Question: coming off anti-depressant

[lattejunkie]

My doctor is wanting me to slowly reduce my anti-depressant dosage until I am off of it completely so we can see how I do on just the lamictal. Has anyone done this before? Did it work out or did you end up back on a different anti-depressant? I am feeling really anxious about this. Just scared that I'll fall further into a depression without it (and of the withdrawal symptoms if there are any).

[dylan]

I don't want to scare you, but occasionally a med that you don't think is working will still be controlling one of your symptoms well, and in the absence of that med the symptom will return. I currently take 45 mg of Remeron/night and used to take 200 mg of Wellbutrin/day but tapered off the Wellbutrin and now I'm taking 5 mg of Abilify. In my case, my depression was getting worse so I got off the Wellbutrin and onto Abilify but my anxiety has come back. It's not totally disabling, and I'm hoping the Abilify will help it, but still, just be careful.

[lattejunkie]

Thanks, Dylan. I'm trying to stay aware of any returning symptoms for sure. The whole thing makes me nervous. I never want to go back to the hypomania (almost full blown mania) and then the deepest depression I've ever experienced like I did a year and half ago. I know on meds symptoms can still appear but hopefully not nearly as bad. Coming completely off of Wellbutrin is making me nervous but I guess it's worth a try. I see my counselor on Monday and my doctor in five weeks for a med check.