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Ask HN: For those who have stopped taking SSRIs, what tips do you have?

1 points by boredemployee ↗ HN
I'm entering in my sixth year taking "Paroxetine" 5mg, aka Paxil, because of anxiety and panic attacks. But since I have changed a lot of my routine, doing gym, eating better, I'm not sure it is helping me anymore. I mean, it definitely helps me control my anxiety, and I've never had a panic attack again (maybe I don’t even feel the effects of what it was like to be an extremely anxious person anymore), but the fact is that I’ve been feeling extremely lazy in my daily life, sometimes completely apathetic, bored.

I'm going to the doctor, but I just wanted to know how did it worked out to other ppl.

I’m curious to hear from you guys, who have discontinued selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). What strategies helped you manage the transition? How did you deal with withdrawal symptoms, mood changes, or other challenges?

Any advice for someone will navigate this process would be greatly appreciated!

15 comments

[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 49.9 ms ] thread
jareds
Why are you asking on HN? Have you already discussed this with a Doctor? If so what advice have they given you and why do you need to get extra advice from people who are not medical professionals? If you haven't talked to a Doctor why not?
boredemployee
I'm going to, I just wanted to know how did it worked out to other ppl
p_ing
Everyone reacts differently to psychiatric medication. There's a reason there are so many medications rather than one magic pill.

You can ask us why the Linux kernel is inferior to the NT kernel, or why $TLSA is beyond the moon with a bunch of drunken traders, but medical advice this is not the place for.

boredemployee
>> Everyone reacts differently to psychiatric medication

That's exactly why I asked it here, wanted to know in average how ppl felt and how they dealt with it

>> There's a reason there are so many medications rather than one magic pill.

I know right?

>> but medical advice this is not the place for.

I already saw ppl talking about these kind of drugs here, I already saw doctors here as well, psychiatrists, etc. can't understand the censorship with the subject

p_ing
Let's put it more simply:

This is not reddit.

Yes, there are people of many professions here. And not one of those qualified professions is going to give you an answer. At best they'll give you a lmgtfy link to WebMD.

p_ing
Discuss with your doctor before discontinuing. HN is not qualified to provide medical advice.
checker659
Discontinuing Paxil gives brain-zaps. Please talk to your doctor and taper it slowly.
pmdulaney
For detailed guidance, yes, talk to a doctor. But as a layman I will say this is a noble aspiration of yours that could well end up advancing your well-being in the long term.
yawpitch
As others have said, ask your doctor, but also 5mg/day is a really low dose… 20mg/day is around the bottom of the usual dosage range; your doctor may just tell you to cut your pill in half for a few weeks to a month and then discontinue, and at that dosage you may have no noticeable change at all.

Whenever I’ve come off SSRIs the there have been no withdrawal symptoms, but that’s always been with very slow reduction of dosage over 1-2 months. The one time I came off without a doctor I doubled that reduction time, just to be safe.

In my experience it’s not mood changes or obvious withdrawal symptoms to look out for, it’s side effects you’ve gotten used to going away (dry mouth, sexual issues, appetite changes).

boredemployee
Cool thanks for sharing your experience!

Are u taking any meds right now?

yawpitch
I was off them for most of the last twenty years, I’ve restarted one recently, after falling into a severe depression episode.
boredemployee
really sorry to hear my friend, wishing you all the best!
khelavastr
Take 5-HTP/eat lots of tryptophan, and get lots of sunlight, when you are getting off of it.

Also, check out the legal brief in the Paxil withdrawal lawsuits. GSK structured Paxil approval trials to record withdrawal symptoms as depression relapse. They knew Paxil is even more physically addictive than other SSRIs.