withdrawal ????

[bethy79]

i've tried 3 different ssri's in the past two months with a few day break in between .i was just wondering if anyone knows how long does it usually take to be on an antidepressant to go through withdrawal if you stop taking them? has anyone been on them for just a short time and had a hard time coming off? :unsure: :?:

[ojala]

Hi Bethy! I hope you're doing good as you read this.

Well, I probably am not much help since I've only been given Valium and Xanax. I took Valium (prescribed) for 1 day and it only made my anxiety worse.

I was on Xanax (non-prescribed) for about 15 days. 2 mg pills, I took one a day. That's all it took. Once I tried to come off of them, I couldn't. I went for about 3 months of buying them from various sources. I tried to only take them every 3-4 days, until I finally gave in and went to see a FNP who prescribed them to me.

So to answer your question, I was on them for a short time and had difficulty coming off of them. I don't want to tell you how long withdrawl will take since I haven't gone through it fully.

I have read some ridiculous and frightening timeframes on Google. But as someone stated in another thread, Google can only make matters worse.

I'll share more about that tomorrow afternoon. Later this afternoon, Saturday. I'll link you to the thread once I have posted my personal update since I have been away from the forums for a long time.

[Robbed]

It's also important to remember that pretty much everything about SSRIs is VERY much dependent on the individual. Just as some people have HORRBIBLE withdrawal while others have little to none, some people take longer to develop a dependency than others.

[Punk Rock Steve]

Hi Bethy! Like Robbed said, it's very individual in regards to both the person and the drug that you're taking...I've been on a number of pills, most (with the exception of Xanax) for a short time. Took Effexor for about 10 days and I felt like I was coming off of something horrible like heroin. However, I took Lexapro for months and and when I stopped there were no ill effects. I've been sober (from alcohol) for almost 8 years now and would prefer not to take anything at al, and while I'm not looking forward to coming off the Xanax, for the time being it needs to be a part of my recovery until I start to get better at alternative non-medication solutions like meditation. Hang in there and keep sharing...that in itself will help you to feel better!

[bethy79]

well its been almost two weeks on the paxil and the longer ive been on the ad's the more nervous and depressed i become. I can't stop crying and my body hurts from being nervous all day and night. i'm gonna try to go off of them because i was doing better before i started the meds,i had bad anxiety but not for every waking moment and i didn't feel so doomed.

[will]

hi everyone,
this is my first time on the chat forum. my name is will and I have been struggling with anxiety for about 7-8 years. if you havent felt any better after 2 weeks then maybe that isnt the right med for you. different strokes for different folks I hear.

[ojala]

i was doing better before i started the meds,i had bad anxiety but not for every waking moment and i didn't feel so doomed.

i took valium once, as stated before. i KNOW what made my anxiety worse with valium. the label saying there's a chance of death during sleep when you're on valium. lol thats it.

i too was the same way. i didn't want anything to do with medication for anxiety. i wanted to do it the natural way. but at the time i didn't fully understand what was going on with me. now i do. as i said, i took xanax. i was taking 2 mg's every other day, then everyday, when i was buying it off the street. once it was prescribed to me, i began taking up to 10mg's a day on some days. it was horrible.

about 2 months ago, i came to the realization that my family nurse practioner wasn't going to give me xanax forever and this was something i was going to have to deal on my own or with support. but i would have to come off of it eventually.

i was right. this last time i went to get a refill, the FNP told me this was the last time she would see me for anxiety and i would have to see my local mental health mental retardation office for assistance. i didn't go. i had already been cutting back on the med's prior to her seeing me the last time. i did it fast at first from about 8-10mg's a day to 4-6mg's a day. then in a week or so i went to 3-4, then a week after that 3mg's, then 2.5mg's, and so on and so forth.

the last time i saw my family nurse practioner was on september 2nd. im down to 1mg a day. thats it. i sometimes get sensations associated with the anxiety, but i recognize and acknowledge, and reassure myself that that is all going on. im looking forward to coming off the medication completely soon. my next goal is to cut down to .5mg a day.

im always available to chat with anyone, whenever someone needs it. if im not online, shoot me a message either way. sometimes i forget that i signed in invisible. but nonetheless, i am available. if i dont reply, chance are im at work. but i will reply as soon as i read my offline messages. so, add me to your messengers. "[email protected]".

Chris

[Robbed]

i'm gonna try to go off of them because i was doing better before i started the meds,i had bad anxiety but not for every waking moment and i didn't feel so doomed.

I'm curious as to why you decided to go on meds, despite the fact that you were getting better. The way I see it, getting better is a sure sign that you should stay away from meds. Because the chances of adverse reactions to SSRIs are just so high, why rock the boat?

[bethy79]

my anxiety was starting up and i used cymbalta in the past with great success so i figured instead of waiting it out i would just go on cymbalta again but now im worse than when i started!!!