Coming off Anti Depressants

Hi I think you should consult your GP as you have been on antidepressant for so long.
TRY Meditation and yoga, it will definitely help you.
www.tarasafe.com

I am Florentine (Prozac), have had several operations and never had then taken away.

I would like to know how many people have, like me, had their normal medication, in my case Prozac, Nitrazipan and arthritis drugs, snatched away and locked in a cupboard while they are in hospital for an operation.

We are told that it is dangerous to come off a prescribed drug suddenly and should take medical advice and wean oneself off very gradually - then some dragon woman comes into the ward and confiscates them and marches away without an explanation.

Id like to send warm wishes to anyone suffering from any form of depression, axiety etc. I know from experience how debilitating these illnesses can be and can only say that when I was going through a bad patch of anxiety I used to pray and ask for an Angel to just help me get through that day. Nothing more, just help for that day. May I suggest that it is tried and tested. Good Luck to all going through a bad time.

Nightmares are a side effect of some antidepressants for a small number of people you can have very vivid dreams as well which are not actually nightmares. You need to come off them slowly because they go into your blood stream in a gradual way, the first time you take them it takes on average 4 weeks for you to feel they are having a beneficial effect. Most GP's will start with a low dose as that can be enough for some, others need a higher dose and will be offered a gradual increase until you notice sustained positive response. It is no good taking a low dose if it's not lifting your mood sufficiently you might as well take an aspirin! Sometimes your doctor will change you to a different brand if the first is not helping . When they do that they usually reduce the dose of the first one and gradually change you over to the second. They do this so you DONT go cold turkey which is not good for you. You come of it gradually in the same way you went on it. Most GP's will review you after four weeks to monitor your reaction and should review you regularly after that. You should always report major side effects, common ones are drowsiness ( helped by taking at night) dry mouth so you may need to drink more and the dreams for a small number of people. Antidepressants are also prescribed for anxiety ( with or without depression) and sometimes OCD

I meant my comment to relate to Mariana's mention of nightmares.

Hi - were you on mirtazapine? I have been taking this for 2 years and still have dreadful dreams (it is one of the side effects mentioned on the leaflet) I keep thinking of coming off slowly - then think - if it aint broke - don't fix it....

DD has been on Citalopfram for 11years Various counsellors have told her she will probably have to take it for life If it is a chemical inbalance then this makes sense I try and view it in the same light as the medication I take for my thyroid But the potential side effects do worry me

Later this month us a bit far away - I can only say that when I went off my tiny dose, the plummet in my health and well-being was pretty dramatic.

Thankful everyone for taking the time to reply. I realise I am getting less tolerant and more agitated, so I have a GP appointment booked for later this month. I realise now I may need some help.

Thre is NHS advice on how to come off anti depressants.

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/869.aspx?CategoryID=73&SubCategoryID=104

How should antidepressants be discontinued?

As advised by grannetters this is with the support and advice of your GP.

What is citalopram and what is it used for?

Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant drug commonly used to treat people with major depressive disorder, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. It is more commonly known by its brand name in the UK, Cipramil, and is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Lundbeck.
A variation of citalopram (escitalopram – brand name Cipralex), also made by Lundbeck, was included in the drug safety update. It is used to treat major depressive episodes, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Apparently it can affect the heart rhythm of patients.

www.nhs.uk/news/2012/07July/Pages/antidepressant-citalopram-qt-heart-rhythm-safety-warning.aspx

It would be very reasonable to discuss your concerns with your GP. Good Luck.

I was on Zoloft for over 15 years, I came off it slowly while under the care of my Dr, and I had horrible withdrawal symptoms. After six months of increasingly bad depressive thoughts, I reluctantly had to go back on another medication. I realise that for me, I need this support.

I've been on Citalopram for about 10 years now.
My GP occasionally suggests that I should start trying to come off them, but when I do, I go into a downward spiral every time.
I'm now down to 10mg per day, and am more or less okay at that. Some days are still awful, but they pass, and I really don't want to increase my dose again.
rafichagran
You really must get your Dr to help you, going cold turkey is far too dangerous!

I cannot understand why anyone with Clinical Depression (i.e. a chemical imbalance in the brain) would consider stopping their ADs - a short term course of ADs for Reactive Depression e.g. following a trauma or bereavement)is a different matter and Doctors are right to wean their patients off, under supervision, after a time.

I have been through the on/off process three times as my GP was a 'short term only' devotee and agree that it can be horrendous with horrific nightmares etc. Now I have a different GP who has agreed that I will have low dose Citalopram for the rest of my life with Annual Check-ups. This has allowed me to cope with life - without it I believe I would be long gone.

With the agreement of my GP, I reduced my dose - I took 1 one day and 2 the next for three months and felt all the better for it although it is not without problems, the good outweighs the dodgy. May try one on alternate days after a year. Agree with all the sound advice, see your GP asap and good luck.

For those thinking of coming off anti-depressant her is a useful leaflet published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists...and it looks at several different 'brands' and their reported profiles. Of course, consult with your GP too, but it can help if you go with some reliable information too.

www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/treatmentswellbeing/antidepressants/comingoffantidepressants.aspx?theme=mobile

I am resigned to the idea that coming of my AD (which is a very small dose) is not an option - frankly after what happened last time, I would be terrified to do that. If I have to take it for life, then so be it.

Fluoxetine is very difficult to come off....at least it was for me......I was told to come off it due to low sodium, I had been on them for 6 years ...taken off by Gp's over about two weeks....left with nothing.....because the gps were more worried about the low sodium than my mental state. For two years I have been left depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, the GP gave me a number in case things went that far.......all I have had is talking therapies , which last for about six weeks of counselling. All antidepressants can give low blood sodium.

Agree with all of the above. I've been on fluoxetine for 4 years, a very low dose. My GP said there's no reason why I couldn't take it for the rest of my life - not sure about that, but I'm on it for now. He also said that if I want to come off it, as I'm on the lowest dose, I could try every other day. I'm not ready to do this, yet, but that's how I will do it, if and when. As everyone else has said, you really need to talk to your GP - or maybe a practice nurse. Sometimes they have more time and can phone you to see how you're getting on, without the hassle of sorting an appointment. Good luck. I shall be interested to see how you're getting on.

I have been on and come off many anti depressants over my lifetime,including citalopram.I can only suggest that you visit your GP straight away and not "wait and see" if you get any worse.You need to be monitored with regular visits for the effects on your mental health and to let him/her know so that they have the full picture of your medication.

I came off antidepressants cold turkey about twelve years ago. I was in the middle of an intercontinental move, and thought 'I'm Ok now, I don't ned these any more.' It was unimaginably awful. I had to back onto them, with a new doctor, and then, several months later, I came off by gently reducing the dose under the doc's supervision. I swore never tomtake them again.

i was precribed antidepressants this time last year--but they made me feel worse--plus giving me horrendous nightmares-i would wake up screaming. So I stopped taking them, and turned to natural remedies instead--which worked--at the time !
I know that is not ideal for everyone--it just worked for me--at that time.

Rafichagran You should see a doctor as soon as possible, even if you are feeling well now. No one should come off anti depressants in that way, you could relapse seriously.

You could ask to go on fluoxetine for a few weeks. It's very similar to Citalopram but it has a longer half life and so is easier to get off of.

Or it could just be that you are someone who is better off on anti-ds full time. Like me

rafichagran as I understand it, some people when they come off anti-depressants experience a "rebound" effect of the very symptoms that they were prescribed for in the first place. You need an understanding, informed and supportive GP to help you slowly reduce.

I read an interesting article recently about how anti-depressant medication was never intended to be prescribed long-term (but now that seems to be almost the norm).