this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
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Antidepressant Meds
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Bad withdrawal from stepping the dose down slightly sounds unlikely.
But it's true though.
I tapered escitalopram down following my dr's instructions, in part 3 of my "no more meds" push a couple of years ago. Worst taper of the three, and one of the other two was lorazepam.
Had to stretch the taper schedule out to six months and take tiny steps down and still dealt with terrible brain zaps and intermittent panic attacks throughout the six months and for a month or so after.
I'm "better now" and much more present in my day to day life but without the meds there's no safety net so I work out often, practice mindful meditation and breathing exercises, and have a "moderate" drinking problem.
🤷♂️
Is cannabis legal where you live? It might be a good substitute for the "moderate" alcohol.
It's legal, I just don't react to it well. I've tried for several years. Different strains, different potencies. So, I moderate. It's not a perfect solution, but what is?
Depending on the drug, you can do it in a week, or a few years.
Yes, paxil took me 6 months in flue like symptoms with daily vomiting. Doctors and manuals say 2 weeks, users experience is very different.