Sydsab41: 7 weeks into Paxil taper

[Sydsab41]

I am new here and am a little frustrated at the moment.  I have come down from 20 mg Paxil down to 7.5mg in 7 weeks.  Fast I know.  The last couple of weeks have been harder with an increase of anxiety as the only symptom.  I was encouraged to get off Paxil by my counselor because we were not seeing much improvement with my anxiety disorder.  With the past 2 weeks being more difficult I decided to do a Prozac bridge for the last part of the taper.  I am 2 days into the bridge and have decided to not make any more adjustments until I calm down a little.  I have tried 3 different psychiatrists but none of the want to help me get off this stuff.  So here I am.

[Sydsab41]

I just started a bridge.  I am going off information found on this website.  I am currently on 7.5 Paxil and have taken 2 days of 10mg Prozac.  Tough 2 days but today has been a little better.  I do not think it can work that fast but that is where I am.

[Sydsab41]

Hope this is the right place for this. I am working with an anxiety counselor for Gad and panic.  I believe Paxil has not been helping so he suggested I stop using Paxil and try something else or get off completely.  I was on Prozac for 20 years before being on Paxil for the last 9 months or so.  The Prozac was originally prescribed for intrusive thoughts.  I have been in 20mg Paxil and have been going down 10% a week for the past 8 weeks and am now down to 7.5.  I believe I have seen an increase in my anxiety. My psychiatrist wanted me off in 3 weeks.  So here I am at 7.5 and struggling so I decided to try a bridge or a switch not sure which one.  I just want to get back to where I was before the taper.

[Sydsab41]

I am not sure how to proceed.  Do I stay at 7.5 Paxil and 10mg Prozac for a week and then start to taper the Paxil again?

[Altostrata]

That is the usual way, yes. You'd go off Paxil fairly quickly. See The Prozac switch or "bridging" with Prozac

[Sydsab41]

I do not see how quickly to make the change.  I see that it should be within 2 weeks.  By then should I be back up to 20 mg Prozac or stay at 10 until stable?

[Gridley]

Hello, Sydsab41 and welcome to SA.  We are a site dedicated to helping people taper off psychiatric drugs.  

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

As you know, you tapered too fast.  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.
  

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Brain Remodelling

Here is some helpful information on withdrawal.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

Please be aware that sometime withdrawal symptoms don't appear immediately after a too-fast taper.

Delayed onset of withdrawal symptoms

 

Here is information on the Prozac bridge.  

The Prozac switch or "bridging" with Prozac

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

Many members have found the techniques in the following two links helpful in coping with withdrawal.  

 

The Dr. Claire Weekes Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms.

 

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 I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sydsab41]

Thanks for the great information.  I will work on fixing my introduction.  I have not found consistent information on how quickly to come off the Paxil once I have started the Prozac bridge.  I have seen to continue with the taper of Paxil after the 2 weeks on Prozac but then do you go down 10% each month with the Paxil or should it be quicker than that.

[Gridley]

I am citing what Alto says.

 

"You'd go off Paxil fairly quickly. See The Prozac switch or "bridging" with Prozac"

[Sydsab41]

Saw my GP doctor today.  Finally someone willing to work with me on this.  He was open to the research I had done.  He suggested to go up to 20mg Prozac tomorrow, take for a week then come off Paxil relatively quickly.  I am still having increased anxiety on day 5 of taking both 7.5mg Paxil and 10mg Prozac.  I am not sure when to start coming off the Paxil and how fast.  Any ideas?  I have seen within 2 weeks and I have seen to slowly taper?

[Sydsab41]

Ok I see he says it is like changing a tire.  If things calm some in the next week I will come off the Paxil in the next two weeks.  That sounds scary but I was on Prozac for years so I hope the switch is good.

[Sydsab41]

Do I start a new topic in the introduction section every time I have a question?

[Gridley]

No, use your original Introduction topic--this one.

[Sydsab41]

Ok do I put updates here as well?

[Sydsab41]

I saw my Primary care doctor today...finally someone willing to listen and work with me.  He was good with me doing the Prozac bridge and suggested going to 20mg Prozac for a week before getting off the Paxil due to the increase in anxiety.

[Altostrata]

I moved your other posts here. Now I can get a better picture of what's going on. Please post your questions in this topic.

 

Quote

Saw my GP doctor today.  Finally someone willing to work with me on this.  He was open to the research I had done.  He suggested to go up to 20mg Prozac tomorrow, take for a week then come off Paxil relatively quickly.  I am still having increased anxiety on day 5 of taking both 7.5mg Paxil and 10mg Prozac.  I am not sure when to start coming off the Paxil and how fast.  Any ideas?  I have seen within 2 weeks and I have seen to slowly taper?

 

Is it your intention to switch to Prozac to treat your anxiety or to use it to come off Paxil?

 

Prozac takes at least 4 days to ramp up to steady-state in your bloodstream. You've found your anxiety has increased as Prozac has taken effect. This means the combination of 10mg Prozac and 7.5mg Paxil is already too strong for you.

 

Having put your nervous system through the stress of reducing Paxil, you are reacting differently to SSRIs now. You are somewhat sensitized. If I were you, I would not substitute 20mg Prozac for 7.5mg Paxil, that's probably too high.

 

It seems to me the Prozac has taken effect and you're ready to reduce Paxil now. I might reduce Paxil by 2.5mg to start.

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Altostrata
updated with member's other posts

[Gridley]

Yes, you put updates here as well.

[Sydsab41]

I only want to switch to get off the Paxil 

[Sydsab41]

I do not think there has been an increase in anxiety from the time I started the Prozac...actually I would say it is the same as 5 days ago.  My counselor would say I was highly sensitized before I started coming off the Paxil.  I just want to get back to highly sensitized but stable.

[Sydsab41]

I just want to get stabilized on the Prozac then start the taper off that.

[Sydsab41]

I am concerned that the 10mg Prozac will not be enough to counter the decrease in Paxil over the next two weeks or however long it takes.

[Sydsab41]

I went down from 7.5 to 5mg of Paxil today with a slight increase of 2mg of Prozac to 12.  The doctor said to go to 20 but with other recommendation, I decided to only increase slightly.  Not sure that is the right thing to do but it was a compromise I made with my wife.  She felt I should go to the full 20.

[Sydsab41]

It has been 6 days on the Prozac.  I have had intense times of panic/dread but that is not new for me.  I think maybe there has been an increase in intensity over the past couple of weeks with days here and there that have been ok.  I try not to use the Xanax but I did yesterday and felt like I should today but have not.  I have learned that I have to tolerate and contain the best I can through these times.  

[Sydsab41]

I went down from 7.5 to 5mg of Paxil today with a slight increase of 2mg of Prozac to 12.  The doctor said to go to 20 but with other recommendation, I decided to only increase slightly.  Not sure that is the right thing to do but it was a compromise I made with my wife.  She felt I should go to the full 20.

[Sydsab41]

This is day 3 of 5mg of Paxil and 12.5mg of Prozac.  The past two days have been manageable and have even had some times of feeling like my old self.  I have not had to take any Xanax and have not had any emotional crying spells.  This will be a week on the Prozac taper so maybe it is helping. 

[Altostrata]

Syd, since you've made two drug changes at once -- increasing Prozac and decreasing Paxil -- if I were you'd I'd wait at least a week before making any other changes.

 

You need to find out what effect the Prozac increase has. I hope it is not too much for you, or this crossover could go awry.

 

Please let us know how you're doing.

[Sydsab41]

So far so good.  Anxiety has been manageable.  Thanks for the reply.

[Sydsab41]

So far so good.  Anxiety has been manageable.  Thanks for the reply.  I am thinking I will go down to 2.5 on Wednesday and then be done with the Paxil in a week.  

[Sydsab41]

Going to start 2.5 Paxil tomorrow

[Sydsab41]

Day 2 of Paxil at 2.5 mg.  Been on 15 mg of Prozac for 5 days.  I am having some struggles with increased anxiety today mainly crying and feeling like I am trapped.  I was planning on staying on the 2.5 for a week then being done.

[Sydsab41]

I am on day 5 of 2.5mg of Paxil and day 2 of 20mg of Prozac.  I was going to stop the Paxil on Tuesday.  I have had an increase in anxiety and have taken Xanax the last two days.  I am not really sure how to proceed.  My GP wanted me on 20mg of Prozac a week and a half ago but decided to do a slow increase.  Any suggestions?

[Sydsab41]

I am not sure if I am posting this stuff in the correct spot.  I am really wondering if I am good stopping the Paxil after tomorrow and being just on the Prozac and then waiting for anxiety to subside?  I am at work and had to take a .25 Xanax for the third day.  I am going to clean up my eating and continue to exercise in this beautiful midwest warmth.

[ChessieCat]

8 hours ago, Sydsab41 said:

had to take a .25 Xanax for the third day.

 

Xanax is a short-acting benzodiazepine anxiolytic—a minor tranquilizer.

 

Benzos can cause rebound anxiety.  You can also become dependent very quickly.

[Sydsab41]

Thanks for the reply.  I don’t like taking it and I am not seeing great results.  I am going to work my skills and just let the anxiety be there.  

[Sydsab41]

Feeling better today and the goal is to not use the Xanax.  Tomorrow is the day I have scheduled to go off the Paxil.  Does that still make sense?  I have been on the 20mg of Prozac for 4 days.  

[Sydsab41]

I made it one day without Xanax but was in a crisis today and was told to take one.  Really struggling this afternoon.  I am restless, panicky, and am really afraid to go to work.  What am I doing wrong?  I stayed on the 2.5 Paxil for a few more days.  I am not sure that is the right thing to do.