SurvivingAntidepressants.org Community Discussion

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Community Discussion Panelists:

Altostrata: Survivor of prolonged paroxetine withdrawal syndrome, founder of SurvivingAntidepressants.org in 2011, for peer support in going off all psychiatric drugs, currently more than 15,000 registered members. www.survivingantidepressants.org

Ed White: Survivor of severe venlafaxine withdrawal, co-administrator of the Facebook group Effexor (Venlafaxine) Tapering, Discontinuation Syndrome and Protracted W/D, founded 7 years ago by Sherry Julo, with 6277 members at present.   / effexorsupportgroup  

Ashli Hein: Co-administrator of the Facebook group Cymbalta Hurts Worse, founded in 2013 by Toni Samanie, which has just passed 25,000 members.   / cymbaltahurtsworse  

Christy Huff, MD: benzo survivor, and Director of Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. www.benzoinfo.com

Angela Peacock, MSW: former Army Sergeant, subject of the film. www.downonmeds.com

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0:11 Disclaimer: This is not medical advice.
1:14 Altostrata of SurvivingAntidepressants.org gives introduction, physiological dependence, shares her story of Paxil withdrawal, discusses the history of online forums for psychiatric drug withdrawal.
4:23 Introduces co-panelists of other peer support groups for psychiatric drug withdrawal
5:03 Introduction of Ed White, co-admin of Effexor Facebook support group that has over 6,300 members.
5:44 Introduction of Ashli Hein of Cymbalta Hurts worse Facebook support group that has over 25,000 members.
6:30 Extent of more Facebook groups that support psychiatric drug withdrawal “subculture”
7:15 Important implications for doctors and patients about prescribing, deprescribing and the place of peer support. What is the way forward?
7:52 Introduction of Christy Huff, MD, director of Benzodiazepine Information Coalition
8:35 Introduction of Angela Peacock, MSW subject of the film and Nicole Lamberson, PA as moderator.
9:04 Nicole asks each panelist to discuss their group and describe how their group supports members.
9:30 Ed White speaks about the “Effexor (venlafaxine) tapering, discontinuation syndrome and protracted w/d” support group on Facebook.
11:30 Ed White describes his own journey off Effexor.
12:11 Ashli Hein discusses the “Cymbalta Hurts Worse” Facebook support group, its origins, and how they support members.
13:03 Tapering support in “Cymbalta Hurts Worse.” (methods of tapering, getting to root causes, etc)
16:19 Christy Huff, MD speaks about Benzodiazepine Information Coalition
17:30 Angela Peacock, MSW speaks about this being one of our more important screenings.
18:48 Ed White, discusses his forthcoming paper with Professor John Read about the growth of online support forums.
20:14 Why are people turning to this “quasi-medical underground?”
21:20 A doctor in the audience asks “How do I learn about tapering?”
21:30 Mark Horowitz’s research about hyperbolic tapers.
21:50 Being concerned with psychiatric drug withdrawal is not “anti-psychiatry.”
22:26 What doctors need to know to help patients.
23:22 Tapering methods
24:05 Surviving Antidepressants: Exponential tapering: 10% per month
25:50 Cymbalta Hurts Worse: Tapering may be even slower 5% every 3-4 weeks.
27:50 Patient-led tapers increase quality of life
28:31 Effexor Tapering Group: 10% method but some can go faster, some slower.
29:18 Cymbalta and Effexor seem to be hardest to withdraw from. Paxil is also difficult.
30:52 Bridging with Prozac does not seem to help most patients
31:28 The Ashton Manual: tapering benzodiazepines
31:55 Tapering is an individual process
32:37 Patient experience with tapering and finding support groups
33:48 Which drug do you taper first if you are on multiple?
35:08 Some patients are forced into fast tapers or cut off their prescriptions abruptly
36:20 Why don’t doctors allow for slow tapers? What do doctors know?
37:28 Skipping doses
39:18 Polypharmacy: drug order when tapering
41:35 Where do physicians go to get educated about safe, patient-led tapers?
43:27 Research about tapering (see pinned comment for journal articles)
44:42 Benzodiazepine Tapering & The Ashton Manual