i have been on anti depressants for ten years i want to stop but i feel so ill , i came off hard drugs easier.

Question

i do not want to stay on them for ever but i worry because i do not feel that stable but feel i should so i think i should stop taking them, any advice would help. am on sereoxt

when i stop taking them i get like a electric shock feeling in my skull, and shake and sweat.

Answer 1

I was also on anti depressants for 10 years (Fluoxetine) and felt I should stop, so I did! Worst experience of my life - similar symptoms to yours. And I agree with you hard drugs were a walk in the park to kick compared to these. After several failed attemps I did some research on the internet and discovered that sudden cessation of an antidepressant can result in "Discontinuation Syndrome" - an acknowledged collection of symptoms some people can experience when stopping an SSRI. This explained some of my symptoms and many more. Lots of people had suffered a similar experience. If you really wish to come off these pills you must taper down from them slowly - very slowly. Whatever your dose now you would need to shave a tiny amount off the initial dose and take this new level everyday until the body has adjusted - this could take weeks or months. Then if you feel stable shave another tiny amount off and do the same. Preferably you should do this with some outside guidance and support but be aware not all G.P's recognise this syndrome exists. It took me a year to come off 20mg doing it in this way. Unfortunately my mother had died the year before and wanting to be Mrs. Health conscious and organic I decided now was the time to do it. I wasnt doing too bad for about a year and then a series of incidents followed by a viral infection rendered me physically and mentally depleted. I struggled on for a good few months and then had to ask for antidepressants again. I am now on 60mg! I am also involved in some CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Please think very carefully before you make this decision. Do your own research on the internet and if you still want to proceed with withdrawl - PLEASE PLEASE do so very carefully. My heart goes out to you. Bless you.

Answer 2

The electric shock feeling is a typical symptom of coming off SSRI's too quickly. I did seroxat a few years ago and I got exactly the same symptoms at the end of my course of medication, the solution (suggested by my doctor) was to chop pieces off each days pills until i was doing less and less. There are different strengths of seroxat, your doctor will gradually prescribe you weaker and weaker ones when it is time for you to finish the course..

It is really, really important to taper the dose down slowly. If you stop cold turkey, you will some of the worst withdrawal symptoms of any drug. Also, take the advice of a doctor. If he says you should stay on them, then stay on them.

Answer 3

I can only give you my experience and I don't necessarily recommend this. I moved to the town I live in now and my insurance didn't follow me, so it took a few weeks to get that straightened out. In the meantime, I ran out of the antidepressants that I had been taking for a number of years. I didn't think they were doing much anyway. So I went cold turkey on the antidepressants and I never felt better!!! I think a lot of it was the move and just the major change in my life, but I felt so good. I haven't taken any since and that was 6 1/2 years ago. But that might not work for someone else. Talk to your doctor.

Answer 4

You should not come off Seroxat cold turkey, its the kind of drug that has to be taken down slowly, you need advice about this, tell your doctor you want to come off them, dont just do it on your own, you are on them for a reason, so you have to ask yourself, is that reason resolved? if not then work towards resolving the reason, then come off them, whatever you do, make sure you feel stable before you stop taking them, the last thing you want is to be either back on hard drugs or running down the road screaming!

Answer 5

reduce the dose gradually, try only taking them every second day, then half the normal dose every second day, then that dose every third day, then try with none. do each stage in weekly increments, this should stop the side effects of the withdrawl.
another option is switching antidepressants and coming off them as they may have fewer effects coming off them.
either way it wont be easy, i cant believe they still claim they are not addictive when so many find it so hard to nstop taking them!
that siad if u dont feel stable just now why dont u just stick with it, if they help why stop?
plus seroxat is just evil anyway!!!

good luck

Answer 6

DON'T try to stop taking them just like that.
It depends how many you take and how often.
Sit down and "write" out your daily dosage.
Now Write out your new program

You must lower your intake of the "tablets" or whatever
VERY slowly , It will take time, but "you have plenty of time" You must lower your intake so slowly that your body does not notice the change. I don't know what your daily intake is, but if it is 5 "tablets" daily,
Drop your tablets by half a tablet a day for 2 weeks,
then drop another half tablet, for two weeks, and so on....
For God's sake do not try to be too fast or it will feel bad.
You have Plenty of time so don't feel you can do it faster
'cos you can't. If you can't "half" the tablet/capsule then
take one off every second day. Write it all down to guide you. Good luck

Answer 7

I had problems changing form Paxil to Celexa because I had anxiety, diarrhea and vomiting. After 3 times I made the change. I changed from celex to lexapro and did not have this problem. I hope you feel better soon. Hopefully you are doing this under the supervision of a doctor because meds need to be tapered off.

What you are describing is called "discotinuation syndrome" that is the nice word the drug company gives to it. It is really like withdrawl to the person who is going through it.

Answer 8

If you came off hard drugs you will know gotta feel bad to feel better...It is only a passing phase,the sickness,if you really want off you will...Perhaps your getting to the core of some emotional problem?....All those man made,cruelly animal tested drugs,i dont think do any good,more harm than good..If you can stop taking them ,so what as long as you can function but do you wanna be on them till you die,tied to them,your vulnerable.......Doubt you need them at all..

Answer 9

Stress Causes Hormone Imbalance and then hormone imbalance causes any of the symptoms which are on Miriam Brazel's list
http://www.ylcf.org/hormone-imbalance/06.htm

Depression is most likely due to hormone imbalance.

Women need 20-30mg progesterone per day and men need 10-15mg progesterone day. This is why there are quite a few illnesses that have with twice as many women as men having them.

http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/depresshor.html

http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/aboutstress.html

Virginia Hopkins was one of John R Lee's co-authors.

This link takes you to a suggested saliva hormone testing route
http://uk.geocities.com/[e-mail]/willim_001.html#W_180

1 do an online hormone test
2 do an appropriate saliva test and obtain results
3 get results & discuss with a NPIS doctor or educate your GP/MD

I have various links to other sites on this
http://uk.geocities.com/[e-mail]/willim_001.html

search the web for "natural progesterone depression" and you will find many pages e.g.

http://www.natural-progesterone-advisory-network.com/depression-and-natural-progesterone.php

Depression is second only to high blood pressure as a chronic condition encountered by primary care physicians. It is estimated that 10% of people who visit their physician suffer from major depression, although it in most cases it goes unrecognized or inadequately treated.
# # #
I believe that when your hormone balance has been restored the your need for anti-depressants will disappear

Answer 10

No matter what you do, tell your doctor AND your friends that you are going to stop with the anti depressants...ask them to notify you IF your behavior becomes erratic or unpredictable...you won't know it, but they will...
Do not stop cold turkey! You have to ween yourself off these things and that may take as long as 6 months. Be very careful here, for you do not want to end up back where you started. Good luck