Has anyone come off ads after long term use?

[francesrivis]

Hello, I've been taking ads for the best part of 20 years. Have made a few attempts to come off but always ended up getting ill; my most recent attempt was about six years ago before I had my children. Basically I'm just wondering whether it is worth me trying again - I would really value hearing about the experiences of anyone who has done this after so long. I recently switched from dothiepin to mirtazapine to try and regain my libido; however it hasn't helped. I don't think I'm ever going to feel good about myself unless I can be a proper partner to my dp, plus I'd love to be medication free; however I'm really scared .... Just rambling really, does anyone have any advice? TIA

Your best bet maybe to come off really really really slowly - sometimes doctors suggest something like reduce for two weeks and then stop, but seeing how long you've been on them why not make it a 6 month project? My friend and sometime poster on here Getdown very slowly came off lots of meds and in the end took an eigth of a tablet of mirtazepine before stopping.

And I'm sure that this does not need asking really, but have you dealt with all the possible causes behind the depression?

Yes will definitely take it very slowly if I do decide to stop. Re causes of the depression, I don't really know - have had many different types of counselling, CBT and therapy but in the end the only thing that seems to have helped is the ads. Which makes it seem a bit stupid to consider coming off, I just feel as though if I don't try just once more I'll never know whether I could have done.

Obviously you'll need to do it under your doctors supervision but I came off them after approx 10 years on them. Slightly different as I still take a mood stabiliser (for bipolar) but I had no problems coming off them.

Not as long as you, I've been on them about 13 years, but I have done a lot of research into this and am tapering excrutiatingly slowly off liquid Prozac. My advice would be to see if you can get your med in liquid form, pharmacists are better at knowing this than doctors, if not maybe consider switching to equivalent dose of liquid Prozac which is what I ended up doing, and with your syringe taper extremely slowly, I have taken four years over it, I think the longer you've been on AD's the longer you should take over weaning off and don't let anyone tell you you're doing it too slow.
I have a web site where I have put loads and loads of info about tapering off and possible side effects etc which I have gleaned from lots of reading and my own research, the info is mainly on the pages to the side of the site.
prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
If you've been on them that long, please don't do the alternate day method which your doctor may advise you to do, it will make you feel really dizzy and horrible, honestly the best way is to liquid taper very very slowly over a longish period of time, less chance of relapse and suffering withdrawals that way.

Thanks, will have a look at the website. What dose are you on at teh moment strawberry?

I haven't been on them for as long as you (only 3.5 years)but have started to come off them this year.

I made a huge mistake and against every fibre of my being just stopped taking them. I ended up in a big mess and my DH took me to the doctors.
The one positive thing is that I have gone back on them at a lower dose than before.
I am now intending to stay on this lower dose for a couple of months then go down by 5mg at a time. I am hoping that by my 40th birthday I will be off them (2013).

I am stunned that some of you are taking years to come off anti-d's. Years! Honestly I am stunned.

How long did you take to come off fedup? Also just wondering what doses of mirtazapine other people are on - I'm on 15 mg and hoping that this is a relatively low dose?

I've mainly gone cold turkey which with venlafaxine I wouldn't generally advise. Withdrawal effects with venlafaxine are horrendous but can be eliminated with a very short course of Prozac (I took it for two days). Job done.

Everyones different though and I'm not known for my patience.

fedupandtired yes some people can come off them with relative ease others like me have tried and failed so many times (despite following doctors instructions) that the only way to do it is to take time. From a starting dose of liquid Prozac of 5ml I am now four years later down to 1.20ml, hoping I might be off altogether later this year.

I honestly had no idea it could take some people that long, especially with Prozac.

I wish you every success in coming off it completely.

I tried to come off dosulepin in 2010 but only managed to get down to 25mg. This was from being on a dose of 75mg. I was on 100mg for a while before this. I'm now back up to 100mg but this is largely due to Winter. (I started struggling just before Christmas after spending a lot of time on 75mg).

I find that generally I feel better on dosulepin, but I have noticed that I have gained a bit of weight, which I'm not so happy about. However this is better than the depression.

I would like to come off maybe at some stage but am scared of rebound insomnia and the depression coming back, so would have to be feeling quite strong to start the process. There never seems to be a good time. I'm thinking of reducing in the Spring but will be having an operation on my foot probably next month! I also had to have gynae surgery last year. It would be good to have a year when I don't have to worry about having surgery.

It must be scary if you have been on ADs for a long time. Good luck francesrivis.

Well, have seen doctor and got prescription for liquid mirtazapine - 1 ml equals 15 mg though, so it's going to be tricky to cut it down gradually! Not sure yet when I will start - don't want to rush into it.

Hi frances yes 15mg is the lowest dose of mirtazapine. I was on it for 18 months or so, but took 6 months to get off it completely. The best bet is to do it really really slowly. You've been lucky to get a prescription for liquid form - it's very unusual as it is much more expensive that way. I just cut my pills down with a knife. I had lots of ups and downs - i.e. having to up my dose again for a while before cutting back again. I found the whole process v. frustrating but I had the motivation because I wanted another baby. I got there in the end. You've been on them a long time, but I believe you can get off them if you really want to. However, you need to put in place all the other lifestyle depression-beaters to give yourself a fighting chance -

1. look at your diet - you need lots of healthy fresh foods, loads of fruit and veg to give your body a natural boost
2. you need to take exercise (hard I know), but you will feel so much better for it
3. you need something which gives you a sense of mastery or skill - can you attend an art class, or language class or something like that? Something completely different that teaches you something new, maybe something you've always wanted to do but never been able to?
4. Sense of control over your life - make lots of lists, keep up with old friends, anyhing which helps you feel more on top of things.

HTH

Francis ask your pharmacist for some syringes that have a 0.1-1 ml scale. I had them for ds as a newborn when he was on 0.7ml of anticonvulsants a day so they do exist. Not sure I still have one - will have a hunt.

Frances I found a syringe that goes in 0.01ml increments - if you want it pm me your address - don't worry about your name it will get there anonymously just as well.

You can get 1ml syringes marked up with 10 increments each further incremented from Boots and most pharmacists dead cheap like 30p each, I use them for my liquid Prozac.