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does anyone know of anyone who could write their recovery story for this site I am sure we could all do with a happy ending!

Started Seroxat(Paxil) for panic attacks in 1997 stopped the drug in 2005 tapered over 3 months ( doctors advice)

Suffered severe and protracted withdrawl ever since.

No other medication taken.

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Hi Ruth,

 

I have sent an email to Lilly and Aeroman, both of whom are now recovered asking if they would write there recovery stories

here to give us all hope and something to look forward to, am waiting to hear from them.

Began taking 30mg Seroxat on 15th Jan 1997 for grief issues. Remained at that dosage until Dec 05, did doctor ct, akathesia set in along with being non functional and overly emotional, brain fog. Doctor prescribed prozac, propranelol and diazeapam to counteract side effects, and told me to ct those 3 after 2.5/3 months use, induced wd seizure on 2nd day after ct. Was reinstated on seroxat 20mg in april 06, remained at that dose until Nov 07 and began a very slow taper lasting 56 months, finally DRUG FREE on 11th may 2011.

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good move Ang I hope they will.

Started Seroxat(Paxil) for panic attacks in 1997 stopped the drug in 2005 tapered over 3 months ( doctors advice)

Suffered severe and protracted withdrawl ever since.

No other medication taken.

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I also look for recovery stories for people whe needed more than 4 years to rutn the corner. I know they are there but I get the impression that most people recover within 2-3 years. And though I must admit it used to be much worse, I still have too many issues to resume a working life. And when In read the stories of people still feeling awful after 6-7 years I really get the creeps...

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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6.5 years for me sorry to say.

Started Seroxat(Paxil) for panic attacks in 1997 stopped the drug in 2005 tapered over 3 months ( doctors advice)

Suffered severe and protracted withdrawl ever since.

No other medication taken.

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  • Administrator

I invite people all the time to post their recovery stories! But people are very busy with their lives, and don't want to revisit the unhappy past.

 

Thanks for writing Lilly and Aeroman, angie.

 

If anyone else knows of someone who's recovered, please invite them to send in their stories. If they give permission, I will post the stories and the person doesn't have to register and do the posting.

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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  • 1 month later...

I have collected some success quotes here. But I don't recommend the site they're from, as you can tell from my introduction on the site lol. I think as time goes by and the longer this site is open, we'll get more success stories. When I'm over this, I will be sure to come write one.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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Interesting. Many of those success stories posted on that other site are partial recovery from prolonged withdrawal syndrome, and they are posted without screen names attached. How irregular.

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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Interesting. Many of those success stories posted on that other site are partial recovery from prolonged withdrawal syndrome, and they are posted without screen names attached. How irregular.

 

Yeah. But at least the person that posted that has a link to the individual poster. There's so many buried at the site, I can't believe they don't make a section for it. I've sifted through looking for them. You have to go back far.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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They've missed many, many opportunities on that site. It's been going on for years.

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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I do remember seeing a "recovery thread" on the other site. There were many screen names on it. Don't remember where it was tho. For those of you who can still get on there, search for "recovery stories".

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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Here are some on the Beyond Meds Blog:

 

https://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/medfreerecovery/#more-20095

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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I do remember seeing a "recovery thread" on the other site. There were many screen names on it. Don't remember where it was tho. For those of you who can still get on there, search for "recovery stories".

 

The title of the thread is "Compilation of Success Updates". It's on the 7th or 8th page under General Discussion.

 

I have a copy of it HERE. I'm at the point that Idgaf about copying it. They can try and sue me.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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Here are some on the Beyond Meds Blog:

 

https://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/medfreerecovery/#more-20095

 

CS

 

Nice! I just added that link to my website :)

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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I do remember seeing a "recovery thread" on the other site. There were many screen names on it. Don't remember where it was tho. For those of you who can still get on there, search for "recovery stories".

 

The title of the thread is "Compilation of Success Updates". It's on the 7th or 8th page under General Discussion.

 

I have a copy of it HERE. I'm at the point that Idgaf about copying it. They can try and sue me.

 

Aww, well I guess I should just link to their site instead. I just hate having to link to that place.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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I do remember seeing a "recovery thread" on the other site. There were many screen names on it. Don't remember where it was tho. For those of you who can still get on there, search for "recovery stories".

 

The title of the thread is "Compilation of Success Updates". It's on the 7th or 8th page under General Discussion.

 

I have a copy of it HERE. I'm at the point that Idgaf about copying it. They can try and sue me.

 

Since I joined that site back in 2005, I recognize many of the people... and I'm happy for all of them!

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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  • 3 weeks later...

2011hope had a successful taper off of Seroxat and is doing fine now. She's drug-free. Her thread is here.

 

"Now I am finally free of the "drug" mill. I went on with the tapering exactly as you told me by cutting and recutting my tablets and it worked out fine." - 2011hope

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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  • 2 months later...
  • Administrator

Anybody want to add an update here? I know some people have reported improvement.

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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  • Moderator Emeritus

Not a personal story, but I highly recommend Rebekah Beddoe's book, Dying for a Cure. She was put on antidepressants for "post partum depression" and went through five or six years of pure hell before researching ADs and weaning herself off. I wouldn't read it before going to bed - it's really scary and inspires a lot of anger, at least it did for me.

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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Hello, all. If you have a personal story of successful tapering or recovery from antidepressant withdrawal syndrome, please start a topic in this forum.

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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Still too early for me to post a success story... after surviving the ultimate hell of repeated c/t's, Paxil-induced psychosis, hatred, crying for more than one year, and finally finding the right info on the other site when it was too late to taper, I doubt whether I will ever consider my story as a succes story...

Nevertheless, there is a vast amount of recovery and I still expect to reach (almost) recovery within the next 1-2 years. And the is the next step findong a job after being off work for more than 4 years, although I am already busy with reintegration by education and doing programming projects at home. And I will not hesitate to post when I consider myself as emerged on the bright side of this ultimately dark, subhuman and hellish tunnel which is Paxil w/d.

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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We'll keep a topic in this forum warm for you, Claudius. Claim it any time you want.

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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Hi, slappy. Thanks for joining us.

 

Would you consider starting a topic in this forum and describing how you tapered and how you recovered from withdrawal syndrome?

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 weeks later...

I just finished reading Dying for a Cure by Rebekah Beddoe. What an amazing story!

 

Here is a recent article:

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/ssris-shen-antidepresaants-go-wrong-1763108.html?action=Popup

 

(if link doesn't work, google Rebekah Beddoe and you will see the article right away!)

 

 

Rosie

Edited by Altostrata
reformatted URL

2009 Efexor 75mg tapered twice

November 2011 Pristiq 50 mg

January 2012 Pristiq 100 mg, became very dizzy and anxious with a lot negative thinking! Ear aches, eye pain, headaches, bruxism, night sweats.

Currently on 30 mg of compounded Pristiq

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ive only been withdrawing for 7 weeks or so and was hoping to find recovery stories im now in tears reading that it can take years to fully recover please someone reassure me here

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Greetings, fellow traveler, I can only tell you my experience. I'm almost 6 and a half months from my last dose of remeron (after an eleven year stint) and things are still pretty ugly. You have found the Absolute best place you can be right now. We are all going through this misery but we have found others who are experiencing similar sympt oms and stories. That in itself will not speed your recovery up but at least you will find comfort and experience from all of us as to what other therapies can help and what probably will not help. It is a very difficult process.

 

The medical industrial complex will be pretty much unable or unwilling to help you through this except to suggest you go back on the poisons. It helps to understand what has happened in our brains as a result of drenching our precious brains in these chemicals. Please read Altostratus' article on "antidepressant withdrawal syndrome" in the opinions forums.

 

I do remember the first couple of months to be particularly heinous. There was a steady stream of psychological symptoms, like irrational thoughts, horrid early morning dread, relieving particularly disturbing events over and over. This is in addition to physical symptoms like nausea, nervousness, dizzyness, sleep issues. Today, the irrational thoughts are greatly reduced. I don't experience to much nausea. The early morning dread is better. I still have intense nervousness, dizzyness and very poor stress coping.

 

I wish I could tell you things get better right away and that improvements are linear and day to day. I haven't found that to be true. Try to be strong and learn as much as you can on this forum . It helps to stay strong!.

I started withdrawing off remeron in August of 2009, with the help of a holistic physician.The reason for the withdrawal was a year or two of off and on nausea, deterioration in my thinking, and more depression. It took me a full year to work from 135 mg down to 45mg. At that point, more drops were causing more depression. Unfortuately, the nervousness that I was also feeling for the last year continued with the 45 mg. Thirty one days ago, I stopped the remeron. I am still feeling the nervousness every day and the last week, I am feeling what I think is depression but not sure. In bed in the morning, I'm already dreading another day feeling this way. I am intensely unsure of myself and find it very hard to do anything. I was a practicing veterinarian for 29 years until I found I could not practice anymore. First of all I couldn't think, or remember, and I had absolutely no confidence in anything I did. These were things I did with relative ease for twenty+ years. So, this feeling of no confidence has been during the time I was on the AD(the last 2 years) and today. I take no other medication other than my blood pressure meds. I tried supplements with my holistic dr. but they seemed to make the intense nervousness even more intense. Anyway, I truly feel stuck.

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lianne, many people, probably the majority, recover within months from withdrawal symptoms. It's a minority who are sensitive to dosage reductions and, if they taper too quickly, suffer for a very long time.

 

The people who have minor difficulty getting off a psychiatric drug don't join sites like this one because they have no reason to.

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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Greetings, fellow traveler, I can only tell you my experience. I'm almost 6 and a half months from my last dose of remeron

 

 

-->There was a steady stream of psychological symptoms, like irrational thoughts, horrid early morning dread, relieving particularly disturbing events over and over. This is in addition to physical symptoms like nausea, nervousness, dizzyness, sleep issues. Today, the irrational thoughts are greatly reduced. I don't experience to much nausea. The early morning dread is better. I still have intense nervousness, dizzyness and very poor stress coping.

 

I wish I could tell you things get better right away and that improvements are linear and day to day. I haven't found that to be true. Try to be strong and learn as much as you can on this forum . It helps to stay strong!.

 

Spectio says it exactly the way I feel it, now 3.5 weeks out. I hate to go to bed because I know the morning will be so awful. I'm so nervous about life and what the future holds and having the energy to keep going.

 

I would say that as time has gone on, I have been getting a bit better with getting up in the morning. Have just yesterday discovered Valerian, which seems to have helped a bit in the morning.

 

Everyone has such a different experience getting off of ADs. To borrow from Tavis Smiley, keep the faith!

Years:150mg Wellbutrin (to concentrate) 20-30 mg Celexa (rumination).

CT 8/2011 during a pregnancy attempt under MD orders. (Idiot!!!) Pregnancy hormones allowed it.

Felt great with 6 mg of melatonin per night to sleep plus preggo hormones-didn't last:(

Best time of my life. Botched IVF in Dec 2011.Stress.

Bone chilling exhaustion and told to go back on celexa and wellbutrin.

4/9/2012 Back on celexa wb for some relief, wb gave me heart palps so dropped and only need 6.6 mg celexa and 1/4 melatonin pill...IMPROVEMENT because my doses are much lower!

REMEMBER to get your thyroid and hormones checked/out of whack ones can appear LIKE MOOD DISORDERS!!

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I remember reading posts from Aeroman on his journey from Lexapro and he was very inspiring.

It was on another site.

 

I sure would love to read Recovery/Success Stories.

 

Alto you have a success story...

 

I have a friend who sucessfully got of Seroxat (Paxil) and is doing well. Said she feels better now then she ever did. Trying to get her to join this site, but she has been drug free for a year.

 

I will ask her to join the site and post her story :)

 

Hugs

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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Yes I rememeber Aeroman, he had a hard time but finally did recover. Also I remember Goldenbawls from the other site, he had horrific w/d from PAxil and recovery pretty quickly after about 3 years.

I am no at 4.5 years, an extremely long time but feel that recovery is around the corner. I will post later this year... :)

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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If you are in touch with these people, please invite them to write topics about their recovery in this forum.

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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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes I rememeber Aeroman, he had a hard time but finally did recover. Also I remember Goldenbawls from the other site, he had horrific w/d from PAxil and recovery pretty quickly after about 3 years.

I am no at 4.5 years, an extremely long time but feel that recovery is around the corner. I will post later this year... :)

 

Claudius, that's wonderful news!

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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I've never been on another site or group for this purpose. It's an odd feeling to realize that this has all been going on for years while i was Svengalied by drugs and beating myself up because I couldn't seem to execute a plan.

Thanks to all who paved the way.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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I would like to contribute to this, but not sure how to go about it. I have already told my story in my introduction and it is a recovery story. But, would describing how I got my life together be of use? I mean I literally went from being jobless and homeless from ADs and WD to moving 1,000 miles to a new city, rebuilding a career, settling an enormous tax debt and getting married, all while dealing with the shame and a lot of PSTD? Would that be something people would like to read - a sort of roadmap to reclaiming your life? Would I just place my story as a link in the beginning? Or should my intro just be moved and I could add an addendum with the roadmap I used?

 

If anyone has any feedback let me know.

Withdrew cold turkey from six medications: Celexa, Zyprexa, Depakote, Ativan, Ambien and Phentermine in 2002. It has been 10 years since I told polypharmacy to take a hike and have joined this forum to let others know that success is possible and to hopefully save people from experiencing the suffering that I did under psychiatric "care".

 

MY STORY

 

"TENSION is when we try to be who we think we should be, RELAXATION is when we are who we really are."

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YES YES YES

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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