Coming off antidepressants

[madcatladyforever]

I've been on duloxetine and now citalopram since my divorce three years ago.
They have made all my syptoms worse and there are other symptoms such as sweating and occasional paranoia.
I have always been such a positive person and I feel these drugs have not helped me and have dragged me right down. I regret taking them.
I know from past experience I would have recovered from my divorce faster without any drugs.
Also they make me feel exhausted and I have had problems staying awake during the day which is impossible in my line of work.
I decided to stop taking them, this is week two and while I'm still getting nasty side effects like brain zaps, diziness and excessive sleeping I'm already feeling better. They obviously didn't work for me.
I'm wondering how long these withdrawal symptoms will last, they just seem to be going on and on.

It depends on how long you have taken to come off them. I have just come off and only took 2 weeks to taper and I am feeling absolutely awful after 10 days of being off - I also have the brain zaps, am teary and irritable and am feeling anxious and down. I have come off in the past with fewer side effects. Am tempted to go back on and discuss a slower taper this tikeZ. Last time
I came off it took 2 or 3 months and side effects were minimal

That sounds awful xxx
Well it's week 3 now and I;m actually feeling like a normal human being. I'm happier than I've been for years.
i don't think I was ever clinically depressed I think I was just grieving for the end of my marriage. I don;t think I should ever have been prescribed this stuff.
I feel like I've woken up after a long nightmare filled sleep.
All the strongly suicidal feelings gone.

I say no symptoms but they have properly hit me now, migraines, nightmares, exhaustion, I'm in the line of work where you have to perform 100% all day so it's been awful.
I'm sticking at it though, no matter how bad it gets I'm not going back on these drugs.
Not sure how a drug that makes you feel suicidal is supposed to help depression!!

@madcatladyforever how are you doing now? I hope it’s getting easier.

Come off them gradually, reduce the dose. When the drugs are completely out of your system you will feel better but it takes time. The side effects of antidepressants are often worse than the original problem, some people are more sensitive to them than others. You'll be fine in the end but do tell your doctor. Maybe counselling would help you come to terms with what has happened to you.

Would it be possible for you to take a month's sick leave? In my previous job, my boss did that when she was coming off anti-depressants and it was the right decision.