Quitting pills

[Blessed2]

So quitting my antidepressants is coming soon. My current batch is running empty in a couple of weeks and getting a new one would be a hassle. Also I do want to quit it because I'm on a journey of cleaning up what I put in the body. I've already quit caffeine and one other pill I took to get sleep. So I'm sorta looking forward to see what it's like to be clean of unnecessary substances. After this one there's only nicotine left to give up. 🎉 It's exciting to see what me and life are like 'sober'.

 

I'm going to cut the dose in half first and then quit completely. Fortunately it seems that this medication (vortioxetine) is relatively easy on withdrawal. Though I still worry cause it really seemed to have been a bit helpful so I wonder if there will be depression after quitting.

 

It's also been a while since I started taking meds. Maybe 5 years? So yeah I hope it won't get bad.

 

Also something that worries me a bit is that way back when the mental health trouble started, it was very peculiar. Haven't actually talked about this pretty much with anyone. Especially the social anxiety started very suddenly. Literally during one day. I had some stomach bug or something and horrible diarrhea. And after that, stomach problems persisted. There was maybe about half a year during which I had stomach problems, a bit like IBS, constantly, every day. And during that time the social anxiety and depression really got bad. Though the stomach issues and social anxiety went away pretty much completely right when I started taking SSRIs. So it's been quite a mystery as to what went down there. I wonder if it was like a psychological issue, or a physical issue that the pills somehow fixed.

 

I worry if the stomach problems will ensue after I quit. 😕 It sucked.

 

Though I noticed something interesting this week as I've been visiting my parents. I've had a bit like those stomach problems during this time. I've been feeling weirdly irritated with my parents too, I wonder if it might have something to do with that. Cause around the same time I first started taking pills, and the stomach problems got better, I also moved out from my parents and had my own place. 🤔

 

Anyway, any advice? Have you taken pills? How was the quitting?

[Faith]

1 hour ago, Blessed2 said:

Anyway, any advice? Have you taken pills? How was the quitting?

Not gonna lie. It was extremely difficult. I was on SSRI's for a long time, but tried getting off them a few times in that time period and simply couldn't make it through the withdrawal period. For whatever reason my body/mind was very sensitive to even lowering my dosage. I did finally get off SSRI's, but it took years. 

 

To have the best chance at it, imo, one should do a slow taper over many weeks and be feeling emotionally stable, eat and sleep properly and meditate, if possible. 

 

You probably should also discuss with your doctor first.

 

Good luck

[Mandy]

I haven't, but there are some natural alternatives that you can try in place of them? Ashwagandha and lemon balm are good ones. Have you played around with your diet to see if there's a food intolerance (gluten, dairy, eggs, etc?)? Stress can bring about a food intolerance and then things can compound fast. In my opinion in times of stress if everyone avoided wheat and dairy products, they'd be much better off. Often though, they consume more of it. 

 

Getting sunlight, time in nature, lots of fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water, human interaction, meditation, time for creativity and exercise everyday? 

[Phil]

21 hours ago, Blessed2 said:

Anyway, any advice? Have you taken pills?

3 different kinds around 20 years ago. Also thought I had depression. 

21 hours ago, Blessed2 said:

How was the quitting?

Cleaned up my diet, exercised and meditated every morning and didn’t experience any withdrawal. It was very opposite actually. I felt better with every passing day being off meds. 

[Blessed2]

20 hours ago, Faith said:

Not gonna lie. It was extremely difficult. I was on SSRI's for a long time, but tried getting off them a few times in that time period and simply couldn't make it through the withdrawal period. For whatever reason my body/mind was very sensitive to even lowering my dosage. I did finally get off SSRI's, but it took years. 

 

I've heard many stories like this. It seems SSRIs really can be hard to quit. I hope it will be easier for me.

 

Sorry for calling you an asshole some time ago btw. 😕 I appreciate your presence here.

[Orb]

@Blessed2

 

Ive only dealt with adhd pills so im not experienced with SSRIs but there are many alternatives out there to help. 

 

Omega 3 fish oil is proven to help with depression, theres a supplement called st. johns wort that does something similar but youd have to look into it. 

 

Exercise has also been proven to be just as effective as zoloft according to studies. 

 

The goal isnt to strip away something from your life and feel horrible, but to find a way to slowly (or quickly in some cases) replace an old substance/habit with a new ones. 

[Faith]

1 hour ago, Blessed2 said:

I've heard many stories like this. It seems SSRIs really can be hard to quit. I hope it will be easier for me.

Perhaps get a pill splitter and reduce the dose by a 1/4 every 1-2 weeks. 

 

1 hour ago, Blessed2 said:

Sorry for calling you an asshole some time ago btw. 😕 I appreciate your presence here.

No worries. It's okay. 

 

Thanks! I appreciate your presence as well. 😊

 

💙

[Faith]

57 minutes ago, Orb said:

theres a supplement called st. johns wort that does something similar but youd have to look into it. 

@Blessed2

I never tried it myself but I've heard of it.  Just be careful because, it should not be taken within 2 weeks of any SSRI use.  

 

 

[Orb]

@Faith Oh thanks for the warning, I wasnt aware of that. 

[Faith]

4 minutes ago, Orb said:

@Faith Oh thanks for the warning, I wasnt aware of that. 

I got you 😉. Lol

 

Apparently taking them at the same time or too soon after stopping SSRI's can cause serotonin toxicity.  I don't know the mechanics of it though, that would take some research. I personally never seriously considered taking it, so never got that far. 

[Orb]

@Faith@Blessed2 Theres also this adaptogen call Rhodiola Rosea which helps, but please research on it first. Ive tried Rhodiola and it definitely works. 

 

I may start taking Rhodiola and a small supplement stack to replace my kratom usage 🤔.

[Faith]

10 minutes ago, Orb said:

@Faith@Blessed2 Theres also this adaptogen call Rhodiola Rosea which helps, but please research on it first.

Bless your heart, but Rhodiola Rosea can also cause serotonin syndrome (toxicity) with SSRI use. 😆

 

 

[Orb]

@Faith 😅

 

@Blessed2 Id look into adaptogens as they're restorative and assist the body in coming to homeostasis (except rhodiola ofc).

 

Combining that with healthier food, exercise, and Omega -3 supplementation.