should i stop taking antidepressants?

Seriously, don't do anything without the advice and supervision of your doctor. Quitting psych meds can cause terrible withdrawal symptoms. If your doctor really feels you need it, it's probably best to stay on them. However, if you both agree to wean off of them, it's not an overnight process. It will take time to do it successfully.

talk to your psychopharmacologist before you do anything, and for god's sake don't cold turkey stop taking anything! I did that a couple of times and experienced the worst withdrawal.

The problem with people stopping meds is you think you're better because you feel better, but it's the meds that make you feel better. Stopping them will make you feel worse, then will put you back where you were before you started.

That said, after 15 years on meds, I finally was able to stop this year, but only with the support of two psychiatrists and a slow reduction in dosage over about two months.

Not without discussing it with your doctor. You should never stop medication without talking to the doctor first. If she said not to stop, don't stop it.

That's a decent amount of medication. If you started on all of this in the last six weeks, give it some time.

Your physical and mental well-being is more important than how much you eat today.

If you're soooo hungry, try filling up by eating healthier things that have fewer calories - fruits, veggies, a salad.

Hang in there!!

Zyprexa and Haldol? Geez! Those turn people into eating machines. Prozac is not your problem and you know that.
Some people can keep the weight from not going up by staying away from carbs and doing exercise-- especially walking or running. Talk to your doctor. Maybe he/she can come up with a better plan.

I have taken those when I went through my divorce ten years ago.. they were horrible for me. I had zero appetite and almost every bad symptom as far as bathroom issues and nausea, tiredness. I had to get off of them quick. I lost thirty lbs in a couple of months and not the healthy way at all. I will tell you this: daily exercise and being more active is the very best depression medicine you can give your body and brain, hands down. I also belive that eating healthy is really good for you too. Laugh more, listen to comedy stuff or watch silly comedy movies/shows. Fill up your facebook with positive thinking and motivational quotes. Try to get rid of the negativities in your life if you can or work towards doing this. I hate that doctors just want to shove pills down people's throats without really helping in the prevention of depression or other stuff that can be easily cured with food and/or exercise. IT creates happy endorphins, it really does. Listen to happy music and get your groove on and go for more walks. Fresh air and nature makes anyone happy. :flowerforyou: Take things one day at a time and say the serenity prayer and tell yourself I accept myself right now unconditionally and I am working on a better me. That is what I say to myself almost every day, many times a day.

Don't take life so seriously, nobody gets out alive anyways. :flowerforyou: I wish you the best. It takes work to be truly happy with yourself but when you reach that point in your life that you can truly believe that life is a gift and it is too short , you will know no better freeing feeling. I promise you this. Blow off the little things honey and appreciate the simple things in life. Dance in the rain so to speak. Life never turns out the way you wanted it too but its the unexpected storms that help you to see the rainbows later on. When you make that choice that you will be happy no matter what happens or what anybody says, you will be happy. It has taken me 37 years to figure this out but I am glad I finally did.

If your doctor says no, then don't. You don't know how your body will react by going off of them cold turkey, especially if you still need them.

I hate that doctors just want to shove pills down people's throats without really helping in the prevention of depression or other stuff that can be easily cured with food and/or exercise.

The OP never said the doctor wasn't doing other things to help, and not all depression and psychosis are situational related (i.e. from a divorce.) Chemical imbalances can be lifelong, and the attitude that you can just eat and exercise better to 'cure' yourself just puts the blame on the the person with the disease. This mode of thinking can very much make a person who is suffering feel like they are somehow to blame for not being strong enough or good enough to just 'get over it' as they're often told by people who don't understand the actual medical condition. Food and exercise cannot cure everything.

OP, DO NOT stop taking the meds if you already talked to your doctor. Make another appointement and ask about alternatives. It can often take a long time to find the right balance of medications to control your symptoms without adding additional problems.

I took myself off Trazadone, Zyprexa, Cymbalta and Klonopin 6 months ago, without a doctor's help and I haven't had ANY psychiatric symptoms...NONE. I told my doctors about my weight concerns and I was told that I'd have to count calories and eventually get gastric bypass. I said NO to both and started eating healthier a few months back. Since getting off my antidepressants, I feel fine. I got to the root of my depression...and it went away and hasn't returned. Everyone's situation is different. Most people couldn't do what I just did without some serious problems. Everyone's body chemistry is very different.

bex0178 wrote: »

I hate that doctors just want to shove pills down people's throats without really helping in the prevention of depression or other stuff that can be easily cured with food and/or exercise.

The OP never said the doctor wasn't doing other things to help, and not all depression and psychosis are situational related (i.e. from a divorce.) Chemical imbalances can be lifelong, and the attitude that you can just eat and exercise better to 'cure' yourself just puts the blame on the the person with the disease. This mode of thinking can very much make a person who is suffering feel like they are somehow to blame for not being strong enough or good enough to just 'get over it' as they're often told by people who don't understand the actual medical condition. Food and exercise cannot cure everything.

OP, DO NOT stop taking the meds if you already talked to your doctor. Make another appointement and ask about alternatives. It can often take a long time to find the right balance of medications to control your symptoms without adding additional problems.

Right on. Exercise and diet changes do not cure chemical imbalances. Please.

The nausea was the worst side effect. I was nauseated for months. In my case I truly believe I was misdiagnosed. For someone who needs the medications I wouldn't suggest it.