Coming off SSRIs after 15 years

[lestahb]

I've been on SSRIs for 15 years. I have been on 300mg of effexor XR for about 90 percent of it, but was also prescribed lithium, wellbutrin, topemax,
syraquil, ativan, clonazapine, zyprexa, risperdal, paxil, prozac and any number of sleeping pills at any given time. I didn't take effexor for about 2 years
i was addicted to meth. i've been clean for 6 years now, and my doctor and i decided to start weaning me from effexor.
I already know that I suffer from brain zaps and vertigo when i miss a dose of effexor, but i was wondering about anyone else's experience with 'discontinuation syndrome'.
Specifically about recurrence of depression. I'm feeling really sad, crying a lot and i'm only down to 225mg. i'm going slowly, declining 37.5mg every two weeks. i would really like to come off this medication but i would like to know if feeling depressed is normal when coming off the meds, or if i should be concerned.
I've read some articles but the side effects of SSRI discontinuation include everything from tremors, to dizziness to depression, but they seem to list everything and I was hoping for some other peoples input.
Thanks.

 

[effie]

Hi lestahb,

Firstly, congratulations on being clean for 6 years!! :D

Unfortunately, discontinuation syndrome is especially common with Effexor, partly due to it's dual mode of action and partly to it's short half-life, making any drops feel a lot more abrupt. I am taking venlafaxine too, and I get brain zaps, low mood, tearfulness and irritibility if I skip a dose, so I suspect that I will get the same when I stop. I don't have any experience in trying to come off it, but what you are experiencing does sound normal, if perhaps a little unusual given the rate of your taper.

I would definitely discuss this next time you see your doctor, it can't be fun to be feeling like that and it sounds like the current plan isn't working! Some doctors will switch you to something with a longer half-life, such as fluoxetine, to ease the symptoms, or perhaps slow down the taper even more..

Another thing to consider is whether you are you definitely at a point in your life where you feel like you are stable and strong enough to cope with coming off the medication. Crying a lot and feeling depressed can be part of the discontinuation syndrome, or it could be a sign that you are not quite ready to stop them yet..

My psychiatrist and I have discussed the possibility of being on venlafaxine forever as I have had so many relapses in the past, and while part of me hates the idea, the other part realises that it is treating an illness effectively, not giving me any side effects (thankfully) and many people have to take medication for life.. and on balance, I would rather not be depressed and on venlafaxine than depressed and off it. However, I understand that you do want to come off it and there may be ways for you to reduce the severity of the discontinuation symptoms - I would have a good chat with your doctor about what your options are

Other things to think about are making sure you are taking care of yourself while tapering off the medication - eating well, getting lots of exercise to get those endorphins pumping, spending time with friends, getting plenty of rest etc. You will feel a lot less able to handle the symptoms if you are run down or under the weather..

Also, do you have good support from a partner, friends or family? It would be great if they understood how you were feeling and helped support you through the tapering period

I know you said you have read a lot of papers, but I found this one particularly useful so thought I may as well post it up in case yourself or others reading this thread are interested

Good luck!

 

[lestahb]

Thanks so much for responding Effie. I continue to question if I am okay and ready to come off of effexor, due to the effects that I am experiencing. But i have been feeling good for quite awhile now, no depressive episodes for four or so years, and it is so hard to tell if the effects that i am feeling are because i am discontinuing effexor, or because i still should be taking it. i do have pretty horrible side effects from it, and that is the major reason why i would like to come off of effexor. i realize that i could try a different medication but it took so long to find a decent enough one, and i swore i would never go back to the psych ward.
it is funny but i don't really have anyone i want to talk to right now. i am feeling ashamed of my depression, even though intellectually i know that i shouldn't. i don't have a significant other, and i don't want to worry other people, and i just don't want to talk about it. i am still functioning ok, like i am cleaning up, doing laundry and cooking. i'm not sleeping too much (which is usually a huge sign for me) and i'm still working. i'm just teary, and sad when i'm alone.
it comes and goes. i am trying to take care of myself with excercise, but that is one of the side effects from effexor (weight gain too), that i am always really tired.
i'm about to read the study you mentioned, and i appreciate your words, because they have focused a little on what i need to be aware of, especially the isolating behaviours.
and thanks for the congrats on being clean, i'm really proud, getting off meth was the hardest thing i have ever done.

 

[effie]

I understand exactly how you feel. I felt ashamed of my depression too. At one point I was signed off work for 2 months with a bad episode before I admitted it to my friends and boyfriend (he was living abroad at the time..)

That's part of the illness, I think - it makes you feel so rubbish about yourself, you feel really pathetic and worthless and that makes you ashamed. There is also some stigma attached to mental illness, which makes it scary telling people.. but there shouldn't be, and it is better than it was, and genuine friends will understand and not judge you! No one should judge you, it's an illness like any other, and it's not like anyone would choose to have depression.. It is hard though, as you say intellectually you know you shouldn't feel that way, but you do. Have you tried CBT? It's really good for challenging negative and false thoughts like that...

I really understand about not wanting to worry people too. This is something I struggle with a lot.. but just think, if one of your friends was suffering, would you want to be there and help them? People mind a lot less than you think they do, especially friends and family - they will just want to help

Isolating yourself really doesn't help You need help and support at the moment - I do think you should consider confiding in a friend or family member how you are feeling. This is a lot to go through on your own! You do have us, of course, but someome to talk to face-to-face can do wonders

I think it sounds like you should have an honest chat with your doctor, explain what you've told us and see what they suggest. It might be that it's not time to come off it, or that trying a different medication may help, or that you should slow down the taper a bit (although it already is fairly slow I guess) - it's a real shame that you do have side effects from the Effexor. Hopefully your doctor will have some suggestions for what to do next, especially if they know you well

And you should be proud of yourself about coming off the meth! That really is fantastic :D

You always have us to talk to if you feel alone, don't hesitate to keep posting. Check out the depression megathread too - there's so much useful info in there

edit: also, there is a leaflet produced by the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists, aimed at changing peope's attitudes towards depression - if you have any friends who you feel don't really understand, perhaps show them this
Here's the link

 

[Missykins]

I must have lost something here in translation, but why are you coming off your meds?

 

[lestahb]

I'm coming off my meds because I thought it was time. I've been without a depressive episode for four years, not even a blip, i'm doing well and i'm sick of the side effects. i've gained so much weight, i'm tired all the time and i want to have kids at some point and more and more research is saying that these meds can harm the fetus. plus, i have no libido, so i don't even want to enter into a relationship. it sounds crazy that i've stayed on effexor this long, but it was the only one that worked, and these are the least side effects and compared to some other drugs, the side effects were tolerable. i went through 3 courses of ECT, and the loss of memory was so bad that i have a year or two that is simply missing. i was in and out of the psych ward for so long, and i didn't want to go back to that, so i endured the side effects. but now everything is okay. i did reach out and spoke with a friend today, and made some time for coffee tomorrow with another friend.
I'm feeling okay today, but yesterday i was really teary.
it's a lot about pride too, why i don't want to tell my family. i worried them for so long, with my depression, and then hospitalization and then my drugs use and finally the financial burden of my recovery in a treatment centre. i've been okay for so long, working and now own my own place, have no debt and i don't want to tell my family that i may be falling again. which i may not even be, it could be the discontinuation symptoms. (why do i keep using the pharmacuticals word, and not withdrawal? hmmm)
i am just unsure if this is normal when coming off of SSRIs or if this is a more serious problem.

 

[effie]

It was about pride for me too. I felt like such a failure and I was very ashamed, for a long time. But there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about, and having depression is not a failure, you know - you had an illness, you've been through treatment. No shame there at all and in fact you are strong because you went through all that and came out the other side

I caused my parents a lot of worry and money too... but that is what families are for. It's not your fault you were ill and I am sure they just wanted to help you, as you would do for them if they were ill too..

In fact you should be extra proud, cos you did all that as well as beating a meth addiction!

It is difficult to say if this is discontinuation or not.. hopefully your doctor can shed some light. Is it mostly that you are tearful and feel low, or are you getting other symptoms too?

 

[Kipo]

An intresting read considering I am on the start of medicating my anxiety/depression. I had no Idea that you could be addicted to an SSRI. Or that it could be this bad. Op, would you consider SSRIs to have helped or hurt more? I am trying to decipher how I want to go about treating my anxiety. Sorry to mini-hijack your thread


EDIT: Sorry about the face earlier. I thought that it was a playful sticking out of the tounge, but after i had posted (i did it off my phone) it wouldnt let me edit my post.

 

[lestahb]

I would say that they helped. I endured the awful side effects because they helped me live. I was unable to lead a productive life when I was depressed. I slept all the time, couldn't finish school or hold down a job, and lost a lot of friends. I was hospitalized often, for a week to two months at a time and I had no hope. Eventually, after a pretty bad meth addiction that was born of the depression (when you are counting screws and grinding your teeth, you don't have time to feel sad, lol), I stabilized on my meds and I have been good for awhile, the side effects still suck so I am attempting to taped off of effexor.
I honestly don't have a great doctor, in that he is really quick with the prescriptions and doesn't have a lot of time for me, but we have discussed this quite a bit. I'm planning on going to a counselor next week as I get it free through work, and maybe I can tell if this is caused by the discontinuation or by renewed depression.
And kipo, check out the links that Effie provided or just google 'ssri discontinuation syndrome.'
Ssri's are not considered addictive because when given free access to them, animals will not seek them out. However, there are withdrawal like symptoms that occur when a patient stops taking them, hence the fancy discontinuation term. Thanks again Effie for making me feel less alone. Today was all right, no tears and it is bed time

 

[Kipo]

Thank you :D (hopefully that is a big smiley face and not some creepy ass clown or something)

I am about to start my SSRI treatment (hopefully I can get some benzo's for the short term). I am really hoping this will work because I can not afford for it not to at this point. I wish you the best of luck lestahb.

 

[effie]

I would say that they helped. I endured the awful side effects because they helped me live. I was unable to lead a productive life when I was depressed. I slept all the time, couldn't finish school or hold down a job, and lost a lot of friends. I was hospitalized often, for a week to two months at a time and I had no hope. Eventually, after a pretty bad meth addiction that was born of the depression (when you are counting screws and grinding your teeth, you don't have time to feel sad, lol), I stabilized on my meds and I have been good for awhile, the side effects still suck so I am attempting to taped off of effexor.
I honestly don't have a great doctor, in that he is really quick with the prescriptions and doesn't have a lot of time for me, but we have discussed this quite a bit. I'm planning on going to a counselor next week as I get it free through work, and maybe I can tell if this is caused by the discontinuation or by renewed depression.
And kipo, check out the links that Effie provided or just google 'ssri discontinuation syndrome.'
Ssri's are not considered addictive because when given free access to them, animals will not seek them out. However, there are withdrawal like symptoms that occur when a patient stops taking them, hence the fancy discontinuation term. Thanks again Effie for making me feel less alone. Today was all right, no tears and it is bed time

You certainly are not alone

I'm really glad you have had a better day today! It's such a cliche but one day at a time really is the only way to do it...

I'm sorry your doctor isn't that great. The counselor idea sounds fantastic though, I think that could really help - really good that you get it free too! Let us know how it goes

Kipo, good luck with your SSRI treatment! There are always worries about side effects and discontinuation syndrome, but not everybody gets them, and it's all about weighing up the risks vs the benefits.. Effexor gave me some nasty side effects but the relief I got from it made it worthwhile, and thankfully they subsided for me. I hope you find a medication that works for you

 

[psytaco]

I cam off zoloft after 8 months of taking it, I was taking 50mg a day. i tapered off over a month.

I suffered from the following symptoms.
Brain zaps which continued for about 2 weeks after taking my final dose. fish oil helped with these.
vertigo
nausea, ginger supplements helped
sweating alot
bad anxiety. i needed small amounts of benzos for a short time.
general feeling of unwellness. kind of similiar to having a cold.
insomnia.

i didnt get depression after tappering and stopping, but it is a very common side effect.

I also got some positives, such as slowly returning sex drive, and increased happiness. zoloft made me emotionally numb.

 

[lestahb]

Thanks for you response psytaco. It's good to hear about another persons journey, even if it is not entirely alike.
I spoke to a good friend yesterday, and confessed my concerns, and I'm feeling good about that. Today was a good day, but it helps that I'm up staying in a fancy hotel in the middle of the mountains, for work.
I also spoke with someone who I know came off effexor about a year ago, and she felt some sadness, but moreso the physical effects. I realize that I'm suffering there too, judging from the lack of sleep I'm getting .
But I'm not totally hopeless right now which is good.
Thanks again for all the responses, everyone views help me find mine these days

 

[cire113]

Hi, I just quit taking lexapro and man ssri wd sucks!!! You basically have to just ignore your thoughts and how you feel for a few weeks and realize it's just temporary drug withdrawal induced insanity .. Atleast my case...

I've quit before.. I tapered all the way down to 1mg of lexapro and took my last dose a few days Ago and man even tapering that low I feel wds!!!

Atleast I can feel again... Last time I quit I only lasted a month cause of how hard life was without my. Bullet proof vest,.. But honestly ive come to the conclusion I would rather feel then not feel....fuck I gotta be honest with myself!! I hate that

Just hang in there it will be worth it


Oh I forgot take omega fish oils everyday for a long ass time!,,

 

[effie]

Thanks for you response psytaco. It's good to hear about another persons journey, even if it is not entirely alike.
I spoke to a good friend yesterday, and confessed my concerns, and I'm feeling good about that. Today was a good day, but it helps that I'm up staying in a fancy hotel in the middle of the mountains, for work.
I also spoke with someone who I know came off effexor about a year ago, and she felt some sadness, but moreso the physical effects. I realize that I'm suffering there too, judging from the lack of sleep I'm getting .
But I'm not totally hopeless right now which is good.
Thanks again for all the responses, everyone views help me find mine these days

I'm really glad you spoke to a friend and that you are feeling a little better. Hope you enjoyed the fancy hotel and the mountains too! How are things going for you now?

 

[lestahb]

I'm really glad you spoke to a friend and that you are feeling a little better. Hope you enjoyed the fancy hotel and the mountains too! How are things going for you now?

I just got home this morning, and the trip was good. I probably wasn't the wisest in my choice to drink like a fish each night, but the whole trip is like a party. Mentally, I'm feeling pretty good. No tears but a little grey. I'm going to chalk that up to my poor decision to drink so much. If anyone ever thinks that computer nerds can't party, well, I beg to differ.

cire113, you mention being able to feel again? How long until the flat emotions left?

I'm supposed to drop another 37.5mg tomorrow, but I think I might wait a week. My doctor told me that I can slow down the process as much as I want, but not to speed it up.