]

Hi Staz,  I'd give you a big hug if I could. We can't loose hope. You know what I think of the TRD diagnosis! It's 2:45am in Aussie land and I can't sleep but soooo desperately tired. Been an extra crappy day. Staz, have you had your vitamin d level and thyroid checked? K

[Staz]

Hi Kristine,

Thanks for the virtual hug. I've not had any thyroid or vit D checks done. TDR when you are on valium is a pretty big jump in the thought process although according to my shrink there is no link between any of my meds and my depression. V is renown for causing depression. I've got the choice of ECT or tapering off meds slowly and hope I recover.

Sorry you've had a bad day Kristine.

xxx

[Kristine]

I'm really am blown away by some of the stupid things psychiatrists say to their patients....actually we should start a tread "stupid things psychiatrists say" ...I have a very long list!  Might be worth having a full blood work done.  Others might have suggestions other than vitamin d and thyroid. Low vitamin D can have a negative effect on mood and I imagine you are not getting much sun at the moment. So sorry you are feeling so terrible. I'm here for you. K 

[StuckOnMeds]

Hi Staz-

 

Happy New Year!

 

While I didn’t have treatment resistant MDD I did have treatment resistant PMDD for four solid years (Same time frame as PMS (two+ weeks a month) but more like major depression, crippling anxiety, fear, anger). 

 

I was on six medications to try and control the awfulness. However, I do not blame my Psych for continually trying new things as I was horribly and desperately ill. I could not tolerate med switches or titrations at all so we simply added things. 

 

Like I mentioned before, I’ve been titrating for years. Some meds for me are easier than others. But the hard ones that cause the most withdrawal effects (risperidone-antipsychotic) had to be dealt with with great care.

 

That meant letting my nervous system rest for long periods between drops. Not days or even weeks, but months.

 

I had been trying to titrate monthly with a solution by .02mg and still had terrible withdrawal. This is because I wasn’t just cutting by .02mg (which was far less than 10% of my current dose) I was compounding my previous three or four cuts (or more) and never letting my body, brain, and CNS catch up. They NEED that time. 

 

I consulted with my doctor who consulted with her drug rep, and found out that risperidone titration should be made no sooner than every three months. 

 

After that, I stuck to that timeframe, I made notes on my phone’s calendar regarding my titration, and would set alarms for major progress marks (“It’s already been a month!”). 

 

When I finally realized my CNS needed more time, things went almost withdrawal free and I could cut my full 10%! 

 

Staz, my point to all of this is that I desperately understand your desire to get those drugs out of your system, but I urge you to give the movement a break so you can reach stabilization. I can’t make promises, but from my experience and the experience of so many others, stabilization is sometimes the absolute best course of action. Things likely will not improve immediately. In fact, they may get a little worse before stabilization. But stabilization is necessary. 

 

In the meantime, take extra care of your body through diet, exercise, hydration, and meditation. They work. 

 

Also, some other wise member posted about DBT (I apologize. I saw it, then went back to look for a name to credit and could not for the life of me find it). DBT is amazing! Working with a therapist and group to learn DBT is probably one of the most worthwhile things I have done for my overall health.

 

Speaking of therapists, do you see someone regularly? They may be helpful to help you deal with some of your frustrations, setbacks, and for emotion regulation. Looking for one that specializes in DBT would be my recommendation. 

 

Hang in there Staz! There is a light at the end of this tunnel. Just go slow. 

 

Best wishes for a happy And healthy New Year!!

 

Stuckonmeds

[StuckOnMeds]

3 minutes ago, Kristine said:

Others might have suggestions other than vitamin d and thyroid. Low vitamin D can have a negative effect on mood and I imagine you are not getting much sun at the moment. So sorry you are feeling so terrible. I'm here for you. K 

 

Kristine offers great advice! A full blood panel is a must. Your thyroid should also definitely be tested.

 

Another strange bedfellow of depression and anxiety is allergies. If you have any stomach troubles or seasonal allergies, I would consider food allergy testing. I have a bunch of food and environmental allergies and if I accidentally get into one of them, I can can feel cruddy for up to two days (low energy, exhaustion, grumpy, etc.). None of that helps on top of withdrawal symptoms or depression and anxiety. 

 

Best-

Stuck

 

 

[powerback]

1 hour ago, Staz said:

Thanks PB. I'm really down today and despondent. Another year of misery awaits me and I feel so stuck. My psychiatrist has basically given up on me with his ECT suggestion and being on benzos lowers the chances of that working and the procedure has some long lasting side effects for most that try it. Kristine mentioned it in one of her posts.

ide rather see it as your therapist has ran out of options ,your showing there weakness in the chemical  imbalance nonsense ,all they do is to try and fall over themselves with more meds .it happened with my own doctor .I am totally with you on another year ,I'm with you all the way in the same boat  .Keep up the fight my friend .

PB

[Staz]

5 minutes ago, powerback said:

ide rather see it as your therapist has ran out of options ,your showing there weakness in the chemical  imbalance nonsense ,all they do is to try and fall over themselves with more meds .it happened with my own doctor .I am totally with you on another year ,I'm with you all the way in the same boat  .Keep up the fight my friend .

PB

 

Thanks PB. So sorry you are suffering like I am. You are right. We must keep up the fight but it's hard, very very hard and I'm exhausted after nearly 2 years of this hell. I wish I'd started my Valium taper 18 months ago. I'd have been off of it by now but I'm getting rid of the seroquel now and will start my V taper when I've completed that. Hopefully by spring I should be ready to start it.

Staz

[Kristine]

Hi Staz, If you don't mind me asking....have you had any blood tests over the past two years? An ECG? K

[Kristine]

FYI

http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/documents/835.pdf

 

The above is a list of mandatory tests expected by the nhs for patients prescribed psychotropic medication.  If your psychiatrist/GP have failed to do this they have been medically negligent eg. Baseline blood test prior to taking Quetiapine (seroquel) and blood test monitoring throughout treatment, also ECG.  

 

Thinking of you. K

[Downbutnotout]

 

 

I’ve been in a depression for six months. 

 

Its wearing me out. I refused the antipsychotics. Sounds like that was a good move. 

 

Hope you get stabilized soon! 

 

I

 

[Kristine]

5 minutes ago, Downbutnotout said:

I refused the antipsychotics. Sounds like that was a good move.

Yes D,  it was a very wise move! You should be proud of yourself. K

[Downbutnotout]

7 minutes ago, Kristine said:

Yes D,  it was a very wise move! You should be proud of yourself. K

[Downbutnotout]

Okay. I need to feel good about something. 

[Staz]

Thanks Stuck,

I appreciate your advice and encouragement. I've some DBT beginning in Feb so I'm hoping that will help.

Staz

[Staz]

10 hours ago, Kristine said:

YI

http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/documents/835.pdf

 

The above is a list of mandatory tests expected by the nhs for patients prescribed psychotropic medication.  If your psychiatrist/GP have failed to do this they have been medically negligent eg. Baseline blood test prior to taking Quetiapine (seroquel) and blood test monitoring throughout treatment, also ECG.  

 

Thinking of you. K

I've not had a blood test before starting Quetiapine or Dosulepin so thank you for the information Kristine. I'm a bit shocked tbh.

I hope you have a good day.

Steve

[Staz]

4 hours ago, Downbutnotout said:

I’ve been in a depression for six months. 

 

Its wearing me out. I refused the antipsychotics. Sounds like that was a good move. 

 

Hope you get stabilized soon! 

Hi DBNO,

Thanks. I haven't stabilised in nearly 2 years so I'm not expecting to tbh. Until I've got rid of V I don't think I will.

Staz

[Kristine]

 

15 minutes ago, Staz said:

I've not had a blood test before starting Quetiapine or Dosulepin so thank you for the information Kristine. I'm a bit shocked tbh.

I'm feeling very angry on your behalf.  Might be worth printing it out, highlighting what is relevant and making an appointment with GP/Pdoc...then demanding an explanation.  Also ask why no tests were undertaken when you originally presented with low mood, to rule out any underlying cause eg...hypothyroidism, low vitamin d.  I'm sorry Staz...but knowledge is power. K

[powerback]

5 hours ago, Downbutnotout said:

Okay. I need to feel good about something. 

Hi DBNO,I also refused antipsychotic meds a year ago  I like to see theres a few of us 

PB

[Staz]

14 minutes ago, Kristine said:

I'm feeling very angry on your behalf.  Might be worth printing it out, highlighting what is relevant and making an appointment with GP/Pdoc...then demanding an explanation.  Also ask why no tests were undertaken when you originally presented with low mood, to rule out any underlying cause eg...hypothyroidism, low vitamin d.  I'm sorry Staz...but knowledge is power. K

I'm angry now after reading the document Kristine. I think I'll contact my GP and see if they can organise some tests. It will take a while to get an appointment though.

Staz

[Staz]

Just now, powerback said:

Hi DBNO,I also refused antipsychotic meds a year ago  I like to see theres a few of us 

PB

Good for you both. I wasn't told seroquel was an antipsychotic med. I was given it to help me sleep after lofepramine gave me insomnia. No informed consent at all.

[Staz]

17 hours ago, StuckOnMeds said:

Another strange bedfellow of depression and anxiety is allergies. If you have any stomach troubles or seasonal allergies, I would consider food allergy testing. I have a bunch of food and environmental allergies and if I accidentally get into one of them, I can can feel cruddy for up to two days (low energy, exhaustion, grumpy, etc.). None of that helps on top of withdrawal symptoms or depression and anxiety. 

I don't appear to have any G.I. issues at all Stuck. Only if i take too much magnesium supplements and no allergies that I'm aware off.

Staz

[powerback]

4 minutes ago, Staz said:

Good for you both. I wasn't told seroquel was an antipsychotic med. I was given it to help me sleep after lofepramine gave me insomnia. No informed consent at all.

Sorry staz for the thread hijack,it was a bit insensitive of me .

Im no were near stable either ,in the last hour ive been put into a huge wave because of my ignorant brother.life is impossible to live while unstable ,I will say tho im doing deep breathing and not paying atention to nasty thoughts in my head but it is tough ,I get you.

PB