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Hi! My bestfriend was diagnosed with anxiety disorder 2 yrs ago. She was put to antipsychotic for 1 year and been with antidepressant for 1 year and 8 months up unto now. The GP told her she can already stop the antipsychotic after that 1 year. Now, she is adviced by her doctor to stop the antidepressant as well since she is already feeling better. After 1 year and 8 months of being in antidepressant, she tapered her dose from 10mg everyday to 5mg everyday for 3months. Now she started 5mg every other day. However she is experiencing anxiety again and weakness. She is scheduled to stop her antidepressant totally in 2 weeks time. She is afraid she is having a relapse. What does this mean for her?
My suggestion would be for your friend to see her GP as soon as possible to discuss what is happening, and that she feels she may be having a relapse.
Kind wishes, Maz
In response to: Re: Coming off antidepressant
pia66New Contributor
Re: Coming off antidepressant
Thank you! She will be seeing her GP in a month. But do you have an idea why she feels that nw? Is that a relapse or just a withrawal that would go off gradually?
In response to: Re: Coming off antidepressant
MazaritaSenior Contributor
Re: Coming off antidepressant
Hi @pia66, I can only speak from my personal experience, and I am not an expert. But this is how things have gone for me taking anti-depressants, on and off, for a long time...
it's good to come off them slowly, as your friend is doing.
if it was me, I would try to see my doctor sooner than one month away.
there isn't a better answer I can give you on that.
just that your friend see her doctor as soon as possible.
Wishing you both well, Maz
In response to: Re: Coming off antidepressant
CheerBearSenior Contributor
Re: Coming off antidepressant
Hi @pia66 and welcome to the forum.
You sound like a great friend to be here with your questions for your friend 😊 It's understandable that you may be questioning whether the change in anxiety and the weakness has something to do with your friend changing their dose. In my experience, it can be difficult sometimes to tell what's behind what I am experiencing. Anything from ongoing problems, situational issues, medication changes, sleep, hormones, the general ups and downs of life etc. can be at play.
As far as medication goes, it's so specific to the individual and best left in the hands of medical professionals to work out what may be going on with meds and how best to manage it. It's part of why the guidelines for the forum include not discussing specifics of medications. As @Mazarita mentioned, I too would be trying to see the doctor sooner than a month. I find it more helpful for me to get on to things sooner rather than later, if I can.
Hope things work out well for your friend. They're lucky to have someone who cares like it seems you do ☺
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