Would you stop or start to stop taking ad's if you were me?

[laura032004]

I'm getting really fed up with my GP. I go in for a repeat prescription for ad's (I have to go in for it, they won't do it automatically), and I'm out in under a minute each time. Yesterday he asked what I wanted, I told him, and he said 'hmm, you should be coming off these soon'. No questions about how I was, what was going on in my life.... I asked if they have community psychiatric nurses here (I saw one weekly before we moved house and it was fab), but he said no. They don't have enough appointments, so they save them for people who 'really need them'. He has no idea at all how I felt before I started taking ad's, he just sees the normalish person in front of him. Anyway, he went on to say I should cut down to one every other day and gradually cut them out.

I feel fine about 80% of the time, but DS2 still doesn't sleep well, so I am permanently exhausted. He wakes for half an hour at least 3 times per night, and gets up at 5am every day. The ad's really help me to cope with this tiredness. I know without them I'd be on my knees as I went through this with DS1 without taking ad's, and it was horrible. Also, DH has just started working away during the week (has been home most nights up to now), and will shortly go away all together for up to 6 months (Navy). I mentioned this to the GP, but he didn't even comment on it. I'm sure he wasn't listening to me.

I think I need to change GP's really. There are 3 in the practise, and I've seen all of them, and it's always the same story. They're far too busy, and don't listen at all. Sometimes they say 'how are you coping' I say 'OK' then they do a prescription. How would somebody who wasn't coping be able to talk to them about it. Surely most people would say OK to a question like that?

But would you think about stopping taking them yet? I'm on a really low dose, and feel great. I know things will get harder over the next few months with DH away more and more, and just don't feel that this is the time to start messing around trying to stop taking them if it means I end up with any side effects. I have no side effects at all from taking them - never have since day 1. I was in such a bad place before I started taking them though, and I don't want to be back there right now, which I can imagine may well happen. Is it normal to be scared of stopping taking them?

[kkgirl]

Laura
I'm no expert on AD's but I didn't want you to think there was no one here to support or help you.
How long have you been on the AD's? I've heard that you have to be on them for six months and then they review them, and start to reduce them.

I'm not on ADs yet but went to the GP on Monday as I am struggling to cope. When I asked her about this as my Dad is ill and I know that I will be worst if something happens to him, she said that if after 6 months I still needed them it would be fine.

At the end of the day GP's don't have time to deal with the problems of the patients and get to the cause, so they prescribe the tablets without knowing you and how you feel.

You know yourself best and how you feel, and if you feel that you will need the tablets with DH away, which will make it harder, I would seriously consider continuing with them for now, it sounds like a bad time to reduce them.

I hope someone who has more experience of ADs can post and give you better advice.

[lulumama]

maybe you need to say 'no. i'm not coping ' when they ask you? or take someone with to your appointment to support you? or ask for a double slot when you book in and insist on talking about things?

I personally would not stop ADs or start to stop them unless

you have had counselling and are dealing with / dealt with your issues

or you feel confident that you will cope

you say your DH is going to be away more, and you were in a bad plcae before you started, if you have no side effects and feel fine on them, why come off them before your circumstances change?

[Surfermum]

It sounds to me like you don't really want to stop them. And I don't blame you. I wouldn't in your position either.

I would go back and see a different GP and explain to them what you've just explained here. It sounds perfectly reasonable to me. You have a stressful time coming up and you're worried that you are going to relapse if you come off them. And with your dh going away, you need to be well to be able to function and can't take the risk of being ill again.

What is your HV like? Maybe have a chat with them and they can speak to the doctor as well, so that when you go to see them they're already in the picture.

And yes, it's completely normal to be scared of stopping them, I think because being depressed is so bloody awful that you never want to feel like that again. I've been on them for 15 years! Tried to come off twice and each time got ill again (although looking back neither time was the right time to do it), so my GP and I decided that as they keep me well, and I get no side effects, I might as well keep taking them. I'm sure they gave me protection when I had a bad car accident and from getting PND.

[laura032004]

Thanks for those replies. To be honest, I don't want to stop taking them. I'm happy with how things are now - why change them? I'm aware that they do make me slightly numb to some emotions, but for now, I can cope with that negative to get all the positives. If I have a very bad day - the kids are being particularly difficult, I've had a bad nights sleep, something in the house goes wrong, I start to slip, and remember what I used to feel like. I don't want to be in that place ever again. I might need to look up the potential issues with long term use of the particular ad that I take. It's an unusual one apparently, but I got prescribed that one as it was safe whilst bfing.

Surfermum - thanks for sharing your tale - it's good (IYKWIM - I'm sorry that you need them in the first place though) to hear that I'm not the only one who doesn't want to stop taking them.