Thank you for letting us know how you're doing. I'm sorry to hear you've been having a rough time lately.

 

I hope that your health improves soon and that you're able to keep skiing.

Nice to see you here, Feral Cat man.  I really agreed 100% with that article you linked here in mid January, about how they want us dead inside.  I hope you get to feeling better soon.  Sending you healing thoughts and prayers. 

UPDATE

 

As I said previously I've been having a bit of a hard time recently. Much of it is due to seasonal changes and a drug damaged body having issues with adaptation to things like seasonal environmental changes. I've seen others mention this on Surviving Antidepressants so I know I am not alone in having this issue. This year I am also on a much lower dose of Tegretol (carbamazepine) which, among other things, suppresses glutamate and suppresses the sympathetic nervous system which of course suppresses fight or flight and as you reduce the dose and medication blood levels this response can become temporarily elevated until the body adapts again. So, lots of changes going on and I'm definitely feeling it.

 

I realized this morning, and over the last few weeks, that there is something else layered on top of all of this that is also contributing. 

 

I have a fairly extensive trauma history both before being medicated, while being medicated (abuse by the system and other things), and now that I am in PAWS I have the additional trauma of going through this process. When triggered the trauma response is to activate the fight, flight, or freeze response. As I moved into last summer I had been making a lot of progress on the trauma front and even into the early fall. However, right around the fall time change my medication levels also dropped to what is considered sub-therapeutic. This of course would be expected to make any activation reaction such as a trauma response more noticeable. On top of everything else this does seem to be happening at the lower medication levels. I've really been struggling psychologically with the idea that I am backsliding or that maybe I hadn't really made as much progress as I thought I had. It's really made me question myself. It's been a bit disappointing and was really bumming me out. What I realized this morning is that I am not losing ground. What seems to be happening is I had learned to deal with my trauma responses post seroquel in a way that had really started to work well. However, now that the tegretol is below the therapeutic level I have less sympathetic suppression and the amplifier has been turned back up. So, I now have to take a break from tapering and learn to cope with these trauma responses at this level before moving on. Once things settle down and I have re-learned how to cope with these trauma responses I'll be ready to start reducing the dose again until such time as things start to flare and then I'll have to stop again, re calibrate my coping skills, let my body adapt, and then move on again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

So, if you have a trauma history and were medicated young, I was 24 when first medicated (Many were much younger), recovery can be a bit more complicated because you are not just recovering from the medications, you are recovering from your life. A life that had been suppressed by these medications and as a result much of it was never able to be properly processed, dealt with, and put to bed. This is what I am dealing with in addition to medication damage. At 24, with a trauma history and not much therapy or experience under my belt, in addition to being borderline autistic, how much do you really know about coping with anything. In my case, not much. I had a lot to learn but didn't get to learn it before my nervous system was suppressed with meds. So now, 32 years later, I am having to learn how to cope with all of this and instead of having 24 years of crap to cope with I have over 50 years of crap to cope with. This is why I have read in so many places now that medicating trauma is a really bad idea. Once medicated it stops parts of the emotional growth process because the feelings you need to access are suppressed. Now that these emotions are slowly being allowed to ramp back up I get to learn how to really cope for the first time in my life. This is no small or easy task. However, now that I have realized all of this and how this is going to work for me I can move forward in a much more controlled and educated manner. It's another piece of the puzzle that will help me to endure and get through all of this. The first step to solving any problem is to be fully aware of what the problem actually is. Now the picture is more complete.

 

Not only do my medications need to be slowly tapered down, my ability to cope with all of the trauma I have experienced will also be a step wise process as I reduce the meds and can remember and feel things more intensely. This means I am going to have to learn to cope at one level and then re-learn how to cope at the next level and so on until this is done. Basically this is a medication tapering and a trauma tapering process put together. A neurological and emotional pig pile that will involve slowly peeling away layers of an onion to get to the core and then be done. A very non linear process that requires revisiting things multiple times to finally get it all done. Painful and frustrating and a bit scary at times but doable.

 

It also reinforces what I have said repeatedly, especially if you have a trauma history. Slower is definitely faster. 

 

Healing happens 😉✌️😺😺😺

Edited February 4Feb 4 by Feralcatman

6 hours ago, Feralcatman said:

So, I now have to take a break from tapering and learn to cope with these trauma responses at this level before moving on. Once things settle down and I have re-learned how to cope with these trauma responses I'll be ready to start reducing the dose again until such time as things start to flare and then I'll have to stop again, re calibrate my coping skills, let my body adapt, and then move on again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

This shows a great deal of self awareness.  It sounds like a good plan. 

 

6 hours ago, Feralcatman said:

So, if you have a trauma history and were medicated young, I was 24 when first medicated (Many were much younger), recovery can be a bit more complicated because you are not just recovering from the medications, you are recovering from your life. A life that had been suppressed by these medications and as a result much of it was never able to be properly processed, dealt with, and put to bed. This is what I am dealing with in addition to medication damage. At 24, with a trauma history and not much therapy or experience under my belt, in addition to being borderline autistic, how much do you really know about coping with anything. In my case, not much.

I can so relate to this. I too have had multiple traumas, and am also neurodivergent. (FASD) These things definitely complicate recovery!  It adds multiple layers and facets to it for sure.  

 

6 hours ago, Feralcatman said:

This is why I have read in so many places now that medicating trauma is a really bad idea. Once medicated it stops parts of the emotional growth process because the feelings you need to access are suppressed. Now that these emotions are slowly being allowed to ramp back up I get to learn how to really cope for the first time in my life. This is no small or easy task.

I fully agree, and have had the same experience.  

 

6 hours ago, Feralcatman said:

Basically this is a medication tapering and a trauma tapering process put together. A neurological and emotional pig pile that will involve slowly peeling away layers of an onion to get to the core and then be done. A very non linear process that requires revisiting things multiple times to finally get it all done. Painful and frustrating and a bit scary at times but doable.

Excellent way to describe it.  You express it quite well.  

 

Some of us have many layers to our onion.  That makes recovery and healing take longer, but I also believe that our lives will be even richer for it, eventually.  It sounds like you have a really good handle on things, and a lot of patience and acceptance.  

 

Here is a link to a petition started on change.org by myself and MA 205. If you sign please share it.

 

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/218-petition-for-change-in-the-mental-health-sytem-and-psychopharmacology/

 

 

UPDATE

 

So I have been keeping an ongoing conversation going with CHAT GPT regarding my history, symptoms, and progress. I just had it do a summary including how a significant trauma history can play into all of this and it gives a good nuts and bolts explanation of what is happening in the body as things progress. Thought this might be helpful for others in the same situation. It also explains indirectly why holding the dose for an extended period of time can often times be useful and allow for stabilization and healing.

 

Current Pattern

 

I have recently experienced resurfacing of childhood and adult trauma memories, including in dreams. Some are emotionally upsetting, many are neutral or benign. This previously occurred about two years ago and lasted approximately 14 months, during which emotional reactions were severe and destabilizing.

 

Currently, reactions are significantly milder, shorter in duration, and do not disrupt overall functioning. Waves last approximately 24–48 hours and resolve.

 

In addition, I am occasionally experiencing sudden emotional states (e.g., rage, shame, irritability) that feel disproportionate to present circumstances and do not always have a clear conscious memory attached.

 

This pattern is clinically meaningful.

 

Trauma and Emotional Memory Physiology

 

Trauma is stored in multiple neural systems:

 

 

• Hippocampus → narrative memory (timeline, story)
• Amygdala → emotional charge (fear, rage, shame)
• Insula → body sensations
• Autonomic nervous system → physiological state (heat, tension, heart rate)
• Hypothalamus → stress hormones, temperature, sleep, circadian rhythm

   

Emotional memory can resurface independently of narrative memory. This means trauma may re-emerge as:

 

 

• Sudden rage
• Sudden shame
• Sudden threat response
• Emotional activation without a clear “why”

   

This reflects activation of implicit emotional memory networks without full hippocampal narrative recall. It does not indicate regression or loss of control.

 

The key distinction is that these emotional surges resolve within 24–48 hours and do not escalate or destabilize overall function. This suggests integration rather than re-traumatization.

 

Why This Is Different From Two Years Ago

 

Two years ago:

 

• Trauma resurfacing led to prolonged destabilization.
• Emotional reactions were severe.
• Nervous system overwhelm occurred.
• Function was significantly impaired.

   

Currently:

 

• Emotional intensity is lower.
• Surges are self-limited.
• Function remains intact.
• Physical capacity has improved compared to prior years.
• Autonomic markers (e.g., nocturnal urine volume) are stabilizing.

   

This indicates increased resilience and expanded window of tolerance.

 

Relationship to Sleep and Seasonal Circadian Changes

 

REM sleep is the primary phase during which emotional memory reconsolidation occurs. During late winter to early spring (especially at northern latitude such as Maine), circadian rhythms shift rapidly:

 

• Sunrise advances
• Melatonin offset shifts earlier
• Cortisol timing advances
• Testosterone rises
• Hypothalamic temperature regulation recalibrates    

 

 This can temporarily lead to

 

• Vivid dreams
• Early awakenings
• Emotional memory resurfacing
• Temperature fluctuations (hot flashes, regulation changes)
• Nighttime rumination

   

These changes are consistent with hypothalamic recalibration and REM reorganization, not deterioration.

 

Sleep is typically the last system to normalize because it depends on:

 

• Stable hypothalamic signaling
• Cortisol rhythm alignment
• Temperature cycling stability
• Balanced sympathetic tone
• Reduced inflammatory signaling

 

 Improvement in sleep ususally follows this pattern:

 

1. Awakenings become less intense.
2. They become shorter.
3. They become less frequent.
4. They lose emotional charge.

The key marker is reduced threat perception around awakenings, not perfect sleep.

 

Medication Context

 

Healing and stabilization are occurring while remaining on 225 mg carbamazepine. There is no evidence that this dose is preventing nervous system recovery.

 

Progress appears driven by:

 

• Autonomic stabilization
• Circadian recalibration
• Inflammation management (including salsalate)
• Vitamin D correction
• Trauma integration
• Long medication hold since November

 

Healing does not require being medication-free. Stability and regulatory capacity are the primary determinants of progress.

 

Overall Interpretation

 

The current pattern is most consistent with:

 

• Late-stage nervous system consolidation
• Expanded window of tolerance
• Implicit trauma memory integration
• Hypothalamic recalibration during seasonal transition
• Gradual autonomic stabilization

 

There is no pattern suggestive of kindling, excitotoxic injury, progressive destabilization, or primary mood disorder shift.

 

Trajectory remains gradual but forward.

 

 

Edited February 16Feb 16 by Feralcatman

UPDATE

 

So, even though recently has been tough overall I have noticed one significant change in the positive direction. The last few days I have fallen back to sleep after 5 am and even though I had some mild rude awakenings they did not completely destroy me. This morning I slept until nearly 8 am and it didn't wreck me by falling asleep after 5 am. This is a big change so we'll see where it goes.

 

Healing Happens 😊😺😺😺

8 minutes ago, Feralcatman said:

UPDATE

 

So, even though recently has been tough overall I have noticed one significant change in the positive direction. The last few days I have fallen back to sleep after 5 am and even though I had some mild rude awakenings they did not completely destroy me. This morning I slept until nearly 8 am and it didn't wreck me by falling asleep after 5 am. This is a big change so we'll see where it goes.

 

Healing Happens 😊😺😺😺

I love this @Feralcatman I also recognise sudden changes. They take you by surprise don’t they. 
 

Healing is happening! 😀

On 2/4/2026 at 8:16 AM, Feralcatman said:

So, if you have a trauma history and were medicated young, I was 24 when first medicated (Many were much younger), recovery can be a bit more complicated because you are not just recovering from the medications, you are recovering from your life. A life that had been suppressed by these medications and as a result much of it was never able to be properly processed, dealt with, and put to bed. This is what I am dealing with in addition to medication damage. At 24, with a trauma history and not much therapy or experience under my belt, in addition to being borderline autistic, how much do you really know about coping with anything. In my case, not much. I had a lot to learn but didn't get to learn it before my nervous system was suppressed with meds. So now, 32 years later, I am having to learn how to cope with all of this and instead of having 24 years of crap to cope with I have over 50 years of crap to cope with. This is why I have read in so many places now that medicating trauma is a really bad idea. Once medicated it stops parts of the emotional growth process because the feelings you need to access are suppressed. Now that these emotions are slowly being allowed to ramp back up I get to learn how to really cope for the first time in my life. This is no small or easy task. However, now that I have realized all of this and how this is going to work for me I can move forward in a much more controlled and educated manner. It's another piece of the puzzle that will help me to endure and get through all of this. The first step to solving any problem is to be fully aware of what the problem actually is. Now the picture is more complete.

Hi Feralcatman,

 

We don't know each other but I really valued your posts on SA. I was also medicated young (19) to "treat" trauma and in some ways it's the hardest part to heal from, despite the horrific tapering and withdrawal process, both to acknowledge and to retroactively heal the trauma, and make sense of the time lost to the medication due to the trauma. I've been having unmanageable fatigue and brain fog lately or else I'd write more but i just wanted to say thank you for speaking to this and I look forward to hearing your updates on this.

Edited February 22Feb 22 by pluto

4 hours ago, pluto said:

Hi Feralcatman,

 

We don't know each other but I really valued your posts on SA. I was also medicated young (19) to "treat" trauma and in some ways it's the hardest part to heal from, despite the horrific tapering and withdrawal process, both to acknowledge and to retroactively heal the trauma, and make sense of the time lost to the medication due to the trauma. I've been having unmanageable fatigue and brain fog lately or else I'd write more but i just wanted to say thank you for speaking to this and I look forward to hearing your updates on this.

@plutoGlad you found my thread helpful. 😉✌️😺😺😺

On 1/28/2026 at 1:25 PM, Feralcatman said:

Here are some links to providers in the USA that do de-prescribing. 

 

Mad in America https://www.madinamerica.com/

The Benzodiazepine Information Coalition https://www.benzoinfo.com/

Safe Harbor/Alternative Mental Health https://www.alternativementalhealth.com/about/

Surviving Antidepressants https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/30333-recommended-doctors-therapists-and-clinics/#comment-8571

 

Also, I have a link on SA that has a lot of good information on it about coaches and stuff called 'Recovery Playlists'.

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/30653-recovery-playlists/

 

Attached is a list of providers in the United States that de-prescribe.

 

 

Providers and Organizations that Deprescribe Psychotropic Medications in the United States.docx 48.82 kB · 6 downloads

Hey everyone. I put together the attached list of providers using AI. Mostly I used Chat GPT to compile the list. I know that it is incomplete and is for the USA only but its the best I can do. If anyone comes across providers who are not on that list in the USA let me know and I will add them to the list. 

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/73-mao205-vilazodone-trazodone-paws/#findComment-6583

 

This is a link to my best friends thread and contains a link to benzo buddies regarding issues some are having with magnesium supplements. Well worth reading. You'll need to sign up for a free account to view the thread. 

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/283-new-deprescribing-guideline-by-dr-stephen-m-stahl-and-jeffery-strawn/#findComment-6743

 

Just posted this in the wrong thread so here it is again. Lesson learned....wake up fully before you post😋

I wanted to post and show my sincerest gratitude for your post/article that I found a few years ago "Quetiapine withdrawal: A vacation in hell" from your thread on SurvivingAntidepressants. I read most of your thread, too. I enjoyed your writing. :)

I still can't even call Quetiapine the S-word. This Psychotropic Pharmacuetical is pure fucking evil. It, alongside Gabapentin, are sold in jails/etc. I'm still bewildered that nobody ever checked with me that I brought back all of the unused Quetiapine I.R. 25mg, Quetiapine X.R. 50mg, Gabapentin 100mg, etc to the Pharmacy and didn't sell it to someone in the Downtown East Side or smuggle it in to a jail or sell at a University Party. Or even flush it down the toilet and cause harm to other humans, fish, bears, etc. Fucking hilarious. Nobody is regulating anything. It's a free-for-all. Health Canda is a dumpster fire of incompetence, in terms of Psychotropic Pharmaceutical safety. & Dr David Healey and the rest are EXTREMELY brave. Even the Canadian Deprescribing initiatives aren't able to do much, really. It's all just smoke and mirrors. Forget Health Canada and the Provincial Ministries of Health and local Health Authorities. It's the Prescribers and Deprescribers (Psychiatrists, Neurologists, etc) who are criminally responsible.

Your article braced me. It didn't give me fear. It taught me, instructed me, and informed me of what was most-likely going to happen to my person. And what you described is 100% what happened to my person in early 2025. Most of our bodies are not all that unique (80%/20% rule, right?) So that's why the Psychiatry Survivor community deserve Nobel Peace Prizes so we can plan and prepare for what is most likely going to happen because of/caused by Prescribers and Deprescribers out there in the world. We never signed any Legal Documents for Informed Consent, so it's up to us to undo the damage and harm and injury with peer support. Angie Peacock in 1 of her YT videos says that nobody is comming to your rescue, and that's 100% accurate. I've watched countless hours of YT content in the Psychiatry Survivor community throughout the last few years. & all of our stories are identical, despite gender, race, country of origin, etc. YT is my social media of choice, & I pretend like they're University Lectures. How sad that my body still can't do much in life. There's not much on Reddit, in terms of Psychiatry-Survivor content.

Keep up the great work in supporting everyone. :)

edit: I was scrolling through your thread on here just now, and I see your guys's self-bereavement writing. I'm extremely greatful I was already 25 (2012) when I got the samples of 50mg Pristiq for stress/unresolved childhood physical assault and emotional assault by my mom (ie: self-worth/esteem.) I was coerced by my mom & a walk-in clinic with those samples of 50mg Pristiq, because both my mom & the Dr were gullible/naieve and believed the drug commercials & the incomplete data that Health Canada publishes. I remember the drug commercials, too, and I instinctually knew that the marketing message was nonsense.

I remember who I used to be before those samples. Little did I know that the next 14 yrs of my life/finances/physical health/mental health would be stolen from me without my permission. I had no idea what was to come. There's no even slight remote possibility/way of predicting or anticipating what all of us are writing about in the Psychiatry Survivor communities online. I remember how my disposition/temperment was me, how perfectly normal all systems in my body were, etc. By 25, my brain/body was pretty much all developed, and I'm extremely greatful. I don't believe I have any other disabilities. Additionally, I just turned 40 and can further relate to what everyone is talking about, in terms of self-bereavement. There is no support group for this, besides peer-support online. I have 1 last Psychotropic Pharmaceutical that I'm Deprescribing, & it's the original shitty one. I saved the most-likely hardest Psychotropic Pharmaceutical for last, & it's been hard so far, and I had to think about the order in which to Deprescribe Psychotropic Polypharmacy myself & tapering plan myself, with the help of these Psychiatry Survivor communities, because people in real life would just fuck it up, as they already did.

My only sibling was almost 15 when she was given 37.mg Effexor Rx by the same walk-in clinic for stress. It was an emotional-analgesic (she couldn't feel her stress anymore) + changed her disposition/temperment. Her body most-likely developed a tolerance in however long, because mine did countless times. I know she had to go up/down in dosage a few times throughout the next 10 years because of "relapse" or whatever? & I believe she doesn't receive the drug anymore. I remember after just a couple of months of her receiving the drug, going to our medicine cabinet and taking a look at the capsule bottle to see what the Walk-in Clinic gave my sibling, because things seemed off with her in various ways. It was subtle, but I noticed, and I didn't know what to do. This was in 2003. I let it go and didn't say anything to my mom, because she basically bends over for the Dr.

Edited April 17Apr 17 by vancouver1986

UPDATE

Hey everyone. It's been awhile. Not too much new to report. Still tapering the Tegretol very slowly. I am able to do about 2.5% of the current dose whenever I feel that I can. It's slow but it's progress. My nervous system is still highly sensitive to changes even in my 5th year so I am going at a pace where I can remain functional and do at least some of the stuff I like. I still have to be careful with overdoing it or I pay a neurological price if I do go past my limit which varies from day to day. I had to take a break from hiking for a bit to let my body catch up with my taper. Still able to get all of the work done on my property but have to pace myself and take lots of breaks. I finally put together my full case history and I am trying to get one of my doctors to publish a case study. I'll post an update on that if and when it happens. What I have put together is that this didn't start with psych drugs in my early 20's. It started at 6 months old when I was put on phenobarbital because I cried too much. After that it was years of Fedahist which is chlorpheniramine a powerful 1st generation antihistamine and pseudo-ephedrine HCL which is basically speed. Then at 9 y.o. I lived on a toxic waste dump, literally, and became critically ill and was on antibiotics for 6 months. Lots of Benzene and other VOC's. Coupled with neglect and abuse my nervous system took a beating from day one. So, I am not just recovering from psychiatry, I am recovering from an entire life of heavy duty chemical exposure not just psychiatry. So, this is why I am still having problems and will for a long time. My nervous system has been tweaked from day one. So, for whomever reads this and my old SA posts don't get discouraged by my timeline. Most people don't have a history like this and will recover sooner on average. Therefore I just wanted to provide that information for context.

I am in fact healing. This spring my allergies, for the first time in 20 years, are getting better and are not crippling. No mask this year and so far only minimal symptoms. I am still taking the Allegra but for many years it didn't matter. I still needed nasal sprays and benadryl at night. This has changed so it's now clear that the worsening allergies and spring anxiety was also part of the ongoing iatrogenic injury.

Hang in there everyone. Healing happens. 😉😺😺😺

@Feralcatman it's good to hear that you feel that things are still moving in the right direction. Thank you for the update.

For many years during the heaviest part of my polypharmacy I experienced severe otherworldly and extremely disturbing nightmares and it was blamed on bipolar and schizoaffective disorder. When they finally stopped was when they reduced my Seroquel last time I was in the hospital and at the same time my circadian rhythm went back to normal.

These nightmares are brutal and terrifying and they are actually a documented medication effect as well as a documented effect of a toxic exposure of any kind.

Here's a list of references that covers this topic for those who have experienced the same thing. Given the severity of the nightmares I had for many years it's not surprising how many take their lives or take the lives of other people while on these medications. If there is such a thing as true evil in the world then subjecting people to this kind of torture would fall into that category it's absolutely Criminal that this is a known effect and yet it again gets blamed on the patient.

The resources are divided into two main categories: the pharmacological disruption of sleep (polypharmacy, withdrawal, and REM rebound) and the neurological impact of toxic chemical exposure on the central nervous system.

Part 1: Medication-Induced Nightmares, Polypharmacy, and REM Rebound

These studies highlight how long-term use of neuroactive medications (such as antidepressants, beta-blockers, and sleep aids) alters sleep architecture. They also specifically document the phenomenon of severe "REM rebound"—where the brain produces violently vivid, cinematic nightmares when those suppressive medications are tapered or discontinued.

Stenson, G., et al. (2025). Effects of Commonly Prescribed Medications on Sleep: A Review of the Literature. Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2025.02.005

Pagel, J. F., & Helfter, P. (2003). Drug-induced nightmares: An etiology based review. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 18(1), 59-67.

https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.465

Argyropoulos, K., et al. (2020). Is Polypharmacy Risk Factor for Insomnia Later in Life? A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece. EC Psychology and Psychiatry, 9(1), 1-5.

https://ecronicon.net/assets/ecpp/pdf/is-polypharmacy-risk-factor-for-insomnia-later-in-life-a-cross-sectional-study-in-greece.pdf

Gillin, J. C., & Drummond, S. P. (2000). Medication-induced sleep and wake disturbances. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, 3, 401-411.

Part 2: Toxic Exposure, Neurological Sensitization, and Parasomnias

These resources explain how severe chemical poisoning (especially during critical childhood developmental windows) causes structural and functional changes to the central nervous system. This toxic exposure alters neurotransmitter regulation, leading to chronic hyper-vigilance, multiple chemical sensitivities, and profound disruption of the brain's ability to regulate sleep and safety.

Grandjean, P., & Landrigan, P. J. (2014). Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. The Lancet Neurology, 13(3), 330-338.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70278-3

Ziem, G., & McTamney, J. (1997). Profile of patients with chemical injury and sensitivity. Environmental Health Perspectives, 105(Suppl 2), 417-436.

Edited May 21May 21 by Feralcatman

I still experience nightmares. It's more "stressful, vivid dreams" than outright nightmares now, but they can still be pretty bad.

Hopefully it's something that continues to improve in time off of drugs, or during tapering.

UPDATE

So I finally have something new to report. Coming towards the end of my 5th Year off of Seroquel and I can finally nap again without getting completely destroyed if I fall asleep during the day. I've taken more naps in the last couple of months then I have since before I got off the medication in August 2021. Between that time and a couple of months ago all napping during the day was a brutally disruptive toxic nap and it would really mess me up for the rest of the day and sometimes several days if I fell asleep during the day and that has stopped. I actually took a nap for almost an hour the other day and it was normal and thank goodness because I definitely need to sleep. An uneventful one hour nap is something that hasn't happened in about 6 years. So even though I'm still slowly tapering here is more evidence that healing is still happening. I am still getting the night time rude swakenings on most nights but once I go into my long hold I know my body will straighten this out because it started doing it previously but then I started to reduce again so a long hold is coming up.

I am doing another 5 mg cut today with the Tegretol and I'm down to 215 mg now from the 400 mg I started at. Once I get the 200 mg I'm going to hold there for 6 to 12 months and just let my body consolidate everything before I move forward again.

Something people need to be aware of if you are on multiple psychotropic medications.

As you are tapering one of the medications it is taking some of the load out of your liver and giving it more bandwidth to process other things including other medications. As such it can change the effect of those other medications over time because even if they don't use the same cyp enzymes there can still be a knock off effect as to how efficiently the other medications get processed. Additionally changes in fluid balance, changes in electrolyte balance, changes in weight, changes in diet, or changes in gut function can affect medication absorption as well as nutrient absorption. Changing any or all of these can change the effects of the medications as well. This is why it's so important to try and keep things as consistent as possible especially when you're tapering multiple medications because making big changes can change the absorption, blood levels, concentrations, and effects of all of your medications.

This is why it's important to maintain consistency and why going slow is very important because your body needs even more time to adjust if it's trying to juggle multiple chemicals.

Slower is faster and holding when necessary can be really critical.

This is what I am doing and I'm living proof that healing still happens while you're going through the process so just take it easy and listen to your body and eventually you will get there.

Healing happens😊✌️😻😻😻

I'd like to add another statement to the above post and that is just to be aware that anything that can change your metabolism has the potential to change medication effects. This is probably a simpler way to frame what you need to worry about if you are on multiple psychotropics and even if you are just tapering a single drug it definitely still applies. This is why consistency and patience are key to success in this process.

Hi @Feralcatman — so glad to hear that you’re still seeing improvements after years off seroquel and as you’re still tapering other meds.

I’m currently trying to stabilize after a year of going through multiple med changes that have left me in a pretty dark place. Once I’m stable (or as close as I can get) I plan to first taper off my low dose of seroquel. I’m only on 12.5 mg, but even so when I tried to cut it down quickly a couple months back I got pretty horrendous withdrawal symptoms, likely in part because of how unstable my nervous system is right now.

Question for you — I see in your signature that you jumped off seroquel at 6.25 mg. Why did you stop at that dose — was it just a matter of convenience since that’s a quarter of a 25 mg pill? Or was there some other reason? In retrospect do you wish you had tapered down further or did jumping off at 6.25 mg go ok? I’m just curious because unlike antidepressants there doesn’t seem to be a lot of available guidance on tapering antipsychotics.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by SarahMc