Fire Big Pharma This Year! How to Replace Your Antidepressants with CBD
So you’re on antidepressants and/or anti-anxiety meds and want off.
Maybe your SSRI has worked wonders for you, or maybe you’re still looking for a better option.
You’re tired of using pharmaceuticals and chemicals to alter your brain chemistry, and you’re looking for a more natural option to manage your anxiety and depression.
But how can you taper off of your prescription and avoid those nasty brain zaps and other uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms?
CBD may be your answer.
Photo by Kimzy Nanney on Unsplash
Fire Big Pharma This Year! How to Replace Your Antidepressants with CBD
A couple of years ago I was desperate for some relief from my anxiety and depression.
I had lost three people close to me to cancer in the span of a year, including one of my best friends who passed away at age 31 after an 18-month battle with stage 4 colon cancer. She left behind three beautiful kids, a loving husband, and a tribe of loving friends, including me. I was devastated.
My job was demanding of my time, dedication, and heart; but I wasn’t appreciated financially or emotionally on a day-to-day basis. I was stressed to the max and literally couldn’t go a day without bursting into tears.
My anxiety and depression were manifesting in physical ways as well. I suffered issues with gut health and chronic pain.
My heart felt permanently broken and I couldn’t see how happiness could possibly factor into my future.
I talked with my doctor and she prescribed what she called her “mommy cocktail”-- 10 mg of Lexapro was her go-to prescription for the symptoms I was describing. She said many of her female patients in their 40s go through the same thing I was experiencing (mid-life crisis, perhaps?) and this small dose of antidepressant / anti-anxiety medication has helped most of them. So I gave it a shot.
Lexapro changed my life, no doubt. My stress and sadness didn’t disappear, but they no longer felt so incredibly debilitating or apocalyptic. I could still feel my feelings, but was more indifferent to them. My anxiety was motivating rather than crippling. I still felt sad, but not so sad I couldn’t move.
But it came with some negatives as well. I had gained weight. My sex drive was nonexistent. I didn’t like how jittery I felt if I forgot a dose or accidentally doubled up. And I felt weird about something altering my brain chemistry to such a high degree. My anxiety and depression had gotten SO much more manageable.
Could it be time to taper off of Lexapro? If so, how?
Photo by Munga Thigani on Unsplash
Antidepressant Side Effects
Lexapro is one of many antidepressant medications on the market today. It is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). Other commonly prescribed SSRIs include Celexa, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft.
SSRIs are the most common type of anti-anxiety prescription. Since they typically cause fewer side effects than other options, doctors will generally try an SSRI with their patients first-- just as my doctor did with me.
However, even SSRIs can come with irritating side effects, such as diminished libido, drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, or blurred vision. Depending on the severity of the side effects, these are often enough for patients to call it quits.
Once I felt like I could manage life again, I wanted to cut out the SSRIs. But I was worried about my anxious and depressive symptoms returning. Luckily, we’re currently riding a big green wave of CBD wellness products, thanks to it being legalized nationwide last year. It got me wondering:
Is CBD oil a valid replacement for SSRIs or other anti-anxiety / anti-depression prescriptions?
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
CBD Oil for Anxiety and Depression
Turns out, the answer is a resounding YES! Companies currently need to be very careful not to make any health or medical claims since CBD is not approved by the FDA. However, there is vast anecdotal evidence as well as many emerging scientific studies that suggest cannabidiol can be helpful for those with anxiety and depression.
Scientists have discovered that CBD actually works to boost serotonin in nearly the same way as SSRIs do-- by preventing the reuptake (reabsorption) of adenosine, an important neurotransmitter.
CBD has also been shown to grease the wheels of the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor which impacts anxiety (Konieczny 2018).
The effect of CBD on the 5-HT1A receptor can also have an alleviating effect on depression symptoms. Researchers have known for over 10 years that working with the endocannabinoid system is a innovative treatment possibility for depression, and a 2016 study found CBD to be a “fast-acting anti-depressant drug.” (Konieczny 2018).
CBD seems quite promising. If science supports it, I’m ready to give it a try.
Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash
How to Taper Off Your Antidepressant Medication
First off, always consult your doctor before you decide to quit your antidepressants. It is of course ultimately your decision, but your doctor is sure to have good advice about how to taper off of Prozac, wean off Lexapro, or gradually reduce your dosage of whichever pharmaceutical you happen to be on.
The most important thing I need to tell you here is Do NOT stop taking them “cold turkey.” This can cause some serious emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms (more below). It is also imperative that you have support from family and friends and/or a therapist during your transition.
Brain chemistry is no joke. Any changes you are making to your dosage need to be done gradually over time. Depending on your current dosage, you might be able to start cutting your pills in half or taking them every other day to halve the dosage.
Be careful to look into guidelines for your specific prescription. These are some factors that may affect your tapering schedule:
The half-life of your prescription (the amount of time it takes for half of the dosage to get out of your system). The longer the half-life, the more quickly you can wean off your prescription since the medication self-tapers as its effects gradually wear off.
Your current dosage. A higher dosage will need a more gradual, longer taper. Lower dosages can be tapered off more quickly.
How long you have been taking it. If you have been on your meds for years, allow your body and brain a generous adjustment time for weaning off of it.
Whether your pills can be cut in half. Some prescriptions like Cymbalta and Wellbutrin should not be cut. You may need to ask your doctor to alter the dosage in your prescription instead.
I’ve been cutting my 10 mg Lexapro in half for a few weeks. After next week I will start taking the 5 mg every other day until I run out completely.
A Natural Remedy for SSRI Withdrawal
A careful taper under the guidance of a medical professional should help you avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, such as SSRI withdrawal “brain zaps,” mood swings, dizziness, headaches, nausea, fatigue, muscle spasms, and insomnia.
However, this big adjustment to your brain is bound to affect you in some way. Luckily, many of the uncomfortable symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal are also conditions that CBD has been shown to help! It is possible that supplementing with CBD during and after your transition can support your endocannabinoid system and reduce or erase these annoying symptoms.
I’m about halfway through my taper and using CBD (and some THC-- wink wink) to manage my anxiety and withdrawal symptoms. It’s working!
Photo by Inna Lesyk on Unsplash
Pure CBD Oil
Are you ready to give CBD a shot? Be sure that you buy CBD oil that is pure and proven. Any reputable CBD company will be happy to provide a scientific testing profile for their product. When you start shopping for CBD, you’ll see many different options. How to tell them apart? Which one is right for you?
Hemp oil is made from the seeds of hemp plants. Hemp oil does not contain CBD, or any cannabinoids for that matter. You might use it for cooking or as a moisturizer.
CBD isolate is extracted from the leaves, stems, and seeds of industrial hemp, which by law contains less than .3% THC. The components of the plant are separated out, and everything but CBD is discarded. CBD isolate does not contain any THC, other cannabinoids, or terpenes.
Broad spectrum CBD oil is also extracted from the complete cannabis plant and decomposed. All THC is removed, but terpenes and cannabinoids remain. Broad-spectrum is the best choice for those who want the “entourage effect” of the other components of cannabis, but might be concerned about passing a drug test at work.
Full spectrum CBD oil contains all of hemp’s cannabinoids and terpenes, including trace amounts of THC. Cannabinoids work best as a synergistic team, so full spectrum might be the most effective for you. Even though the less than .3% of THC will not be enough to cause psychoactive effects, you do run a small risk of failing a drug test.
I am using full spectrum CBD. I’ll keep you updated on how it’s going!
Photo by Amplitude Magazin on Unsplash
Do you want to stop taking SSRIs and start taking CBD instead?
Or have you already replaced your antidepressants with CBD?
Any advice or questions for me or my readers about replacing SSRIs with CBD?
Share this blog using one of the buttons below and let me know what you think!
✌💗🌿, E
