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Thread: Coming off Anti-depressants

  1. #1
    Featured Member Lola Lee's Avatar
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    Coming off Anti-depressants

    I think I'm ready to stop taking my anti-depressant. I've been on 100mg of Zoloft since the birth of my baby 9 months ago. Do I quit cold turkey or taper off? I'm kind of paranoid my appetite will be affected. Has anyone ever gained weight when they've stopped taking them? What's your experience, please?




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    Veteran Member ChloeTheRed's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    TAPER!
    I'm on 100 mg (again), and trying to quit cold turkey a couple years back was obscenely unpleasant. I had vertigo constantly, dizzy spells that made me feel motion sick, complete loss of appetite, nonstop headaches, couldn't concentrate on anything, muscle weakness, slept 14 hours a day. . . .
    Yeah. Not a good thing. Even tapering is a bit tough on the last step down from half a 25 mg tablet to nothing, but it's not nearly so terrible.

    The only major effects of being off it (for me) once I was safely off was a huge rev in my sex drive. If you think you'll have food cravings, well, knowing to expect them is a huge help in keeping them from taking over.

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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    You cant quit cold turkey- very dangeroues!!! MY friend did this by herself and she ended up having a seizure and was in the hospital. Your nerve ending freak out when you quit taking because they are use to the medicaton, You need to taper off and you need to talk to your doctor about how to do it. I have been taking for 5 years and if I miss a dose I get weird head rushes and 'electrical zaps' in my head. Your body gets use to the medicaton and it cant handle not taking it at all- Like I said talk to your doctor about weaning yourself down.

  4. #4
    Darcy Foxx
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    i quit mine cold turkey and i was fine. but i wasnt on them for very long (only 2 months i think) - i was on 100mg efexor and they really messed me up (i was nauseus and really vague and spaced out all the time) so i just stopped taking them one day. but if you've been on them for 9 months i think it'd definitely be best to ease yourself off them.

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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Agreed. Taper!!

    If you come off cold turkey, you could develop all sorts of problems (many mentioned above). Don't mess around with drugs that can cause nightmares (literally!) when you stop them.



    Because there ain't no tits on the radio

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    Featured Member Gemini_Syn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Your seratonin levels will kick the crap out of you if you do not wean yourself from them. I did it once and will never do it again. I was in the hospital for a long time due to a stroke because of not weaning myself from lithium.


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    Senior Member kittensgirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    I have been on Zoloft, and my doctor made it VERY VERY clear that whatever I did I was not to stop taking the tablets suddenly. Decrease your dosage gradually, but you really should discuss this with your doctor, he prescribed it in the first place (I hope) and can give you the best advise and supervision for weaning off safely.

  8. #8
    Tart
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    god yes taper.

    I did cold turkey with paxil and YAH bad move. I heard nosies that weren't there, i couldnt' get out of bed because i began having panic attacks, i had these fucked up zapping feelings going on in my brain ( swear to god. ) and the ringing in my ears. Horrible. Took 2 weeks for the withdrawl to stop.

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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Don't quit cold turkey, anti-despressents mess with your brain (wll duh) and you need to gradually get things back to normal

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    Veteran Member redvelvetrose's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Wow, I'm glad I ran across this forum. I've been on Celexa for about 3-4 months, and I want to get off of it. Guess I'll taper off...

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    Featured Member Lola Lee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Thanks for the info. Guess I should talk to my doc before I make any decisions.




    "Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams...Live the Life You Have Imagined" -- Henry David Thoreau

    "You Will Be Successful in Business and Married Life" -- Fortune Cookie

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    God/dess KamrynAnne's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    lola i was on lexapro as well for about six months and i actually was happier when i stopped cold turkey.. the drug mellowed me out way too much. nothing drastic happened to me.... everyone reacts differently.. im just glad nothing serious happened when i stopped..... i guess i got lucky.....

  13. #13
    Darcy Foxx
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Quote Originally Posted by Tart
    i had these fucked up zapping feelings going on in my brain ( swear to god. )
    that's what kept happening to me while i was taking efexor, it was horrible

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    Veteran Member candie00's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Quote Originally Posted by ChloeTheRed
    TAPER!
    I'm on 100 mg (again), and trying to quit cold turkey a couple years back was obscenely unpleasant. I had vertigo constantly, dizzy spells that made me feel motion sick, complete loss of appetite, nonstop headaches, couldn't concentrate on anything, muscle weakness, slept 14 hours a day. . . .
    Yeah. Not a good thing. Even tapering is a bit tough on the last step down from half a 25 mg tablet to nothing, but it's not nearly so terrible.

    The only major effects of being off it (for me) once I was safely off was a huge rev in my sex drive. If you think you'll have food cravings, well, knowing to expect them is a huge help in keeping them from taking over.
    Same thing happened to Me when I tryed to quit cold truky. Even after the with-drawl synthems (Sp?) were gone I felt more depressed than ever for no reason! My doctor said that could be because I quit cold truky. But I'm not sure if its that or the fact that I can't come off my pills because I am a servear (Sp?) manic depressant. It's probley because I quit cold truky and I've been taking these pills since I was 14!.... If You stop taking You'r pills eather way good luck!

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    Senior Member lilriot_atl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coming off Anti-depressants

    Taper... once your body has had a chance to become dependant on any med aka approx 3 months or so depending on the med you could actually cause more problems than good by stopping abruptly. Zoloft is actually less habit forming that others so you can actually taper quicker than with others.

    I would cut your dosage in half for approx two to three weeks; then half again for the same and continue until not needed. Thats the RN in me talking..... Personally, I would cut to half for about 2 to 3 weeks and evaluate how I was feeling. If I felt ok, I would go to half again for two weeks or maybe even that half every other day. I would keep this up until I phased them out. You need that first two to three weeks, your body and emotions are going to be a little touchy during this time...... keep this in mind so in the first two weeks especially no drastic changes you could actually spiral into a state of depression or "mania" that you are trying to avoid.

    -E

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