mummyoftwogirls Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 so its been 8 weeks off antidepressants now , I really thought they were never doing much to help but I realise now they were definitely keeping the edge off ocd and lifting my mood . The last two weeks haven't been great, ocd is creeping back im very tearful and low . two years ago i was on 60mg a day then 40mg then 20mg then in may 10mg a day gradually cutting down to one 20mg tablet every 4 days. Until 8 weeks ago i stopped. i hated the side affects Low sex drive, tiredness , numbness to other emotions. ( all side affects gone ) !! question is do i wait it out a few more weeks ? do i go back on them or do i try another anti d? can anyone give me there experiences? Link to comment
Guest nervous Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 What does your doctor say? I guess it comes down to which is worse, the side effects or mood difference. I don't like being on them if I could do ok without them I wouldnt be taking them but at this point I have to. Link to comment
PolarBear Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 The thought of stopping my meds scares the **** out of me. I'm in no rush to stop taking them. Link to comment
mummyoftwogirls Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Well I didn't think they were working but now I realise they were . Thinking of trying another one x Link to comment
Imhotep Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That may be worth doing. Although I've since relapsed, I spent some time without meds for a few months, and I felt good. I went through the usual ups and downs of mood, and intrusive thoughts rarely bothered me. Why is that? I spent a good two weeks solid doing CBT exercises, and yes it was difficult. As the drug wore off, I did feel a bit worse, but I thought I had nothing to lose by persisting, and my thoughts gradually had much less impact and disappeared. I even went 3 weeks without an upsetting intrusive thought! I wish I could go back to that now, but its not impossible and will keep trying. Link to comment
Guest lizinlondon Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Maybe you could ask.your doc if there are any other meds you could take with your antidepressant that will counteract the.side effects that bother you most. Link to comment
Steven_in_the_clouds Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I try to lower my dose every three months or so. I hate the sexual side effects of ssris. Unfortunately they all have that side effect and I'm already on the one with the fewest side effects for me. When I lower it I gradually get worse. I last for a month or so before I realise that I've slipped back and spending all the time ruminating. Then I give up and go back up. When I'm on the right dose it takes a few weeks to get up to speed then I'm ok and thoughts dissipate. Very frustrating! Link to comment
Guest Shell Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I have tried to come off the medication about 3 or 4 times now and each time I can manage about 3 months before an all time low that forces me back on to them. I hate the sexual side effects too. Currently on 40mg, and I think for me I need to be symptom free at this level for a good 6 months or so before I even consider dropping and then it would have to be a very careful process with doctors supervision and continued cbt. Then I'd want to see that I was symptom free for another 6 months at 30mg a day before considering another drop. It's tough but I'd say the sexual side effects are far better for me to bare than the all time low of being on no tablets, so I just accept for now this is how it is and I will continue to battle away until the time I can say I have been fine for a prolonged period of time before dropping down. What's really helping me at the moment is a charity called mind, they have been running a 12 week course designed to help people with anxiety, depression, ocd etc, with a focus on relaxation and all round well being. It's brilliant, so I'd google to see if there is a course through this charity in your area. What helps me too is exercise, managing my stress levels so I'm not taking on too much and having down time where I am doing hobbies that I enjoy - cross stitch is a good one for me as it occupies my mind. Things to avoid when feeling low are being alone, spending too much time in bed and alcohol. It is a battle, but I think in the long run it makes us stronger people. Take care x Link to comment
mummyoftwogirls Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Thank you all for you kind words :-) yes I think I will get some cross stitch I did that to distract myself as a teen before I realised I had ocd Link to comment
Guest Shell Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Yes I did cross stitch as a teen too before I fully knew about ocd, I think you instinctively know how to help yourself. I was always busy when I was younger, cooking, dancing, sewing....I need to keep doing these things now. Inactivity is a real no no when you are low and in the throws of ocd. However I'd also like to learn to relax in such a way that i am not having to constantly do things to distract myself, but I'm confident this will come over time. The mind course is really helping, focuses on meditation which I have heard is supposed to be brilliant for anxiety...there's an app called headspace where you can try some meditation exercises for free. I think it takes a while to crack it and I do find it difficult when I am particularly stressed, but I'm told over time it comes and should really help, anythings worth a go! Link to comment
mummyoftwogirls Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 I was using the app mindful but got a bit bored of the body scans and silence :-s need to give it another go. I struggle calming the mind Link to comment
Guest Shell Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 So do I but from what the mind charity have been saying, relaxation is key in helping you recover. In fact they have given me a whole new perspective on things, they say to relax and let the thoughts be there, accept them and don't try to fight them. Also understand it takes time to recover and you should never rush it as this causes tension and makes things worse. They have recommended books by an old psychologist Claire Weekes, and some of her advice is great...some of it you have to ignore as its written ages ago i.e. reference to shock treatment - its written in the 70s, but the stuff about acceptance, letting time pass and thoughts float makes a lot of sense. Link to comment
Guest ocd-but-never-knew Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Just joining in here - I'm on Cipralex, not sure what good it is doing as head whirring, but I think better than being off them. Link to comment
Guest lizinlondon Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 For mindfulness try www.smilingmind.com.au or www.freemindfulness.org Link to comment
Saffie Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 It always feels like they arent doing much when you feel 'normal'. Ive come off my meds 3 times, each time I ended up in a psychiatric ward, no matter how hard I tried or what I tried to do differently. I just cannot cope without them and it scares the living hell out of me the thought of being off them again. I would say keep in touch with services while you're doing it. My brain chemistry usually changes back badly after about 3 or 4 months off meds. It's then that I really need help and support. Put those things in place and it could work. Also, eliminating sugar and gluten/dairy from my diet had a huge impact on anxiety. Good luck Link to comment
ACE Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Hi MOTG I understand you coming off your meds especially if you felt at the time they weren't really helping.Try not to feel bad for coming off them it's a natural reaction&thought what you did many of us no doubt have done that before.But I think for sure if I was you I would explore looking into starting a new med that you certainly haven't been on before as there is no doubt something out there can certainly be of benefit to you for sure.I would also come off mine if they weren't helping me but at the end of the day what I'm on for me is the difference between life&death I know it :original: .I understand also the side affects are distressing also as I've found but not being on the meds personally would be far worse than being on them. Link to comment
Guest jayjay89 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Maybe you don't need to try another one - maybe you found one that already worked? They are all going to have side effects, its just if you can live with them and or wait them out unfortunately You could always try another one - but keep in mind its going to be like 8 weeks until you are up to a full dose and then another 2 -3 months to see if they help stabilise you. I personally would never try another one if I found one that helped at all, purely because I've tried all of them and all of them made me soooooo sick. Sorry I can't be more help! I guess it comes down to quality of life, what you think is acceptable? Anyway good luck Link to comment
Guest lizinlondon Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 That's good advice JayJay. It makes me feel more certain about my choice of sticking with fluoxetine. Link to comment
Ascend Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I'm trying to come off Sertraline at the moment, been on 200mg for some time. I feel awful, really irritable and hazey. Hopefully it will subside over time. Almost makes me wish I never started them. Link to comment
Superblade Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 my gp told me i will have to stay on a maintenance dose when its time to reduce my meds. i dont know what that means but i am still on the meds anyway. might be worth asking your gp about a maintenance dose ? Link to comment
Guest lizinlondon Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I don't even want to start thinking about withdrawals yet eeeeek! Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now