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SSRIs - Long term withdrawal effects

mp500

I took various SSRIs over a period of ten years. I stopped taking them for good a few years ago and suffered from the usual withdrawal symptoms (coughing, fever, so-called 'brain zaps' etc). I'm just wondering if anyone here who has taken SSRIs has had any "long term" withdrawal effects.

Long term effects haven't really been very well documented or researched. Most of the information I can find about the subject seems to come from one psychiatrist, Dr Mark Horrowitz. There is some discussion on whether the symptoms one has years after stopping the medication is due to damage caused by the pills, or a relapse of the original depression. 

Several years after stopping the pills, I have depression symptoms - frequently very sad and tearful, tired all the time, suicidal thoughts, etc. Are these because of a relapse of depression, or are they long term withdrawal effects? I also don't have much libido any more - a symptom which seems more commonly associated with the pills than with depression.

Just curious as to other people's thoughts on this topic.

  • in reply to mp500

    I hope you are having a better day today and thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts about SSRI’s 

    I agree and said when I started talking them that I don’t want it to be a long term thing. I had them many years ago and they caused me to almost take an overdose as I felt so low, I told myself I would never take them again but here I am. I do create habits easily both good and bad so it’s probably best I don’t stay on them for too long. 

  • in reply to Take5

    I concur with the emotional numbness. That is something I did notice when I took SSRIs. I did consider that they helped. I wonder if the emotional numbing might have contributed to them helping. Maybe feeling nothing was better than feeling bad? Who knows.

    I'm not anti-medication so I do not want to encourage anyone to take or not take them, as with everything there are pros and cons, but I will suggest that you don't stay on them longer than you need them. If you don't want to take them anymore, you'd be better off trying to stop now and getting it over and done with, rather than giving it a few years and finding that its even harder to stop.

  • in reply to Debbie

    When I tried coming off seroxat, I had an immediate return of all the symptoms I had when I was put on it, all the flash backs nightmares, anxiety, depression and gennerally feeling wobbly and tearful, so I've stayed on them

  • mp500 said:
    Several years after stopping the pills, I have depression symptoms - frequently very sad and tearful, tired all the time, suicidal thoughts, etc. Are these because of a relapse of depression, or are they long term withdrawal effects?

    I've been on various antidepressants over time, but don't believe I've noticed any long-term withdrawal effects.

    Given the issues that you're currently struggling with, I would urge you to discuss them as soon as possible with your GP - including flagging your concerns about them potentially being linked to prior use of SSRIs, so they can address them.

    In the meantime, you might find the advice here helpful:

    NAS - Depression

    NAS - Autistic fatigue and burnout

    NAS - Urgent help (including helplines and listening services)

  • Good morning,

    During 2020 I was prescribed antidepressants due to my low mood/covid anxiety.

    Unfortunately I was like a zombie and my bedroom was like Infrared red colour. My GP was going to do a 4 week review and try to do the withdrawal. I never heard anything back as discovered that the GP had cancer and decided to elope. Absolutely not professional.

    My friend said recommended me to phone the GP surgery and explain as I could of go cold turkey.

    A few years later I had another GP telephone appointment and asked me do I need to be on the antidepressants and said no.

    Some of my friends don't understand about antidepressants.

  • I've come off various in the past with differing side effects.

    I hope to be on Seroxat for life as it is so beneficial for me but tinnitus is the main withdrawal side effect for me.

    Slowly lowering the dose is the way to come off.

    I don't believe I have experienced very long term (years) side effects from stopping.

  • Hi mp500

    I am sorry to hear you are experiencing difficulties after stopping the medication and I hope things settle down for you. I have seen many posts saying they never helped while others have had good experiences taking them. 

    I am currently taking Citalopram and nearly 2 months in. I am not sure that this is the best thing for me to take, I feel very different from before I started. I don’t seem to have any emotion and feel very dull and uninterested in much really. I feel like it has helped one problem but caused another, my family say that I’m a lot better for taking them but I’m not so sure. I tried to have a few days off them and boy did I struggle, I feel a bit stuck now because I don’t like the feeling of being on them but obviously know I’m not going to be good when I decide to stop them.

    I asked my gp for these as I felt I needed a break from how I was feeling and the symptoms you describe that are affecting you now are what I was experiencing before (sad and tearful). I sometimes had dark thoughts but I know they are just thoughts.

    I can’t really offer any advice as I am some way off on my journey compared to you, I’m happy to listen and let you know that I experience some of what you speak of.

    Take care