Quiting medication

[Russell]

Hi all!
I have been on citalopram for two and a half years and recently been changed to venlaflaxine(just two days so far). Having started them I don't like you thought of getting into more serious medication with all its side effects, such as disturbed sleep, liver damage and especially loss of sex life. I am planning to stop new meds immediately, go back to 20mg for a short time, then take one every two days. What side effects am I likely to get ? How long for? And has any body tried this?

[SteveW]

I would say that it was a very bad idea to stop medication all together. At some point someone is going to diagnose you as Bipolar. This really needs treatment. Bipolar can take you into some awful depressions and trust me they will keep coming. Bipolar has an awful suicide  rate.

If having thought about it you don't like the sound of Venlafaxine I would go back to my GP and ask for an alternative. There are
plenty of them.

Venlafaxine isn't technically addictive. I think the makers refer to "anti-depressant discontinuation syndrome."  I would personally
give the course I had been given a try. Luck comes into it. You could be lucky and find your mood swings evened out on your first
attempt.

I hope you don't decide to try and live with untreated Bipolar. It would be dangerous and unpleasant.

Love

Steve

[Russell]

Cheers for the advice Steve. I suppose not getting a proper diagnosis I am clutching at straws. I don't want to be hooked on meds,but then again I don't want to be depressive either. I have a months worth and I will take your advice. It's so hard to get proper consultation with out paying the earth. I just want to be happy and normal.

[SteveW]

You will never be properly addicted. Nobody gets addicted to something unless it is pleasant and anti-depressants just aren't. People
don't get the continual need to up the dose either. I'd think more in terms of something like Insulin. You have to take it but you
are in no way addicted.

[Pip]

Steve has given you good advice and is correct.  I am on 8 different types of medication and I'm not addicted to any of them.  With depression it's sumply a case of finding out what works best for you. 

[Russell]

Hi Steve,
Just an update. Day 4 of the new meds and I have to say I'm feeling great. The headache has passed and I feel very calm and settled. Is it unusual to feel benefits this quickly. Thanks for your support and advice. I suppose no one likes the thought of needing medication, but I have a condition that can be helped and. I am lucky to live in an age when this is an option. Thanks again.

[SteveW]

4 days is a bit quick. But 3 days is a significant point with Venlafaxine. When you start a new drug it taks a varying period for the
level in your system to reach a stable state- The Steady-state concentration. This is 3 days for Venlafaxine. So you are now roughly
at the level you'll stay at for the rest of the course.

The other thing is that Venlafaxine has dual action on Serotonin and Noradrenaline. At low doses it tends to affect Serotonin, Noradrnaline becomes more important at higher doses. So if you are experiencing a minor Serotonin rush this could account for how you feel.

But beware it doesn't push you into a high. If it does your GP will have think again, the goal is stability as well as normal mood. But
so far so good.

Love


Steve

[Grace]

As I may have told you in another post I have been on Venlafaxine for many years and really worked for me. Every now and then and according to how I felt my pdoc would either lower a bit or increase it. My normal was 150 mg. and when it got a bit rough, 225 mg. and it workded rather quicky at every increase when you think of other drugs that take up to 3 weeks.
Taking Venlafaxine felt like I returned functioning according to my real me. I remember when I started them it was like a miraculous drug and had never felt so well in years.
So it's worth giving it a full trial ... as your prescription of a month.
In the meantime .... my very best wishes,

Grace