quitting medication

[Rachel_123]

i visited the doctor today and i have decided to quit my dose of zispin. i think its time to try it out without the help of anti-depressants. I feel really nervous though... has anyone else quit their meds and had more panic from that?

[nomorepanic]

Hi Rachel

You may be better looking under the medication forum than here - loads of posts about giving up meds

Happy reading!

[Rachel_123]

oh ya , thanks :P

[lesleya]

Hi hun
I quit my last lot of meds over a year ago and i think im better for it.
I do have bad days and good days still, but at least im not swallowing pills like theres no tomorrow.
Dont get me wrong i still have some days when i feel like i need something to get me through the day, but, that day passes and the next day is never usually as bad, and thats how i carry on now take each day as it comes, and being honest i dont seem to have half as many bad days now.
I wish you luck if you do decide to go without and i hope you get well very soon.
Take care
xxx

[ElizabethJane]

hi Rachel I came off mirtazapine last year. I needed two goes at it because my anxiety was so bad. I was eventually successful. My withdrawals lasted about three weeks and they were very very bad. I would be lying if I said otherwise. You need to sit down with your doctor and work out a plan of tapered withdrawal. I had some diazepan prescribed for the worst of the symptoms. I'm glad that I managed to come off it as I had gained much weight wilst being on it. It worked well as an anti depressant. Have a contingency plan as well if things do not go to plan. I hope you are able to come off them.

[rosepetal]

How was the start up on the med for you? I found that, with efexor, my start up and withdrawal was awful. But my start up on zispin was trouble free. Even so, when I do come off it, it will be very slowly - my GP is going to ensure that. My homeopath also can prescribe me some remedies to help with the withdrawal.
Yes, my anxiety increased coming off efexor, but then it fluctuates anyway. Just make sure you have support and strategies in place to help you through. Things like Rescue Remedy can also really help.

[Rachel424]

I came off Citalopram a year ago after taking it for over 5 years. I had terrible withdrawal symptoms. The worst was electric shock sensations in my head. In the end my doctor had to refer me to a psychiatrist who tappered me off it over 3 months. I saw my doctor yesterday because my anxiety is chronic again and he's put me on escitalopram. I'm not sure that I want to go down that path again.

Good luck!

[Rachel_123]

the start up was actually fine - i was so engrossed in anxiety that i hardly noticed any side effects. the only side effect i noticed was weight gain - and being a very petite 5"2 , any weight gain was very obvious! i went to the doc yesterday and he said if i decided to stay on zispin that i would continue to gain weight. thats not the reason why im going off them anyway.. i just feel ready to be without, and i dont want to give my life to a load of pills. last night was my first night without zispin in 5 months... and to be honest... i feel great! its like a cloud has lifted..i feel far more alert and i have more energy already. i know its only the start and ive a long way to go... so i shall see how i feel. I have a prescription for lexotan, for those days when im at war with myself, so thats my contingency plan :) but hopefully i wont have to use them too many times...

[rosepetal]

Sounds good so far. :)

I've never gained any weight of note on it - and am a similar build to you. I'll be interested to see what happens when I come off it - which won't be for at least 6 months or so.

[ElizabethJane]

To Rosepetal: you are very lucky not to put on any weight with mirtazapine most people do. To Rachel: interestingly lexotan has been discontinued in the UK. I wonder why this is so? Just curious as it seems to work in a similar way to valium.

[Rachel_123]

To Rosepetal: you are very lucky not to put on any weight with mirtazapine most people do. To Rachel: interestingly lexotan has been discontinued in the UK. I wonder why this is so? Just curious as it seems to work in a similar way to valium.


really?
wow i didn't know that, i wonder why?
my doc put taking medication into perspective for me(im sort of anti-meds). je said that as long as i know i am taking meds for the right reason that its ok. its when you start lying to yourself that problems begin. but never to worry, i just wanna know why it was discontinued

*googles* not much on the net...

[ElizabethJane]

I'm sorry I've tried finding out information about why lexotan was removed but there is nothing. I'll do some research and come back to you. I'm not anti meds they help keep me alive and sane and able to lead a fulfilling life. I'm taking lithium and dothiepin. I've tried unsuccessfully to come off dothiepin and replace it for a newer anti depressant but the side effects have been too great. Mirtazapine was used as an add on when I was ill to enhance the other meds. Obviously we are all on meds for different reasons. I do not fight medication I just accept that I need it like a diabetic needs insulin. I become very ill without my meds. Hopefully you will be able to come off mirtazapine successfully. I did manage it but suffered first. In my case the withdrawal symptoms did eventually go. It is easy to believe that the anxiety is back for good though. Best wishes.

[Rachel_123]

ya im beginning to understand that medication is not bad - if its for the right reasons. To be honest, i don't really think anxiety can permanently leave a person. personally, i have always been an anxious child and adult. i grew up in an anxious household and i was conditioned to be that way. But i think the good thing is - medication is available , if a person chooses to take it, and other things are available too - like therapy etc.

hopefully it wont go too bad. I'm beginning to get headaches, but thats something I can cope with!!