topic Withdrawal symptoms in Treatments, health professionals and therapies

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 02:59:57 GMT

Hello

I am currently weaning off my medication. I have been on the same med for nearly 15 years and doing a slow tapering.

I have been experiencing a number of symptoms and not really feeling like my normal self and just wanted to see what others experienced during this process.

Thanks

Withdrawal symptoms

Ggrand — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 05:34:09 GMT

Hello Dear JEF15,

Weaning of meditation is different for everyone...

I think that talking to your GP about the symptoms you are experiencing would be the best way to find out if things are going ahead okay with you weaning off your medication....

I warned off some of my medication under the supervision of my GP....

Are you weaning off yourself....without professional guidance...if so...I would like to gently suggest that you reach out to your GP.....he/she would know the common and uncommon side effects of weaning off....

My kindest thoughts with my care DearJEF15.

Grandy...

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 06:23:23 GMT

Thanks for the reply

Yes I am doing under GP supervision. I guess there are just the 'common' side effects we all get told and read about, but then there are ones we aren't told about but commonly occur

Withdrawal symptoms

james1 — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 15:05:05 GMT

Hey JEF15,

I came off antidepressants a few years ago and I think I felt a bit up and down at times, but it was mostly okay for me. I think it's normal to not feel like yourself, and that can take a while. What kind of symptoms are you feeling, and have you had a chance to speak to your GP about them?

James

Withdrawal symptoms

geoff — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 15:30:15 GMT

Hello JEF, if I can take you back 15 years when you first started taking this medicine, then it wouldn't have been easy trying to adjust to doing this, until your body accepted it, now coming off them applies the same, your body is clearing out the medication and your system again has to adjust.

It's not like taking a panadol for a headache, and although this takes away the pain, you can then naturally get on with life, but medication you've been on for 15 years is like someone who drinks too much, as their body overcomes the headache and the drying out, is like you stopping this medication, it takes a little while for it to get out of your system.

I agree consult with your doctor.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 00:34:39 GMT

Thanks for the reply

Ive been having a lot more headaches than usual. Im not one to get headaches but Im having them daily. Tension headaches Id describe them as. Light headed which I was expecting. Some odd timed mood swings and a feeling of being a bit heavy in the chest. I havent yet had a chance to check in with my GP, which maybe I should this week 🙂

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 00:36:10 GMT

Thank you for your reply

Yes I agree, 15 years is a long time, and its been my body normal. So I guess it's only right to assume it will take a while for it to get used to the new normal. I just thought the tapering has been going so well and then BAM I feel like all the withdrawal symptoms have hit at once!

I will try and get to my GP this week to make sure im on the right track

Thanks

Withdrawal symptoms

james1 — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 01:46:55 GMT

Hey JEF15,

Just checking in and wanted to see how you are doing. Did you manage to get on to the GP last week?

James

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 05:31:28 GMT

Hello

thanks for checking in, sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier

I get have a chat with the Gp, and everything I mentioned seemed very normal for withdrawing

I’m still slowly weaning, down to a very small amount now, every second day. I can definitely feel some anxieties coming on but I know that’s expected, so just pushing through

Withdrawal symptoms

geoff — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 15:11:11 GMT

Hello JEF, it might be good for you to stop this medication but if anxiety is or has developed then can you talk to a psych about these and any trigger points that could bring them on.

Although I'm not a doctor, I wonder whether now is the right time to stop your medication if anxiety is coming back or whether it needs to be reviewed.

Geoff.

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Tue, 17 May 2022 01:06:04 GMT

Good morning,
Over 12 years ago I suffered really bad OCD and i started medication. I've been pretty well since. In the last few months I have been tapering off my medication, as I've felt well and its been a long time on them and i feel ready to come off. I've had some withdrawal symptoms, but nothing I didn't expect.
What I have noticed is the last couple of weeks, my mind has been plagued with repeated intrusive throughs and compulsions to seek reassurance.
In the space of a week I have 'contracted HIV' because the lady taking my blood was inexperienced, 'been the worst parent, to point I put children in danger' and just last night I 'committed a hit & run, or caused a severe road accident' due being distracted on a call and heavy rainfall.
Now I am no stranger to all these thoughts, I know they are all irrational. But I cant stop. I can't stop googling, performing compulsions to see reassurance such as checking the news for headlines, googling if others have felt guilt and shame with near misses and of course, ways I can check for HIV infection.
I'm not writing this post for any type of advice, as I know exactly what I should be doing, I just needed to write it somewhere where I know people understand and don't think I'm crazy.
I really want to get off my medication, and this all feels like a set back 😞

Withdrawal symptoms

Croix — Tue, 17 May 2022 08:41:57 GMT

Dear JEF15~

Well, I'm sorry that you have experience withdrawal side-effects, and also that you are having intrusive thoughts. Please correct me if I’m wrong but these - and your reactions to them - sound as if they are the sorts of things you might have experienced before going on meds all those years ago.

I’m glad you are consulting with your GP about the side-effects and that they are predicable ones.

Perhaps not as predictable is if you really do need the medication to keep things running smoothly. I know you have given the reasons for tapering of as being “as I've felt well and its been a long time on them and i feel ready to come off”

I guess if you are feeling OK long-term then there may be grounds for wondering if the original problem has gone away and you are taking the tablets for no good reason. Maybe the only way to tell is to go off them and see what happens.

The tricky bit being to judge if similar symptoms reoccur if is it temporary due to withdrawal, or a permanent resurgence due to lack of medication.

A lot of people go off their medications, some are happy with the result, and some find they did needed the meds after all.

I consider my meds to be permanent, and simply taken to be part of my life. Attempts otherwise have not been productive. Then again, I’m lucky, side-effects while on them are minimal, with no weight gain or other common problems - plus they make a big difference.

Do you think discussing these thoughts with your GP bearing the above in mind might be worth doing?

Croix

Withdrawal symptoms

JEF15 — Sat, 28 May 2022 09:41:26 GMT

Thank you for the reply and sorry for the delay in my response

I have often thought ‘is this the right thing to do right now’ with these symptoms returning. But I guess if I don’t try I’ll never know. And I do feel that I have them to lean back on if it does fail.

Withdrawal symptoms

geoff — Sat, 28 May 2022 15:26:14 GMT

Hello JEF, if you want to stop taking your medication and do have OCD, then you may need help to stop any trigger points that do arise with this illness, and this will need continual assistance by someone trained in dealing with this, depending on how serious it is.

There are no marks for anybody not taking AD's because no one needs to know, and if for some reason you have a headache, can I ask if you go out and tell everyone that you've just had some tablets to stop it, probably not, so the same can apply with taking AD's.

The cost should be subsidised by the government if that's a worry, and it's much better to be safe than sorry as they say.

Geoff.

Re: Withdrawal symptoms

Crepe Myrtle — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 11:01:16 GMT

Hi JEF15,

How are things going for you? I really hope that your symptoms have eased but if they haven't please know that you are not alone.