Journey to reduce or stop meds

I have decided to try reducing or even stopping meds. I've been on them for years. The debilitation side effects have become intolerable. I feel like im living in a drugged induced cage. I cant think, i have no motivation to do anything. I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore.

It may be that when I get off meds I will flip out and decide I do need to be on meds after all. But Im in a safe place and I'm willing to take that risk. To see if I can have a better more mentally active life.

It concerns me a little that you're (as I can read in your signature) quitting all your meds at the same time. Please be careful. I hope this will work for you.

Is your pdoc supporting you and supportive?

Yes I am working with my Pdoc. I'm reducing the seroquel and celexa at the same time. the modafinal I just started 2 weeks ago. I went from 100 to 200 in one week as directed and it was way too activating for me and was giving me severe headaches so I went back to 100. I'm not going to try getting off Xanax until I'm off the AP and ADs.

hi. im happy for you. just try to take it slow w/ the dosage reductions, especially the seroquel. i think it sometimes makes sense to reduce an antidepressant and the tranquilizer at the same time. when i dropped my wellbutrin, my psychiatrist offered to reduce my abilify dosage, and that's worked out nicely for me.

sometimes, doctors will convert xanax and other high potency benzodiazepines into valium and taper off valium. I don't know if that would even be necessary for you, but I thought I'd mention it. Valium has a terrible reputation in some places, but it acts fast, has a long half life, and its a lot easier to taper than xanax, ativan, klonopin, etc. i think librium is used now and then for the same purpose.

congratulations on your efforts, btw.

I'm doing ok so far. The first night I reduced the seroquel i woke up about 3 hours earlier than i normally do. But after that my sleep went back to normal. Felt mildly agitated, but it turned out I needed to eat. Only coffee for breakfast doesn't work for me.

im glad your dosage reductions are going smoothly. im also happy that your doctor is working with you...that helps tremendously, I'm sure.

seroquel kind of scares me, more so than some other psych drugs. i couldn't tolerate a low(ish) dose back in the day, so i take abilify. im glad it helps a lot of people and it is easier to tolerate for many people than some other options, but...wow. doctors seem to use it for just about any and every possible psychiatric indication imaginable, and its got a serious adverse effect profile.

anyway, i hope you'll keep us all posted as you continue tapering. i read somewhere that once you get your psych drugs cut about 1/2 or so, a lot of people get flooded with creativity, emotions, stuff like that. i think i read about it on mad in america, maybe.

hope things continue going well for you.

Thank you for your input. I'm going to keep posting my journey. I'm an avid reader and have read Mad In America and Prozac Nation. I've probably read every book on the market regarding mental illness and alway search for more. From every perspective...pro med, anti med, the spiritually of MI, nutritionally deficiencies that can cause mental illness symptoms, the list goes on.

A flood of creativity would be awesome!. I'm a writer and artist. My writing has fallen by the wayside due to brain fog which is one of the reasons I'm trying this taper. I take 2 art classes per week which I sometimes have to force myself to go to. My teacher knows what's up with me and is very supportive. She constanty reminds me that many artists don't "feel" creative. We just have to show up and put out our brushes and paints, and start moving and it will come.

I'm hoping that the day will come when I go into my studio (used to be my dining room) on my own and do some work without the safety net of class time.

This turned into a long post Again i appreciate from the bottom of my heart your feed back.

Just checking in. I'm still doing ok with my med reduction.

Having some life stressful problems with my mother in laws health declining and her frequent hospitalizations.

I'm giving myself permission to remain at my current dosage for another week before trying the next level. I'm hoping for slow but sure, with the least amount of withdrawal issues.

Hi Shazerac, good for you. I like that you made this thread to discuss your journey and experience going off psych Meds. Keep posting. I think it's cool you take art classes. That's productive, social, and sounds helpful even though you sometimes have to push yourself. I have heard of all those books but haven't read them. I should. I want to know more. I got "a mind of your own" by Kelly brogan at the bookstore today. Also, I'm glad you're going slowly with the taper.

Happy that this is working for you so far! Just remember that IF you do have a rebound it doesn't mean that you've failed.

Still going strong. Had a bad tooth ache followed by an emergency root canal. Had take pain pills that made me sluggish and dopey. Don't like that feeling.

I'm going to go down another step starting on Monday. we'll see what happens.

Just checking in, still doing ok and feeling better with the med reduction

I'm new here and just found your post and am wondering how you are doing now after getting off your meds?

My similar story: Was on SSRI, Xanax and sometimes gabapentin for 8 years and never thought I'd be off them. Dabbled with Wellbutin and escitalopram as a better mix than fluoxetine, but that didn't work well. However, as I titrated down I felt better and better until I was at zero dosage. All done through my PDoc. At zero, I decided to try that for awhile and it has now been 4 months off everything.

It's been easy. I can feel again, emotionally and physically...can cry in a Hallmark movie, and yet have no mood changes or depression (major depressive disorder) or suicidal problems. I don't have nightmares or flashbacks (chronic PTSD), but do sleep less but well. Seven hours vs. 13 and have more energy in the day off meds than on. Oddly, I haven't had OCD symptoms worth mentioning.

In those 8 years on meds, I went through CBT, learned to meditate, and studied various psychological techniques per my diagnoses, took an online year's class called compassioncourse.org and apply them accordingly. Studies show that SSRI can calm down the brain circuitry enough for the hippocampus to enlarge again and provide short term memory. I think that happened to me.

I am 70 so don't know if that makes a difference in how easy it was to get off meds(?). I needed meds after I had my breakdown at age 62 and am surprised as anyone that I am now off meds because I never had a gripe with them; however, now that I am off meds I can see the difference in my feeling levels: I am less numb now. The wellness tools learned in those 8 years have given me a useful 'go to' place, but it took meds first for me to get to that place of learning. For that I am thankful.

I hope you are doing well.

I had to freezing turkey (extreme cold turkey) quit all my meds in early November because of a severe potentially life-threatening side effect. It's been hell, it is hellish, and I'm restarting one med again on Friday if all goes well. But it was a 'good' experience, as in that we now know I do need my medication.