Want to get off

thank you so so much for this explanation.

this is my first time on AD so had no idea how i was supposed to feel. All i know is ive felt drugged and out of it for 5 months on 7.5 mg to the point that my family has to drive me everywhere. I am now in a better headspace and realize thats not how i should be feeling. I have an appt with my psychiatrist on monday and going to run this by him.

i am planning on reducing slowly and staying there for 4-6 weeks maybe even longer if needed. ive felt like a zombie for 5 months i can handle a few more months.

i believe my anxiety is hormonal because thats the only time it gets bad. ive started incorporating vitamins back in to help balance out.

i want to ask my doctor about l-theanine and ashwaghanda .

i took supplements with both of these in it when i came off birth control because it caused me depression. i noticed my depression lifted and mood stabilized so i am hoping to incorporate this. ive also been practicing accepting, breathwork, and mindfullness.

i hope you succesfully come off, this is a horrible illness but glad there is a way out.

If you take a drug and it makes you feel worse,then why take it? Antidepressants can make you much worse in the beginning. By raising Serotonin, that can cause heightened anxiety for several months,but it usually calms down and you feel better after that time,though the heightened anxiety is another reason antidepressants are not suitable for anxiety. Also,increasing a brain neurotransmitter like Serotonin when there is no need to,can cause more problems than you had in the beginning as it depletes other neurotransmitter chemicals,causing symptoms like depression, emotional blunting,feeling like a zombie.

I suffer from social anxiety, and wised up when reading findings from a Swedish university that said Social anxiety they found, can be caused by too much Serotonin! That's after taking antidepressants which raise Serotonin for Social anxiety for 30 years. They have also admitted after years of study that a lack of Serotonin or a chemical imbalance is not the cause of depression,only a symptom. That's when I said enough is enough.We have to be very cautious about taking drugs that can potentially upset the very delicate chemical balances in our brains and bodies. That includes drugs like antibiotics,birth control,anything. And that includes supplements and herbal supplements which I have taken all of them over the years including ashwahganda,5-htp,Valerian,L-theanine,L- tyrosine,etc etc. Doctors won't engage with herbal supplements, that's not their job,only psychoactive pharmaceutical drugs they know about and prescribe,and will probably offer you an alternative antidepressant.

I now believe in identifying and cutting out the things that are causing stress,confronting our fears in small steps while using acceptance, mindfulness,breathing, exercise as you said,but more importantly than that, using neuroplasticity to rewire our brains. Concentrate your brain on positive,enjoyable hobbies and activities that divert your mind. Especially learning a subject or musical instrument as good examples. I have turned my mind to concentrating my mind back to learning guitar this past 6 months and occupying my mind away from negative thoughts,restoring self esteem and confidence. Research yourself and get yourself back to positive mental health without drugs that cause side effects. Good luck.

wow, we truly have to do our own research and do the work.

I took antibiotics back in january for strep and my body didnt feel right for months, the in april is when i had an anxiety attack and it totally through my nervous system off track.

i finally found a psychiatrist who is also a DO so he also takes a holistic approach.

ive also been learning about neuroplasticity. i started doing tapping (eft) and find it helps as well. Our minds are so strong and i am learning it will do what it needs to do to protect itself. I can only support it by doing things i enjoy and keeping the worry down. i wish i would have known the acceptance method back when the anxiety started.

best of luck to you. I am feeling good about this. Especially hearing it from you, someone who has tried different things for 30 years and is now approaching it this way.

It is known that some antibiotics can cause some low mood,and when I was given antibiotics by a dentist for an abscess one time, it improved my mental health for a while. That's why we have to be careful with what we put in our bodies, and that includes food as well. I have also cut out out all processed foodstuffs and try to eat fresh vegetables and fruits as much as possible. Depression and anxiety are very complex conditions and current antidepressants are not the answer. Much more research is being carried out on other substances like Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and ingredients in cough medication that can better treat depression than SSRI'S. Check out Dr.Tracey Marks's videos on YouTube for lots of information. I

I will forsure check it out.

I know many people who microdose mushroom and say great things about it.

I agree on being mindful of what we put in our bodies.

Thats why i didnt go to the Dr for my anxiety until it all came crashing down. Not sure if i had a nervous breakdown or what, my body just never Got out of the flight response and i could no longer think straight.

If i knew then what i know now i probably wouldnt have gotten on AD.

I had a 2nd breakdown 3 years ago while taking 5-htp. 5-htp converts directly to Serotonin,which proves that raising Serotonin is not the answer. In fact, they don't really know how antidepressants work exactly. I went straight to the doctor and immediately went on 10mg Citalopram as well as the 5-htp which I shouldn't have. Was then suicidal every day for months and quit my job. That's antidepressants and Serotonin for you.

As far as I'm concerned, being brainwashed into thinking Serotonin is the answer and taking antidepressants caused me to lose my job. When you're at your worst with anxiety and stress, antidepressants make you worse. I can only think that being brainwashed by doctors and pharmaceutical companies pushing Serotonin as the answer,has kept me looking towards drugs as the answer for 30 years. I have taken everything,and it's not.

Now I am experiencing terrible drug withdrawal for the umpteenth time,another reason not to take antidepressants. More stress. This time is different, I know that antidepressants are not the answer and I concentrate my mind on what does cure anxiety and depression,and that's ridding myself of stress or coping with it better,and confronting fears.

horrible horrible horrible.

I can agree with you in feeling worse than when you start. I like you was in such a bad place. I couldnt even think straight, i thought i was going crazy.

although i can think rationally now, the side effects of feeling out of it, dizzy and dissociated have been giving me anxiety since the beginning. Thats when i realized i have to come off.

I know im not recovered but i also cant be a zombie and i refuse to get on another AD.

how long are you giving each dose as you go down?

also, im wondering if you know the answer.

can i take ashwaghanda and l theanine while on cit? especially if im weeking off?

Each antidepressant has its own half life,the time it takes to leave your system. Fluvoxamine is very short at around 17-20 hours. Citalopram is 35 hours.

It takes around a week for Fluvoxamine after reducing to leave my system. It would probably take at least 8 days for Citalopram to leave yours. Everyone's experience is different on antidepressants,that includes coming off. I experience withdrawal in the first week,becoming much worse in the second week,then after 3 weeks I feel the start up symptoms of the drug trying to establish itself again,so then I reduce again. I reduced from 100mg to 75,50,25 now 12.5mg because it's worse at lower dosages. I'm assuming you reduced from 10mg to 7.5mg already because 10mg is minimal dose.

If you've only been on Citalopram for 5 months it shouldn't be so bad,as the longer you take a drug and your brain becomes dependent on it the harder withdrawal can be. Most people are on antidepressants for at least a year and a lot can be on them for many years,7,10,12,14 years whatever. You may not experience any withdrawal,it might be minimal or it might be awful. You won't know till you do it. Some psychiatrists recommend a liquid form of the drug so you can reduce by tiny amounts like 1mg at a time. I never have.

I wouldn't recommend taking any herbal supplements while on Citalopram,though I do take Magnesium L Threonate,1 capsule a day and I think it helps but who knows. I'm not going to stop to find out. Once you start reducing there's no going back because that will only make things worse,so be resolute and determined whatever happens. Worse anxiety and depression can also be part of withdrawal,or rollercoaster emotions,crying or even feeling euphoria and happy for a while so don't be put off. It's just the brain readjusting again.

i never got to 10 actually, my body couldnt handle it.

i stayed at 7.5 for 5 month and the out of it, and dizzy feeling never left. literally havent driven in 5 months because i cant, my brain isnt there. i chipped a corner off this week. I was too nervous to go straight down to 5.

i wasnt sure if 2.5 would be too much off because im at a lower dose.

ive started taking vitaming b, c a probiotic and omega. i just got magnesium glycinate.

heard that was good.

im trying to do whatever i can supplement wise to support my hormones.

now im wondering if i should just go down to 5.

i was planning on chipping the corner for 3 weeks and see how it goes then go to 5.

When you are prescribed 10mg you should really take the 10mg to start as that is the minimum dose,before going to 20mg shortly afterwards. That is the normal procedure. Seeing as you didn't even take 10mg and not for very long, it shouldn't be so bad to reduce. So I would go to 5mg firstly. Sometimes I think the longer you take on reducing tiny amounts, you just prolong the agony and make it worse. If going to 5mg is too tough,you can ask for a solution to reduce the rest by 1mg at a time very slowly. Good luck.

thanks Ian.

spoke to my psychiatrist and he wanted to be more agressive and go down to 5 then down to nothing.

I told him i would prefer to go much slower. i know i am not recovered and dont want to shake up my nervous system with stress.

plus my hormones tend to go wild a week before my menstrual cycle begins.

He also prescribed me klonopin just in case. hopefully I dont have to use it.

im going to go down to 5 in 2 weeks and see if i dont feel like a zombie on 5. if so i might just hang out there til winter is over.

we shall see.

I hope you continue with the positive mindset as you get through the lower dosages Ian.

Hi Jazmin,I personally would drop to 5mg for 3-4 weeks,then 2.5mg for another 3-4 weeks then off. Because antidepressants take so long to settle and work on any given dosage it's not worth waiting, and 5mg is not anywhere near a therapeutic dose. Once you are off completely at least you know where you are with your condition. That's how I see it with these medications. I personally won't take any benzodiazapines either. If something makes me feel better I naturally want to take it all the time,so I don't go down that road.

Whatever you do,still concentrate on other methods of improvement,manage stress levels and confront fears head on with acceptance. Easy said,but very hard to carry out,I know. Whatever you do,hope it works out for you. If you need advice or support,message me anytime. Take care.

I see, so its pointless to stay on 5.

once off does the heightened anxiety from the med go away?

ive lost 25 pounds and my appetite is still not back so im concerned about that too.

i heard people say they are left worse than when they start, so that makes me a bit nervous.

5mg is totally insignificant. 10mg is not enough usually, and 20mg is given as the minimum therapeutic dosage for depression.

Seeing as you have never even been on any significant dosage and for a very short time, you shouldn't have a problem. People who have been taking high doses for several years are more likely to have problems after discontinuing. Also, everyone is different so never listen to someone else's experience as you could have a completely different one.

I have stopped my antidepressant completely today, and I will do everything I can not to return to pharmaceuticals. It takes a good while for your body and mind to adjust back to a normal state after discontinuing, but it will. Having bouts of anxiety and/or depression is part of that adjustment.

totally insignificant but the hardest to get off?

day 10 and im feeling pretty out of it today, delirious and just not here.

should withdrawing be so bad that im non functional?

Hi jazmin. I mean 5mg is insignificant as a dose to make you improve,but still very difficult to withdraw off.

Even reducing to 12.5mg was harder withdrawal than coming down from 100mg for me,and I stopped completely last week and am expecting more soon.

Altering dosages,wether up or down,causes lots of problems and is not advisable. That's why once you decide to take antidepressants like Citalopram you should take the 10mg straight away,then increase usually quite soon after to 20mg and stay there. If you decide like we have to come off,then you should persist with the withdrawal until you are off completely or you decide with your doctor to switch to another antidepressant.

Because the mind and body crave consistency,when you make a decision what to do,you have to follow it through. That's either taking the minimum doages given of an antidepressant,or continuing slowly with withdrawal. Whatever we do is very painful either way. Consider Zinc supplementation or I feel Magnesium L Threonate which I have been taking while reducing has helped greatly.

i am totally feeling withdrawal with only going down about 1 mg.

my anxiety is high and body is internally shaking.

i couldnt handle the 10 mg dose. 7.5 spaced me out and made me a zombie, thats why im trying to come down to 5.

im not recovered and my nervous system is very sensitve still.

would it be wise to try another ad until my nervous system recovers? or should i just stay on 5. i cannot afford to shake my nervous system any further.

Hi,If you take another antidepressant,the same will happen as they all basically do the same thing and that is raise Serotonin levels.

You must be ultra sensitive to these medications and if you're having as much trouble reducing as increasing low amounts ,then maybe you should take it really slow. Either ask for a solution or crush the tablet using a micro scales yourself to measure out tiny amounts to reduce and go very slow. I don't have the patience for that personally,and I take whatever comes. As I said I would go to 5mg,then 2.5mg then off,but that's me. it's really tough and horrible whatever you do. Take care.

yea, its been rough. yesterday was the worst so far, crying, depression, high anxiety, trembling inside and no appetite. im definitely going to take it slow and will be doing liquid.

with the drop i dont feel as out of it as i did on 7.5

i was hoping to do another drop after 3 weeks but i think im just gonna stay put until some of these wd symptoms subside.

im desperate to get to 5.

when going through withdrawal do you find that you are non functional? or are tou still able to go to work and get in with life?

I've been on and off these medications for over 30 years. Countless times I've had the anxiety of starting and withdrawal while continuing to go to work over that time. 3 years ago I finally had enough and quit my job. Since then I realised I have developed a dependency to these type of medications and was never able to go without them after withdrawal, as depression/anxiety are symptoms of withdrawal, and also when you stop taking them the depression/anxiety can come back worse than your original condition before taking them. Doctors mistake this worsening as a return to your original state and reinstate the antidepressants,hence the cycle of antidepressants as I call it. If I was working with the type of withdrawal I have experienced in the last 3 months coming off Fluvoxamine,I don't think I would have been able to work.

Antidepressants are not the answer or the cure of anxiety,I am living proof of that. Be determined and concentrate on therapy and techniques to rid yourself of anxiety.

i went on these for anxiety and i am now experiencing depression.

does this mean when i come off i may end up with depression?

ive been practicing the acceptance method with anxiety along with breathwork and literally just getting on with it. i think the feeling out of it is worse than the actual anxiety i began with. thats why im motivated to at least cut down to 5. luckily im self employed and ive been very transparent with my clients about whats going on and they are understanding.

proud of you for making the courageous decision to get off and stay off.

Hi,increased anxiety and depression can be part of withdrawal along with other physical symptoms. Try not to make it worse by worrying,it is normal for lots of people. Accept it as part of coming off the drug.

Even after stopping completely,the drug will still be in your system for a short time,and your brain and body will have to take time to adjust to not having it. That's the period I am at now,7 days after stopping the drug has just left my body completely,but I will still have problems for a good while I imagine. I am hoping things will resolve sooner rather than taking ages, with no serious relapse of depression and anxiety.

You've done the best thing by being open and talking about it. Trying to hide it just brings more stress which is the cause of anxiety. Be positive and think about how the spaced out feelings and other things will go after you have it out of your system.

Think positive about not taking a powerful drug and putting it in your brain and changing your whole body. Rather than taking a powerful drug,have a holistic approach to your condition. That's my attitude now after I realised after all these years that Serotonin is only a symptom of stress and fear,not the cause of my anxiety and depression. Take care.

absolutely having a holistic approach to this.

i wish i would have known about the acceptance method before things got bad and over the weekend became housebound without eating or sleeeping.

im going to see how things level out after this week. i am due for my monthly at the end of the week and have a feeling that might be making my symptoms or anxiety and depression worse this week. Either that or because its week 2 since my drop.

trying to just be gentle with my self.

glad to have found someone with the same mindset. I wish you all the best Ian. Thank you so much for all your knowledge and encouragement. Im sure you understand how much that does for someone in this hell hole. I hope to keep in touch with you as we go through this process (if thats ok with you) . take care of yourself and God bless you!