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TV segment - NZ Study Antidepressants are addictive


bubbles

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This is one of Dr John Read's colleagues, discussing the study conducted. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/fairly-awful-anti-depressant-withdrawal-symptoms-rife-in-new-zealand-but-warnings-found-lacking

 

25-27% said they had some level of feeling addicted; 55% had difficult withdrawal.

 

 

2005 St John's Wort / 2006-2012 Lexapro 20mg, 2 failed attempts to stop, tapered over 4.5 months in early 2012

January 2013 started Sertraline, over time worked up to 100mg

July 2014 Sertraline dropped from 100mg to 75mg, held for six months, slower tapering until 2019 22 Dec 3.2mg

2020 Sertraline 19 Jan 3.1mg, 26 Jan 3.0mg; 1 Mar 2.9, 7 Mar 2.8, May (some drops here) 24 May 2.5, May 29 2.4, June 21 2.3, June 28 2.2mg,  July 4 2.1mg, July 24 (or maybe a bit before) 2mg, early Nov switched to home made suspension; 29 Nov 1.8mg; approx 25 Dec 1.6mg)

2021 Some time in about Jan/Feb realised probably on more like 1.8mg and poss mixing error in making suspension; doses after 10 Feb accurate; 10 Feb 1.6mg; 7 Mar 1.4, continued monthly

10% drops until 1mg, then dropped 0.1mg monthly.

May 2022,0.1mg, now dropping 0.01mg per week

29 August 2022 - first day of zero!

My thread here at SA: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1775-bubbles/page/21/

Current: Armour Thyroid

 

 

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Thanks for posting this, Bubbles.  I had not seen it (I don't watch Breakfast - too early in the morning for me!).  Good to see this kind of thing on mainstream TV.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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Yes. I also don't watch TV early in the day - too much happening to add TV to the mix! I thought it was good that it was on mainstream TV. She couldn't say everything on the topic in such a short segment. I'd have liked to have seen a longer segment that was a bit more fleshed out.

 

She sort of mentioned it, but I'd have liked to have had it spelled out that the increase in long term prescription is because they're hard to get off. I think the increase in long term use is simply because wd gets coded as relapse. I liked the way she mentioned that people had to function and so go back on.

 

I thought she could have mentioned that dependence occurred as a result of the way they are prescribed - there is no way to use an SSRI for a short enough time to even know if you might be one who gets a benefit without the risk of becoming dependent. You know, a benzo is used for surgical premed - we don't become addicted/dependent from that one off use, but an SSRI is all or nothing.
 

She briefly mentioned that antidepressant users aren't engaging in problematic drug-seeking behaviors, but the reality is if these drugs were banned or seriously restricted overnight and we were all cut off, many would. We don't need to because antidepressants get a health halo. She could have made more of tolerance - certainly SSRIs poopout and people updose. Or are updosed by their doctor.

 

All said though, that all probably requires about a 30 minute segment!!! I think she did well in her 4 minutes. Good that this is getting out there. I'd like to give people like her medals!

2005 St John's Wort / 2006-2012 Lexapro 20mg, 2 failed attempts to stop, tapered over 4.5 months in early 2012

January 2013 started Sertraline, over time worked up to 100mg

July 2014 Sertraline dropped from 100mg to 75mg, held for six months, slower tapering until 2019 22 Dec 3.2mg

2020 Sertraline 19 Jan 3.1mg, 26 Jan 3.0mg; 1 Mar 2.9, 7 Mar 2.8, May (some drops here) 24 May 2.5, May 29 2.4, June 21 2.3, June 28 2.2mg,  July 4 2.1mg, July 24 (or maybe a bit before) 2mg, early Nov switched to home made suspension; 29 Nov 1.8mg; approx 25 Dec 1.6mg)

2021 Some time in about Jan/Feb realised probably on more like 1.8mg and poss mixing error in making suspension; doses after 10 Feb accurate; 10 Feb 1.6mg; 7 Mar 1.4, continued monthly

10% drops until 1mg, then dropped 0.1mg monthly.

May 2022,0.1mg, now dropping 0.01mg per week

29 August 2022 - first day of zero!

My thread here at SA: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1775-bubbles/page/21/

Current: Armour Thyroid

 

 

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