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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can going straight off anti depressants anti psychotics have benefits?

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    Depression Mental Health
    Due to side effects and not having any benefits, I discussed weaning off Lovan (2 x 50mg tablets) and seroquel xr (1x 50mg) tablets with my psychiatrist. He told me that I should just stop them cold turkey. Ive always heard this is the worst thing you can do, mentioned i didn't feel comfortable with the idea and still wanted to discuss coming off slowly. He refused to give any advise regarding weaning and just go with the cold turkey - that there wouldn't be any side effects.

    Firstly, is he right? I hate questioning my specialists on their judgement, but when I tried even just reducing to one lovan and one seroquel a day I was experiencing brain zaps and what people have said sounds like seizures.

    If possible, can anyone advise on the best way off these medications please?
    • 2 answers
    • Mariela Occelli
    • Dr Simon Easterbrook-Smith
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    Mariela Occelli

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    Mariela Occelli is a Clinical Psychologist with well over 20 years experience in the assessment and treatment of clinical disorders. She has worked in private … View Profile

    I am a Clinical Psychologist and not able to advise on medication specifically but wonder what your diagnosis is and whether you are having psychological therapy if medication is not addressing your symptoms. Whether your psychiatrist is right or not, it is important that you have a positive relationship with him; this means that you should be able to voice your concerns and ask questions about your treatment. He should do his best to provide you with the information that you need to make informed choices, after all it is your body and mind he is treating.

    Mariela Occelli - Clinical Psychologist

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    Dr Simon Easterbrook-Smith

    Health Professional

    My research interests include immunology and the mechanisms of amyloid formation. The latter has implications for people who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease … View Profile

    Like Mariela I am not a medical professional so I can not offer you clinical advice.

    But…

    A few years ago my psychiatrist and I decided that I should swap from one (for me, completely useless) anti-depressant to another (for me, great) one. 

    His very strong recommendation was that I should spend some time as a voluntary patient in a private psychiatric hospital so I could be monitored while tapering off the first one and adapting to the second. I did that and it worked well.

    When I asked him “Why should I go IP?”  he said that going cold turkey on any psych med is a *really* bad idea - it can often have *very* unpredictable outcomes - slowly tapering off under medical supervision is rhe way to go.

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