[lavenderbrat]

Hi everyone,

As the title says I've been diagnosed incorrectly for 20 years. I was treated as severely depressed and I've now been classified as Bi-polar.

I'll go along to the Bi-polar section soon to read up but first I want to share what I'm going through now and hope that someone out there will know what I'm feeling. Well I don't really wish it on anyone but you know what I mean.

So 20 years ago I was put on Zoloft 200mgs and it stopped working after 10 years. I went through hell for the next 2 years till they started me on Pristiq 200mgs and that became my wonder drug. Fast forward to January this year I've moved and under a new psych who has reviewed all my files and seen me over a few months. It seems I was starting to have a major depressive episode because I'm Bi-polar and the Pristiq was making it worse.

Over 7 days I was weaned from 200mg to 0mgs and admitted to hospital. I started Lithium 2 days later. I'm currently on 1000mgs of Lithium. This was all done by the end of January.

As my psych said Zoloft was a walk in the park in terms of withdrawal symptoms. It's been a month now and I honestly feel like I've had an acquired brain injury. Physically and mentally I can't keep things together, one minute I might feel almost normal and then my body will go out from under me or I'll totally forget the most basic infant things or slur my words like a drunk.

I'm home alone, I have a disabled teenager but she has a bf and out a lot which in a way is good but also I just want some people around me to say hey, this is normal and you're doing ok, you can get through this, if you know what I mean.

My psych said we're still looking at a minimum of 2 to 3 months like this.....if anyone has done this like I said 200mgs over 8 years I mean a major withdrawal I would love to hear from you. Tips that may have helped with both the physical and mental withdrawal symptoms. THANKS.

[lavenderbrat]

Sorry, my brain is still changing how it works every 20 minutes. Bipolar not Bi-polar as you can see the withdrawal is totally consuming me and I haven't really looked into what it now means to be Bipolar apart from anger at the incorrect diagnosis numerous psychs gave me over the years.

Life would have been so different if my illness had been handled correctly.

[Teddy Bear]

Even if they diagnose you correctly they still have to find the right meds. Good luck

[*Laurie*]

Diagnoses often change over a lifetime; it's not so unusual. When I was younger I was quite bipolar. Now, in my mid-50's depression and anxiety seem to be what trouble me most. Meds that worked back then no longer work for me, and different meds work now...or are at least somewhat helpful.

As for withdrawal, just about every psych med I've withdrawn from creates physical and cognitive symptoms that are very nearly unbearable. I am currently withdrawing from Klonopin, Zoloft, and Seroquel and feel like I am constantly on the verge of having the flu. Cognitively - well, I'm sure that my intelligence has dropped quite drastically over the past 10 years - from meds, I mean.

Having mental illness is a mean thing. I'm sorry you're having a hard time right now.

[20oney]

My input is probably not going to be of much help, but I was on effexor for 6 months and tapered off that a lot too quick. It sounds strange that they have taken you off so quickly. Especially after 8 years. My pdoc, after being on for 6 months (225mg), wanted me to taper over 2 months. It was too slow to me, and so i tapered in 2 weeks and ended up spending 5 days in bed and experiencing the withdrawals for another month after the fact.

I was then on nortryptyline for another 6 months, and the pdoc took me off that (100mg) over the space of 4 days with zero withdrawals...?

I've now been on pristiq, which from my understanding is similar to effexor, for 1 month (50mg). And have decided to give the meds a break for a while. Went down to 25mg for a week, and stopped 2 days ago. Withdrawals feel near as bad as what they were coming off effexor and this is just after a month.

Has the pdoc suggested anything that may help with the symptoms? I remember taking maxolon which helped with nausea and the head spin / zap things..

None of this is very optimistic. But just wanted to share my experience and let you know that I know what withdrawals are like, and can only imagine what you must be going through after such a long time on this med. If you ever want to chat though, I am always around here somewhere.