Going off medication ...

[Ryan817]

I've suffered from PTSD for over 7 years and was put on medication in 2013 to manage the symptoms. My Psychiatrist took me off one of the pills that manages the depression. He said that I would feel uncomfortable for a short time but it would eventually pass. However, I am crashing hard emotionally. I cannot control my emotions and am experiencing severe "brain zaps." My level of hopelessness is about a 8/10, and I am concerned about self harm. Nightmares have returned and I seems like everything is a trigger and reminder of disturbing thoughts. Is this a normal withdrawal side effect? How long does it last? Has anyone felt like this immediately after dropping medications? I'm waiting to hear back from my psychologist but feel like I need to reach out for some kind of reassurance

 

[The Albatross]

Depends on the type of medication, the dosage, whether it was tapered down (if necessary) v.s. just stopped. But typically it can take 4 weeks or so. If you want to be a bit more specific, you'll probably get more responses.

 

[joeylittle]

The "brain zaps" and intense emotionality are a thing called Discontinuation Syndrome. Not everyone gets it, and of course they don't know why some do and some don't.

It's more common with the SNRIs - Effexor, Cymbalta, Pristiq are often quite hard to discontinue because of it.

Your taper might be too fast; different docs have different approaches to it. Or, you may want to ask for a med that can help with the transition, in terms of mood regulation, or an as-needed med in order to lessen the intensity of the anxiety reactions.

It sounds like you are still on one med. you can ask your doctor if lifting the dose on it would help you weather this change.

How long it takes the drug to clear is dependent on the drug and dose. But as said above, 4 weeks is normal. People with discontinuation syndrome can take up to 8 weeks, I believe. Some never fully lose the brain zaps and end up going back on the med at a very low dose.

Make sure you are reporting all of your discontinuation symptoms to your doctor. Don't minimize them. It's important info for the doc to have.