to want to get off my antidepressants asap after this evening’s Panorama?

[GeraniumGirl]

Anyone else feel the same after watching the programme tonight?

Like the book by Irving Kirsch, lecturer at Harvard Medical School and professor emeritus of psychology at Hull “The Emperor's New Drugs – Exploding the Antidepressant Myth”.

While analysing antidepressant drug trials as part of his research he discovered that pharma companies don’t publish the negative aspects of their results, but medical decisions are based only on the published data. He used the FOI act to get access to unpublished data which, taken in the aggregate, indicated that ADs were no better than placebo in any but serious depression.

Thanks, that’s really helpful. How did you measure 2.5mg doses though as I only have 10mg and 20mg tablets which are tiny.

Agree with @Tomatoblush. They’re saving my life as HRT sent me mental. Doctor told me it doesn’t matter how long you’re on them for…mid-life is bloody hard! Was the programme written by a chap by any chance?

I've been on every antidepressant and they never did a thing for me other than make me gain weight. I weaned off citalopram and had horrible brain zaps for months, and still have slight 'brain shivers' as I call them even three years later.

Turns out my issues are due to ADHD and all of the life issues that come from that, not a serotonin imbalance or whatever the theory is.

When I was looking to get pregnant, I sought advice from my GP, who in turn sought advice from a psychiatrist. His opinion was that I should just stop taking them completely the day I got my positive pregnancy test.
I thought it was one of the most stupid pieces of advice I’d ever heard and got a second ( much more sensible and nuanced) opinion elsewhere.
I’m still angry now about the damage that could have done if I’d followed the advice blindly, knowing how I reacted to trying to come off them very slowly.

I probably need them but I’m feeling that I deserve to suffer.

Absolutely all this has been in the public domain and the debate on usefulness has been going on as long. Just don’t let panorama panic you into a decision, take time to evaluate using good sources of information is all I’m saying.

Panorama used to be good but now I find it very hyperbolic and not particularly nuanced. While sometimes there is only one side to a story, more often than not there are 3,4,5… valid counter opinions/stances and these are not often give a fair airing on panorama.

I'm on 100mg venflaxine and honestly I live a normalish life now. Without them I'd more than likely be dead.

That being said if I miss even one dose I have vivid, lucid dreams with high temp, sweating, vomiting/stomach upset.

Side effects include shakes, thirst like not drank in 100 years and swollen throat.

However, I don't like the idea of my baby having withdrawal when born.

Without being on venlafaxine I wouldn’t have opted for more treatment for cancer -along with many other patients in my position it literally has been a lifesaver and a way to manage crippling anxiety about what lays ahead for me.my good has been on them for years as her son has a very cruel life limiting disease.she couldn’t carry in without them.i doubt like me she couldn’t care less about the negatives.each to their own.just hope that the people who really could manage to lead a normal life without them don’t suddenly come off them because of a panorama documentary.

Well done for getting off them.

How did you discover that your issue was actually ADHD?

I managed to get off all meds.

At one point in my life I was taking

Quetiapine
Fluoxetine
Diazapam
Zopiclone

Various doses at various times. I have clinically diagnosed PTSD. I had EMDR therapy and then once that was done, just decided to go cold turkey. Not going to lie, it was like 3 weeks of all sorts of side effects.

But today now 2 years on, no meds, and doing fine.

I do however have a draw full of diazapam, and if I am having a bad PTSD day, night area occasional flashbacks, I just pop one of them and I'm good to go 🤣 I probably only have a bad day once every 5-6 months though, so my stash should last a while. Haha

Same for me, since being on adhd meds and the extra dopamine I’ve not felt that low rumble of vague depression I’ve had for forever. It’s such a typical misdiagnosis in women.

Yep. GP advised I’d be fine just to start dropping the dose. Wrong! Taper very very slowly. Even then there were some grim points in the process.

It’s terrifying

None of this is news, it’s all been known about for years.

Also, CBT isn’t any more effective than other forms of therapy, it’s just cheap and measurable, as it can be manualised. Time after time after time the research has shown that the most importance factor in the success of psychotherapy is the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client. Not the modality.

Also, joining a walking group is not a comparable alternative to two years of proper psychotherapy (ie not CBT) and medication prescribed and titrated by a psychiatrist. Looking at you, local MH services.

Mine saved my life, I wouldn't be here without them!

If your AIBU is should you take advice from randoms on the internet as opposed to your own doctor, then you are being unreasonable yes. Speak to your doctor.

It is the psychiatrists who have put me on practically every AD under the sun over the years though.

I didn’t see the programme but have known SSRIs are no more effective than placebo for years. There have been many studies on this.

Our whole conversation about depression is totally fucked up, totally and utterly fucked. It’s gonna take a lot to turn this around given how much money is at stake

I came off Citalopram 7 years ago - took it slowly with support of GP, six months from start to finish. She prescribed lower dose pills as I tapered off so no cutting pills. I didn't miss any days until right at the end when I was already on the lowest dose. I didn't experience any adverse effects while reducing and eventually stopping. My advice would be to get your support in place first aswell as working with your GP. I started attending a wellbeing group and began walking and swimming very regularly. I have had a couple of low spells and the isolation of lockdown was a challenge but so far have not come close to feeling I needed to take antidepressants again. Bonus was weight loss - 2 stone in all, partly due to stopping the medication and partly the walking and swimming. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I came off Citalopram 7 years ago - took it slowly with support of GP, six months from start to finish. She prescribed lower dose pills as I tapered off so no cutting pills. I didn't miss any days until right at the end when I was already on the lowest dose. I didn't experience any adverse effects while reducing and eventually stopping. My advice would be to get your support in place first aswell as working with your GP. I started attending a wellbeing group and began walking and swimming very regularly. I have had a couple of low spells and the isolation of lockdown was a challenge but so far have not come close to feeling I needed to take antidepressants again. Bonus was weight loss - 2 stone in all, partly due to stopping the medication and partly the walking and swimming. Good luck with whatever you decide.

All the Citalopram tablets I’ve had have been tablets not capsules and you can buy cutters off Amazon and pharmacies.

I’d likely not be here either without mine. Mine was prescribed to treat OCD and anxiety though. I did reduce to 25mg the other year but had a really bad spell last year (perimeno related) and now I’m on the highest dose again.

One thing I always think about these types of stories is you don’t hear about them in relation to drugs used to treat physical illnesses. And it’s all subjective isn’t it really? If they help, they help. If they don’t, you look for alternatives. Same as with meds for physical symptoms.

That’s really inspiring @NowItsSpring

I didn't watch it. I take 200mg sertraline daily. Without this I would be paranoid and suicidal. I would like to reduce the dose but I also don't want to go back to how my life was before. It was hell.