How long to continue antidepressant?

Hi, had major depressive episode 4 years ago. I'm doing great. No complaints. I still take the two meds I was put on back then. My reg doc prescribes them. No pdoc or T. Do I need to take forever or can I dc them and still stay well? My dx was major depression, not bipolar. Thanks for your responses. I find all of you to be very caring and supportive of one another and frankly, it warms my heart.

I continue mine until my prescribing professional states I don't need it anymore. When ever I thought I needed to go off the meds I always consult with the prescribing professional because antidepressants are not like taking asprin I have to be tapored off them or else I go through with drawl symptoms of major headaches, chills, electric zaps in my head, creepy crawly feeling under my skin and so on.

Sometimes when I brought it up to my doctor I was told I needed to continue with the meds and other times I was taken off for a trial period to see if I still needed them.

Talk with your prescribing doctor and based on your specific symptoms and so on that doctor will help you decide whether or not you need to continue with meds and if not how to take you off the meds with the least amount of withdrawl.

Is that the only episode of major depression you've had? If so, it might be worth asking if you can go off now that you've done so well for so long. I have had many, many episodes, so I'm on for life, which tends to be standard protocol.

No matter what, as myself said, make sure you taper!! Withdrawal is too bad otherwise.

Candy

Hi,
I am almost off mine right now - decided on my own to stop them. I have had 2 major depressive episodes and dysthymia for most of my life. However, I don't see enough of a benefit to stay on them. You should try seeing how you do off of them. But you need to taper them - about 25% less each week. So if you can, you need to split the pills (depending on what you're taking) or take 1 day on and 1 off.

I just met for the first time with a psychiatrist and told him my general dr. and a psychologist said I should stay on them (the g.p. said for life), but that i didn't want to keep taking them. He said it was my choice, and that we could see how i did without meds.

hope it helps...

I am continuing mine for 3 or 4 years. Tha is a good amount of time because eventually you will just forget about your depression and my psychiatrist told me that people usually take their psychiatric medications for at least a year, especially in the case of depression.

Ok, thanks everybody. It was the only episode and I have been on them for 4 years now. Perhaps I will ask my internist. Do you think I should ask a psychiatrist? I don't have one of those....

I don't have a psychiatrist either. my family physician monitors my medication needs both physical and mental. Who ever is the one that is prescribing your medication is the doctor you should be consulting because that doctor is the one that has been doing the follow up care for your medication needs.

I get the feeling she doesn't know anything about psych meds and only continues them because I ask her to do so.

I still take mine as I have fought depression all my life but whatever you decide, I wish you luck and years free from depression.

Linda

psychiatrists know more about psychiatric meds, i would highly recommend it (after being terrified of seeing one myself)