How to get off of anti-depressants, without the horrible moodswings.?

Question

I have tried tapering off but it still happens.

Answer 1

HI Tired

Try using one of these ideas.

Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: The following essential oils can promote calm and soothe stress: chamomile, clary sage, lavender, sandalwood, and ylang ylang.

For depression: bergamot, geranium, jasmine, melissa, neroli, and rose can be helpful, since they act as natural antidepressants.

Bach Flower Remedies:
Back flower remedies, discovered by British homeopathic physician Edward Bach in the early 20th century, are a safe and often highly effective self-care approach for dealing with a wide variety of mental health disorders. According to Dr. Bach, all illnesses are due, at least in part, to underlying mental and emotional issues that interfere with our connection with Spirit or divine energy. His research showed that energetic frequencies of the various 38 flower remedies he identified are able to resolve and heal mental and emotional imbalances to create overall health. The remedies are very easy to work with and in most cases patients can determine which remedies are most suited for their needs simply by referencing the following chart:

Agrimony—Suffering covered by a cheerful or brave facade. Distressed by argument or confrontation, may seek escape from pain or worry with addictive behavior through the use of food, drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol.

Aspen —Vague fears or anxiety of unknown origin. Apprehension, foreboding.

Beech—Critical, intolerant, or easily finding fault. May overreact with annoyance or irritability to the shortcomings of others.

Centaury—Willing servant, overly anxious to please, weak willed, or easily exploited/dominated by others. May neglect own needs to serve others. Avoids confrontation, difficulty saying “no.”

Cerato—Lacks confidence in own judgment. Little trust in inner guidance. Constantly seeks advice of others; therefore vulnerable to being misguided.

Cherry Plum—Fear of losing mental or physical control, of doing something desperate or violent. Tantrums, suicidal thoughts, impulse to do something thoughtless or known to be wrong. Fear of letting go. May be near nervous breakdown.

Chestnut Bud—Failure to learn from experience, repeats inappropriate patterns. Difficulty correcting mistakes.

Chicory—Loving, but with expectation of being loved in return. Possessive, emotionally needy, easily hurt or rejected.

Clematis—Lacks concentration, daydreams. Drowsy or “spacey” with a halfhearted interest in present circumstances. Inactive, ungrounded. Trouble materializing dreams.

Crab Apple—Cleansing remedy when feeling toxic, contaminated, or unclean. Ashamed of self-image. Fear of being contaminated. Need for cleanliness. Can be used to assist detoxification, if needed.

Elm—Overwhelmed by responsibilities. Normally capable, now doubts ability to perform tasks. Temporary feelings of inadequacy due to overload. Difficulty prioritizing.

Gentian—Mild despondency or discouragement due to setback, difficulty, or failed expectation. Negativity reverses easily with positive events or successes.

Gorse—Helplessness, hopelessness, sense of futility. Convinced situation will not improve; may not be willing to try remedies.

Heather—Self-centered, self-obsessed, or self-absorbed. Seeks the companionship of anyone who will listen to them. Constant chatterer, poor listener, unhappy if left alone.

Holly—Strongly felt negative feelings: hatred, envy, jealousy, suspicion, revenge, or wrath.

Honeysuckle—Dwelling in the past: old traumas, nostalgia, homesickness, regrets for happier times. Little expectation of future happiness.

Hornbeam—Mental fatigue and tiredness; procrastination. Weary before day or task begins, the “Monday morning” feeling. Difficulty starting.

Impatiens—Impatience, irritability, restlessness, or frustration with slow moving people and events. Quick in thought and action, requires all things to be done without delay. May prefer to work alone.

Larch—Lacks self-confidence despite being capable. Feels inferior. Anticipates failure; may refuse to make effort to succeed.

Diet: Poor diet is a serious cause of mental health disorders because of the nutritional deficiencies and imbalances it results in. In addition, certain foods, as mentioned above, can trigger allergies that can cause or worsen mental health problems. This is especially the case with diets devoid of fresh, organic fruits, vegetables and other organic whole foods. To make matters worse, diets neglecting whole foods are often high in commercially packaged and processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugars. Such a diet not only lacks the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential for good health, but it is also high in unhealthy food additives, preservatives, and other chemicals that can seriously impair mental health.

Best of health to you

Answer 2

If you are trying to stop, here are some tips for minimizing your discomfort:

Talk to your doctor. No one should adjust his meds on his own. Just because you feel better doesn't mean your depression is gone for good. Remission from depression isn't just a reduction of symptoms, it means a wholehearted return to your normal activities.

Don't quit cold turkey. Drugmakers recommend tapering off SSRIs (and always under a doctor's care). The rules for tapering vary depending on the dose and drug you're taking. (If you're taking Prozac, you can find information about tapering at Prozac.com.) But your doctor will probably suggest cutting your dose by 25 to 50 percent at first. If you tolerate this reduction for two or four weeks, ask your doctor if you can reduce further. If you begin to experience unbearable withdrawal symptoms, talk to your physician about temporarily upping your dose a bit, says Nada Stotland, vice president of the American Psychiatric Association.

Look out for relapse. Withdrawal symptoms appear shortly after antidepressants are stopped; depression develops slowly, over months. Keep a list in your mind of what your depression felt like and make a resolution to go to your doctor if you feel it's returning.

Answer 3

A lot of people are on anti-depressants in increase their "happy chemicals." Try exercising for 10 to 20 min a day. This increases natural endorphins thereby increasing your "happy chemicals." I just stopped my anti-depressant 2 weeks ago and I go to the gym every morning. So far I haven't bitten anyone's head off yet :)

Answer 4

Gradually lower the dose. For instance... if you take 100 mg daily., start taking 50 mg for about 2 weeks, then 25 mg for about 2 weeks, then take 25 mg every other day for a couple weeks then 25 mg every third day for a week and u should be ok to stop after that with no adverse effects.

Answer 5

Everybody has their own solution but the doctor always says not to go off cold turkey but a lot of people on these meds cannot afford to go for things like detox or things like that so what do they do? Do like I did and weigh your options. Your family or the pills. Like I said; each person has his own way of doing things. I chose to go cold turkey and I have been free of pills for over 6 years.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

I dont know but if I miss one day I get angry LOL. Try a slower taper which will be difficult because then you will have to cut your pills much more accuratley.

Answer 8

I know how you feel. I was on them for PPD 8 years ago, and I tried to quit cold turkey and got SUPER sick. The Doc put me back on the gradually weaned me off. It wasn't fun, but it was the only way to go. If you haven't talk to you Doc about it, I suggest you do as they will tell you how much to cut down as you wean off. If you cut down too much at once, it will affect you.

Good luck! :)

Answer 9

If you've found that you can't do without the medication, then I'd suggest staying on them. Just keep taking the lowest dose that allows you to function normally.

Answer 10

please only do this under the direct care and supervision of you physician. anti depressants are a serious thing, and adjustment of this medication is best left to a professional. i wish you all the best.

Answer 11

Avoid or minimize medications and resort to other means to control!