IMportant message... please read.

[barb dwyer]

I feel the need to make something very very clear with my new friends here in Mental Health Forums.

When I made the decision to stop taking my medication;
it was not to stop drinking.

It was an informed choice I made
and the doctor was aware of my doings
every.
step.
of the way.

I am suddenly concerned that others are going to see what I've been sharing with you all as some kind of ticket to be off meds - and this is simply not the case.

I didn't go off my medication to make any kind of point with the doctor, or to myself.
I went off my medication because I was experiencing what I perceived as very real physical SYMPTOMS of disease ... and I was convinced that the medications I was being given ...
were simply masking symptoms of something far more serious.

I needed to establish a baseline of physical symptomology.
It took me one (1) month to do that.
That's all I needed.

I feel I need to make one other thing abundantly clear:
You ... are NOT ... me.

I need to make clear that :

1) I had over a full year of sobriety in a Program of Recovery.

2) I was only on these medications for less than eight months
out of eighteen months of sobriety.

3) Each medication made matters worse, not better for the physical symtomology that I'd gone to the doctor to help with. The negatrive effects of these medications were immediate - not long term.

When I made a list of everything I had a complaint about -
it made for a very serious list indeed.

I am afraid that some are looking for this experience of mine to be their ticket to 'go off their meds' and I am truly concerned because of that.

Don't do that.

Talk to your doctor.

I was having dizzy spells.
Exaustion.
Unexplained weight gain.
Heart palptations.
Shortness of breath.
Swelling in the eyes hands feet.
Severe and excrutiating pain in all my joints.
numbness and tingling in arms legs face and hands.
difficulty remembering short term things and events.

None of those symptoms have to do with medication and if you look on any of the literature for any drug - you get any of THOSE symptoms - they ALL say 'see your doctor'.

Which is what I did.

I am deeply concerned that someone is going to stop taking their medications and NOT report to their doctor who actually NEEDS to be on what they've been prescribed... because of reading my posts.

Stay on your medications -
if you're unhappy -
keep bothering your doctor. That's what they're FOR.

[historyteach]

EXCELLENT post, Barb!
Thanks for clarifying your position!

I went through something similar years ago.
I did not clarify it as well as you are doing here, and I'm sorry I did not. But, I had the same problem. The meds were making my problems WORSE, not better!
When I went off them, I got better. And, yes, I told my doc. Handed the meds right to him, as a matter of fact.

Please don't play doctor with yourself. The results can be dangerous. And we don't need any casualties. :ghug

Shalom!

[hippyhippy]

Sent you a pm Barb.

Hippy
xx

[nandm]

Thank you Barb. Great post.

[nandm]

I would like to add my experience to your thread.

A few months ago I decided that I could reduce my anti-depressant and did it without consulting or telling my psych doc. It only took a month for me to crash, I hit a bottom that left me suicidal, increased my anxiety attacks, left me without hope, left me barely able to function. It took me a while to even figure out that the reduction of my meds was the cause of the problem. I have been taking the right dose for well over a month now and it has made a huge difference in how I feel. I finally feel normal again. Suicide is not something that keeps running rampant in my head. I am able to be compassionate and empathetic again. I am not so self absorbed.

What I gained from my experience is that I do have a chemical imbalance and need the medication to correct the problem.

So please if you are reading this thread listen to what Barb is saying and consult your doctor before making medication changes or stopping the meds. I easily could have followed through with my suicidal thoughts and not been here today and what a waste that would have been. Please do not take chances, always consult your physician before messing with your medications.

[barb dwyer]

A few months ago I decided that I could reduce my anti-depressant and did it without consulting or telling my psych doc. It only took a month for me to crash, I hit a bottom that left me suicidal, increased my anxiety attacks, left me without hope, left me barely able to function.

Thank you NandM - it's my point exactly -
as I 'weaned' opff my medication -
MY anxiety, depression ....

got progressively- BETTER.

Noticably and radically BETTER day by day.

Let's do that again -

I did NOT feel worse -
I felt BETTER as the meds effect lifted.
By the time they were OUT of my system - I felt like MYSELF again.

Except for the physical symptoms - I felt GREAT.

THEN -

I was able to establish a 30 day period cataloging my physical symptoms ...
WITH NO ILL EFFECTS FROM NOT BEING MEDICATED.

That's what I mean by a 'baseline'.

Thank you for that and for your responses to this thread.

I hope it helps keep others safe.