depression

[selfsilly]

55,female i have long history of taking sleeping pills, anti depressants and anti psychotics startig 22years.  i want to know if i come off this will i be able function.  my main worry is if i will get sleep in the night. from the articles i have read  in the net, it seems i willbe better off if i come of it, but wat about the side efects.  one gp i asked says if come of it i will be normal.  is it true? i am overweight and unemployable coz of age, slowness and grasping problems. the pdocs here are almighty.  i am afraid to ask them any questions  except take the prescription swallow more pills.  please help

[selfsilly]

in continuation to above from 11 th june to 15th june 2012 i was on quetiapine half of 25 mg and one side my head started paining. so on 15th june i took 25 mg quetiapine and stopped and started with  1 tab of2.5 mg trifluoperazine and 1mg trihexyphenidyle hydrochloride, 1 aripiprazole and 1mg lorazepam which ihave now reduced to half as per above. before all of this i was on olanzapine and fluozetine combo, 1 tab of 2.5 mg trifluoperazine and 1 mg trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride and 1 mg of lorazepam.  my eyesight has deteriorated  aND my pdoc says it has nothingto do with eyes.
selfsilly

[selfsilly]

Hi, on second thoughts i would to reduce the  drugs slowly coz you say Cita help of reduce slower than the dr's. i would gratefulif they can help. right now i am so lethargic i hardly go out of my room. i would like to be more active. now i am on half of 2.5 mg trifluoperazine  and 1 mg trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride combo, aripiprazole mt 5 and 1 mg lorazepam.  i have head and eye pain.  i can't read or look into computer for long.  i read something and i forget i have to keep reading and rereading.i terrified to getting tardive dyskinesia. please help if possible.
surya x

[selfsilly]

thanks for your time and response.  i don't think i can live without these pills. all the same i would like some support and encouragement to reduce the pills.
Cita would be great.  thanks again.

[dwt7let]

Hi In the end sleeping tablets don't work and you don't sleep Cita my support group can e-mail you back they reduce much much slower than the dr's. Sorry to tell you this but not sleeping properly is a big thing in withdrawal some people take melatonin because its natural to help with it.
If you decided to withdraw off your tablets you would have to do one at a time very slowly and wait to stabilise. It will take along time and you will have to be strong but it can be done and my group say its back to life and i agree.
Take care
Lorraine x

[selfsilly]

Thanks a lot for your time and  responses.  i am glad to hear from you both. it was very helpful. i will try see my pdoc about my medication.
thanks again.

[Anneinside]

See your pdoc. He is the one with enough experience with your drugs and people with depression to know the right thing to do. As for ECT, you can not be given ECT unless you agree to it and sign a statement of permission. You can NOT be forced to have ECT. I happen to be on maintenance ECT and find that it helps me and every 6 months I have to sign another permission for ECT.

[4Maddie44]

Thanks for friendship invitation, which I have accepted.

I cannot answer the rest of your query as I have no experience of the medications you mention.  You are taking a lot.  What are they all for?  I am unable too to answer about taking half, quarter etc.  I am sorry I am no help.  I was just worried that you had been taking sleeping pills for so long.

That really is a question for someone who knows more about drugs.  I do hope you get the answer.  i am sure sombody on this forum will have the knowledge .

[selfsilly]

Hi, thanks for your response.  you see i have been sleeping pills off and on for nearly 30 years and out of which   12 years only on   antipsychotics.  now i.e since 15 days
my pdoc has advised on phone to take half of mind pills i.e. 2 anti psychotics,one is trifluoperazine and trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride combo and other one aripiprazole mt 5 and 1 mg of lorazepam for sleep.  i want to see my pdoc but i am afraid he will give me ect as i saw some nurses in his room which i never seen in past 12 years. i am quite numb and can't respond to any kind of assault. it is really frustrating. since i am on anti psychotics, can i stop it by taking half for 15 days and then quarter for 15 days.pls help

[4Maddie44]

Hi, I have had depression for over 20 years too.  At the moment I am a bit low.  I have taken anti-depressants for all those years, but sometimes I have stopped them.

The longest I went without depression was a year.  But it came back very bad.
I have always avoided sleeping tablets, and take herbal sleep aid if insomnia gets too bad.

i can understand why you don't want to see doctor again.  How about you try slowly weaning yourself off the sleeping pills.  They are usually only prescribed for short term use.  how come you have been prescribed them for so long?

I should imagine your body has come to rely on them.  Don't stop your anti-depressants though.