Stopping all antidepressants?

[Joel87]

Stopped SSRI's and Wellbutrin.

Has anyone successfully gotten off all antidepressants? The SSRI's I became allergic to, the Wellbutrin sped me up to the point of wanting to check myself in somewhere. I have a call into my Psychiatrist to see what we can do.

I'm just looking for someone who quit all antidepressants successfully and any tips on how you did it. I'm a pretty active person. I lost almost 20 pounds on the Wellbutrin. 20 pounds I didn't need to lose. Day 2 off the Wellbutrin. Suicidal thoughts have decreased tremendously.

Thanks.

[Hidden]

Honestly I did for about a year now, I was only on one at that time(fluoxetine) and I did slowly taper down my dosage to make it easier on body and mind.. but I would definitely talk to your Psychiatrist like you said to make sure this is safe. I think it might also be better to see if maybe there is a healthier alternative antidepressant, because lately I’m starting to feel like I shouldn’t have stopped.. but staying active was something big that helped. Also having somewhat of a schedule as to not get to overwhelmed. Not sure I’d recommend it, but it is possible if that’s what you and your psychiatrist think would be best.

[Joel87 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much for the reply. I'm still on Klonopin 1MG daily and that keeps the anxiety down. The Wellbutrin made my depression the worst its ever been. And gave me energy like drinking 8 cups of coffee which also worsened the anxiety.

I went from being ok to ready to jump.

[Daninicole22 in reply to Joel87]

How long have you been on Klonopin? And how much is it you take has it always been 1mg? I’m also on that, well the generic version which is Clonazepam. But usually only take 0.5mg at a time.

[Joel87 in reply to Daninicole22]

Hi, I take the generic as well, same way .5MG twice daily. I've been taking that now for about 2 months, before that, I was taking 3MG of Ativan daily, one every 8 hours for about a year and that worked great. My doctor thought I should change so that I didn't become dependent on it. Which in my mind makes no sense. If it works it works. I wasn't abusing it, taking it only as directed. All of these psych docs want to move you to an antidepressant rather than keep you on the benzos because of the addicting part. Which again makes no sense, because then they move you to an antidepressant that is a nightmare to start and a nightmare to quit. So they make you dependent on an antidepressant that is just as hard to stop as a benzo. And I've tried explaining that 2 both doctors I have seen. I don't suffer from depression but from anxiety. And this Wellbutrin they put me on gave me every terrible symptom imaginable. I was 200% better before starting that med. I really have to find a way to stay off the antidepressants because they don't work for me, only make me worse than before starting them. The example being, I wasn't depressed in the least when I started on the Wellbutrin, by week three I was so depressed I wanted to kill myself, I didn't of course, but the very fact that a medication can change your chemistry that heavily is scary.

[Daninicole22 in reply to Joel87]

Yeah wow! That’s crazy. For an antidepressant to do this to you or to anyone is really bad! I go to a psychiatrist tomorrow haven’t been to one yet, seen a therapist a few times a few months back but she suggested I started taking Zoloft and I didn’t want to do that and every time I saw/talked to her she asked me if I started it yet, I got uncomfortable by that and dropped her cause I felt she wanted me on that or she wouldn’t talk to me anymore. Idk, but I’m also afraid he will try and start me on an antidepressant also and I don’t wanna do it!! I also tried lexapro end of May and only could do it for 3-4 days I think it was because I felt so much worse than I did before it!! I know they try and prescribe them to you also because they also work for panic disorder/GAD/OCD/acrophobia and other things like that which is why your doc may have prescribed that to you too. Do you prefer the Clonazepam over Ativan? I’ve taken both also, but Ativan only when I was going to the ER all the time for panic attacks and that’s what they would give to me each time.

[Hidden in reply to Daninicole22]

I did something similar with my psychiatrist. She did very well and the medication (Prozac for my depression) seemed to work at first but then she just started increasing the dosage every time I saw her. after the last increase I could feel it was making my depression worse again and didn’t really know what to do so that’s when stopped going and tapered off the meds with the help of my therapist ( I was seeing both of them at that time) because she understood i didn’t really like the way the meds had started affecting me. Probably would have been smart to bring up my problems with the meds to my psychiatrist, but it was the fourth time in a row she had doubled my dosage ( and only the first time did it really make sense to me). I hope you’re visit goes good and you get some of the answers you are looking for... and don’t let my comment shy you away from your psychiatrist they are people that have dedicated their lives to helping with others problems, yes they get paid, but they do actually care about our well being. Sometimes I just think personal presences get in between

[Joel87 in reply to Daninicole22]

I preferred the Ativan 100%, it acted much quicker than the klonopin. Supposedly the Klonopin stays in your system longer. But I can totally relate to being asked to start a new antidepressant and almost feeling like I'm being forced to. If people don't abuse their benzos, I don't see why that can't be taken for as long as you need it.

[Stilltrying_ in reply to Joel87]

To be honest it's a minefield. There are people on here who say AD's have changed their lives for ever for the better; there are others like me who they never did anything for ( but like you it was anxiety I was suffering from ; well extreme stress due to a terrible upbringing and the stress brought on the anxiety which got so extreme that it frequently and relentlessly turned to depression and suicidal thoughts)

Benzo's helped me but as you say they are now trying to get you off those and onto AD's. No doubt in a few years time they will realise that AD's are as harmful as benzo's to some people and in terms of heart health liver health lung health and all they are banging on about about benzo's right now.

If AD's are not for you then go with it, but we always have to write a little addition on here incase there are vulnerable or suggestable people reading: - " with the help and advice of your doctor"

[Daninicole22 in reply to Stilltrying_]

What have they said about Benzos with hearth/liver/lung health?

[Stilltrying_ in reply to Daninicole22]

Basically I was told that they were bad for every organ in your body. Having said that I have been taking them for years and have perfect health apart from my mental health so as long as they are used moderately this is more of a health scare than anything else. I have been told that my blood pressure is fantastic for my age and all else is normal.

ALL drugs make demands on your body in some way but if you keep healthy eat well and are active physically that is always the best way. I have always done yoga pilates walking and kept a healthy diet; no alcohol no illicit drugs, no "Junk" food or too much sweet stuff. IMO smoking is the most harmful thing you can do to your health ; I recognise this is an addiction and also one that wasn't known about years ago which is why so many people now are suffering from health problems from this. Smoking and drinking and fatty foods and sweet foods are going to be more harmful than the occasional benzo when under acute stress.

[Daninicole22 in reply to Stilltrying_]

Oh I see. Yeah that’s what they say basically about every medication there is. I get told by all doctors it seems like now because I ask so many questions about everything now, but I get told “every single medication has side effects, even Tylenol and ibuprofen, which can affect your liver etc...” so I guess that is true, I just ask cause I have asthma and just got told today that I have paranasal sinus disease which is causing like75%of my problems I’ve been having.... so now I have to go back to theENT and see what I have to do next! And this was told by my neurologist after all these tests I had done including an mri which is where they found this problem ugh

[Joel87 in reply to Daninicole22]

Today started back on 10MG of Celexa, I'm hoping this works out. It's a very low dose, so I'm hoping for low side effects.

[Hidden in reply to Joel87]

Sounds like you made good choice stopping the Wellbutrin, I’m not a professional but if it’s making things that bad, it’s definitely not the right one for you

[Hidden]

There is a DNA test now for depression and somehow it tells the psychiatrist what meds work better for different people. It is interesting that depression can be hereditary.

[Joel87 in reply to Hidden]

I wish by now someone would've developed an antidepressant that worked in one day!