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Withdrawal from Antidepressants

madinamerica.com

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Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#51

Post by Dagwoodie »

69mlgsniperdad wrote: post #21

I have been on paxil(paroxetine) three separate times. Each was between six months and one year in duration. The first time, I was on a 10mg daily dose. I had quite a few issues when starting the medication the first time; however after a few weeks, I felt great. When I initially discontinued, I had the worst side effects I have ever experienced. Electric shocks in my neck and back of head, depression, mood swings, a…

Do they have a reliable process that if followed to the letter would bypass the side effect?

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#52

Post by [deleted] »

vomitcuddle wrote: post #12

As someone who had to abruptly come off venlafaxine due to side effects, I can tell you that it was complete hell. I experienced vomiting, the weirdest, most horrible nightmares every night, sleep paralysis with hallucinations and a recurring feeling of "electic shocks" inside my head. This lasted about a month. I think it borders on inhumane not to mention possible withdrawal symptoms before prescribing this awful "…

[deleted]

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#53

Post by setq »

maxxxxx wrote: post #50
69mlgsniperdad wrote: post #21

I have been on paxil(paroxetine) three separate times. Each was between six months and one year in duration. The first time, I was on a 10mg daily dose. I had quite a few issues when starting the medication the first time; however after a few weeks, I felt great. When I initially discontinued, I had the worst side effects I have ever experienced. Electric shocks in my neck and back of head, depression, mood swings, a…

My girlfriend has this with Zoloft. The doctors are telling her how to withdraw and if it doesn't work they just don't believe it. It seems they are trained to believe their textbooks to the point of ignoring things right in front of them.

I have some horror stories on this sort of drug and attitude which I don't wish to detail here with an identifiable account, but you are spot on. Many people have suffered in the hands of doctors with that attitude, some irreversibly harmed in the process.

Arrogance, showboating, non-science and anti-pragmatism are the biggest killers.

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#54

Post by zeroer »

innocentoldguy wrote: post #40
69mlgsniperdad wrote: post #21

I have been on paxil(paroxetine) three separate times. Each was between six months and one year in duration. The first time, I was on a 10mg daily dose. I had quite a few issues when starting the medication the first time; however after a few weeks, I felt great. When I initially discontinued, I had the worst side effects I have ever experienced. Electric shocks in my neck and back of head, depression, mood swings, a…

I had a similar experience. I've only ever taken Paxil once, for maybe a month or so. Going into it, the only side-effect I experienced was an inability to climax during sex—-yeah, I know, too much information, but people need to know what they're getting into. When I stopped taking it, I experienced the same electric shock sensations you're talking about. My eyes twitched terribly, and I bounced back and forth betwe…

No. It's not too much information. People should know about this. You are by far not the only one.

Ironically, sexual issues can cause depression, and sexual issues are a side effect of a lot of medications used to treat depressions.

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#55

Post by fake-name »

69mlgsniperdad wrote: post #21

I have been on paxil(paroxetine) three separate times. Each was between six months and one year in duration. The first time, I was on a 10mg daily dose. I had quite a few issues when starting the medication the first time; however after a few weeks, I felt great. When I initially discontinued, I had the worst side effects I have ever experienced. Electric shocks in my neck and back of head, depression, mood swings, a…

That's very weird. I am on zoloft, and I got a entire lecture from my psychiatrist when starting about how important it was to not miss doses, and the consequences of suddenly stopping taking the medication.

I suspect this is probably highly regional, and highly doctor-specific. Was this doctor a General Physician, or a psychiatrist?

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#56

Post by merlish »

harshreality wrote: post #32
vomitcuddle wrote: post #12

As someone who had to abruptly come off venlafaxine due to side effects, I can tell you that it was complete hell. I experienced vomiting, the weirdest, most horrible nightmares every night, sleep paralysis with hallucinations and a recurring feeling of "electic shocks" inside my head. This lasted about a month. I think it borders on inhumane not to mention possible withdrawal symptoms before prescribing this awful "…

I'm curious... you, and all other commenters who mentioned electric shocks... which I'd previously heard of as "brain zaps"... What difference would it make if the doctor had told you of that side effect before you started the drug? Imagine you have no idea of what brain zaps felt like. Would you have avoided the drug based on such a vague description? Can you describe the sensation? It's not painful, right? The sens…

Imbalance is a good way to start thinking of it.

But, are you familiar with the sensation of being so tired you drop off to sleep & wake up seemingly instantly, but time has passed? The 'yeah, I'm awake, I'm awake' thing.

Based on going off venlafaxine myself, that's how I'd put it. It isn't painful, and you don't actually lose time. The sensation is extremely jarring, and unpleasant, though. You'll take a step or look to the side and that sort of zap just happens.

... I'm slightly better at getting out of the house to get my prescription refilled these days.

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#57

Post by dannylandau »

KermitCole wrote: post #47

As an editor on Mad in America, I appreciate the thoughtful and thorough discussion here. We would welcome any stories or analysis that the commenters here might venture to contribute to MIA. Thanks, Kermit Cole

Are there any comprehensive portals that provide information about the prevalence of each drug's side effect? The only one I know of is HealthBee? - https://healthbee.co/

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#58

Post by joshu »

Dagwoodie wrote: post #51
69mlgsniperdad wrote: post #21

I have been on paxil(paroxetine) three separate times. Each was between six months and one year in duration. The first time, I was on a 10mg daily dose. I had quite a few issues when starting the medication the first time; however after a few weeks, I felt great. When I initially discontinued, I had the worst side effects I have ever experienced. Electric shocks in my neck and back of head, depression, mood swings, a…

Do they have a reliable process that if followed to the letter would bypass the side effect?

These drugs affect different people so differently that it is likely that there is also no single process that works reliably.

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#59

Post by fakename666 »

fake-name wrote: post #55
69mlgsniperdad wrote: post #21

I have been on paxil(paroxetine) three separate times. Each was between six months and one year in duration. The first time, I was on a 10mg daily dose. I had quite a few issues when starting the medication the first time; however after a few weeks, I felt great. When I initially discontinued, I had the worst side effects I have ever experienced. Electric shocks in my neck and back of head, depression, mood swings, a…

That's very weird. I am on zoloft, and I got a entire lecture from my psychiatrist when starting about how important it was to not miss doses, and the consequences of suddenly stopping taking the medication. I suspect this is probably highly regional, and highly doctor-specific. Was this doctor a General Physician, or a psychiatrist?

Yea my psychiatrist did not prep me at all for sexual side effects upon taking them nor for the withdrawal symptoms after getting off of them. I'm still on a small zoloft dose but so much of what i understood about what was going on was gathered from what people say in forums online...that's basically the worst possible route for getting information on medicine but it worked for me? And I'm on some big public tech company health insurance.

Re: Withdrawal from Antidepressants

#60

Post by fake-name »

fakename666 wrote: post #59
fake-name wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's very weird. I am on zoloft, and I got a entire lecture from my psychiatrist when starting about how important it was to not miss doses, and the consequences of suddenly stopping taking the medication. I suspect this is probably highly regional, and highly doctor-specific. Was this doctor a General Physician, or a psychiatrist?

Yea my psychiatrist did not prep me at all for sexual side effects upon taking them nor for the withdrawal symptoms after getting off of them. I'm still on a small zoloft dose but so much of what i understood about what was going on was gathered from what people say in forums online...that's basically the worst possible route for getting information on medicine but it worked for me? And I'm on some big public tech co…

I think it's very much a doctor issue. It's probably worth looking for a better psychiatrist.
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