It turned out my depression responded to dopamine boosting meds. Serotonin boosters caused a lot of bad things for me. Going off the serotonin boosters (like Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, etc.) have to be tapered gradually, since cold turkey off of these can be dangerous and the withdrawal effects can be very rough. My sleep and anxiety issues were both fixed by the non-stimulant ADHD medication Guanfacine, which originated as a blood pressure medication. This med calms the "fight or flight" response and prevents too much adrenaline from surging in the body. Plus it's nice to have multiple issues addressed by one medication.
I went off of my SSRI last October. My experience was very similar to yours. I almost died like both of my sisters before me. Both suicides. I had to go back on to save my life. It has been 9.5 months since going off and I’m still having good days and some bad days. Thanks for your video. It helped me to feel better for going back on. I truly did not want to but I also want to stay alive for my family and friends. So your video has given me validation that I did the right thing. Thanks for your radical honesty. ❤
The weekly pill containers are super helpful at preventing accidents with medications, such as forgetting to take them or accidentally taking them twice. It took me some time getting used to, but it's definitely worth it!
I feel so much better after hearing your story and your experience in stopping taking medication for some period of time. Coincidentally, I tried the same thing a few months ago, and I had almost an identical experience to yours. Initially, I felt disappointed in myself but also liberated at the same time. I have to admit to myself that I am going to need medication as my crutch until the day I die. And that it is OK. It is ok because I have disability and I shouldn't be ashamed of it. Let alone to denie it. It is what it is. Whatever makes quality of my life better, bring it on !!! There are some close people in my life who believe I am not trying hard enough to live my life medicine free, but they don't know my life-long internal struggles.
Please don't think of your medicine as a crutch. Maybe think of med as giving yourself something that makes your body and brain work better... you are investing in yourself, and you are worth it! Best wishes!🙂
I too get sick of opening the pill bottles every night. I hate-hate-hate having to rely on medication to function. Every time I decide to try weaning myself off of them, my husband says something sarcastic like, "yes, now that your blood sugar is under control, you should *definitely* stop taking insulin" to remind me that taking medication is part of why I am doing so well. I have tried before, and much like your experience, it went well for a couple of months before I crashed. Thank you for sharing your experience. It's hard to admit that we do need medicine to function, and it can be embarrassing when things go awry. Ultimately, the brain is an organ, and sometimes our organs need help to do their jobs. If your choice (like mine) is taking medication or feeling suicidal, I hope you continue to choose medication. The world is better off with you in it.
That's actually a pretty crappy response from your husband. People who have Type-2 diabetes only have it in the first place because of bad lifestyle choices. And it can usually be reversed by making better lifestyle choices. What's to say that depression doesn't perhaps work similarly - that after taking the medication for a while and hopefully building a better ability to deal with life in the meantime, you can later stop using it... These medications have nasty side-effects, so maybe the choice isn't taking the drugs or feeling suicidal. Maybe there's a third option of tapering carefully (with your doctor's advice, and with a psychologist) and not having to have either endless drugs or suicidal thoughts.
I was prescribed SSRIs too after visiting a doctor specialised in migranes (I was 20-21 yo). She asked random questions about life, I remember saying I'm sometimes anxious for no reason, such as on full public transportation. She said I have "sub-depression" and soon will have full depression and prescribed SSRIs. Nothing for the migranes, btw. She told me nothing about the side effects, didn't say we need a catch up appointment or anything. I was lucky in many ways. First of all, I had been taking care of a sick relative so I had gotten into the habit of meticulously reading all drug info papers, the longer the better. So I read this one too and guess what, severe negative thoughts and worse is one of the side effects - who could possibly know that without reading the tiny script over who knows how many pages. I took it anyway. The second lucky thing was that I was keeping a dated journal. I think it was the only reason why I realised I had become depressed after starting them. All the negative thoughts were about real life events so it would have been easy to mistake it for just being at a shitty point in life. But reading through the last months it was obvious it was me seeing everything as dark after starting the drugs. I think it hadn't been a whole month. I went off cold turkey, never looked back. I really hope before I die I see all these doctors prescribing these pills willy nilly held accountable.
Watching this video almost made me cry out of sheer frustration. Somehow, I feel like I dodged a bullet. For a few years now doctors kept suggesting I take antidepressants, first for depression and now for fibro even though I'm not even diagnosed with fibromyalgia because my rheumatologist doesn't actually know what I have. Each and every time I refused to take them (even though I still spent money buying them because my PTSD people-pleasing kicked in) because I knew I didn't need antidepressants - I needed proper accommodation for my autism. I still have a bit of underlying anxiety (which I will probably always have since it's linked to my ASD) but, after working from home for less than 6 months, my depressive symptoms completely vanished, proving my point that I never even needed to take antidepressants in the first place. When you mentioned that one of the symptoms from weaning off the medication was being itchy and feeling like you wanted to crawl out of your skin, I almost screamed in terror because, the last time I bought the antidepressants, I actually considered taking them for just a month "to see what it would feel like" and then stopping (and I was gonna do an abrupt stop because the doctor didn't mention anything about side effects or having to slowly wean off) and one of the things I've been struggling with since I was a little girl (maybe even a toddler) is skin picking. I can't believe that someone would so easily recommend to someone who has dermatillomania to take antidepressants, especially when they didn't even need them in the first place. I am just so glad that I stood my ground and never started taking them in the first place because working from home really was all I needed.
There is an emerging strong connection between Autism and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (heds specifically), which is a connective tissue disorder. It could be helpful to look into. But take this as 2 cents as I am only a stranger on the internet, lol
@@sarahdriedger4386 You're good. I started seeing a new rheumatologist since I was seeing the first one since 2018 and still had no answers to show for it. I hope they don't think I'm "out of line" but, on top of the fibromyalgia and autoimmune conditions my first rheumatologist was already considering, I also wrote down EDS, MCAS, and POTS as other things I want them to look into because I recently learned those are all pretty common in autistic people and I want them to cover more bases. I also accidentally found out yesterday that I may also have undiagnosed PCOS (I'm not sure if it's hereditary but almost every woman in my family has it) which is going to be a fun conversation to have with my GP next time I see them.
Oh girl. Im 66yo & have been on SSRI's for 30 years. In the beginning I noted my head would be vertigo-like when missing a couple or so doses. The pharmacist was always very helpful, but absolutely noone knew what this was. Brain rattle or zaps. I recently began Seroquel & with increase has calmed my rage, fight or flight. Oh its dtill there but my chest doesnt explode along with my mouth. Im certain adhd is the root of my issues with added childhood trauma. Hang in there! Good to see your face again.
Olivia, thank you so much for your courage, your compassion, and your authenticity, and thank you as well for sharing your recent challenging experiences. I am so glad that you navigated your way through this all successfully, and that you are kind enough to share your insight and wisdom - especially that born of suffering and struggle -with the rest of us. You are very much appreciated! 🙏🏻🍀👏🏻🙌🏼🌈🌎🦄
My goodness, I have sure missed you! I didn't realize how much I was missing you until now, with your return. You were instrumental in helping me understand and validate what my daughter was/is going through (diagnosed with ASD and ADHD 2 years ago at the age of 17). You were my lifeline, and I am so, so glad you are back! Thank you for your honesty and willingness to share your personal experiences. Btw, you do a great job of reminding people that these are just your personal experiences and you are not speaking as a doctor or speaking for all of the ASD world. Anyone who would accuse you otherwise is clearly not paying attention! Love and gratitude! ❤️😘
Thank you so much for this video Olivia. I went through a similar experience myself - at least in terms of poor decisions around stopping my medication. I went through a longer recovery period, with a different set of withdrawal symptoms. I got severely stomach sick at first (for a few weeks), followed by increasing amounts of emotional sensitivity, constant panic, and eventually serious suicidal thoughts. Even when I got back on medication, it still took 6 months to feel like myself again. Even now, 2 years later, I still feel like I’m more sensitive to certain things (I pretty much can’t watch horror movies anymore). I’m not happy to hear that I may never be able to stop taking medication - which I only learned about by watching this, so thanks again - but at least I know now, so I can resign myself to this knowledge. I’m also gonna send this to my mom, so she can better understand what I went through, by hearing what someone else went through, and explaining why I can’t stop my meds. And I heavily recommend the pill sorting box. I had gotten used to the opening of pill bottles, but still really didn’t feel good about it. My main problem though was noticing when I had to refill each of the medications, as well as forgetting to take some at certain points of the day. Having a visual reminder helped immensely. I suggest getting a big one that has enough slots for the month, so you only have to deal with opening the bottles once a month, rather than every day 😀
I grabbed four weekly pill containers, since the weeklies can be easier to work with. When one weekly is done, I grab the next. These containers have definitely prevented accidental overdoses for me! Having to take medications for the rest of my life doesn't bother me anymore. I didn't like to bathe regularly, either, but I enjoy life and am nicer to be around because I do. That's how I feel about meds now. They're just a part of my daily routine.
Life is full of learning experiences. This was a big learning experience. I'm the same way about my clothes and weight. Keep taking life one day at a time! Enjoyed hearing from you!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I just want to add that the whole chemical imbalance thing has been somewhat debunked as doctor lingo that was used to justify ssri use to laymans like us. However, it's questionable whether a chemical imbalance is a thing, and even if it is, ssris dont correct this imbalance because the brain constantly tries to recalibrate. So when more serotonin becomes available as a result of the reuptake pathways being inhibited by the ssris, the brain down-regulates the amount of serotonin that it produces. So, when you come off them, "withdrawal" is actually "discontinuation syndrome", where you suddenly find that you have less serotonin than you ever did before starting ssris. Hence the depression you experienced. The brain will eventually recalibrate again and you'll be back to your origional serotonin levels. However, it's been proposed that it's not lack of serotonin that is the issue for autistic people anyway. I recommend the reddit threads on this topic.
P.s. I want to give you hope. I came off antidepressants and had a very similar experience to you. My mental health was a complete disaster and significantly worse than before I went on them. I can't remember exactly how long it took for everything to come right but I'd say around 3 months for the worst of it, and then by a year I was doing really well. I was very motivated because I wanted to have a baby and didn't want antidepressants in my system. I am so glad that I went off them. I will never go back on them. I was diagnosed with autism after coming off them so I don't believe I'll ever need them again as my mental health is the best it's ever been as a result. I very much doubt that you would have to be itchy for 2-3 years. But I would recommend just dropping one med at a time, not 2. Deal with the discontinuation syndrome from one at a time. And do it at a time when everything is stable in your life. But it's worth it. Life without the side effects and knowing that I am who I am meant to me without medication is amazing.
Hi Olivia. Glad to have you back. I am currently on a ton of meds & supplements for depression/anxiety plus a number of other major health issues I'm facing. Doing the pill thing daily is a super drag. Suggestion? Pill keepers help. Open your bottles once a week, fill up the pill keeper with daily doses - for me I need slots for a.m., p.m. and nighttime doses - and then Bob's your uncle for the week. Hope that helps!
Going off an SNRI, which is similar to an SSRI, was very difficult, and I was only on SSRI's and then the SNRI for five years. My main withdrawal symptom was a dizzy feeling whenever i moved my head. It took months to completely go away. I also tried doing it on my own but I got my doctor involved after a few months. He told me I can go off them and then ride it out, that the side effects would go away but it was taking too long so I had to cut the dose down further, and that worked. It was amazing how small I had the dose but it was enough to stop the withdrawal. Eventually I took it every other day, and got it down to every few days. after months of doing that I was able to stop and then that dizziness went away. I could never sleep on those meds, all of them gave me insomnia, and I had the opposite problem of craving and constantly eating sweets. They also made me content in being lazy. I had no motivation to get anything done because I didn't care about anything. I'll never go back.
Opening pill bottles every night sounds like a perfect task for Alex as a loving husband. I'm sorry to hear that you had to deal with the itchy side effects. That's no fun. It sounds like you've learned quite a bit, though, from the experience. And at the very least, you've walked away with a good story to tell. It's really nice to have you back.
He actually offered to buy me those weekly pill sorting packs so I can just pop open one slot and dump them into my hand. I of course said no because I hate change 🤣 I think I should revisit his offer. Thanks for watching and for the comment! 🩵
@@OliviaHops The weekly pill containers are very helpful at staying organized and helping to prevent accidents. Before I got the weekly containers, there were times I'd forget whether or not I took my meds. This caused me to not take them, or more dangerously, to take my meds twice.
Yes definitely check with your doctor before trying to come off psych meds. Also, there is a lot of pressure from strangers online saying that "misdiagnosed" anxiety/depression/bipolar so should stop taking meds. This is dangerous.
Thanks for mentioning this! Most meds have specific protocols for tapering off of them gradually to avoid bad reactions and to minimize the withdrawal symptoms. Also, the doctor would likely have a different class of medication which might work better by working differently in the body.
Thank you, we're helping a child dial in the meds that are best for her and hearing about the possible side effects that the practitioners seem to undersell is extremely enlightening.
I've been on Prozac for the past 25 years. When I did try and gradually taper off. I felt OK initially and then it hit me. I never felt so frightened. The whole experience was absolutely horrendous. I needed to go back on them. I know now that I will have to stay on them for the rest of my life just to avoid experiencing the withdrawals. I wish I never started them but I also didn't realise alot of my depression was because I was never diagnosed with autism and adhd. I look at them as keeping me functional so just get on with taking them
@@Dancestar1981 I cannot take Prozac at all because it didn't matter if I ate or drank (no alcohol) enough before and/or while taking the Prozac, because it would upset of my stomach the rest of the day and this was back in the Fall 2011 semester, but my mental health doctor who mostly sees autistic adults also diagnosed with autism and/or other mental health conditions like anxiety disorder or depression for example told me that Prozac can be harsh on your stomach and thus I ended up missing the one in person university class I was taking on Friday I ended up missing once and I ended up taking two doses of the liquid version of Pepto Bismol that day and I ended up with ringing in both of my ears after taking the second dosage of the liquid version of Pepto Bismal that day and I read on the bottle if you have ringing of the ears after taking this medication, you need to stop taking it and I listened to that and I no longer take any version of Pepto Bismol from that day on.
My daughter was offered loads of pills by the doctors, but she refused I’m happy now she didn’t take them. Bless you, and thank you for your honesty. Keep smiling your beautiful smile ❤
doctors won't be up front and tell you once you get on SSRIs it will be for the rest of your life, due to the simple fact that discontinuing them can have side effects lasting up to a couple of years. my mother and sister are in the same boat and have realized that on their own. So the reason a patient was prescribed the medication in the first place could have been a short struggle in that time of there life but were medicated with a lifetime medicine. I think doctors are now starting to understand this and has been the sole reason I stayed away from anti-anxiety anti-depression medication in general. in my mom's experience her SSRI medication will quit working after so many years and then has to very arduously find one that will work. I am sorry for the experience you went through and it looks like you're doing well now. great video and you are definitely helping others with this information.
That’s such a good point about a permanent medicine to a temporary problem! I think it should be mandatory they tell you this is a medicine you most likely will never go off of when prescribing it to you so you get to choose. Would I (or my parents most likely since I was a minor) have chosen differently? I don’t know. But we should have at least been informed.
It turned out that my depression was dopamine based, and not serotonin based. Once my doctor replaced my SSRI with a dopamine booster, my life changed for the better. That switch helped me get off of the SSRI. As a disclaimer, what helps for one person won't necessarily help a different person. We're all different. :)
Thank you for sharing this! I'm in a similar situation.... I've been on meds for anxiety, depression and insomnia for about 20 years now (well, it's been about 15 years for this combo - I was on some other combinations of meds that didn't work before we found these). I have similar side effects but they're tolerable, although I do worry about the short-term memory thing, especially over time. Sometimes I think I should try to get off them, but I'm terrified that the withdrawal symptoms would screw up my life, and I remember how bad things were before I was on them (even though I was quite a bit younger)... I've told myself, "Maybe when my life calms down..." Your story makes me feel like maybe I could start with lowering the dosage and see how that goes.... I really don't realistically see myself being able to stop any time soon. And yes, the pill bottles suck!
Due to the concern of memory issues with long term use of Benzodiazepines, my doctor switched me to Guanfacine/Clonidine to treat the insomnia and anxiety. Things are so much better for me now, although what works for one person won't necessarily work for a different person.
@@Dulcimerist I have tried everything, and the one with least side effects was Effexor (venlafaxine). There was on side effect I couldn't stand that all of them had including this one, so I got off of it, and it took forever.
@@Dulcimerist I have tried everything, and the one with least side effects was Effexor venlafaxine. There was on side effect I couldn't stand that all of them had including this one, so I got off of it, and it took forever.
@@CrypticAutistic Most likely you haven't tried everything, since there are several off-label options that doctors often don't even think to try. It sounds like you were on various medications which boost serotonin, in the SSRI and SNRI classes of medications. Guanfacine is actually a blood pressure medication, but it can treat anxiety since it signals the body not to dump so much adrenaline into circulation. Its direct effect is to reduce activity of the "fight or flight" response.
It was very interesting and perhaps also helpful for those who want to start medication! And it explaines, why we didn't hear anything from you for a long time. I always appreciate your videos and hearing from your experiences helps in a way, to understand symptoms and issues from the spectrum! We all struggle in another way then neurotypical people do and i really like to hear more from you, even about the social or family issues.
Thanks Olivia. I all of a sudden looked up side effects in mine too and had the same experience - check, check, check! I only tried tapering one for about 2 weeks and my symptoms were already coming back. Maybe I tapered too quickly tho. What you shared is really interesting tho - my son has huge anxiety and he doesn’t want meds. Maybe not taking them really is best - based on your research. Thanks for sharing. And glad to see another video! 😊
The thing that drives me nuts about reading up side effects of psych meds is that darn near everything you can think of is a side effect... so it is a lot of finger pointing if youre trying to pin down the root cause. It makes it so frustrating tbh since it is a constant battle of "Maybe it is X that is causing this...oh i see that it is also a side effect of this med...oh i see it can also be caused by this...oh i see that this other thing can cause it..." and it is a huge process that eventually just loops back on itself.
I’m very glad things are going better for you now, but this definitely highlights the importance of doctors informing patients of all possible side effects and the horrific nature of so many kids/teens being put on these without giving informed consent to these terrible, possible lifelong side effects
It's definitely not easy being open & honest about this kind of thing - especially when there's the possibility of 'internet backlash'. Thank you for sharing your experience(s), it's nice to hear another person's POV! (I had tried to go off meds - with DR's knowledge - years ago. ...Longer story short, it didn't go well, I went back on them and am on to this day. 😅
I'm currently taking meds for Bipolar because I received a diagnosis of Bipolar in 1989. I don't have Bipolar, I'm autistic. These meds actually help me manage much better. I felt relieved that there was an explanation for what I was feeling. We always had trouble managing my meds and the diagnosis didn't actually describe many of my problems. One day, about 21 years ago, my cousin is has a diagnosis of Autism, well, he told me that I am also Autistic. I said no way and he told me that one of my special interests was people and that's why I don't seem like I have any of the deficits that I have actually been hiding. I had to mull that over for about twenty years and recently I could no longer deny that I'm autistic. I have gone to be evaluated but I didn't have a referral and the Dr. I spoke to refused to evaluate me. He was much older and probably didn't keep up with medical journals, that's my guess anyway. I'm going to talk to my psych about it later this month and see what to do next.
Thank you for your homesty...I totally understand and empathize with you wanting to wean yourself off your meds. I try that myself from time to time and have similar results. I don't even take the same type of meds. Mine are blood pressure and thyroid pills. I also have multiple allergies and have to take a pill for itching every day!! I agree it can be unbearable at times. You seem to be doing all the right things. GOOD JOB! ❤❤❤ Hope the new puppy is learning...not easy for sure!
I feel your pain! I once was forced cold turkey off my meds due to not being able to afford it. It was horrendous! I was mainly nauseous and dizzy all the time. I would love to get off mine but I know it's probably not going to happen. Also, for the bloating and stomach issues Apple Cider Vinegar has worked wonders for me and my mom. If you want more info let me know. I don't want to give unwanted advice, but I know how tough gastro issues can be.
I would love any and all info on that! I actually just got off the phone with my doctor because for the past month my bloating has gotten exponentially worse for some unknown reason. Thank you so much!
@@OliviaHops So apparently there's no DMing on here...just realized that. Any way, we use Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Make sure it says Refreshers on the bottle because it's already diluted. It also comes in pill form as well. We find the liquid at Publix and ingles. The pills can be found at Publix and Walmart. It can also be bought online. With the liquid I usually take 1-2 ounces a day. The pills come in 90 count. My mom takes 3 a day, usually before every meal. The pills are cheaper, about $20 a month compared to $100+ a month for the liquid. She has struggled with gastro issues for years and years and had every test imaginable with no answers. Finally, someone told her about SIBO ( Small intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and she got tested for it and that's what it was. The Cider has really helped her and myself with getting regulated and bloating. Sorry, this a lot of info. I was going to post pictures but it's not an option. Really hope this helps! It's worked wonders for us!
I’ve been recently diagnosed and also got off my antidepressants around the same time - that was advised by my doctor, weening off done slowly, all of that. Still experienced awful side effects, in the thick of it right now. My sensory sensitives are a lot stronger and more difficult to deal with, my masking started shattering without my permission, but I no longer have depression. However, getting off the medication has given me my personality back. I’m experiencing a wider range of emotion, stronger emotions… I think it’s worth it to be off it honestly (for me). I definitely will need some anxiety meds though because the anxiety from withdrawal (i had it before) is INSANE.
i like your videos 'cause we have such a similar story. my doctor suggests off'n'on if I want to stop my medications. I tried two times, and both of them were an awful experience not sure if it is an advice you would consider, but society has prejudice against antidepressants and mental illnessess. I hear every now and then stuff like "you have an amazing life, you don't need to take anything". try to send a message to your brain, that medication is here to help us
Thank you for sharing! 😢 It was very helpful as a family member is having what I now presume side effects from their medication. I’ll look more into it to try to help them and tell them to talk to their providers.
You had the courage to try. That's a really important thing to remember from this. I get the pill bottle thing, except mine is 3 twice a day, for 15 years for bipolar and some autistic traits. I enjoy your videos because you do research and you know yourself so well, and that combination creates so many interesting statements from you. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.
The biggest battle with being on an SSRI is when life doesn’t allow you to have a consistent sleep schedule. This could make working overnight shifts difficult. Sleep works naturally with the dark if night, and being at the extreme western edge of a time zone, the summer sun doesn’t truly set until 9:30.
So true, Corben. I don’t like Day light saving time. I like when it gets dark at dinner time. I know I’m one of the only people, but I hate when it stays light so late. When we’d be in Italy in the summer, it wouldn’t get dark until 10:30pm!
@@EMILY4DAYS Timezones in Indiana are so insane there’s a Wikipedia page completely dedicated to the topic. Conflicts between eastern and central as well as daylight savings which we’e only observed since about 2006. Most of Indiana is eastern with portions of the northwest and southwest corners cut out for central.
It is understandable that you'd want to try a different medication regime because it seems so weird to have to ingest the same pills every day for the foreseeable future. There is this stereotype of constant pill-taking that is limited to the elderly for chronic issues like blood pressure and heart disease. This is ironic since it is seen as very normal for kids and young adults to take a daily supplement. Maybe in the future, it will be normal to take a daily dose that is tailored to one's particular health needs.
I tried cold turkey too. After about 6 months my wife told me I needed to see the doctor and or start taking them again. I stopped because over time the effortless way my brain takes on problems started to lessen and the side effects sucked. I didn't like that. I ended comprising to half a dose. I'm still not thrilled about the side effects but having access to what my brain does best is very important to my work. Thanks for talking about.
Oh wow, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to share your experience with us once again, and this explains SO MUCH ! I decided to get off my antidepressants too, which I had been taking for two years without much positive effect on me, so I figured: why continue taking them? 🤷♀️ Anyway, I had never researched the side effects and so I didn’t know getting off of them could be such a challenge like you found out… which is probably why I had the hardest time convincing my GP to allow it (me going off of them) in the first place, which I thought was weird but now I’m guessing that might be why 🤔 Anyway, so I did it super gradually just like you did, and the same things you mentioned happened to me as well: weight gain that I can’t shake so far, headaches and itchiness! Funny thing is, last time I saw my GP after getting off of them completely, I asked her for a referral to a dermatologist about those rashes that had appeared out of nowhere and were making my life miserable, and all she said was: oh, this looks like eczema to me, here’s a cream, it will pass eventually… but she never mentioned the fact that it could be related to me going off my medication ! 😮 I have tried the cream and some of it did go away, but not all of it unfortunately… Still, even after learning thanks to you that it could last another couple of years before it goes away (which would suck, let’s be honest !), and despite the weight gain which is annoying also (I have the same problem with tight clothes 😠), I don’t want to go back to a medication that wasn’t really helping for what it was supposed to be helping with in the first place… I just hope the withdrawal side effects will disappear eventually ! And thank you for sharing all that info with us, it really helps me living with the consequences of such a decision to know why those things are happening 🙏🫂❤
You could get a weekly pill box and then get the pill bottle opening etc. all over with in 20 mins once a week? I was able to weak of my antidepressants as my anxiety became my real issue. I had terrible withdrawal, even doing the taper under medical guidance, because I'm very sensitive to medication.
Thanks for sharing your story. My daughter is trying to get off an ssri that may help her POTS and the symptoms are back in almost full force since about 8 weeks after the last dose after weaning off slowly. luckily no itching. it's a tricky situation. A pill organiser may be what you need so as not to have to open the bottles every day... At least you can go a week in between.
Coming off of SSRI medications can be very rough, and tapering off of those is necessary. Generally SSRI medications aren't used for POTS. I could see how they might be tried for addressing hyperadrenergic POTS, but the primary medications for that would be Guanfacine or its sister drug Clonidine. Ivabradine or a beta blocker are two other options often used for POTS, and Pyridostigmine is for POTS when digestive motility is involved. So many options other than an SSRI for POTS.
@@Dulcimerist thank you, she got on the ssri pre-diagnosis when we thought it was mostly anxiety and it did help symptoms, especially with midodrine. she's seeing the cardiologist soon and we will ask about those medications you mentioned.
@@AnotherCaroline176 If it was helping with symptoms, that's a good sign that Guanfacine might help. Guanfacine treats hyperadrenergic POTS, which is the type of POTS that mimics anxiety the most. It prevents the initial surge of norepinephrine and blood pressure spike that precedes the blood pressure crash of POTS. Although Guanfacine lowers blood pressure a bit overall, it prevents those POTS blood pressure crashes. Have they done a tilt table test for POTS?
@@Dulcimerist that sounds like a good one to try then :-) they did the poor man's version about 1.5 years ago several times and it seemed to be enough of a hr difference to get the diagnosis...
@@AnotherCaroline176 Yeah, if they can diagnose the POTS without the tilt table, there's no sense in putting her through that. It's unpleasant to go through.
I also quit antidepressants several times in my life and it was a very bad idea. I fell into a bad state and it took me months to get out of it. Also the side effects of coming off the medication were unpleasant. I also thought at times that if I would just get through the tough part I would be free of the medication. I no longer believe that to be the case. I was off the medication for a long time and I was not doing well. I got back on and I'm better. Sure, I wish I didn't need it but I'd rather be not depressed than not taking medication. As for the pill bottles, I use those weekly pill containers, you can just set them up once a month or once a week and you don't have to open three bottles per day. The circular pill boxes that go round and have a cute sliding door are great.
If someone is going to go off of an antidepressant, it’s good to switch to Prozac first, which has a weirdly long half-life, so you can start by skipping one day a week, then 2, then 3, and so on until you aren’t taking it at all; and if you notice any withdrawal effects, you can just pause at, say, taking it 3 days a week, until you feel better and can resume. Also, pill minders are awesome and anyone who needs to take more than 1 pill a day should definitely use one! I fill mine on Sundays! 💊
I'm with you on having to open the med bottles everyday. I even tried a pillbox, I stick with that method for a while 💗 it's probably safer because I don't have much short term memory and forget if I took my day meds. I never forget my night med cause I won't sleep without it 😊
Thank you for sharing your experience with the meds. I've not been down that road yet. I wondered though, in 14 years, could there be newer meds with less side effects?
See, that’s a great question! My doctor has said we can try to test out different medication since there are SO many different ones. But the process takes forever because when going on a new medicine it takes usually at least 30 days to see if it works. Then what if it doesn’t? Or what if the side effects are worse? Just seams like a long process with more cons than pros that I don’t feel like enduring… especially knowing it took multiple tries to find a good combo of the ones I’m currently on when I was a kid (I had bad side effects to the first ones I tried).
The trick with my depression is that it wasn't even an antidepressant that fixed mine. It was an old medication called Cabergoline, which improves dopamine and is generally given to Parkinson's patients, Cushing's disease, or people with pituitary tumors. Zero side effects from that, although I did lose belly fat its reduction of the stress hormone cortisol. Sometimes doctors need to think outside the box.
I'm struggling with stress/anxiety/depression right now and am debating about who to go to for it...I just need the type of support Alex seems to be for Olivia but the lyrics of Micheal Buble's Haven't Met you Yet speak to the feelings I struggle with in this regard...I've been trying to tweak a few things in the last couple of months to try to deal with this...
I was on prozac for 15+ years snd gabapentin for anxiety for 3 years. Had no issues going off either. Was really easy for me. I'm now on homeopathics amd other natural supplements for anxiety and its really working for me and controlling the anxiety extremely well. I will always keep the gabapentin in the back of my head incase I ever need it in the future. But for right now I'm very happy with the natural regimen that I'm on.
I was put on antidepressants for what I thought was depression. After a year and a half I still felt what I thought was depressed so I went back to the doctor and asked to be referred to a psychologist. The psychologist diagnosed me with long standing low level depression. I saw the psychologist once a month for 3 yrs. I taught myself psychology and was eventually able to navigate life without any meditation. Whilst I was taking antidepressants I gained 20 kilos in weight and my productivity was greatly reduced because they made me feel tired all the time. My lack of sleep added to my overeating. Learning psychology has really helped me. Also learning assertiveness. My favourite books on these two subjects are; A Guide to Personal Happiness by Albert Ellis and When I Say No I Feel Guilty by Manuel J Smith. I totally get why you feel so much better when you're in Italy. I live in Spain with my husband in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by nature. We moved here from the UK 21 yrs ago. It's the perfect environment for me. X
Heyy, I had all of these same symptoms from fluoxetine (Prozac) and turns out I was having episodes of hypoglycemia and Prozac makes hypoglycemia worse... Not sure if this could be the same for you, especially if your food choices have improved, like being in Italy and they don't have as much unhealthy food as the US. I used the Maudsley Guide Deprescribing Guidelines... I think thats what it's called ....it's a medical manual of how to deprescribe/discontinue without bad symptoms bc most online stuff is incorrect... The depression immediately after would be a side effect... It sounds like you might have had discontinuation syndrome from too fast of a taper.
I once had a psychiatrist who had switched my meds for schizophrenia that helped me (one of which was fanapt) because I was taking meds that were “in the same family” and he put me on halodol which did NOT help. I was urinating frequently, I felt like crap, I was shaking like I had Parkinson’s Disease, and my grandma thought I was going to have a seizure. Thankfully I’m back on fanapt and it’s helping me.
I feel like there were studies showing that probiotics helped people with depression. I’m a big believer in the gut-brain connection ie a healthy gut creates a healthy mind. But it could be that certain brain function issues make it so your gut can’t work either. I hope someone someday can figure it out. But it does seem that many autistic people have gut issues so maybe your gut issues are an autism thing. My husband and are are both autistic and we both were constipated as kids but we always despised vegetables (texture & flavor disgusting) but we both eat a few veggies now but mostly we take Metamucil daily and really think you should try it! My husband puts the orange powder (real sugar kind not the fake sugar stuff!!) in a smoothie daily. I eat the chocolate cookies as a morning snack with 16 oz herbal peppermint tea (which also soothes the stomach) and this stuff has changed our lives for the better!!! The chocolate cookies taste like Oreo cookies and more so if you spread Fluff on them😂. They ate great with milk if you drink that…or hot chocolate at bedtime.
Thank you so so much for sharing. I do not have medicine related itchiness but often times when I am really disregulated because of my autism. What really helps in those situations for me is some indica cannabis. It feels like it makes my skin flowing and dissolves the itchiness. Also really cold showers can be so good. Of course these things may not necessarily help in therms of those withdrawal effects
I used to be on 3 meds and got off 2 (over a period of 6 months). The one I keep on taking helps me fall asleep (just like yours). No withdrawal symptoms here.
I was on that too. Its also called Prozac. I was on it for 15+ years and eventually tapered off of it with no issues. I went off of it without a doctor's help and had zero issues getting off of it. I think Prozac might be an easier one to get off of.
I think when you’ve been on brain altering medications for many years, going off them is a very long process, like years. You need to retrain your body to make proper levels of neurotransmitters. Going off in weeks doesn’t give enough time to do that. Instead, your body ends up using the stockpiles it has around. Going off may still be possible, but it’ll be years, with smaller and smaller decrements in dosage and large gaps between decrements.
I had to stop my medication because I moved to another country and didn’t find a psychiatrist fast enough so I just tried to last the last bottles as much as possible. Interesting how the side effects of the withdrawal can come afterwards so I guess that’s what I’ve been having; I guess I should find a doctor who can prescribe me this medication but it’s just so overwhelming just thinking of telling my story to someone new and again not being believed.
One time I took Benadryl to help me fall asleep at night and after taking the adult dosage of Benadryl I ended up being sleepy the next two days and I realized afterwards I cannot take an adult dosage of Benadryl at all because it makes me sleepy the for the rest of the next day and at least the day afterwards.
I’ve been on 2 different ssri’s but I didn’t like the first one and the second one was ok but I didn’t feel like it had much effect on me. So I went on a stronger anti psychotic for my anxiety and debilitating meltdowns with worked ! But now 2 years later I’m much better and reducing the dose and it’s HORRIBLE I’m soo anxious and my bad mental downs are back, it’s only been a week so it’s probably only side affects, I have reduced the dose before and the side affects went away after a couple weeks, I really hope that’s the case this time too, the second ssri’s withdrawal was the worst I had like full body electric shocks every time I moved a muscle it was not fun but it dident last more than a month Warning ⚠️ Take meds if you need it, talk to your doctor if you wanna go off, cus if you do it by yourself and do it wrong you could end up in hospital
The SSRI electrical shocks are so annoying! Paxil caused those the worst for me. My anxiety was fixed with Guanfacine, which directly calms the "fight or flight" response by preventing adrenaline surges. Zero side effects.
Most doctors around the world won't go over every single side affects of medication, unless It's life threatening (for example. some of psychiatric medications can cause harm to the liver, thus those who take them need to keep truck on their liver functions). Even when side effects are not life threatening but mentioned, as you said you can't always know If It's from the medication or other condition... Pharmaceutical companies are required to list all side effects that have ever been reported on the drug in order to protect themselves from lawsuits, and just for good measure they categorize them according to frequency (common to rare). So logically, unless doctors will have access to better health technology, they can't really follow side effects In each and every patient... It's hard to know exactly which person tend to what side effect (mostly because mostly of us go on living with undiagnosed health conditions).
And something more, I can relate to the anger upon the thought of being medicated all my life, but giving this second thought I realize that actually, there were no reason to be upset. The medication give us opportunity to live longer and better than people who had same conditions In the past. Furthermore, If we live long enough, maybe there will come a time when we won't need those drugs, just because there will be new better options or changes In life conditions for good.
I was on and off antidepressants through my teens and young adult years, and never felt any benefit. Around age 30 I was medicated for anxiety, which turned out to be the real issue.
Interestingly enough, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is somewhat common in people with autism, as is Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS). Scientists haven't found the genetic link yet, though.
I've been on the same antidepressants and mood stabiliser for many many years, but since they're the first ones that really worked I'm scared of getting of them 😄 and I feel like I don't really need to, why risk it 🤷🏼♀️
Allopathic injuries and Rockefeller medicine-ffs! I did a 20 yr ssri detox abroad in safer country. You heal from meds and then from what put you on meds, if you go that route. It’s a dark night of the soul that I experienced for many years with the cptsd. 8 years of wax earplugs at bedtime post med w/d. Chronic illness trifecta led to ASD and had roots in childhood illness symptoms. Unaccredited psych degree led to nutrition/nervous system retraining courses. This withdrawal/healing from meds became a full time job and was my entire 40’s. Late ASD at 47- fridge mom confirmed. Certified NTP at 50. Still have methylation and detoxification issues from decades of chronic inflammation/gut dysbiosis and the oxidative stress done on the cellular level. After the unnecessary and harmful meds, disability money is spent investing in reversing the damage.
That itch sounds EXACTLY like one of my pregnancy symptoms! I had no option but to wait for the birthing to stop it and it was just like that, pure torture, constant itching everywhere. Was sometimes sleepless and standing up scratching with a dishwasher brush crying in defeat... Wonder if there is some common chemical reason for it, the pregnancy and SSRI
I'm sorry if this sounds mean (and I don't blame you, I blame your doctors), but this sounds like exactly the same path that drug addicts take: They decide they're gonna stop, then the withdrawal symptoms get bad and they decide to start taking them again, and so the vicious cycle continues... Sounds like you're having a lot of really nasty side-effects and you may actually be able to have a much more enjoyable life if you can completely stop them, or at least keep reducing the dose. Your body is so used to having these drugs in your system for so many years that maybe it'll just take a bit longer to be able to get off them without these extreme withdrawal symptoms.
Antidepressants are absolutely more trouble than they're worth. Consider that you've been on these medications for half your life, that's not good. The way to get off of an antidepressant is to go on another weaker antidepressant. For instance, if you were on prozac you could switch to Lexapro for a few months and then just go off the Lexapro. It definitely takes more than 2 or 3 months off of Antidepressants or tranquilizers before you're not addicted to them any more. If you just have autism and ADHD then your doctor should've never put you on anything like an antidepressant, especially since you were only a teenager at the time. Most pyschiatrist have little to no training when it comes to autism. They basically make a half assed diagnosis then they start drugging you. Now you're probably going to go through hell to get off that garbage. I've been through all you're going through and much more. I don't know what they're giving you as a sleeping pill but if it's something like Ambien, they are only made to be taken for a few weeks. However, if they were giving you Trazadone for sleep, well, Trazadone is actually a really old antidepressant, not a sleeping pill. Unless you're seriously depressed you probably shouldn't be on any of this garbage. IMO, you need to find a therapist with experience in autism, and you need to find a new doctor as well. Think about it, you haven't experienced reality since you were a teenager. Never blindly trust a doctor, or even a therapist. I've had doctors lie right to my face about something I knew was true, and that I learned from several other doctors and my own research. This is going to take you a while to straighten out. You'll never get off psychiatric medications you've taken for 15 years in just a couple months. It's going to take time and work to fix this. Oh, and depression isn't caused by a chemical imbalance. If your doctor is still telling you that, then they aren't up to date.
You children are you kidding me ? It’s a drug . What would be a blessing is putting yourself in their shoes and try tu find out the real cause rather than trying to drug to someone subdue them so you are having a blessed moment . Ok why don’t you try the medication . Jesus I on children for crying out loud ? So to speak
It’s a last resort choice for level 2&3. So they can function and develop relationships. Too complicated to explain here but there should be no judgement on treatment choices unless you are in the parents shoes. No judgement zone at my occupation
When I apply fashion tape to my shoulders along the seam of the shirt to hide my bra straps, I literally don't feel it. It's so much more comfortable not having to worry about my top being wear I want and feeling subconscious. I just finally started using it and I LOVE it! I also completely not wanting to gain weight because clothes will fit differently! On topic, I'm in a nightmare situation with pristiq. (Very similar to effexor but with a time release coating so you cant cut it up.) I wasn't warned how hard it'd be to go off. So its been over a year on it and never feeling it helping my mood but just causing lots of side effects. I can't go off because I get super depressed and in danger of suicide. Its hell! Finally looking up all the side effects may literally be why I've become completed disabled this last year. I almost immediately expressed concern about it making my MCAS worse. It was not yet officially found on tests and diagnosed at the time but i knew i had it and was right. He seriously threw fit about me essentially needing it. (I have a new doctor and seriously wondering if i can sue him over not warning me because i wouldnt have taken it since similar ones didnt work either.) Well, turns out that I was probably right because it should be much better than it is with the very expensive and specialized shots. That disorder has a big impact on my life and even cause abdominal migraines. I still have a huge list of foods I avoid due to it not just because of pain but also the intense fatigue. So that alone may be a factor in now not working. Yet because of the time release coating, its way harder to get off than effector since you can't taper. You have to switch to effects and crush pills or use a compounding pharmacy to reduce by 10% per month. That means the lowest dose, which I'm on, can take 6-12 months.
It turned out my depression responded to dopamine boosting meds. Serotonin boosters caused a lot of bad things for me.
Going off the serotonin boosters (like Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, etc.) have to be tapered gradually, since cold turkey off of these can be dangerous and the withdrawal effects can be very rough.
My sleep and anxiety issues were both fixed by the non-stimulant ADHD medication Guanfacine, which originated as a blood pressure medication. This med calms the "fight or flight" response and prevents too much adrenaline from surging in the body. Plus it's nice to have multiple issues addressed by one medication.
Thanks for the info on Guanfacine. I have actually thought about a non-stimulant before. Especially for my 9yo gdtr.
Very well stated! Thanks for sharing!🙂
I went off of my SSRI last October. My experience was very similar to yours. I almost died like both of my sisters before me. Both suicides. I had to go back on to save my life. It has been 9.5 months since going off and I’m still having good days and some bad days.
Thanks for your video. It helped me to feel better for going back on. I truly did not want to but I also want to stay alive for my family and friends. So your video has given me validation that I did the right thing. Thanks for your radical honesty. ❤
The weekly pill containers are super helpful at preventing accidents with medications, such as forgetting to take them or accidentally taking them twice. It took me some time getting used to, but it's definitely worth it!
I have to agree and I was about to recommend the same. I have been using them for a long time now.
I feel so much better after hearing your story and your experience in stopping taking medication for some period of time.
Coincidentally, I tried the same thing a few months ago, and I had almost an identical experience to yours.
Initially, I felt disappointed in myself but also liberated at the same time.
I have to admit to myself that I am going to need medication as my crutch until the day I die.
And that it is OK. It is ok because I have disability and I shouldn't be ashamed of it. Let alone to denie it.
It is what it is. Whatever makes quality of my life better, bring it on !!!
There are some close people in my life who believe I am not trying hard enough to live my life medicine free, but they don't know my life-long internal struggles.
Please don't think of your medicine as a crutch. Maybe think of med as giving yourself something that makes your body and brain work better... you are investing in yourself, and you are worth it! Best wishes!🙂
I too get sick of opening the pill bottles every night. I hate-hate-hate having to rely on medication to function. Every time I decide to try weaning myself off of them, my husband says something sarcastic like, "yes, now that your blood sugar is under control, you should *definitely* stop taking insulin" to remind me that taking medication is part of why I am doing so well. I have tried before, and much like your experience, it went well for a couple of months before I crashed.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's hard to admit that we do need medicine to function, and it can be embarrassing when things go awry. Ultimately, the brain is an organ, and sometimes our organs need help to do their jobs. If your choice (like mine) is taking medication or feeling suicidal, I hope you continue to choose medication. The world is better off with you in it.
This is exactly the story of my life. I totally relate to every single word of yours.
Do a hyperbolic taper
That's actually a pretty crappy response from your husband. People who have Type-2 diabetes only have it in the first place because of bad lifestyle choices. And it can usually be reversed by making better lifestyle choices. What's to say that depression doesn't perhaps work similarly - that after taking the medication for a while and hopefully building a better ability to deal with life in the meantime, you can later stop using it...
These medications have nasty side-effects, so maybe the choice isn't taking the drugs or feeling suicidal. Maybe there's a third option of tapering carefully (with your doctor's advice, and with a psychologist) and not having to have either endless drugs or suicidal thoughts.
Depress tablets can cause diebetes anyways
I was prescribed SSRIs too after visiting a doctor specialised in migranes (I was 20-21 yo). She asked random questions about life, I remember saying I'm sometimes anxious for no reason, such as on full public transportation. She said I have "sub-depression" and soon will have full depression and prescribed SSRIs. Nothing for the migranes, btw. She told me nothing about the side effects, didn't say we need a catch up appointment or anything.
I was lucky in many ways. First of all, I had been taking care of a sick relative so I had gotten into the habit of meticulously reading all drug info papers, the longer the better. So I read this one too and guess what, severe negative thoughts and worse is one of the side effects - who could possibly know that without reading the tiny script over who knows how many pages. I took it anyway. The second lucky thing was that I was keeping a dated journal. I think it was the only reason why I realised I had become depressed after starting them. All the negative thoughts were about real life events so it would have been easy to mistake it for just being at a shitty point in life. But reading through the last months it was obvious it was me seeing everything as dark after starting the drugs. I think it hadn't been a whole month. I went off cold turkey, never looked back.
I really hope before I die I see all these doctors prescribing these pills willy nilly held accountable.
Watching this video almost made me cry out of sheer frustration. Somehow, I feel like I dodged a bullet. For a few years now doctors kept suggesting I take antidepressants, first for depression and now for fibro even though I'm not even diagnosed with fibromyalgia because my rheumatologist doesn't actually know what I have. Each and every time I refused to take them (even though I still spent money buying them because my PTSD people-pleasing kicked in) because I knew I didn't need antidepressants - I needed proper accommodation for my autism. I still have a bit of underlying anxiety (which I will probably always have since it's linked to my ASD) but, after working from home for less than 6 months, my depressive symptoms completely vanished, proving my point that I never even needed to take antidepressants in the first place. When you mentioned that one of the symptoms from weaning off the medication was being itchy and feeling like you wanted to crawl out of your skin, I almost screamed in terror because, the last time I bought the antidepressants, I actually considered taking them for just a month "to see what it would feel like" and then stopping (and I was gonna do an abrupt stop because the doctor didn't mention anything about side effects or having to slowly wean off) and one of the things I've been struggling with since I was a little girl (maybe even a toddler) is skin picking. I can't believe that someone would so easily recommend to someone who has dermatillomania to take antidepressants, especially when they didn't even need them in the first place. I am just so glad that I stood my ground and never started taking them in the first place because working from home really was all I needed.
There is an emerging strong connection between Autism and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (heds specifically), which is a connective tissue disorder. It could be helpful to look into. But take this as 2 cents as I am only a stranger on the internet, lol
@@sarahdriedger4386 You're good. I started seeing a new rheumatologist since I was seeing the first one since 2018 and still had no answers to show for it. I hope they don't think I'm "out of line" but, on top of the fibromyalgia and autoimmune conditions my first rheumatologist was already considering, I also wrote down EDS, MCAS, and POTS as other things I want them to look into because I recently learned those are all pretty common in autistic people and I want them to cover more bases. I also accidentally found out yesterday that I may also have undiagnosed PCOS (I'm not sure if it's hereditary but almost every woman in my family has it) which is going to be a fun conversation to have with my GP next time I see them.
Oh girl. Im 66yo & have been on SSRI's for 30 years. In the beginning I noted my head would be vertigo-like when missing a couple or so doses. The pharmacist was always very helpful, but absolutely noone knew what this was. Brain rattle or zaps. I recently began Seroquel & with increase has calmed my rage, fight or flight. Oh its dtill there but my chest doesnt explode along with my mouth. Im certain adhd is the root of my issues with added childhood trauma. Hang in there! Good to see your face again.
Olivia - I watched it all because you're such a lovely, honest, caring person. You're helping so many people, I"m sure.
Olivia, thank you so much for your courage, your compassion, and your authenticity, and thank you as well for sharing your recent challenging experiences. I am so glad that you navigated your way through this all successfully, and that you are kind enough to share your insight and wisdom - especially that born of suffering and struggle -with the rest of us. You are very much appreciated!
🙏🏻🍀👏🏻🙌🏼🌈🌎🦄
My goodness, I have sure missed you! I didn't realize how much I was missing you until now, with your return. You were instrumental in helping me understand and validate what my daughter was/is going through (diagnosed with ASD and ADHD 2 years ago at the age of 17). You were my lifeline, and I am so, so glad you are back! Thank you for your honesty and willingness to share your personal experiences. Btw, you do a great job of reminding people that these are just your personal experiences and you are not speaking as a doctor or speaking for all of the ASD world. Anyone who would accuse you otherwise is clearly not paying attention! Love and gratitude! ❤️😘
Thank you so much for this video Olivia.
I went through a similar experience myself - at least in terms of poor decisions around stopping my medication. I went through a longer recovery period, with a different set of withdrawal symptoms. I got severely stomach sick at first (for a few weeks), followed by increasing amounts of emotional sensitivity, constant panic, and eventually serious suicidal thoughts. Even when I got back on medication, it still took 6 months to feel like myself again. Even now, 2 years later, I still feel like I’m more sensitive to certain things (I pretty much can’t watch horror movies anymore).
I’m not happy to hear that I may never be able to stop taking medication - which I only learned about by watching this, so thanks again - but at least I know now, so I can resign myself to this knowledge. I’m also gonna send this to my mom, so she can better understand what I went through, by hearing what someone else went through, and explaining why I can’t stop my meds.
And I heavily recommend the pill sorting box. I had gotten used to the opening of pill bottles, but still really didn’t feel good about it. My main problem though was noticing when I had to refill each of the medications, as well as forgetting to take some at certain points of the day. Having a visual reminder helped immensely. I suggest getting a big one that has enough slots for the month, so you only have to deal with opening the bottles once a month, rather than every day 😀
I grabbed four weekly pill containers, since the weeklies can be easier to work with. When one weekly is done, I grab the next. These containers have definitely prevented accidental overdoses for me!
Having to take medications for the rest of my life doesn't bother me anymore. I didn't like to bathe regularly, either, but I enjoy life and am nicer to be around because I do. That's how I feel about meds now. They're just a part of my daily routine.
Life is full of learning experiences. This was a big learning experience. I'm the same way about my clothes and weight. Keep taking life one day at a time! Enjoyed hearing from you!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I just want to add that the whole chemical imbalance thing has been somewhat debunked as doctor lingo that was used to justify ssri use to laymans like us. However, it's questionable whether a chemical imbalance is a thing, and even if it is, ssris dont correct this imbalance because the brain constantly tries to recalibrate. So when more serotonin becomes available as a result of the reuptake pathways being inhibited by the ssris, the brain down-regulates the amount of serotonin that it produces. So, when you come off them, "withdrawal" is actually "discontinuation syndrome", where you suddenly find that you have less serotonin than you ever did before starting ssris. Hence the depression you experienced. The brain will eventually recalibrate again and you'll be back to your origional serotonin levels. However, it's been proposed that it's not lack of serotonin that is the issue for autistic people anyway. I recommend the reddit threads on this topic.
P.s. I want to give you hope. I came off antidepressants and had a very similar experience to you. My mental health was a complete disaster and significantly worse than before I went on them. I can't remember exactly how long it took for everything to come right but I'd say around 3 months for the worst of it, and then by a year I was doing really well. I was very motivated because I wanted to have a baby and didn't want antidepressants in my system. I am so glad that I went off them. I will never go back on them. I was diagnosed with autism after coming off them so I don't believe I'll ever need them again as my mental health is the best it's ever been as a result. I very much doubt that you would have to be itchy for 2-3 years. But I would recommend just dropping one med at a time, not 2. Deal with the discontinuation syndrome from one at a time. And do it at a time when everything is stable in your life. But it's worth it. Life without the side effects and knowing that I am who I am meant to me without medication is amazing.
I agree 100% A completely debunked theory
Hi Olivia. Glad to have you back. I am currently on a ton of meds & supplements for depression/anxiety plus a number of other major health issues I'm facing. Doing the pill thing daily is a super drag. Suggestion? Pill keepers help. Open your bottles once a week, fill up the pill keeper with daily doses - for me I need slots for a.m., p.m. and nighttime doses - and then Bob's your uncle for the week. Hope that helps!
Going off an SNRI, which is similar to an SSRI, was very difficult, and I was only on SSRI's and then the SNRI for five years. My main withdrawal symptom was a dizzy feeling whenever i moved my head. It took months to completely go away. I also tried doing it on my own but I got my doctor involved after a few months. He told me I can go off them and then ride it out, that the side effects would go away but it was taking too long so I had to cut the dose down further, and that worked. It was amazing how small I had the dose but it was enough to stop the withdrawal. Eventually I took it every other day, and got it down to every few days. after months of doing that I was able to stop and then that dizziness went away. I could never sleep on those meds, all of them gave me insomnia, and I had the opposite problem of craving and constantly eating sweets. They also made me content in being lazy. I had no motivation to get anything done because I didn't care about anything. I'll never go back.
Opening pill bottles every night sounds like a perfect task for Alex as a loving husband. I'm sorry to hear that you had to deal with the itchy side effects. That's no fun. It sounds like you've learned quite a bit, though, from the experience. And at the very least, you've walked away with a good story to tell. It's really nice to have you back.
He actually offered to buy me those weekly pill sorting packs so I can just pop open one slot and dump them into my hand. I of course said no because I hate change 🤣 I think I should revisit his offer. Thanks for watching and for the comment! 🩵
@@OliviaHops The weekly pill containers are very helpful at staying organized and helping to prevent accidents. Before I got the weekly containers, there were times I'd forget whether or not I took my meds. This caused me to not take them, or more dangerously, to take my meds twice.
How do you know somebody when you look at them if they have autism or not or if they have another logical disorder
Yes definitely check with your doctor before trying to come off psych meds.
Also, there is a lot of pressure from strangers online saying that "misdiagnosed" anxiety/depression/bipolar so should stop taking meds.
This is dangerous.
Thanks for mentioning this! Most meds have specific protocols for tapering off of them gradually to avoid bad reactions and to minimize the withdrawal symptoms. Also, the doctor would likely have a different class of medication which might work better by working differently in the body.
@@Dulcimerist yes, psych meds are usually tapered
Thank you, we're helping a child dial in the meds that are best for her and hearing about the possible side effects that the practitioners seem to undersell is extremely enlightening.
I've been on Prozac for the past 25 years. When I did try and gradually taper off. I felt OK initially and then it hit me. I never felt so frightened. The whole experience was absolutely horrendous. I needed to go back on them. I know now that I will have to stay on them for the rest of my life just to avoid experiencing the withdrawals. I wish I never started them but I also didn't realise alot of my depression was because I was never diagnosed with autism and adhd. I look at them as keeping me functional so just get on with taking them
Me too
@@Dancestar1981 I cannot take Prozac at all because it didn't matter if I ate or drank (no alcohol) enough before and/or while taking the Prozac, because it would upset of my stomach the rest of the day and this was back in the Fall 2011 semester, but my mental health doctor who mostly sees autistic adults also diagnosed with autism and/or other mental health conditions like anxiety disorder or depression for example told me that Prozac can be harsh on your stomach and thus I ended up missing the one in person university class I was taking on Friday I ended up missing once and I ended up taking two doses of the liquid version of Pepto Bismol that day and I ended up with ringing in both of my ears after taking the second dosage of the liquid version of Pepto Bismal that day and I read on the bottle if you have ringing of the ears after taking this medication, you need to stop taking it and I listened to that and I no longer take any version of Pepto Bismol from that day on.
My daughter was offered loads of pills by the doctors, but she refused I’m happy now she didn’t take them. Bless you, and thank you for your honesty. Keep smiling your beautiful smile ❤
doctors won't be up front and tell you once you get on SSRIs it will be for the rest of your life, due to the simple fact that discontinuing them can have side effects lasting up to a couple of years. my mother and sister are in the same boat and have realized that on their own. So the reason a patient was prescribed the medication in the first place could have been a short struggle in that time of there life but were medicated with a lifetime medicine. I think doctors are now starting to understand this and has been the sole reason I stayed away from anti-anxiety anti-depression medication in general. in my mom's experience her SSRI medication will quit working after so many years and then has to very arduously find one that will work. I am sorry for the experience you went through and it looks like you're doing well now. great video and you are definitely helping others with this information.
That’s such a good point about a permanent medicine to a temporary problem! I think it should be mandatory they tell you this is a medicine you most likely will never go off of when prescribing it to you so you get to choose. Would I (or my parents most likely since I was a minor) have chosen differently? I don’t know. But we should have at least been informed.
It turned out that my depression was dopamine based, and not serotonin based. Once my doctor replaced my SSRI with a dopamine booster, my life changed for the better. That switch helped me get off of the SSRI.
As a disclaimer, what helps for one person won't necessarily help a different person. We're all different. :)
Thank you for sharing this! I'm in a similar situation.... I've been on meds for anxiety, depression and insomnia for about 20 years now (well, it's been about 15 years for this combo - I was on some other combinations of meds that didn't work before we found these). I have similar side effects but they're tolerable, although I do worry about the short-term memory thing, especially over time. Sometimes I think I should try to get off them, but I'm terrified that the withdrawal symptoms would screw up my life, and I remember how bad things were before I was on them (even though I was quite a bit younger)... I've told myself, "Maybe when my life calms down..." Your story makes me feel like maybe I could start with lowering the dosage and see how that goes.... I really don't realistically see myself being able to stop any time soon. And yes, the pill bottles suck!
Due to the concern of memory issues with long term use of Benzodiazepines, my doctor switched me to Guanfacine/Clonidine to treat the insomnia and anxiety. Things are so much better for me now, although what works for one person won't necessarily work for a different person.
Thanks for explaining your withdrawl issues. I am in my first month after stopping my anti-anxiety meds.
I'm on three meds for the same reason as you. I'm 74 years old, and I was diagnosed 6 months ago. Late diagnosed autism and ADHD.
Welcome to the club! How long have you been on your meds? I hope they’re having a good effect.
May I ask which ones are working for you?
My ADHD, anxiety, and sleep issues are managed by Guanfacine, plus it helps my blood pressure.
@@Dulcimerist I have tried everything, and the one with least side effects was Effexor (venlafaxine). There was on side effect I couldn't stand that all of them had including this one, so I got off of it, and it took forever.
@@Dulcimerist I have tried everything, and the one with least side effects was Effexor venlafaxine. There was on side effect I couldn't stand that all of them had including this one, so I got off of it, and it took forever.
@@CrypticAutistic Most likely you haven't tried everything, since there are several off-label options that doctors often don't even think to try. It sounds like you were on various medications which boost serotonin, in the SSRI and SNRI classes of medications.
Guanfacine is actually a blood pressure medication, but it can treat anxiety since it signals the body not to dump so much adrenaline into circulation. Its direct effect is to reduce activity of the "fight or flight" response.
It was very interesting and perhaps also helpful for those who want to start medication! And it explaines, why we didn't hear anything from you for a long time. I always appreciate your videos and hearing from your experiences helps in a way, to understand symptoms and issues from the spectrum! We all struggle in another way then neurotypical people do and i really like to hear more from you, even about the social or family issues.
Thanks Olivia. I all of a sudden looked up side effects in mine too and had the same experience - check, check, check! I only tried tapering one for about 2 weeks and my symptoms were already coming back. Maybe I tapered too quickly tho. What you shared is really interesting tho - my son has huge anxiety and he doesn’t want meds. Maybe not taking them really is best - based on your research. Thanks for sharing. And glad to see another video! 😊
The thing that drives me nuts about reading up side effects of psych meds is that darn near everything you can think of is a side effect... so it is a lot of finger pointing if youre trying to pin down the root cause. It makes it so frustrating tbh since it is a constant battle of "Maybe it is X that is causing this...oh i see that it is also a side effect of this med...oh i see it can also be caused by this...oh i see that this other thing can cause it..." and it is a huge process that eventually just loops back on itself.
I’m very glad things are going better for you now, but this definitely highlights the importance of doctors informing patients of all possible side effects and the horrific nature of so many kids/teens being put on these without giving informed consent to these terrible, possible lifelong side effects
It's definitely not easy being open & honest about this kind of thing - especially when there's the possibility of 'internet backlash'. Thank you for sharing your experience(s), it's nice to hear another person's POV!
(I had tried to go off meds - with DR's knowledge - years ago. ...Longer story short, it didn't go well, I went back on them and am on to this day. 😅
I'm currently taking meds for Bipolar because I received a diagnosis of Bipolar in 1989. I don't have Bipolar, I'm autistic. These meds actually help me manage much better. I felt relieved that there was an explanation for what I was feeling. We always had trouble managing my meds and the diagnosis didn't actually describe many of my problems. One day, about 21 years ago, my cousin is has a diagnosis of Autism, well, he told me that I am also Autistic. I said no way and he told me that one of my special interests was people and that's why I don't seem like I have any of the deficits that I have actually been hiding. I had to mull that over for about twenty years and recently I could no longer deny that I'm autistic. I have gone to be evaluated but I didn't have a referral and the Dr. I spoke to refused to evaluate me. He was much older and probably didn't keep up with medical journals, that's my guess anyway. I'm going to talk to my psych about it later this month and see what to do next.
There is cross over with bipolar and autism. You can be both autism spectrum and bipolar.
@@dlclcn5021 True.
Thank you for your homesty...I totally understand and empathize with you wanting to wean yourself off your meds. I try that myself from time to time and have similar results. I don't even take the same type of meds. Mine are blood pressure and thyroid pills. I also have multiple allergies and have to take a pill for itching every day!! I agree it can be unbearable at times. You seem to be doing all the right things. GOOD JOB! ❤❤❤ Hope the new puppy is learning...not easy for sure!
I feel your pain! I once was forced cold turkey off my meds due to not being able to afford it. It was horrendous! I was mainly nauseous and dizzy all the time. I would love to get off mine but I know it's probably not going to happen. Also, for the bloating and stomach issues Apple Cider Vinegar has worked wonders for me and my mom. If you want more info let me know. I don't want to give unwanted advice, but I know how tough gastro issues can be.
I would love any and all info on that! I actually just got off the phone with my doctor because for the past month my bloating has gotten exponentially worse for some unknown reason. Thank you so much!
@@OliviaHops Sure thing! I may have to DM you on here because I don't think pics are allowed in comments. I will let you know when it's sent.
@@OliviaHops So apparently there's no DMing on here...just realized that. Any way, we use Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Make sure it says Refreshers on the bottle because it's already diluted. It also comes in pill form as well. We find the liquid at Publix and ingles. The pills can be found at Publix and Walmart. It can also be bought online. With the liquid I usually take 1-2 ounces a day. The pills come in 90 count. My mom takes 3 a day, usually before every meal. The pills are cheaper, about $20 a month compared to $100+ a month for the liquid. She has struggled with gastro issues for years and years and had every test imaginable with no answers. Finally, someone told her about SIBO (
Small intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and she got tested for it and that's what it was. The Cider has really helped her and myself with getting regulated and bloating. Sorry, this a lot of info. I was going to post pictures but it's not an option. Really hope this helps! It's worked wonders for us!
I’ve been recently diagnosed and also got off my antidepressants around the same time - that was advised by my doctor, weening off done slowly, all of that. Still experienced awful side effects, in the thick of it right now. My sensory sensitives are a lot stronger and more difficult to deal with, my masking started shattering without my permission, but I no longer have depression.
However, getting off the medication has given me my personality back. I’m experiencing a wider range of emotion, stronger emotions… I think it’s worth it to be off it honestly (for me). I definitely will need some anxiety meds though because the anxiety from withdrawal (i had it before) is INSANE.
YOUR MAKEUP IS AMAZING!!!!!😍😍😍
i like your videos 'cause we have such a similar story. my doctor suggests off'n'on if I want to stop my medications. I tried two times, and both of them were an awful experience
not sure if it is an advice you would consider, but society has prejudice against antidepressants and mental illnessess. I hear every now and then stuff like "you have an amazing life, you don't need to take anything". try to send a message to your brain, that medication is here to help us
Thank you for sharing! 😢 It was very helpful as a family member is having what I now presume side effects from their medication. I’ll look more into it to try to help them and tell them to talk to their providers.
You had the courage to try. That's a really important thing to remember from this. I get the pill bottle thing, except mine is 3 twice a day, for 15 years for bipolar and some autistic traits. I enjoy your videos because you do research and you know yourself so well, and that combination creates so many interesting statements from you. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.
The biggest battle with being on an SSRI is when life doesn’t allow you to have a consistent sleep schedule. This could make working overnight shifts difficult. Sleep works naturally with the dark if night, and being at the extreme western edge of a time zone, the summer sun doesn’t truly set until 9:30.
So true, Corben. I don’t like Day light saving time. I like when it gets dark at dinner time. I know I’m one of the only people, but I hate when it stays light so late. When we’d be in Italy in the summer, it wouldn’t get dark until 10:30pm!
I'm in the PNW & the sun stays out too many hours of the day in the summer, and it hardly comes up at all in the winter. 😫
@@EMILY4DAYS Timezones in Indiana are so insane there’s a Wikipedia page completely dedicated to the topic. Conflicts between eastern and central as well as daylight savings which we’e only observed since about 2006. Most of Indiana is eastern with portions of the northwest and southwest corners cut out for central.
It is understandable that you'd want to try a different medication regime because it seems so weird to have to ingest the same pills every day for the foreseeable future. There is this stereotype of constant pill-taking that is limited to the elderly for chronic issues like blood pressure and heart disease. This is ironic since it is seen as very normal for kids and young adults to take a daily supplement. Maybe in the future, it will be normal to take a daily dose that is tailored to one's particular health needs.
I tried cold turkey too. After about 6 months my wife told me I needed to see the doctor and or start taking them again. I stopped because over time the effortless way my brain takes on problems started to lessen and the side effects sucked. I didn't like that. I ended comprising to half a dose. I'm still not thrilled about the side effects but having access to what my brain does best is very important to my work. Thanks for talking about.
Oh wow, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to share your experience with us once again, and this explains SO MUCH ! I decided to get off my antidepressants too, which I had been taking for two years without much positive effect on me, so I figured: why continue taking them? 🤷♀️ Anyway, I had never researched the side effects and so I didn’t know getting off of them could be such a challenge like you found out… which is probably why I had the hardest time convincing my GP to allow it (me going off of them) in the first place, which I thought was weird but now I’m guessing that might be why 🤔 Anyway, so I did it super gradually just like you did, and the same things you mentioned happened to me as well: weight gain that I can’t shake so far, headaches and itchiness! Funny thing is, last time I saw my GP after getting off of them completely, I asked her for a referral to a dermatologist about those rashes that had appeared out of nowhere and were making my life miserable, and all she said was: oh, this looks like eczema to me, here’s a cream, it will pass eventually… but she never mentioned the fact that it could be related to me going off my medication ! 😮 I have tried the cream and some of it did go away, but not all of it unfortunately… Still, even after learning thanks to you that it could last another couple of years before it goes away (which would suck, let’s be honest !), and despite the weight gain which is annoying also (I have the same problem with tight clothes 😠), I don’t want to go back to a medication that wasn’t really helping for what it was supposed to be helping with in the first place… I just hope the withdrawal side effects will disappear eventually ! And thank you for sharing all that info with us, it really helps me living with the consequences of such a decision to know why those things are happening 🙏🫂❤
You could get a weekly pill box and then get the pill bottle opening etc. all over with in 20 mins once a week? I was able to weak of my antidepressants as my anxiety became my real issue. I had terrible withdrawal, even doing the taper under medical guidance, because I'm very sensitive to medication.
Thanks for sharing your story. My daughter is trying to get off an ssri that may help her POTS and the symptoms are back in almost full force since about 8 weeks after the last dose after weaning off slowly. luckily no itching. it's a tricky situation.
A pill organiser may be what you need so as not to have to open the bottles every day... At least you can go a week in between.
Coming off of SSRI medications can be very rough, and tapering off of those is necessary.
Generally SSRI medications aren't used for POTS. I could see how they might be tried for addressing hyperadrenergic POTS, but the primary medications for that would be Guanfacine or its sister drug Clonidine. Ivabradine or a beta blocker are two other options often used for POTS, and Pyridostigmine is for POTS when digestive motility is involved. So many options other than an SSRI for POTS.
@@Dulcimerist thank you, she got on the ssri pre-diagnosis when we thought it was mostly anxiety and it did help symptoms, especially with midodrine. she's seeing the cardiologist soon and we will ask about those medications you mentioned.
@@AnotherCaroline176 If it was helping with symptoms, that's a good sign that Guanfacine might help. Guanfacine treats hyperadrenergic POTS, which is the type of POTS that mimics anxiety the most. It prevents the initial surge of norepinephrine and blood pressure spike that precedes the blood pressure crash of POTS. Although Guanfacine lowers blood pressure a bit overall, it prevents those POTS blood pressure crashes.
Have they done a tilt table test for POTS?
@@Dulcimerist that sounds like a good one to try then :-) they did the poor man's version about 1.5 years ago several times and it seemed to be enough of a hr difference to get the diagnosis...
@@AnotherCaroline176 Yeah, if they can diagnose the POTS without the tilt table, there's no sense in putting her through that. It's unpleasant to go through.
I also quit antidepressants several times in my life and it was a very bad idea. I fell into a bad state and it took me months to get out of it. Also the side effects of coming off the medication were unpleasant. I also thought at times that if I would just get through the tough part I would be free of the medication. I no longer believe that to be the case. I was off the medication for a long time and I was not doing well. I got back on and I'm better. Sure, I wish I didn't need it but I'd rather be not depressed than not taking medication. As for the pill bottles, I use those weekly pill containers, you can just set them up once a month or once a week and you don't have to open three bottles per day. The circular pill boxes that go round and have a cute sliding door are great.
The same here !!! Exactly the same !!!🤷♀️
If someone is going to go off of an antidepressant, it’s good to switch to Prozac first, which has a weirdly long half-life, so you can start by skipping one day a week, then 2, then 3, and so on until you aren’t taking it at all; and if you notice any withdrawal effects, you can just pause at, say, taking it 3 days a week, until you feel better and can resume. Also, pill minders are awesome and anyone who needs to take more than 1 pill a day should definitely use one! I fill mine on Sundays! 💊
I'm with you on having to open the med bottles everyday. I even tried a pillbox, I stick with that method for a while 💗 it's probably safer because I don't have much short term memory and forget if I took my day meds. I never forget my night med cause I won't sleep without it 😊
Thank you for sharing your experience with the meds. I've not been down that road yet. I wondered though, in 14 years, could there be newer meds with less side effects?
See, that’s a great question! My doctor has said we can try to test out different medication since there are SO many different ones. But the process takes forever because when going on a new medicine it takes usually at least 30 days to see if it works. Then what if it doesn’t? Or what if the side effects are worse? Just seams like a long process with more cons than pros that I don’t feel like enduring… especially knowing it took multiple tries to find a good combo of the ones I’m currently on when I was a kid (I had bad side effects to the first ones I tried).
@@OliviaHops That makes a lot of sense, like not jumping from the pan into the fire, so to speak. Your story really helps!
The trick with my depression is that it wasn't even an antidepressant that fixed mine. It was an old medication called Cabergoline, which improves dopamine and is generally given to Parkinson's patients, Cushing's disease, or people with pituitary tumors. Zero side effects from that, although I did lose belly fat its reduction of the stress hormone cortisol.
Sometimes doctors need to think outside the box.
I'm struggling with stress/anxiety/depression right now and am debating about who to go to for it...I just need the type of support Alex seems to be for Olivia but the lyrics of Micheal Buble's Haven't Met you Yet speak to the feelings I struggle with in this regard...I've been trying to tweak a few things in the last couple of months to try to deal with this...
I was on prozac for 15+ years snd gabapentin for anxiety for 3 years. Had no issues going off either. Was really easy for me.
I'm now on homeopathics amd other natural supplements for anxiety and its really working for me and controlling the anxiety extremely well.
I will always keep the gabapentin in the back of my head incase I ever need it in the future. But for right now I'm very happy with the natural regimen that I'm on.
I was put on antidepressants for what I thought was depression. After a year and a half I still felt what I thought was depressed so I went back to the doctor and asked to be referred to a psychologist. The psychologist diagnosed me with long standing low level depression. I saw the psychologist once a month for 3 yrs. I taught myself psychology and was eventually able to navigate life without any meditation.
Whilst I was taking antidepressants I gained 20 kilos in weight and my productivity was greatly reduced because they made me feel tired all the time. My lack of sleep added to my overeating.
Learning psychology has really helped me. Also learning assertiveness.
My favourite books on these two subjects are; A Guide to Personal Happiness by Albert Ellis and When I Say No I Feel Guilty by Manuel J Smith.
I totally get why you feel so much better when you're in Italy. I live in Spain with my husband in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by nature. We moved here from the UK 21 yrs ago. It's the perfect environment for me. X
Yes I tried been on SSRIs for over 20 years never wanted to go on them and now can’t get off them but like you have been able to reduce my dose.
Heyy, I had all of these same symptoms from fluoxetine (Prozac) and turns out I was having episodes of hypoglycemia and Prozac makes hypoglycemia worse... Not sure if this could be the same for you, especially if your food choices have improved, like being in Italy and they don't have as much unhealthy food as the US. I used the Maudsley Guide Deprescribing Guidelines... I think thats what it's called ....it's a medical manual of how to deprescribe/discontinue without bad symptoms bc most online stuff is incorrect... The depression immediately after would be a side effect... It sounds like you might have had discontinuation syndrome from too fast of a taper.
I feel you on the itchiness. I am on a med with the richness as a side effect.
It’s ok 👌 medication 💊 treatment does help❤
I once had a psychiatrist who had switched my meds for schizophrenia that helped me (one of which was fanapt) because I was taking meds that were “in the same family” and he put me on halodol which did NOT help. I was urinating frequently, I felt like crap, I was shaking like I had Parkinson’s Disease, and my grandma thought I was going to have a seizure. Thankfully I’m back on fanapt and it’s helping me.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I am going through the same thing right now! ❤❤❤
I feel like there were studies showing that probiotics helped people with depression. I’m a big believer in the gut-brain connection ie a healthy gut creates a healthy mind. But it could be that certain brain function issues make it so your gut can’t work either. I hope someone someday can figure it out. But it does seem that many autistic people have gut issues so maybe your gut issues are an autism thing. My husband and are are both autistic and we both were constipated as kids but we always despised vegetables (texture & flavor disgusting) but we both eat a few veggies now but mostly we take Metamucil daily and really think you should try it! My husband puts the orange powder (real sugar kind not the fake sugar stuff!!) in a smoothie daily. I eat the chocolate cookies as a morning snack with 16 oz herbal peppermint tea (which also soothes the stomach) and this stuff has changed our lives for the better!!! The chocolate cookies taste like Oreo cookies and more so if you spread Fluff on them😂. They ate great with milk if you drink that…or hot chocolate at bedtime.
Thank you so so much for sharing. I do not have medicine related itchiness but often times when I am really disregulated because of my autism. What really helps in those situations for me is some indica cannabis. It feels like it makes my skin flowing and dissolves the itchiness. Also really cold showers can be so good. Of course these things may not necessarily help in therms of those withdrawal effects
Wellbutrin has done well for me. Enjoying the Channel!
I’m currently tapering down citalipram…with the goal of being free of all meds
Take Omega 3 to help with withdrawal.
Welcome back 🙂👏
I used to be on 3 meds and got off 2 (over a period of 6 months). The one I keep on taking helps me fall asleep (just like yours). No withdrawal symptoms here.
Weekly pill organizers help a lot. Then you only have to open those bottles once a week. 😊
I guess I got really lucky, damn 😅 I tapered off fluoxetine with very little difficulty
I was on that too. Its also called Prozac. I was on it for 15+ years and eventually tapered off of it with no issues. I went off of it without a doctor's help and had zero issues getting off of it. I think Prozac might be an easier one to get off of.
@@dlclcn5021 Ah yeah, Prozac is a brand name :)
Continue withdrawaling safely and stay positive. Trust and choose Jesus Christ 🙏 that I pray for all to do.
I went off mine and I didn't do it slowly .....
I DO NOT RECOMMENDED
Maybe in another video u could talk ab your experience w restrictive eating habits??
I think when you’ve been on brain altering medications for many years, going off them is a very long process, like years. You need to retrain your body to make proper levels of neurotransmitters. Going off in weeks doesn’t give enough time to do that. Instead, your body ends up using the stockpiles it has around.
Going off may still be possible, but it’ll be years, with smaller and smaller decrements in dosage and large gaps between decrements.
I had to stop my medication because I moved to another country and didn’t find a psychiatrist fast enough so I just tried to last the last bottles as much as possible. Interesting how the side effects of the withdrawal can come afterwards so I guess that’s what I’ve been having; I guess I should find a doctor who can prescribe me this medication but it’s just so overwhelming just thinking of telling my story to someone new and again not being believed.
Feeling dopey and trouble concentrating is very difficult. Omega 3 and Benadryl helps with withdrawal symptoms.
One time I took Benadryl to help me fall asleep at night and after taking the adult dosage of Benadryl I ended up being sleepy the next two days and I realized afterwards I cannot take an adult dosage of Benadryl at all because it makes me sleepy the for the rest of the next day and at least the day afterwards.
@@brittanydaniels1102 Could children‘s Benadryl help? I’ve heard Benadryl helps but I haven’t tried it. I have had success with Omega 3 Fish oil.
I’ve been on 2 different ssri’s but I didn’t like the first one and the second one was ok but I didn’t feel like it had much effect on me. So I went on a stronger anti psychotic for my anxiety and debilitating meltdowns with worked ! But now 2 years later I’m much better and reducing the dose and it’s HORRIBLE I’m soo anxious and my bad mental downs are back, it’s only been a week so it’s probably only side affects, I have reduced the dose before and the side affects went away after a couple weeks, I really hope that’s the case this time too, the second ssri’s withdrawal was the worst I had like full body electric shocks every time I moved a muscle it was not fun but it dident last more than a month
Warning ⚠️
Take meds if you need it, talk to your doctor if you wanna go off, cus if you do it by yourself and do it wrong you could end up in hospital
The SSRI electrical shocks are so annoying! Paxil caused those the worst for me.
My anxiety was fixed with Guanfacine, which directly calms the "fight or flight" response by preventing adrenaline surges. Zero side effects.
Most doctors around the world won't go over every single side affects of medication, unless It's life threatening (for example. some of psychiatric medications can cause harm to the liver, thus those who take them need to keep truck on their liver functions). Even when side effects are not life threatening but mentioned, as you said you can't always know If It's from the medication or other condition... Pharmaceutical companies are required to list all side effects that have ever been reported on the drug in order to protect themselves from lawsuits, and just for good measure they categorize them according to frequency (common to rare). So logically, unless doctors will have access to better health technology, they can't really follow side effects In each and every patient... It's hard to know exactly which person tend to what side effect (mostly because mostly of us go on living with undiagnosed health conditions).
And something more, I can relate to the anger upon the thought of being medicated all my life, but giving this second thought I realize that actually, there were no reason to be upset. The medication give us opportunity to live longer and better than people who had same conditions In the past. Furthermore, If we live long enough, maybe there will come a time when we won't need those drugs, just because there will be new better options or changes In life conditions for good.
I was on and off antidepressants through my teens and young adult years, and never felt any benefit. Around age 30 I was medicated for anxiety, which turned out to be the real issue.
You should look up MCAS and histamine intolerance. Most SSRIs are weak antihistamines.
Interestingly enough, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is somewhat common in people with autism, as is Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS). Scientists haven't found the genetic link yet, though.
What medicine You take?❤
I've been on the same antidepressants and mood stabiliser for many many years, but since they're the first ones that really worked I'm scared of getting of them 😄 and I feel like I don't really need to, why risk it 🤷🏼♀️
I just started up on sertraline about 3 weeks ago, after years of denying the fact that my brain needed help being brain lol.
Allopathic injuries and Rockefeller medicine-ffs! I did a 20 yr ssri detox abroad in safer country. You heal from meds and then from what put you on meds, if you go that route. It’s a dark night of the soul that I experienced for many years with the cptsd. 8 years of wax earplugs at bedtime post med w/d. Chronic illness trifecta led to ASD and had roots in childhood illness symptoms. Unaccredited psych degree led to nutrition/nervous system retraining courses. This withdrawal/healing from meds became a full time job and was my entire 40’s. Late ASD at 47- fridge mom confirmed. Certified NTP at 50. Still have methylation and detoxification issues from decades of chronic inflammation/gut dysbiosis and the oxidative stress done on the cellular level. After the unnecessary and harmful meds, disability money is spent investing in reversing the damage.
That itch sounds EXACTLY like one of my pregnancy symptoms! I had no option but to wait for the birthing to stop it and it was just like that, pure torture, constant itching everywhere. Was sometimes sleepless and standing up scratching with a dishwasher brush crying in defeat... Wonder if there is some common chemical reason for it, the pregnancy and SSRI
I have ASD and Combined ADHD late diagnosed I’m 43
It's questionable if she should have ever been on them in the first place.
Also just bc it said they COULD last up to 3 years doesn’t mean that’s how long it’ll take ❤ that’s def worst case scenario.
I had a horrible withdrawal trying to get off of Lexapro.
Except for the last one those are also symptoms of perimenopauze.
Can you do a video on get your drivers license please
My family practitioner says half of her patients don't take their meds.
Quarterly ketamine infusions help many people with no other drugs.
I’m about to go off mine as well.
Oh, maybe not.
I don't watched your intire video .But please don't take pills, be yourself ! Stay beautifull ;) I never take anything.I'm good.Greetings Belgium.
I'm sorry if this sounds mean (and I don't blame you, I blame your doctors), but this sounds like exactly the same path that drug addicts take: They decide they're gonna stop, then the withdrawal symptoms get bad and they decide to start taking them again, and so the vicious cycle continues... Sounds like you're having a lot of really nasty side-effects and you may actually be able to have a much more enjoyable life if you can completely stop them, or at least keep reducing the dose. Your body is so used to having these drugs in your system for so many years that maybe it'll just take a bit longer to be able to get off them without these extreme withdrawal symptoms.
Antidepressants are absolutely more trouble than they're worth. Consider that you've been on these medications for half your life, that's not good. The way to get off of an antidepressant is to go on another weaker antidepressant. For instance, if you were on prozac you could switch to Lexapro for a few months and then just go off the Lexapro. It definitely takes more than 2 or 3 months off of Antidepressants or tranquilizers before you're not addicted to them any more. If you just have autism and ADHD then your doctor should've never put you on anything like an antidepressant, especially since you were only a teenager at the time. Most pyschiatrist have little to no training when it comes to autism. They basically make a half assed diagnosis then they start drugging you. Now you're probably going to go through hell to get off that garbage. I've been through all you're going through and much more. I don't know what they're giving you as a sleeping pill but if it's something like Ambien, they are only made to be taken for a few weeks. However, if they were giving you Trazadone for sleep, well, Trazadone is actually a really old antidepressant, not a sleeping pill. Unless you're seriously depressed you probably shouldn't be on any of this garbage. IMO, you need to find a therapist with experience in autism, and you need to find a new doctor as well. Think about it, you haven't experienced reality since you were a teenager. Never blindly trust a doctor, or even a therapist. I've had doctors lie right to my face about something I knew was true, and that I learned from several other doctors and my own research. This is going to take you a while to straighten out. You'll never get off psychiatric medications you've taken for 15 years in just a couple months. It's going to take time and work to fix this. Oh, and depression isn't caused by a chemical imbalance. If your doctor is still telling you that, then they aren't up to date.
As a worker with children with autism, some medications are a blessing for these children
You children are you kidding me ? It’s a drug . What would be a blessing is putting yourself in their shoes and try tu find out the real cause rather than trying to drug to someone subdue them so you are having a blessed moment . Ok why don’t you try the medication . Jesus I on children for crying out loud ? So to speak
It’s a last resort choice for level 2&3. So they can function and develop relationships. Too complicated to explain here but there should be no judgement on treatment choices unless you are in the parents shoes. No judgement zone at my occupation
When I apply fashion tape to my shoulders along the seam of the shirt to hide my bra straps, I literally don't feel it. It's so much more comfortable not having to worry about my top being wear I want and feeling subconscious.
I just finally started using it and I LOVE it!
I also completely not wanting to gain weight because clothes will fit differently!
On topic, I'm in a nightmare situation with pristiq. (Very similar to effexor but with a time release coating so you cant cut it up.) I wasn't warned how hard it'd be to go off. So its been over a year on it and never feeling it helping my mood but just causing lots of side effects. I can't go off because I get super depressed and in danger of suicide. Its hell! Finally looking up all the side effects may literally be why I've become completed disabled this last year. I almost immediately expressed concern about it making my MCAS worse. It was not yet officially found on tests and diagnosed at the time but i knew i had it and was right. He seriously threw fit about me essentially needing it. (I have a new doctor and seriously wondering if i can sue him over not warning me because i wouldnt have taken it since similar ones didnt work either.) Well, turns out that I was probably right because it should be much better than it is with the very expensive and specialized shots. That disorder has a big impact on my life and even cause abdominal migraines. I still have a huge list of foods I avoid due to it not just because of pain but also the intense fatigue.
So that alone may be a factor in now not working. Yet because of the time release coating, its way harder to get off than effector since you can't taper. You have to switch to effects and crush pills or use a compounding pharmacy to reduce by 10% per month. That means the lowest dose, which I'm on, can take 6-12 months.