9 replies to this topic

[Johnbouy]

Hi people i am new to this sight , im glad i found this sight and somewhat bewildered at the medical doctors who have us hooked on their medication for one reason or another .

 

My Story is i have been on antidepressants in one form or another for many years .

I am 52 now and would have been on them for at least 25 years .

I was on Zoloft for around 10 years till they seemingly stopped working then my doctor moved me

to Cymbalta 60 mg (morning)

 

I also take Mirtazipine 30 mg at night time ( antidepressant )

i also take Nitrazepam 5 mg at  night time ( sleeping tablet  )

 

I was prescribed Cymbalta for depression and Mirtazipine (which is also a antidepressant) for chronic insomnia

i take Nitrazepam for Chronic Imsomnia also .

 

What a mess . I started taking Nitrazepam to help me sleep as i was living with my partner at the time a snorer and to help me 

sleep i would use ear plugs , but after awhile i would get ear infections so i innocently thought i'll try sleeping tablets .

 

I want to come OFF all this S**t , i cannot retain information , is still get depressed (although my faith helps) 

I have tried to cut down from 60 mg to 30 mg before and my mood became very somber so i went back up to 60mg .

​( although the bead counting method sounds hopeful )

 

Being on these meds for so long and my psychiatrist and Doctor told me  " you will be on them for life , think of them as a supplement "

And after reading the horror stories on here and just how close i have come to suicide in the past , i fear coming of these things .

 

If i dont now take sleeping tablets i will be up for days ,  i dont like laying awake for hours

regurgitating past mistakes , dissecting things i could have done differently like a broken record .

 

I function (just) with these things , and to be honest i would like to know what life would be like without them , i've had the brain zaps if i miss a dose

for example , but i havent come off them , only down to 30mg which my mood went down .

 

I have twin boys aged 7 i share care of 50/50 Fri-Fri  who can be naughty at times , their normal boys and i do NOT want to take out

withdrawal moods on them .

 

And being close to suicide in the past , i mean standing on a chair with a rope around my neck close ( while on antidepressants ) i fear myself .

 

I wish i NEVER started this poison , i am on a disability pension , i cant hold down a job , i tried to study but couldnt retain information ,

Insomnia leaves me incapacitated , taking a nap during the day . So i am at my wits end .

 

Do i try to overcome this mountain of medication and hope for a poison free life or do i stay on them for life ?

 

Just thinking out loud i guess as these have been a part of my life for so long .

 

Thankyou ALL ... 

[fishinghat]

Welcome JB
 
Tough choices. We can help you get off the Cymbalta but I don't think any of us can guarantee that the emotional chaos will not effect your children. I guess the best choice would be to bead count and plan on a year or more to come off. Any symptoms you develop along the way we will try to help with. Some have chose to switch to another AD like Zoloft, Lexapro  or Prozac. These are easier to wean off of but still no joy ride. A new thing is to switch to Trintellix and then taper off of it. Many have been able to taper of the Trintellix in just a few weeks with much less problems. This is a new method and our experience here is limited but looks promising.

I am a little surprised by the use of nitrazepam for sleep as it has been shown that tTolerance to the sleep-inducing effects of nitrazepam occurs after about seven days and it becomes less effective. Also, discontinuation of nitrazepam produced rebound insomnia after short-term single nightly dose therapy. The withdrawal from that is similar to barbiturate withdrawal. It has been denied for use in the USA by our regulatory agency FDA. Mostly due to its serious potential side effects and short term use before tolerance is built up and it no longer is useful.

 

If you would like to see and medical research on any of this let me know and I will be glad to supply detailed information.

[gail]

Hello and welcome JB,

Just a few words here as I am not familiar with this situation.

Fishinghat will ride you through it. I know that some people need antidepressants for life. But perhaps with some help here, things can be done(medication speaking) to limit the damage done. Please stay with us, we are here for you, I may be able to put my two cents worth here and there.

[Johnbouy]

Thankyou , 

 

Yes fishinghat nitrazepam is supposed to be used short term , but for $6 a prescription and it still working i have just kept taking it 

i should try some nights without it , some nights after taking one i will still be up for hours so i take another .

 

With Depression i dont like , laying awake at night , i just have negative thoughts and just want to sleep , asap .

I envy those that can hit the pillow and fall asleep .

I guess it must be noted , both my mother and grandmother use/d this medication for insomnia .

 

Thankyou for your comments , at the moment with the medication im on i cope , i would LOVE to come OFF

Sleeping tablets and AD , but i fear myself , i have been down dark roads . 

 

Sometimes i think coming off and seeing what happens is a natural course to take , i do as i said fear

depression as it has caught me off guard before .

 

​Im somewhat bewildered that my Doctor and Psychiatrist didnt warn me sternly about the adverse affects

of  nitrazepam and depression   

 

P.S i asked my Psychiatrist " What would be the result of coming off ALL medication suddenly , sleeping tablets and AD ?

He said " You will be fine "

 

I asked this because i wondered what would happen in an emergency and i was unable to get any medication , how would i function

or would it be debilitating ?

 

I will do some thinking , thankyou .

[fishinghat]

Hang in there. If we can help in any way let us know. By the way your psychiatrist is an idiot. If you had to stop them all at once you would NOT be fine. 

 

Let us know what you decide.

 

PS. Some people have had hard lives and they have but little choice but us something the rest of their lives. The important thing is quality of life. A lot to think about.

[gail]

Hi JB,

I agree with FH, QUAlITY of life is the most important thing to remember here.

You are not taking a great number of meds at the moment, lucky you! If I understand right, insomnia is your biggest problem like millions of people. We might need to change your current meds for this. The ideal is not to be without meds but finding something that works for you so you can have a better quality of life.

And, by the way, your psychiatrist must have been to the same school as Lucy(Snoopy), to tell you that you would be fine, this would lead you straight to hell.

JB, yes, lots of thinking here. Keep posting, we're here for you anytime.

[Johnbouy]

Thankyou so much for taking the time to converse with me regarding this .

 

Yes i think Insomnia is and has been the biggest thing that debilitates me , whether that was/is a result of compounded depression 

i dont know , i do at times when depressed just want to sleep , so if im up for hours after i go to bed its more time (alert) to feel Depressed

if you understand that .

 

I went to 3/4 of a nitrazepam last night , in saying that i've used half and at odd time two . I feel atm ok but my ability to retain information

is non-existent , and for being on medication for so long and still having depression i wonder (what has it helped what would i be like if i never took them to begin with ?)

 

I did as i said went from 60mg to 30mg before and my mood went very somber i became very quiet and an internal struggle/darkness ensued ,

so bead counting down would be a much better option than a sudden jump down to 30mg .

 

psychiatrists and i've seen a few , seem more intent on just prescribing you something and out the door without even considering the long term

effects , when i ended up on a chair i was on anti-depressants , so is it them making me depressed or is it them keeping me alive ?

My faith i must say has helped me immensely these last few years especially .

 

I honestly think they are a curse , to easily prescribed and not monitored with the goal of coming off them . My Dr asks " How do you feel ?"

" Still depressed actually " " We'll put your meds up then "   

 

I have to ask these days " Who's not on AD ?" Thats how readily they are prescribed . I feel ok atm , but i want to feel ok without medication .

 

How i go from here to their well , i'll try to pull back steadily like 3/4 nitrazepam a prescription (month) then back a 1/4 and so forth .

whats the worst that can happen ? I wont get any sleep . That would have to work itself out naturally , although my grandmother and mother

suffer/ed from Insomnia .

 

Possibly a prescription of Melatonin while i taper back the nitrazepam .

 

Thankyou guys n gals ...

[fishinghat]

I agree with your thoughts on ADs. Last I heard there was over 30 million people on ADs in the USA. That is around 10%. I am sure it is higher now.

 

By the way, don't 'what if...' until you are crazy. That is a question that can't be answered. Let us know how it goes.

[Johnbouy]

Thought i'd check back in after 2 years off Cymbalta .

 

Man o man i have been SO MUCH BETTER , they were indeed the very things

keeping me depressed .

 

They literally stole many years of my life and kept me on the edge of suicide for years .

Have no more suicidal thoughts   

 

Now after 2 years off i am feeling better within myself , generally happy .

 

" Possibly a prescription of Melatonin while i taper back the nitrazepam . "

 

Have cut Nitrazepam in half using melatonin , so im nearly off all meds , except statins

and also taking vitamin D and Zinc for my immune system .

 

God bless guys stay healthy and sane during these times .

[fishinghat]

Fantastic JB!!! that is indeed great news. Melatonin can be a very good anxiety fighting drug for many. Take it slow and easy with the nitrazepam withdrawal and you will be OK.