Posted by bleauberry on September 8, 2008, at 21:12:18
In reply to Time to get off meds?, posted by mattye on September 8, 2008, at 14:46:10
The flat effect is common with ssris. It is theoretically due to longterm serotonin potentiation squashing out dopamine/norepinephrine somewhat. Popular remedies include adding things like wellbutrin, ritalin, modafinil, or pramipexole. Mileage varies a lot from person to person, but one of those meds can enhance the DA/NE function to balance out the serotonin function and restore some feeling to your emotions.
Some people get off their meds and do ok. Some do not. I was fine off Paxil for about 6 months. Original problems gently deceptively crept up on me again.
It is not as if your brain stays the same. These drugs change things in you brain and biochemistry. It is not known whether they are longterm or permanent. A brain may bounce back to where it originally was, but with time past and the changes caused by the meds, that may not be so. Depression and psych illnesses are moving targets. Biochemistry, aging, stress, etc are all in motion.
Hard to say. My honest best advice would be to cut the dose back by 10% (you can cut pills with a razor blade or pill splitter as needed)for a week, another 10% for two weeks, and then settle at a dose 25% less than your original dose for about 6 weeks to 8 weeks. At that time, reassess. Either stay there, go down some more, or go back up. It might be you still need the med to protect you from problems taking over again, but that you can do fine with less, and that with less you'll have more emotions.
poster:bleauberry
thread:851028
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080903/msgs/851096.html