I am nearly 16 and have Major Depressive Disorder which is being treated with fluoxetine (Prozac) 20mg/day. I have been on it for nearly two years. I think it may have stopped working, as I am having very serious thoughts of suicide and have been constructing a plan. Normally, this would mean I need to go up on my dosage of medication, but I have had, for longer than I have been on this medication, schizophrenia-like symptoms. These symptoms have been getting steadily worse since I was very young, but my therapist says that my medication may be making it worse. I am not sure. 20mg/day is a relatively low dose, and I was wondering what would happen if I just stop taking it cold turkey, instead of weaning off. I haven’t taken it yet today, and so far I feel fine. My therapist does not know that my depression has been worsening, and my prescribing doctor is not aware of the schizophrenia-like symptoms. I really don’t want to have to tell my doctor about the schizophrenia-like symptoms, because then I might have to see a psychiatrist and be dependent a whole new bunch of medications, so I need to do this by myself. Other reasons not to tell my doctor include but are not limited to a) I have a huge fear of being involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward, and the schizophrenia-like symptoms could warrant that coupled with the suicidal thoughts, b) he’d tell my mother, who would only make matters worse despite good intentions, c) I believe he’s out of town this week, not to mention d) I sometimes wonder if he and other professionals are affiliated with the Watchers (the things that watch me all the time, I have no better way to describe them). And I can’t see a psychiatrist without a referral because I live in Canada, besides the fact that psychiatrists scare me… a lot. I need to do this myself. What will happen if I just stop taking the prozac? Will it be that bad?
I do exercise, but exercising has never really helped me. I can’t call my physician because I think he is out of the country right now on vacation. He is a pediatrician and my family doctor has seen me only a handful of times in my entire life, including when I was a baby, so I can’t and don’t want to see her.
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What Happens If I Stop Taking My Medication?
Posted on August 19, 2011.
1. If you’re feeling suicidal you need to tell someone, especially a counsellor or doctor.
2. If you stop taking your medicine you may have a few days where you feel like you have the flu and your symptoms could get worse
3. If your medicine isn’t working, your doctor or any doctor can switch you to a new medicine that will work better.
4. Im surprised you’re not in talking therapy with someone. Might not be a bad idea to see a psychologist/psychiatrist.
5. They can not involuntarily commit you unless you are a threat to yourself or others and lack capacity to make a decision, and even then its only for a 1-3 day period before they review ya. Threat to yourself means don’t actively try to commit suicide (cut yourself, take too many meds etc). Thinking about it doesn’t count.
6. Your family physician is a doctor. He is not your friend. He can not tell anyone your business, and he see’s a lot of people go through the same things you’re going through. At the end of the day if you told him you have a mental disorder he’d likely send you to a psychiatrist, so skip the middle man and go yourself.