8 hours ago, yoshi4844 said:

I explain my self to the clinic staff and they seem to believe me more but their reactions are as if I am the only one they have seen go through this.

With time, you may find you get to the stage where you don't need or want validation from doctors.

Reassurance about the reality of WD is helpful, and you'll find plenty of that on this site.

When tapering is the goal, you just need the repeat prescription/drug refills and tapering information on sites like this or the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines.

8 hours ago, yoshi4844 said:

No way this stuff that rare.

I'm with you on this. I recall my doctor saying most people get off ADs very quickly with no trouble at all...this and other forums would suggest otherwise.

19 hours ago, LostinCanada said:

7 red flags that your doctor might be ignoring your symptoms

Thank you, I am writing this down. Genuinely really useful. I have to stand my ground and also switch doctors.

14 hours ago, cherrysquid said:

She just thought she had a chronic illness doctors couldn't really figure out. She got better and went back on meds for a while and it happened again

12 hours ago, AlmostOff said:

I'm with you on this. I recall my doctor saying most people get off ADs very quickly with no trouble at all...this and other forums would suggest otherwise.

Yeah, I remember asking a lot of people in my college about antidepressants and when you aren't on them, they will say "oh they are probably good for you and I had no issues on them".

But when I told them about my issues once I was on them, the same people felt more inclined to open up about their symptoms as if revealing them to the public was a bad thing.

I think in general, people don't want to seem weak or sick, so they just blame themselves and hide their problems. Antidepressant withdrawal is no exception. So many people have opened up to me about issues with their bodies (from medications or genetics) but they just "thug it out". The medical industry and society as a whole doesn't help when they are super ableist.

21 hours ago, yoshi4844 said:

stress test in the future

Honestly I wouldn't do this....being pushed to your limit on a treadmill in withdrawal...no thanks. If it is a cardiac one, they can also add medication. I know more than one person who had a heart attack or stroke during.

28 minutes ago, yoshi4844 said:

medical industry and society as a whole doesn't help when they are super ableist.

When people have the idea of survival of the fittest, anyone with an issue out of the ordinary can be easily dismissed.

Definitely ethics are lacking in the medical field, when it is based on profit and out performing another country, individual, company, political party, etc.

On 7/29/2026 at 9:18 PM, yoshi4844 said:

Went to the doctors today I guess for bloodwork and to try to get something written on my record other than "anxiety". I got bloodwork and an xray done and I guess a stress test in the future. I explained to this doctor my whole history but he said its anxiety (bruh). I told him to look over all my other tests, my weight loss, and my lack of mobility. I don't care for finding the cause (as its def the AD's), I just want it on my record so people can stop thinking im just "anxious".

idk what kind of diagnosis I could be looking for anyways. I explain my self to the clinic staff and they seem to believe me more but their reactions are as if I am the only one they have seen go through this. No way this stuff that rare.

I just wanna throw in that my story is so similar to yours. Weird sleep/jerks/neurological issues post covid and vax that i couldnt describe well (i said they felt metabolic and like pots but got diagnosed with anxiety of course). I was lucky enough to have gotten a cPET/vo2 max test thru some colleagues and also paid for 30K dollars of bloodwork (partially insured) from the basic panels to hormones to immune stuff like ACE2 antibodies. Not ome abnormality. I was shocked when my cortisol and catecholemines werent even high! Only slightly off stuff was elevated liver enzymes since duloxetine and my iron is technically low. I also showed crazy high IGF1 on one test but never replicated it since so maybe it was a fluke who knows.

The stress test COULD be helpful but in my research on long covid, its usually a two day test that shows the post exertional issue with the anabolic threshold being lower than it should.

If you CAN get tested I always support collecting data. But I also want to just say that it is very possible you will find nothing :/

4 hours ago, LostinCanada said:

Honestly I wouldn't do this....being pushed to your limit on a treadmill in withdrawal...no thanks. If it is a cardiac one, they can also add medication. I know more than one person who had a heart attack or stroke during.

I was just going to do what I was comfortable with (just walking) and anything else I would decline. I am not in shape to run or anything crazy right now.

I'll see whats up but i will decline if I am uncomfortable with anything. My main concerns were bloodwork and something on my paperwork for school but I'll cycle doctors until I hopefully find one who believes me.

1 hour ago, Jazzjunkie84 said:

I just wanna throw in that my story is so similar to yours. Weird sleep/jerks/neurological issues post covid and vax that i couldnt describe well (i said they felt metabolic and like pots but got diagnosed with anxiety of course)

Honestly this is so informative. I know COVID played a part in it. Did you do any tests that showed anything?

I've done so many tests and I'm getting tired of it. My colonoscopy doctor said it best, despite having little risk from taking certain tests, if everything is showing nothing and im sensitive (but also improving), I shouldn't risk it.

All my tests are normal, I have some shifts still in normal range post covid and AD's. High white blood cell count (called stress) when I had COVID, but besides that ZERO abnormalities. I would think that withdrawal would show something, anything? I agree with you its like metabolic and autonomic and theres gotta be a test that shows SOMETHING. But it might be out of the league of my local clinic lol.

@yoshi4844 I wish I could say I found a smoking gun. As you know if youve roamed any of the LC spaces it is rare to get abnormal tests. The mechanisms in LC are just simply often things we dont have clear diagnostics for (like vagus nerve inflammation or mast cell mediators or something idk).

I have had so many antibodies and autoimmune panels, x rays, mri, sirometry, ekg and echos etc etc. No smoking guns. As i mentioned i had a couple slightly weird things but either after cymbalta (and no control test so impossible to say if it was cymbalta) or retest was normal so it was possibly a lab artifact. I am willing to bet that the abnormal sleep study i had (limb movements) was likely NOT caused by the AD considering i have had partners complain about it for years and often felt like i needed a LOT of sleep and intolerant to regular wake times. I am also technically low on iron (if restless legs are present ferritin should be 100 and mine is 50). But whos to say whats what.

Ultimately until LC is understood as something we can create an antiviral for, its either something the body beats off in its own time or the lingering dysautonomia just clears up “some day” like PAWS does.

Some recent imaging studies do show damaged neuronal pathways in longhaulers though so it makes sense that psych meds seem to help some. Although i would be curious if they only cause further downregulation and damage down the road.

40 minutes ago, Jazzjunkie84 said:

curious if they only cause further downregulation and damage down the road.

I think the benefits don't outweigh the risks.

AI search:

While Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely studied and increasingly prescribed to help manage Long COVID symptoms like brain fog and chronic fatigue, their primary dangers center around increased risks of internal bleeding, severe drug interactions with standard COVID therapies, and the standard, sometimes debilitating side effects of antidepressant discontinuation or serotonin syndrome.Because lingering SARS-CoV-2 particles can significantly disrupt the body's natural serotonin levels, introducing an SSRI can create unique physiological risks for Long COVID patients.Key Dangers and Adverse RisksElevated Bleeding Risks: SSRIs actively block serotonin transporter (SERT) proteins in blood platelets, which significantly reduces the platelets' ability to clump and form clots. Because many Long COVID patients suffer from a hypercoagulable state or microclots, they are frequently prescribed blood thinners like aspirin, clopidogrel, or anticoagulants. Combining SSRIs with these medications exponentially multiplies the danger of gastrointestinal and internal bleeding. “SSRIs interact with antiplatelet medications including aspirin and clopidogrel and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to prolong bleeding times in some patients. SSRIs have been linked to increased incidence of gastrointestinal and other bleeding incidents” according to PMC.Serotonin Syndrome: A rare but life-threatening complication that occurs if serotonin levels rise too high. Long COVID neurological protocols sometimes involve a complex mix of medications. If an SSRI is accidentally combined with other serotonergic substances—such as certain pain medications, tricyclic antidepressants, or the antibiotic linezolid—it can trigger autonomic instability, dangerously high fevers, confusion, and muscle rigidity.Severe Drug Interactions: Long COVID patients frequently manage a high pill burden. SSRIs can strongly inhibit specific liver enzymes (like CYP450), which process other essential drugs. This inhibition can cause other prescribed medications to build up to toxic levels in the bloodstream.Gastrointestinal Distress: A high concentration of the body's serotonin receptors are in the gut, a region frequently damaged or inflamed by lingering SARS-CoV-2 particles. Introducing an SSRI commonly causes or worsens nausea, diarrhea, and severe abdominal discomfort during the first several weeks of treatment.Discontinuation Syndrome: Halting SSRIs abruptly can cause severe withdrawal, known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. For a Long COVID patient, withdrawal symptoms like extreme dizziness, "brain zaps," sleep disturbances, and intense anxiety can easily be mistaken for a severe Long COVID relapse, complicating clinical management.

1 hour ago, LostinCanada said:

I think the benefits don't outweigh the risks.

Thank you for this and the write up. I feel similarly and do wonder if that underlying fragility is why i myself am experiencing what might fit more under a severe benzo cold turkey even though i have tapered slowly and was only on my full dose all of four weeks or so.

To be fair and play devils advocate (science)I have seen write ups like this https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/fluvoxamine-significantly-reduces-long-covid-fatigue-in-landmark-randomized-trial (sorry too foggy to track down the study itself but im sure its on google scholar) that talk about anti-inflammatory affects at LOW doses with SPECIFIC drugs.

That being said my belief is that the mechanism can probably be replicated with an anti inflammatory that doesnt fudge your neurotransmitters. Im not versed in biochem/neuroscience to know what that might be.

We really want ethical studies and they just don't exist when $$$ are involved.

Since I just had a health scare revolving around tia/stroke stuff, I did some research on TPA only to find out that Big Pharma basically paid the American Heart Association millions to promote TPA despite emergency room doctors crying out against it, stating it was killing people. TPA has not decreased mortality in stroke. That was a shocker for me.

So sad really because it isn't just ADs. "Facts" can be skewed and add to that medical spell binding and placebo effect.

So am I jaded or a realistic at this point....all I know is "medicine" has majorly damaged me.

Thanks for indulging my rant. ❤️🙏

2 hours ago, Jazzjunkie84 said:

That being said my belief is that the mechanism can probably be replicated with an anti inflammatory that doesnt fudge your neurotransmitters. Im not versed in biochem/neuroscience to know what that might be.

From what I studied, we really don't know the specifics. Like we know what specific things the medication targets and what it's "supposed" to do. But the fact that many people have different effects and specfic enzymes/hormones/whatever is targeted also have many other effects on the body that we cannot effectively single out (ie like serotonin impacting so many different aspects of the body at once and at different times) makes it so that its still luck of the draw.

I think selling medications to vunerable people is always a marketing scheme that takes advantage of chronically ill folk. It's the same premise behind shilling antidepressants for depression and shilling similar medicaitions for "off-label" use.

All I know is that pacing and giving it time helps everyone but depending on your circumstances, it can be difficult. Everything is toxic, society, work culture, lack of aid, so its really up to what resources you have. Feels kinda hopeless but I think keeping our voices alive and heard can help somewhat.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by yoshi4844
added similar

Does anyone get cold intolerance?

Last night I called the paramedics because all of a sudden my heart started beating really slowly. It's done this before so I just ignored it for a bit. But then I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't walk without feeling super weak and like I would almost pass out. I sat down and still felt really bad. My heart rate sitting down was in the 50s. and walking was 60's. Usually sitting is 60-70 and walking is 80-90. It kept going for 30 minutes but it went away once I turned on the heater and full of adrenaline cause I was super scared.

Today it is really cold (low 60F). When I go outside, even with a sweater, I can feel myself drowning again. In my room is really warm but it's kinda not helping anymore. It's weird because I don't feel like im TOO cold or TOO hot. I just feel slightly cold or slightly warm.

I have also been seeing like shiny spots and dark spots in my eyes that flash for a split second. Im not sure if they are just my floaters or what lol

Edited August 7Aug 7 by yoshi4844
added more

10 hours ago, yoshi4844 said:

Does anyone get cold intolerance?

Last night I called the paramedics because all of a sudden my heart started beating really slowly. It's done this before so I just ignored it for a bit. But then I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't walk without feeling super weak and like I would almost pass out. I sat down and still felt really bad. My heart rate sitting down was in the 50s. and walking was 60's. Usually sitting is 60-70 and walking is 80-90. It kept going for 30 minutes but it went away once I turned on the heater and full of adrenaline cause I was super scared.

Today it is really cold (low 60F). When I go outside, even with a sweater, I can feel myself drowning again. In my room is really warm but it's kinda not helping anymore. It's weird because I don't feel like im TOO cold or TOO hot. I just feel slightly cold or slightly warm.

I have also been seeing like shiny spots and dark spots in my eyes that flash for a split second. Im not sure if they are just my floaters or what lol

Heat intolerance is VERY common in WD. I am sorry, that sounds very frightening if you needed to call an ambulance. Hope everything checked out ok, I suspect this was just WD. Hope things ease soon.

I guess some good news.

I think my deeper weight loss and weird heart thing was caused by my fustrating doctor's visit from last wednesday. (went from 109lbs to 106lbs rather quickly)

As it has been a week, my weight is slowly reclimbing (despite making little to no changes to my diet) and everyday since thursday, my heart symptom has improved. Definetly WD related and super scary but I am glad it's improving.

My other symptoms have come and go and improve in tiny bits. I'm keeping track and trying to prevent mini-flares but it's really hard when you are really sensitive, but it seems like my body is grasping a bit better than last month.

10 hours ago, yoshi4844 said:

I guess some good news.

I think my deeper weight loss and weird heart thing was caused by my fustrating doctor's visit from last wednesday. (went from 109lbs to 106lbs rather quickly)

As it has been a week, my weight is slowly reclimbing (despite making little to no changes to my diet) and everyday since thursday, my heart symptom has improved. Definetly WD related and super scary but I am glad it's improving.

My other symptoms have come and go and improve in tiny bits. I'm keeping track and trying to prevent mini-flares but it's really hard when you are really sensitive, but it seems like my body is grasping a bit better than last month.

Great news @yoshi4844

On 7/31/2026 at 12:30 PM, LostinCanada said:

So sad really because it isn't just ADs. "Facts" can be skewed and add to that medical spell binding and placebo effect.

So am I jaded or a realistic at this point....all I know is "medicine" has majorly damaged me.

omg idk why I didn't see this sooner.

I was gonna say that you are not jaded and this is a huge issue in everything basically. Capitalism has a way of making everything about money and power first. Whether it's in medicine, our food, housing, etc. Being jaded or better framed as "skeptical" is very important in today's age. It is sad that people won't be properly skeptical until something happens to them personally (me included) since the world around us normalizes it.

However, I don't think you should blame "medicine" for hurting you. There are still people within the system that genuinely care and are still fighting for things to get better. It's just our current system breeds greed and exploitation the most (especially from the ultra rich and powerful).

@yoshi4844 I have been reacting to the xylitol in the DGL and the ginger I use. It can cause nausea, bloating, gut issues. I found a DGL that is strictly powder...I just put a bit on my palm and lick it off because it apparently needs to saliva to make it work right.

DGL Powder 4oz by Vital Nutrients https://share.google/G1gUASe2t7n89jrdf

Xylitol can mess with your gut. Since I have quit these products, my digestive issues have really improved.

6 hours ago, LostinCanada said:

have been reacting to the xylitol in the DGL and the ginger I use. It can cause nausea, bloating, gut issues. I found a DGL that is strictly powder...I just put a bit on my palm and lick it off because it apparently needs to saliva to make it work right.

Your timing is wild. I started to notice the ginger chewables I was eating was actually suppressing my hunger a bit? So I was gonna start eating them less often.

I eat the DGL only before bed since heartburn started going away.

But thank you for the update.

Im so fustrated. My symptoms are slightly improving but my weight keeps dropping. I’ve increased my calories from 900ish to 1300 ish but I cant eat more.

I am 105 lbs now. Im thinking of making a reduction. I’ve held since March 2025 and my guts “were” healing since then. But this crash has shown that the supposed healing wasn’t even real.

However im scared that this is the wrong move and I should keep holding. Im having somatic issues and GI issues but the symptoms are very different than last year’s.

I’m unsure what to do. I feel like I’m at a crossroads. I feel like reducing could help as GI issues are notorious for antidepressants. I’d only be going from 2.35mg to 2.3mg. BUT I know all it takes is one small change to ruin everything.

I don’t even know if this is withdrawal. Has anyone lost this much weight? I cant find anyone. Is this Covid kicking in late? I dont know. Should I wait until I, a 5’7 male, hit 100 lbs?

I cant walk far, barely shower once a week, i feel more tired now. But yet im seeing improvements as well. I feel as if the malnutrition is causing me to rot but the time is stabilizing my nervous system. But am I even malnourished? All my labs are normal and so is my poop. I have healthy bowel habits and I still have strength.

2 hours ago, yoshi4844 said:

Im so fustrated. My symptoms are slightly improving but my weight keeps dropping. I’ve increased my calories from 900ish to 1300 ish but I cant eat more.

I am 105 lbs now. Im thinking of making a reduction. I’ve held since March 2025 and my guts “were” healing since then. But this crash has shown that the supposed healing wasn’t even real.

However im scared that this is the wrong move and I should keep holding. Im having somatic issues and GI issues but the symptoms are very different than last year’s.

I’m unsure what to do. I feel like I’m at a crossroads. I feel like reducing could help as GI issues are notorious for antidepressants. I’d only be going from 2.35mg to 2.3mg. BUT I know all it takes is one small change to ruin everything.

I don’t even know if this is withdrawal. Has anyone lost this much weight? I cant find anyone. Is this Covid kicking in late? I dont know. Should I wait until I, a 5’7 male, hit 100 lbs?

I cant walk far, barely shower once a week, i feel more tired now. But yet im seeing improvements as well. I feel as if the malnutrition is causing me to rot but the time is stabilizing my nervous system. But am I even malnourished? All my labs are normal and so is my poop. I have healthy bowel habits and I still have strength.

Sounds like to me you could benefit form hanging on this dose a little longer and letting those little improvements stack up. Good you have upped your intake, and it's great your stats are all good. WD is hell, and these drugs mess with us so much.

@yoshi4844 I am looking at this:

Daily: Men's multivitamin, 360mg fish oil, 400mg DGL (usually one quarter a night), ginger chewable 500mg (one quarter 3x a day

Are you still taking the DGL and ginger?

Read the non medicinal ingredients....guar gum? xylitol? etc.

These didn't affect me for 2 years and then I was suffering from bloating, constant nausea, etc. I obviously started to react to them. Since I have quit...no bloating or nausea.

Check the non medicinal ingredients in the multivitamin as well.

I'm withdrawal, many things that we had no issue with can turn on us.

Also Citalopram affects histamine....have you looked at a strict los histamine diet....many things are histamine liberators that need to be avoided...as well as additives to foods.

Edited September 7Sep 7 by LostinCanada

Still slowly recovering but I found this article that sounds scarily similar to what I'm going through.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11290374/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The only difference is the medication but also she tapered a medication she was on for 5 years.

I am tired of what I'm going through and it seems like the 1+ year hold didn't do anything. I am currently 104lbs. I am considering a tiny updose. I am at 2.35mg but maybe I could go to 2.4mg and see what happens? I am making slow improvements but I am overall still pretty sensitive (and losing weight despite eating about ~1300 calories). What do you guys think?

Just now, yoshi4844 said:

eating about ~1300 calories

You need to try to increase to closer to 2000. Also why updose? It seems the setback is from a sensitive CNS....you are things full of chemicals. It is important to not eat junk since you are this sensitive...eat clean whole foods....no additives, no sodium nitrates like in bacon and processed meats, no msg, etc.

Uodosing could cause further sensitivity at this point.

Work on increasing calories and doing gentle exercises like stretching,walking, etc.

These are some suggestions on how to sneak calories in.

AI search:

To safely increase your calorie intake while dealing with persistent nausea and weight loss, you must prioritize liquid calories, eat small and frequent portions, and lean on bland, energy-dense foods. Unintentional weight loss combined with nausea requires a careful strategy to protect your digestive system from becoming overwhelmed.

1. Shift to High-Calorie Liquids

Liquids pass through the stomach much faster than solid foods and do not trigger the same fullness stretch receptors, making them easier to tolerate when you are nauseated.

• Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Blend whole milk, full-fat Greek yogurt, or canned coconut milk with a scoop of protein powder, a banana, and smooth nut butter.

• Oral Nutrition Supplements: Sip on ready-to-drink high-calorie medical shakes (like Ensure or Boost).

• The "Medicine Cup" Trick: If drinking an entire shake feels daunting, pour it into a small 1.5-ounce medicine cup or shot glass. Sip just one small cup every 30 to 60 minutes to quietly accumulate hundreds of calories over the day without over-stretching your stomach.

2. Change Your Meal Timing and Fluid Strategy

• Eat 6 to 8 Small Meals: Do not try to force three large, traditional meals. Eat a few bites of food every 2 hours.

• Separate Solids and Liquids: Avoid drinking fluids right before or during your meals. Drinking liquid with solid food fills up your stomach volume quickly, which can worsen nausea and stop you from finishing your food. Hydrate strictly between meals.

• Capitalize on "Window" Times: Take advantage of times during the day when your nausea naturally dips (often first thing in the morning) to eat your most calorie-dense foods.

3. Choose Low-Volume, Gentle, Energy-Dense Foods

Avoid high-fiber, greasy, or overly sweet foods, which stay in the stomach longer and trigger nausea. Instead, focus on bland options that pack a lot of calories into a small serving:

• Starchy, Soft Bases: Oatmeal, cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, or white rice.

• Subtle Fats: Stir a tablespoon of high-quality olive oil, avocado oil, or clear fats into warm soups, rice, or porridges. They add 120 calories per tablespoon without changing the volume or texture of the food.

• Cold or Room-Temperature Foods: Hot foods release strong aromas that frequently trigger the nausea reflex. Lean toward chilled puddings, custards, or room-temperature sandwiches.

4. Manage Nausea Environmentally

• Rinse Your Mouth: If you have been actively vomiting, rinse your mouth with water immediately afterward to protect your teeth from stomach acid, but avoid brushing them right away.

• Use Natural Antiemetics: Nibble on plain saltine crackers, sip clear ginger ale, or try small pieces of peppermint candy to settle your stomach before trying to consume a higher-calorie item