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.
