Stopping anti depressant medicine
Discussion
Hi, I tried this for a month yet I made me worse. It was prescribed for anxiety and it helped with sleep.. yet next day I feel like nothing matters. There is no point. It's like being dead.
Since stopping I feel great by day, but back to racing thoughts at night.
Bit troubled about what to do next.
Any answers before i talk to my GP?
many thanks
Since stopping I feel great by day, but back to racing thoughts at night.
Bit troubled about what to do next.
Any answers before i talk to my GP?
many thanks
talk to your gp. meds can work with different doses or just you need different meds.
the cynic in me says that gps will often try you on the cheapest drugs first.
if/when you stop only do so after speaking to the gp - many such meds cause serious withdrawal effects. usually you will ramp down the dose over a period of time. sometimes you need a pause before starting a different drug.
the cynic in me says that gps will often try you on the cheapest drugs first.
if/when you stop only do so after speaking to the gp - many such meds cause serious withdrawal effects. usually you will ramp down the dose over a period of time. sometimes you need a pause before starting a different drug.
Super Sonic said:
Only advice I can give is you may need to try a few different medications before you find one that works for you.
Don't Give Up! It's worth sticking at it, you will feel better.
100% this. Go back to your Doctor, be honest with them, if they can't help change Doctors. As someone who very nearly wasn't here because my Doc dismissed how I was feeling, I will say things can and will get better. You may need to try different medication and be on it longer than you would choose but take all the support you can get.Don't Give Up! It's worth sticking at it, you will feel better.
It is worth remembering that, from the doctor's perspective, a patient who stops complaining because they are cured looks much the same as one who stops complaining because his whole frontal cortex has ceased to function. I suspect quite a few psychiatric meds work like that.
Personally I would be looking for an effective, medication free, solution to the racing thoughts.
Do you have things you need to do that you are avoiding or postponing? That is a big cause of stress. Do them.
Do you get much exercise? A racing mind is no match for an exhausted body.
Personally I would be looking for an effective, medication free, solution to the racing thoughts.
Do you have things you need to do that you are avoiding or postponing? That is a big cause of stress. Do them.
Do you get much exercise? A racing mind is no match for an exhausted body.
I was first prescribed antidepressants/anti anxiety meds in 2011. The first meds made me feel really strange, almost like I was controlling my body by remote control and cctv. I stuck it for just over a week before going back to my GP and telling him that enough was enough. He then prescribed Citalopram, which I used successfully until last year. At that point I decided that I had enough of the side effects and, as I no longer suffered from stress (I retired in 2019), no longer needed the Citalopram. After consulting my GP, I gradually reduced my dosage by approximately 10mg per week until, after 8 months, I was down to 0.
As others have said, the right meds will help a lot, the wrong meds will make the situation worse. Be careful of the side effects and don’t set any time limits. I never expected to be on the meds for 12 years, but I am glad I was as they helped me through some difficult times.
Good luck OP.
As others have said, the right meds will help a lot, the wrong meds will make the situation worse. Be careful of the side effects and don’t set any time limits. I never expected to be on the meds for 12 years, but I am glad I was as they helped me through some difficult times.
Good luck OP.
I've tried Sertraline, Citalopram and Mirtazapine and all three helped with anxiety but just made me feel just void of emotion basically giving that zombie like feeling you mentioned. Another thing is all three made my genital area completely numb! No interest in sex whatsoever. I did some reading and apparently this can be a very long term side effect in some people even after coming off them. The Mirtazapine was supposed not to have the same sexual side effects as the other two hence giving it a try but after a few weeks taking them it was exactly the same feeling.
One thing I have found that is helping me but is by no means a cure is regular exercise.
One thing I have found that is helping me but is by no means a cure is regular exercise.
Meds are only one part, sadly often the go to for doctors and not all give advice about what the rest of your self care should look like. Also worth noting (and they should tell you this) anti-anxiety meds often will make you feel worse for first 2-3 weeks until you settle in. It is important to take at same time of day and don't miss any doses, and def don't just stop.
Aside from that, it's the usual, reduce (or stop) alcohol, more exercise, better diet, good sleep (first points help that) but also deal with the racing thoughts. I thought I'd be on anxiety meds for as long as I work at my current job (it's quite senior/challenging but terms are too good to leave) but I had CBT therapy and was able to finally step back from the meds. Great feeling. You may have to try a few therapists to find one who's approach you gel with, look for one that does EMDR it's a game changer.
Aside from that, it's the usual, reduce (or stop) alcohol, more exercise, better diet, good sleep (first points help that) but also deal with the racing thoughts. I thought I'd be on anxiety meds for as long as I work at my current job (it's quite senior/challenging but terms are too good to leave) but I had CBT therapy and was able to finally step back from the meds. Great feeling. You may have to try a few therapists to find one who's approach you gel with, look for one that does EMDR it's a game changer.
Often the first place the doctor goes is that the source of the mental health issue is the quality of sleep. Some of the earlier developed meds basically made you sleep. You can go back with the info that despite your better sleep things didn't improve. They should then try something different, as mentioned by others.
The frustrating thing about mental health is that it's not like a chest infection where you get your pills and one week later you're better. You have to work at it yourself in combination with meds and yes it takes time to get the right meds and the right dose. If you haven't done talking therapies, I really recommend. It helped me understand what was going on and gave me techniques to cope. I use Citalopram and that works for me and I haven't noticed any side effects, but it may not work for you....
Exercise is great as well and I'm sure you've already looked into this but having a routine with no screens and no caffeine after a certain time will help settle things before bed.
It probably doesn't mean anything from a stranger on the internet, but there are plenty of people who have been through the same as you and we get it. You will get through it! Don't be shy in seeking what help you can.
The frustrating thing about mental health is that it's not like a chest infection where you get your pills and one week later you're better. You have to work at it yourself in combination with meds and yes it takes time to get the right meds and the right dose. If you haven't done talking therapies, I really recommend. It helped me understand what was going on and gave me techniques to cope. I use Citalopram and that works for me and I haven't noticed any side effects, but it may not work for you....
Exercise is great as well and I'm sure you've already looked into this but having a routine with no screens and no caffeine after a certain time will help settle things before bed.
It probably doesn't mean anything from a stranger on the internet, but there are plenty of people who have been through the same as you and we get it. You will get through it! Don't be shy in seeking what help you can.
I struggled with sedating anti depressants, I really liked the sleepy aspect but don't think they helped much otherwise.
ultimately it should be obvious what the real root cause is. Pay attention to whatever you are ruminating about at night?
I found Boots spleepeze tablets and body scan meditations to be useful for sleep when stopping. But ultimately, once I sorted the root cause I sleep like a baby, and good sleep feeds through into everything else .
ultimately it should be obvious what the real root cause is. Pay attention to whatever you are ruminating about at night?
I found Boots spleepeze tablets and body scan meditations to be useful for sleep when stopping. But ultimately, once I sorted the root cause I sleep like a baby, and good sleep feeds through into everything else .
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