Search the Community

I started process of switching from Cymbalta to Remeron on March 25, and took my last dose of Cymbalta a few days ago. Other than a few days of extreme irritability, things have been going surprisingly smoothly. Except that I can't sleep. Not really. I'm rapid-cycling between moments of being awake and instantly dreaming as soon as I close my eyes. The waking moments seem precipitated by startling effects in the dream state, that usually have nothing to do with the content of the dream itself. The worst of these is the sudden sensation of being physically attacked by an evil presence. It seems to take me a little bit longer to wake up during these instances. Or at least that's how I perceive it. How much of this is potentially the residual Cymbalta withdrawal effects, and how much of this is the "strange or unusual dreams" listed as a possible side effect of the Remeron? And more importantly, how long can I expect this to last? If you experienced disturbed dreams while on Remeron, how long did it last for you, and did it turn out to be a deal breaker?

Have a strong itch to drop Effexor...(I won't go cold turkey). It stopped my dysphoric crying spells, but now, 10 months later, I'm feeling increasingly flat, apathetic, numb, no motivation (even after dropping to 75mg). I hate how all A/Ds have this lobotomy effect on me longterm. It's initially fine in acute episodes, I'm not sad now, but I can't function properly, and I continue to score Moderate-Severe on the depression scale. I think it's counteracting my Ritalin (which I increased to 30-40mg)? I don't want to increase Effexor above 150mg, I'd never be able to go off. I'm trying dosing at night instead, will this make any difference @mikl_pls ? I skipped yesterday's morning dose (then came the intense nausea, over stimulation & brain slosh awfulness @10 hours later) and I took my dose with dinner. I'm seriously considering going on low-dose mild SSRI instead (Prozac?) I'm sensitive to meds & side effects, and I'm also VERY worried about withdrawals. Especially from Effexor, they are the WORST, and I just read study that Effexor withdrawal syndrome is not dose-dependent: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7402189_Venlafaxine_and_Serious_Withdrawal_Symptoms_Warning_to_Drivers https://metro.co.uk/2018/01/24/woman-shares-coming-off-antidepressant-ruined-life-7255570/

Forgot to take Lamictal yesterday (I took my other meds). Holy Hell, I took my dose today (on schedule) and I STILL feel awful!! I've only been on 100mg....I thought Lamictal had a super-long half-life? Yesterday went like this: 10am - up, had breakfast 11am – slight Brain “swishes” started (was out the entire day) 12pm – Stronger Brain zaps start 1:30pm – Lunch (meat, salad/veg) 2:30pm – Sudden extreme exhaustion 4pm - more brain zaps => ZAP ZAP ZAP! 🤯 7pm - Irritability starts 11pm – Tea, bedtime, could not fall asleep (I haven't had insomnia in 2+ years) ...Night sweats…Restless legs..... 12am – Ruminations, feel weepy ..Insomnia ensues…(Toss & turn, sweaty/achey all night) It's now 12pm,and I am STILL having brain zaps! I worry I’ll never be able ever taper, switch from, or withdraw from this med. You probably think well, with MI, WHY would you ever go off it? For me, longterm, these meds are band-aids. There is always a price. Ok, maybe great at preventing acute/severe depression, but as a result, they rob me of any spark, joy, elation, happiness, libido, sexual sensation/response, feelings of reward, love.... This disturbs me. I used to know what positive emotions felt like… So I’m stable, existing.....but still lacking will or any interest in living....

For the last three months I have been lowering my Seroquel dose. Well longer than that. Due to long term use I developed cataracts and my cholesterol is very high. Over about a year I dropped from 700 to 400mg. Easy peasy. This last 400 has been awful. I am going slowly. I get so sick. Sweats, headaches, can’t eat, can’t sleep. Like no sleep. So I get to none. Made it. Doing well. Two weeks out things are not good at all. I cant even explain how my head is acting. Not good on the mood spectrum (BP 1) I moved back to 50mg. (Pdoc is on board) I can sorta sleep and other physical symptoms minimized. I am rapid cycling and I am sure I am not hiding it well at work. Looking for some insight into others experiences. Did you get off successfully? How long till negative symptoms were gone? Did you have to change to another AP? Thanks for any shared experiences in advance .

Hi guys, So I'm withdrawing from Gabapentin 900 mg. I'm down to 300 mg every second day. About a month and a half ago I tried going from 300 every day to 300 every second day - skipping a dose every other day. At first it went just fine, but then at the second week mark i started getting really depressed and began crying all the time. I then went back up to 300 every day and I started feeling better again. Two weeks ago i went back down to 300 mg every other day, and again the first week was fine, but now I am experiencing the same thing all over again. So - I know this is a popular question - but is this just withdrawal or is it a relapse? I am not otherwise experiencing any other symptoms. Has any of you gone through gabapentin/neurontin withdrawal? And has anyone else experienced this pattern? I am taking it for bipolar disorder NOS and anxiety, but it hasn't really helped that much. I am also on Mirtazapine and Depakote

Hey everyone. I’ve been in a bad way for 4 1/2 years when remeron stopped working for sleep and sudden onset OCD (ruminating thinking, intrusive thoughts, looping songs), treatment resistant insomnia, anxiety- stick in fight flight, panic, 24/7 derealization, brain fog and dizziness set in. Over time with symptoms not going away, depression set in. Obviously my meds were not working. I am on day 11 off Zoloft/remeron after a long taper. I and am wondering when these meds will completely be out of my system. Am I out of the woods yet? Or could withdrawal still jet hard? I’m hoping these meds are part of my problem and some of this hell I’ve been going through will get better. I have felt bad since discontinuation, but I always feel awful, so not sure what’s what. How long does withdrawal typically last? I’m still on 5 mg lorazepam a day (I know that’s a lot and plan to start weaning when I’m ready) 20 mg geodon X2 and 2 mg prazosin. Wondering if my meds could be doing this to me? Ive been on Zoloft for over 14 years, remeron for 8 1/2 years, lorazepam for 8 1/2 years and geodon for 11 1/2 years. As mentioned, I have been wanting to get off Zoloft/remeron (really all my meds) and have been weaning for months off these two, but have been scared to pull the plug. After reading about MAOI’s, which I have never taken and talking to the doctor, I decided to stop to give me the opportunity to try Nardil, but I’m wondering if less is more may be the ticket for me and maybe I should hold off on trying Nardil. I just don’t know.

Hello out there, i am so very desperate. I was perscribed Abilify 2.5mg in July 2018. Because I was struggling with inner restlessness and my symptoms were returning, I decided to discontinue at the beginning or December 2018 (5 weeks ago). Since discontinuing I have experienced anxiety that is terrifying. I have very little rest from it... terrible insomnia. Many days I feel I can’t go on. I returned to my doctor a week ago and she has started me on Sertraline, and has given me a few diazipam. I was so desperate I went to the hospital yesterday and have been put under the care of the psychiatric team and have been given some sleeping tablets to help me sleep, which didn’t work very well last night. I am scared that the withdrawals will never end. Is there anyone out there that has experienced similar? Af x

About three months ago, I was prescribed Lamotrigine for General Anxiety Disorder. I have had no other issues aside from my anxiety. As would be expected, my dosage was gradually increased. However, after about four weeks something just didn't seem right. I ended up stopping at 75mgs per day. I continued that dosage for about a month. Sometimes, I'd wonder if my vision wasn't quite right. About four weeks ago, I was out on a walk with my son and realized that I could barely see more than twenty feet ahead of myself. Something just was not right about my vision. If I tried focusing on something, it would almost feel like I could go cross eyed. I did some reading on other people's experienced with this medication, and was alarmed to find a lot of information on vision issues. I decided to taper off the Lamotrigine. There were a number of medical sources saying to reduce by 50% per week. I figured going with 25% per week would be safe. I also met with a doctor, who confirmed that 25% per week was super safe. About four or five days after decreasing my dosage, my eyes began to feel immense pain. Especially my right eye. It felt like the most intense sinus pressure, or a migraine, or some incredibly severe tension. The issue with not being able to focus became much worse. I saw an eye doctor, and also had an eye exam done. I was told both times that my vision was completely fine. They did mention that I had really dry eyes, and I'm currently using a heat compress that they had recommended for treating this. However, the eye pain has been constant. I have barely been able to interact with my family, work, or even read. At times I can hardly look at the page of a book, it is so incredibly difficult to focus on. Yesterday, I was in such terrible pain that I could barely handle being awake. Now, I have a constant ringing in my ear. My ears also feel very clogged, almost like sinus issues. I'm honestly not sure how much more of this I can handle. Does any of this sound familiar to any of you? I could sure use some peace of mind. I am pretty concerned that I have permanent hearing issues, let alone that my eyes will never feel normal again. Any insight would be much appreciated.

Has anyone else experienced gabapentin withdrawal? I have been taking it for several months at 2x 100mg daily and 300mg nightly. I stopped taking it because I thought it wasn't doing anything for my anxiety. I felt great for a few days, sleeping better, brain less foggy, but after that I started getting anxiety, depression, headaches, body pain, nausea, irritability. I started taking the 2x 100mg daily again trying to taper down, but still feeling the withdrawal. I'm wondering how long this will last, and how I will get off it.

Does anyone have experiences to share with regard to tapering off/quitting clozapine? I am having a really hard time with this. I went from 200mg to 150mg to 100mg with some discomfort, but nothing dramatic, but the next steps (to 50mg and then zero) have proven horrible. It has been a nighttime med for me, and I don't think I realised just how much of a part it has played in helping my mind shut up and let me rest, until trying to reduce it and then quit. I lasted just a few days without it before cracking and calling pdoc, who has me back on it and is talking about discontinuing in much smaller increments (12.5mg at a time, for example). I hate this - I feel trapped.

.

*Disclaimer: I am not here to provide professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to any individual. I am just providing my own experience for educational purposes only. This is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN. My Method 1. Began taking time release 5-htp (you can find Natrol time release 5 htp 200mg on Amazon). Once in the morning and once in the evening. A side effect is possible GI (gut) disturbance (aka diarrhea). That never happened to me but I figured I would just take once before bed if that was the case. (see below for my reasoning) 2. Lowered my dose of risperidone from 3mg to 0.5mg. I went down 0.5mg every week. So week one I went down to 2.5mg, then the next 2mg then the next 1.5mg then 1mg the next and finally 0.5 mg. It's hard to actually do this but if one can crush it and weigh it that would be best but to tell you the truth I just eyeballed it and nibbled the tablet like a squirrel until I figured it was the right amount. Like you can break a 3mg into two 1.5's and a 1mg into two 0.5's. So yeah anyways hopefully you get the point. I got to 0.5mg and then I took 0.25mg every day for the last week and then stopped. I did have a night or two of restlessness and sweating profusely but I would just take a pinch of risperdone, almost like licking it or nibling an extremely small portion to the likes of 0.1mg. And then it all went away. I continued 5-HTP for the next month and then stopped. The 5-HTP saved my life because the withdrawals were nowhere close to as bad as they should have been. It even made me a lot happier than normal and I even lost a little weight because it makes you less hungry. 3. Ran for 5-10 mins preferably outside once a day. I didn't over do it or I wouldn't feel like doing it the next day. I couldn't run outside sometimes because of a heavy snowfall so I bought a jump rope from walmart and did it at home. (see my explanation below) 4. Ate a bag of crisp green garden salad, the crunchy type. At least once a day. (see my explanation below) 5. Took 1000IU Vitamin D every morning. Made sure it's an oil soft gel and not a tablet since it's a fat soluble vitamin and will be absorbed better. (see explanation below) 6. Changed my psychology. I can do everything for my body but I also needed my mind to be on the right track. Because when I put good stuff in my body good stuff started happening but I also needed to dump good thoughts in my head so good thoughts would come out. So I went on amazon and searched for self help books. Sometimes I would buy the book or I would get the audiobook if I just wanted to chill and listen but it helped me change the way I thought. I also used abebooks.com because they have super super cheap prices sometimes. 7. Refrained from masturbation. (see below for explanation) 8. I ate good fats (it won't make you fat) and protein. I ate lot's of mixed nuts and avocado and drank almond milk with peanut butter (since I'm not allergic) for fats and protein bars and brown rice with lentil soup for protein. This gave me incredible energy and stamina. My Recovery I did push ups every day and ate protein bars. Dr. Daniel Amen in his book Change your Brain Change your Life emphasizes the use of protein for brain recovery and I can attest to the miracles it has done for me. Since there are only three building blocks of humans which are carbs, proteins and fats I realized I was getting carbs but proteins and fats were lacking which are really important for brain function. I also drank a ton of water because that allows your body to rehydrate after the protein intake. I also put a small squeezed slice of a lemon (an actual lemon, not lemon juice) in the water. This is both slimming and allows you to drink a lot of water because it reduces stomach acid and thus heartburn so you don't feel like food is sitting in your esophagus. Dr. John Ratey of Harvard wrote a book called Spark which emphasizes the importance of aerobic exercise aka running, which is why I try to run in the morning after breakfast or at least jump rope if there's snow outside. He says it is important to brain function, as well as new vessel formation within the brain and one interesting example he discussed was a school in Naperville who were required to do a short intense run first thing in the morning before beginning class and they ended up performing the best in the world on standardized testing, not just within the US, but compared to other nations as well. There are other variables at play of course but for the most part the school was considered average before beginning the program. Dr. David Perlmutter in his book Brain Maker discusses our gut flora which is the bacteria inside our bodies. There are good ones and bad ones but the good ones grow and help us when we feed them. And the good ones eat fiber. You can take a probiotic but an even better way is with fresh produce. I personally have found that eating a bag of garden salad, the crunchy kind that comes with some carrots and cabbage is the best. (btw this is an amazing underground hangover cure) I feel rejuvinated and bowel movements are much better especially with the addition of bananas. Dr. Perlmutter estimates that about 90% of illness arises from the gut which is incredible. 90% of the time people have something wrong with them it's because they're not putting the right stuff in their tummy. He says that the bacteria actually "talk to us" by releasing chemicals in our gut that communicate with our vagus nerve and make us feel good if they are coming from good bacteria. Lastly I take vitamin D 1000IU in the morning. I didn't notice it immediately but within a few days I did. I find this especially good in the winter since I tend to get more sad in the winter. Maybe it's seasonal affective disorder (SAD) maybe not but I know it helps a lot. It's very subtle but it works and there is a ginormous amount of evidence to back the supplementation of vitamin D. Also there is a growing amount of evidence regarding the silent epidemic that is sweeping the world which is porn addiction. Scientifically speaking masturbation lowers testosterone (in men), lowers dopamine and basically slowly ruins your life. However real sex in moderation is good because you actually increase your testosterone unless you over do it to the point that you are tired. So when you climax you burn out your dopamine receptors similar to the way someone does when they smoke a lot of weed. In order to rebuild your dopamine receptors one must exercise (run) and refrain from masturbation. Also, when one climaxes watching porn they think that they are being rewarded with actual sex and the brain builds an actual pathway that says "if I go on the internet and do this this is good for me." You don't realize it but it's all happening subconsciously which is why many women and men wonder why and feel guilt once they've already done the deed. Refer to the book Your brain on porn for more details. One more thing, sleep more than anything else is the most most most important thing. If there is a bright screen in front of ones face before bed or they've masturbated just before bed their whole sleep pattern is disturbed. I find chamomile tea helps but I need to research this more. I do know that otc sleep aids like diphenhydramine and doxylamine are horrible because they make you sleep longer but they kill your REM sleep which is the golden part of your sleep that makes you feel rested. Anyways now I'm a third year medical student so I figure things are working for the better. One major thing I've learned is balance in that I used to think if I do a lot of one thing or ingest a lot of one thing all at once it will change me all of a sudden, which is not true, it just throws you out of balance. It's better in my opinion to do a little bit everyday of exercise for example so you still have energy the next day and the day after to do more exercise and to take a little bit of a supplement for example vitamin d so that you don't have side effects from long term use because your body is not chalk full of stuff when you wake up the next morning. My Background I was diagnosed with marijuana-induced psychosis following approximately 10 years of smoking after college when I began to become extremely paranoid and began to have various visual and auditory hallucinations. My psychiatrist moved me up gradually to 3mg and I remained at this dose once before bed for about 5 years. I gained weight. I had a blunted affect (medical term for severe reduction in ability to show emotion on your face). When I looked at people I couldn't show the full range of emotions I had originally shown. I got man boobs (which a result of excess prolactin from the dopamine inhibition). I tried numerous times to quit with no luck at all. I would shake and sweat and the paranoia and worry and sadness would come back so I quickly returned to risperidone. I do have to say though that the one advantage was that I had a regular sleeping schedule because I knew the risperidone would knock me out within half an hour of taking it. I would wake up extremely late though and miss classes and my interaction with people was dismal. I burned out my dopamine receptors from smoking and then the risperdone shut down the whole dopamine system so I could recover but I also lost all motivation. Hence I researched and found out that risperdone mostly blocks your serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (it's called a receptor antagonist). It also blocks your alpha receptors somewhat and has a minor effect on histamine receptors. But the most important in my scenario were the dopamine (aka motivation/drive) and serotonin (aka happiness). The worst thing about the withdrawals was that I felt sad and alone and anxious and it wouldn't go away so I reverted back to risperidone all over again. Thus I used 5-HTP which is basically serotonin in a pill. However the instant release is fast acting and can also cause much more GI (gut) disturbance so it's better to use time release so it slowly releases over the period of the day and night.

After 7 months of Effexor 150mg, my pdoc agreed to wean me off in order to see if my sex drive/sexual dysfunction resolves. I am very concerned with the withdrawals of this med. She gave me a weaning schedule, but it seems very short/quick for this drug. I am currently on 2nd day of 75mg, and feeling mainly very tired, more apathetic, lightheaded, with a bit of restless sleep. Any feedback/experiences?? Effexor 112mg (for 3 days) Effexor 75mg (for 3 days) Effexor 37.5mg (for 3 days) Prozac 20mg (for 7 days) Prozac 10mg (for 7 days) then stop....

Hi, I'm a new member. Former English professor, had to shift to train for another career after long-term unemployment and still looking. I'm also an author of horror and fantasy books. I joined up here because I'm looking for some help after withdrawing from the SSRI Lexapro. The only thing worse than the side effects that caused me to quit are the withdrawal symptoms. I'm three months in and seriously wondering if I have cognitive impairment. It's as if somebody took my emotions and put them on a dimmer switch. Everything is numbed out. Lexapro causes such radical changes to the brain that withdrawal seems to be especially fraught with complications, and I'm afraid I may have tapered down too quickly--over five days, after taking it about three months. The immediate result was horrific, as though my brain were on fire. That burning sensation lessened, but was replaced by a sort of emotional numbness. I know that Lexapro controls blood flow to the limbic system, which is the site of emotions, and wonder if it's possible I sustained damage from pulling the plug too quickly. Thanks.

Hello Everyone in the community, I have been a member for a few months in this website but I finally decided to write an introduction topic of what I am going through right now. I have spoken to a few of the members in the chat room and have been able to get some advice from them. My story goes as follows: I was diagnosed with drug induced delusions in January 2014. The psychiatrist I visited then prescribed me 15 mg of Zyprexa which I took for about 4 months. Then I visited another psychiatrist because I moved and he changed my meds from Zyprexa to Invega 6 mg. I was on Invega for about another 4 months until end of August 2014. This is when I quit cold turkey because I had recovered from the delusions and could not take the torture the meds were causing me. The high doses caused me side effects like akathisia, severe anhedonia which I had never encountered in my life and complete lack of motivation. These symptoms developed after about 3 months into medication and increased drastically during my use of Invega. I felt like the effects kept increasing with time and that my brain could not take it anymore. So it has been 6 months since I quit all kinds of meds cold turkey and a lot of the akathisia has significantly decreased. I am completely free of delusions and I never had any hallucinations to begin with. I never heard any voices nor did I see anything extraordinary. I hope I can get advice from anyone who has recovered from withdrawal of meds and whether or not this emotional blunting will fade away. I understand that some side effects of medication as well as withdrawal symptoms take longer to fade away than others but I feel like anhedonia and emotional blunting are hindering my progress in life. I am unable to feel motivation due to this lack of pleasure that was induced by these anti psychotics and I wish it could fade away so I can enjoy my life again. Thanks to all!

I'll just preface this with info: I've tried about 30 different meds, many combos, including Cymbalta in the past (3 yrs, mixed results), It didn't greatly improve my depression, mainly made me numb, sweaty, nauseous, a bit restless/wired with sleep issues. The crazy withdrawals if I took a bit late were horrendous, so went off. Despite this, my pdoc really wants me to start Effexor (even though withdrawal is even worse). Can someone please reassure me that it worked well for you? My symptoms are: chronic, treatment-resistant depression (with some crying/mood lability), very intrusive negative ruminations, anhedonia). Is it really worth trying despite my unremarkable/mixed experience w/ Cymbalta, and fear about withdrawal syndrome? Also what were the negatives for you (i.e any weight gain, anxiety, restlessness, paranoia, insomnia?) Thanks all.

Hey guys, I am tapering off lamotrigine at the moment. Down from 75 to 25 mg (though taking 37,5 every second day). Been at this dosage for a week and a half. I am experiencing fatique, anxiety, akastheisia/internal restless (severe), depression (minor), nausea, headache and dizziness. I am also very stressed, which could create some of these symptoms as well. does it sound like stress or withdrawal? Which withdrawal symptoms did you experience? Any similar stories?

Hey guys, I am tapering off lamotrigine at the moment. Down from 75 to 25 mg (though taking 37,5 every second day). Been at this dosage for a week and a half. I am experiencing fatique, anxiety, akastheisia/internal restless (severe), depression (minor), nausea, headache and dizziness. I am also very stressed, which could create some of these symptoms as well. does it sound like stress or withdrawal? What withdrawal symptoms did you experience? Any similar experiences?

About to go off abilify. Went from 2.5 mg - 1.25 mg 5 days ago. since yesterday anxiety, agitation and akathisia has gone through the roof. My intire body tingles, burns etc. And it feels like i’m about to explode. Just can’t relax. I was only on the drug for 4 weeks. Any ideas how long this is going to last?? And has anyone experienced this as well? damn you drugs.. Amiright

So, I am not 100% better.. I still have some weird side effects, but I am no longer taking Cymbalta! I have been wanting to come off this drug for awhile now , I tried once, failed. Then another time, Nope. And 3rd time , well I guess this was the charm. Let me tell you... the withdrawal , terrible. My pdoc increased the Seroquel to level it out..and it was ok for a few days then all of sudden bam... it began. I sweated, it wasn't even like sweating it was a damp cold clammy sweat when after you get sick or have the shits. My moods were terrible. The crying spells, I had to be watched. I was very Manic Depressive. I was sick to my stomach, vomiting etc. I couldn't sleep, I stayed up until 4am and had sleep paralysis. I honestly wanted to give in and go back on it, just so I could not have these side effects. I pushed thru it. It took me about 2 weeks of hell and now it's tolerable, I am starting to feel better where I can actually drive again with out getting sick. I am getting a little worried tho..because now that I am no longer on any SSRI, or SRNI.. I am starting to feel a lil wound up and agitated. Very hyper too. Hoping this will pass. Anyway just wanted to express that I made it (so far), even tho I wanted to go to in-patient and my t doc wanted me to go to, I didn't. I fought thru this. If any of you came off this drug , how long did it take you to sort of feel balanced again and get off that rocky boat.

I have been taking 25mg at bedtime for sleep and anxiety since December. It caused me to become a zombie, constipated, bloated and crazy heartburn. The last dose I took was last Monday night. I skipped last tuesdays dose as I had to be at an appointment very early the next morning. Well later that day I started getting nausea. Then came vomit and diarrhea. Hot flashes, sweating, insomnia. I decided to stop taking it as after dealing with stomach issues that left me bed ridden. Are these symptoms of withdrawal? How long do you think this will last if so? Anything to help sleep? The insomnia is crazy. I purchased some nausea meds and the hot flashes and chill seems to be dicapting. I still have a lot of anxiety, sorta of feels like adrenaline if that makes sense. I hope someone has a comment.

I was wondering about this, as my PDoc didn't seem too concerned with it. I was on 300mg Effexor XR for about 5 years, over the last year I've gone from 300mg to 75mg or so mostly successfully, but lately I've been dragging along. I can easily sleep 12 hours a day, I'm still managing to get to work, but I'm exhausted beyond belief and only have windows of feelings myself. I was wondering if withdrawals to drugs like these can last for months, or even years? Especially having been on them for so long....

Anyone have any tips for easing the dizziness? Going off Welbutrin for good this time (now that I've got the right dose of celexa, and the right dx - ADHD + general anxiety disorder, NOT anxiety, depression, and low self esteem. No, writing nice things about myself in a journal won't fix the fact that my brain tries to process 12 thoughts at a time, all the time. Can't tell you how many therapists tried that one before I finally figured out -on my own- that I ought to be evaluated for ADHD. Stuuuupid therapists >:( ) ANYWAY, I've tried dropping off it several times in the last 7 years, but always ended up with looping, negative thoughts along with the physical symptoms. This time, there's none of that! I feel great and I can tell it's the right thing to do this time. BUT jeezy-peets am I dizzy! I've been off it for 7 days now, no tapering. (I know, I KNOW. Dropping meds cold-turkey = bad. Did that with Paxil once and almost ended up in the hospital once I couldn't feel my face anymore ) But I'm keeping an eye on the severity of my withdrawal symptoms and, so far, they're not that bad. I've gotten past the intensely sleepy phase and am surviving the mildly nauseous phase. The dizziness just hit last night. It's not so bad I can't function and I know it'll pass in a while, but it still sucks! Any suggestions??

After doing a search on CB I didn't see any posts regarding this (The only related posts were from an anti-med website which I prefer not to read.) My pdoc is considering taking me off Lamictal & starting something else after I've completely tapered off. I'm afraid... I'm wondering if anyone has experienced bad discontinuation symptoms from Lamictal withdrawal? I remember having baaaaad withdrawals after being on Cymbalta & Effexor years ago. I've only been on 100-150mg Lamictal for 8 months. I know slower titration is best, but worry I'll still get awful fatigue, nausea, brain zaps, crying spells, anger, anxiety, headaches, dizziness, etc for months. Any feedback or experiences?

Hi guys, Long time reader, first-time poster. I've been on Seroquel for about 7 months. I made it up to 300mgs a day, along with Ambien, and although it was a life-saver in the beginning (I have anxiety, some depression), I started to feel like I just didn't need it any more. And I was getting sick of being so groggy at night/in the morning. Sure enough, along comes Hurricaine Sandy, and I can't get my refill anyway, so I take the opportunity to start cutting my pills in half to ween myself down during the storm. I was down to 100/150mg a day for a week, then, as of Sunday night I'm off totally. I've been feeling REALLY great, except for the past couple of days I have had pretty severe nausea. My mood is fine. Of course I'm not sleeping as much as before. But I haven't vomited, and am able to maintain with peppermint tea/pepto bismol, but it's pretty miserable. My problem is I went ahead and committed to a pretty crazy schedule thinking that would actually help me avoid a relapse mood-wise. I also have had stomach ulcers and would like to get a handle on what's normal for seroquel withdrawal in case it's something more serious. I was wondering if anyone else out there has had a similar experience and can advise whether this is the worst I can expect and how long it should last (I've read accounts that are kind of all over the map)? For the record I'd rather not go back to my pill doctor (I have a seperate talk therapist who thinks I'll be fine without the seroquel) as she's pretty surly and dismissive of my nuances as a human. I'm actually pretty sure she would refuse to let me go off anything, despite the fact that she sees me for 5 minutes a month. Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.