Article: 8731 of alt.support.depression.medication From: slotman1958@hotmail.com (slotman1958) Newsgroups: alt.support.depression.medication Subject: Re: Quitting psychiatric meds Date: 3 Aug 2003 15:55:42 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Lines: 248 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: 65.28.226.112 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: posting.google.com 1059951343 29249 127.0.0.1 (3 Aug 2003 22:55:43 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 3 Aug 2003 22:55:43 GMT Path: news.meer.net!sea-read.news.verio.net!dfw-artgen!sjc-peer.news.verio.net!news.verio.net!newsfeed.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp!in.100proofnews.com!in.100proofnews.com!pd2nf1so.cg.shawcable.net!residential.shaw.ca!sn-xit-03!sn-xit-04!sn-xit-06!sn-xit-08!sn-xit-09!supernews.com!postnews1.google.com!not-for-mail Xref: archive.mv.meer.net alt.support.depression.medication:8731 What about a man withdrawing from Antidepressants? "jake" wrote in message news:... > Quitting psychiatric drugs > Introduction > > A woman may have a variety of reasons for wanting to stop taking > psychiatric medication. She may want to be free of the dulling effect that > most psychiatric drugs cause, or of more serious side effects that she may > be suffering. She may be worried about the long-term effects of the drugs, > including tardive dyskinesia. Or she may be wanting to make a major change > in her life by freeing herself from a dependence on powerful medication. > > But whatever her motivation, she has a right to free herself from > using medication. There may well be situations in which you don't agree with > a woman who wants to stop taking psychiatric medication, or you may be > scared that doing so will do her serious harm. But it is her right, and she > probably has sound reasons for wanting to stop using the drugs. After all, > she is the one who has to live with the effects of the medication, and she > is the only one who knows how the medication really affects her. > > You can support her by helping her make informed choices about her > options. You can give her information about her medication and its effects. > You can also give her information about getting off the drugs, and you can > support her in carrying out her choice in a safe way. > > That safety may be the most important support that you can provide. > Remember, you have little influence over what she does after she leaves the > transition house. She may stop her medication cold, without information or > support, and put herself in serious danger. The symptoms of too-rapid > withdrawal from psychiatric drugs include extreme nausea, anxiety, insomnia, > restlessness, muscular reactions, and strange behaviour. In the case of > minor tranquilizers and sedatives, the reactions to sudden withdrawal can be > life-threatening. > > You can support her in struggling with these issues and making an > informed choice. But remember that you are dealing with something that is > her right. If you pass judgement on her wishes, you won't be helping her > find out what is really best for her. And she may simply stop her medication > anyway, without the information and support she needs. > > Finally, a woman who wants to stop taking psychiatric medication > should have the support of a sympathetic doctor. By sympathetic we mean a > doctor who is willing to accept a woman's right to choose her own path and > work with her in getting off the medication. This is the best way, to have > the active involvement of a doctor who can help plan and monitor a woman's > withdrawal from psychiatric medication. > > Note that many detox centres and drug abuse programs help people to > stop taking minor tranquilizers and sedatives, but not neuroleptics and > antidepressants. > > What follows is an overview of the basics. It will help you and women > you work with understand what's involved in the process, and how one goes > about it. > > The basic principles > > There are some basic principles that a woman has to follow to stop > taking psychiatric drugs safely. Familiarize yourself with them, and make > sure that any woman you work with who wants to stop her medication is > familiar with them, too. > > > a.. don't try to stop taking psychiatric drugs without support > > b.. if at all possible, find a supportive doctor to supervise the > process > > c.. never stop taking psychiatric drugs abruptly -- going "cold > turkey" can lead to serious withdrawal symptoms and can be life-threatening > > d.. the best way to stop is to reduce the dosage gradually; by > withdrawing gradually and carefully it may be possible to minimize > withdrawal symptoms > > e.. withdrawal from sedatives and minor tranquilizers can be > extremely dangerous > > f.. withdrawal symptoms don't necessarily start immediately; they > may begin anywhere from 8 hours to several days after quitting > > g.. the time it takes for withdrawal symptoms to set in and their > severity varies from person to person, and depends on how long you have been > taking the drugs, your dosage, your overall health, your body weight, and so > on. > > Steps to follow > > a.. Find a supportive doctor who will work out a withdrawal schedule > with you and monitor your progress. Other psychiatric survivors or a > survivors' group might be able to suggest a doctor. > > b.. Have a living situation that is as stable as possible. > > c.. Organize support from friends, family, survivor groups, the > local women's centre, and/or counsellors. > > d.. Withdraw from the drugs as gradually as you can. > > e.. Find out as much as you can about the process so that you will > be prepared for the withdrawal symptoms. > > f.. Don't expect to feel much difference in the first few days. > > g.. Realize that your body and mind are going through a difficult > experience. > > h.. Make sure you get enough sleep. Difficulty in sleeping is a > common problem; it's important that you get at least 6 hours of sleep a > night. Use herbal remedies for sleep, and try yoga, meditation, massage, > etc. But if nothing else helps, it's worth taking sleeping pills just for > this short period. > > i.. Stop using stimulants like coffee, sugar, chocolate, alcohol, or > street drugs. > > j.. Eat the healthiest diet you can to help your body purify itself. > Vegetables, fruit, nuts, and grains are important; eat as little red meat as > you can, and avoid junk food. > > k.. You will have more physical energy as your body gets away from > the drugs. Physical exercise will help you stay calm, and will be very > helpful if your energy seems to be getting out of control. Try to start > exercising, swimming, hiking, or bicycling. But start gradually. > > Setting a schedule > Remember, psychiatric drugs should never be stopped abruptly! The more > slowly you can withdraw, the less bad effects you will suffer. The best plan > is to work out a schedule with your doctor that best suits your situation. > > Standard practice is to reduce your dosage by 10 percent per week, > monitoring your progress at every step. The first week, you would reduce > your dosage by ten percent. Try that for the first week, and then see how > you are doing. If you feel OK, reduce the dosage by another 10 percent. Try > that for a week, and see if you feel OK. > > If you reach a point where you don't feel OK, don't reduce your dosage > by another 10 percent. Stay at the same reduced level for another week, or > until you do feel fine. Then reduce by another 10 percent and continue with > the process. Some steps might be more difficult than others; take your time. > > For example, if you are taking 200mg of Chlorpromazine a day, reduce > by 10 percent -- 20mg -- to 180mg per day. Try that level for a week. The > next reduction would be to 160mg a day for a week (or longer), then 140mg a > day, and so on. > > If you are taking more than one medication at a time, it's best to > stop them one by one. If you are taking a neuroleptic (major tranquilizer) > and an anticonvulsive drug (anti-Parkinsonian) at the same time, which is > common, withdraw from the neuroleptic first. However, if you are taking more > than one medication, this is a situation where it is definitely best to have > a doctor working with you. > > Withdrawal effects by drug class > > If you are working with a woman who wants to stop taking psychiatric > drugs, it's important to be familiar with the typical reactions or symptoms > of withdrawal. These vary, depending on the person, how long she's been > taking the drug, her dosage, and the type of drug. > > Different classes of drugs bring on different withdrawal reactions. > Some of these reactions may be disturbing and hard to witness but not really > dangerous. Others may be life-threatening. > > A familiarity with drug withdrawal reactions will help you in working > with any woman who is taking psychiatric medication. Many patients don't > take their medications as prescribed; they will alter their dosage, > increasing or decreasing the amount they take. Or they will miss a day's > medication, and then catch up by taking twice as much the next day. By > mistakenly taking too little medication, they may bring on the early stages > of withdrawal. Mysterious physical and emotional complaints may actually be > signs that they are not taking their medication as prescribed. > > Even when a woman is taking her medication as prescribed, she may > experience the beginnings of a withdrawal reaction as a dose begins to wear > off. For example, a woman who is taking a minor tranquilizer may find > herself feeling agitated and restless before she is to take her next > prescribed dose. > > In both cases, these signs are the results of the early stages of > withdrawal. It may seem like the agitation, anxiety, or physical discomfort > are signs of a woman's "mental illness" or a sign that she really does need > the medication she's taking. However, her complaints may actually be due to > the physical effects of the beginning stages of drug withdrawal. > > Listed below are the main classes of psychiatric medication, along > with the withdrawal reactions that are most common with each of them. > > > Antidepressants and neuroleptics > > > a.. flu-like syndrome with headache, muscle aches, chills, nausea, > vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite > > b.. muscular reactions such as uncontrollable rhythmic movements and > tremors (these are more severe with neuroleptics) > > c.. insomnia, emotional distress, feeling like one is "going crazy" > > Lithium > > > a.. less side effects generally than other classes > > b.. insomnia, anxiety, irritability > > Minor tranquilizers, sedatives > > > a.. sudden withdrawal can result in life-threatening seizures; > withdrawal must be very gradual > > b.. seizures common in early stages of withdrawal > > c.. other reactions can include flu-like syndrome (see above), > muscle tics, restlessness, and anxiety > > d.. withdrawal symptoms usually take a few days to develop, but can > occur immediately and get worse during the first week > > What you can do to support a woman withdrawing from medication > > a.. Respect the woman's right to make her own choices. > > b.. Be informed about the process of withdrawing from psychiatric > drugs. > > c.. Be familiar with the withdrawal symptoms so that you can stay > clearheaded and not panic. > > d.. Help keep people who disapprove of what the woman is doing from > interfering in the process. > > e.. Remind the woman to get enough sleep. > > f.. Make sure she gets enough to eat. Help her prepare food, as she > may be too nervous to cook on her own. > > g.. Help her get in touch with other people who will support her. > > h.. Don't be misled by the withdrawal symptoms, thinking that they > are signs of her "illness." Be patient; it takes time to withdraw from the > drugs and adjust to life without them.