I came off mine in may - I had alot of benefits. I have been way more competitive with jobs going for ones that I never would have before. I have been quicker and more assertive with people. Lately though I have had to again take some anti-depressants as the winter seems to never end and I have had to file bankruptcy. I would like to know about your different experiences - advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully I will only take this for a couple of weeks just to get me through the last of the winter as the seasonal affective disorder got to me. I think I have done really well considering I have been on medication for almost 20 years.
2007-03-02 15:22:45 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
It is VERY difficult coming off antidepressants. I used to keep a calendar and mark a happy face for every good day I had, a sad face for when it was harder... This season I've tried to combat the winter blues (they're especially nasty here in utah) by joining a gym, hoping the exercise will help, and it sort of does. I feel much better after a workout. I'm determined to keep off medication, though. I was on and off them for several years, and I feel much more... even... without them. My mood swings used to be terrible while on drugs, but I find now that even if my mood does start to fall it doesn't fall nearly as fast, and I combat it by thinking about candy canes (yes, I'm serious, I block out bad thoughts with candy canes). I hope you get through this winter and drop the meds again. Try to quit as soon as spring starts popping up (spring is a real mood lifter), you don't want to be all the way in august before you try to quit.
2007-03-02 15:39:33 · answer #1 · answered by mina_lumina 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've been on and off many different antidepressants over the past 15 years. I only had symptoms coming off of one- Effexor XR. I have heard my symptoms were common for withdrawal from Effexor XR. On the third day after my doctor tapered my dose, to begin getting me off of it completely, I developed a really strange and pretty awful sensation in my head. It's hard to describe, but I have heard others refer to it as a sort of zapping/buzzing sensation in your brain. It went on for over a week before I called my doctor. My dosage was adjusted for me to decrease the Effexor more slowly, which helped. After hearing accounts from other patients, I suggest NEVER going off this one cold-turkey.
A suggestion, if you haven't tried it, is to try using light therapy to treat your Seasonal Affective Disorder. When I lived in MN I sat next to a full-spectrum light for a half hour a day (these lights are a bit expensive, but I it was cheaper than months of co pays). It helped some. Another idea...move to sunny Florida like I did. Pretty drastic, but what an amazing difference in my quality of life.
2007-03-03 00:06:12 · answer #2 · answered by Mary N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont go off with out dr help... i was on efexor and he took me off it for another to try and i miss understood him i though i was to just go off it but he said go off slowly.. i had bad withdraws.. he gave me more efexor and went down in doses. omg what i better way it was lol.. i have panic attacks and that one didnt help so on new one now that does.. but dont try to be tough its to hard on you and thing is it dont have to be hard with right dr.. good luck
2007-03-03 01:01:27 · answer #3 · answered by Kat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋