Antidepressants/mood stabilizers/withdrawal and more?

 In the news at the current time are Antidepressants, getting on them and coming off them is most important.

The type of ssri is important too some have a short life 24-48 hours then you get withdrawal if you stop, where prozac has several days life, so it is best to taper or cut down as it is known to everyday people.

You can change your ssri to a long lasting one when you want to taper off. See  GP or Psychiatrist for tapering and med changes. I have recently had to come off sertraline when I tried to cut the 25mg I suffered bad withdrawal. I understand a 20mg liquid is available, and a Prozac liquid cutting by 3mg a week is the best or even a fortnight. Why does this matter? having bipolar 2 makes all meds matter and no way should you ever take ssri's without a mood stabilizers otherwise you could go high and manic.

Mood stabilizers are Lamotrigine and Lithium always start all meds at low doses why? I was on Quetiapine 300mg for a year almost asleep 247 so I only needed 25mg my system was sensitive to meds.

 Be kind to yourself because withdrawal is murder and can be brutal too if it takes you 6 months no worries. These pills are given quite freely without a thought on how to get off them. Insist on a tapering schedule. It can include liquid sertraline and a syringe 2.5g per fortnight or month if it helps to stop withdrawal. You can ask for fluxatine prozac 10mg easier to taper and in liquid form too take advice never do it on your own...

Zopiclone is another difficult to quit cut slowly 3.5mg is the lowest dose but you can cut into 3 quarters for weeks then half for weeks then jump off all together, Again take GP/Consultant advice, I was addicted for 3 years and managed to quit.

The side effects whilst on them were; as below 1 to 11.

 Lamical/Lamotragine 25mg to 300mg.

1. Tiredness 2 IBS 3. depression 4.anxiety 5 Suicidal thoughts 6. memory issues 7.hot sweats 8.confushion 9.mood changes 10.desperation 11.sadness.

The above can happen with Ssri's too. Sertraline is one of the worst also known as Zoloft in America,

Try not to read the horror stories online, it can be difficult but help is available people like Mind nationwide have lots of tips too. I am only speaking with over 40 years of mental health issues I am not a Doctor so please use your own thoughts and always consult medically trained people...

Good luck be kind to yourself it matters.

Chris Rogers 2023.