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Should you get off the meds once in a while?

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Posted 2/16/2018 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
I am wondering how many of us (like me) have been on AD meds for a very long time and whether or not it is good to get off of them every several years just to see what is really happening in the brain?
Posted 2/16/2018 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on antidepressants for a chemical imbalance for probably 30 years. I have already tried going without them before. No such luck... I will probably be on them until I die. I don't want to go through depression in that way again.

I wish you luck, as I read in your other post that you would like to be med free. I hope you are able to.

Welcome to the forum Sisterpine. It is nice to get other people's opinions on stuff.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 2/17/2018 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on ADs for about fifteen years. IMO, it is not good to get off of them just to see what will happen. If they are working properly, and the person taking them has less depression or anxiety, then what would the point be?

If they are no longer working properly, then it is good to see a doctor to discuss options. Many times, this is weaning off of them slowly, and then introducing a new medication.

Those of use who have been posting for many years see a lot of people who want to stop taking medications. Most of them do not realize that the normalized feeling they have is the medication working properly. It is only when they stop that it becomes clear how much the medication was helping.

I have been taking daily medication for almost twenty years now, for several different chronic issues. I have made my peace with this. I have been trying to reduce recently, and have been successful in some ways. I managed to cut my painkiller and my sleep aid down to half. The issue is that now, without the side effects of these two meds, another condition is flaring.
Posted 2/20/2018 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
If you want to try i say try but obviosuly taper it down very very slowly,, if you start to feel down you can increase dose again,, noone really wants to be on meds forever do they i know its a must for some,,
Posted 2/20/2018 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
MiniMoo--I have a hard time with that advice, because it does not have a medical basis for it. Wanting something and needing something are two very different aspects.

On this board, we see people every week who post about how they decided they felt better or didn't want to take their medications anymore, and quit. Then, the issue returns fully, and they wind up in a worse place than they were.

Most people who have chronic conditions are informed and knowledgeable, but they still ought to follow their doctors advice. Medical professionals have spent a long time specializing in the conditions and diseases affecting us--AND they have studied treatments and medications. Many people think that because the conditions affect them, their own ideas about the kinds of treatments they will apply are the most informed. I would argue that the personal perspective is an important part of understanding how to treat the condition, but it is in no way the most important part. We pay medical specialists a lot of money for a reason--they know more than we do.

So, yes, if your physician thinks weaning off might be a thing to try, by all means try it! But--weaning off medications just because you do not want to be on them is not really a valid argument.
Posted 2/20/2018 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think (just an opinion) that weaning of anti-depressants just because you don't like taking them is a good idea. Here's why:

Depression is a chemical imbalance for most of us. Our medications restore our brains chemistry to a more normal balance. Why would it then make any sense to mess with something that is normal in the hopes it could magically take care of itself??

Think of it this way: You have a salt-water fish tank. You have to do water changes and keep the chemicals balanced so the fish can live healthy lives. Then you decided it will probably be okay if you just stop doing that maintenance, the fish will be fine. What??

See what I mean? Doesn't make much sense when you look at it that way, does it?
Posted 3/10/2018 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
I have major depression. I have been on antidepressants since I was 14. The doctor at the time told me I'd be on them for half the length of time I was depressed. So since I was depressed my whole life then I should have been on them until I was 21. Well I'm 38 now and still on them. If I go off them everything goes to crap. I don't suggest you go off of them, at least not on your own. Make sure you discuss it with your doctor.
Posted 3/10/2018 3:00 PM (GMT 0)

Lynwood said...
Depression is a chemical imbalance for most of us. Our medications restore our brains chemistry to a more normal balance. Why would it then make any sense to mess with something that is normal in the hopes it could magically take care of itself??

Nobody actually knows how antidepressants work, not even experts. If your doctor tells you that your depression is caused by a lack of serotonin then he's either clueless or dumbing things down woefully. That's NOT to say antidepressants don't work (although they don't work for everybody) or that you should stop taking them cold turkey if you have been on them for a long time (you shouldn't).

This neuroscientist has some interesting things to say about antidepressants.

/www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2018/jan/08/is-everything-johann-hari-knows-about-depression-wrong-lost-connections

and: /www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2018/jan/24/antidepressants-please-please-do-not-just-abandon-your-meds-johann-hari (Title is self explanatory! The topic creator should definitely check it out too.)

I sometimes feel like I'm the only person in the country who hasn't experienced the stigma around antidepressants that so many other people talk about. I've been pushed by numerous people over the years into going on an antidepressant. And I have been on various antidepressants; I'm on one at the moment. I'm still pretty depressed and suffer from some annoying side-effects to boot; however, I'm scared of becoming really unstable if I come off it. Inwardly I'm still an absolute mess but largely able to contain it - I guess :-/
Posted 3/10/2018 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
It is always good to talk to your doctor before stopping antidepressants.

It is true, not all of us fit the mold. I just know I have been on them an awful long time. .But would rather wonder than go off of them again. It was horrible.

It can be scary to say the least. But I think "one day at a time" is the best motto in this case.

I hope you all feel better.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 3/17/2018 5:44 AM (GMT 0)
Hello

If you want to come off medication, then you MUST do it only under medical supervision, that requires tapering down.

Do NOT try it by yourself, as it can actually be harmful to suddenly stop.

Some people do great off medication. And some people don't.

I have never taken medication for depression and never will. But that is my personal choice, and I have found ways of remaining in remission without them.

Good luck with finding something that suits you
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