You've been having a lot of better times recently.

 

I would strongly caution against experimenting with risky treatments for PSSD symptoms whilst still taking an antidepressant.

 

In my opinion (which you're free to disregard), you're much better off stabilising, slowly coming off the drug and seeing if you recover naturally in time. You're clearly improving now.

 

I've seen very few "cure" themselves, and many people make things a lot worse by introducing more things.

Thanks @Luke I don’t plan on taking anything else Im to scared I just wanted to get an eye on my numbers which I regret now as it’s scared me. I was thinking if I have low test or something I could tackle it with exercise. Fucking hate this drug man. Did you ever get your hormones tested? 
 

Edited March 2Mar 2 by Richie

Well another day not to great woke up ok no cortisol but just low mood gotta look at the positives not as low as before so maybe my baseline has moved up slightly. My bloods also show borderline diabetic so is this mirtazapine fucking me up more? God knows. It has defo raised my cholestrol because my diet is good. How can a tiny dose do so much ffs. @Chippy @LostinCanada do you reckon I could start tapering but say like tiny amounts Im on 3.75 could I go down to like 3.73 and do the same every week? Any input would be appreciated hope use are ok to.

 

my symptoms are 

 

low mood 

Anhedonia 

acne 

dry scalp

slight tinnitus 

slight blurred vision 

 

 

onwards and upwards 

Edited March 2Mar 2 by Richie

13 minutes ago, Richie said:

Im on 3.75 could I go down to like 3.73

Could you add the actual date and dose you reinstated at in your signature? Along with any date/dose changes that brought you to 3.75 mg... thanks. 

What symptoms have improved? Has anything got worse? Are you days predictable or are you still fluctuating? 

The more stable before tapering, the better. You don't want to start a marathon with a broken leg.

❤️🙏

Thanks @LostinCanada

 

how do I change my signature? 
also regarding symptoms my anxiety is pretty much gone I have down days but my cortisol seems mostly gone now as I don’t wake up with the surge. Dont know if the depression is the drug or my situation tbh. I can sleep it’s hard to fall asleep but once I am I get between 7-9 hours. Tinnitus is quieter. 
 

I’ve been on 3.75 for roughly 7 weeks now I reinstated about 15 weeks ago at this dose felt good went down to 2.5 after about 4 weeks (to much of a drop) then had insomnia high anxiety points not all day. Tried to stabilise for 3 weeks but ended up worse so went back up to 3.75 

 

i don’t mind holding for longer just abit worried Im causing more health problems 

Edited March 2Mar 2 by Richie

On a phone, this is how to change your signature:

3 lines in top right corner -Account-Account Settings- Settings Area- Signature -hit save

 

25 minutes ago, Richie said:

I’ve been on 3.75 for roughly 7 weeks

That isn't very long but I know you haven't been on the drug very long either.

Tapering from stability is always best. 

I like to err on the side of caution...waiting another week or two will give a clearer picture.

2 hours ago, Richie said:

borderline diabetic

I found out something really interesting about carbs...AI says:

freezing, chilling, and then reheating carbohydrates (like bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes) can help manage blood sugar for borderline diabetics by increasing "resistant starch". This process reduces the glycemic index by up to 40%, creating a slower energy release and preventing sharp glucose spikes. 

Healthline

Healthline

 +5

How It Works and Best Practices

Create Resistant Starch: When starchy foods are cooked, then cooled or frozen, and optionally reheated, the starch molecules rearrange into a structure that resists digestion.

Freezing/Toasting Method: Freezing bread, then defrosting and toasting it, lowers its blood sugar impact. Similarly, cooling rice or pasta in the fridge for 24 hours at 39°F (4°C) is effective.

Food Pairing: To maximize benefits, pair these cooled/reheated carbs with healthy fats, fiber, and protein to further slow digestion. 

Know Diabetes

Know Diabetes

 +4

This method is a useful, evidence-based tool, particularly when managing prediabetes to prevent the rise of blood sugar levels

@LostinCanada 

thank you, when I got my gut test done they actually told me to buy resistant starch so I have been putting a spoon full in my smoothies every day. I’ll hold of on the taper for a couple weeks to see how my symptoms are.

thanks again 

Edited March 2Mar 2 by Richie

Not the best of days woke up feeling low went shopping walked about like a zombie, come home dossed for abit forced myself to the gym walked 3 miles on the treadmill feel a little bit better now but hoping for more improvement. I guess this is a wave. Either that or Im just fed up.

 

4/10 

Edited March 3Mar 3 by Richie

10 hours ago, Richie said:

Not the best of days woke up feeling low went shopping walked about like a zombie, come home dossed for abit forced myself to the gym walked 3 miles on the treadmill feel a little bit better now but hoping for more improvement. I guess this is a wave. Either that or Im just fed up.

 

4/10 

Wave for sure mate. Wishing you a window soon. It’s coming mate. 

Another rough day by the looks of it.

depression, hopelessness, si, the relentless anhedonia. this shit is getting long winded man 😞 my thoughts actually scare me. 

Edited March 4Mar 4 by Richie

Just had a thought, I started taking fish oil Saturday started going downhill Sunday and still like it today.

if I remember correctly at the start of my journey it done the same thing to me and when I removed it I felt better….

stopping from tomorrow time will tell. 
 

 

@Richie it took me a while to work out Fish oil was no good for me. Took it for 5 days end of January and felt awful. Stopped. Last week I convinced myself it was just a coincidence and tried it again for 3 days. Dreadful depression, heavy limbs, nausea, dizziness. Stopped it 2 days ago and now feel "better" i.e. withdrawal baseline.

22 minutes ago, Sminismoni said:

@Richie it took me a while to work out Fish oil was no good for me. Took it for 5 days end of January and felt awful. Stopped. Last week I convinced myself it was just a coincidence and tried it again for 3 days. Dreadful depression, heavy limbs, nausea, dizziness. Stopped it 2 days ago and now feel "better" i.e. withdrawal baseline.

hi @Sminismoni I looked it up and apparently it’s to do with the cholinergic property’s to it, it can mess with transmitters lowering doplamine and serotonin. If you smoke or vape aswell this can also attribute to the cholinergic sides. There are loads of people having the same of it on Reddit. Hope your feeling abit better now aswell I do read your posts. 
 

🙏❤️👊

Edited March 4Mar 4 by Richie

@Richie, @Sminismoni, I just put this up earlier, it might be of interest:

 

Medications, Supplements and Other Substances in Withdrawal - Symptoms & Coping Strategies - The Antidepressant Harm and Recovery Forum

On 3/2/2026 at 6:03 PM, Richie said:

Did you ever get your hormones tested? 

 

I had some testing done, the only abnormal results I ever had were:

 

Cortisol too high, both on instantaneous morning blood tests and consistently high over a 24h period measured via urine.

 

Slight disruption to thyroid.

 

Both normalised eventually.

9 hours ago, Richie said:

Just had a thought, I started taking fish oil Saturday started going downhill Sunday and still like it today.

if I remember correctly at the start of my journey it done the same thing to me and when I removed it I felt better….

stopping from tomorrow time will tell. 
 

 

Sorry you’re in a wave mate. May have been caused by the fish oil. Sounds like it tbh. Yes I’d stop this if it were me. Supplements cause so much trouble for us unfortunately. Even sometimes magnesium and fish oil. 
 

Hang in there a windows coming. 

Woke up about 10 abit spaced out went out with the Mrs and just like that boof everything gone completely normally anhedonia gone mood as high as anything. Complete doplamine rush all day. I feel love i feel music i feel the sun i feel the fucking world! 
best day yet.

 

10/10 

10 hours ago, Richie said:

Woke up about 10 abit spaced out went out with the Mrs and just like that boof everything gone completely normally anhedonia gone mood as high as anything. Complete doplamine rush all day. I feel love i feel music i feel the sun i feel the fucking world! 
best day yet.

 

10/10 

Love this mate. Amazing. 😀

Not the best day today tbh woke up ok went out with the wife came home then out of no where my mood decided to drop not hopeless but low what a rollercoaster this is. I didn’t have the best sleep last night so could be a factor. It’s a massive change from yesterday as I felt completely normal pretty much. 
 

3/10

Edited March 6Mar 6 by Richie

22 hours ago, Richie said:

Woke up about 10 abit spaced out went out with the Mrs and just like that boof everything gone completely normally anhedonia gone mood as high as anything. Complete doplamine rush all day. I feel love i feel music i feel the sun i feel the fucking world! 
best day yet.

 

10/10 

Right on! 🙌🏼😻

11 hours ago, Richie said:

Not the best day today tbh woke up ok went out with the wife came home then out of no where my mood decided to drop not hopeless but low what a rollercoaster this is. I didn’t have the best sleep last night so could be a factor. It’s a massive change from yesterday as I felt completely normal pretty much. 
 

3/10

We are with you mate ups and downs. You’ll get there. Sorry about the 3/10 😔 better day today. Wishing you a 10!

Up and down day woke up extra earlier at 7 got about 6 hours sleep stayed awake for half hour then couldn’t get back to sleep cause the toxic nap kicked in i let my brain wake up and fucked myself lol. I had a burst of doplamine about 10 for a hour then had a depressive period now mostly neutral. Wtf is going on 😂 my mind is literally a rollercoaster. Windows and waves in the same day. 

 

5/10 

2 hours ago, Richie said:

Wtf is going on 😂 my mind is literally a rollercoaster. Wi

Same here .... totally understand and it's terrible when withdrawal hits our mind.....it's being ok now, but I'm having this fear sensation on top of head and stomach area.....not bad but annoying....

 

Weather is not helping today...

11 hours ago, Richie said:

Up and down day woke up extra earlier at 7 got about 6 hours sleep stayed awake for half hour then couldn’t get back to sleep cause the toxic nap kicked in i let my brain wake up and fucked myself lol. I had a burst of doplamine about 10 for a hour then had a depressive period now mostly neutral. Wtf is going on 😂 my mind is literally a rollercoaster. Windows and waves in the same day. 

 

5/10 

Rollercoaster is right Richie. You have a great attitude to all this. Wishing you a mega window soon. 

Woke up about 8 tried to lay in big mistake i gotta learn from my mistakes I tried to sleep through the adrenaline. My sleep pattern has changed now Im drifting of about 12 and waking between 7-8 so if try to sleep more it causes the toxic nap sensation. Im sure if I don’t do this my mornings will be better. It’s not my cortisol cause ive had it tested. Got up quite flat from about 12-4 felt quite low and anhedonic the last hour my mood Has picked up not great but defo above neutral. 
looking forward to the next full window when it appears.

 

4/10 

 

❤️👊👌