Liza2015 Posted July 13, 2023 Posted July 13, 2023 (edited) I have to start by saying I have suffered with anxiety since I was a teenager, I'm 52 now. Lots of issues with with my family life from being young but I always coped. 5 lovely kids and a husband, trained and qualified as a nurse. Started to cry a lot so a doctors visit and blood tests show I'm going through the menopause so sertraline was prescribed which was 4 years ago. My mum sadly passed away last November and about 5 weeks ago I had sertraline increased to 100mg. No sex drive at all in the last few years since the meds. Fatigue, mood swings. If I'm socialising with the family and I've had a few drinks a single comment can make me fly off the handle. Even feeling down a few years ago I would love to go back in time and say don't agree to taking anti depressants. My marriage is at risk now, I'm even more anxious at work so i need to taper off sertraline. Cigarettes come with a health warning on the packet, anti depressants should have the same. Edited July 13, 2023 by manymoretodays name to topic title
Moderator Emeritus Onmyway Posted July 16, 2023 Moderator Emeritus Posted July 16, 2023 Hi @Liza2015, welcome to SA. Is your goal to taper off of ADs? If so, can you pls fill in the your drug signature as explained here? Also, please read carefully the links in this post. They explain what harm reduction tapering should look like. OMW "Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. Aug 2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used) Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up) September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0 Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering) citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg, 7/27/19 -1.5 mg, 8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate
Administrator Emonda Posted July 20, 2023 Administrator Posted July 20, 2023 Welcome @Liza2015, I'm sorry to hear about your mum. That's certainly a distressing time. The side effects (sex-drive etc) sound pretty normal, not pleasant, but completely normal. It's not you, it's the ADs. On 7/13/2023 at 12:19 PM, Liza2015 said: I would love to go back in time and say don't agree to taking anti depressants I reckon many of us feel like this. I'll confess ADs helped me initially, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into...27 years later. I've now accepted the past and am slowly moving forward. You are in the right place if you'd like help withdrawing from ADs. If you fill in your drug signature, the moderators will be able to assist. Go slow, no more than a 10% per month reduction, and be patient. Wishing you well. Please don't send me PMs. I am not a doctor. My comments are based on my personal experience with ADs and tapering. Consult your doctor about your own medical decisions. Start of taper: Jan ’22 Vortioxetine 15mg, End year 1: 4.5mg, End year 2: 2.38mg, Year 3: 8 Feb 2.19mg, 21 Mar 1.99mg, 2 May 1.83mg, 13 Jun 1.69mg, 25 Jul 1.50mg, 14 Aug 1.46mg, 3 Sep 1.43mg, 10 Sep 1.40mg, 17 Sep 1.37mg, 16 Oct 1.34mg, 23 Oct 1.32mg, 30 Oct 1.29mg, 6 Nov 1.26mg, 27 Nov 1.23mg, 3 Dec 1.21mg
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