[RunningEagleRuns]

Do you have hope for a life without meds? I do. I desperately want to get off my medicine.

[Wren_]

I'm not on meds, my T wants me to be but still fighting it. Have you talked to your doctor about the possibility of coming off the medicine?

[kaliope]

Yes, I hate being on meds. But the fear of returning to the chaos of cycling between suicidal depressions and psychotic manias keeps me on them. I know some people think their manias are fun. I didnt have those kind of manias I guess.

[crazycanbegood]

I got on to my meds at everyone's suggestion. I stopped three time cold turkey and each time my T convinced me to get back on them. The withdrawal was HORRIBLE from cymbalta and I swore never to touch that medication again. Now I am off one and I am stopping a second without her knowledge.

[nicoleb2]

I hate being on meds too. I tend to have a lot of side effects and the meds don't work for long. I don't really have any hope of ever getting off of them though

[Gus1234U]

i had such terrible side effects from meds that i can not take them. i have been coping for 20 yrs now without meds, and in the early years it was a horrible rollercoaster ride with panic around every bend. but i persisted in learning coping skills, i learned to be mindful of my symptoms and use the skills i had left, and finally i found a brain balancing auditory (sound) therapy called Holosync, sold by CenterPoint.com.. it has had an amazing effect, balancing my mood swings and even restoring my memory, over a 6 yr time period...

try learning Cognitive Therapy, and Behavior Mod, and BioFeedback, and anything else that MIGHT help,, and persist...

best wishes,, Gus

[sunrise]

I am on two meds for ADHD and they have really helped me a lot. I think I've been on them for a couple of years now. I don't have a strong desire to stop them, but I know they are not good for my heart and blood pressure. I think I will stop taking them when I am done with school, which is another 2 years. One of the meds is a stimulant and I try not to take it every day--just on days when I think I will need it. So I do what I can to minimize use. At one point my PNP said that I could probably drop the non-stimulant med but then said well maybe I'd better not rock the boat right now, since I was doing well. So she is on board with the idea of waiting until I am done with school.

[mixedup_emotions]

I've been on meds for many years, and I'm afraid to stop taking them. I've experienced terrible withdrawal when switching meds, and it scared me big time. Also, with the bouts of serious depression that I've been in over the last couple years, I'd be afraid to know what that would've been like without meds. During my last terrible low, my T was pushing to have me get my meds adjusted...and my T HATES meds...I ended up coming out of the depression without adjusting the meds...but it just scares me. I have no plan at this time to come off the meds...although with the idea of losing my job and possibly not having medical insurance, it might have to happen....Yikes.

[ECHOES]

I'm wondering what med/s are you on and have you talked to your prescriber about this?

[dismantle.repair]

hehe I was asking this question last night as well.
I hate being on meds. I hate the side effects... but for now, I appreciate the necessity.
Unlike most of you though, I don't have to stay on the medication forever. I was told a guideline of roughly 2 years...
At this point, I'm very afraid to come off them after 2 years because I'll be under the most stress wrt college exams then.

[rainbow8]

I've never taken meds. Recently my T suggested them but I got too panicky about side effects. I don't think they would be worth it for me, but if I needed them, I would take them. Good luck with getting off them!

[MASIMO]

Originally Posted by crazycanbegood

I got on to my meds at everyone's suggestion. I stopped three time cold turkey and each time my T convinced me to get back on them. The withdrawal was HORRIBLE from cymbalta and I swore never to touch that medication again. Now I am off one and I am stopping a second without her knowledge.

If you dont mind sharing, how much cymbalta were you taking?
I just take one a day of the lowest dose possible, not for depression
but migraines. When I ran out once I started to feel sick, even at
such a low dose. Cold turkey is never a good idea but sometimes
it happens.

[Dazed and Confused]

Originally Posted by RunningEagleRuns

Do you have hope for a life without meds? I do. I desperately want to get off my medicine.

I can totally relate. I started taking Zoloft (sertraline) about 2 years ago with the understanding it was temporary --that my brain might remember how to produce serotonin (something like that) after a period of time like 6 months. After 1 year, I started to titrate off the medicine and my depression recurred. So I went back on it. I hate taking them. Not because of any side effects. I really had no side effects from it. I just hate the idea that I need this drug. That I can't handle life without it. So from time to time I just stop taking them, like I'm trying to prove to myself that I don't need it. The results of not taking them are not good. Then my therapist has to remind how it's important to take them regularly and that I "function" best when I take them regularly. And then I start taking them again. It stinks. But when I am reminded of how sucky life is without them, I'm kind of glad I have them, even though I will never "like" taking them. You're not alone in wishing you didn't have to take them. Or fearing that you might have to take them forever. On average, I don't think most people have to stay on them like me.

[crazycanbegood]

Originally Posted by MASIMO

If you dont mind sharing, how much cymbalta were you taking?
I just take one a day of the lowest dose possible, not for depression
but migraines. When I ran out once I started to feel sick, even at
such a low dose. Cold turkey is never a good idea but sometimes
it happens.

i was at a high dose. i dont remember how high now. I was sooooo miserable. OMG! I would wish that upon NO ONE. I truly thought I was dying or maybe I hoped that I was?? It lasted about 2 weeks for me, and then I was okay, at least physically.

[skeksi]

I took two meds when I began treatment. One, I swore didn't help but the pdoc swore it was effective. I improved after exposure therapy with my T and pdoc said I was doing so well I could go off the med. I never did see a difference on/off the med except at the transition, which sucked.

I still take one med, which I am willing to take for the rest of my life because it does help.

[splitimage]

I'm on a med cocktail. Been on meds over 10 years now, hardly remember what my brain was like premeds. I have very mixed feelings about them. I tried to reduce one this past spring, because I don't like its side effects - they're manageable, I just don't like them. So I tried reducing the dose by .5 mg. I lasted 10 days, didn't have withdrawals but my mood got progressively worse. So at least I know the meds are doing something. My pdoc now says we can try weaning me off them in a couple of years if I manage to stay stable for that period.

--splitimage