Withdrawal symptoms

[JEF15]

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

[JEF15]

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 😞

[Croix]

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

[JEF15]

Hi

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.

[geoff]

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.

[Crepe Myrtle]

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.