EazyE: antidepressant confusion

[EazyE]

Hi all

 

I’ve been on various antidepressants for the passed 7 years or so. I started with Effexor at a low dose and slowly got up to 150mg a day. I started to worry about bad brain fog, terrible

Memory and side effects so doctor put me on webutrin. I didn’t feel anything from that drug so he then prescribed Citalopram which I stayed on for a few years. I felt pretty stable on it but slowly my worry about usage, and brain fog re-emerged. He then switched me to Zoloft which I’ve been on for about a year now at 200mg a day. I’m worried that these drugs are just masking my issues and keep me in a zombie state. I was prescribed them initially for really bad depression and aNxiety and they  do help with the anxiety and sort of help the depression.They also help me to sleep which I had lots of problems with before the meds. I had seen some therapists during this time but the free mental health is either a joke or didn’t really help and I couldn’t afford to stick with the paying ones.

I looked into cbt but I find these drugs really affect my drive and motivation. I guess I don’t know what to do at this point or if I should jsut accept and stay on the drugs thanks to the good things they do? I read stuff tho and that scares me about long term use and things on surviving antidepressants. I wish I wasn’t such a head case. My emotions and personal life are also a bit of a mess right now so I don’t know if I can handle life without some meds. Guess I’m wondering if anyone has any tips, advice, recommendations or opinions.

[SkyBlue]

30 minutes ago, EazyE said:

 

I’m worried that these drugs are just masking my issues and keep me in a zombie state. 

 

I looked into cbt but I find these drugs really affect my drive and motivation. I guess I don’t know what to do at this point or if I should jsut accept and stay on the drugs thanks to the good things they do? 

 

Hello and welcome to SA. 

 

It sounds like you're exploring your relationship to these drugs and how they affect you, including tiredness and motivation. 

 

Coming off is such an individual decision -- we don't really steer people toward coming off (or staying on), but rather offer support for people who decide they want to come off in the safest way possible. It can be done, and there is lots of support here, if that is what you decide to do.

 

To begin with, it's a good idea to enter all the drugs you take in the Drug Interactions Checker http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html
and copy and paste the results in this topic. 

 

Also to help us out, please fill out a "signature" using these instructions: Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature 

The issues you raise are really important ones, and ones that a lot of people have been working out and this intro topic is a great place to discuss them.

Welcome to SA.

Edited May 11, 2018 by SkyBlue

[Altostrata]

Welcome, EazyE.

 

To help us out, see these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature

 

If you want to stay on Zoloft, you might be able to lower your dose, which would reduce the side effects. See Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

There are non-drug techniques to deal with your emotional issues. If you employed them, you may not feel you need the drug any more.

[EazyE]

Thanks but I haven't really tapered off of anything yet. I've been on the Zoloft for a year now. Previously I was on the other ones but tapered down with my doctor and always started a new one at the same time.

[SkyBlue]

Okay.

 

Still, you don't have to be tapering in order to use non-drug coping techniques. 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Please add your signature (info in links above). It sounds like you've had a lot of drug switches which will be important to keep in mind, going forward.

[EazyE]

I know I don’t have to be tapering. I’m looking for some opinions and thoughts/ reflections on my situation and if I should consider tapering judging by the info I gave. I know there are other methods idk where to start on my own.

 

i also don’t know what you mean about signature, I explained above I don’t have the info besides drug names. I don’t recall all the doses

[potions]

The only thing I can say is that the longer you are on he pills, the harder it will probably be to come off and the more damage you’ll be doing to your brain and CNS. Also, Ssris are known to blunt feelings of love, compassion, empathy, and emotions in general. My personality was completely erased on SSRIs, as was my sex drive/ability to feel infatuation. Studies show the pills harm relationships and make people “fall out of love.” Other than the fact that you’re damaging your brain, those are some things to take into consideration. I don’t know if you have these problems, but if I were you I’d try to come off Zoloft really really slowly. Multiple studies show those pills work no better than placebos for “mental illnesses”, and they simply burn out serotonin receptors and cause chemical imbalances. You’ve been on them for seven years; I think you should come off now.

[EazyE]

Thanks for the input. Do you happen to have any links to any of these studies you mentioned? I’d like to review some of the science and maybe talk to my doctor. I want to be functional and not a zombie but I also need some coping skills

[potions]

Sure. Here.

 

https://www.verywellmind.com/can-antidepressants-make-you-feel-emotionally-numb-1067348

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989833/

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.livescience.com/47262-antidepressants-affect-feelings-of-love-for-partner.html

 

https://www.medicaldaily.com/antidepressants-dont-just-change-your-sex-drive-they-can-affect-your-feelings-love-toward-297598

 

https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4197460/amp/Could-antidepressants-damage-brain.html

 

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1077185

 

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety/chemical-imbalance.shtml

 

Good luck with whatever decision you make. It is important to note that people have recovered from SSRI withdrawal syndrome, and (around half?) of people have no significant problems coming off. You are not doomed, but in my opinion it is the best decision to come off.

 

-potions

[Gridley]

This link has cites supporting the 10% taper:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

[EazyE]

Ok thatnks for the studies. I’m interested in cbt the most. Has anyone here successfully came off ad and switched to cbt and maintained staying off? Is there a success stories section here I can find?

i can read studies all day but some first hand experiences might help me out some too, thanks!

[potions]

Many people have come off and maintained staying off without CBT, but cbt has proven benefits too. Here is the success stories section:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/forum/28-success-stories-recovery-from-withdrawal/

[Altostrata]

EasyE, you have to decide if brain fog and zombification are the way you want to live. Reducing the dose part-way may reduce the side effects.

[EazyE]

I think I kinda do prefer the zombie numbness actually especially compared to all the other crap in my life lately 

oh well

[Carmie]

Hi EazyE, 

 

How are you doing? Sending hugs🤗