Curious about weaning off meds

[Katexyz]

I’m thinking about weaning off of mine. It’s been about a year since I hit my rock bottom and started them, at least half of which I’ve been feeling tremendously better. My personal and social life is in a better position than when I started the meds, too. I’m planning to wean because I would like to be med free for pregnancy in coming years. Does anybody have experience with weaning? I’ll definitely talk to my GP about it, I have an appt scheduled already, but wanting some firsthand advice if anyone out there has some!

[Blueruth]

congratulations! That must feel great. There is a website called surviving antidepressants where you can look up your specific med. it is a forum. in short start with talking to your doctor for guidance then listen to your body is my strongest advice. Some meds take 2 weeks, some months depending on any number of factors. You should anticipate discomfort but too much too quickly is obviously counter productive. Most of the time going slower will help. Hope that helps and good luck!

[Sillysausage234]

what meds ?

[Katexyz in reply to Sillysausage234]

I suppose that would be good context to have 😅

50 mg of sertraline

[Sillysausage234 in reply to Katexyz]

Oh was wondering if it was benzos…..sertraline you can always ask your dr to change to 2x25 mg tabs then you can try yourself on the 25 awhile see how you go on them and if you feel ok for a couple of weeks on 25 have the conversation again about taking you off them …..I found sertraline good after about a year of 50 i just came off them ….they got me through a troubled time when things spiralled out of control ….as it does …but got that way I was forgetting to take them for days on end ,was too busy doing none depressed stuff 😊so just stopped them

[Katexyz in reply to Sillysausage234]

That’s really good insight, thank you so much for sharing!!!

[Firstlastname in reply to Sillysausage234]

Cutting the dose in half could be too quick of a taper.

[Sillysausage234 in reply to Firstlastname]

sertraline come in 25 , 50 , 100 mg tablets only tiny things …hence get 2x 25 to trial the lower dose if too much you’ve still got the original 50 mg daily allowance

[Firstlastname in reply to Sillysausage234]

A quarter of people who try to come off of antidepressants have severe, protracted withdrawal. It requires "hacking" the tablets or capsules to decrease by smaller amounts. I can provide peer-reviewed research if anyone is interested.

[Sillysausage234 in reply to Firstlastname]

anti depressants needs careful consideration by doctors to be fair ,I know about benzo tapering from personal experience,the sertraline i just came off it with no adverse effects but our poster really should consult her doctor .

[Firstlastname in reply to Sillysausage234]

Most doctors don't know how to properly wean their patients off of antidepressants. I gave her some resources to check out.

[Sillysausage234 in reply to Firstlastname]

that’s true …too many factors to consider…too complex for doctors to spend too much of their time on

[Celtic27]

Hi there Kate have you discussed this with your doctor because you won't know what withdrawal symptoms you may have or encounter ! I wish you well and wish you every success in having children. Take care all the best 👌

[punkster]

I just weaned off my antidepressant, and it was rough. I experienced a lot of anxiety and feeling like I wasn't myself. I don't say this to scare you, but I was one of the people that experience side effects when going off an antidepressant. It's puzzling because I was on the lowest possible dose already. I guess I am just very sensitive to meds. It took about six weeks for me to start feeling "normal". The good news is that I am SO glad that I persisted and went off of it. My life situation has changed, like yours, and I would encourage anyone to give it a try.

[maddypaddy69 in reply to punkster]

It took me 3 tries to get off of mine, quite a struggle, docs hand these out like candy, makes me mad! They can be very hard to get off of without bad side effects, but doctors do not seem to care!

[punkster in reply to maddypaddy69]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. The effects of coming off an antidepressant were never discussed with me by my doctor or my therapist prior to me making the decision to try the medication.. Now I am 20 pounds heavier ( I’ve never been overweight in my life) and went through a living hell going off of the antidepressant. Doctors should be ashamed of themselves for indiscriminately handing out the medication without warning the patients of what can happen when they stop taking them.

[maddypaddy69 in reply to punkster]

Yes, I agree. RuN from these doctors! It was so hard to get off the antidepressant, but so much happier without. I still struggle with some fears and phobia, but drugs were not helping much. Cognitive behavior help is the way to go. I know now that exposure is the way to go, it is hard and uncomfortable, but my goal is not to be comfortable, it is to be free from my thoughts, don't let my thoughts boss me around, etc. I wish you well on your journey and do not give up, it takes work to overcome things, but so what?? If someone needs meds, I do not judge you, each to their own, but it wasn't for me.

[hanginginthere55]

I would definitely work with a doctor about this. As long as a doctor approves it, you should be okay. It's important to also be monitored while you do this too.

[Firstlastname in reply to hanginginthere55]

On the contrary, most doctors don't know how to properly taper patients off of psychiatric drugs.

[Kinlay]

Very, very slow! Then spend at least 4-6 weeks at each lower dose to monitor how you are doing. Do NOT go any lower if you are having any withdrawal symptoms until they resolve... and you may need to go back up if they are really bad. Trust me, withdrawal symptoms for ALL meds can be scary bad if you don't do it carefully. And don't beat yourself up if you can't do it. Taking meds every day is better than being miserable! in the future, you can also talk with your doctor about which meds are safest during pregnancy - many people have had successful pregnancies while on necessary medications.

[PandaBlues]

I’ve successfully weaned off of several depression and anxiety medications > Effexor, Zoloft and Propranolol.

Effexor was very hard as you can not quit it cold Turkey or you will suffer horribly. Every 2-3 days I would remove 10 beads from the capsule. It took me 3 months to wean complete off of it but taking it slow resulted in zero side effects or withdrawal symptoms. This was a year ago.

The Zoloft I quit cold Turkey (just recently) at the advice of my Dr because I was exhibiting some bad side effects out of nowhere. It was hell for two days and I had to do alot of meditation and walks to distract myself. The migraine was blinding too for a full 48 hrs but then on the third day I was ok.

I weaned off of the Propranolol by going down half a pill every 3 days. This took 2 weeks. I have been completely med free now for 5 days and I feel good. I’m making sure I’m eating healthy, getting lots of water and rest and I’ve started meditating several times a day to keep myself grounded and calm. I do attend weekly therapy sessions though. That’s key. I’ve also started taking herbal remedies like chamomile and lavender to help (naturally) with my anxiety, and depression. So far it’s working and I’m doing well.

So definitely talk to your Dr - take it slow and have things in place in case you have a bad day > ie. Walks, meditation, someone to talk to, journal, herbal supplements etc. Most importantly believe in yourself that you can do this. Remember - we’re not our thoughts and our emotions do not control us! ❤️

[Firstlastname]

Please go to survivingantidepressants dot org before you start your taper. Most doctors don't know how to properly wean people off of psychiatric drugs. Psych drug withdrawal (especially antidepressants and benzodiazepenes) can last months or years. You can also find information if you search for the "Royal College of Psychiatrists, antidepressants"

[Mxtmxxn]

Don't ween off of them super quickly. 2.5 mg less for atleast 4-6 weeks so you dont feel the withdrawals, but I'm not a psychiatrist so consult your doctor. Show your psychiatrist the website survivingantidepressants.