Of course, number 1 is don't do any changes in medication without talking to your doctor first. Discuss with the dr. the possiblitly of decreasing your medication very slowly. I have not yet had to go off of my medications-only been taking them for a short time-but I am currently in the process of weaning of my nightly dose of Klonopin (with my dr's ok). I am going very slow. I was taking .5 mg every night-it's a half of a pill. For one week I have cut off a corner of the half pill. The first two or three nights I woke up slightly anxious but did not have a panic attack. Tonight or tomorrow, I will go to 1/4th of a pill. I will do that for at least a week. If that goes well, I may even go to 1/8th of a pill for a few days before stopping. Very slow. I have a great dr. who is very supportive of it.

I had to slowly go of the Lexapro and I did it gradually over a few weeks (less than one month) by cutting down dosages until we (my doctor and I) had eleminated it from my system. I really never did have any side effects of withdrawl but I am sure it is because we did it all gradually. Like the first week, instead of 50mg, I did 25mg for that week. Then the next we went to 20mg...then stayed there for 2 weeks and then went to 15mg and 10 and so on. Do it WITH your doctors help!

JenK, Please keep your doctor well informed about your decision to decrease/discontinue your meds. Angela, _____________________________ The Panic Center Support Team

Hi! You have to slowly go off these drugs. Never just stop without your doc's help. Prozac can usually be stopped without much problems. I don't recommend you stopping at all. I have done it many times and the anxiety and all comes back on me and I end up back on em. That is between you and your doctor. I wish you the best. Merry Christmas to you and God Bless!

Hello everyone! I haven't posted with any frequency since last march at least. I'm doing much better, actually in-conparible to last year at this time. I'm back at work, doing more hours with more responsibility and loving it! I've found a wonderful counsellor who has worked with me doing CBT and I'm slowing and steadily getting better. I still have anxiety driving on the highway, in fact I rarely do drive the highway, BUT I am driving my car twenty-five minutes away from my house on the backroads, something I NEVER thought I could do. I'm still on the 150mg dose of effexor xr and it really has been a wonder drug in combination with the CBT. However, I have gained lots of weight and am really really down with how I look. Ever since I started SSRI's in grade 9 (five years ago) I've gained a good 50lbs. I started on paxil then went to celexa, back to paxil and on to 75mg of effexor xr then up to 150mg of effexor xr. I lost most of the excess weight but within the last year, when i started effexor in dec-jan, I've gained it ALL back. Its HORRIBLE! I want to stop taking meds and see how I do, however I'm terrified to do so. I think I've just been so dependent on the meds that I'm afraid of how I will react once I'm off them. I can't go back to the way I was feeling before and that thought really scares me, combined with the horrors of withdrawals that I've heard of. So, needless to say, I'm really scared. I want to give it a try without the medication and I think that if I was promised there would be NO withdrawal, I'd give it a shot. However, I know darn well that there cannot be any promise of no withdrawal, I've heard it is absolutely horrendous! That is why I'm so scared, I have a job and need to drive but people say you are so incredibly incapacitated for up to two months with terrifying withdrawals. Has anyone had a positive experience going off the meds?? I've heard you can take prozac during withdrawals but then would you have to withdraw off that too? With all the s$%$^ of withdrawals, I wish I had never started taking these drugs. I've been on them for at least five years. But I know at the time, it was soooooooo necessary. Any advice? Thanks! Jen