Venting No more antidepressants

[phoenixx]

I've decided that, yet again, I'm going to stop taking my antidepressants. I currently take 100mg sertraline daily, I have been for years now. I've randomly stopped taking them a number of times over the years but eventually started back on them again for some reason (probably guilt). The most recent time I stopped was a few months ago, when I was ill and just didn't bother taking them but then I got back to taking them again. The reason I want to stop is because the side effects absolutely suck - nausea, excessive sweating, vivid dreams, decreased libido, numbness, weight gain, dissociation etc. I really could do without all of this. It's really horrible. Even while I'm taking them, I'm still depressed, still want to self harm and I still get suicidal thoughts. The only difference is, I'm less anxious, numb as hell and have to deal with all these awful side effects. It just feels like it turns me into a zombie, I can't even cry. I'm just numb. I know stopping them cold turkey isn't the best, but I've done it in the past and the withdrawals for me aren't as bad as the actual side effects. I'd rather just deal with being depressed and anxious without the side effects and actually be able to have emotions.

Today is day 1 without them. I'm gonna keep track of how I feel over the next coming weeks and maybe even post about it in a few weeks. Let's see how this goes.

 

[facel]

Good luck @phoenixx ! I've been thinking the same too. I'm on Mirtazapine and a known side effect is feeling suicidal. I'm not sure if I can blame the Mirtazapine for those feelings but there's a chance it is contributing. I tried Sertraline before but that just kept me awake all the time, I was completely wired, and fluoxetine did nothing for me.

 

[RN12]

you have to taper really slow. 10%. every 4 weeks. so you dont get withdrawal just sayin

 

[demuic]

Good luck. I quit antidepressants cold turkey, twice. They did absolutely nothing for me and just made me twichy and gain a lot of weight.

There was not anything like withdrawl for me. I didn't feel any different at all. I was not on them for all that long, though. Less than a year in both cases. Since you were on them for years that could be a concern.

Of course, everyone's chemistry is different. Be careful.

 

[grungeCat]

Good luck! I'm on venlafaxine and I think I'll never lay off this... the withdrawal is too painful, it's even more fucked up than opioid withdrawal

 

[Snake of Eden]

I was on mirtazpine and olanzapine for 10 months before quitting cold turkey a month ago. The first 2 weeks were bad with mostly sleepless nights. I feel okay now. I really rather be like this than on them. They didnt do much for me at all other than help regulate sleep.

 

[FuneralCry]

I wish you the best with that. Those side effects do sound awful. It is horrible being trapped in this human body.

 

[phoenixx]

Good luck @phoenixx ! I've been thinking the same too. I'm on Mirtazapine and a known side effect is feeling suicidal. I'm not sure if I can blame the Mirtazapine for those feelings but there's a chance it is contributing. I tried Sertraline before but that just kept me awake all the time, I was completely wired, and fluoxetine did nothing for me.

I wish you the best with that. Those side effects do sound awful. It is horrible being trapped in this human body.

Good luck! I'm on venlafaxine and I think I'll never lay off this... the withdrawal is too painful, it's even more fucked up than opioid withdrawal

Good luck. I quit antidepressants cold turkey, twice. They did absolutely nothing for me and just made me twichy and gain a lot of weight.

There was not anything like withdrawl for me. I didn't feel any different at all. I was not on them for all that long, though. Less than a year in both cases. Since you were on them for years that could be a concern.

Of course, everyone's chemistry is different. Be careful.

Thanks all! I'm currently on day 3 without sertraline, so far I feel ok. I'm not dealing with any withdrawals right now although from past experience, I expect to have them within the next week. When I have stopped taking them cold turkey in the past, the withdrawals have been quite bad to the point where I have attempted suicide after only a week without them (I don't know if it was because I hadn't had my meds or if it was just a coincidence since I was doing really bad already at those times). I feel mentally okay than I did back then so I think I will be able handle the withdrawals just fine and I don't think I'll get to the point of attempting suicide again any time soon. Since withdrawals can last a few weeks, I'll just keep strong until they go. I just want to finally be free from sertraline and no longer have to deal with the side effects. I just want to feel human again.

 

[44nutz1977]

Thanks all! I'm currently on day 3 without sertraline, so far I feel ok. I'm not dealing with any withdrawals right now although from past experience, I expect to have them within the next week. When I have stopped taking them cold turkey in the past, the withdrawals have been quite bad to the point where I have attempted suicide after only a week without them (I don't know if it was because I hadn't had my meds or if it was just a coincidence since I was doing really bad already at those times). I feel mentally okay than I did back then so I think I will be able handle the withdrawals just fine and I don't think I'll get to the point of attempting suicide again any time soon. Since withdrawals can last a few weeks, I'll just keep strong until they go. I just want to finally be free from sertraline and no longer have to deal with the side effects. I just want to feel human again.

I take venlafaxine. I now take a tiny amount. Half a 75mg tab in the morning.

About 5 years ago (I get seriously ill at Winter/Christmas) my doctor put me on 225mg, then 300mg of Venlafaxine.
The side effects were REAL. Real fucked up. The sweating was the worst. The back of my shirt would be covered in sweat. The lucid nightmares intense. I already have lucid dreaming but this was another frightening level of intense.

It took me a over a month to realise the side effects were caused by the drug. I was taking too much. It's hard to figure out what is a side effect when you are so depressed physically all kind and shit is happening.

That was my GPs fault.
I see anti depressants as a Russian roulette with pharma. All they are doing is fucking around with your serotonin levels. All of them. No matter what they are called.

These anti depressants are just mini MDMA/ecstasy tablets. Boosting serotonin.

You gotta weigh it up.
Are the side effects worth it?

I have no idea why you would want to cold turkey from any pill tho. Half for a week. Then third for a week. Then try cold. But why go through intense withdrawl? You don't need to.

 

[Fish Face]

I have had to take myself off them very carefully twice, carving them up into quarters with a craft knife, diairising each different step, ignoring doctor's advice (who denied every effect) and anticipating a step down each time. Nobody can tell you what your body says, but you have to do it at a degree that you can cope with. But getting off antidepressants is really, really hard and nobody wants to know. I would say to anybody who wants to take antidepressants to lie to doctors. Just take it slower at the beginning than what they suggest. Always have spares ahead at your prescription. I am not saying that they cannot be valuable to a lot of people but, no matter what the doctors sat, they are very addictive and there is absolutely no point in talking to them about it.

 

[Naufrago]

I took sertraline and venlafaxine for 15 years. I'm tired of the side effects described above, and feeling artificial, not being myself. I'm 53 years old. I tried, but I can't take the dependency anymore.

 

[phoenixx]

I take venlafaxine. I now take a tiny amount. Half a 75mg tab in the morning.

About 5 years ago (I get seriously ill at Winter/Christmas) my doctor put me on 225mg, then 300mg of Venlafaxine.
The side effects were REAL. Real fucked up. The sweating was the worst. The back of my shirt would be covered in sweat. The lucid nightmares intense. I already have lucid dreaming but this was another frightening level of intense.

It took me a over a month to realise the side effects were caused by the drug. I was taking too much. It's hard to figure out what is a side effect when you are so depressed physically all kind and shit is happening.

That was my GPs fault.
I see anti depressants as a Russian roulette with pharma. All they are doing is fucking around with your serotonin levels. All of them. No matter what they are called.

These anti depressants are just mini MDMA/ecstasy tablets. Boosting serotonin.

You gotta weigh it up.
Are the side effects worth it?

I have no idea why you would want to cold turkey from any pill tho. Half for a week. Then third for a week. Then try cold. But why go through intense withdrawl? You don't need to.

I agree with you. The side effects suck and it took me a while to realise it was because of them and they were messing with my head.

Going cold turkey was my plan at the beginning but then I realised it was a bad idea to do that, especially since I've been on them a while. So I've been taking just half every other day. It seems to be working ok like that so far. I'll lower the dose again in a few weeks. Hopefully by the end of the year or the beginning of next year I will be completely off the sertraline.

I also realised that I've become pretty addicted to codeine. I can barley handle a week without them. I have some supply right now so hopefully I won't have to deal with any withdrawals for a while. But eventually, I'm gonna have to think about weening myself off them (once I'm done with sertraline). I can't deal with being addicted to these pills anymore.

I took sertraline and venlafaxine for 15 years. I'm tired of the side effects described above, and feeling artificial, not being myself. I'm 53 years old. I tried, but I can't take the dependency anymore.

I'm sorry you're dealing with the side effects too. I don't want to be dependent on them either, especially not for the rest of my life (however long I'll be alive)

I have had to take myself off them very carefully twice, carving them up into quarters with a craft knife, diairising each different step, ignoring doctor's advice (who denied every effect) and anticipating a step down each time. Nobody can tell you what your body says, but you have to do it at a degree that you can cope with. But getting off antidepressants is really, really hard and nobody wants to know. I would say to anybody who wants to take antidepressants to lie to doctors. Just take it slower at the beginning than what they suggest. Always have spares ahead at your prescription. I am not saying that they cannot be valuable to a lot of people but, no matter what the doctors sat, they are very addictive and there is absolutely no point in talking to them about it.

Yeah, exactly. It is hard, very hard. I haven't even seen my doctor since I started taken them (around 6 or 7 years ago). No follow up or anything. If I went back and told them I want to stop taking them, I know that the answer would probably be no and I'll have to continue taking them. So I'll just have to get off them myself. I've been taking half of my dose every other day, seems to be doing ok so far. I'll eventually lower that and then hopefully be completely off them by the end of the year or the beginning of the year