Let's face it, when you have chronic thyroid and immune conditions, it's not uncommon for your doctor to give you a variety of medications to deal with symptoms that won't go away. So many of us end up taking antidepressants (like Prozac, Welbutrin, or Effexor), antianxiety medications (like Ativan or Zoloft), and because we don't sleep well, we may also be on sleep medications (like Ambien or Lunesta). What do you do when you -- or your doctor -- decide it's time to get off all these medications? Cold turkey is not even an option for many of these medications, and even a tapering-down approach can leave you with a variety of debilitating symptoms. A friend called me today to recommend that I let readers know about a site that addresses just this problem.
This friend has been suffering with Hashimoto's disease, as well as viral and autoimmune syndromes -- and on top of that, has had neurological complications related to some alternative treatments she received. She's been prescribed a pharmacy full of different medications, and when she decided it was time to get off the medications, there wasn't really any guidance out there for her on how to do it without even more physical discomfort than she's already suffering.
So when she found the Label Me Sane organization, she was thrilled. Andrea Crocker and Alesandra Rain are cofounders of Label Me Sane, and have created a terrific resource, with approaches, materials and support that can be literally life-saving.
Photo: Label Me Sane
I had a friend who decided that they were more knowledgeable than the experts so he stopped taking his medication 3 months on they put a shotgun (bought for the purpose) put it in the mouth and fired both barrels. It took a Hazmat team 2 days to remove him from the walls ceiling and carpet. It will take much longer for his friend and family to recover. By all means decide to give up the medications but you have to do it under sympathetic medical supervision. In the same way if you are a diabetic you would not taking your insulin with out very careful monitoring the salient point of depression is that you are not able to monitor your condition there for you have to have some one monitor it for you that is objective.
I am someone who has gone through the tapering program offered by Label Me Sane and I am here to say that this is the real deal, and if you want to come off your medication safely, this is the way to go. This company and the people who work there are wonderful, caring people who are extremely knowledgeable regarding tapering off anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication. They have done extensive research and have developed a complete program, step-by-step, day-by-day, week-by-week on how to safely taper off these medications, and they have the backing and guidance of physicians and other experts. They will guide you all the way through and they are truly there for you every step of the way. I am a testament to this program. I am now 4 weeks off of Paxil and couldn’t be feeling any better. I tried to get off this medication in the past with disastrous results, having to take a leave of absense from work because I was not able to function due to the terrible withdrawal I was suffering. I, literally, was bedridden due to the withdrawal symptoms, and I did not come off cold turkey-I had these withdrawal symptoms from very slowly tapering off. When I found Label me Sane, I was skeptical at first and afraid to try to go off the medication again, but I went for it and I was able to come off the medication with only minor dizziness at the end of the taper and that’s it. I was able to come off very comfortably and easily, losing most of the side effects caused by the medication along the way, without missing one day of work. Any time I needed help or guidance and I reached out to them, they responded to me right away and helped me through it. Also, most of the people who work for Label Me Sane have gone through the withdrawals from these medications and they can relate to what you are going through. It’s easy to say, just go to your physician and they will help you taper off, however, unfortunately, many times the withdrawal symptoms you are having are misdiagnosed by the physician as you having a “relapse” because many physicians still do not want to admit that withdrawal symptoms from these medications exist. This then puts the patient in a “trapped” position. They want to come off the medication, but when they try to and go to their doctor with the withdrawal symptoms, the doctor diagnoses this as a “relapse” and then ups their dosage, leaving the patient believing they will never be able to get off the medication. Don’t get me wrong, some people need to be on these medications, and I’m sure in some of the cases, people are relapsing, but in many of the cases they are going through withdrawal.
Going off of any medication cold turkey without any supervision is very dangerous! I know, because I have tried to do that (with, I might add, the advise of my doctor to do so). The problem with doctors sometimes is that they are trained to treat symptoms immediately and they have plenty of incentive from drug companies to use these drugs as a quick “fix all”. It is up to us (who better to advocate for ourselves?) to not jump at a quick fix, but to look into other means to deal with our depression. I am not a doctor, but I think I have enough personal experience with anti-depressants to share what I have personally endured. The only thing Prozac did for me was to numb me from any and all feelings. I walked around in a semi-zombie state. This is no way to live. I got tired after about 5 years and one unsuccessful attempt to go off the Prozac, so I turned to the website Label Me Sane. I was not coerced or talked into anything. All I received was genuine caring for me as a person. I can tell you that I finished the taper program over a month ago and I feel fantastic! I kept in touch with the staff at Label Me Sane during the whole taper (in fact, we are still in contact with each other). Any time I needed advice, support or just plain encouragement I got a response, even at night and on weekends! I highly recommend this program to anyone who feels it is time to regain their lives. This is a safe approach to tapering. It is done slowly and precisely and with all natural supplements. The staff at Label Me Sane has devoted much time and energy researching this approach with the aid of a doctor. I’m not saying not to consult your doctor about it. I talked with my doctor beforehand and he was surprised to hear of the withdrawals that one can/will go through by quitting cold turkey or too rapid a pace. My doctor has been willing to listen to my plans of tapering with the Label Me Sane program and has supported me in doing so. I’m not saying that medication is never warranted for depression. I believe that it is sometimes necessary. All I’m saying is I think sometimes people jump too quickly into something that is very difficult and risky to quit from. I encourage anyone who wants to go off their anti-depressant to not do it alone, but to partner with your doctor and a company such as Label Me Sane who have the research and personal experience who can guide you through it. It can be done safely – I’m living proof!!! Diane
Let’s face it, there are many well intentioned doctors who place many thyroid patients on anti-depressants and other medications for a host of complaints that never seem to resolve. If you have an autoimmmune condition you can have depression, but as the old say going “less can be more”. When you are on a cocktail of drugs when they are combined together you can have many different side effects. Many Psy. Dr’s know how to get you on, but very few tell you how to get off or will invest the time it takes to do so to do so in a average 15 to 30 mintue visit.
Weaning down on meds takes time and effort.It can be a scary process. I recommend neurocogitive testing too for those who have recieved various labels like manic depressive and so forth to determine your exact illness and don’t respond to treatment is– i.e. depression, anxiety or whatever else to find out what you really may need to be treated for. I had a brain injury and was told I was bi-polar. The meds I was put on made me worse as I had West Nile virus. I am looking at a two year recovery time made by being slapped on a variety of meds at very high doses that no DR’s in my area knew how to deal with it whenthey found out what was really wrong with me. Label Me Sane was familiar with my side effects and helped alleviate my fears will help you through it. I don’t believe I read anywhere in Mary Shomon’s post that she said quit taking your meds and go “cold turkey”. She gave a link so people can get sound advice on how to come off some very mind altering drugs and find options and resources free of charge if they want. There are very few clincs in the USA who can do this wihtout adding more drugs to the mix.
It was very sad to read the first post about David’s friend, but what Dr. in the world have told his friend to quit all his meds? If they did I hope his family pursued a malpractice law suit. That was horrible and tragic. I feel for them all.
Quiting taking your medications without supervison can have horrible outcomes such as David’s friend. The Label Me Sane site states this and provides Dr. supervised information. They aren’t some group who siad quit your drugs. Label Me Sane information was co-written with a board certfied Dr. in the USA and Canda who specializes in addiction with a proven method of tapering down, not going “cold turkey”. Plus, evidence suggest if you have depression and take meds they alone it won’t cure you. Anyone can benefit from couseling on learning how to manage depression, especially if you have an autoimmune disorder. It can be life altering, seeking professional guidence from a doctor and using Label Me Sane as tool to get through it if you want to go off such medication is an excellent option.
These people really care. God bless them for their efforts. Anyone who just quits taking meds without the advice or supervision of a Dr.is gambling with their lives. Label Me Sane states that too. I have found them to be professional, knowledgeable and accessable. For people who may live in the middle of “no where” with no support or limited resources this organzation can provide assistance to help get you stablized and drug free if you want to be. That is an individiual’s choice and should be.
By the way tart jerry juice has been research extenstively by DR. at the Univeristy of Texas. I suggest everyone check that out. This isn’t stuff just pulled out of a magican’s hat.
Kim
I am trying to get off Paxil and need help can you help me with this?