Coming Off Antidepressants: Reasons & Withdrawal | AmandaMuse

The best thing about coming off meds is feeling again. The worst thing about coming off meds is feeling again.

People don’t realize how debilitating health anxiety can be. It’s almost a joke. I was a little bit of a hypochondriac and then covid hit and I spent the first entire year of 2020 terrified I was going to get sick and die. It’s constant fear. Eventually moved to thinking I have some sort of cancer all the time. I was constantly checking my self in the mirror. Literally as soon as I rolled out of the bed somedays, I’d go straight to the bathroom and start looking in the mirror trying to find something wrong This type of behavior eventually leads to depression. You start thinking “Why can’t I just be normal. Why am I terrified all of the time?!” It makes you angry too I got to where I didn’t want to even get out of the bed in the mornings because I knew my day was going to be filled with fear and panic about the possibility something was wrong with me and so was missing it Through a low dose of sertraline (I was on 50mg for a few months then went to 25mg for a little over a year now), getting on TRT (I had extremely low testosterone levels) and a closer relationship with God, I have been able to manage the anxiety and go on with life. I still have the occasional anxiety but it is nothing like it was and I am able to pray and relax and it goes away. SSRI have helped but yea I’m ready to come off of it

I weened off of my SSRI's, starting Jan 27, 2024...Now at day 14. Your video hit so close to home I cannot even tell you. Between the brain zaps, mood swings and 'other' issues---it's been a living nightmare. Currently at that stage where EVERYTHING triggers me--NO Hallmark commercials for this guy!! I NEVER want to go thru this again. Again--thanks for taking the time Amanda, it TRULY made a huge difference for me as I've been wondering just what in the sam hell is going on with me lately---NOW I know.

I’m a pretty fit person and I was a personal trainer for a long time. Zoloft made me feel absolute zero interest in working out and physical exertion was actually super hard and more tiring. I never ended up gaining weight but I was definitely more interested in savory foods like Mac n cheese and chips that I never cared for before. Hearing her experience is super validating.

I love being clean of all psychiatric drugs!! 🎉🎉🎉 Thank you for sharing your story!!

Your explanation of the cycle of antidepressants is the most comprehensive and truest I've ever seen. If I could have made a video myself to explain to people exactly what happens,this would be it. And I've taken SSRI'S for 30 yrs. The origins of anxiety, panic and depression,stress,the relief from taking antidepressants by having your emotions compressed,the eventual side effects with no energy,weight gain etc and lessened motivation,sex drive. Then the desicion to come off and the withdrawal symptoms. The initial feeling of euphoria as the floodgates of emotions return, energy and sex drive return. The only part that's missing is the return of original symptoms of anxiety and depression months after discontinued use,worse than it was before,causing you to run back to the doctor begging to go back on them. That's what I experienced over 30 years, leading to the cycle of antidepressants. On,off,on,off. Though they are not technically addictive,lots of people,including myself develop a dependency.Again I am withdrawing off another antidepressant,but this time I know that the return of symptoms is due to withdrawal and not the return of my original anxiety,and now it is finally admitted to the public that a chemical imbalance and a lack of serotonin is not how antidepressants work. I am now concentrating on mindfulness, meditation,breathing and neuroplasticity, rewiring the anxious brain to rid myself of antidepressant use and the cycle of antidepressants.

I’m currently going through antidepressant withdrawal and I watched this video a few times as it is really validating my struggle because I feel absolutely I’m horrible and out of mind going through this - I want to make a video on this topic myself to help other people. Thank you so much for sharing! And I know this nausea, lack of appetite and heart palpitations will end ❤

When I started SSRI's last year, I found your video about your first 3 months on meds. Now that I am in the process of coming off it, I found this video of yours. Both of those made me feel so much better! I feel like my resons to even start SSRI's were very similar to yours, the dosage and timeline is pretty much the same and I have almost identical side effects as well so .. thank you for sharing all of this and making it a bit less weird and lonely journey 🙏

Lexapro significantly helped me with anxiety and panic attacks. I started at 10 mg and was on that for several years. Then went down to 5mg and sat there for several years. Now I am down at 2.5mg a day and plan to be for at least a year, and then will alternate that and nothing for several months before stepping down to nothing. Slow is fine. And taking the time and see at each step how you are managing is so important. I will say that at this incredibly slow pace I have had zero side effects. Never had a brain zap once.

Thank you for this video, you have no idea how much it helps to know you’re not alone.. ❤️ I was on Antidepressants for over two years and I finally decided it was time to come off. On May 21st, 2023 I came off cold turkey. I’m day 26 without medication. I’m still struggling, especially with anxiety. I’m so overwhelmed and I’m feeling so many emotions that I’ve been numb to for over two years. I’m reminding myself that it’s going to take some time to heal & have my serotonin produce normally again. Some days I want to run back but hearing other peoples stories and struggles reminds me that this is normal and I’m not alone. It gives me hope & motivation. So again, thank you for sharing your journey, it definitely helps others. And congratulations to you on you’re journey! 💕 anyone reading this just know you are not alone, we are capable & this to shall pass. May God bless you all & his peace abound in you.

Antidepressants can derange your insulin metabolism. Your withdrawal symptoms were relatively short-lived because your'e lucky, not because of acupressure beads in your ears. Good to hear you're feeling so much better.

No no. Do not ever go cold turkey please. I have tried that. It was day 5 and I started feeling severe symptoms. Brain zaps, extreme feeling of loneliness and depression, feeling sad for the mistakes that I did and feeling sad for some family members etc (weird and so unpleasant feelings briefly). Now we made a quitting plan with a close relative and I am sticking to it.

I was on 10mg escitalopram for 4 years and I was tapering at 5mg for over 2 months...I got brain zaps throughout my medication if I even changed the time I took my dose. I constantly felt imbalanced or nauseous. I wont deny it definitely helped with some of my mood swings and anger issues, but I felt trapped with this medication. I accidently went off for 3 days and I went insane quite literally. I needed those damn drugs back in my system or I felt like I would die. I'm struggling physically without them now that my tapering is over...but I'm so thankful to see your video as well as how many others have gone through the same thing. I sometimes wish I never went on them to be honest...I just wonder if I did more damage to myself than good if that makes sense.

Psilocybin mushrooms and psychedelics, as a whole, have shown substantial promise as beneficial agents that can truly aid individuals grappling with mental health difficulties.

The reason why you felt little symptoms dropping half the first two weeks is Dose effects are important; using citalopram as an example, halving the dose from 60 mg to 30 mg reduces the pharmacological activity at the SERT transporter only by a couple of percentage points. Dose reductions at the bottom end of the dose range have a much larger effect, and this is where care is needed. Tapering should be parabolic not linear

I want to go off sertraline but my Dr said no. It's only been a year and the Dr put me on it because my husband died of colon cancer. I was sad about him dying but I couldn't cry because of the drug. This isn't fair. I need to cry and get it out. God gave us tears for a reason. I just wanted to know how to taper off.

I'm tapering off zoloft as of today. I miss my old self. I noticed the "numb" and zombie like feeling recently. That's what made me decide to taper off. Thank you for this video!

Being one's real vulnerable and sensitive self and giving oneself the permission to feel all emotions (both good and bad), having a critical mind, and knowing that's all part of the human experience (and we are all together in this), so similar and at the same time so different in many ways (not having to be like everyone else) being HUMAN and YOU in other words - that is a real revolution - but very few people/doctors will talk you into that

Been on Cipralex for a year and started my wean off. Went from 10 mg to 5 mg for about 4 weeks and now I’m on 2.5 mg for 2 weeks until I stop taking it completely. During this wean off period, my naturopath asked me to take two capsules of Neuropas Balance by Pascoe and two capsules of AOR relax and recharge. Neuropas is a combination of St. John’s wort, passionflower and valerian root. These are mood stabilizers and natural antidepressants. So far my main symptoms are major fatigue, vivid dreams and a lack of energy. Also major sugar cravings. Luckily, no brain zaps so far. Best of luck to everyone who is weaning off antidepressants.

Great video! I’m currently weaning off of citalopram. I was on it for 14 months because I had extreme anxiety, fear and sadness from living and caregiving my elderly mother. I realized that I was storing all my negative emotions in my body and they locked in there, even though I wasn’t triggered as easily. I couldn’t even release my stuck-in-the-body sadness by watching a movie and crying because only a few drops came out. 😢 so I’m getting off of it with the help of my nurse. I’m having bad headaches and waves of irritability. And my body is very tired. I want to feel my feelings again. I don’t caregive or live with mother anymore, so that stress is gone. ❤ I’m going to start swimming outside this weekend. That’s what makes me super happy and helps release stuck emotions.