Anyone successfully cylcling SSRI?

tendency

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Hey - Curious if anyone here has experience cycling a SSRI, like say, lexapro, for 4-6 months out of the year then off the rest?
 
why? Either mood stays stable on treatment but gets worse after stopping it, in which case you are better off staying on it ? or it stays stable if treatment is stopped, in which case you do not need to cycle or restart it ? Seasonal affective disorder not responsive to bright light therapy?
 
Think about how much doctors give those out like Candy. I wonder why.

Let's just make you numb and not fix the root problem. Don't worry there's something wrong with your brain, we have a pill for that.

I'm not bashing you but I've seen what antidepressants have done to friends and family.

Someone very close to me was put on antidepressants because he broke his ankle. Here we are two suicide attempts later and a never ending cycle of throwing shit at the all to see what sticks.

The medical system is evil incarnate.

Please, please avoid at all costs.
 
Antidepressants are not great drugs, they often do not work, but usually they are the best option available. Psychological therapies, especially cognitive behavioral therapy is just as effective, but a lot of people simply cannot afford to access it.
Having experienced many severe episodes of depression over 40 years and taken nearly every different antidepressant at some point, they are not perfect, but they do often work and can be life saving.
The medical system most certainly has flaws, but to see it as evil is not even close to how it works in practice, probably every second or third person on this forum owes their life to modern medical therapies at some point, getting antibiotics for pneumonia instead of dying from it is not evil in any way.
I am sorry for what your friend has experienced, but to blame all of that on one initial antidepressant prescription sounds like it is missing most of the real story.
 
tendency said:
Hey - Curious if anyone here has experience cycling a SSRI, like say, lexapro, for 4-6 months out of the year then off the rest?
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Why on earth would you want to cycle a SSRI? Take it from someone who is currently titrating off a SSRI after being on the maximum dose, it's quite unpleasant. You get what are known as 'brain zaps', which feels like a weird electric shock in your head every now and then. As lessthanhalf said, you either need SSRIs or you don't. Messing around by cycling them is, in my opinion, quite a foolish thing to do.
 
lessthanhalf said:
Antidepressants are not great drugs, they often do not work, but usually they are the best option available. Psychological therapies, especially cognitive behavioral therapy is just as effective, but a lot of people simply cannot afford to access it.
Having experienced many severe episodes of depression over 40 years and taken nearly every different antidepressant at some point, they are not perfect, but they do often work and can be life saving.
The medical system most certainly has flaws, but to see it as evil is not even close to how it works in practice, probably every second or third person on this forum owes their life to modern medical therapies at some point, getting antibiotics for pneumonia instead of dying from it is not evil in any way.
I am sorry for what your friend has experienced, but to blame all of that on one initial antidepressant prescription sounds like it is missing most of the real story.
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It's not. A man who loved to work like a horse and took joy in manual labor fell off a deck when building it. He had a compound fracture in his ankle.

The slightest mention of being "depressed" due to being laid up at home and he was instantly prescribed antidepressants. This egregious act exacerbated his symptoms. He was then prescribed a new cocktail. Then another. Followed by another and is now on a never ending, "Let's throw this shit at the wall too see if it sticks."

Am I grateful for X-Rays and MRI's, and Blood Analysis, etc... Yes, absolutely.

Do I think pill pushers who are the epitome of lazy and have zero disregard for their patients true health have a special place in the pits of hell awaiting them? You bet your ass.

We are all entitled to our opinions. I'm happy that you were able to find solace in different medications that worked for you. However, I stand firm. It is a money printing industry for a reason.
 
lessthanhalf said:
why? Either mood stays stable on treatment but gets worse after stopping it, in which case you are better off staying on it ? or it stays stable if treatment is stopped, in which case you do not need to cycle or restart it ? Seasonal affective disorder not responsive to bright light therapy?
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Yes, it's for SAD. Personally, I respond great to SSRIs. Very few sides and they work really, really well. They also start working quite quickly typically in 2-3 days. I'm back to living in a part of the US where my SAD is clinically bad so have been considering going back to lexapro.

I know for many these drugs get a bad rap but there is a % of people for whom they work very well and can be life savers. I'm just concerned about potential long term use issues.

And no, light therapy does very little for my symptoms.
 
retarequired said:
I know this is a long shot but have you tried bupropion? It's more cycle friendly and it's approved for SAD treatment aswell.
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Hmm, thanks for the suggestion I'll think about bupropion. In the past I've typically done better with meds that boost serotonin for SAD so not sure about using wellbutrin. Something to think about..
 
Wtf? No. That is not how SSRI/SNRIs work. Many — if not all of them — do not begin working until taking them consistently for 4-8 weeks.

These drugs are not PRN, “use it when you need it,” or “use it sometimes for fun” drugs.

What an annoying post.
 
The person posting this says they work for him over that time scale. If they work and are not causing problems, then is there a reason for concern? Yes they do typically take longer than that to work, but the simple chemical effect is very rapid, and the reason for the 2-8 week delay in mood response is still not understood, despite decades of research trying to answer that question. There are lots of theories but no definitive answers. Seasonal affective disorder is a well known phenomena, and I do not think using medication to treat it qualifies as just for fun, as it can be disabling just like any other type of depressive illness. I have done no research on SAD but if I had to guess if I looked it up I would find that using antidepressants for the relevant months of the year is most likely an established therapy.
 
tendency said:
Hey - Curious if anyone here has experience cycling a SSRI, like say, lexapro, for 4-6 months out of the year then off the rest?
Click to expand...
Yes I have and it's not really something for cycling, you're either on it or not on it. I got off that and started doing breath work how's work wonders.
 
GTS97 said:
Wtf? No. That is not how SSRI/SNRIs work. Many — if not all of them — do not begin working until taking them consistently for 4-8 weeks.

These drugs are not PRN, “use it when you need it,” or “use it sometimes for fun” drugs.

What an annoying post.
Click to expand...
OP was simply asking a question about something they haven't had the chance to learn yet. At least they are trying to learn now.

If you want to answer someone's question, just answer it. If you don't, don't. There's no reason to be so condescending.

One of the great things about this forum is that the members don't treat each other that way when they ask a question.
 
Cycling SSRIs not ideal medical strategy and you will not see clinicians support this. However, if you're done, you may taper very gradually.
 
tendency said:
Hey - Curious if anyone here has experience cycling a SSRI, like say, lexapro, for 4-6 months out of the year then off the rest?
Click to expand...
I would say stick to prozac unless you're sure that Prozac doesn't work for you. It has a long half life and is very well tolerated. No reason you shouldn't be able to cycle it.

Many pharmaceuticals are better used in a sensible fashion like this as opposed to how they're prescribed. Lamictal for instance is immediately titrated up to unsafe doses and you're meant to just... Stay on it? Forever? Even though it starts to injure people after four or five years? Why titrate up to 400mg rather than remaining at the starting doses of 25 and 50mg.

The answer is, the medical field by and large is doctrinistic. That's a good thing when it comes to surgeries. Or antibiotics. But not when it comes to mental health.
 
tendency said:
Yes, it's for SAD. Personally, I respond great to SSRIs. Very few sides and they work really, really well. They also start working quite quickly typically in 2-3 days.
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A lot of opinions, some good, some bad, some dangerous. Frankly, this isn't the place for this question. This is really something to talk to a psychologist or psychiatric NP about. A lot of primary care doctors get way out of their lane on psych meds and, while I don't think its the end of the world if they prescribe a low dose anti-depressant from time to time, they are often operating way outside of their scope of practice. So if its not a good idea for most doctors, an internet forum isn't a great place to get advice (although it may help you figure out what questions to ask which can be good).

That said, as licensed mental health clinician (not a doctor) I haven't really seen people cycling off and on SSRI's, which probably wouldn't be advisable, but some people with SAD will lower their dose off season to reduce side effects (often tied to libedo). Please discuss this with a psychiatrist/NP before making any changes.
 
lessthanhalf said:
Most of the commenters here do not seem to have seen the part where the poster explains why, it is for seasonal affective disorder, and it works for him. I see no reason why stopping it for the months of the year when it is not needed is a bad idea.
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Yes I agree. In fact, it was my therapist who suggested the idea based upon a few other patients they have doing similar .. but, I'm always dubious and looking for more opinions - thanks!
 
As someone who has been on antidepressants for many years, I personally can't imagine trying to cycle them. I get awful withdrawal symptoms if I miss a single day (look up the term "brain zaps"). But if you're on a lower dose and only need them during certain months, I don't see why it would be an issue! Just be cautious if you're on a higher dose or taking more than one SSRI.
 
tendency said:
I know for many these drugs get a bad rap but there is a % of people for whom they work very well and can be life savers. I'm just concerned about potential long term use issues.
Click to expand...

What potential long term issues are you concerned about? They are typically very safe and have lots of long term data.

Regarding your question, I mean you can do it, though its not recommended. However, you should titrate down. Going off cold turkey can trigger a depression. Also depends on how high a dose you are on.
 
birdwhacker said:
I would say stick to prozac unless you're sure that Prozac doesn't work for you. It has a long half life and is very well tolerated. No reason you shouldn't be able to cycle .
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Prozac is easier to cycle down because of its long half life. however it has one of the worst profiles for affecting libido. So different drug side effect profiles may suit OP better. Lexapro is very different to prozac or zoloft or paxil and it works well for a lot of people. I say if its working for OP dont go on a witch hunt for a long half life substitute. Use what works. My 2 cents.
 
Also for SAD in particular, you should check on your vitamin D levels and take up to 5-10K IU per day in the winter. May not work for you but there is zero harm in trying.
 
Devilseye said:
Also for SAD in particular, you should check on your vitamin D levels and take up to 5-10K IU per day in the winter. May not work for you but there is zero harm in trying.
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Yeah, already doing the 5Kiu vit D (with K spectrum) - keeps my D levels perfect.
 
Devilseye said:
What potential long term issues are you concerned about? They are typically very safe and have lots of long term data.

Regarding your question, I mean you can do it, though its not recommended. However, you should titrate down. Going off cold turkey can trigger a depression. Also depends on how high a dose you are on.
Click to expand...
My pyscho pharm (who's tremendous and stays up to date on latest science etc.) is concerned about permanent serotonin dysregulation issues from long term SSRI use.
 
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