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I started having small seizures a few years at work when I was really stressed out. I had a battery of test run because I would only lose control of the left side of my body for a minute or so, but never my right side.

They determined that they were stress induced and put me on anti-depression medicine to help with the effects, Lexapro is what I ended up on after trying other stuff that had very, um, interesting bedroom problems I couldn't live with.

I was on it for two years and I finally decided I had had enough of the chemicals and I stopped taking it cold turkey. Lets just say that I am finally around the bend with the mood swings and violent outbursts. Coming down off of any serotonin messing chemical is unbelievable if you have been on it for a while.

If the student killer at NIU who stopped taking his medication and then went on a shooting spree was on this stuff I really think they should start investigating what the side effects are for people who just stop like I did.

I literally would want to rip someone apart if they cut me off in traffic, just sit there and start to shake I was so enraged and normally things like that don't even phase me, I actually was getting scared of what I might do if I was put in the wrong circumstance while this was going on.

Normally I always weigh the consequences of my actions before I even think about doing whatever it is I am thinking of doing, but after I stopped this stuff I felt like the fricking Incredible Hulk for the slightest annoyance.

Very scary indeed, I can at least now understand why people who have gone through what I am could just flip out and play endgame over the smallest of things now.

YIKES!!!!!

I’m so glad you’re okay.

DISCLAIMER....NEVER take yourself off Psych meds!!!!
Never.

Always tell your doctor and let him handle weaning you off.

Holy Crap! Bad news!

Never go cold turkey, they have to be tapered off every time. I’ve heard of some horror stories about psychosis on “severe” mental patients in a mental hospital who went cold turkey per doc orders and doc supervision. Some became suicidal. I think that’s the cruelest thing a so called doc could do to a mental patient. I had no idea that there are still barbaric things happening, but there are.

Yes it is very scary business indeed. I am glad to hear you are on the other side of all of this. I have seen many people in my life go off and on antidepressants with devastating effects and I have always decided when I have struggled with depression that being lower (mood and energy wise) on a regular basis, but taking very good care of myself—exercise, good nutrition, prayer, church, nurturing support systems etc is better then a roller coaster of possible violent and manic ups and downs many of the serotonin increasing meds can create in people. As an artist though I do have the outlet of my work as well and don't have to show up at a job all perky and vibrant either. This makes it a bit easier.

They never mention eating disorders etc which also are impacted by low serotonin levels as are all the other addictions--as they cause a high that makes users feel normal and that includes shopping and gambling (the only addiction I have no familiarity with on a personal basis--lol.) I go for the natural increase of serotonin in our daily lives and settle for what God has given me otherwise.

My nephew stopped cold turkey and started suffering with terrible stomach problems. He couldn’t keep any food down. He lost a ton of weight before he found a psychologist who had suffered the same thing. He had been on ritalin since he was a little kid, then when he was in high school the doctors added zoloft because they said that he was very stressed. When he graduated from college, he decided, no more and just stopped.

As I understand it, when you go off a psychotropic drug, you're supposed to go off it gradually. As a hypothetical example, if you're taking 80 mg/day of Paxil, you can go down to 60, then 40, then 20, then 0. I'm not sure what time intervals or step sizes are best.