Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

[ttdriver]

If you have been on anti-depressants and no longer need them, but fear the withdrawal .. let me tell you, IT CAN BE DONE ..

For several months, I put off the cessation of Effexor because I had heard and read so many horror stories about people who tried to get off this evil drug.

I wanted off it soooooooooooooooooo bad since the issues that led to my depression had resolved, but I was sooooooooo afraid. Afraid of all the hellacious stories I have read about the withdrawal.

Finally ..

After much thought, alot of prayer, and alot of determination, I can say there is LIFE AFTER ANTI-DEPRESSANTS! If and when you are ready to get these pills out of your life once and for all .. here are a few tips that may help:

Taper gradually but steadily. In my particular case, I reduced my dose by 50% for 10 days initially. The side effects I noticed were: dizziness (which I found manageable by taking OTC motion sickness meds), nightmares in technicolor ... not much you can do about them except WAIT THEM OUT .. a little nausea after eating .. reduced by eating smaller meals .. drinking lots and lots and lots of water really helped. Serious migraine headache for 2-3 days ... hang tough with 8 hour tylenol and knowing that THIS TOO SHALL PASS...

Once the headache eased, I found that good doses of cardiovascular exercise really helped take the edge off my short-fuse .. (apparently the withdrawal makes you feel very agitated for a few days until your body adjusts ..) Anyway, a good workout really helped that part.

Take every hour without the meds as a victory in and of itself. That's what I did .. I literally counted down every hour I was medication free ... which gave me the power to HANG IN THERE ....

Anyway, now its been nearly 3 weeks Effexor-free and I am literally a new person. And ... IF I CAN DO IT .. SO CAN YOU!!!



Betty

[Heidi3]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

While I agree with the idea that these drugs are over prescribed, over used and often have more negatives than postives to taking them.....there are people who experience severe and sometimes life threatening rebound depression when they withdraw suddenly from an antidepressant..... by suddenly I mean they took themselves off and tried their own taper...

There is a HUGE gambit of reasons people take these drugs. For some it is to just get over a bout of depression. For others it is to treat an imbalance that is so bad they can not function in any shape or form...

when considering stopping this or any other medication...remember you trusted your doctor to begin with when taking them. Trust his advice when withdrawing.

Another good resource for withdrawal of medication is a trusted pharmacist who can and will work with your doctor to help with a rapid taper if you desire.

like you should not start these powerful drugs with out a great deal of thought......do not take the withdrawal lightly ...

Betty this worked for you and I applaud that and I applaud your thought in taking yourself off this drug....but be careful in generalizing on this one...the reverse of you is the reason there is fear of antidepressant withdrawal...not everyone just has the mild effects you suffered.

[Heidi3]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Betty I tried to pm you but your box is full

[Piasabird]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Thank you for posting that, Heidi.

Please, never just take yourself off your medication without working closely with your doctor.

[Heidi3]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Thank you for posting that, Heidi.

Please, never just take yourself off your medication without working closely with your doctor.

your welcome Pia ...made me just a little nervous is all ....since I have had to deal with the end results of a poor taper toooo many times....

some of these types of drugs can even cause seizures if withdrawn too quickly ...I might add...I have seen this more times than I care to count....people do self tapers or just stop then come in for emergency care as a result...


Betty's advise may have been right for Betty ..but not for everyone and not on all types of antidepressantsmedications that is for sure ....

I do not like to chime in on health issues since there are so many things that fly through here it would almost be like work!!!...

...food is my off duty passion....this time is a different case...people please let's keep my census at work low ok!!!!

[Analog6]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Note that Betty said the issues that led her to be depressed had been resolved, and she did work with her doctor. I think it is reasonable advice for those who feel they are ready to TRY reducing their medication for depression.

[ttdriver]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

I would never tell anyone to withdraw SUDDENLY from anti-depressants. Never. That's not only risky for relapse, but also **** to go through. No reason to do it that way.

Heidi, I appreciate you posting this. Truly. But I have been to many mental health bulletin boards about Effexor and talked to soooooooooooooooo many people who have stayed on the drug after their issues had resolved, only to avoid the withdrawal. Yes, the withdrawal is THAT BAD. I wouldn't call my withdrawal "mild" by any stretch, but with the help of my doctor, I was able to GET THROUGH IT.

If you need to take the drug, then by all means, take it. But I wanted off of it soooooooooo bad. And I know there are many others out there who would like to get off it too. And I want them to know IT CAN BE DONE.

Betty

[Heidi3]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

totally Betty and I personally agree not only about Effexor being a dirty drug .but that for some the fear of withdrawal is worse than the actual withdrawal .....trust me....but I had to say something please understand this was not meant to be a personal attack on what you said..I applaud you for your resolve HONESTLY!!!

it is just a cautionary note ....is all I promise that was my intent....now I am backing out of the health care section and staying in the cooking section......

please understand I have seen folks withdraw on their own with out the good fortune you have had....

[Kiasmama]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

I'll chime in just a bit. While I absolutely agree....anti depressants are WAY over prescribed, there is a need for them. Meds were a last resort for me...spent about 4 years trying other things....diet change...exercise (always been a runner and biker) ....change of friends...all that stuff. The Zoloft made a huge difference...and I'm sorry I didn't get on it sooner.

I personally have tried to come off Zoloft twice and I've accepted that is just isn't going to happen. Not because of the withdrawl....which was HORRIBLE. But because my brain chemicals are just screwed up enough that I need the drugs. I don't have a problem saying need... I don't take that as a defeat or anything. It's just the way my body is. For whatever reason....my brain doens't make enough seratonin or use it properly....

.... I didn't have any "issues" so to speak to get over.....it's been a chronic problem reaching back to childhood. I'll also add....I've been on a few other meds in addition to the Zoloft to try and stabilize my moods a bit, but that wasn't worth it. "take this to counter act a side effect of that" No thanks for that baloney.

I would agree to try and be on as little medication as possible. Talk to you doctor....give it a try and see what happens. The withdrawl of these drugs is challenging, but certianly doable. Dizziness was a big thing for me for many weeks. It might be tough at first...but as betty said...every hour is a victory. Good luck to all.

[ttdriver]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Elle, thank you for posting that!! We are ALL different, to be sure, and I am glad you have found the Zoloft helpful!! Brain chemistry is a very complex thing to regulate!!

Heidi, I really appreciate your follow-up post. I so agree; people try and do things "on their own" and that's never a good idea where medications are concerned.



Betty

[2big4mysize]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Hey Betty maybe a link to your withdrawal topic in your original topic post would help folk understand all you did and went through getting off the stuff for those not having see it all.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

I think the big issue here is Betty is talking about a temporary conditon of depression, not chornic depression or any other chemical imbalance condition that is genetic and needs life long medication to keep brain chems in the normal range like hypothyroid folk need life long medication to be in the normal range. perhasp rephrazing the original post and tital would calrify that better for other folk reading.

[Heidi3]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

good Betty!!! I am so glad you understand I did not mean this personally...I adore my choosen field... when I am not working so hard it is because people are healthy... even though I love my job with all my heart ...I do not want my beds full of people that do not need to be there I would rather twiddle my thumbs and be bored..knowing folks are doing well.... than see someone go through anything painful needlessly ....

[ttdriver]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

I think the big issue here is Betty is talking about a temporary conditon of depression, not chornic depression or any other chemical imbalance condition that is genetic and needs life long medication to keep brain chems in the normal range

Exactly. Thank you, 2big. And Heidi, I couldn't agree more with you on this topic!



Betty

[irlandes]

Re: Please, do NOT stay on antidepressants because you fear the withdrawal

Generic statements like "trust your doctor" assume all doctors are always competent and make no mistakes. My son used Welbuttrin, and trusted his doctor to change to Zoloft. It turns out the doctor is a knucklehead who didn't know a lot of people gain weight on Zoloft, though it is in the safety sheet.

So, he put him on Lexapro, and told him if it didn't work out, to withdraw slowly over two weeks. When he realized the Lexapro made him too sleepy to study for med school, he phased it out over two weeks, and ten days later, his brain sort of blew up. He and I had to figure out from information on the Web posted by other patients what to do about it.

My son, in med school, will tell you in a loud clear voice: Do not blindly trust your doctor!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything your doctor tells you, check it out yourself. If he/she is consistently correct, this will build your confidence. if he/she is wrong a lot, you can save yourself a lot of grief.

It turns out one has to reduce Lexaprol like 25%, then hold for three weeks, then another 25%, another three weeks, etc. In his case, he almost flunked his block finals over lexapro withdrawal. I don't know about the other meds.

I am not saying pay no attention to anything your doctor says. I am saying check out every word he tells you about the meds he tells you to put in your body, so you will recognize any unexpected side effects or problems.


This isn't just the babblings of some guy on Atkins BB. Top medical experts preach this same thing. Reader's Digest often prints articles by doctors urging this approach.

Why? Because tens of thousands of people die prematurely every year from side effects of properly prescribed meds. My son sends me the links when he sees them.


I will be posting often the recent study which showed that an hour of vigorous exercise every day is far more effetive then the meds are.