Experience and Support with Antidepressants
- Rebecca Stuart
- Feb 11
- 7 min read
Last week, I shared a link on social media to a podcast, Culture Apothecary. In this episode, Alex Clark interviewed Kim Witczak, a member of the FDA Psychopharmacologic Advisory Committee. Kim's role involves educating healthcare providers and advocating for greater transparency and regulations regarding prescriptions, particularly antidepressants.
I have received feedback from a few followers and clients about their experience with antidepressants, and feel a need to address this topic of concern.
First, I want to share that I understand the drive, need, and desire for these pharmaceuticals. Soon after I got married, I was hit with one big stressor after another and was really struggling. OK, I was a big mess. I was also trying birth control pills, and now know those were a contributing factor to my emotional state. I went to a doctor at the Mayo Clinic and he got me started on an SSRI, for a temporary time to get me back on track. Thankfully, he only had me on them for 2 months and I went off them, not noticing a difference and I did not experience any withdrawal effects.
A few years later after the birth of my daughter, I was depressed. My doctor put me on Zoloft and I gained a ton of weight fast! I was also working out and barely eating because we were so poor we didn’t have much food. So I freaked out and went off them pretty quick. The only change I noticed while on them was the weight gain. Thankful no withdrawal symptoms, I wasn’t on them long.
Fast forward a few years after the birth of my son which triggered the activation of a virus I had contracted years earlier. My doctor and I didn’t know at the time it was the virus, so he had me try multiple drugs including several different SSRIs. I really do think he didn’t believe anything I said, as a few times he mentioned my symptoms were in my head. I was in real pain and agony and doctors thought I was crazy. I cycled through several meds, and high doses. I started experiencing weird side effects from different meds. After researching the effect these meds have on the brain, I freaked out and went off cold turkey not knowing what I was doing. It landed me in bed for quite awhile, and a little suicidal. But to be honest, I was already in so much pain I couldn’t tell if it was withdrawals or my unknown disease symptoms.
I did end up on a protocol that was manageable. A muscle relaxant, Flexeril, and a pain med. The pain med according to my doctor was mild, non habit forming, and safe as Tylenol. He put me on Ultram, aka Tramadol. I was taking this four times a day for over 6 years. Year five, I started to notice severe withdrawal side effects in between doses that would flatten me disabled on a daily basis. I was beginning to learn my doctor was not informed on the reality of this drug, IT IS habit forming, AND works similarly on the brain as an SSRi as an opioid. I knew I had to get off this drug. My doctor wasn’t helpful, so I set out on my own to wean, but weaning was torture, pure torture, so I made the the decision to go cold turkey. Yep, I’m a rip the band aid off kinda girl, and it was hell, pure hell. I was in bed for 2 weeks. I experienced akathisia. I saw demons crawling on my walls and roaches crawling on my skin. I wanted to rip my skin off. I had brain zaps (felt like my brain was beign electrocuted), nightmares, emotional rages, tears, and pain in my body like I have never felt before. My sweet husband nursed me with broth, protein shakes, and took care of the house and kids. I eventually was able to get outside in the sun and slowly weed the garden to get fresh air and movement back in my life.
As I was beginning to feel a little more human again, I contracted one of the worst cases of poison ivy that I still have scars from! I ended up on high doses of steroids and felt all of those side effects and withdrawal symptoms. It was three months of agony, and to be honest I have no idea what kept me going, but I did it.
I share all this to say, I understand the drive and desire to find a quick fix, a pill, hope for a cure for the hopelessness. I also understand what it means to have a doctor prescribe a drug and they are not informed of the science behind that drug, the consequences and then unintentionally lie to you about the drug when you ask questions.
We have this beautiful country with rights to informed consent. If our doctors are not informed how can we be? The research is really our own responsibility.
Now before a doctor recommends a drug to me or for my kids, I pause and research like crazy.
A few years ago, my daughter was having a rough time. The first response our doctor had was to recommend an SSRi. I was desperate to get my daughter the help she needed and I trusted my doctor, but habit is, I need to do some research first. Boy, I am so thankful I did! I first listened to a podcast of Beverly Thomson who is from the UK who researches antidepressants and youth. Her work revealed more information than I was ready for. These meds come with a black box for a reason. Our doctor said the black box isn’t a worry, but the statistics and research papers say otherwise. We chose a different path for our daughter and it worked!
With the rise of antidepressants there has been a rise of suicide in all ages! Not just youth. There are no papers to be found that prove lack of serotonin is a cause for depression. In fact, they prove that a surplus of serotonin causes psychotic breaks, suicide, and many other physical conditions like IBS-D, headaches, carcinoid, and fibrosis that leads to cancer.
There are no diagnostic tests available for serotonin levels (except done during autopsy) therefore the testing for depression that deems a need for these drugs is actually a symptom survey that was actually drafted by Pfizer’s marketing team with no scientific research to back it up.
What we are learning through the work of some amazing clinical psychiatrists like
Dr. Chris Palmer from Harvard is that depression, anxiety, and psychosis can be managed through a healthy metabolism. The myth that mental health issues are a chemical imbalance has been exposed (that too, a lie generated by Pfizer's marketing team for zoloft to sell the drug not based in any science). Decreasing the body’s overall inflammation through diet and lifestyle is reversing mental health disorders even bi-polar and schizophrenia. I can’t wait for Dr. Palmer to conclude his current study and reveal the results!
I personally experienced this mental health breakthrough! When I went carnivore a few years back, after 3 weeks I had a breakthrough! I was at such peace and calm, I didn’t even know I was living in constant anxiety. I was awake, alert, alive, and free! I am now sensitive to what I eat does affect my mental state. My inflammation levels do affect my anxiety levels. The gut and brain are tied together! The greatest thing about this understanding is knowing if I am feeling down and out:
1: It’s temporary
2: I can control my mood through my diet
3: I have control over my mental health through caring for my physical health.
4: I don’t have to depend on a drug (not proven by any science it works like people say it will work) and sometimes being sad or depressed is a good thing!
If you are someone who is on a med and you are not happy with how you feel, I understand! I have been there! But DO NOT go off any medications without working side by side with your doctor, and if your doctor isn’t willing to work with you, find another one! There is so much I know now, I wish I knew then to help me through the weaning process. Supporting myself nutritionally, stress coping mechanisms, and an understanding community of people would have helped so much!
Supporting our clients as they work with their doctors to wean off unwanted meds is a joy, we can’t do it alone. A team effort is beneficial for success! Choosing to stay on medication is ok too! You need to be in a healthy, safe place in your life to go through a weaning process. This is part of the conversation you need to have with your physician. It can take a toll on the body to detox and recover. It can take 3 months to 3 years to adjust. I do not recommend doing what I did and just quit. I could have ended up experiencing a stroke or worse-death. God had my crazy back. He miraculously brought me through my crazy detox. Talk about mercy, but if you’re reading this, you know better. Be better than me!
If you are taking meds please take care of your body. These things will deplete you of essential nutrients that can make you end up feeling worse! I personally prefer to test my clients to see where they are at, but common nutrient deficiencies while taking these meds are B vitamins, CoQ10, Magnesium, Omega 3's, Zinc, Vitamin D, and Melatonin. Quality supplements are necessary while on these types of meds!
Working with a client earlier this year as she was weaning off antidepressants was challenging but rewarding. At one point, she said I need to go back on these meds, I feel crazy. My response. “ That is courageous! Because you are going to go back on a med knowing full well how they will change your thinking and your health, and what it takes to go off them if you choose to do so in the future. There is no shame in making a choice when you are fully informed of the consequences, and that takes courage.” I truly do respect that!
For those who want more information and go down the rabbit hole here are some resources for you to check out: