Recently Answered Questions
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Can I stop antidepressants as I am in a stress-free environment?
Query: Hello doctor, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression because of work-related issues before two years. Then I was prescribed with Deanxit (Flupenthixol and Melitracen) 10 mg one every day till last month. Now I am trying to withdraw by reducing the dose over a month time, taking one tablet for e... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. If psychologically you are feeling stable for at least six months to a year, then you can try to cut down medication gradually. You can try tapering off the medication over a longer period of time to minimize the chances of withdrawal symptoms. For example, try taking hal... Read Full »
Query: Hello doctor, I have been diagnosed with hypochondria, specifically cancer phobia for more than 10 years with a need to rush for reassurance whenever thoughts come. I have been able to manage my work and family matters. I have been on SSRIs for several years. I was taking Escitalopram 10 mg which wa... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Thank you for your query. I understand your concern. As you know, hypochondriasis is an obsession with the idea of having a serious but undiagnosed medical condition. Hypochondria usually develops during adulthood. Symptoms include a long-term and intense fear of ha... Read Full »
Query: Hi doctor,I am currently taking Ziprasidone for DID and for Bipolar disorder. For the last six months, I have been experiencing several physical side effects such as muscle stiffness, facial twitches, and bad anxiety. It went worse, so that I chose to stop the medication and I was off for three week... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Thank you for taking help from a psychiatrist. I can understand your situation. You must continue your Ziprasidone and add a tablet of Pacitane (Trihexyphenidyl) 2 mg daily in the morning. It will subside your Ziprasidone side effects. You have antipsychotic-induced ex... Read Full »
How can I cure schizophrenia without drugs?
Query: Hello doctor, I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and have been prescribed anti-psychotic medication Olanzapine. I have been taking it for 2 to 3 years. I was wondering if there is an alternate route to treatment? Or if there is another solution for a possible cure? I do not want to deal with ... Read Full »
Answer: Hi,Welcome to icliniq.com.Olanzapine is an antipsychotic medicine. Yes, Olanzapine is available in injectable form. If Olanzapine is causing some effects then it can be changed to other antipsychotic like Aripiprazole, Risperidone or Ziprasidone. You need to take medicines or injectables to keep sym... Read Full »
I am on Ativan for three years. How can I reduce and stop the drug?
Query: Hi doctor, I have taken Ativan for the past three years and really feel like I am addicted to it. I currently take 1.5 mg daily but used to (last year) take 2 mg daily. I usually wake up with anxiety, headache, neck pain, back pain, nose numbness and some eye pressure. I take .75 mg around 8:30 AM ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. It is good that you are trying taper off Ativan (Lorazepam) as long term use is not advisable due to physical and psychological dependence. You have already managed to cut down from 2 mg daily to 1.5 mg daily which is a positive step forward. Did you have any withdrawa... Read Full »
After stopping Gabapentin, I have chills, vomiting, and anxiety. Why?
Query: Hi doctor, I have been taking Celexa 10 mg for two years. Recently, I was prescribed Gabapentin 100 mg twice daily, which I took for about a month, but started having stomach issues. So, I titrated it down to 100 mg a day for a week by myself and then stopped it. It has been almost three weeks and ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Withdrawal symptoms seem to be unlikely after three weeks of stopping Gabapentin. Check if you have a fever. If not I would suggest you try taking PPI (proton pump inhibitor) for vomiting and Benzodiazepines for anxiety and insomnia. Skip Celexa for a couple of d... Read Full »
Do I need to continue Arpizol and Pacitane for schizophrenia?
Query: Hi doctor, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia before 7 years. I used to take Sulpitac early in the treatment and then I was prescribed Nexipride for a year. For the last three years, I am taking Arpizol 10 mg and Pacitane 2 mg. My age is 30 now and I want to get out of schizophrenia as soon as possi... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern. Schizophrenia is a chronic neuropsychiatric illness with changes in behavior, thought, perception and a lot of other psychiatric symptoms. Sulpitac (Amisulpride), Nexipride (Levosulpiride) and Arpizol (Aripiprazole) are antipsychotic dru... Read Full »
Query: Hi doctor, I have been taking medicines for schizophrenia for the last 16 years. I could not stop it earlier because my father was adamant about this. As a result, I got addicted to it. Now, whenever I try to stop it, the withdrawal effect of the medicine does not allow me to lead a normal life. My ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. If you are doing good and are symptom free, you can discuss with your doctor to stop taking medicines. Tablet Quetiapine is not an addicting medicine. The drug can be stopped by gradually reducing the doses. No need to get worried about that. The dose can be reduced ... Read Full »
I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms after I stopped taking antidepressants. Please help me.
Query: Hello doctor, I think I am going through withdrawal symptoms because of antidepressants. My doctor says I should not undergo these symptoms but I really think I am going through them. I was taking Effexor but then I stopped taking it and I feel awful. I was trying to switch from Effexor to Wellbutri... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Venlafaxine is known to cause withdrawal symptoms and it cannot be just stopped like that in the first place. There are different ways to try to stop it. I would suggest: 1. Switch from Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (Venlafaxine) to a TCA (tricyc... Read Full »
How can I gradually withdraw myself from taking the medicine Quetiapine?
Query: Hello doctor, I take Quetiapine XR 400mg. How can I gradually withdraw? Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Quetiapine is an atypical antipsychotic, with a half-life of less than 24 hours. It has a benefit of not causing extrapyramidal side effects. However, it can cause sedation, postural hypotension, and urinary complaints. Although it does not cause any withdrawal symp... Read Full »