MAOI withdrawal.

[Owl]

Has anyone experienced MAOI withdrawal? Over the past two days I have felt really quite confused and disorientated. Though I managed to go to work today I went very faint and kept zoning out. I was just wondering if anyone else has experience of coming off this type of drug and how they managed the side effects.

Thanks,
Fox
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[Sweetpea]

Sorry Fox but only ever had SSRI and SNRI (which I am on now).  Just Googled withdrawal side effects, and what you describe is usual when stopping them.  Did you stop cold turkey?  As normally its advised to stop them gradually.

S x x x x

[Owl]

Shaz,

I was told I had to stop them due to them making me worse. So the dose has been reduced to nothing over 3 days. That's probably not gradual enough...
Hmm will wait it out I guess.

Fox
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[KateG]

I've never been on a maoi but I did go cold turkey on mirtazapine, which is a nassa, and it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Hope it eases for you soon xx

[Sweetpea]

I am surprised they didn't prescribe you something to help ease the withdrawal, as stopping them this way can't be good.  I know when I was referred to our local Mental Health Team and they prescribed Duloxetine, and I was already on Citalopram, they prescribed Clonazepam to help over the transition period.  I was on them for about 2 weeks and then was told to gradually wean them down.  It helped greatly.

S x x x x

[Owl]

Kate, I've been on mirtazapine before and I had to come off it cold turkey and appart from a bit of insomnia and nervousness it wasn't too bad but I feel the MAOI I was on had a much larger effect on my body than Mirtazapine. Ie. Lowering my blood pressure, headaches etc etc and it is even worse coming off it.

Shaz, I haven't been given anything but I'm seeing my GP tomorrow so will discuss this with her. Which I'll be grateful for as I've felt worse tonight and have cried continuelly and I don't know why. I also feel a bit paranoid and really out of it and dizzy!

I shall see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks,
Fox
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[Sweetpea]

Feel for you, really hope your dr can help you tomorrow.

S x x x x

[Ducky]

The only person I know on an MAOI is my estranged sister: I didn't think people were on them these days due to the heavy restrictions on what you can eat, etc. My sister is on them because she hails from the era when that was the choice drug of the time, she has been on them ever since. When we were on speaking terms, I tried to persuade her to w/d and switch to a more effective modern drug but she was unable to. Not because of the side effects, but because of her personality. You could always try calling the clinical/medical department of the manufacturers, they can sometimes be helpful.

[Owl]

I had my doctors appointment today and wasn't given anything to ease the symptoms but I'm okay with that. I think it's partly to do with the fact I'm starting with a new GP next week and she didn't want to give me anything like clonazepam as I wasn't panicky like I have been in the past. So I think they will hopefully pass soon.

Hey Ducky, we haven't spoken on here before, I certainly don't hail from the time when MAOIs were the drug of choice as I'm in my early twenties. However, I have tried pretty much every other style of antidepressants except tricyclic which have not been prescribed due to their high potential of dangerous overdose. With regards to "a more effective modern drug" surely that is a relative concept - what is "effective" is what works for a person? However, I must say that the dietry restrictions have been a bit of a nightmare. Thanks for the advice about contacting the manufacturers, I'll look into it if these pesky withdrawal effects persist!! :)

Fox
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[Ducky]

Dear Fox,

Apologies for the misunderstanding: I was always led to believe that MAOIs were practically never prescribed these days owing to the facts I mentioned before, one's food limitations and the fact that more modern drugs had been found to be generally more effective with fewer side effects and no such food limitations. Mind you, I am only going on what my sister used to tell me. I think she is on parnate and parstellin, or whatever they are called, and was always worrying that they would stop making them owing to the newer drugs on the market. There was also a shortage of one of them some time back - and she was constantly calling the manufacturers, Goldshield or something like that as well as her pharmacy.  _-+

Any more than that, I know not.

Good luck

Ducky

[Owl]

Hey Ducky,

No need to apologise. I guess if they were effective for me then I wouldn't me having a withdrawal.

Fox
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