“Antidepressants?”
Could I stop my antidepressant by myself and would my doctor think I'm not heeding the advice and possibly remove me from the NHS list? I wish to take a herbal remedy, thank you.
60 years old
Complaint duration: michaelcrockett655@gmail.com
Medications: michaelcrockett655@gmail.com
Conditions: michaelcrockett655@gmail.com
4 Answers
Review this link...
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/withdrawal-from-antidepressants#:~:text=Never%20stop%20%22cold%20turkey.%22,can%20help%20prevent%20discontinuation%20symptoms.
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/withdrawal-from-antidepressants#:~:text=Never%20stop%20%22cold%20turkey.%22,can%20help%20prevent%20discontinuation%20symptoms.
You should always consult your prescriber of any changes to administration of medication, you schedule an appointment with your prescriber discussing in detail how you would like to discontinue the medication, what herbal remedies you're considering and adhere to medical advice with good informed judgment. I never advise my clients to stop a medication without professional advice including the prescriber, primary care, and or pharmacy.
Thank you for your inquiry.
Thank you for your inquiry.
If your antidepressant is effective, I would strongly recommend taking it for a minimum of six months and generally closer to a year. If you have had severe recurrent depression, longer periods of time for treatment are recommended. Many anti-depressants have a withdrawal syndrome, so it’s important to work with the doctor and taper slowly to prevent discomfort or confusion as to whether symptoms are returning or you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, if you have a slip back into depression, it is good to have your doctor there to assess you and treat you. Many depressed people, “let things go.”
As for herbal remedies, “just because something is natural, doesn’t mean that it is safe“ Saint johns wort, can definitely be effective, but is also associated with some severe side effects at times and restrictions on taking with other medication. Make sure your vitamin D and B12 levels are normal and the thyroid functioning is normal. Ruling out sleep apnea and diabetes as causes of depression is also important.
For better or worse, I’m writing to you from the land without a NHS.
David Nover MD
As for herbal remedies, “just because something is natural, doesn’t mean that it is safe“ Saint johns wort, can definitely be effective, but is also associated with some severe side effects at times and restrictions on taking with other medication. Make sure your vitamin D and B12 levels are normal and the thyroid functioning is normal. Ruling out sleep apnea and diabetes as causes of depression is also important.
For better or worse, I’m writing to you from the land without a NHS.
David Nover MD
I don't think it's a good idea to stop antidepressant without consulting your doctor. There isn't any herbal medication that has been tested scientifically to be a proven antidepressant so far in the literature. Plus, we don't know much about herbal medication side effects and drug interactions.
