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Has anyone used CBD Oil when getting off anti-depressant meds?

Want to try CBd oil when I'm weaning myself off meds.  Anyone tried it?
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Avatar universal
I haven't tried it yet for anything, but since I'm seriously considering it I've been researching it.  Don't know what you're quitting, but I would advise against using anything other than basic nutrients such as fish oil while you're tapering off an anti-depressant.  You don't mention which one you're on, but CBD oil is thought to affect serotonin.  But even if it didn't, when you're quitting a med taking things that also affect the brain, if you enter into withdrawal while you're tapering off, might throw you back to an earlier state of withdrawal.  Happened to me with some pretty benign herbs.  Besides, you might not actually have any problems if you taper off properly -- as slowly as you need to.  A problem with CBD is that because it has been illegal, there's not a lot of good research on it and how it affects people in a lot of situations.  Although what research exists is very positive for certain types of epilepsy in children and some forms of anxiety, I doubt there's any of how it interacts with other drugs, only theoretical notions based on how it's thought to work.  Unlike THC, which has an affinity to similar substances that occur naturally in the brain, CBD seems not to do that, at least as far as they can tell so far.  It seems to affect serotonin on the melatonin area, so it's not the same as antidepressants that target serotonin but it's generally a bad idea to take, say, tryptophan when tapering off as it affects serotonin and can make withdrawal worse.  Obviously, it will affect different people differently as all this stuff does, and it might prove to be great for your purpose, but without knowing, and without knowing if you'll even have any problem quitting the drug you're on or only have minor problems, I can only say, if it were me, I wouldn't risk the unknown as you're already so far into the unknown as we all are who take antidepressants.  Don't expect major problems -- maybe you won't have them.  As always, it's your choice.  You might consult a physician if you can find one who works in a state that has been allowing medical use of CBD -- maybe they have experience.  Peace.
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973741 tn?1342342773
Lots of people have good things to say about CBD oil.  I've never tried it but am glad many get help with it.  I do wonder if some of it isn't placebo effect.  The best medication in the world is placebo. :>)
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Lots of placebo out there, including with medication.  But CBD is an active substance.  My research shows that so far they think it affects serotonin, but in a much different place and way than antidepressants or taking tryptophan.  THC works by attaching to cannabinol receptors we have in our brains, much as we have natural opiate like receptors in our brains.  So while it is possible to take any medication and not absorb it at all but still get a placebo reaction from it, a true placebo reaction is from a substance with no active properties, like a sugar pill.  CBD has active properties.
973741 tn?1342342773
I have read a down side to using CBD oil and that is in relation to cognitive thought. That the mind is a bit fuzzy and less 'sharp'.  Thoughts?
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Is that CBD or THC?  I suppose that some might have that kind of reaction as CBD is a relaxant, just as some have that when taking benzos.  I only know two people who use it regularly, and neither reports that effect.  One gets anxious driving when he doesn't sleep (he has sleep apnea) and CBD takes away that driving anxiety.  He has to drive a lot, as he lives in a remote location.  The other person said it saved his life from almost complete breakdown from pain and anxiety.  Pretty impressive results.  But as I live in a state where it will only become legal this year and will still be very hard to legally obtain, I don't know many who use it.  I know a lot who use or used to use marijuana, though, and I think there the effects differ.  I can't imagine from my days using it ever working while stoned, and I never did.  But I knew people who did, and know people who do, some very famous, though they are in the entertainment industry so that probably makes it easier.  I remember playing music and recording it once while stoned with a friend, and we were amazed at how good it sounded while we were doing it and how bad it sounded when we listened to it afterward.  I guess as with all the other things we take it depends on the person.  
Also, CBD as it's currently used by most people comes in a tincture or extract, so you can dole out as much as you need much more accurately than you can with a pharmaceutical pill that has in it what it has in it.  So for some, two drops might be enough, and other might need a lot more.  If you get cloudy headed, you can just cut down on the number of drops.  
It was actually CBD oil.  I looked into it for my son.  He's a cerebral student with a heavy academic load (you know, high school advanced classes, AP classes, etc.) and has to be on his cognitive, critical thinking game every day.  That is something research states as a downside.  However, it is true in determining how much each person uses would be individual. But I guess the goal would be to receive therapeutic effect or what is the point of doing it at all.  And then judging this mind fuzz and how it would impact things for a person who already had dyspraxia which makes organizing thought more challenging.  Maybe a summer experiment is in order.
Let me know if you learn anything -- I've exhausted most things and I've been looking into it, and have my concerns.  One is separating hype from real results.  Another is dosage -- I can't find one.  The third is finding a reliable source that is affordable, especially if you live in a state where it's not legal yet.  I obviously only know what you've said about your son, but my gut feeling, for whatever it's worth, is that I wouldn't be looking for substance relief for him.  I'd try to find it by getting him to learn to not put so much stress on himself.  Given what you've said, that's not easy for him.  Also, we have a tendency today to put way more pressure on young students than was done when I was young.  An AP class today is what a normal class was when I was a young person -- we didn't have easy classes that came about under political pressure from parents who freaked out that their kids weren't getting all As and it was getting harder and harder to get into the colleges they wanted their kids to go to.  School go a lot easier, and then they created AP classes, creating segregation between students.  But again, those AP classes are what normal classes used to be, and because those classes were hard most of the students in them in my day didn't do very well grade wise.  Teaches didn't give special attention to the lesser achievers or the students who lacked motivation -- they just let them perform in an average fashion and there were plenty of jobs available and levels of education they could still go to.  There was just less pressure then.   We can't go back to that time, the multitude of good jobs don't exist today and salary inequality has soared.  Good colleges have gotten very expensive and harder to get into.  In the long run, our society needs to refocus on what we really think is important.  In the meantime, it would be good if everyone's children could just relax more and escape the pressure.  It's easy for me to say, I was always near the top of the class, school was never the source of my stress.  Other things bothered me, not that.  I guess I'm just saying, stress is created either internally or by outside pressure.  Learning not to ignore that will be necessary because school just keeps getting harder as you move up.  I'm guessing that CBD, like anything else, is probably something that works for a while and then you get used to it.  Now me, I've got a serious mental illness, so I need something, but this is something I think about a lot today -- this extreme focus on material success that didn't exist in my youth.  It's driving people nuts.  There must something we can do about it.  Peace, Mom.
My son was anxious at 5 years old.  He has a developmental delay that made him feel very different from others and not in a good way, made maintaining himself challenging, making friends a true mission impossible often due to lack of social skills that didn't come naturally, a stutter and tics that made other kids look at him like he is weird, etc.  The fact that he is very intelligent is a blessing and a curse.  You know, ignorance is bliss.  But he is VERY aware.  We worked with different people/professionals on things related to the developmental delay teaching social skills, motor improvement strategies, emotional coping strategies, etc.  All out of pocket for that therapy . . .   thank goodness we could make it work through sacrifice of 'things'. I really feel for the families that didn't have that ability.  And many things improved for him.  However, he still obviously has the delay and it still impacts him daily. He does put pressure on himself.  BUT, it came about because as an intelligent guy, somewhere in elementary school he started getting kudos for doing well  from teachers.  He LOVED it. He now, somehow, has wrapped his identity around his academics and his running (cross country and track) which he is also very good at and stands out. Me?  Oh, I'm probably the only mom who says things like "it's okay to get a B. All I care about is effort, grades don't matter." Etc. I down play the final score.  Naturally, I won't lie, it's nice to have a high achieving kid through his own motivation. But the crash when it doesn't go his way scares the poop out of me.  And some day, it's not going to go his way. He literally tells me every day and through the invention of text, sometimes every hour that he is so nervous, he is sick to his stomach.  Over nothing to me, it seems, but we all know anxiety can be over nothing.  Still feels really crummy.   He can be nervous all summer long when he has no school. Some days are much better than others though.

Socially, he still struggles.  He has a couple of excellent long time friends that I'm very thankful for.  But he feels very different from most kids, can't just chit chat, relax, etc. with kids other than those couple of good friends.   He has a running group that he really wants to KNOW HIM. But he can't be himself.  He doesn't necessarily have social anxiety of a true nature I don't think (not sure, but he can present to strangers at a science fair, do an interview with boy scouts board of review making eye contact with adults, etc.).  But he has been rejected by so many kids and has had so many bad experiences, that he just can't quite get over this hump.  I honestly started looking into CBD oil this year as high school is a new ball game for wanting to not have all these things holding you back.


My boys, both, have advanced classes.  Not sure how it compares to when I was a kid.  I just know it's hard to me now. lol.  My younger son is very different than my older.  He is chill. No stress.  Social butterfly.  Unscathed by life's hardship.  My older son tries not to resent him for what he perceives as an 'easier' journey.  Like I said, being aware can be painful.

The thing I want most for my son sounds so simple but is elusive.  I want him to be content. And happy. And at peace with his life. If CBD oil helps without too much downside, bring it on.
This must be quite a challenge for you -- and him.  Makes me wonder as I so often do, why is life just do hard for some?  But he might just turn out to be a superstar, he seems to have the makings of those special folks who are different and not quite understood but do amazing things in life.  I don't want to encourage this, but maybe getting stoned might actually be good for him.  Get away from himself and just have some fun.  What I've liked in my own CBD research so far is it just doesn't seem to have any real big downsides, at least so far.  Let us know if you try it if it works.  
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