Published on 12, July, 2020
I have been taking Fluoxetine for many years now, for what the doctors say is depression. I am currently waiting for my referral to be tested for ASD and I was wondering if I should come off the meds before? Fluoxetine helps me a lot with my anxiety and my patience with everybody around me. It takes twice as much to stress me out as it would usually, off the meds. I have tried stopping several times but every time I end up shouting at my kids and my husband feels like I shut him out even more than usual. I'm just thinking if it will have an impact on the test? Don't I need to be the real me to give them real answers?
I'd only ever follow a doctor's advice on meds, however I would note that many of us either take or have tried antidepressent and anti anxiety medication. From what I've seen, these drugs work well for some people, but for me and others on the spectrum, the side effects have been intolerable and the positive effects minimal. For depression and anxiety, I woudn't be alone in contending that regular moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and a good clean diet is the best. Maybe we respond well to natural endorphins, but I've tried the SSRIs, SNRIs, & the Tricyclics for depression, the Antipsychotics for BiPolar 2 and the Anxiolytics for the worries. Even at large doses, these were not as beneficial as regular exercise. All I take now is Concerta for ADHD and I feel good.