DrugBuyers.Com: Little "Ticks" or mini-seizures on Tramadol

Many drugs that act on GABA, including benzodiazepines, alcohol, and barbiturates can cause grand mal seizures when withdrawn.

It really depends how much you are using, for how long, the benzo itself, and your individual seizure threshold that will determine how severe the withdrawal. I think drugs like these, unlike opiates, should always be tapered under a doctor's supervision. Xanax should never be withdrawn faster than .5 mg every 3-5 days, and it really is best to do this taper with a doctor who is experienced with it. That would be a neurologist or a psychiatrist who can assess whether you need something to take the place of Xanax and will know what a safe taper is.

Your brain produces a ton of GABA, generally grand mal seizures are the result of heavy use over a long period of time, but that is not neccesarily the case for everyone, and it is obviously better not to find out the hard way.

SSRI's have never helped me, but they do work for plenty of people. Why no one pays attention to their withdrawal symptoms, but excessive attention is paid to benzo withdrawal is a mystery.

300 mg of Zoloft is quite a hefty dose. 200 mg is the highest FDA approved dose that I remember, but I could be wrong...and just because a dose isn't FDA approved doesn't mean it isn't safe, it just means the manufacturer didn't think it was worth it to do clinical trials on higher dosages.

Ultram is used as an antidepressant in Europe. It has effects on serotonin and is often a "thrown into the mix" antidepressant. Like it might be combined with, say, Klonopin and Risperdal for a patient with depression and excessive agitation.

As lovepink pointed out, serotonin syndrome is a very real and dangerous condition that can happen with serotonergic drugs. Usually people get it from high doses of two or more drugs, for example, mixing a MAOI or tricyclic with an SSRI, or even mixing two SSRI's. Note that psychiatrists may prescribe a regimen like that for some patients, but it is smart to ask if you are at risk for serotonin syndrome. Chances are he (the doctor) is very aware of the risk and is using dosages that will avoid it. If you are unusually euphoric one day after starting these meds with twitching and an increase in body temperature, it is worth checking out to see if you have the other symptoms. If you catch it in time, you need to be under medical supervision and should discontinue the meds that caused it, and it is usually can be resolved safely. You do not want to have it for a prolonged period of time or it will get more serious, can cause brain damage, and death is a possibility.

-yawkaw