Thinking of going off my meds...

[Yves]

I'm new here, so bear with me.

I've been taking an antidepressant for the last 11 years, and now I'm taking the contraceptive pill as well. I feel like the pill is affecting my moods, and I want to stop taking it. I'm thinking of going off the antidepressant as well, I've been on it since I was 16, and I can't remember what it's like without it. Maybe I'll be ok? i don't know, and I'm a bit scared.

Does anyone have any advice, or a similar situation?

Thanks...

[Colin]

Hi Yves,   May I suggest you ask yourself:

 -   what was going on 16 years ago when you started taking the medication?

 -   did taking the medication improve your personal disposition?

 -   how have you been travelling over the 16 years; i.e. relative stability or other? Answering these questions might put things into context and perspective. I would strongly urge you to seek a professional medical opinion before you change things. This way you have a professional to monitor how you’re going and assist you accordingly. I wish you all the best.

[Dennis38]

Yves

I have to agree with Colin here about looking back at the time you started to take the meds and see how they have helped or made things worse for you, depending on the meds, but do NOT just go cold turkey ask your GP about SLOWLY coming off the antidepressants as if you go cold turkey that could really screw your system up and send you for one hell of a ride that you do not want to go on!

Talk to your GP and make sure that the pill is not having some kind of adverse effect with the anti-depressants as well.

Best of luck

[vip]

Hi Yves i was on medication for 22 years and 2 months ago was weened off them slowely with support from my psych and gp you really need the professional advice here. I have to keep an eye out on my moods and if i ever slip back have to let them know. But so far so good for me so please check it out first. Goodluck

[Yves]

Thank you all for your responses. 

I'm just feeling adrift at the moment. I lost my father when I was 14, and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder (or so they call it) at 16. I've been on medication ever since. It's like I grew up on them, and I don't know who I am without them. 

Sometimes though, it feels like I sleepwalk through life, maybe if I wasn't on them, I'd feel less dead.? But I'm also scared of feeling too much,  I get all OCD and anxious and fragile. 

I don't know which I'm supposed to be

[geoff]

dear Yves, I agree with Colin, Dennis and Nes, don't go cold turkey it would be too much for your body to re-adjust. L Geoff. x

[oneblackdog]

Hi Yves,

Very sorry about the loss of you father.

Yes it's a tough decision…

I've just come off antidepressants after 18 years (and this was my second attempt)… and it can be a wild, wild ride - if you do decide to come off them, do it very slowly, I did it much slower than my dr recommended and it wasn't slow enough - one method is 10% reduction every 3 - 4 weeks, google is your friend for more specific advise on methods and side effects. The medication didn't make the big questions go away, but I'm a little bit more mature now and can almost face them...

"Sometimes though, it feels like I sleepwalk through life, maybe if I wasn't on them, I'd feel less dead"

Whatever you do please remember that anti depressants are a crutch to support you while you deal with those big questions/issues. They aren't magic and won't just make life better, as you (and I) have found out the opposite can be true.

Please find an expert to help you face all the things that the antidepressants hide and teach you skills to deal with what you will see and feel when you are "less dead".

OBD

[Yves]

Hi oneblackdog, 

thanks for reaching out. I'm almost excited to find out what life will be like with a clearer head. 

It's been a very long time since I tried to go off them, and I think maybe I didn't go slow enough, which is why I didn't try again. 

When I was first diagnosed, and they were explaining depression to me, I realised I'd felt that way for as long as I can remember... Is that possible? 

Can I ask about you experience coming off? Do you think it's something I should tell people I'm doing (boss, etc) in case I go weird?

[geoff]

dear Yves, OBD has explained it very well.

If you have OCD then you obviously have anxiety, so please watch how your OCD is with not taking any medication. Geoff.

[Yves]

Thanks Geoff, I'm so glad to have found a place to talk these things out with people who understand 🙂