SSRI support group - tapering while on benzo's or after recovery

[Guest [Mi...]]

Thanks Mind

 

I appreciate your thoughts

 

I can't really wait a year to begin my AD taper. My AD is over stimulating me as it is. I started temazepam because I couldn't sleep because of the SSRI. I take the SSRI and I get surges of energy and anxiety. I won't get relief or stability from waiting. Having said that I'm not about to jump in and cut away right now.

 

This business of being stuck in psych med bad zones - where they are hurting you but you can't get off the either - is absolutely suckish.

 

 

 

Hi Corsair,

How are you going without the trazadone?

I took seroquel for 6 months or so once the temazepam stopped working. It knocked me out at first. I can't deny it was very very good at steadying/dumbing down the mind. I tapered off it without too much fuss before the benzo wd. Everything was done with less fuss before benzo wd

 

Hey, Smiff.

 

I'm going to say something that completely contradicts my earlier post. What I just bolded in your post is key - I think what you're dealing with is a side effect of the AD as opposed to benzo withdrawal.

 

If you're getting side effects of the AD due to removing the benzo (which was handling the side effects of the AD) you may benefit from a slight reduction. You're spot on when you say, "I won't get relief or stability from waiting". Not when it's a side effect as opposed to withdrawal.

 

My earlier post didn't take into account what to do if the side effects of the current drug are WORSE than the withdrawal symptoms of the previous drug. In your specific case, it may be worth tapering the current drug down a bit to reduce the side effects.

 

You may wish to make a 1% cut and hold for 3 - 4 days and make a note of your symptoms. If there's no increase in symptoms and you can tolerate it, you may want to do a very, very slow taper until the side effects subside.

 

What do you think?

 

Sounds good I'm assuming the lower I get the less stimulating the SSRI will get. I hope so 

 

Yes, that's what I'm hoping, too. Please keep us posted on how you feel as you decrease.

[Guest [in...]]

Hi, I know that Prozac felt stimulating to me at 10mg for the 2 or so days that I took it.  I feel much better on 12.5mg Zoloft than I did on 25mg Zoloft...so this is where Im staying until Im good and done with my benzo taper. 

[Guest [Mi...]]

Mind seeker would this be true the other way around? I am off Zoloft 5months Oct2nd and have gotten so sick...was already sick but sicker

 

I have to get off lorazepam since it does NOTHING but makes me feel woozy, dizzy and sick

 

whats youyr ideas on this

 

wait or plunge in

 

Hi, Lainey. My suggestion to Smiff was based on her comment that she gets an immediate drug reaction from taking the SSRI - " I take the SSRI and I get surges of energy and anxiety," as she said in her previous post.

 

This made me think she was getting a side effect of the current drug, as opposed to a withdrawal symptom of the previous drug.

 

So let's take a closer look at what the lorazepam is doing in your case.

 

I won't say the lorazepam is doing "nothing" for you. It's keeping your GABA receptors from down regulating even more than they have. This is the point of holding and tapering - it minimizes future damage.

 

Also, as Kiddo mentioned, dizziness is a SSRI symptom as well as a benzo symptom. It may be impossible to say whether your dizziness is coming from the Zoloft withdrawal or from the lorazepam, unless you're getting significantly more dizzy right after you dose. But from your posts, it sounds like the dizziness is an all day thing - it doesn't come and go relative to the benzo.

 

Just from reading over your posting history, your Zoloft taper was rather rapid. I would give yourself a bit more time to stabilize before subjecting your CNS to another taper.

[[la...]]

Thanks Mind, I am going to wait a bit longer. its so frustrating though because I want off yet getting off may set me back farther right now

 

yes my taper was to fast but I was being misguided that gabapentin was going to be the miracle for me...NOT

 

so I wait for my hand to heal and then see how I am then ...go back for follow up xray in 2 weeks

 

I pray I don't get worse

[Guest [Mi...]]

Thanks Mind, I am going to wait a bit longer. its so frustrating though because I want off yet getting off may set me back farther right now

 

yes my taper was to fast but I was being misguided that gabapentin was going to be the miracle for me...NOT

 

so I wait for my hand to heal and then see how I am then ...go back for follow up xray in 2 weeks

 

I pray I don't get worse

 

I understand completely. I came off my last SSRI almost cold turkey due to mania and a year later I came off Klonopin with 50% cuts all the way down. My psychiatrist is a complete idiot.

 

So from experience I can say that is NOT how to do it.

 

Glad you're giving yourself some time to heal first. 

[[Va...]]

Hello Everyone!

 

 

Just finished taper and jumped from Valium Aug 4 2015.  Been 53 Days.  Now I need to get off of zoloft by order of my primary Dr. She thinks it is causing me GI issues and nausea. 

 

 

  I had been on Zoloft 2013 - 2014 and tapered off because I didn't like some of the side effects. Then about 3 months later I started having stomach issues.  Was put on Valium and Zoloft by a psych Dr. who decided I needed to reinstate the Zoloft.  But now I realized it was probably a relapse and was withdrawal issues.  The Valium made me feel really bad with nausea and the nurse said I was having a paradoxical reaction from it.  But probably was probably the underlying Zoloft again.  Since I felt so bad from what I thought was the valium I tapered off of the it in 2 months with the Dr. guidance.  Jumped August 4 2015. 

 

Now my Primary care Dr. wants me off of the Zoloft because of stomach and nausea issues and off of it in 3 weeks.  I think that is too fast from my past experience with tapering last year.  I want to cut 12.5 mg every week to 10 days.  But on this support group it looks like 10% is best. 

 

Wish I had never started this stuff and would have realized the stomach issues were a withdrawal relapse.

 

What do you all think about the reduction rate?  Any thoughts or comments are welcomed!

 

During my taper and withdrawal last year I used Motion Ease.  It's a motion sickness over the counter med that helped quite a bit.  It's an oil with lavender and other things that you put behind your ears.  Had a calming effect.  It really help!

 

Thanks for reading my post!

[[Sm...]]

Hello Valgirl!

 

I agree the SSRI could be causing some nausea. The down side: strong withdrawal off SSRIs is likely to make it worse! I know; I hate it too: being sick from a med but having to be careful because withdrawal will make it even worse!

 

So in short, like you suspect with your experience, your primary care Dr's plan is unlikely to be very helpful. Like Mind said I'd try the 10% and then see how it goes. If you are feeling fine after 3 weeks you could try 10% every fortnight (keeping in mind sometimes the withdrawal hits a bit later)

 

Does that help any?

[[Va...]]

Dear Smiff,

 

 

I think a 10% a fortnight is about the way to go. I just want to rush because of the stomach issues I'm dealing with.  I will push through as easily as I can! So I can free of these chemicals.

 

 

Thank you for the reply!

 

 

Val

[Guest [Mi...]]

Dear Smiff,

 

 

I think a 10% a fortnight is about the way to go. I just want to rush because of the stomach issues I'm dealing with.  I will push through as easily as I can! So I can free of these chemicals.

 

 

Thank you for the reply!

 

 

Val

 

I had a ton of stomach issues with my last SSRI, Viibryd. Since about 90 - 95% of your serotonin is located in your gut, that makes sense.

 

By going at 10%, you're less likely to get slammed later on with even worse problems. Like Smiff said, sometimes the withdrawals hit later so it's really hard to gauge how you're doing. By going 10%, you'll set yourself up for a better outcome in the long run.

[[...]]

Hey everyone, my psychiatrist wants me to c/t sertraline , I crossed over to it from lexapro a few months ago.  Ive been on ads for years and am not sure what to do!  I'm also going try to get off Xanax too so that's making things more complicated - can anyone give me some input ? Thanks!

Jan

[[la...]]

OUCH.....please do not c/t off of it...look at me I came off of it in 4 weeks and it has brought me to my knees.

 

you and I have similar hx. please wean off of it slowly...I went from 5omg to 25mgs for 2 weeks then to 12.5mgs for 2 weeks and then jumped

 

started hitting me a month later...PM me and I can tell you more

[[Ki...]]

Hi Djd - I'm sorry you find yourself between, the proverbial, rock and a hard place. I would strongly against a rapid taper or c/t off any AD. I would also advise only tapering one medication at a time with a minimum of 6 months in between each taper.

 

Mindseeker has created a brilliant sticky for our members about tapering from AD's. Here is the link:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=142057.0

 

Let us know what you decide 

[[Sm...]]

9 mg citalopram today

 

I got a compounded liquid - 5mg in every 1ml (I didn't want to take too much of the liquid and I knew 1mg/1ml syringes had heaps of gradations so I went with that.

It did taste foul. It has to be refrigerated too which is weird. I was under the impression from surviving antidepressants that citalpram is water soluble so i dunno why it is in a finickity suspension.

[[la...]]

still sicker then ever.....MRI was negative...so I may have sme other reason for the whoosh head woozy head dizzy head or it might be w/d

 

 

just can not get myself to taper more off lorazepam when I know I have to....it really does nothing for me now

 

 

 

just going to be sicker

[[Sm...]]

still sicker then ever.....MRI was negative...so I may have sme other reason for the whoosh head woozy head dizzy head or it might be w/d

 

 

just can not get myself to taper more off lorazepam when I know I have to....it really does nothing for me now

 

 

 

just going to be sicker

 

The A maybe does do something for you Lainey.. It is holding back withdrawal symptoms. It may not be doing that very well, and other things about the drug could be making thigs harder on the body/brain, but it is at least partially holding back withdrawal

That is all you need it to do for now

 

I hated taking my benzo. It didn't do anything for me either but I took it in order to get off it. I hate my ssri.. It makes a lot of things worse but I'll keep taking it for well over a year so I can slowly step down from it.

 

It is a great shame withdrawal is hurting you so. Dizzies is a very very common ssri side effect. Have the people on sa suggested a small reinstatement of Zoloft to taper back down again with less withdrawal effects? I'm not saying you should do that cause I hate ssri too but it is an option maybe

 

[[Ki...]]

Good for you, Smiff!!! Look at you all brave and shit  I'm such a wimp it'll take me years to taper!

 

Lainey, Smiff is probably on to something. The window for reinstatement for SSRI's is much longer in comparison to benzos. Might be something you want to look into if your dizziness is unmanageable.

[[Sm...]]

Good for you, Smiff!!! Look at you all brave and shit  I'm such a wimp it'll take me years to taper!

 

Lainey, Smiff is probably on to something. The window for reinstatement for SSRI's is much longer in comparison to benzos. Might be something you want to look into if your dizziness is unmanageable.

 

I think it will be 18 months at least for me I think. But my SSRI doesn't agree with me. If it was ok and not making life difficult I'd be more reticent about it.

 

I feel funky today but dunno if it is the SSRI cut or just general benzo wd/pre menstrual. It doesn't matter what it is.. time and sensible taper will mean I eventually heal

[[Sm...]]

yea wow not gonna lie.. that 10% cut hurts already. some good things is I can already sleep better just from that cut two days ago. Less good things include quite a profound panic in the morning hours. It isn't an easy to calm down panic either. Also shakes, feelings of cold and nausea here too. I'll wait till the symptoms die down and then I'll know my recovery pattern. but woa... once I'm down to 5mg I'll go to a microtaper or something cause even 10% cuts hurt. Good times 

[[Ki...]]

I give this a solid two thumbs down  Damn. So not looking forward to tapering another drug 

[[Sm...]]

I give this a solid two thumbs down  Damn. So not looking forward to tapering another drug 

 

you know at this point I don't mind too much. It isn't like I got much break from the benzo taper. mm I guess I'll mind if it stays this way for another two years. I'm hoping I can stabilise on different mgs though and take a break. I figured I could take more of a break then with benzos and the annoying tolerance...

what do you think Kid? Can SSRI taperers take breaks more readily because stabilisation is less tard-y then it is with benzos?

[[Ki...]]

Hi Smiffy - I believe that's possible, yes. And my personal experience shows me that works for me. I've been on a 2 year SSRI taper break (to deal with benzos), and I plan on tapering slowly from 15mg to 10mg and taking a break (maybe 6 months) then slowly again from 10-5mg and taking a break and then getting from 5mg-0 over the course of a year. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired, ya know? So if it takes a long time, oh well. I'm not really in a rush at this point. You have a different motivation to get off, so I understand your desire to take a quicker route while still being safe 

[[si...]]

Hey everyone-

 

I'm Klonopin, lexapro and trazodone.  I want to get off them all.  I started tapering K.  Now I'm hearing maybe I should do Lex first.  Not sure if I should just stick to my original plan and go with the K first then traz.  So confusing.  I hate all this. 

[[la...]]

on Survivng Antidepressant website they say get rid of SSRI 1st. I tend to agree..being that the benzo canbe viewed as the brakes and SSRI the accelerator

 

so keep the brakes around for w/d from SSRI

 

 

that's what I a=have done

[[si...]]

Laineyk-  I see you did a 4 week taper from zoloft.  How did that go since you still had the brakes?

[[Ki...]]

Sierra,

 

There are varying opinions on which drug to taper first and many different circumstances as to why you would taper one before the other.

 

I would ask yourself:

 

1) are you in tolerance on either medication?

2) are experiencing side-effects (not w/d) from either medication?

3) which drug have you been on longer?

 

For me it was easy. I was in Paxil for 13 years, and although I was/am in tolerance withdrawal the Ativan had much more of a negative impact on me. So I tapered the Ativan first and will resume my VERY SLOW taper from my SSRI once I feel more stable in my benzo recovery.

 

Mindseeker created a very informative thread about SSRI w/d and tapering. Have you read it yet?