Coming off anti depressants after 20+ years

emerald21

With regards to my previous post yesterday Venlafaxin was the 3rd anti depressant id had. I did manage to come off them but it took a few months of doing it very slowly from halving one of the 2 tablets i took per day then halving the second tablet after a couple of weeks then repeating it. Then i stopped the night time one then halved the 1 bit i still took. I was cutting them into quarters very fiddly lol but can be done. After a few weeks of not taking any i could see me going downhill again somewhat but i didn t want to go back on prescription ones again. After some research i decided to try 5-HTP - strange name but thats what they re called. I take one 50 mg capsule which is a low dose at night and its still early days as in 5 but i do feel a bit better with it. These tablets sound marvellous as they also are used to help sleep and weightloss apparently as well

bright_side

Thank you Emerald21, that is very interesting - I will keep 5-HTP in mind for the future. I am in no hurry to stop my anti depressants, I will just see how it goes and reduce again when I've (hopefully) had a few stable months on my new lower dose. Sleep has been a slight problem for me since I reduced, but hopefully that will settle in time. Please let us know how you get on xx

bright_side

VfM4meplse wrote: »

No comparison, depression is a relapsing-remittng conditon whereas type 1 diabetes is chronic progressive.
I can accept that you have suffered with the most severe end of depression, but that doesn't mean a life sentence on anti-depressants. They can be a useful interim measure to get a person functiioning again, but the answer has got to come from yourself - far easier said than done. In your circumstances I would suggest it's a very bad idea to go it alone, and can understand a GPs reluctance to put you at any further risk but I think it would be possible to be weaned off and get a good outcome under specialist supervision with CAMHS support. 20 years is a very long time ago, and approaches to managing depression have changed.

To be honest I don't see any point in seeing a doctor at the moment. They don't know me and won't tell me anything I don't already know, however if I run into problems I will go. I last saw a GP about a year ago when I needed to increase my dose (my decision) and he said to decrease it again when I felt more stable. That is all I am doing for the time being, but if I feel ready to decrease again I will go in because I will need the liquid Citalopram then. Will look up CAMHS though x

loulou123

I'm in a similar position, I've been on anti depressants for years and years since I was teenager.

At 16 I was put on them, as became very depressed after one of my parents died suddenly. I was only on them a few months then, and managed to pull myself out of the depression.

Then when I was 2010 ish, i had a complete breakdown (after a run of bad events in my life) and ended up under the care of a psychiatrist etc. I've been on anti depressants ever since - I'm 33 now, and have also had all kinds of therapy.

I have been told by docs that they would like me to remain on them for ever now, as it is there opinion that if I come off them, the symptoms are likely to return, but I really want to come off them.

It's hard tho when even the professionals are telling you that you NEED them etc.

Nothing really useful to add, but just wanted to share with OP.

bright_side

I do believe than when we suffer a massive trauma at a young age it alters the way our brain functions. I have always been of the view that if taking a little tablet each day improves our ability to function normally and enjoy life more then why not? I've also never really understood those people who refuse to take them thus continuing to suffer.

My thinking at the moment is that I am a much stronger person now and I have more support than ever. I still can't necessarily control my emotions, however I do know why I am the way I am and work hard to understand myself. I also don't get annoyed with myself for being how I am because I accept there is valid reason for it.

I also won't beat myself up if I don't succeed in stopping the medication. If I can just manage on a lower dose it will be a massive acheivement

puddy

camhs are for children, child and adolescent mental health service

or did you mean, community adult mental health service? thats normally a cmht, community mental health team, although for confusions sake they are all different round the country

Dunroamin

Suspiria wrote: »

How did you come off the venlafaxine and go on the prozac, and what dosage are you on? Ive tried to come of it and found it impossible! Like another poster has mentioned i become ill mentally and physically if i even miss one tablet. Im on 225mg of venlafaxine a day, and im worried about heart damage. Thats why i want to come off it.

I can't remember what dosage of Venflaxine I was on, although I would think it was low. I know switched to 20mg of Prozac because I just checked.

You might be interested in these links.

http://depression.about.com/od/copingskills/tp/withdrawal.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_discontinuation_syndrome (Prevention and treatment section)

There's also a lot of information about the success of this method on various health forums.

emerald21

karen23 wrote: »

Thank you Emerald21, that is very interesting - I will keep 5-HTP in mind for the future. I am in no hurry to stop my anti depressants, I will just see how it goes and reduce again when I've (hopefully) had a few stable months on my new lower dose. Sleep has been a slight problem for me since I reduced, but hopefully that will settle in time. Please let us know how you get on xx

Yes sleep is a problem for me. I can go to sleep easily enough but just lately have been waking up at the joyous time of 4 30. What i do is if i cant get back to sleep within half an hour i ll read a book which tends to make me tired again after about half an hour or so. I ll then try and go back to sleep which i usually do after a while and sleep till about quarter to 8. Not ideal but hopefully when these 5-htp kick in . Hope things go well for you:)

janninew

I've read this thread with interest and there seem to be some very knowledgeable posters on the subject.

I've recently been prescribed sertraline (100mg a day) for PND and I'm interested to know if these are hard to stop taking or if anybody has any experience with them? I've never taken anti-depressants before and they are working really well for me, but reading some of these posts is a little worrying. I'm not planning on stopping them any time soon and see the Doctor once a month for a review, so just interested in other people's experiences.

no1catman

Whether you come off or not, you won't be the same person you were before - the anti-depessants will have altered your brain!

I'm amazed the quantity and length of prescription that some people here seem to be on.
Believe the NICE recommendation is for only short term use. That is - they act as scaffolding to give you support while you sort your problems out. There-in perhaps lies the problem - as everything now seems so hunky-dory no problem - so no need to do anything, or is it that the medication makes stops you 'thinking' so you can't sort your problem out!
Can't help too noticing that many need to increase their dose for the same effect - not a good sign.

Better to try something non-habit forming, and no side effects first e.g. St. John's Wort, Bach Rescue, Quiet Life, relaxation cds., exercise or something that gives you an emotional outlet!