Does anyone else not seem to get withdrawal from SSRIs?

[chilapox3]

I've been on a few SSRI's and It seems like I don't ever get anything worse than maybe feeling sick or a mild headache when I stop them cold turkey.

Actually.. that's not completely true.

When I was on zoloft(my first SSRI), I stopped cold turkey and I felt pretty bad but I got over it pretty quickly.

And it got better the next time I went on an SSRI and stopped cold turkey.. to the point wher I actually didn't notice when I came off of it(except for not feeling like I wanted to die).

Also, it seems like every time I went on a med that affects the reuptake of serotonin, it got worse for me.

I was constantly anxious and jittery, but at the same time depressed and I didn't have the will to do anything despite feeling like I was going to explode if I didn't exert some energy.

I don't know..maybe it was just that I went on more and more potent meds and since being on the med was so bad, coming off it didn't feel so bad.

I just wanted to know if anyone else had a similar experience coming off an SSRI or similar med.

[Zippy]

Celexa - nothing

Paxil - nothing

Lexapro - nothing

I also find SSRIs don't help me.

Maybe it's because I survived 2 Effexor discontinuations and it toughened me up.

[SashaSue]

I've been on and off a long list of SSRI's, and the only one I had any trouble coming off of was Lexapro. I've wondered in the past if there might not be some connection between the fact that they don't really do anything for me, and the relative ease with which I'm able to stop them.

[pixie_b]

Not only did the SSRIs not really do anything for me but, I did have withdrawl symptoms. I have been off Effexor for 1 1/2 years and still get a random electric shock feeling in my face. If only I could not have the withdrawls, you are very lucky

[Zippy]

In my case Effexor is the only one that works AND the only one I go through hell coming off. The others felt like placebos.

[Greenyflower]

Celexa, Lexapro & Zoloft: no real problems, just a mild bit of brain shivers for a few weeks after quitting.

Effexor, though, was horrible to get off of.

[MikeInVa]

I've been on and off a long list of SSRI's, and the only one I had any trouble coming off of was Lexapro. I've wondered in the past if there might not be some connection between the fact that they don't really do anything for me, and the relative ease with which I'm able to stop them.

Did you try quitting the Lexapro cold turkey? I recently quit taking it myself but only by gradually titrating down the dosage for a period of two weeks with no ill effects thus far.

I don't know whay it is but after a few months the Lexapro really started crapping out on me to the point where even 30 mgs a day wasn't really making a difference at all.I hope that I don't have the same results with the Paxil.

[ddt1974]

The SSRI withdrawal is bad for me. Makes me very sick. The only way to stop (for those who have problems) with it is to go very, very slow. You should ask your pdoc for help because he can prescribe smaller and smaller pills for you to cut into smaller doses, etc. I would never taper off an SSRI any faster than a 3 month period. You might need even longer. And expect your original anxiety and depression to come roaring back!