Anti-depressants - stay on em, quit?

[Galactus]

If you can avoid it, don't quite cold turkey. I managed to get stuck at one point (basically I ran out of medecine in a situation where I couldn't get new ones) and it's really, really not pleasant. Don't do that.

[Fragile Bird]

I would just reiterate what everyone said here. A friend of mine was put on an SSRI and hated the way it made him feel, so he went cold turkey and had these electrical shocks in his body so severe he could hardly walk. He needed the SSRI but his job was so complex he couldn't think straight using them, and if he fucked up in his spreadsheet calculations he could do serious damage to his company and coworkers.

<snip>

[Pebble thats Stubby]

I'm no doctor, theopist or have ever suffered with depresion or anxioty so do remember that I may be talking out of my arse.

Assuming that once you have talked to your doctor and togther you plan a gradual reduction from the meds. I would highly reconmend keeping a diary. don't forget to write down the good stuff. When things go right or when you successfully cope with a situation. or just something that made you smile for a minuiet. You can write the negative stuff down as well, but don't dwell on them, really try to write more positive stuff even if its the sun was shining.

I would also reconmend having somewhere to go close to you where you cna just chill out, relax and breath for a few mins.

[Sci-2]

Just to note: Whatever you do Nuke, DO NOT try to hang out with Bakker during this time. ;-)

[Guest Raidne]

I don't understand why this is being asked on the board. Or rather, why someone would ask a bunch of Internet strangers whether they should continue their mind altering medicine usage and if so, what dosage to use.

I can see how it doesn't make sense to ask a bunch of internet strangers about going cold turkey vs. easing off an SSRI (although I think we all did say some pretty useful stuff about that - I feel better for telling Nuk to NOT go cold turkey than I would about just posting "ask your doctor"). But I can definitely see the utility of asking people about their anecdotal experiences with going off SSRIs. It's not like getting your appendix about, because the surgeon who removes your appendix actually knows what they are doing. A psychiatrist knows what he or she is doing when she writes out a script for gradually descreasing doses, but that doctor doesn't really know very much more about what the ultimate effect on Nuk will be any better than any of us do.

Acting like someone should take their doctor's advice as the word of god on psychiatric issues is really, really bad advice. You really need to work out what you want to do with someone besides just you and your doctor. Do whatever available reading is out there on depression and SSRIs. But do it while you are still taking your SSRI. You need to have the brain you've become accustomed to in order to make the best decision about where to go with your brain from here.

I can see how opening yourself up to some blowhard telling you what a moron you are for asking for guidance while you are involuntarily off your medication is perhaps not desirable, but I'm not entirely certain that the particular level of assholery contemplated in that hypothetical is necessarily reasonably foreseeable.

[A Menina Cebola]

You really shouldn't go cold turkey. I've occasionally found myself about to run out of meds before a holiday or a bank holiday when the doctors aren't open. Instead of not taking them, I took one every other day. A bit like weaning myself off slowly. It is how you are meant to come off them anyway, but it's useful to do it if you do find yourself in a bit of a pickle. I've found it to be ok (only from personal experience, I'm no doctor) if I am going on holiday or having a relaxing week with no stress, as the side effects of coming off, even just cutting down, is quite draining.

If you really want to come off them, speak to your doctor about gradually decreasing the dose. Best way to do it without feeling terrible. Hope everything goes well, best of luck, and I'll be thinking of you. :)

[Inigima]

Because not everyone enjoys talking to their doctor? Because some people here are smarter than most doctors? Because some people don't Google?

This isn't just a bad post, it's a dangerous bad post.

[Sci-2]

This isn't just a bad post, it's a dangerous bad post.

Yeah, definitely get second (or third, fourth, fifth) opinions but don't give up doctors altogether.

I've never seen any good come of it, just fucked up situations including lost jobs and financial straits.

[Nukelavee]

Galactus - yeah, it's the involuntary quitting currently.

Plus side - Was able to get the prescription sorted over the phone, so, I'll be back on em by noon tomorrow.

Which is good, because I haven't been looking forward to the zaps, and the vertigo is killing me.

Got an appointment in a few weeks to actually discuss trying to go without them, long term, so a couple weeks to think things thru.

I think it's something I should try, but I'm totally all right with the idea I might find I'm better off staying with them indefinitely.

oh, and, 44 as of next friday.

:)

Thanks all for the responses, common sense or not, because my common sense is suspect right now. I know I actually had the "meh, already 3 days without, why not just see?" idea last night, so, reminding me of how bad an idea it would be is appreciated.

Also - Kal does have a point, I mean, none of us should assume nobody would ever take advice from random folks on the net.

[Sci-2]

Also - Kal does have a point, I mean, none of us should assume nobody would ever take advice from random folks on the net.

Hey, that's only for oral sex advice and sandwich recipes.

[Kalbear]

Acting like someone should take their doctor's advice as the word of god on psychiatric issues is really, really bad advice. You really need to work out what you want to do with someone besides just you and your doctor. Do whatever available reading is out there on depression and SSRIs. But do it while you are still taking your SSRI. You need to have the brain you've become accustomed to in order to make the best decision about where to go with your brain from here.

yes - its much better to follow the advice of a bunch of people on the Internet that don't know you or really anything about you. That's way more productive and not at all a bad idea.

It's a perfectly reasonable thing to make a decision about continuing meds or not. That being said, it should be an informed, rational decision - and a crowd sourced answer on the Internet is not that.

I can see how opening yourself up to some blowhard telling you what a moron you are for asking for guidance while you are involuntarily off your medication is perhaps not desirable, but I'm not entirely certain that the particular level of assholery contemplated in that hypothetical is necessarily reasonably foreseeable.

raidne, let's just think about one small thought. Suppose for a second that nuk was 16.

What culpability would people on the Internet giving a 16 year old advice about their medication have? How fast would a person get sued for saying anything that caused harm there?

This isn't wacky anecdotes about how shitty a sisters wedding planning is or whether or not white should be worn after labor day. I don't blame nuk for asking anything, though i would personally be wary of asking people I've never met about things like what drugs I should take in a publicly accessible place, that's his privacy he is violating, so fine. But to those who responded with any actions other than "talk to a doctor" - as ini said that's a potentially very dangerous thing to say. And as nuk said, you never know what that other person might do.

[Angalin]

Before this turns into a major wrangle, let me step in for a moment to say: Nuke, the consensus is that you should have a to-continue-or-not-to-continue dialogue with your doctor and not change your SSRI intake without proper medical advice and supervision.

However, if anyone wants to talk about his or her own experience with depression, medication and reasonable coping mechanisms, go right ahead.

[Guest]

However, if anyone wants to talk about his or her own experience with depression, medication and reasonable coping mechanisms, go right ahead.

Word.

Nuke should talk to his doctor since he's already on some stuff.

But for some really thought-provoking material on the SSRI thing in general, check this out:

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/jun/23/epidemic-mental-illness-why/?pagination=false

[Inigima]

I want to clarify that I'm not saying staying on the meds is necessarily the right call -- only that it is a decision best reached together with a professional, as opposed to solo or with a bunch of Internet strangers.

edit: and also that "the internet is smarter than most doctors" is a really dumb assertion.

[Robin Of House Hill]

With the exception of those breathing some humor into this thread, the replies were overwhelmingly don't go cold turkey and contact a doctor. Apparently, this "crowd sourced answer" was both rational and proper, invalidating the assumption it wouldn't be.

That said, I have very little faith in doctors, based on my own experience with them I never take a doctor's diagnosis or suggested course of treatment at face value, without doing my own research.

[Gareth]

To stay or not stay on antidepressants depend solely on your risk for getting depression again. If you had one major depressive episode, your risk for relapsing without medication is about 50%. If you had two major depressive episodes, your risk jumps to 70%. If you had 3 major depressive episodes or more, your risk is 100%. So if this is your first major depressive episode, most doctors will consider stopping your medications after 1-3 years if you are symptoms free. For patients with two episodes, most psychiatrists will maintain you symptom free for 5 years prior to consider stopping medication. If you had 3 or more episodes, most psychiatrists will not consider stopping medication at all because your risk for relapse is so high.

I do want to point out that there shouldn't be any stigma of being on antidepressants. It's no different than taking an antihypertensives for hypertension or preventative of cardiavascular disease. You do what is best for your health and well-being.

[teemo]

Cold turkey is the worst thing ever. I have been on anti-depressants off and on for over 10 years and I have quite cold turkey a few times for various reasons and it was really terrible. Talking to your doctor about your options and possibly having to wean you off in an appropriate fashion is probably the best course of action.

[Salome the Persian Witch]

I had written this earlier today, but clearly it didn't actually get posted, so I'll try again:

It has happened that I've run out of a medication during a holiday time. Most times, you can go to a walk-in clinic, and the on-call doctor will provide you a prescription for (like a week's worth) or something - especially if you can prove you're on the meds and accidentally missed your refill. (Note - this only works with certain non-narcotic meds) ;)

On a different tangent completely, I strongly recommend putting together a "wellness" team. What I mean by that is a group of people you trust to support you that you can call on when you need help/support/a sounding board, etc. My hubby did that almost a little formally - letting them know he might call on them for support while he was going through some transitions. He included a massage therapist, and several close friends of differing specialties. They were honoured he asked, and he was able to face the transitions far more confidently just knowing he had a "team" of people he could call on when he needed support. :grouphug:

[Nukelavee]

Yay - refill by noon! For the record, and to reinforce what others have said - cold turkey, by choice or not, is a miserable experience.

Before this turns into a major wrangle, let me step in for a moment to say: Nuke, the consensus is that you should have a to-continue-or-not-to-continue dialogue with your doctor and not change your SSRI intake without proper medical advice and supervision. However, if anyone wants to talk about his or her own experience with depression, medication and reasonable coping mechanisms, go right ahead.

I'm happy to have the topic move on to your second point.

Gareth - Basically, I'm at that 5 year point, which is why the "do I test things without" was even on the table this week. Personally, tho, I have a feeling I'm in that 100% risk group, I've been going through fairly serious bouts of depression for, ummm, at least 25 years. Problem is, it took until 6 years ago to go from just accepting it as the way things are, to actively doing something to resist it.

[Kalbear]

With the exception of those breathing some humor into this thread, the replies were overwhelmingly don't go cold turkey and contact a doctor. Apparently, this "crowd sourced answer" was both rational and proper, invalidating the assumption it wouldn't be.

That said, I have very little faith in doctors, based on my own experience with them I never take a doctor's diagnosis or suggested course of treatment at face value, without doing my own research.

So basically your advice is to listen to everyone other than you? That's pretty good advice actually.