What You Should Know About Discontinuing Antidepressants

What Is Depression?

It’s common to feel sad or discouraged at times, but these feelings generally pass in a few days. With depression, sadness is severe and lasts for a much longer time. Depression is a common and serious illness that causes real pain. But therapy with antidepressant medication is often very effective. It can lift your mood and help you feel like yourself again.

What to Know About Stopping Antidepressant Therapy

Once you start to feel better, you may want to stop taking your medication. But if you stop antidepressants too suddenly or too soon:

• Your symptoms can come back. Stopping antidepressant medications too soon can cause depression symptoms to return. Even if symptoms improve quickly, antidepressant therapy is continued for several months to help prevent symptoms from coming back.
  
• You can have withdrawal symptoms:  Most antidepressants need to be stopped gradually to give the body time to adjust. When antidepressants are stopped too quickly, symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, sleep problems, and mood changes can occur. In some cases, these can be severe. Once it is time for you to stop taking the medication, your healthcare provider will help you taper off safely.
  

Are You Thinking of Stopping Your Antidepressant?

If you are thinking of stopping your medication, talk to your healthcare provider first. Most problems can be managed so that you can continue antidepressant therapy. Below are some common barriers to taking medication and some ideas for getting past them.

• I worry what people will think. Depression is a common and serious illness. And like other illnesses, it can be helped by medication. Taking antidepressants is similar to taking medication for high blood pressure or diabetes. All these medications help you stay healthy. Taking medication for any illness is nothing to be ashamed of.
  
• I don’t like having my moods controlled by a drug. No one likes feeling that they aren’t in control. But the goal of antidepressant therapy is to help you feel more like yourself, not less. Think about how you felt before you started treatment. It’s likely that you feel better now and have a more normal and balanced life. If you don’t feel better, talk to your healthcare provider. The dosage or type of medication you take may need to change.
  
• I worry about long-term damage to mybody. Antidepressants have been studied carefully for decades. They have been shown to be safe and effective, even when taken for many years. If you still have concerns, talk to your healthcare provider. He or she can tell you more.
  
• I don’t like the side effects. Troublesome side effects are one of the reasons many people stop taking antidepressants. Some side effects go away over time. If side effects continue to be bothersome, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist. There are ways to minimize or relieve side effects so you can continue antidepressant therapy. Your healthcare provider will work with you to explore all your options.
  
• My medication costs too much. Medications can be expensive. But no one should live with depression. It you have trouble paying for medications, don’t stop taking them or use less than prescribed. Instead, tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Then explore these options:
  
  • Ask your healthcare provider whether you can get the same medication at a lower cost. This may mean taking a generic drug instead of a brand name, or taking a similar drug that has better coverage on your insurance plan.
    
  • Compare prices at different pharmacies. Also, look into mail order pharmacies.
    
  • Ask about patient assistance programs. These are run by drug companies to help people who can’t afford their medications. To learn more, go to www.rxassist.org.
    
  • If you qualify for Medicare, you may be able to get government assistance to help pay for your medications. For more information on Medicare prescription drug plans, go to www.medicare.gov. You can also ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for help with this information.
    

After Stopping Medication

Depression can come back even if you stop taking medication under your healthcare provider’s care. If your depression returns after you stop taking antidepressants, contact your healthcare provider RIGHT AWAY. Your symptoms are not likely to improve on their own.

SOURCE :  http://inhealth.cnn.com/finding-the-best-depression-treatment/what-you-should-know-about-discontinuing-antidepressants