Discussion Stopping my medication

[AJ95]

Going to stop taking my meds since I'm ctb in a month, maybe that'll make a difference?

Currently on 40mg lexapro, 200mg lamictal, going to stop them both cold turkey and see what happens.

 

[VIBRITANNIA]

what's your method? what differences do you think stopping your medication will make?

 

[AJ95]

what's your method? what differences do you think stopping your medication will make?

SN, it won't make any difference to my method, I just want to feel like a human being again before I die

 

[SHThrowAway213]

I stopped all of my medication a few weeks ago to help prepare.
My method is jumping, and I'm hoping my hallucinations will encourage me.

 

[AJ95]

Day 2: Dizzy and a bit nauseous, almost feels like I have really low blood pressure, getting weird vision flashes / ear ringing. Maybe slightly more emotional too? Cried a lot today.

 

[Wisdom3_1-9]

I hope you will be okay. Cold turkey is very risky when it comes to SSRIs. The withdrawal effects can be both physically and mentally painful.

 

[AJ95]

Day 3: More low blood pressure sort of feelings like day 2. Dizzy as well, and have an extremely bad headache. Wondering if maybe this was a mistake because I've spent the entire day feeling completely dissociated and somehow even less like a human being.

 

[Aap]

You are going through Ssri withdrawl.

 

[Mr2005]

Oh it'll make a difference alright. I haven't taken them getting on for two months probably. I've never wanted to kill myself more.

 

[Ghost2211]

If I were you I would get back on the meds. Your symptoms will go away nearly instantly, but if you continue the cold turkey they will get worse. I can understand wanting to feel normal again, but cold turkeying those meds will make you feel like hell. If you want to stop them taper down slowly.

 

[Wisdom3_1-9]

Day 3: More low blood pressure sort of feelings like day 2. Dizzy as well, and have an extremely bad headache. Wondering if maybe this was a mistake because I've spent the entire day feeling completely dissociated and somehow even less like a human being.

I really think you should go back on. I'm really worried about you. Believe me, I totally understand wanting to get off the meds. I've tried this myself and it was not pleasant. Slowly weaning yourself off SSRIs is really the best option. Consulting with your doctor is even better. This is the real issue with those meds. Once you start, you can't stop.

 

[AJ95]

I really think you should go back on. I'm really worried about you. Believe me, I totally understand wanting to get off the meds. I've tried this myself and it was not pleasant. Slowly weaning yourself off SSRIs is really the best option. Consulting with your doctor is even better. This is the real issue with those meds. Once you start, you can't stop.

If I were you I would get back on the meds. Your symptoms will go away nearly instantly, but if you continue the cold turkey they will get worse. I can understand wanting to feel normal again, but cold turkeying those meds will make you feel like hell. If you want to stop them taper down slowly.

I just took 20mg of Lexapro so hopefully that helps :( I feel like a loser though for not being able to just quit them outright but my head literally feels like it's going to explode

 

[Wisdom3_1-9]

I just took 20mg of Lexapro so hopefully that helps :( I feel like a loser though for not being able to just quit them outright but my head literally feels like it's going to explode

I don't think you should feel like a loser. Those things are horrible on your system. I've been on them for years and my doctor always has to keep tweaking my prescription. They really mess with you. There's no shame in not being able to quit them. You're not meant to. Chat with your doctor about a plan to wean off of them.

 

[ThrownAwayTom]

I'd love to do the same just to get back to my old self. Even one day without my SSRIs gives me the worst ringing ears, which spike when i move my eyes left to right.

Maybe tapering is the way to go but it's a slow and difficult process :(

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

Going to stop taking my meds since I'm ctb in a month, maybe that'll make a difference?

Currently on 40mg lexapro, 200mg lamictal, going to stop them both cold turkey and see what happens.

PLEASE don't go cold turkey. It's a rough way to do it.

Have a visit to the Icarus Project. They publish the Harm reduction guide to coming off psychiatric drugs. You can download it from the site at no charge. These people dedicate themselves empowering people with a mental illness or taking psych drugs. They have done all the research and it can really help you get off with as little side effects as possible.

 

[Sinkinshyp]

I just took 20mg of Lexapro so hopefully that helps :( I feel like a loser though for not being able to just quit them outright but my head literally feels like it's going to explode

I'm glad you took some. Cold turkey withdrawl can cause a lot of issues. You aren't a looser. These meds adjust chemicals within our brains and when you stop them it has detrimental affects

 

[Misfit72]

I came off them over four years ago, having been put back on them after the police made me go to hospital - I've felt bad since, but that was the whole point. It's a question of when I go, and how, but I haven't decided how.

 

[Yolonoodle]

Cold turkey is a bad idea

 

[Ghost2211]

I just took 20mg of Lexapro so hopefully that helps :( I feel like a loser though for not being able to just quit them outright but my head literally feels like it's going to explode

It's not any shortcoming of yours that you can't just stop them. They really disrupt your body's chemistry, and it takes a long time for it to rebalance itself. Stopping too fast shocks your system, and your body can't regulate fast enough so you get symptoms. I hope you're feeling better soon. If the meds are pills you can use a pill cutter to reduce the dose. If they are capsules then I wish you luck convincing a doctor you want to stop them for healthy reasons.

 

[Wisdom3_1-9]

I've had a horribly rough day with terrible, impulsive thoughts in my head. I just went out driving on a rather ill-advised mission and, in the course, realized that I hadn't taken my meds today or yesterday. Two days, and I was already having significant emotional side effects. They're a curse, on them or off.

 

[AJ95]

PLEASE don't go cold turkey. It's a rough way to do it.

Have a visit to the Icarus Project. They publish the Harm reduction guide to coming off psychiatric drugs. You can download it from the site at no charge. These people dedicate themselves empowering people with a mental illness or taking psych drugs. They have done all the research and it can really help you get off with as little side effects as possible.

Thank you! I'll go have a look now