Aside from getting rid of the side effects, can anyone speak to the benefits of going off meds (an SSRI and Wellbutrin in this case) ?
I've never felt suicidal, so that doesn't really effect me. What if I've mangled my receptors by being on for 8 years and can't get back to normal?
I will need something to keep me going when I start getting anxious if I decide to go off.
I'm interested especially in studies, but personal experience would be fine too.
~Mermaid
How to decide whether\when to go off ?
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by Mermaid » Fri Jul 09, 2004 6:49 pm
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by tasha » Sat Jul 10, 2004 6:36 pm
Hi Mermaid,
Juno, Ruth and myself have all gone off of SSRIs. In fact, if you read through the recent posts, as well as the one on 'coming off serzone' you will find all out stories and i just posted an article on rebalancing neurotransmitters in the brain after SSRI dependancy and withdrawal. I was on Antidepressants for 8 years and recently weaned off of serzone and wellbutrin 15 days ago. I also worry about mangling my brain receptors so to speak but after a lot of research, which I continue to do, I believe that there is nothing the right supplements and time itself can't heal. If you want to go off I also recommend you work with a nutritionist and a naturopath. The latter for a slow liver detox and the former, or in my case i am conducting my own research, to determine how you can balance your brain chemicals as quickly as possible. Have you read The Learning Path as well as their case study? I personally feel that antidepressants don't work in the long term and the medical community is notorious for sticking someone on these pills and leaving them on them indefinately. There are long term side effects of any medication, from antidepressants to birth control pills. The recovery period is lengthy, but I know I didn't want to spend another 8 years on these poisons because to tell you the truth i didn't feel that they really worked for me. Who says you are depressed when a side effect of antideprssants is depression itself? What made you depressed 8 years ago isn't necessarily affecting you today? If you read Juno's story you will see that she feels better now off of these pills than she ever did on them. Nothing is permanent with the body. People have been told they will never walk again and have proved all of science wrong. The body is amazing thing and will restore itself to homeostatis in time. It's main goal is to be balanced and to survive and that involved having everything working perfectly. Please read The Learning Path, it will clear up quite a bit. And ask yourself, how is your quality of life now? If it is great, than by all means the antidepressants have worked for you. But my friend if it is not, than you have all the support you need here to get off.
My brother asked me recently, what happens if you go back into a depression when you are off these antidepressants. I told him, well, I have tried 8 years on antidepressants. They never seemed to work or stop me from feeling depressed, so what do I have to lose? That was the easiest way to explain it to him, however it's much more complicated than that. You have to believe.
Tash
Juno, Ruth and myself have all gone off of SSRIs. In fact, if you read through the recent posts, as well as the one on 'coming off serzone' you will find all out stories and i just posted an article on rebalancing neurotransmitters in the brain after SSRI dependancy and withdrawal. I was on Antidepressants for 8 years and recently weaned off of serzone and wellbutrin 15 days ago. I also worry about mangling my brain receptors so to speak but after a lot of research, which I continue to do, I believe that there is nothing the right supplements and time itself can't heal. If you want to go off I also recommend you work with a nutritionist and a naturopath. The latter for a slow liver detox and the former, or in my case i am conducting my own research, to determine how you can balance your brain chemicals as quickly as possible. Have you read The Learning Path as well as their case study? I personally feel that antidepressants don't work in the long term and the medical community is notorious for sticking someone on these pills and leaving them on them indefinately. There are long term side effects of any medication, from antidepressants to birth control pills. The recovery period is lengthy, but I know I didn't want to spend another 8 years on these poisons because to tell you the truth i didn't feel that they really worked for me. Who says you are depressed when a side effect of antideprssants is depression itself? What made you depressed 8 years ago isn't necessarily affecting you today? If you read Juno's story you will see that she feels better now off of these pills than she ever did on them. Nothing is permanent with the body. People have been told they will never walk again and have proved all of science wrong. The body is amazing thing and will restore itself to homeostatis in time. It's main goal is to be balanced and to survive and that involved having everything working perfectly. Please read The Learning Path, it will clear up quite a bit. And ask yourself, how is your quality of life now? If it is great, than by all means the antidepressants have worked for you. But my friend if it is not, than you have all the support you need here to get off.
My brother asked me recently, what happens if you go back into a depression when you are off these antidepressants. I told him, well, I have tried 8 years on antidepressants. They never seemed to work or stop me from feeling depressed, so what do I have to lose? That was the easiest way to explain it to him, however it's much more complicated than that. You have to believe.
Tash
by Mermaid » Sun Jul 11, 2004 2:16 am
Tasha,
Thanks for writing. Yes, I have eagerly read many of the posts by Juno, yourself and Ruth. Maybe I need to go back and review.
Antidepressants have helped me a lot -- perhaps that is why I am looking for the pluses on the other side of the withdrawal symptoms.
Although lately I've been having 2 problems that *may be* side effects. 1 - sexual problems. 2- I'm also considering that my difficulty in keeping weight off could be attributed to the meds, I know it is in some people. But it is difficult to say since I've not been exercising on a regular basis.
If I exercise and eat very strictly I can lose weight. When I went off meds last year, I had already started running almost 3 miles 2/x week and the weight came off very easily.
I lost my support system for exercise along with my boyfriend, went back on meds, stopped exercising, and gained the weight back.
I went back on because I became very anxious and my therapist encouraged me to go back on. She told me about medical problems people with untreated depression have (heart problems, other stuff related to stress), and that if I started going downhill it is hard to get back to feeling good again.
Finding an appropriate nutritionist is a really good idea.
~Mermaid
Thanks for writing. Yes, I have eagerly read many of the posts by Juno, yourself and Ruth. Maybe I need to go back and review.
Antidepressants have helped me a lot -- perhaps that is why I am looking for the pluses on the other side of the withdrawal symptoms.
Although lately I've been having 2 problems that *may be* side effects. 1 - sexual problems. 2- I'm also considering that my difficulty in keeping weight off could be attributed to the meds, I know it is in some people. But it is difficult to say since I've not been exercising on a regular basis.
If I exercise and eat very strictly I can lose weight. When I went off meds last year, I had already started running almost 3 miles 2/x week and the weight came off very easily.
I lost my support system for exercise along with my boyfriend, went back on meds, stopped exercising, and gained the weight back.
I went back on because I became very anxious and my therapist encouraged me to go back on. She told me about medical problems people with untreated depression have (heart problems, other stuff related to stress), and that if I started going downhill it is hard to get back to feeling good again.
Finding an appropriate nutritionist is a really good idea.
~Mermaid
- Mermaid
- MVP
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2004 3:17 pm
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by tasha » Sun Jul 11, 2004 3:02 am
Mermaid,
My boyfriend has competed in bodybuilding a number of times and he always told me that before he walked on stage he did everything he could to stack the odds in his favour - his training, diet and water manipulation had to be bang on. He would never walk on stage if he didn't feel like he could win the thing. I apply that to my life as well. Go to a nutritionist and start a diet plan that uses supplements to support mental health (B vitamins, amino acids etc). Start an exercise regime that does the same. I believe you can lose weight and get in shape regardless of the antidepressants. Then, when time has passed and you feel you are in good health, re-evaluate your option to go off the drugs. In this case if you don't really want it, you may not be successfull at it, so you have to wait until you are at a stage when you REALLY WANT to go off -- especially because the withdrawal is lengthy and challenging in and of itself.
Hope that helps
T
My boyfriend has competed in bodybuilding a number of times and he always told me that before he walked on stage he did everything he could to stack the odds in his favour - his training, diet and water manipulation had to be bang on. He would never walk on stage if he didn't feel like he could win the thing. I apply that to my life as well. Go to a nutritionist and start a diet plan that uses supplements to support mental health (B vitamins, amino acids etc). Start an exercise regime that does the same. I believe you can lose weight and get in shape regardless of the antidepressants. Then, when time has passed and you feel you are in good health, re-evaluate your option to go off the drugs. In this case if you don't really want it, you may not be successfull at it, so you have to wait until you are at a stage when you REALLY WANT to go off -- especially because the withdrawal is lengthy and challenging in and of itself.
Hope that helps
T
4 posts
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