There are different reasons why you might want to stop taking antidepressants. You might not want to be on medication long term, or the side effects might be a problem for you. Or it could be other things like you've felt well for a while, or you've found other ways of coping.
About 28% of patients stop taking their antidepressant within 1 month, and 44% within 3 months.
You may be tempted to stop taking antidepressants as soon as your symptoms ease, but depression can return if you quit too soon. Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants.
Antidepressants can cause dizziness and unsteadiness, increasing the risk of falls and bone fractures, especially in older people. Interactions with other medications can increase this risk. A very small number of people have had heart problems, epileptic fits or liver damage while taking antidepressants.
For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.
It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop. Some people with recurrent illness are advised to carry on taking medicine indefinitely.
A common myth is that you need to take antidepressants forever. Many people use antidepressants for a few months and then slowly wean their way off the medication. Others take antidepressants for years before they discontinue the medication.
Guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommends that antidepressants are used as 'maintenance' treatment for up to 2 years to prevent their depression returning (relapse).
During long-term SSRI therapy, the most troubling adverse effects are sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and sleep disturbance.
Those who took antidepressants in higher doses for a longer time have more intense symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms typically persist for up to three weeks. The symptoms gradually fade during this time. Most people who quit taking their antidepressants stop having symptoms after three weeks.
Specifically, weight gain seems to be a common long-term risk, especially the medications that affect serotonin levels. This could be because serotonin is associated with an increase in appetite. There is also a risk of higher blood sugar levels and diabetes with taking antidepressants long-term.
Some feel that there are too many side effects or that they don't work or that others will judge them if they are taking antidepressants. Others fear they will become addicted to them or that they will change their personality. The choice to take antidepressants or not is indeed a pretty big one.
In all age groups, antidepressant use was higher among women than among men in the years 2015 to 2018. Nearly one-quarter of women older than 60 who were surveyed reported taking antidepressant medication.
It's best to avoid combining antidepressants and alcohol. It may worsen your symptoms, and it can be dangerous. If you mix antidepressants and alcohol: You may feel more depressed or anxious.
Benefits of natural remedies
When experiencing withdrawal symptoms or antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, increasing physical exercise or changing the diet to include more fresh food may help ease symptoms by making a person feel reinvigorated and less lethargic.
Safety of daily doses above 20 mg has not been demonstrated. Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily. Usually 2-4 weeks are necessary to obtain antidepressant response.
Taking medicine for your depression can help you get your life back to normal, especially if you also get counselling. But if your symptoms are mild, lifestyle changes and counselling may be all you need. You don't need to be ashamed about taking antidepressants.
10 percent of Americans take Antidepressant medication. More than 60 percent of Americans on Antidepressants have taken them for 2 years or longer.
If you have been taking antidepressants for many months or years, it's best to taper more slowly (again, at a rate you find comfortable). This will usually be over a period of months or longer. It's also best to reduce the dose slowly if you have had withdrawal symptoms in the past.
And, since depression is often a long-term disease, people needs long-term treatments for it. “There are clear differences between a healthy brain and a depressed brain,” Dr. Katz says. “And the exciting thing is, when you treat that depression effectively, the brain goes back to looking like a healthy brain.”
Generally, the wet finger method involves this process: Open the Effexor capsule and pour the contents (small beads) into a small bowl. On days one through three, wet your finger and touch the beads three times, removing them from the bowl. Consume the remaining beads.