Has anyone come off meds after a long period?

[FreeofPills]

hi everyone

I was wondering if anyone has any advice

I have been taking fluoxetine for about 10 years now. I did originally feel that I had some sort of chemical imbalance and although I gained a lot of weight on the pills I have kept on them, as I was told that was the one least likely to cause a gain and I couldn't face fiddling around with new ones - it took me weeks to get used to them anyway.

I have tried to come off them twice, incredibly slowly, and it didn't go well. This was early on - in the first couple of years.

I would like to come off them not just because of weight, but also because I have heard studies saying that your neural pathways can change after long periods on them and you might be able to stop taking them.

also - fingers crossed - things are better for me in my life. At the time, I didn't think I had too many stresses but with hindsight was judging myself harshly for how I dealt with work and family and so on. I was really pushing myself to have a career that I now accept is not suited to me so I do a much more suitable job.

I also do daily exercise - to be fair because I now have time! - and I feel like it might be okay to come off these, with doc guidance of course.

does anyone have experience of this? The hole of severe depression was terrifying, I don't want to slip back.

thanks.

would be interested to hear anyone's advice.

Hopeful bump

I've been on sertraline for years but I came off when my prescription ran out but mistake. I was off for around 6 months and then the negative voices started again so I'm back on them

goose, so you mean you didn't have a planned and staged withdrawal?

I have just come off Citalopram after taking it for 3 years. I was weaning myself off for about 3 months (from 40mg, to 20mg to 10mg and then 0mg by myself, without a doctor, oops) and I've been off it fully for a month now.
I've been very teary and crying at everything (even at seeing a really nice butterfly ) but I think I'm okay without it. When I was cutting down, I experienced vertigo and brain zaps so I did a lot of sleeping to get through it.

Thanks Cactus
I'm glad you're doing well
Yours is meant to be one of the hardest to come off isn't it?

I suppose im also worried that if I come off it, if I need it again the NHS might be reluctant to give it. Medical things change a lot, I have had one colleague who could barely manage work but he was to,d many times that as long as he was able to drag himself to work, he wouldn't be given meds

He had to make a huge fuss and change doctors, otherwise his life just ran in a cycle of work > panic attack depressive phase etc etc.

So I feel like coming off their list of patients in need is a bit risky.

Yes I googled it and it is said to be one of the hardest and it definitely felt that way at some points!
I understand what you mean, I had to change doctor because they were so reluctant to give medication, then my next one instantly gave me a 2 month prescription! I'm not sure what the code of conduct is but I do worry they will make them harder to get soonz

Ive recently come off citalopram after over 10 years. I did it slowly dropping from 20mg per day to 10mg then dropping to every other day then stopping. Took about 3 months in all. I was very wary having read some horror stories on line but it has gone well. I do feel quite emotional and teary however - but not depressed so just hoping this will eventually go. Good luck.

I stopped Cipralex (a version of the drug used in Citalopram) after several years at 20mg.

I didn't need it anymore, to be honest I'm not sure if I needed it in the first place. I had been given it during an incredibly difficult time and in the few years that followed I had been able to consistently stay upbeat, function well, be happy and I think this was me rather than medication. Lots of effort to make my thoughts happy and my life sunshine.

When I stopped I felt soooooooo good. I slept properly for the first time in years, I cried at "emotional" things but this was just entertaining. A butterfly is pretty, yes I would have cried! I think I sobbed over Forrest Gump and for some reason shoes, so moving apparently. I was also insanely turned on, constantly. It was all really funny, I have a journal entry somewhere on the eleven reasons I was moved to tears today and the number of men I have had to not stare at.

This lasted about two weeks for others who have mentioned the same thing. I wasn't inconvenienced or upset by it, to be honest I was happy actually feeling things deeply again. The meds left me a bit numb in some way.

I had no negative effects at all (I have come off some other meds and felt withdrawals so I know the difference - yes tapering and medical support is really helpful and important), but I think this may have been in large part due to the fact that I just wasn't relying on them, my brain and mind were in good shape after a few years of trying really hard to develop ways of being incredibly positive and not struggling too much with really difficult challenges in life.

(Positive affirmation right there, I have never had "problems", only "challenges". Choose your thoughts whenever you can, it's an effort but it really can help).

So if things are better and you were feeling down because of a specific situation, you now have coping strategies and you've felt consistently better for a long time, I'd say try. You may be brighter without.

I am unusual though with this, definitely check in with doctor if you want to try and don't worry about starting again a month/six months/whenever later, pay attention to how you feel in case it slowly comes back. I wouldn't be so worried about long term use, it's just a case of not taking something you may not need any more and possibly not having side effects if possible. I would take again if I needed to, there's no point in feeling hideous, can't get anything else to work in life if you feel really bad, so the side effects and taking a medication are just the way it is really. So take care and pay attention to yourself, plus super effort on self care and surrounding yourself with positive thoughts, see how you are.

Good luck.