HELP I WANT OFF OF SSRI’s HELP

[Steff Williams]

I want off of SSRI’s!


HELP!! SSRI’s are ruining my life, my health and relationships! HELP!!


Hello, I’m new to this forum and have been reading some on the SSRI issue. I’ve followed a few threads, but haven’t really found one that fits my situation. I am hoping some of you experienced Peaters can give me some guidance. I know from reading the threads that there is no “one size fits all”, but since I’m just starting to figure out that there is a better way than the SSRI’s, y’all know better!


Here’s my story:

I’m a 52 yo female Registered Nurse. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, depression and hypothyroidism. This mostly began around menopause (at 47), but I have had many of the fibro signs since puberty. It got more pronounced when I married and got on BC Pills at age 23. I currently take 120 mg cymbalta and 1 mg rexulti for the depression. I take 100 mg of tramadol for the pain associated with the fibro, 20 mg of belsomra (I just got off of ambien 10mg) to help me sleep and 1 mg Chlonopin for restless legs. I also take 50 mg synthroid for hypothyroidism. I weighed 110 lbs prior to menopause. The rexulti has caused weight gain (40 lbs). I feel like s#** most of the time! Like a truck ran over me!


I WANT OFF THESE THINGS if there is a better way!


I’ve read about so many of the supplements to take, and everyone takes different ones, and different amounts...


I could certainly begin the trial and error of “what works for me”, but my biggest questions are what to take in the beginning, what current rx’s to begin tapering off of, and how much of the supplements to take? If I start taking pregnenalone, famotidine, DHEA and/or T3 or 4, etc., how do they interact with the SSRI’s I’m currently taking? I know from experience that I cannot even taper off of any of the current meds or I go bonkers!


My mother had very similar symptoms, has been on SSRI’s her entire adult life and I’ve seen what they have done to her. She is now in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s at 74 yo. I don’t want to go down this path any longer...

Please advise me of the “how to begin” !!!

IF YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BENON A DIFFERENT FORUM, PLEASE ADVISE!

Thank you!

Stephanie

 

[Stud]

I want off of SSRI’s!


HELP!! SSRI’s are ruining my life, my health and relationships! HELP!!


Hello, I’m new to this forum and have been reading some on the SSRI issue. I’ve followed a few threads, but haven’t really found one that fits my situation. I am hoping some of you experienced Peaters can give me some guidance. I know from reading the threads that there is no “one size fits all”, but since I’m just starting to figure out that there is a better way than the SSRI’s, y’all know better!


Here’s my story:

I’m a 52 yo female Registered Nurse. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, depression and hypothyroidism. This mostly began around menopause (at 47), but I have had many of the fibro signs since puberty. It got more pronounced when I married and got on BC Pills at age 23. I currently take 120 mg cymbalta and 1 mg rexulti for the depression. I take 100 mg of tramadol for the pain associated with the fibro, 20 mg of belsomra (I just got off of ambien 10mg) to help me sleep and 1 mg Chlonopin for restless legs. I also take 50 mg synthroid for hypothyroidism. I weighed 110 lbs prior to menopause. The rexulti has caused weight gain (40 lbs). I feel like s#** most of the time! Like a truck ran over me!


I WANT OFF THESE THINGS if there is a better way!


I’ve read about so many of the supplements to take, and everyone takes different ones, and different amounts...


I could certainly begin the trial and error of “what works for me”, but my biggest questions are what to take in the beginning, what current rx’s to begin tapering off of, and how much of the supplements to take? If I start taking pregnenalone, famotidine, DHEA and/or T3 or 4, etc., how do they interact with the SSRI’s I’m currently taking? I know from experience that I cannot even taper off of any of the current meds or I go bonkers!


My mother had very similar symptoms, has been on SSRI’s her entire adult life and I’ve seen what they have done to her. She is now in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s at 74 yo. I don’t want to go down this path any longer...

Please advise me of the “how to begin” !!!

IF YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BENON A DIFFERENT FORUM, PLEASE ADVISE!

Thank you!

Stephanie

maybe start suplementing with progesteron to feel calm en maybe metergoline or cypro to get your serotonin down. on top of that T3 wouldn't be bad too. Maybe some taurine this will make you feel very good and good luck we're al gonna make it

 

[matty]

Hello Steff,

If I were you I wouldn't add anything new at this point. The thing that will help you the most will be to slowly decrease the medications you're on. Tapering off of one medication at a time, OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. I'm talking months and years. I've been where you are, and I'm still recovering from a cocktail of psych meds, but it can be done. Adding something new will just screw you up even more IMO. Private message me and I'll do my best to steer you right. A great resource is www.theroadback.org. Check out this site as a starting point. It will take some time, but one definitely shouldn't rush the process.

 

[Greg says]

from RP email exchanges..

Anti-Depressants
[Decreasing SSRI dose] It takes time to adapt to decreasing those drugs, keeping sugar up and inflammation down, including bag breathing, should help. Starting with a little, a sixth or fourth of a tablet, of cynoplus in the evening would be the best way to try it.

[Weaning off anti-depressants] Keeping the metabolic rate and cholesterol up is important, so that repair and adaptation will be quick. Progesterone reduces pain and anxiety, and pregnenolone would be the most convenient supplement for men, but it's hard to find products without allergens. Combining progesterone and DHEA or testosterone can produce the stabilizing effect without suppressing the libido. Benadryl and cyproheptadine are probably both helpful. Withdrawal from morphine and SSRIs and migraine involve some similar processes. (Reference)

[continued] It depends on how much pregnenolone you can assimilate. People would use progesterone in amounts needed to stop the withdrawal symptoms, but pregnenolone doesn't have the powerful effects of progesterone, even in multi-gram quantities, so it's just a matter of seeing what it can do. As I understand the mechanism (migraine, withdrawal, etc.), estrogen-histamine-serotonin rise on a background of hypothyroid liver malfunction, cytomel (and/or sugar, selenium, B vitamins) allows the liver and other detoxifying systems to lower them, and the lower they are, the less progesterone or pregnenolone it takes to block the symptoms.

[Long-term antidepressant use: Permanent damage to the brain?] [Peat sent this reference: "exposure to inescapable stress, but not escapable stress, caused a decrease in T(3) levels"]

-------------------------------------------------------
I took Seroxat for a 2 years or so. I tried many times to come off them but failed. I eventually just stopped and the effect of cold turkey was horrendous. from what I remember the first two weeks I felt great, everything felt balanced, then suddenly my mood and thoughts turned bleak. electric shock sensations when I moved my eyes, brain thumps, pins and needles on tongue (a symptom of serotonin syndrome I later read).

 

[alywest]

from RP email exchanges..

Anti-Depressants
[Decreasing SSRI dose] It takes time to adapt to decreasing those drugs, keeping sugar up and inflammation down, including bag breathing, should help. Starting with a little, a sixth or fourth of a tablet, of cynoplus in the evening would be the best way to try it.

[Weaning off anti-depressants] Keeping the metabolic rate and cholesterol up is important, so that repair and adaptation will be quick. Progesterone reduces pain and anxiety, and pregnenolone would be the most convenient supplement for men, but it's hard to find products without allergens. Combining progesterone and DHEA or testosterone can produce the stabilizing effect without suppressing the libido. Benadryl and cyproheptadine are probably both helpful. Withdrawal from morphine and SSRIs and migraine involve some similar processes. (Reference)

[continued] It depends on how much pregnenolone you can assimilate. People would use progesterone in amounts needed to stop the withdrawal symptoms, but pregnenolone doesn't have the powerful effects of progesterone, even in multi-gram quantities, so it's just a matter of seeing what it can do. As I understand the mechanism (migraine, withdrawal, etc.), estrogen-histamine-serotonin rise on a background of hypothyroid liver malfunction, cytomel (and/or sugar, selenium, B vitamins) allows the liver and other detoxifying systems to lower them, and the lower they are, the less progesterone or pregnenolone it takes to block the symptoms.

[Long-term antidepressant use: Permanent damage to the brain?] [Peat sent this reference: "exposure to inescapable stress, but not escapable stress, caused a decrease in T(3) levels"]

-------------------------------------------------------
I took Seroxat for a 2 years or so. I tried many times to come off them but failed. I eventually just stopped and the effect of cold turkey was horrendous. from what I remember the first two weeks I felt great, everything felt balanced, then suddenly my mood and thoughts turned bleak. electric shock sensations when I moved my eyes, brain thumps, pins and needles on tongue (a symptom of serotonin syndrome I later read).

This is really great stuff, thanks Greg says!

 

[Such_Saturation]

Your doctor can help you if you are interested in lowering your prescription. It will be helpful to talk to him about this. He could agree to lower it, and if then you managed to feel better, then I'm sure he would be open to reducing it further.

 

[Steff Williams]

Thank you all sooo much. I’m still in limbo as to what to do. So much info and it’s all confusing, but I do appreciate all and everyone’s opinions! Keep them coming!

 

[ladyhawke]

I wonder how you are getting on with your medication and stopping them. How is it going?

I think it will be important to protect yourself somehow (with peat measures i think) now and coming off antidepressants. I had a terrible, terrible, terrible time and am still suffering negative effects now 2 years since stopping. I wish I had read Peat and this forum at least before coming off them, but obviously ideally before being offered them! Hopefully in following the advice on this forum you can avoid too many problems.