Things You'll Need:
- A doctor consultation
- Items from the drug store
- Patience and Time
- Support from family and friends
-
Step 1
Before you stop taking your medication, consult your doctor! This is so important! Why, because they can help you decide if that is the best thing for your health, and they can help you decide how to withdraw from your SSRI depression/anxiety meds in the way that best fits you. Never stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor! Decide if you are going to stop "cold turkey" or if it will be better for you to "wean" off of it. If you wean off, your doctor will give you the dosage plan to follow and might give you a new prescription based on that plan.
-
Step 2
Once you have talked to your doctor, look at your life. Decide when the best time would be to stop the medicine. That might sound funny, but there are many things that can cause problems for you during this process. If your job is stressful for the next month, if you are having problems with your family, have a huge event coming up soon, or are struggling with your life -- this is not a good time to quit! Wait until things calm down, when your project at work is completed, or your family situation gets straightened out. Stress is not helpful during withdrawal!
-
Step 3
Once you decide on when you are going to quit, go to the grocery store for some essential items. There are many symptoms you could experience during withdrawal, and picking up some of the following items will help tremendously:
Ginger Ale - for nausea
Dramamine - for dizziness - vertigo
Jello, saltine crackers, and other bland food - for nausea
Pepto Bismo - for nausea
Juice or Water - the liquids help wash the drug out of your body -
Step 4
Once you have all of your items, talk to your family, friends, co-workers, and anyone else who will have contact with you. Once you stop taking the medicine, you will not be yourself! Here is a list of some of the withdrawal symptoms that you might experience:
*speech problems, diarrhea and cramping, fatigue, itching, chest pain, trembling, muscle aches, twitching, numbness, hypersensitivity to smells and sounds, hot and cold flashes, hallucinations, headaches, rashes, loss of appetite, sweating, crying, anger, dizziness, panic attacks, flashes or feeling of electricity in your body, mood swings, memory problems, vivid dreams, and so on.
These withdrawal symptoms are the reason that you need to plan. Don't take a long trip or change jobs during this time; make sure you are near a bathroom; allow for down time so you can rest and remove yourself from situations that are upsetting; don't go to intense events; see if you can get a couple of days off of work; try to avoid sad or intense movies or tv shows; cook blander foods than normal so you can eat; etc. For me, I cried at game shows on tv, had to go into my room with a pillow over my head during suppers because I couldn't stand the smell of the food, and made the mistake of attending a high school hockey game during this withdrawal time and nearly got into a fight with four burley men and a bunch of hockey moms in the stands! Not me at all!! -
Step 5
Withdrawal is different for each person and can last up to a couple of months. The more water you drink the better (to wash out the meds). Read the internet for more tips and information on this process. Most people are happy they stopped taking the medication, but found the withdrawal process to be very intense and not much fun. Support is very important during this time, and doing what you need to do to stay somewhat comfortable is key. If you are experience intense symptoms and feel it is not working for you, contact your doctor immediately. Most of all, hang in there and know that others have felt the same way and made it through eventually. Good luck!!
