New here need help

[Emily]

I'm new here so I apologize if I'm doing this wrong but I need people to talk to.  I have been on meds since 2000, currently 50mg Prozac and 50mg tradozone. I started taking them for panic attacks. I withdrew from Paxil in 2009 and had horrible withdrawal and from what I'm reading now was a long protracted withdrawal. Less than two years later I was back on meds (prozac this time) as well as trazodone, lorazepam, and seroquel. I have kicked the seroquel and lorazepam successfully.  Lately I have been feeling withdrawal symptoms from current meds even though I haven't changed the dose. I do occasionally miss a dose of trazodone and I'm wondering if that is it. I have more problems now than when I originally went on antidepressants. I now suffer from worsening depression and insomnia. My doctor wants to keep increasing the dose. I think the meds have ruined my life and I want to withdraw (safely) but I am terrified to go through it again and possibly break my brain if I haven't done so already. Please help:(

[Gridley]

Hello, Emily, and welcome to SA.

 

The purpose of this site is to help its members taper safely.  I'm glad you found your way here.

 

First of all, try not to miss any doses of trazodone.  Your nervous system craves stability.  Is there some way you can remind yourself to take it?  Post-it notes?

The withdrawal symptoms you are feeling may be due to what is known as "poop-out," where the drug ceases to be effective.  If your WD symptoms are due to poop-out, increasing the dose is not a good idea.  According to Alto Strata, founder of this site:

 

"It is thought this (poop-out) results from maximal serotonergic downregulation -- your serotonin receptors have shut down as much as possible, to the extent they don't fulfill their intake function anymore.

Increasing dosage makes the problem worse. Unless your serotonin receptors are the kind that bounce back fast, if you've experienced this in poop-out, it's likely to continue into withdrawal syndrome."

 

The better course would be to begin a taper of Prozac.  At SA, we recommend tapering only one drug at a time.  Prozac, like most AD's, is an activating drug, while trazodone is a sedating drug.  It is best to taper the activating drug first, so the sedating drug can act as a buffer during your taper.

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

At Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.  Some people may have to taper at a more conservative rate as they are sensitive to even the smallest drops.
  
To get you started, and familiarized with the protocols followed by SA, I am linking a few topics so that you have a better understanding of what is recommended here. 

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Brain Remodelling

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community. I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but, as I said, I am glad that you found us.