Withdrawal from medication

[Davey_NSW]

Hello everyone, I’m coming off almost 15 years of an SSRI, which is being managed in conjunction with my GP. I have managed a reduction in my dose and have now been completely off my meds for about 2.5 weeks.

I am still experiencing withdrawals such as insomnia and foggy mind. Any tips on how on how to manage these withdrawals and how long I can expect to experience the withdrawals?

[smallwolf]

hi and welcome to the forums.

please note I am not a professional and only describing observations in family.

each of our journeys with medication is different. And this can apply with coming off - some can be easy and others not so. Once off, it can take a while also. And it seems you that after having been able to come off medication there are some effects which sound to be a great cause for concern. If you are concerned about this, my only suggestion is to talk with your GP about this - something with my dad did. Hope some of this helps.

[Davey_NSW]

Hi and thanks for the response.

I don’t believe the effects I am experiencing are of great cause for concern at all.

From what my gp says, and from reading other reference material, these side effects are quite common. I would be interested to hear experiences of others as to what worked for them in managing the withdrawals. I been trying exercise mostly but just can’t seem to get a restful night sleep.

[Oracle123]

There is some good research on links between deficiencies in certain nutrients and mental illness. Zinc is a good example. Julia Ross has a good website about how to safely take amino acids to support yourself through the withdrawal. My partner came off Ssris after over a decade with minimal symptoms over a year of so.

[geoff]

Hello Davey, coming off SSRI AD's after 15 years is an enormous achievement and hope that there is no reason why you should need to start them at any time in the future, but remember the doctor is there to help you for any reason if needed.

Antidepressants are given to a person for a specific reason, to regain the balance that has been disturbed and by coming off them, we have to maintain a functional brain that no longer needs medication to assist us, and yes we have to try and adjust to making decisions without the aid of AD's and this can't be compared to taking a headache tablet where after 4 hours we feel back to ourselves because we no longer have a headache, so we have a different reaction after taking an AD for 15 years, our mind has to readjust itself without the aid of any medication.

A natural herb vitamin might be able to help you, so have a talk with an herbalist if that's something you believe in, but swimming or exercising in the pool maybe an alternative, something to wear you out, but remember the more you think about these withdrawals the longer they'll stay with you.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[LuceWheel]

How are you going now Davey? I'm sorry but I've got more questions than answers but can say that I can relate to what you're going through.

With the support of my long-term psychiatrist, I have decided to stop taking antidepressants. I have tapered off an SNRI over 6 weeks that I had been taking for some 20 years. During the tapering process, I seemed to be coping with little apparent withdrawal symptoms, however within 24 hours of dropping down to zero (12 days ago) the symptoms really kicked off.

I am incredibly well-supported by family and friends, but have been unable to work effectively for the past 2 weeks due to lack of concentration, despair, tremors, diarrhea, cold sweats, muscle weakness, aches, back pain and fatigue. I have historically used cycling to buoy my mood but lately I don't have the motivation/strength to get out. Thankfully I am sleeping and eating well and have discovered a Heart Wisdom podcast with Jack Kornfield that is incredibly healing and calming to listen to.

I am keen to connect with someone who may have weathered this same storm to healing and I am also curious to hear how long it might last.
If anyone has any strategies for transitioning back to work sooner rather than later, I'm all ears. The concept of going back is overwhelming but I am concerned about falling out of a rhythm and lying around the house all day as well as letting down my employer who, being in a small business, relies on me. I also experience the guilt on the home front of my gorgeous but very busy husband carrying the load of our family while I'm healing.

Google advises me that this could continue anywhere from 2 weeks to 18 months. I'd love to hear some optimism that things will get better sooner rather than later. It's been 12 days since I took my last tapered dose and I'm really resistant to going back on again. I'm eager to rediscover my naked mind.

Geoff's advice seems helpful and I'm going to investigate a herbalist.

[Guest_1643]

hi all

i took a med recently which worked similar to a benzo , as appropriately in the short-term for under 2 weeks.
When I stopped it i felt weird and had one night of tremrs and shaking - typical withdrawl. I dont think i'll take that medication again.
Althugh the side effects may be common or to be expected, I felt I dismissed them to much and didn't alert my doctor appropriately to them (and he m aybe dismissed me a bit too)

please speak upif this happens to u guys too, it's def worth keeping an eye on as withdrawl can be painful

[smallwolf]

Hi and welcome to the beyond blue forums. While I have not been in your position my dad has. One medication was relatively easy and the other not so. One of the issues was tapering too fast. It does sound like a challenging time for you at the moment and good you have support from family. Not sure what options you have...