OT - update on coming off my meds

I posted recently about coming off some of my meds.  I'm all the way off my nortryptyline now, and since yesterday am only taking 2.5 mg abilify.  Today was the first day I noticed a significant decrease in appetite.  I think I had about 1200 calories today, and I felt really full all day.  I love it.  I was miserable feeling hungry all the time.

 I am glad to hear that your appetite is returning to normal. it would be terrible to work so hard to lose the weight and then gain some of it back because of meds.

Lor

Glad you are doing better. I know it can be rough going off some of those depression meds. Been there, done that.

Other than nightsweats a couple nights, I don't seem to be having any trouble.  I think some are rougher to come off of than others.

Happy for you!

Hattie

Kelly, are you doing this under a doctor's supervision?  I don't know what meds you've been taking, besides the ones you mentioned, but psych meds, especially SSRIs and benzodiazapines have horrible side effects when changing doses or discontinuing.  Please be careful and see someone if you notice an increase in agitation or feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or others.

Oh, absolutely under my doctor's supervision!  I'm on Effexor, as well, and that is not changing.  I also recently started taking Trazadone, primarily to help with sleep but of course it's also an antidepressant.  And I recently started taking Vistaril PRN for anxiety.

I've been coming off the meds slowly.  I was on 10 mg Abilify and that was cut to 5 mg for about ten days and now will be on 2.5 mg for a week before going off it altogether.  So far I'm not having any problems from lowering the dose.

I've never had feelings of wanting to hurt others.  If I'm going to be real honest, I have had a lot of feelings of wanting to hurt myself over the past ten months or so, but that has not gotten any worse with coming off these meds.  These two meds were not helping at all, I don't think, and were having side effects that bothered me alot, so I'm happy to be coming off them.  No point in being unable to poop, having a mouth so dry I was getting sores on my tongue that hurt a lot, and gaining weight back when they weren't helping the depression at all.

My biggest concern, regarding the surgery, was that my antidepressants wouldn't work the same as before (absorption issues).  They are still working great.  I have been suffering from major depression for the last 16 years, I had to quit my job, lost my short term memory, slept for up to 20 hours a day (in 2 hour intervals) and was tired enough to do so, among many other symptoms.  I also have suffered from Fibromyalgia for over 28 years. 

I was under the care of a Psyciatrist for the first 5 years who totally over medicated me.  Once I switched to another doctor, who immediately changed some of my meds and discontinued some (over time) I started to feel a little better and it has steadily improved over the years.  I owe her my life. 

Once I started to take trazadone in a small dose (75) my sleep returned (I have been taking it for the last 10 years, still with great results).  Before, I would never sleep more than 2 hours at a time, now I can sleep through the night.  If I forget to take it, I can also forget about sleep.   It took me a while to figure out what dose was working for me.  When I took 150 of Trazadone, I was too tired in the morning, I tried 50 and didn't get enough sleep.  My doctor allowed me to experiment with the dosage (from 50 to 150).  She also told me that at those low doses they wouldn't work as an antidepressant, just to help me stay asleep.

I currently take wellbutrin 180xl (the generic doesn't work the same for me) and lexapro. 

I am sorry about my long story, but once you start feeling better it's scary to think about going back to the way things were before the meds worked. 

Let me know if you sleep and depression improves. 

That's great news Kelly!  I'm really happy for you.  I got off Prozac years ago and had to do it extremely slowly.  I also had a horrendous time getting off Xanax.   The withdrawal was horrible even though I decreased my dose very slowly.  I give you a lot of credit for doing this.  I hope you keep feeling better and better!  

It's been awhile since Ive went off antidepressants but I remember night sweats and unquenchable thirst. I hope you get to feeling better you are an inspiration to us all.
PS. Love the disclaimer