I just want to come off them anyone agree [Archive]

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cathycrumble

29-08-11, 20:04

Hi all. I really really want to come off my AD. ;( I want to be in control

Cathy xx:)

bottleblond

29-08-11, 20:19

Cathy

Please don't just stop your meds hun because the side effects will be awful. If your determind then do it gradually. Your GP will give you all the help and advice to help you do it.

Take care

Lisa
x

cathycrumble

29-08-11, 20:29

No I wont do that as I did that last easter. I was on them 7 months and felt better and just stopped them and boy did I suffer. I am back on them now 11 weeks and not seem to be doing anything well I suppose I am a bit better. but I just want to have normal feelings. If you can understand what I mean I think these AD numb your feelings I really do. And that's what I don't like. Thanks for your reply :)

Cathy xx

bottleblond

29-08-11, 20:33

Aw hun i completely understand how you feel.

Look it's your body and you know how you feel so if this is what you need to do then of course you should speak to your gp. Some people are quite lucky and just need short stints on these medication when really low and that's enough to give them that boost to get them through for a while.

Good on ya hun
Lisa
xx

cathycrumble

29-08-11, 21:21

Do you take medication Lisa ?

Thanks again it was lovely for you to reply

Cathy xx

bottleblond

29-08-11, 21:51

Sorry for my delayed reply, i had to pop out to collect my son from a friends.

Yes i'm on 225mg Venlafaxine per day. Been on it for years hun.

Lisa
xx

cathycrumble

29-08-11, 23:19

lmb_nj

30-08-11, 03:04

Hi Cathy,
What dosage are you on?
I'm on 40 mg of Cit at the moment. I've been gradually getting up to this dose. Started at 5mg, then 10mg, then 20 mg and now 40mg for the last 10 days. But overall it's been 45 or 46 days on the medication, so almost 7 weeks now.

I was on citalopram before for years and felt myself and had emotions. That was 40 mg as well. I tapered slowly this past Dec but had a need to go back on. So that is where I'm at. I actually feel I might always need to be on Cit and I'm ok with that.

You speak of not having emotions. I felt that way for a few days or even a bit longer of taking the medication. But I have emotions now so to speak. Not sure how long you having been feeling this way with "no emotions". Perhaps it's the dosage. But tell all this to your doctor and do what you think is best. Agree that tapering off is best, no cold turkey.

Good Luck!

Bill

30-08-11, 05:09

Perhaps stopping them abruptly has increased your anxiety about attempting it again but if you reduce them gradually you won't have any problems. Just bear in mind though that if you do have any increased anxiety when you attempt to reduce them, it'll be most likely because your fear of coping without them is making you feel more anxious rather than anything to do with the meds. It's very easy for meds to play mind games making it more difficult to know what is anxiety and what anxiety is being caused by the meds.

I know you've been through a lot of bad experiences and they will certainly have caused you to feel stressed. I think, from what I've read, that maybe the stress you've been suffering from has perhaps caused you palpitations and these may have made you focus on your blood pressure? Something that might help is trying to remembr that your anxious feelings are just being caused by stress from all you've been through because once your mind can come to terms with this, your body will then relax and then you'll no longer feel you need meds.

I think also as a result of things you're probably feeling more vulnerable which would be perfectly natural so good company would also help you; not only through the company itself but also because talking about daily things would also help you to forget about your anxious feelings.

Just a few thoughts.:hugs:

cathycrumble

30-08-11, 09:54

Thanks soo much bill what you have said it right and I do think the cit makes things worse I feel so bad this morning and I have just started today to reduce I have took 30mg today then do the 40mg. the next time I reduce is next tuesday i take 30mg again then the next week I take 30mg say on the monday then 30mg on the thursday and i do that the next week. Then after that the following week I take 30mg 3 times in that week and then the next week the same until i am on 30mg then I stay on 30mg for 2 weeks then it starts again only i will go to 20mg and start the process again. untill I am on 5mg then 0 so I am
going to do this. I am just one of those people who dont like antidepressents. Please God I can do this. And thanks so much bill you seemed to understand me soo much And I wish I was working it would help I am trying for work or volentary.

Cathy xx

bottleblond

30-08-11, 12:43

I presume you are happy on them Lisa ?

You do sound quite layed back and cool which can't be bad.:shades: I am going to sleep on my dicision about coming off citalopram.

Thanks for your reply
cathy xx

I suppose it's just a way of life for me really. I've been on medication since i was a teenager and i'm nearly 40 now. There have been a few times when things were going really well and i came off them but it wasn't for long. I just don't seem to be able to function properly med free.

I have been told by two GP's in the past that i will probably be on them for life as i'm one of these people that have a better quality of life on these meds. I accepted that a long time ago and it's just second nature to me now.

I completely get where you are coming from though and i wish you loads of luck coming off your and i bet you'll be just grand hun.

Lisa
xx
:hugs:

cathycrumble

30-08-11, 13:17

Thanks again Lisa. :)

Cathy xx

debs71

30-08-11, 17:07

Hi Cathy,

I have wanted to come off meds for years and I have now done it, but it was a struggle and I never say never in terms of going back on them if I need to as I know how tenuous my anxiety and panic levels are and my ability to deal with them when they rise again.

I never wanted to go on meds in the first place, but it was a case of having to with some strong words for my GP. They have been an absolute GODSEND without question, and have saved me time and time again. I have been on and off them many times over the past 8 years. I think the problem was I did not wean down off them well enough before. This time I have spent months gradually weaning down from 10mg to 5 mg of Cipralex and spent ages on the 5mg before then going every other day with the 5mg until I just stopped altogether.

So far, so good....BUT I still feel the anxiety and the panic, and I control it myself now by talking myself out of it, breathing, distraction, etc.

I know exactly what you mean about control.

I wanted to get back to feeling the person I was before I was ill, and a huge part of that in a psychological sense was being meds free.

In saying this, I don't think that there is ANYTHING wrong about taking meds, no shame in it or anything like that. I would go back on them in a heartbeat if I needed to. It is just that for me personally, it was a goal I wanted to achieve, and so far I have.

God willing I stay that way, but anxiety/panic will always be breathing down my neck...I just have to keep biting back at it!

I wish you loads of luck if you do come off them hun.

xxxxxxx:hugs:

Bill

31-08-11, 03:49

I think of meds as a bit like when you have a nasty cold. You just need something to ease the worst of the symptoms to enable you to get better. Sometimes though as Lisa has said some people do find they need them long term because of their personal condition and sometimes in other cases, although the modern meds aren't addictive, I think our mind can become so accustomed to them that we end up not being able to cope without. The latter was certainly the case with the old meds like diazepam which I became addicted to.

As Debs says, there's absolutely nothing wrong in needing meds because at the end of the day it's our quality of life that counts so whatever helps an individual to be able to cope daily can only be a good thing. That's what we're all hoping for.

Sometimes meds are a neccesity, sometimes it's down to personal choice.

Cathy:hugs:,

I'm just glad to be of help and I sincerely believe that with your determination you will manage to come off them.

A couple of things to think about -

Firstly, you're definitely doing the right thing in reducing them slowly. Remember "percentages", even when you get down to a low dose. For instance, if you calculate how many mg's you're taking over a week, for argument sake let's say 100mg. If you reduce by 50mg over that week, it'll be a 50% drop and that would probably be too big a drop for your body to adjust to. When I came off diazepam I prepared a calendar then calculated a "small percentage" to reduce by each week. If I noticed any withdrawl symptoms or I had a particularly stressful week, I'd reduce the percentage or keep things the same for a further week until I felt better able.

From what you're describing it sounds like you're reducing by small percentages over quite a long period so it sounds fine to me. See how you go but don't panic if sometimes you're feeling worse. Just give yourself more time or reduce your percentage reduction.

It did take me 6 months but it did work for me. I noticed that even when I was down to 5mg, if I reduced down to 2.5mg it seemed so litlle but in effect it was a 50% drop and my anxiety worsened as a result. When I increased again and reduced by a lower percentage each week, I felt fine.

The second thought is make sure you have a plan for when you do come of them. What I mean is, that if you leave yourself open, your mind could easily focus too much on your phobia and you could well then feel you must go back on the meds.

Sometimes subconsciously we can think of meds like our "safety net" so that when we're no longer taking them this awareness surfaces because we're feeling vulnerable, and this insecure feeling can then easily trigger our anxiety. This is why it's important to build in a back up plan, even if you find you can't stop the meds completely. Therefore, while you're reducing the meds, work on techniques such as Debs has listed I control it myself now by talking myself out of it, breathing, distraction, etc. If you don't practise techniques now and find out what works for you, you could be leaving yourself vulnerable later down the line. This will also help to keep your mind focused away from worries.

Another thought is to give yourself a goal to work towards. Not just coming off the meds but what you want to do when you're off them such as voluntary work. Don't wait until you are off them. You may feel anxious about preparing ourself for a goal but you'll be surprised how aiming for a goal can keep the mind trained.

One last thought is a hobby. Don't sit thinking or just watching tv. Find something you enjoy such as sewing, knitting, making something, etc. Anything to keep your mind really interested away from thinking about how you're feeling or worries in the future. Just concentrate on one day at a time working towards your goal. The worst thing we can do is sit and think when anxiety makes us feel we can't move. We have to force ourselves to do something we enjoy no matter how bad we're feeling but whatever it is, it must be something that will take our full attention. So often I think we lay down or watch tv feeling bored and our mind ends up wandering.

Anyway, just some thoughts to help you along.

Please feel free to ask me Anything if you think I can help. I'd be glad to.:hugs:

cathycrumble

31-08-11, 10:58

Oh bill I am sooooo bad so i just can't come off citalipram I have gone worsethis last couple of days the GP has put me on chlorpromazine as the diazipam I was given by another Gp well this GP told me not to take them. althoug I took them yesterday as felt awful. I am not taking anymore of the diazipan and I took a chlorpromazine 25mg at 3am and woke feeling dreadful like a hot surge of adrenilin running through my body I just hope I dont end up in hospital that's how bad i feel. I wonder if it was the alcohol I drank fri sat and sun day? I am just of to my GP as feel I need help. thanks bill for you help.

Cathy xx

Bill

01-09-11, 02:37

Hello Cathy:hugs:
I don't think alcohol and meds would mix very well as one is a depressant and the other an anti-depressant but I can understand why you needed a drink or two.
Like I said, don't worry about not being able to come off them yet. Just wait until things settle and then decide if you really want to give it a go but it really doesn't matter if you don't. The main thing is that you feel happy either way.:hugs:

happycamper

01-09-11, 09:32

Hi Cathy,
I've been 'trying' to get myself off citalopram for months now. Have absolutely no regrets starting them as they were a godsend, but as you said, they do numb your emotions and felt like I couldn't care less about anything at times, which I don't want long term.
But I'm finding it hard to get off them all together as they are like crutch. Been on 10mg daily for months, which it seems isn't a theraputic dose, so no idea what benefit they are having, but somewhat scared to come off them....so halfway house I remain.
Good luck with your decision. x

cathycrumble

01-09-11, 10:24

cathycrumble

01-09-11, 10:27

Bill

02-09-11, 04:48

But I'm finding it hard to get off them all together as they are like crutch. Been on 10mg daily for months, which it seems isn't a theraputic dose, so no idea what benefit they are having, but somewhat scared to come off them....so halfway house I remain.

Meds can certainly help to ease symptoms and they help many people but I do feel they can also complicate matters and even create anxiety themselves.

Happycamper:hugs:, what you've said above perfectly illustrates what can happen. A person is suffering from anxiety due to stress, worries, fears etc. so they go to their GP looking for a cure. The GP has nothing immediate to hand so they prescribe an AD which isn't a cure. I mean, how can an AD prevent you worrying and being afraid? It can only ease the symptoms you're feeling due to your worry and fears.

Anyway, you're now taking the AD but when your stresses have eased you may then decide that you would like to stop taking them...But, although you've reduced your meds to no therapeutic value, you now have a new "worry" of "what if" the anxiety returns when I stop them. Therefore, you may then decide you can't stop taking them and therefore, without the meds actually being addictive, you have in effect grown to rely on them and therefore in a sense you've become Addicted" to them because you're too anxious to stop them.

However, you may decide you want to face this new fear and risk stopping them altogether but as soon as you stop them, all your anxiety symptoms suddenly shoot up so you then feel it must be because the meds were actually helping so you then go back on them and again in a sense you've become addicted.

What's actually happened though is either you've come off the meds too quickly so experienced withdrawal symptpms or you've triggered a new anxiety. What I mean is, if you were afraid of stopping them, when you do actually stop them, your subconscious mind is producing all the "what if's" I won't be ok. These doubts and fears then produce anxiety symptoms and you're back to square one asking to go back on them.

I'm not saying this always happens. It's just something that "can" happen without us being aware so we can put ourselves in a trap without realising it.

Remember, anxiety is created by Stress, Worry and Fear but meds "can" produce these feelings when we want to come off them and also therefore keep us addicted to them because these feelings re-surface every time we attempt to come off them.

It's just something to bear in mind, that's all.

As for you Happycamper, I reckon you could gradually reduce what you're taking until you're off them and then remember that unless you've reduced them too quickly, any anxiety you then experience will be being produced by "new worries, new fear or new stresses" that are going on in your life and "most probably" not because you need them to keep well. Besides, you could always go back on them if it stops you "worrying" as much. You see how meds can play mind games with us. :hugs:

happycamper

03-09-11, 10:45

Bill, thank you for taking time in replying to me. I hear what you are saying and agree.
However, I too lost a parent of mine several weeks ago, which is probably another reason why I'm hanging on to the crutch....:( x

Bill

03-09-11, 17:10

I think you know how very much I can sympathise with you.:bighug1:

It's never a good time to even think of coming off meds when in times of extreme stress or distress. I have turned to meds myself in times of need of support and only come off the meds once I'd informed my doctor when I felt I could cope again without.

Strangely, and I have no idea why, since losing my mother I haven't felt the need for meds despite all the pain and upset I've suffered. I can only explain it by saying I feel "nothing" anymore as if I don't belong. I know that sounds weird.:shrug: :hugs:

When time has helped to heal your pain and when you reach a point when you feel able And want to give it a go, don't be afraid because I know if you're not, I Know you Will be ok because I was. Just make sure you tell the doctor first so they're aware and of course it doesn't mean to say when another time of need arises (hopefully it won't!) you can always return to them for that extra bit of support.:bighug1: