Update: been to the docs about coming off ads and now very CONFUSED!

[vickylou2004]

Hi all!

Went to the doctors this morning and saw a very nice doc who I've never seen before. He sees things from a very different angle re anti-depressants.

I asked him if I could cut down to 5mg. He said they don't do 5mg, he then said that being on 10mg of Citalopram was a very low dose and it's normally used as a step down from anti-depressants. His view on it being...wait for it...phychological that it actually works. From this point I was taken aback. He then went on to say that other doctors are happy to hand them out to anyone yet he thinks they should just be given to people with phychological problems!!!

He says cutting them in half won't make a difference and suggested that I come off over a period of 2 weeks, missing one every day.

I told him that I had been getting a lot of advice and support on here re coming off REALLY slowly, which is the opposite to what I did last time and that I was worried about peaks and troughs doing it that way.and he said that other doctors say the same but with being on 10mg it wouldn't make any difference.

I don't know what to do now...??

Hi vicky if he says it makes no difference how you come off, I would just do it your way TBH. I know he is a dr, but personal experience (not just mine, but many many people) says different. He probably has never had to get off ADs himself.

I would just do it slowly if I were you, even if it is psychological who cares only you know your own body and how you feel as you are doing it.

Are your 10mg tablets scored down the middle? If so I would break or cut them in half and go down to 5mg for at least a month, before considering stopping completely.

I would second what getdown has said. I've never had to come off AD's (I've got that to come at some point!) However, it seems to me that it's very important that you feel in control of the process. I've read of people taking months to come off AD's - slowly reducing by tiny, tiny amounts. Presumably you saw a GP? I've found that different doc's have very different amounts of experience with these kind of drugs. Have you seen crazymeds.com? It's a great source of information, and has a useful forum.

Not surprised you are confused Vicky. Some drs believe that ADs only work because we expect them to work - in other words psychological. There have been some studies apparently proving that people who take placebos (sugar pill) get better at the same rate as those taking ADs. Yet there are others who don't believe this, so it leaves us the sufferers not knowing what to believe. He sounds rather confused himself, as he is saying that ADs should only be given to people with psychological problems. Pyschologists often don't believe in the medical model and call anxiety and depression pyschological distress, whereas the medics usually talk in terms of anxiety and depression. So is he saying ADs shouldn't be prescribed for people with depression. He is definitely confused I reckon. I have found out through all my trials and tribulations with severe depression that most GPs don't actually know a great deal about mental health, especially the older ones, as their training did not include very much on this issue.

I think it's really important that you are in control. I think 10mg is a small dose but if you feel like cutting them in half (or finding out if it comes in liquid form) then you should follow your own instinct. I have twice tried to come off meds in the past under the supervision of GPs (2 diffferent ones) and had terrible withdrawal symptoms. I think you should decrease as slowly as you feel comfortable with.

Thanks to all for your replies. xxxx

What you are saying makes sense to me and think it's best to follow my instincts.

I've got 2 weeks of 10 mgs. Think I will have half a tablet a day until they're gone or maybe a bit longer if neccessary.

Thanks again.
Vic.