Reducing off meds...

Started by Boatsetsailrose, July 14, 2020, 08:18:09 PM

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Boatsetsailrose

Hi all
Haven't posted for a while and it's good to be back...
Need to also reach out and acknowledge newcomers is good to do that as I was new once!
I'm at a stage in my recovery where I've just finished an amazing piece of therapy... Been doing intensive trauma work of varying kinds for the past 5 yrs +..
I'm now reducing off ssri.. Have done so before but with unhealed trauma was too much and went back on.
I now feel at this stage that I can do this and keep walking with support and slowly doing it. I'm currently on 10mg it was 30mg.this last reduction has been the most bumpy..life seems big and overwhelming as I come back into a more feeling view. I'm so grateful to be at this place it's been work to get here and I've had incredible support. It's just the fear of not being in control (not that I was before but the meds give that cushion.. If I keep it in the day /the moment I'm OK.
Any postitive stories around coming off and staying off would be great...
Or indeed anyones experience of reducing...

sigiriuk

Quote from: Boatsetsailrose on July 14, 2020, 08:18:09 PM
I'm at a stage in my recovery where I've just finished an amazing piece of therapy... Been doing intensive trauma work of varying kinds for the past 5 yrs +..
I'm now reducing off ssri..

Good Morning from London
I stopped my SSRI in Feb 2019, and continue with therapy. My psychiatrist did not advise it however. I chose to use High strength Lions Mane mushroom capsules every day - VitD and high dose VitC ~3g/day.
My depression has not returned despite having a stressful job.

Many people slowly stop the SSRI, by using a cheese grater to take off a mg at a time (and recomended by doctors too)..or open the capsules.

My wife and work colleagues would tell me if I was going low again, and I cannot allow myself to go back to that dark place again.

I did take Psilocybin, a research drug around 6 times as well...which has proven benefits...but could not recommend it, as it is not legal, and you really need to know what you are doing, and have to use it with a friend, who can support you.

Slim

Boatsetsailrose

Hi slim
Good to hear u..
Morning from bristol, uk
Good to hear the depression hasn't returned..
I've been having intensive chakra healing too and really feels some shifts in my energy and the changing of brain structure. I can also see much of my depression was actually self pity... Might sound a bit harsh but some of it was just my default setting. Now I know what happened to me re trauma wasn't actually anything to do with me, I could have been any girl and that my parents are trauma survivors themselves it has given me a healed perspective. I still consistently need to work with not self beating but I can see many of my patterns led me to deep low mood and now I have so many tools to exit before the drop.
So grateful..
I hadn't heard of the cheese grater method I assume it's the slicer part of the grater? Hard to gauge what a 1mg is? Did u do this method? I I am going to ask for citalopram drops to reduce further... Good to hear about that method as a back up..
Mind website has some good advice around med withdrawal and the longer its been on etc also withdrawal effects can get more intense the lower the dose which I def identify with...
Gonna stay on this 10mg for a good while before dropping again... If I do drops I think I'd need to drop to 8mg will speak with GP about this...

Rainydaze

Hi Boatsetsailrose  :)

I hope the tapering off is going well for you. I was on Citalopram for 5 years and took my final dose in April (I think? The months are all blurring into one to be honest!) Getting drops so you can take measured doses properly is a really good idea. I was trying to split tablets into about 6 pieces by the end and it got a bit silly.  :blink:

I cope with my anxiety and C-PTSD now by doing yoga, meditation, tapping (very new to this but very optimistic about the potential benefits) journalling and self-help in the form of books, videos and online resources. I've also started taking CBD oil, 5-HTP and magnesium supplements. It was so rough for a while as my brain essentially lost its safety net and had to start learning to recalibrate but in the last month or so I feel like there's been a shift towards feeling a bit more ease. There is a definite comedown from the medication which I don't think GPs always fully appreciate. The advice I was given by my GP when I first tried coming off them years ago was to taper off over about 2 weeks, which I just look back on in complete horror because I now understand that this is nowhere near long enough and should be done extremely gradually over a period of months to avoid the horrible withdrawal symptoms (brain zaps, heightened anxiety, dizziness, etc.)

Coming off SSRIs essentially forces you to put in the self-care you need to get by and for me that's not a bad thing as this has always been an area I've struggled with. I'm relying upon and trusting myself more now. I also think it was necessary for me personally in order to be able to fully feel and process the trauma stored in my body. SSRIs were a lifeline for me though when I was completely overwhelmed, lost and didn't have the self-care techniques in place to cope without them. I've come off them with the mindset that I can always start taking them again if I find myself back in the place of being unable to cope, but I'm treating it as a very last resort and allowing the bad to be fully experienced and felt along with the good.

A book which helped me towards the end of tapering off was 'Recovery and Renewal' by Baylissa Frederick. It covered a lot about what you can expect to experience and she gives really good advice about how to manage without them going forwards.   :thumbup:

Boatsetsailrose

Hi blues cruise
Good to hear u and thank u for sharing..
Glad u are resourcing what u need, learning about self caring andfeeling  processing emotions.
I've just reduced again to 5mg the drops are easy to do the reduction so  def recommend.
Yep gps give such a short time span in terms of advising coming off..
I've been quite tearful this past few days but it also feels so good to cry! Ive cried v little over the past yrs on citalopram.
I feel ready and equipped to feel my emotions in all the range... To resource from other sources instead..
My prayer is that I've done enough trauma work which I feel confident I have.
I like how u talk about the brain and its safety net that's exactly how it feels... A recalibration.
I didn't realise the last 10mg could be the hardest until I read it which gave me come confirmation.. Makes sense really as at higher doses the dose left in the brain is still significant. Next reduction to one drop 2.5 and then I'll be off...
It's felt v drawn out but I'm glad I've pursued this way of doing it to give myself the best chance of it not being too much. Many people don't get off due to withdrawal symptoms so doing it over what I think will be about 5 mths by the time I'm off seems sensible way...
One day at a time hey for all of us on our recovery journey to self care, self compassion and gentleness.
Hope u have a good day..
Ps yoga and meditation are the best!

JakobBolu

So sorry that you are dealing with this. For me reducing meds, was the worst. I do hope that you have got thru these challenging times.