Dr. Mark Horowitz: Antidepressant withdrawal effects and how to safely stop them

TI Best Evidence Webinar: Antidepressant withdrawal effects and how to safely stop them. Presented by Dr. Mark Horowitz on 8 May 2024.

[@cheryl8956]

I commend you for sticking your neck out challenging these drug companies. Your videos are inspiring, thank you.

[@CarmenOrtiz440]

Psychedelics definitely have potential to deal with mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression, I would like to try them again but it's just so hard to source out here

[@JamesFJohnson]

I’ve been researching on psychedelics and it’s benefits to individuals dealing with Anxiety, Depression, ADHD and from my findings, they really work and I’ve been eager to get some for a while but its been difficult to get my hands on them.

[@AlbertoTorres894]

The Trips I've been having really helped me a lot. I’m now able to meditate and I finally feel in control of my emotions and my future and things that used to be mundane to me now seem incredible and full of nuance on top of that I'm way less driven by my ego and I have alot more empathy as well

[@LucyFernandez628]

I was having this constant, unbearable anxiety due to work stress. Not until I came across a very intelligent mycologist. He saved my life honestly

[@Rogerseegren271]

​@@AlbertoTorres894I feel the same way too. I put too much on my plate and it definitely affects my stress and anxiety levels. I am also glad to be a part of this community.

[@AnaSolano190]

​@@LucyFernandez628Does he deliver to various locations?

[@claireh.7605]

I DIDN’T start the antidepressants because of anger and irritability! But this is what I have when I stopped Lexapro.

[@susanmorgan4151]

Me too.❤

[@Liz-hc4um]

I experience it whilst reducing 😬

[@snowps1]

Me too! And depressive moods. I started it for panic attacks.

[@claireh.7605]

@@snowps1 my issue is that I now think that anger and irritability are good because somehow they are justified

[@susanmorgan4151]

Dr. HOROWITZ , Thank you. I have experienced exactly what you are saying after titrating off Paxil per my subscriber instructions. I seriously thought I was losing my mind. I found myself in the fetal position sobbing - eventually blacked out. My gp said it was an anxiety attack , and prescribed anti-anxiety meds. That was a train wreck! I decided to stay off all psych meds....am still withdrawing after 11 months. It IS getting better though. A very SLOW process.

[@whatevs1700]

Please come back to Australia and set up a clinic here… Melbourne specifically… please 🙏

[@nigelbrown5647]

This is one of the best presentations on the topic of Psych Drug withdrawal, that I have seen. Thank you so much, Dr Mark and all involved. ❤

[@Mike_Iz_]

Yes it is really succinct and thorough for only being an hour long, I pray that more doctors can see this.

[@JasonBrown-dd7dj]

Thanks Mark, doctors need to recognise this if they knew the damage they can and have done to patients they wouldnt be quick to prescribe.Opiates,benzos ,gabapentinoids and antidepressants can be really damaging.Informed consent thats all patients advocate for.Your a genius in your field of work.Theres people in psych wards that are ill cos these meds victims.

[@janebond8342]

This is why I NEVER take pharmaceuticals

[@pradeepdatta2168]

Excellent presentation.Dr Horowitz may kindly also do presentations on tapering by elderly patients as their cases are different from other adults ie < 65 years.

[@arquipaje8441]

I´ve been tapering down from 5mg Lexapro, 10% reductions every two months, and now currently on 2.95mg. This is not medical advice to anyone, but taking the following supplements daily has helped quite substantially in tackling withdrawal symptoms: Vitamin D with K2: 4000units (morning) Vitamin C: 1gram (liposomal) (morning) Omega 3: 800mg EPA + 400mg DHA (at night) Magnesium Glycinate: 120mg (at night) Magnesium Threonate: 122mg (morning) Chaga Powder: 2g serving (served with tea, afternoon) Symptoms are mild the first three weeks after each reduction, then relatively normal functioning the following five weeks (with 1 or 2 miserable days)

[@snowps1]

How are you reducing the dosage? I have 5 mg pills. Are you just shaving them down? I went cold turkey and it's been 3 months and I'm starting to feel really miserable. I think I need to start it over and wean down but I don't know the best way to do it when I have pills.

[@Liz-hc4um]

Thank you for sharing this. I am back up to 5 in readiness to reduce. I went too fast and although no ‘neuro’ symptoms I was impatient, irritable, with bursts of anger and easily startled. I’m thinking of trying 4.5 mg next ( I have the liquid formulation). I am also going to stop trying to do this in secret because it’s been just awful for my relationship. I am also interested to hear that you’re doing this every too months…

[@snowps1]

@@Liz-hc4um oh my, I've also been doing it in secret and should just fess up to my husband. I'm so grouchy and moody now.

[@arquipaje8441]

@@snowps1 I live in Chile, and we don´t have either liquid formulations available in the market, or compounding pharmacies that can prepare very small, specific doses of escitalopram. The only alternative I had was to buy the available 10mg Lexapro, which can be easily cut in half because of the notch on the reverse, and then shave each 5mg piece down with an always sharp scalpel to the desired doses. For this, I had to buy a 0.001mg precision scale. It is tedious as hell, and requires time and dedication to make sure you get constant doses. It´s the only way. I went cold turkey from 5mg to 0mg back in January 2011, and I was miserable for about a year and a half before going back to 10mg. I definitely would not recommend that!

[@snowps1]

@@arquipaje8441 thanks for the tips! I did pretty much stop cold turkey off 5mg and it's been a very rough couple of months, especially the wild mood swings!

[@create_space812]

very informative. thank you Dr Horowitz!

[@susanmorgan4151]

THANK YOU!❤

[@Dggttaj]

This is very informative Thank you

[@Me-fs5mi]

Execelent presentation Mark. Especially the graphs ( VISUALS)......they are true for most taperings I imagine. How would a graph look for those who have successfully stopped the drugs? For younger people who have a fighting chance? What might success look like?

[@rhianonallen2947]

Any chance that the original webinar participants can be emailed some of the data slides from the last half of the presentation?

[@mazymonroe8749]

What length of time after your last dose is considered a protracted withdrawal? I'm 19 months off and still experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms 😢

[@cheryllryan8440]

38 years paxil and xanax and one week hospital to get off. Swear truth. Last October. Now what ??.

[@shahnazali4000]

Please can you guide me how to taper successfully Closopine. The doctor initially put my nephew at 450 mg. He withdrew by himself reducing it by 100mg. i.e 350 mg. Thereafter 25mg every 8 weeks or more. He wants to completely ween off this medication. The psychologist is refusing to his tapering. Where can he get help, to overcome withdrawal symptoms ...esp. suicidal symptoms, as this has happened when earlier he was put on Risperidon , which actually causes suicides...PLEASE HELP !

[@halk3]

My doctor makes a distinction between physical and psychological dependence. The concept of psychological dependence seems invalid to me. The way it is described, it sounds like a reverse placebo effect, in which you experience adverse effects because you expect them. If so, then saying that withdrawal symptoms result from psychological dependence amounts to saying that it is all in your head. It is frustrating that my doctor does not take my symptoms seriously, but he is really just there to write the prescriptions, so I don't dwell on it.

[@Mike_Iz_]

Your doctor sounds very uninformed like countless prescribers. Please convince them to watch this webinar or read over the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines which Dr. Horowitz recently published. It could save many patients lives from being ruined by their ignorance. 🙏

[@karenpeart5997]

I have only been taking mirtazapine for 2 months , and i want to stop ( as i can not tolerate the side effects anymore ) I tried to stop but i got to day 3 and the withdrawal was horrific , feel terrible taking them a d terrible trying to get off tgem ( was put on them becauses of anxiety ( they do not really help , not very good with medication)

[@makingmentalhealthpositiveUK]

❤

[@sapiensfuturus]

Do Vyvanse!

[@Suzanneoakly]

how do you access liquid forms of ssri so you can slowly come off

[@Jbinkstar]

I would also like to know this too, my GP has recently told me they are not licensed in the UK but they are, so an outright lie. They told me to go on Amazon but a pill cutter and cut my tablets in half, then half again and then stop them 😮 So Very Dangerous what they tell us to do, it's so wrong.

[@Mike_Iz_]

I want to know this too. Is it possible to get it from the UK if I live in Canada? A liquid formulation of venlafaxine is not available here. ??? I have very little trust in dose accuracy when counting or weighing beads/microspheres from the capsules of Effexor XR.

[@EVILid]

I dont understand i reduce slowly since 2020 and have many symptoms since 4mg I reduce 0,1mg per month or 2month.

[@nigelbrown5647]

It's something that is very common and what I'm going through as well. Because of the hyperbolic way that these drugs work, there is an increased effectiveness on lower doses. My last taper was 0.04mg, 2.44mg to 2.4mg. It was a lot more gentle than my previous taper of 0.08mg. I suggest to join a peer-support group or buy The Maudsley Deprescibing Guidelines. 😊

[@katierinaldo464]

From what I’ve learned and am experiencing, you need to tapering much slower and longer. I’ve been tapering from 5mg lexapro for 18 months. I’m now tapering at 5%! I’m currently on .95mg. The withdrawal symptoms get harder the lower you go