[Maxamuus]

Good Morning (or is night still?)

Anywho I'm wonder if anyone has had success getting off everything, just flushing it all down the porcelain throne ???

I have been on some sort of psych meds for as long as i can remember. Probably 20 years. It seems all the meds always need to be adjusted, or switched or added or subtracted.

Currently i am on -

Effexor - 225mg
Abilify - 2 mg
Gabapentin - up tp 1200mg a day
Buspar - 15mg 3x daily
Lamictal - 200 mg
Partridge in a pear tree - 1 bird daily.

Well they added Abilify when i was in impatient rehab for Alcoholism. Now i cant sleep. 3 hours a night is about average. So now i probably need another pill to help sleep.

So the question has arises in my head, what if i just quit everything? I don't even know what i would be like with NO meds. Anyone ever quit everything to experience reality again ???

[splitimage]

I can totally understand wanting to be off everything. I sometimes feel the same way, as I'm on a cocktail of meds since 1999.

However, I would strongly advise against going cold turkey. If you're serious about wanting off meds, talk with your Dr. and work out a slow taper schedule, particularly for the Effexor as it can have some negative side effects when withdrawing.

From your message it sounds like the Abilify is the most problematic med as it's affecting your sleep. Maybe start with tapering off it, and then see how you feel.

splitimage

[marvin_pa]

Originally Posted by Maxamuus

Partridge in a pear tree - 1 bird daily.

Wait, that sounds interesting - how do I get my pdoc to give me the bird?

[marcoleap]

Originally Posted by Maxamuus

Good Morning (or is night still?)

Anywho I'm wonder if anyone has had success getting off everything, just flushing it all down the porcelain throne ???

I have been on some sort of psych meds for as long as i can remember. Probably 20 years. It seems all the meds always need to be adjusted, or switched or added or subtracted.

Currently i am on -

Effexor - 225mg
Abilify - 2 mg
Gabapentin - up tp 1200mg a day
Buspar - 15mg 3x daily
Lamictal - 200 mg
Partridge in a pear tree - 1 bird daily.

Well they added Abilify when i was in impatient rehab for Alcoholism. Now i cant sleep. 3 hours a night is about average. So now i probably need another pill to help sleep.

So the question has arises in my head, what if i just quit everything? I don't even know what i would be like with NO meds. Anyone ever quit everything to experience reality again ???

I completely understand your desire to flush them all. Don't. Even tapering slowly off psych meds can be dangerous. Talk to your pdoc about the risks, and do it under his or her care if you decide to move forward. Make sure you have a plan and a support system in place--for example, start exercising regularly, improving your diet, going to therapy, letting friends and family know what you're doing and why. Be prepared for withdrawal and/or recurrence and know what you're going to do if that happens, such as restart the meds.

My experience: after 15 years on 150mg of Zoloft, I tried to taper slowly, over the course of 2 years. I did this with the approval of my pdoc, but he didn't tell me that when you discontinue SSRIs, there is a chance they won't work as well if you need to restart. My depression and anxiety returned with a vengeance. I went back on Zoloft, but even 200mg wasn't cutting it, so I had to add Abilify to the mix. After a year and a half on that combo, I'm only just starting to approach feeling normal again. I'm not saying don't try coming off your meds, but be very careful, know the risks, give yourself every chance to succeed, and have a plan in place in case things go south.

One other comment: being off meds does not necessarily equal "experiencing reality." If you feel the meds are blunting your emotions to an intolerable degree, that's different. But being on meds per se isn't an escape from reality. In some cases, being on meds allows you to actually be in reality. Untreated depression can feel like reality, but it's not. It's a distortion.

[IrisBloom]

You can try going off meds (in the correct way) and see how you feel. You might or might not need to go back on some. I have tried several times in the past and end up the same way each time...not good at all. Be aware of signs of your MI. Actually it's not unusual for one to need meds the rest of their life.

Going off Effexor willy-nilly will be like coming off a stimulant after long term use. Your anxiety will be through the roof. You need to tapper that slowly. That's the only med I'm familir with, so from the get go I think you could create your own personal hell.

[Shazerac]

I think almost everyone who takes psych Meds goes through phases where they want to flush them down the toilet. All I can say is it never ends well. My doctor humored me a few years ago and started titrating down my Meds at my requests. I ended up feeling like crap.

Some people who actually do flush their Meds ends up the hospital. If you really do want to try reducing your Meds please do it gradually with doctor supervision.