Anyone been on meds a long time and come off?

[happyone]

Hi,
I know there are threads around about Citalopram and stuff and I know there can be problems on coming off.
I have no intention of coming off meds just now, been on them a year and shrink reckons I will need two years from the point of being 'stable'

I would just like to know, has anyone been on meds a long time (2 plus years) and come off them?
What were the effects other than the temporary withdrawal?
Has anyone come off them after long term and then stayed off them with success?(ie no recurrence of major anx or depression?)

I am on an SSRI max dose and an anti psychotic. Shrink says the anti psychotic is not addictive but I already feel I have a prob as I am frequently upping my dose so I can sleep (it isn't prescribed to make me sleep) and I have refused another med as it would mean coming off this one!

So, any experiences of anyone coming off either SSRI's or anti psychotics after a long time on them would be great.

Happyone
xx

[bethyboo]

hey there happy one, ive been on meds for over 8 years on and off, well have come off them twice in that tiem and both times only managed to stay off them for a year. but 2 weeks ago i cam off effexor which ive been on for 3 years. i went cold turkey which i sort of had to but i woulod never, i repeat lol never reccommen it cos as we all no its very dangerous to do it cold turkey. it was horrendus the first week but im now in week 2 and im feeling really ok. im supposed to be starting a new set off antidepressants but have decided that while i feel ok i should give my body a break and when and if i start gettign ill again then i will go back to them. but for now i am really ok, now the side effects ahve gone i feel really good. dnt get me wrong its very strange, i find myself overanalizing every little emotion but my head feels clear, i know what to expect if things go bad and i thinki that a slong as ur sensible theres no reason to be scared. as long as u dont think that ur cured hehe cos u feel ok for now. its alwasy with us and soetimes its very tiring to feel like u have to get through each day sain lol, but for now im good and i ahve lots of freinds who ahve been on and off meds over a long period of time and we laways end up ok in the end. i think the key is accepting how u feel at at any one time and acting accordingly. medication is a life saver to so many and when we need it..we bloody need it.. but it is also ok to give ureself a break and if u know what to expect when u come off them just make sure u ahve people around u that understand and alwasy talk about hjow u feel ratyher then bottling things up.. good luck for the future xxx

[northern_sky]

I was on effexor (venlafaxine) for 5 years and came off it easily. I've read a lot of horror stories about coming off it but I was fine.

[vernon]

Hi Happy one, I was on very high doses of Valium (diazepam) Years ago Like 30mg a day and heavy drinking, "They used to give them out like sweets them days" I did come off them fully and cant really remember any real bad long effects just a bit funny for a week or two. Then about 12 years later was put on Anafranil an older type antidepressant, then 3 years ago put on Cipralex which is an SSRI. I have tried cutting down now and again but some problem always seemed to pop up and I have put it off, The first time I started coming of I was registered blind and had to go for eye surgery, I was so so scared of surgery so dint put myself through the pressure of coming off. Then I started cutting sown again just over a year ago, then got a phone call from Las Vegas, My son had been hit by a car while on holiday there and they didn’t think he would last 24 hours. However he is much better now but am now 58 so I am not sure I will bother coming off, they haven’t really done me any harm. I think the people who find it most difficult to come off are the what if people, What if I have a big panic and lose control, and What if the depression comes back worst etc. Which is just like most of us who suffer anxieties? I don’t think if you come of very slow it makes you real bad, I think its yourself that makes us ill with all the what if worries and we just build all the anxieties back up. Take care hope you do what you want to do, and I think you can do it if you don’t dwell and think about it to much, Take care, Vernon