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Community AnchorEffexor

I'm sorry to hear about everything you've been going through @Stabilizing. I've personally never done a partial hospitalization; I've only been in-patient. If they offer some sort of therapy then that might be a good thing. However, I'm not sure how they would understand and approach your unique situation. Most medical professionals lack understanding about psychiatric drug withdrawal. Why have your medications been changed so much? Right now you need some stability with your doses. Are you able to keep things steady for the foreseeable future until things settle down a bit? Also, can you provide a Drug History Signature on your profile so we can get an overview of all the changes that have been made? You can do this in Settings. It's probably wise that you cancelled your trip. You need some time to rest and regroup. Your poor nervous system is confused right now, but it will find its way back in time. Try to be patient and keep things as simple and stable as you can. 💜

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

S

Stabilizing1d ago

WelcomerLatuda · holding

@Catina i edited my drug history but I don’t think it saved do you see it

Been stable for 14 years after a manic episode due to pristique.
Stable on for at least a year
Depakote 500mg
Lamictal 100mg
Latuda 20mg
Klonopin 1mg
Can’t remember all other medications over the years but Latuda I have been on for at least 10yrs and klonopin over 10
Depakote since 2023
Lamictal since 2024

my psychiatrist that I was stable with for 14 years had started with Latuda down to 10mg in March I had really bad insomnia but nothing else that I really realized, wasn’t able to continue with my doctor unfortunately so I started with a new doctor reproductive psychiatrist in July. July 18th she cut my depakote from 500mg to 250mg and stated to increase lamictal every week by 25mg - I was dizzy, blurred, vision, headache, anxiety, heart pounding but also moments of calm. She told me to see a neurologist and that none of my symptoms were from the medication and what did I know so I just kept going until at 175mg the symptoms were so unbearable I just went back to 150mg she approved that hold and, one of the days I was so anxious I accidentally took an additional 10mg of latuda and it calmed me down. She wanted to hospitalize me after a week or so to help me get off of medicine because I was so sensitive to changes. So then on August 31st saw new doctor and was on 250mg depakote, 150mg lamictal, and 20mg Latuda and 1mg of klonopin.
I felt fine except I started to feel hypomanic and anxious so I went down on lamictal to 137.5 and my mood plummeted and went back up to 150mg and then a bit manic and the cycle continued and every time I had a symptom went back up and down until I just was like let me stay at the same regimen. I stayed at 137.5mg of lamictal for 3 weeks and everyday was torture I was crawling out of my skin couldn’t function unless I was talking to other people. And I’d cry for hours when I was alone. He told me to start taking Ativan 0.5 mg 3x a day. Then I went down to 125mg lamictal and stated having major tremor and pacing my doctor told me to go down on Depakote 375mg.

Current Regimine:
375mg Depakote
125mg Lamictal
1mg klonopin
20mg latuda

Now since going to 375mg I’m so nauseous, dizzy, blurry, unable to focus, anxious and my doctor finally said to hold at this dose. Also in there was mentioned a beta blocker for anxiety. I just don’t want to keep adding medications it’s too much. I’ve been alone off of work for my “international” trip that I canceled for 8 weeks and am supposed to be back at work October 12th

I wish I found you a long time ago. I told my first doctor we need a slow taper but little did I know. But I also strongly believe everything happens at the right moment.

I went to urgent care for blurred vision, to my PCP for headaches, and to a neuropathologist for light sensitivity. I thought I was nuts.

S

Stabilizing1d ago

WelcomerLatuda · holding

@Catina do you have any suggestions how to relax and let my system settle. I try outside. If I had a plan of what to do for a few months to keep regimine and keep plan then maybe I would do it.

Been stable for 14 years after a manic episode due to pristique.
Stable on for at least a year
Depakote 500mg
Lamictal 100mg
Latuda 20mg
Klonopin 1mg
Can’t remember all other medications over the years but Latuda I have been on for at least 10yrs and klonopin over 10
Depakote since 2023
Lamictal since 2024

my psychiatrist that I was stable with for 14 years had started with Latuda down to 10mg in March I had really bad insomnia but nothing else that I really realized, wasn’t able to continue with my doctor unfortunately so I started with a new doctor reproductive psychiatrist in July. July 18th she cut my depakote from 500mg to 250mg and stated to increase lamictal every week by 25mg - I was dizzy, blurred, vision, headache, anxiety, heart pounding but also moments of calm. She told me to see a neurologist and that none of my symptoms were from the medication and what did I know so I just kept going until at 175mg the symptoms were so unbearable I just went back to 150mg she approved that hold and, one of the days I was so anxious I accidentally took an additional 10mg of latuda and it calmed me down. She wanted to hospitalize me after a week or so to help me get off of medicine because I was so sensitive to changes. So then on August 31st saw new doctor and was on 250mg depakote, 150mg lamictal, and 20mg Latuda and 1mg of klonopin.
I felt fine except I started to feel hypomanic and anxious so I went down on lamictal to 137.5 and my mood plummeted and went back up to 150mg and then a bit manic and the cycle continued and every time I had a symptom went back up and down until I just was like let me stay at the same regimen. I stayed at 137.5mg of lamictal for 3 weeks and everyday was torture I was crawling out of my skin couldn’t function unless I was talking to other people. And I’d cry for hours when I was alone. He told me to start taking Ativan 0.5 mg 3x a day. Then I went down to 125mg lamictal and stated having major tremor and pacing my doctor told me to go down on Depakote 375mg.

Current Regimine:
375mg Depakote
125mg Lamictal
1mg klonopin
20mg latuda

Now since going to 375mg I’m so nauseous, dizzy, blurry, unable to focus, anxious and my doctor finally said to hold at this dose. Also in there was mentioned a beta blocker for anxiety. I just don’t want to keep adding medications it’s too much. I’ve been alone off of work for my “international” trip that I canceled for 8 weeks and am supposed to be back at work October 12th

I wish I found you a long time ago. I told my first doctor we need a slow taper but little did I know. But I also strongly believe everything happens at the right moment.

I went to urgent care for blurred vision, to my PCP for headaches, and to a neuropathologist for light sensitivity. I thought I was nuts.

⭐

Catina17h ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"do you see it" — @Stabilizing

Yes, I see it. Many thanks!

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

⭐

Catina17h ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"do you have any suggestions how to relax and let my system settle" — @Stabilizing

If you go to the Symptoms and Self-Care section of the forum and click on the Guides tab, you'll find many helpful articles and tips.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

anne noni moss10h ago

NavigatorPaxil · holding

https://www.alternativetomeds.com/about/philosophy/ Hi Stablizing...I'm sorry your are feeling afraid and concerned for yourself. I've been there. I've been in three treatment centers and all of them just put me on different meds. I considered the one above, and wish I had tried it because they believe in getting off meds (but they still "manage meds", probably so they can get insurance to cover it) Be careful in calling any center. FYI. its a SALES PERSON that answers the phone, never a peer, or nurse or anyone who can really answer questions. They just want to get you IN. I think there are probably more centers who at least ADVERTISE deprescribing, but do they REALLY DO IT? I also found and ONLINE DESPRESRIBING place https://taperclinic.com/our-program/ but its $30,000. And they do not take insurance. I'm not impressed with that cost. That's the same as a month in-patient, but they are not providing food or boarding. So, if you have the means or GREAT insurance, I would certainly look around for a center that would not GIVE MORE MEDS. I think the tide is turning. More places will get the message that meds ARE NOT TREATMENT.

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)

immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.

Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.

I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.

October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.

Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL

Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.

Mcat5h ago

Mirtazapine · holding

Good that you cancelled your trip - when in bad WDs, we are wise to put staying stable and reducing all other stressors as much as possible ahead of everything else. Well done. Hospital isn't always a safer or magical solution. I have a friend who was in bad shape on a pretty high dose of an AD and ended up in a psych hospital. The doctor they saw there yanked them off the drug they were on cold turkey and put them on a different cocktail that messed them up even more. Other people there saw different doctors and got better care, but that led to a second hospitalisation. Those drug changes/reductions sound like they've plain been moving way too fast for your nervous system, which will already be confused and sensitised from years of drug changes. In your shoes, I would hold for as long as it takes and make no other changes at all, focusing in the meantime on working with your nervous system to calm it as much as possible. Check out the threads in Symtoms & Self Care forum on dealing with insomnia and stress/anxiety, as well as the guides. When we are suffering with this stuff, we want to believe that there's some magic person or solution OUT THERE that can make it better, but madly trying to find that or fix ourselves only raises the alarm signals to the nervous system and increases symptoms. My strong suggestion is to start with some of the breath exercises in the stress/anxiety thread.

Mirtazapine — 0.12mg — 3 years, 7 months

anne noni moss4h ago

NavigatorPaxil · holding

— @Mcat

This!!! This should be everyone's screen saver. Great words . Thank you

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)

immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.

Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.

I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.

October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.

Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL

Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.

P

Peggy Wallace2h ago

WelcomerCymbalta · holding

Hold on, my dear. You are not alone now. Come back here when you can.

60 mg — 2 yr — holding | without clinician

HELP! HELP!

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