re: Long term SSRI use drawbacks

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Those of you who got off SSRI’s

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I committed to working with a therapist on a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. Once I was able to learn to manage my anxiety using those techniques, we discussed getting off the meds. My doctor was supportive and helped me taper off over several months.

Try every other day dosing for awhile.. L tryptophan 1 gram a night helps boost serotonin levels and is a great supplement to add on. Omega 3 supplement as well

I am a MH professional (but not your MH professional). The following is not advice, medical or otherwise. It is a ln off the cuff response to a hypothetical situation.

Someone taking 100 mg/day of Sertraline would be on a moderate dose. The maintenance range goes up to 200mg/day. Sertraline is also one of the SSRIs most likely to cause discontinuation syndrome. Symptoms may include flu like symptoms, depressive feelings, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and “brain zaps” (like static electricity discharging in your brain. Those symptoms will abate, but it can take months sometimes.

The way to minimize discontinuation syndrome is to slowly taper off. Do this in conjunction with your prescriber. Don’t do it on your own without them knowing and supporting you. There’s a few different schedules that have been mentioned here and all seem reasonable. Better to take it slow and be successful than to go too quick and suffer.

Some things I would tell someone to incorporate: regular sleep schedule aiming for 7-8 hours per day; exercise- lifting weights is great for mood; sunlight- walking outdoors is good; healthy diet- nothing drastic needed, but try to eat “real” whole foods as much as possible; keep up with your social life and do things with people.

And to address a couple other comments- yes, depression is a sign that something is wrong in your life. That means you need to do something to address whatever is wrong. For lots of people that would probably best be addressed through therapy. For some people medication is needed. SSRIs are wonderful medicine when used judiciously. When used long term they can change your body’s natural processes and make discontinuing difficult. True long-term SSRI use should ideally be very rare. Most people should take them for a short time (a few months to a year or so) and plan for discontinuing or at least trying to. The key is to address the issues in your life that are contributing to your depression- especially those things that are inside you and your psyche as opposed to external situations that you may not have control over.

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So you decide to call out an anonymous stranger on the internet over an issue that really can’t be proven or disproven here.

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You claimed to have been in the highest tax bracket for the last 30 years. It’s pretty simple, just don’t lie, not get mad at me for calling you out on it

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You claimed to have been in the highest tax bracket for the last 30 years

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Guilty.

Married filing Jointly.

I’m heterosexual.

We’ve been able to do this for 3 decades

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Your prescribing physician or any family doctor should be able to walk you through the weaning process

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Prescribing physician describes them best. Most don’t know shite beyond that

Hey man FWIW, I’m glad you made it through whatever it was that you were going through. Happy for you that you’re also trying to get off the medication. Keep fighting bro

Yep. Red wine for me. Sleep ain't great without it.

Oh, and OP, sorry for whatever you were going through. Last year, out of the blue, I had a multi week episode of no sleep and awful anxiety. Long term stress maybe. It was god awful and I was wrecked. Had a hard time working. Better today. But mental breaks are no joke. Red wine got me through it.

What dosage? I feel like I’m in the same boat right now with Lexapro.

Used to take Zoloft. Got in the gym. No longer on it!