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View Full Version : Off medication after 17 years - need advice/support



ariel1975
06-13-2016, 12:55 AM
Hi everyone,

I have been suffering from OCD, depression and anxiety for many years and have been on different medications since 1998; during the last 8 years or so I was on Anafranil and Mirtazapine together. I decided I wanted to try to go off the meds - didn't feel they were making me feel better/happy, the weight gain, cravings and hunger were too much, was almost always tired, etc' etc'. Wanted to try to be myself for a change. I gradually weaned off (took me about a 1.5 years), while taking different supplements (Daily Essential Nutrients), which are supposed to help and have been without medication since February. Getting off wasn't easy at all but I'm now beyond the withdrawal symptoms etc'. My whole life changed - for better and for worse. It's taken me a few months to re-learn who I am, especially physically in terms of food, sleep, work, what's good for me and what isn't. Almost everything changed.

The good: I'm more alive, I lost about 18 pounds, I'm less tired, can finally get up early in the morning to help with the kids, I'm more emotional about everything, I'm learning more about myself and how to try and deal with things (trying to be less critical about myself and others, trying to be less angry, trying to think positively) and more.

The bad (or challenging): I now have to deal with all the problems I had before head on - increased anxiety, feeling depressed, feeling more irritable and less patient; not so easy to sleep as before.

I am treated by a homeopathic MD, and the remedies I take help to a certain extent. I also take the daily nutrients and a few other things such as Omega 3, Vitamin D, L-theanine, Inositol and Magnesium. I also try to be outside as much as possible and do physical activity whenever I can.

I'm dealing with it, but it's really not easy, and the honest truth is, I'm not sure how long I can cope. The question of going back to see a psychiatrist is in my mind all the time but I really would prefer not to go back to medication, if I can.

Is there anyone out there who's gone through a similar process and can share his/her experience + recommendations/advice? If so, and you are also taking natural supplements, please share your experience about those as well. I am also considering starting St. John's Wort, but unlike all the other supplements I mentioned, I don't think I'll start this without very careful consideration and advice.

Thanks a lot!

Ariel

Dahila
06-13-2016, 08:15 AM
Welcome to the forum.
Let's start from this : Homeopathy is a biggest scam in the world.
Herbs are very good alternative to medication, they work but on different lever. Just remember when on St. John's wort you can not be too much on sun, use sunblock, and mix it with other benzos or AD.
drink Lemon balm tea (Melissa) before bed. Get the extract of Passion flower. Meditate, does not matter if it is a half an hour or 5 minutes 3 times a day. Meditating helps you not only calm down, but to go back knowing you.
Common Camomile tea can help a lot especially before bed. Breathing; it is a huge part in managing panic attacks ;))

Nowuccas
06-13-2016, 11:04 AM
Hey ariel1975,

I hope it is vitamin D3, not vitamin D, which is synthetic vitamin D2; see http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/ It's best taken with some oil or fat; omega 3 is ideal but many brands are oxidised, a recent study shows, so I'm now recommending krill oil, preferably in hard coated capsules (less oxygen permeable):

Krill Oil capsules (180 per bottle): 90 Day Supply - Mercola.com
shop.mercola.com/product/krill-oil-capsules-180-per-bottle-1-bottle,665,418,0.htm
Antarctic krill oil has a unique secret weapon that makes it a top choice over fish oils. Unlike fish oils, krill oil carries its omega-3s, EPA, and DHA, in the form of ...
https://www.google.com.au/search?client=opera&q=mercola%3B+krill+oil&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

My previous post about vitamin D may be viewed at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?12695-Vitamin-D3-Cured-my-Anxiety-Depression-and-Panic-Disorder&p=227706#post227706 post #243

"Vitamin D3 Cured my Anxiety, Depression, and Panic Disorder", (not my thread) is at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?12695-Vitamin-D3-Cured-my-Anxiety-Depression-and-Panic-Disorder&highlight=vitamin

Dr. Hyla Cass wrote "St. John's Wort", which is available from Amazon.com

Hypericum perforatum, (St. John's Wort) is popular, but it takes a fair while to become effective for some people, (up to 2 months) and can affect other medications, so it is particularly important to remember to mention that you are taking it, if on any other medications, or expecting to be, when you visit your doctor. www.drugs.com has an interactions check function that includes the wort. It should be taken with a meal, to reduce the chances of stomach upsets.

Women using the contraceptive (birth control) pill should avoid it. Since it acts to thin the blood, it should be discontinued at least 2 weeks before surgical procedures, and only resumed after full healing. See www.sjwinfo.org/ which is a website totally dedicated to that herb. It has a forum, archives, an FAQ section and is very comprehensive, and www.hypericum.com/- which is also quite extensive, and www.drweil.com/ :Herbs, and http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/Treatments+and+drugs/St+Johns+Wort++-+Hypericum+perforatum.htm and http://www.depression-guide.com/hyperforin.htm re hypericin/hyperforin content; also http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-329-ST+JOHN%27S+WORT.aspx?activeIngredientId=329&activeIngredientName=ST.+JOHN%27S+WORT&source=2

Ensure you use a brand with sufficient hyperforin, along with the hypericin. Perika, Jarsin, or Kira are recommended. http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/kira-st-johns-wort_1_12320.html At http://www.bluepages.anu.edu.au/treatments/what_works/ it is given a 2 SMILY FACE rating, out of a possible 3, for non clinical (not major) depression.

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Homeopathy is based on two principles; the first being that "like cures like"; i.e.: a substance which produces the same symptoms in a healthy person as those of the person afflicted will cure it, and the second is that the more diluted the active constituent is, the more potent the remedy is, even to the point that it can be so diluted that not even one molecule of the active constituent remains!

In my opinion, in those cases where it works, any benefits came from the "placebo effect", in which someone who is given inert, or sugar pills, believing them to be medication, sometimes gets better, something like how a shaman / "witch doctor" can sometimes "cure" primitive, uneducated tribespeople of their ills by chanting, performing a dance, and burning herbs (of course, if they can't cure it, they blame it on "bad juju", saying that someone has placed a curse on them).

Check out http://www.google.com/search?q=+placebo+effect&hl=en&gbv=2&oq=+placebo+effect&gs_l=heirloom-serp.12..0l10.527523.527523.0.538713.1.1.0.0.0.0.2 215.2215.9-1.1.0.msedr...0...1ac..34.heirloom-serp..0.1.2215.ie_9I8Erjw8 View http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html
See: "Homeopathy ineffective for treating any health condition, meta-study finds" at http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/11/australian-study-says-homeopathic-drugs-dont-work.html View http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Homeopathy and http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4034

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My previous posts relevant to your disorders may be viewed at:

OCD: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34502-A-last-resort-Please-someone-tell-me-i-m-not-alone-in-this-(&p=226374#post226374

DEPRESSION: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?32707-has-this-happend-to-you&p=216510#post216510

GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?33964-New-to-the-site-and-looking-for-help&p=223989#post223989

HERBAL ANXIOLYTICS: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34269-5-Powerful-Tools-You-Probably-Haven-t-Tried-Yet&p=225415#post225415

NON HERBAL NATURAL (NON PHARMACEUTICAL) ANXIOLTYICS: (5-htp, etc.) http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34355-Help-Please!!!/page2

I suggest that you have up to 6 months of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for OCD and depression; more therapies for treating depression are shown at http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/b.html Try to rely less on medications after a while of using the herbal and non herbal anxiolytics / antidepressants like the wort, 5-htp, or SAMe, but maintain omega 3, magnesium, and optimise vitamin D levels at around 60 ng/ml (150 nmol/litre).

Google: "clinical psychologists; CBT; (your location)" and have an initial appointment with 3, selecting the one you feel most comfortable with.

Anne1221
06-13-2016, 12:48 PM
I sincerely do hope you don't have to go back on medication, but if you do, stay away from Anafranil and Mirtazapine! Those are the two worst for weight gain!! Try Lexapro instead.