Posted by Jane D on June 28, 2001, at 0:47:10
In reply to A Break From Meds, posted by Patches on June 27, 2001, at 16:08:18
Patches -
Yes. An antidepressant can stop working. The SSRI's including Prozac have a reputation for it. Taking a break from them does not usually make them work better. But changing to a new antidepressant or adding a new one in often does work.You can sometimes stop Prozac cold without withdrawal. Because of it's long half life it leaves your body very slowly anyway. I don't know about Wellbutrin or Nortriptiline.
I think you should think very hard about whether you want to do this. My personal feeling is that you would be much more certain if you were ready to stop medication. Instead, it sounds to me as though you might need to change to a new medication that works better. You should also keep in mind that even if you react badly to stopping (relapse, not withdrawal) it might not happen for a couple of months by which time you will be back at work.
I think I did feel something similar several years ago. I was taking prozac and it would stop working as well so I would increase the dose and it would work again for a while. I began to feel that I would be increasing the dose like this forever and started to wonder if the problem was really my life. So one day, without planning it, I stopped. I didn't have any significant withdrawal symptoms but my mood got worse and worse over the next year. It was gradual so it took me a long time to figure out what was happening. Prozac alone did not work better when I restarted it but it was fine when combined with Wellbutrin.
Of course you might have a much better experience. You are going to have to decide that for yourself. If you do want to go ahead, you might be able to give yourself a little extra bit of protection by setting some dates now on which you will sit down and evaluate how you are doing. Decide now what your definition of OK is now and stick to it. Perhaps even make a doctors appointment for several months off or get a friend in on this. This way if a problem gradually develops it won't go on for too long before you are aware of it.
Good luck.
Jane
poster:Jane D
thread:68117
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010625/msgs/68182.html