How to Quit Antidepressants: Slowly, Doctors Say

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/health/depression-withdrawal-drugs.html

by bookofjoe • 7 years ago

25 16 7 years ago

webmobdev2• 7 years ago

As a teenager, I went for a brief session of counselling for depression due to low self-esteem. Along with counselling, the psychiatrist also prescribed an anti-depressant for me.

At that age, I used to believe that anti-depressants don't work and were just marketing bullshit. And that therapy through counselling was the only effective way to treat psychological issue as the "human mind was very powerful". But I took the anti-depressants. So, even though the anti-depressants worked and made me feel real good, I attributed that to the "good counselling" received that helped me resolve many issues. And so one day, I stopped taking it without telling the doctor.

The next session, I mentioned to him that I had stopped taking it as I felt it didn't seem to have any effect on me and I didn't need it. A look of concern flashed on the doctor's face as he enquired when I stopped taking it. He mentioned this particular anti-depressant shouldn't be stopped suddenly and needed to be slowly tapered off, but I dismissed his concern that since it wasn't working for me there was nothing to worry.

To make a long story short - after that session I suddenly crashed and went into a deep depression, and even quit counselling. It was only later, after a long time when I resumed counselling that I realised what had gone wrong with me - you can't quit some anti-depressants cold turkey.

castle-bravo• 7 years ago

What astounds me is that dependence-forming drugs are handed out without any effort to educate the user (often a child) about possible risks.

plants• 7 years ago

Anecdotally, I have seen the same thing with anti-anxiety medication. Not sure what medication it was exactly, but some folks that are close to me have had a much higher incidence of panic attacks when they abruptly stopped taking their medication. Same deal - they thought they were fine, then a week or so later, it was just panic attack after panic attack until they refilled their prescription.

Pharmakon3• 7 years ago

Most anxiolytics are benzodiazepines, and quitting cold turkey can quite literally kill you, especially if you’ve been on a significant dose over time. These drugs raise your seizure threshold, but rapidly quitting creates a backlash of lowered seizure threshold, and you can have far worse outcomes than just rebound anxiety.

notme77• 7 years ago

Please google "Ashton Manual"

The process you're describing is well understood. What your folks are experiencing is extremely common. The Ashton Manual not only describes the process, but also details procedures for mitigating withdrawal-crash-relapse cycling.

I'm not a Doctor. The author has solid medical and research credentials along with decades of experience specifically treating and studying benzo addiction. The manual is published by a public research university and has withstood many years of scrutiny.

time0ut• 7 years ago

I took an SSRI for 15 years. It took me multiple tries over a couple years to taper off. It was not a fun experience. When I tried doing it too fast, I would get terrible headaches. The final attempt took 9 months of careful tapering until I got below the therapeutic dose and just stopped.

I do regret ever starting it. I feel like I lost a part myself to it. I feel like the peaks and valleys of my emotions are gone. I never get very sad or angry, but I don't ever feel very happy either.

ionised• 7 years ago

I never get very sad or angry, but I don't ever feel very happy either.

That just sounds like the depression that was there before you started taking the SSRI.

At least it describes my depression perfectly. Apathy.

That's how I feel with or without the SSRI's I had taken in the past, none of which seemed to have any effect on me for whatever reason.

ArrayList• 7 years ago

SSRIs are extremely dangerous and life-altering. I'm definitely not the same and I was only exposed to it [Citalopram] for about a week or so. Look up post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) - possible permanent reduction in libido and overall sexual response. Or anhedonia - complete removal of emotions.

Vitamin D, fish oil, exercise, and improving your diet should be considered before ingesting poison.

webmobdev2• 7 years ago

Some anti-depressants do have the side effect of reduced libido and loss of interest in sex. But it is not known to be permanent as far as I am aware.

coldacid• 7 years ago

It can be permanent, but that's a fairly rare (but known) case.

momentmaker• 7 years ago

Some people have been able to quit antidepressants cold after using psychedelics Ayahuasca that rewires the brain synapsis.

Of course, it's only individual cases.

Pharmakon3• 7 years ago

Taking Ayahuasca while on antidepressants is a breathtakingly bad idea, even without an intent to use the experience to “quit” them. Don’t. Do. It.

acct1771• 7 years ago

Consider a well-reasoned response of why, instead of just telling people what to do.

mhh__• 7 years ago

Is "Slowly" the advice for most (all) addictions too: e.g. Not the Miles Davis solution to heroin addiction

How to Quit Antidepressants: Slowly, Doctors Say

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