Hey guys,

I have been taking anti depressants now for a couple of months, while I know not for everybody they have helped me quite a bit. Although they seem to be fading a bit.

I guess my question is has anyone on here gone off them and returned to normal mood. I dont really want to be on them for a longgggg lonnggg time but I will if I have to. Just wondering if there is anyone with some experience here!?

Each anti-depressant works differently for each person. Getting off can be a struggle (not addiction wise) due to withdrawal side-effects. I was on Paxil for 13 years and got off over 4 months. I had to go back on Celexa due to a stressful event but got off again after 10 months over 2 months.

I now take 5-HTP and L-Theanine to help my brain be stable. I am doing fine. My problem is not only depression. My brain gets stuck ruminating (looping) on mundane thoughts. The 5-HTP and L-Theanine help with that.

I don't see the difference but my wife likes me off the SSRI's.

I went thru 10 yrs of cocktails of various A/D's from 1991 to 2002....I believed all those years it was a sluggish thyroid and did not know a thing about thyroid, trusted the doc that he "KNEW".....not so.....he gave me that "normal" mantra all those years and wrote his scripts and I never was out of depression, this was clinical, not situational. Then an osteopath I went to for my back issues, after I called him, called in for Armour thyroid, that was 2002 and that LONG depression lifted in short time....IT WAS THRYOID that needed HELP.

Then again in 2006, I found how LOW my Vit D was as I was feeling a lowness....I had stopped going in the sun after a long life of sun worshipping.....once on Vit D3, that lowness lifted in 5-6 months...I take daily 4-8K D3 and K2 for absorption.

This is my story on depression.

caroline,
I'm glad you found out that your depression was the result of an underactive thyroid and that it was successfully treated.

I personally think that patients presenting with depression should have thyroid tests however, this is the Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion forum, so many of the members here are dealing with the onset of depression after a brain injury.

That being said, there are posts from past members here who have reported post-traumatic hypopituitarism and other neuroendocrine dysfunction after head injury.

Lara, sorry I didn't seen the category, just saw depression on my screen. Glad Mark is sharing what helps him too. Thyroid and Vit D are important for all beings.

Thanks Guys for all the input

I am getting curious as I think I feel better when I miss a dose of the anit depressant, I feel like my thought patterns are a bit more organized. Who knows though, this stuff tends to come and go. Its all very confusing. I will stay the course for a while and see where it goes. Hopefully one day I can come off them.

MVTI,

I recently mentioned the phenomenon you describe (i.e. feel better after missing a dose and/or after dosage reduction) and she said that it's very common for people to report this. Essentially she summed it up by saying that the efficacy of the drug remains for sometimes several weeks but that the side-effects are diminished and/or absent... i.e. you get the benefit without the side issues.

Thank you for the answer. Makes more sense to me now! This is why I post here when the doctor cant answer