not taking anti depressants anymore??

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with discontinuing use of anti depressants.
Did you have any side effects or withdrawl symptoms?
Did you ween yourself slowly or suddenly just stop taking them?

I took anti-depressants for 6-7 months in 2006. I just suddenly stopped taking them because I left them at a friends house and didn't get it refilled. I was fine, no side effects or withdrawals. I think I may need them again though.

I know it is best if you ween yourself off. I will be stopping mine in about a month.

I don't think you are ever supposed to stop taking anti-depressants cold turkey without talking to your doctor. That can really mess with your brain chemistry. I would def talk to the doc about a tapering schedule.

Quoting Natalia D:“ I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with discontinuing use of anti depressants. Did you ... [snip!] ... Did you have any side effects or withdrawl symptoms? Did you ween yourself slowly or suddenly just stop taking them?”

When I found out in february I was pregnant the doctor stopped me cold turkey and I slept for a week or so and was very moody. Personaly if I have to do over I would ween myself off them. Good Luck!

it really depends on how long you've been on them. I mean Weaning yo'ure self off is the best but if you haven't been on for ywears you still wo'nt have side effects if you just drop them. My mom was on them my whole life till about a month ago and she just stoped cold terky and well..she freaked out and had to be pput back on them.

I took lexapro for years... Then when I got pregnant, we came down off the dose over the course of 8 weeks... But when I came off of them I didn't really have any problems because we decreased the dosage slowly....
Now I am back on them, and going back to them this week has made me kind of zonky even though we are increasing the dose back up to my original to help combat potential problems with PPD.

I have missed one dose so far ( yesterdays ) and soon to be todays dose as well.
I am 5 months pregnant and really really really dont want to take them anymore. I dont feell ike they are helping me anyways. Ive done some soul searching and think I figured that I am not so much depressed as I am stressed out and have problems with anxiety.

This morning after walking my daughter to the bus stop I suddenly got a pounding headache and have felt dizzy since. ( a few hours )

I was taken off them when i found out I was pregnant and had the worst time ever. i cried, couldnt eat couldnt sleep, failed out if school constantly got sick. It was horrible. Im back on lexapro and zyprexa now and feel much better, ill never go off them again.

I was told to take them when i was told i had PPD. I decided to go against docs wishes and deal with it on my on. I've been fine since then. Some people arent able to do that though. But i knew the side affects of taking them and becoming dependant on them thats why i didnt take them.

Quoting Natalia D:“ I have missed one dose so far ( yesterdays ) and soon to be todays dose as well. I am 5 months pregnant ... [snip!] ... morning after walking my daughter to the bus stop I suddenly got a pounding headache and have felt dizzy since. ( a few hours )”

That might be a pregnancy thing I actully fainted at the local mall one day. I sujest calling your dr and talking to him/her about it.

I stopped immediately after I worked through my issues and wasn't depressed anymore and realized they were just trying to keep me on medication so they could get the money out of my insurance for it. I didn't have any problems at all. Felt tired for a couple of days but that was it.

However, taking so many of them even for the 3 short years that they convinced me I needed them (Depakote, Topamax, Effexor, Zoloft, Geodon, Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel and Lithium, not all at the same time)has caused weight gain I've never been able to lose, about a 10 point drop on any IQ type test from before, and the pretty much complete disappearance of my musical creativity. Even 5 years drug-free I've never been able to get that back. I'd like to think we just get stupid as we get older, but I don't think so.

I have only been on mine for a short time. I started taking Ciprilex in Dec 2007. Then got a BFP in the middle of January and because the drug I was on was fairly new, there wasnt enough research done on them in regards to pregnancy I asked my doctor to switch meto something else that was either an A or B on the " taking while pregnant" list. I have only been on the new drug for 1 month. I was given Paxil.
I am really uncomfortable taking them while pregnant, especially since I dont think I am depressed.
I am on 20mg. Maybe I will get my prescription refilled and cut them in half or something.

I know this sounds totally stupid but...
Where I live you cant just call the doctor to speak to him or her. There are no nurses to speak to either. Just receptionist.
You MUST make an appointment, which usually takes a week or two to get in.
Its totally messed up. We ( our household ) dont go to the doctors unless someones really sick and needs medicine or its checkup time.
How dumb that I am 5 months pregnant and have only seen an OB twice.
They make it such a hassel for people.
We dont have the same health care system as the Americans.
Its really sad.

Quoting Natalia D:“ I have only been on mine for a short time. I started taking Ciprilex in Dec 2007. Then got a BFP in the ... [snip!] ... OB twice. They make it such a hassel for people. We dont have the same health care system as the Americans. Its really sad.”

That sucks! It really does. I feel for you dear.
Google works wonders though, and this site!

I took zoloft for a while, and when I stopped I felt great, and didnt need to continue it