Peter14039: Intro

[Peter14039]

I’ve always had mild anxiety issues but managed to deal with it.  Usually they manifested through hypochondria.  A lot of fixating on stomach issues or thinking about contagious diseases.

 

About 15 years ago I had a hard time dealing with family issues and was prescribed Celexa.  I forget the dosage.  I took it for a few days and was plunged into extreme anxiety and was unable to leave my apartment for three days.  I stopped immediately and stabilized.  Not sure if it was all in my head or not.

 

About a year ago I started having worsening insomnia.  I think a lot of personal changes were contributing to it such as moving to a new home and city with my partner and changing jobs.  I had panic attacks here and there and much worse anxiety.

 

My psych put me on Zoloft.  I switched it up after a few weeks because my partner thought it was making me behave differently.  Maybe my anxiety issues were just coming out into the open more?  He’s pretty suspicious of SSRIs.

 

I then started prozac and took it for nine weeks.  It was very difficult to tell if it was making any difference at all.  At best it seemed to numb me a bit, but at the same time was feeling very agitated and anxious especially after taking my morning dose of 20mg.

 

During the 8th week my dose was increased to 30 mg and this seemed to be the breaking point. Just didn’t seem to help any and the restlessness was too hard to bear.

 

I was an idiot and experimented with going cold turkey.  For the first week it seemed to be a huge improvement.  My mood improved a great deal.  But that didn’t last and now several weeks later I’m having such strong anxiety and depression I just can’t motivate myself to do anything.

 

A lot of the symptoms are the same as during taking prozac but worse.  I’m so confused as to what I’m going through.  Tingling sensitive skin, inability to relax, difficulty sleeping and waking up too early, staying in my room all day.

 

  I put faith in the professionals but my psych just never seemed to help out much except give me vague statements.

 

Not sure where to go from here at all.  I have some of the 10mg doses left from when I was using them to increase from 20mg to 30mg.  I don’t have health insurance at the moment so wondering what my options are for reinstating if necessary.

 

This is all so difficult.  Feels like I’m just so messed up for good.  And the lack of energy just makes me want to hide from everything.

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Peter.  You are not messed up for good.  The brain has remarkable abilities to heal itself.

 

To start off, in order 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.  

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

After you've done your signature, we can give you suggestions about reinstating.  Please be sure to include the date you CT'd from 30mg and also the dates you were on 20mg.  Reinstating works most dependably with three months of cessation of the drug, but that's not a hard and fast rule.

 

At this time, reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to help alleviate withdrawal syndrome.  The only other alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis.  Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take many months or longer.  

 

Reinstatement isn't a guarantee of diminished symptoms for everyone but it's the best tactic available.   We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose.  These drugs are strong, and when reinstating it is better to start with a small amount and increase if symptoms remain unbearable. Your system has become sensitized and If you take too much it may be too much for your brain and can cause you become unstable.  Sometimes it can be hard to regain stability after this happens.  Please do not reinstate without hearing our suggestions.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

To help you understand the symptoms you are experiencing, here is some information on withdrawal.  

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

 The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

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

 

The 10mg Prozac you have can be used for reinstatement, though in a dosage much smaller than 10mg.  The information in the following link tells you have to get nonstandard smaller doses.

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

Please complete your signature with the dates requested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Carmie]

Hi Peter, 

 

How are you doing?💚