Euphoria/Mania - I'm tapering off ADs and I'm a bit freaked out

[ElsaMars]

Hello,

I've Googled this and not found much. Long story short, I'm tapering down my ADs. Doc advised taking half a pill a day for a few weeks (100mg down to 50mg a day)

Since the weekend my energy levels and general enthusiasm and productivity has gone through the roof.

I have an autoimmune illness, ADHD and I'm peri menopausal, so I always and I do mean always, feel sluggish, tired, disinterested and meh.

I assume this is to do with the doage decrease but does it mean this is the real me? Have I been numbed and stunted all this time? Or am I in some sort of manic state due to an undiagnosed mental illness, e.g Bi polar?

This is genuinely freaking me out, I'm never like this. It's like in that film Relentless I think? Where he takes the pill and suddenly he can do everything.

Any Dr's sho can advise, or has anyone experienced similar?

Changing dosage can lead to mania - but mania is very different to just feeling a but more energized

Thanks. I get that but this is night and day. All the stuff I've needed to do for months, done in 2-3 days. Endless energy, selling stuff on Vinted, trips to pick up new furniture, all in last few days. Just not like me at all. I've felt lazy and unmotivated for literally years.

It does sound like hypomania( I have bipolar) but usually this would be triggered by an increase not decreasing dose
My guess is your mood is a little unstable possibly because you also have ADHD
it’s likely your mood will settle but if not then please do contact your GP who may prescribe Lorazepam.

@uncomfortablydumb60 I've just Googled hypomania, that's definitely what this is I think, thank you. I also read that it can be caused by tapering ADs.

If it continues I will see the GP. The weirdest and scariest part is all this energy, I can't sit and watch something (all I did mostly!) I'm being so productive though, its like I'm a different person.

I recognise myself from your description.
During my most recent episode, I bought all my favourites from Vinted and spent £300 in 2 days!( bought some great stuff though!)
lack of sleep fuels hypomania so don’t allow it to go on too long.

Many GPs are still worrying under-informed about coming off ADs, and often suggest tapers that are way too fast. Slower is safer.

Here's the RCP guidance.

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/print-outs/stopping-antidepressant-printable.pdf

I took well over a year to taper down from a fairly standard dose. It’s done much too quickly generally, these are strong meds despite being so common. I was chopping and tapering in increments, no way would I cut by 50% in one go, even if taking a few weeks to get used to it. Depends what you’re on but I asked (insisted) on liquid fluoxetine in the end and it was very easy to dose. Cut down by say 5% every couple of months. Yea it was laborious but worked with no side effects. I’d had side effects after changing meds after a year (citalopram to fluoxetine) quite badly. I had euphoria and mania when starting anti DS. Felt like I was on mdma for the first month. Apparently in some other countries the tapering is via liquid and much slower. Not saying everyone needs to do it like this but my feeling is would stop many peoples issues (I’ve had friends really really struggle to taper down due to side effects)

Exactly

I agree with this. Just shaving a bit off a tab and taking a photo of it before taking it and then gradually shaving more and more over weeks would make more sense than literally halving the dose.

Thanks for the replies. I've come off ADs several times before, so when the doc advised coming off them the way she did, I was suprised. She said half the dose, every day for a week or two and then, take them every other day and then stop. I thought it sounded fast/different to what I've been told previously.

I'm still experiencing the hypomania, I've just bought a TV unit we don't need because it matches the other new living room furniture I've purchased the last few days. I can afford it as I was saving for the stuff - but still.

On the plus side my work productivity is through the roof, I've made lots of social plans and I'm on the go, sorting stuff all day long. Not to be flippant but this version of me is great, I wish it would last.

I have a day off tomorrow so I think I'll contact the doctors to talk it through.

I’m shocked at your GP’s advice. I’ve never come off completely but the advice is tapering slowly over months
ThinkIng of you, as I recognised myself in your OP

I too enjoy the productively of hypomania.
My DS1 monitors my finances( obviously with my consent) to avoid disastrous consequences and he has consent, listed on my records to discuss with my GP.