Medication damage?

[HelpPlease]

how many are here bc of damage from drs and prescriptions? I am med damaged and can no longer function. I'm scared and have been suffering a long time. Please help me I'm running out of time- I'm scared and not able to think clearly

 

[scales]

Wow that sounds really bad, I'm sorry about your situation. Do you feel this way on or off meds? Both? Why are you running out of time?

 

[Nem]

I have written numerous posts regarding this topic. I am here ENTIRELY because of medical malpractice and no other reason. When's the last time you heard of a Dr going to jail for malpractice? Almost never(unless it's sexual in nature), sure there's good Dr's, there's also honest politicians too...but few and far between. Sorry to hear of your injuries, sadly you're not alone.
Peace

 

[Sayo]

There are a number of us who have been through severe and/or mismanaged benzodiazepine withdrawals, and I know of at least one user who has awful discontinuation issues with an antidepressant. It's very common here and I'm very sorry you're part of the club.

How terrifying, to be losing your parents and carers at once, and to be facing the possibility of your family throwing you out when you cannot support yourself :(

 

[Wantingpeace]

Yes I'm so sorry severely damaged by an ssri here..endless torture for years..strange they still call it "medication".

 

[Wantingpeace]

Whatbis your damage? I seem to have something like lobomoty.

 

[Wantingpeace]

What on earth these ssri are doing is unbelievable. I'm sorry. I cannot believe anyone could ever feel such torture.

 

[Steve]

Same here. I was poisoned with benzos. It gave me horrendous withdrawals that lasted months. I went to the hospital thrice and each time I got polydrugged and now I'm brain damaged. Somehow I ended up sterilized and I've got horrendous tinnitus.

 

[I’vehadenough]

Yes I was facially disfigured by a steroid they put me on. Now I have to end my life

 

[faex42]

Its tragic that they never tell patients that anti-depressant medications can cause such damage. I have seen it a number of times over the years. Meanwhile the MAOI inhibitor I was taking is the likely culprit for my being sent to the ER today after going to the clinic for an entirely different matter. I suspect I will likely have to stop which is too bad because it was helping. God only knows how powerful my depression will become without it.

 

[Jen Erik]

Its tragic that they never tell patients that anti-depressant medications can cause such damage. I have seen it a number of times over the years.

It really is awful.

It's so disturbing to read and analyze the studies that go into psychotropic drugs, the kind of studies the FDA in the U.S. uses to determine approval of drugs. So many of those studies last less than two years. Two years is hardly enough time to gauge efficacy, let alone long-term side effects. The FDA is culpable and so are the doctors who prescribe without properly informing patients.

Several years ago, I was taking atypical anti-psychotics to treat obsessional thinking and I was having amazing symptom management, the thinking just stopped. I just happened to stumble upon an article one day about the link between atypical APs and diabetes and that was enough for me to quit that ish right then and there. Diabetes and mental illness, together, was not something I needed.

 

[faex42]

You describe the problem well.

The following is just my view, rather hastily written. I am not a doctor.

The number of subjects in the studies of anti-depressants is too small. An example: When Celexa was made available, it was regarded as an SSRI that was mild, produced few side effects and most importantly did npt produce the dreaded sexual dysfunction common to nearly all SSRIs. . Early users did indeed described it as very weak but little to no benefit, like a sugar pill. Many, many scripts were written. As the number of users steadily increased, Celexa was more and more frequently described as having too many side effects, and especially sexual dysfunction but capable of helping with depression. More subjects over a longer period of time before approval would have shown all this with a simple survey of patient responses

The atypical psychotics seem to be prescribed when other effective medications were lacking. Atypical psychotics were not meant to take the place of sleeping medications, anti-anxiety medications, anti-depressants etc but they were prescribed for those reasons
.
Consider a patient with "major depressive disorder with psychotic features". The psychotic features are limited to voices telling the person to kill him/her self and mild but scary visual hallucinations. The patient also has a history of sexual abuse or PTSD for another reason. Such command hallucinations are surprisingly common among PTSD sufferers
If someone noted they were hearing command auditory or certain types of mild visual hallucinations, it should be a good sign to inquire about possible history of sexual abuse, history of violence, car accidents etc. as soon as possible. Not to do so is poor practice. The atypical anti-psychotic is often prescribed to muffle the hallucinations not a psychosis. Sometimes they help, and sometimes they don't but they are not like taking aspirin.
.
The sexual abuse trauma or other cause for PTSD needs to be treated a such not just the major depression.

The atypical psychotics become the go to medication to help those with symptoms when other medications failed such as insomnia but a medication like Abilfy was never designed to be a sleep inducing agent.
A casual review of the internet will show that anti-psychotics are used for other things besides psychosis.

Sorry for the short-hand. I am trying to cover an awful lot with little space.

I am saddened that so many people, including myself, do not have medications that help us without causing significant side effects.

 

[Duqu]

@faex42
That was interesting. I used to take atypical antipsychotics, but like you mentioned, for insomnia. Seroquel. But I gained a TON of weight (like, I kept binging on carbs every night I gained like 100 lbs) and refused to take it anymore. They put me on a typical antipsychotic after having no effect from other atypicals. I take Thorazine now and yes I know it has the potential for PERMANENT side effects but it is literally the ONLY thing that has allowed me to seep. Typical sleeping meds do absolutely nothing for me and are not sedating; some actually made me manic (I'm bipolar)! Benadryl even in high doses (I've tried 200mg once in desperation) does nothing for me sedation-wise.

The only med I can say has truly screwed up my life is/was topamax (topiramate). I only took 75mg for about 12 months but it made me so. fucking. STUPID. I lost words, sentences, names, faces, streets, anything. I had to drop out of school because I was failing my classes (university level). It worked GREAT for my moods and migraines; but I eventually put my foot down and said I wouldn't take it anymore. I believe it has caused permanent brain damage because I used to have a great memory prior to taking it and now, while it's not as bad as when I was TAKING it, I have zero short term memory and a lot of my long term memory is gone too.

 

[faex42]

I feel bad about your experiences with Topamax. I have no words to adequately express my sympathy. It's a damn shame.

You're not the first person to find the older anti-psychotics more effective and less problematic overall than the atypicals. Some meds cause so much weight gain that people feel so devastated.

. I myself was a big fan of MAOI inhibitors after having so many poor results with other anti-depressants over quite a few years. After years of success with Nardil I became allergic to it.. Marplan, which never caused my any harm is no longer being produced so I was advised to switch to Parnate three months ago And I was in the ER today probably due to the Parnate. There are only three MAOIs Unless Validus Pharmaceuticals makes Marplan available again I'm in trouble.
With sadness I had already read the comments of former Marplan users on Reddit and Psycho-babble who have not fared well with Parnate and were in considerable despair. I know how well Marplan can work. I hoped I would do okay because with Parnate I took it many years ago for a few months but I likely will have to d/c the med. It's up to the doc who is pretty skilled. He'll likely look at all variables befog making a decision.

The current depression is mighty fierce and the Parnate was helping. I just wanted to stay alive long enough to make sure my mother was not abandoned and had the funeral she wanted. I always feared losing my mom from early childhood on. My worries had a distinctive obsessional quality to them. Despite all the ups and downs this in our relationship few events seemed as devastating to me as losing her. This period is not easy even with an effective anti-depressant.
I have a great doc and I hope he comes up with something magical because I will not cbt until my obligations to her are met.

 

[InAust2]

Was reading that MMS with DMSO and also Lugol's Iodine may be able to detox drug residue build up (not at the same time).

 

[Nem]

Same here. I was poisoned with benzos. It gave me horrendous withdrawals that lasted months. I went to the hospital thrice and each time I got polydrugged and now I'm brain damaged. Somehow I ended up sterilized and I've got horrendous tinnitus.

Same, there's not a Dr alive that I couldn't finish off with my bare hands. They all suck ass, some suck ass less than others but they all do. They cover each other's ass too, these guys are losers that should be on the end of a rope.
Peace

 

[your pathologist]

As far as i know, my problems all stem from the SSRI paxil. I withdrew from it cold turkey having no idea the effects it would have. I suffer from constant brain fog, i just feel my head is strained all the time (pretty sure this is brain damage) short term memory loss, very poor sleep if any every night, light sensitivity that can lead to temporary blindness if over exposed, confusion, excessive urination, constant constipation, and just disinterest with taking care of my hygiene.
Ive dropped out of college, quit my job, and moved back into my parents home, with hope of recovery. All anyone wants to do is put me on more psychiatric meds... can't you see im terrified of them? Just take this away. Fix what is broken. Dont add to it

 

[faex42]

As far as i know, my problems all stem from the SSRI paxil. I withdrew from it cold turkey having no idea the effects it would have. I suffer from constant brain fog, i just feel my head is strained all the time (pretty sure this is brain damage) short term memory loss, very poor sleep if any every night, light sensitivity that can lead to temporary blindness if over exposed, confusion, excessive urination, constant constipation, and just disinterest with taking care of my hygiene.
Ive dropped out of college, quit my job, and moved back into my parents home, with hope of recovery. All anyone wants to do is put me on more psychiatric meds... can't you see im terrified of them? Just take this away. Fix what is broken. Dont add to it

Paxil is a beast. Few people are able to withdraw from it period.

 

[Nem]

As far as i know, my problems all stem from the SSRI paxil. I withdrew from it cold turkey having no idea the effects it would have. I suffer from constant brain fog, i just feel my head is strained all the time (pretty sure this is brain damage) short term memory loss, very poor sleep if any every night, light sensitivity that can lead to temporary blindness if over exposed, confusion, excessive urination, constant constipation, and just disinterest with taking care of my hygiene.
Ive dropped out of college, quit my job, and moved back into my parents home, with hope of recovery. All anyone wants to do is put me on more psychiatric meds... can't you see im terrified of them? Just take this away. Fix what is broken. Dont add to it

Sorry to hear. I took paxil short term and was able to go off of it fairly easily but I was lucky. No one believes this though that one can have problems with meds and throwing more meds onto the pile isn't going to fix the original problem, how can it?
I knew a few years ago medication was garbage but learned the hard way I was right to stay away from it. It's a business after all, how can it work by giving you side effect after side effect? This is pathetic and I hear your concerns loud and clear, paxil is a bad drug.
Peace

 

[starcrossedfate]

I've taken pretty much every medication you can imagine, but the one that really fucked me up due to an adverse reaction/protracted withdrawal was Effexor XR. Employed by the wrong doctor, that stuff is like Polonium poisoning. Can really mess you up. Give me intractable insomnia and tinnitus and a number of other troublesome and very debilitating symptoms.

 

[Nem]

@faex42
That was interesting. I used to take atypical antipsychotics, but like you mentioned, for insomnia. Seroquel. But I gained a TON of weight (like, I kept binging on carbs every night I gained like 100 lbs) and refused to take it anymore. They put me on a typical antipsychotic after having no effect from other atypicals. I take Thorazine now and yes I know it has the potential for PERMANENT side effects but it is literally the ONLY thing that has allowed me to seep. Typical sleeping meds do absolutely nothing for me and are not sedating; some actually made me manic (I'm bipolar)! Benadryl even in high doses (I've tried 200mg once in desperation) does nothing for me sedation-wise.

The only med I can say has truly screwed up my life is/was topamax (topiramate). I only took 75mg for about 12 months but it made me so. fucking. STUPID. I lost words, sentences, names, faces, streets, anything. I had to drop out of school because I was failing my classes (university level). It worked GREAT for my moods and migraines; but I eventually put my foot down and said I wouldn't take it anymore. I believe it has caused permanent brain damage because I used to have a great memory prior to taking it and now, while it's not as bad as when I was TAKING it, I have zero short term memory and a lot of my long term memory is gone too.

Anti seizure meds are horrible for the brain, rook lamictal and that stuff is just complete crap...I can see how your brain gets destroyed. With almost all of three drugs you see the reviews of the long term users are never positive or almost never positive.
Peace

 

[Arak]

K has been very, very bad ... Docs also did a lot worse.

 

[tarina]

same here-severe brain damage

 

[your pathologist]

same here-severe brain damage

What's going on? What did you take? Interested cuz this also is my case

 

[Jenna]

I know this is an older thread. I wish so bad I wasn't part of this club. I'm betting so many others are. My life has been held hostage the past three years from this. They sure don't warn you and the side effects are debilitating.

 

[JustAboutDone]

I know this is an older thread. I wish so bad I wasn't part of this club. I'm betting so many others are. My life has been held hostage the past three years from this. They sure don't warn you and the side effects are debilitating.

I'm so sorry to hear that :-( are you able to say what tablets you were/are taking that caused the problem?

That's the trouble with a lot of these medications; the real, long term, potentially damaging "side effects" people can really suffer from are not even mentioned or ever discussed.

 

[ThinkingAboutThis]

Yes. I am here because of mismanaged/severe benzo withdrawals. I was being given SSRI's in my fragile state because it was known that they once helped me. But all it did was just made me worse. I started to taper down the benzo slowly, but have developed horrid agoraphobia and live in a constant state of fear (terror) and horrific depression. It's been a few years like this. I have avoided homelessness in 2017 and 2018, and things are better now in that regard, but I am so traumatized from this experience, and there's almost no one who wants to talk about this type of trauma. I was lonely and depressed before this, but my brain/body weren't disabled that I cannot live a normal life. I do have history of post-traumatic stress, being bullied, workplace abuse, unstable family growing up and many others, but I managed to have a decent enough life up to a point. Then, everything started to fall apart and once it did, it sure did. When it rains it pours. I'm hoping for 2019 to maybe be more liveable, but getting through each day is a torment and there is not an hour in a day when I don't think about ctb.

 

[Jenna]

I'm so sorry to hear that :-( are you able to say what tablets you were/are taking that caused the problem?

That's the trouble with a lot of these medications; the real, long term, potentially damaging "side effects" people can really suffer from are not even mentioned or ever discussed.

Valium. I swear it's so unfair. Listening to a dr and having to live like this. Thinking who posted under you spelled this to a T.

 

[JustAboutDone]

Valium. I swear it's so unfair. Listening to a dr and having to live like this. Thinking who posted under you spelled this to a T.

That's the vilest thing about benzodiazepine withdrawal; it doesn't ease off a day at a time so you can think, hey, today I'm feeling rubbish but tomorrow I'll feel less bad. It literally follows no pattern but comes and goes and stays as it chooses.

You can have a slightly less awful day then the next day is like being hit by a shovel and that can then set in for days and nights with nausea, anxiety and black fear like you've never known.

They don't write any of this in the leaflet in the box

 

[Dor]

how many are here bc of damage from drs and prescriptions? I am med damaged and can no longer function. I'm scared and have been suffering a long time. Please help me I'm running out of time- I'm scared and not able to think clearly

Have you taken balding medications, propecia/finasteride? Or SSRI's. they're only meds I know of which can cause permanent problems. Most meds though once you wean off completely which could be months, worst case over a year, you should return to somewhat of a normal, functional at least. From my understanding at least, I may be wrong.

Oh and permanent problems with finasteride and SSRI are rare as well, with these most likely once you wean off completely you're pretty normal, so don't get a scare. however in a small percentage they seem to persist indefinitely.