Kristen7: Moclobemide

[Kristen7]

Hi everyone,

 

Iv been taking Moclobemide 600mg for 12 weeks now. It literally turned my life around, my anxiety was basically none existant and i could function finally although in the last few weeks the anxiety is creeping back in and im feeling flat again. Has this happened to anyone else? I dont know if i should taper off or stick with it for a bit longer. Any feedback would be great

[KarenB]

Hello Kristen,

 

Welcome to S/A.  I don't know about Moclobemide in particular, but with anti-depressants in general once problems start showing up (either it stops working, or causes side-effects) it is best to slowly taper - this site recommends tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose at a time.

 

Have a read of some of the key topics such as http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/  and http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/

 

Then, if you decide to taper, you can learn some other ways to cope with the anxiety that you originally took the drug for.

 

I'd been on anti-depressants for 5 years (during which time I switched types and dosages as each one stopped working) before I finally worked out that I needed to just stop the madness.  In the end it was an entire autumn and summer of non-stop sadness and anxiety and fatigue that made me realise.  I am now at the beginning of a very slow taper, and wish I'd made that decision years ago.  Waiting a little longer would not likely bring any further relief for you.

 

If this is the only anti-depressant you've been on, and you taper in a gently, slow, supported way, then you are among the lucky ones . 

 

If you fill in a signature then people can give you more specific advice, and some more experienced people will probably be along soon. 

 

Hugs,

Karen

[Nomoreheadmeds]

hi  'kristen7'  welocme.

I wish you well

[Petunia]

Welcome Kristen7,

 

Thank you for joining and posting an introduction. KarenB gave you some good advice and helpful links, which I recommend taking a look at.

 

The only thing I can add is my own experience. I also started on antidepressants mainly for anxiety and at first I thought they were my miracle cure, but within a few weeks I was experiencing a deep depression like I'd never had before. I didn't realize it was connected to the new drug I was taking and just kept going. The anti-anxiety effect started to wear off, but the depression effect stayed with me, it improved a little but I just felt kind of numbed out mostly.

 

It was probably about a year later that I tried to stop taking it, I was on Zoloft at that point, but couldn't, I had already become dependent on it and didn't know I was supposed to taper off. I ended up being on antidepressants for over 13 years, in which time my health deteriorated a lot. I finally got off them, but tapered too fast and I'm now in protracted withdrawal. I wish I had never taken them in the first place.

 

The ironic thing is that during the years I was taking antidepressants, I had a lot of counseling and attended support groups for anxiety and learned new ways of thinking and behaving, which helped me to manage anxiety in a healthy way, but it was too late, I was already caught in the drug trap and in the long run, I'm certain they have done more harm than good. I wish I had just gone the therapy route. I have all these non-drug tools for managing anxiety, but they can't cure my withdrawal syndrome, my nervous system has been damaged by the drugs and all I can do now is wait to recover.

 

Please stay in touch and let us know what you decide. You will find a lot of friendly help and support here.

 

Petunia.

[Kristen7]

Thanks for your replies. Iv been battling depression, anxiety and social phobia for as long as i can remember. Iv been to a few psychologists over the years and know every strategy in the book to keep these issues in check but its not enough...im still struggling. I was anti medication but at the start of this year i had to at least give it go in the hope of some relief and to start living! I was first prescribed 50mg of Zoloft, it helped my anxiety but the side effects were debilitating so i switched to Effexor 150mg. I found i was really up and down emotionally and the fast heart rate was not good so tapered off it and now im on Moclobemide. At this stage i feel i need to be on something to function and be able to leave my front door everyday but finding the right one is proving harder than i expected. My doctor doesnt know where to go from here..is anyone having any success? I realise theres no miracle med...

[Altostrata]

If you believe you need the drug despite adverse effects, there's not much we can tell you. This is a site for going off drugs.

[KarenB]

I would say that finding the 'right one' becomes less and less likely (I believe impossible) once you have become sensitised to drugs.  I was similar to you in trying these drugs after years of struggle.  I had refused them for 16 years before I became utterly exhausted and gave up and let them prescribe me an SSRI.  They got me at my weakest moment - how different things could have been if, instead, I could have found the support I'd needed from people. 

 

And then, all I got was a brief window (about a year) of feeling okay.  Then side-effects and sentitisation kicked in, and i was stuggling once more, but this time with the added trauma of drug-addiction.  I truly feel that I've now had two major traumas in my life - early-childhood abuse, and now SSRI treatment.  

 

I really understand that you are exhausted from struggling for so long, and I know what it's like to be in that place where you've done so much work in order to get 'better' and it's still a struggle.  It's a horrible stuck feeling.  It is a major battle to keep doing.  I've had to confront this again and again over the years (both before and during meds).  Only last year I came to the point of realising that I will be healing for my whole life.  It was a frigging hard realisation, and it really sunk me for a long time, but I think now I'm starting to work with it.  I've written about coming to terms with it here.   

 

So yes, I feel I am having success, that I am on the right path.  Reading 'Anatomy of an Epidemic' by Robert Whitaker was very helpful for understanding why getting off drugs is the right path.  I really hope you can find a way that brings you to a good place - you deserve goodness in this life.

 

Hugs,

Karen 

[Kristen7]

Thanks so much Karen. It feels like such a lonely journey, i wish i knew what to do to get better but talking to others going through the same struggle and hearing experiences like yours helps. I hope you things get easier for you too

[KarenB]

It can be lonely, but that's where we have to make the first step of reaching out to people.  I've made it a point to tell my sisters and my close friends all about what I'm going through.  Even though none of them have experienced it, they are caring and make time for me.  Sometimes it makes me feel a bit dumb, like I've always got some problem or other, but the truth of it is that people need people in order to heal. 

 

I had to learn to stop living two lives - my real, hard, hidden life of coping with my past and now with meds, and my pretend-everything's-find life.  But now, those relationships are deeper than ever, and I have more support than ever, so reaching out, taking that risk, has been more than worth it for me. 

 

I believe that if we keep moving towards healing, keep on reaching out, keep on talking and reading and learning, then we will find healing in our lives. 

 

Hugs,

Karen