Nuttinanna: Is this “normal”?

[Songbird]

The 10% drops are the maximum recommended for people who have been on an AD long term.  Many find that a bit much and do smaller drops, some do 5% or even 2.5%.  The longer half-life of Prozac means it can take longer for the dose drop to be felt by your body, so you may need to hold longer in between drops to let things settle down.  Realistically, tapering means you will experience some withdrawal effects.  In general, the smaller the drops, the milder the w/d symptoms.

[Nuttinanna]

Well I had a big surprise yesterday by the attitude of my doc.

 

After 6 months of trying to reduce and stop fluoxetine I thought I should make a 'courtesy visit' to let her know what was happening as I have only spoken on the phone previously.

 

I told her of the WD I was having with only 10% taper (although thankfully they are now settling down 6 weeks after last taper) and told her I must need longer hold between drops due to the half life causing WD not kicking in till about 12 days after drop.  Really just letting her know that I may need the prescription for longer than expected.

 

Well - if was expecting any empathy, understanding, encouragement or support I was in for a shock!

 

Her first comment was "Is it worth it?"  The threw me I must admit as it was my decision to stop as don't believe I need them and haven't done for some time.  She then proceeded to check her sources and tell me that I was wrong and the the half life was 6 days and Fluoxetine was the easiest to come off of.  Basically insinuating that I was making it up.  

 

She then suggested that if I was having the symptoms with such a small reduction then maybe it would be better to cut down fast and suffer for a shorter time!  (Which makes sense on one level). I told her that I was afraid the WD would be too intense that way and dreaded the thought of the awful insomnia as well as the other symptoms worsening.  And there was no way of telling how long it would last even if I did it fast.

 

She then said that maybe the problem was that I was anticipating bad WD and that was making it worse!

 

She kept questioning my reasons for stopping, and her attitude was both disbelieving and patronising.  She seemed annoyed that I was doing it.  Very unpleasant - at times it was verging on passive-agressive.  

 

The result was that she continued the prescription with a note saying it would be longer - so that was ok but I left feeling disturbed and confused by her attitude as I have known her for years and normally she is ok.  Although they are all under a lot of stress at the practice and it was late in the afternoon!

 

It really is a shame that docs don't know more about the weird and wonderful life of anti-depressant withdrawal! 

[Nuttinanna]

Following on from above :

 

Has anyone done the 'Reduce fast and get it over with quicker" route?

 

 

[merry]

Oh please don't "reduce it faster to get it over with quicker"!!  I think you are right when you say: 

 

"And there was no way of telling how long it would last even if I did it fast."

 

I had pretty much the exact experience with my doctor, the same conversation, except mine repeats quarterly for over 4 years now.  I think there might be some merit to the concept that if we anticipate a hard time with reductions, we get stressed out by this thought and then subsequently have a harder time with reductions.  If you think this could be the case for you, you can practice acceptance or meditation to reduce your anxiety over WD symptoms.  BUT my pdoc (and sounds like yours, too) just believed this applied to everything--he had "never seen anyone with so much trouble" as me, so he believed my symptoms could not possibly be AD WD.

 

It is possible that the doctors are right.  My pdoc strongly believes that AD WD should be over in 2 weeks, and if I just endure the pain for 2 weeks it will be gone.  But this has not been my experience; sometimes it takes me months to stabilize off a tiny reduction.  I cannot fathom how bad it would be to just stop taking the medicine, and how long it might take to have some degree of normalcy.

 

Sometimes you have to put up with the (patronizing,  discouraging, passive-aggressive)  doctors in order to get your prescription.  Just do what you have to do.  I think of these doctor's visits as good practice in dealing with my emotions in mildly stressful situations.

[Altostrata]

7 hours ago, Nuttinanna said:

Has anyone done the 'Reduce fast and get it over with quicker" route?

 

The failure of this method is why this site exists.

 

Your doctor doesn't know anything about tapering or withdrawal. All you can do is say your piece and hope it penetrates their thinking.

 

Please see our In the Media forum for recent articles about difficulty quitting, tapering, and that withdrawal syndrome is more severe than a couple of weeks.

[FarmGirlWorks]

I just came back from a doctor appointment for some routine blood tests and talk about HRT (not doing it). She was a different one than whom I saw before and I was adamant that my current anxiety is not a "relapse" and a lot lot worse than before SSRIs. Plus I mentioned the spate of mainstream coverage of it recently. She actually said, "we doctors and the medical profession don't actually understand withdrawal and how to treat it." So, at least there was honesty there. Hang tight, NuttiNanna.

[Rosetta]

I did it fast.  I'm suffering 14 months later.  One moderator thinks I might "feel better" in about 16 months or so.  Don't do it fast.

[SkyBlue]

1 hour ago, Rosetta said:

I did it fast.   Don't do it fast.

Yes. Same here. Slower is better.

[Nuttinanna]

Thank you all for the replies.

 

I think my doctor caused me to have a wobble and doubt what I knew to be right for me - both from my experience and what I have read on this site.  But I am feeling better about it now.  In fact, as Merry said 

 

17 hours ago, merry said:

these doctor's visits as good practice in dealing with my emotions in mildly stressful situations.

 

Although I felt like I was drowning a bit at the appointment, struggling to understand her hostile and intimidating attitude and still say what I needed to say, I think I did manage to just about keep my head above water and at least I didn't burst out crying!  So thats good.

 

I am finally starting to feel a little better 7 weeks after last reduction although symptoms haven't gone they are more manageable.  I plan to wait another week and then reduce by 5% (0.18mL   0.7mg) and see how that goes.

 

I think the doc saying repeatedly that Fluoxetine was the easiest to come off was not helpful.  I know that many of you guys are coming off horrible sounding drugs that I have not heard of, and some coming off more than one but I don't care what she or anyone else says about fluoxetine, coming off it is bad for me.  Maybe it is the Lupus or maybe I am just sensitive to the drug after reducing a few years ago and having WD then.  Whatever it is, it is happening to me.

 

Another thing - I telephoned the Royal National Hosp for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath and spoke to a Lupus specialist nurse.  I asked her if Lupus caused problems when coming of ADs and I couldn't believe when she replied "We cant help you with this - you need to speak to your GP about coming off ADs."  Seriously? !!!!!!!!!!!!!  I said "Why would I talk to my GP - she knows nothing about AD WD and nothing about Lupus?"  Reply was "Sorry we cant help".     Ohh Kay - thanks for that!

 

 

[manymoretodays]

Hi Nuttinananna,

I hope you don't mind but I moved that last discussion from the Tapering section back to your Introduction.  Those were good replies and it does get frustrating huh?

 

I think it's important to keep your tapering information all here on your introduction........so that's why I did the move.  The other members should still be able to find you.

 

On 4/18/2018 at 5:00 AM, Nuttinanna said:

Following on from above :

 

Has anyone done the 'Reduce fast and get it over with quicker" route?

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Nuttinanna said:

 

 

I am finally starting to feel a little better 7 weeks after last reduction although symptoms haven't gone they are more manageable.  I plan to wait another week and then reduce by 5% (0.18mL   0.7mg) and see how that goes.

 

I think the doc saying repeatedly that Fluoxetine was the easiest to come off was not helpful.  I know that many of you guys are coming off horrible sounding drugs that I have not heard of, and some coming off more than one but I don't care what she or anyone else says about fluoxetine, coming off it is bad for me.  Maybe it is the Lupus or maybe I am just sensitive to the drug after reducing a few years ago and having WD then.  Whatever it is, it is happening to me.

 

Another thing - I telephoned the Royal National Hosp for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath and spoke to a Lupus specialist nurse.  I asked her if Lupus caused problems when coming of ADs and I couldn't believe when she replied "We cant help you with this - you need to speak to your GP about coming off ADs."  Seriously? !!!!!!!!!!!!!  I said "Why would I talk to my GP - she knows nothing about AD WD and nothing about Lupus?"  Reply was "Sorry we cant help".     Ohh Kay - thanks for that!

 

 

 

Prozac/fluoxetine can be difficult to come off of..........and especially if you have been on it for a long time.  We want to be as gentle as possible.  No hurry and no harm, right?

 

So you are on 3.5mL now. 

Each 1mL of your solution is equal to 4mg(milligrams or mgai, milligrams of active ingredient........which is your fluoxetine).

3.5 X 4 = 14

So presently you are on 14mg of fluox.  It's better for us if you can put the mg of your medication in your signature as well.  Maybe just note it in your signature in mg.  The calculations and mL's can just stay in these narratives.

 

And okay I even follow your math......Yay.....   10% of 14 mg would be 1.4 and so 5% would be 0.7mg.  And that sounds great Nuttinanna..........to taper at even less than 10% this time.

I came up with 0.175mL would contain 0.7mgai.  Rounding up is great though!  I'm referring to your 0.18 mL calculation.

 

So yay again.  When you do the change just substract the 0.7 from 14 and put this in your signature in mg or mgai.

 

Keep us posted.

 

Love, peace, healing/inrecovery, and growth,

mmt

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2018 by manymoretodays
oh, I always elaborate somewhere

[Nuttinanna]

Well haven't been on here for a while as waited for two months until all WD subsided to manageable level.

 

Then on 28 April dropped just 5% to 12.8mg.

 

Waited for the usual 10 - 12 days for something to kick in but nothing physical did.  No brain zaps, dizzies or heart palpitations - which was great.  I did have a weird stomach and bit of nausea and insomnia but only for a few days.

 

BUT what I have had is awful depression and anxiety this time.  I felt like every negative feeling I have ever had came back.  I could not make sense of anything and questioned my very existence. Thankfully it is very slightly subsiding now but it has been bad.  I know I never felt this bad before taking fluoxetine so I guess it must be WD.  

 

Strange that although physically not so bad this time but emotionally worse.  

[manymoretodays]

Hi Nuttinanna,

 

So you decided to do more of a 10% drop it appears.  Maybe you've done 2 drops or gotten a bit confused around the millileter milligram thing again?  It's easy to do and so very hard to try and work the math in words here.  We can keep at it though.

 

Today let's just try and gain clarity.

 

How many millileters(mL) are you taking now of your 4mg per 1 mL solution.  How much were you taking before this drop?  In millileters?

 

Your drop down to 12.8 mg from 14.4 mg, your last reported dose, turns out to be an 11.11% decrease not 5 %.

14.4 mg minus 12.8 mg = 1.6 mg 

1.6/14.4= X/100 and then when I solved for X I got the 11.11%

I did a bit of cross math/algebra to figure out the percentage.

(don't worry if you can't follow this ^)

 

Your last plan(and math calculations) had you planning to do a drop of 0.18 mL.  I'm only guessing here but most likely to measure accurately, you would have dropped 0.2mL.

You were on 3.5mL of your 4mg per 1mL solution or 3.5x 4= 14.  14 mg.

If you dropped down to 3.3mL then that would be 3.3x 4 =13.2 mg. 

 

But you must have dropped all the way to 3.2 mL.  3.2mL x 4 mg= 12.8 mg  The dose you are reporting now.

You essentially did a 10% drop.  Which is okay.  I know you had wanted to drop by less though.

Is this correct?

 

 

What size syringe are you using?  Is it 5 mL?  Or have you gotten a 1 mL syringe?  That might be helpful. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/235-using-an-oral-syringe-and-other-tapering-techniques/?_report=1575

 

I am also very glad that some of your W/D symptoms post drop are subsiding and there are no physical symptoms.  Yay!

You might consider HOLDING now a bit longer than a month with your most recent 10% taper.   There is absolutely no reason to think symptoms will get worse now that you are aware it was a bigger drop than you thought!  Seriously.   And you are almost 3 weeks into it. 

And do correct me if somewhere I missed something Nutti.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

 

 

                            

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by manymoretodays
added a link

[Nuttinanna]

DUH !!!!  Couldn't figure out where I had gone wrong until the light bulb came on!  

 

I reduced to 3.4ml (13.6mg) and not 3.2 !

 

I know I have been measuring to the second mark on the syringe above 3 but I thinking that was 3.2.  But of course the syringe is marked in 2ml stages not 1.

 

Oh goodness - my brain!

 

So it was a 5% drop (rounded.)

I am using the 5ml syringe as the other is too small for my hands to manage easily.  May have to use the smaller one later on but for now am sticking with the big one.

 

As there were only minimal physical problems with the smaller drop I am not sure how long to wait this time. (Its 3 weeks now since last drop)

 

Wondering whether to wait and see if the depression/anxiety stuff settles right down or just go for it and reduce again.

 

Don't understand why the mental/emotional WD is worse this time with only doing a small drop.  Any thoughts?

 

xx

[manymoretodays]

This is good Nutti.  You wanted to try some % less than 10.  So it's great!  It goes nicely with our harm reduction philosophy here at survivingantidepressants.

 

I sit here with a calculater and pencil and paper.  It's so hard to explain it in text too.  You're getting closer to understanding and then taking control yourself now.  Nothing wrong with that.  Empowering.  You have a good brain!

 

I come up with it being a 3% drop using my algebra......... based on you going from 14 mg down to 13.6mg.

 

3.4(mL) multiplied by 4(milligrams in each millileter of your solution) = 13.6

13.6 mg is your present dose.  3.4 mL is the amount of solution you take to get this dose.

 

I suggest you just stay put with your present dose right now.  It will be 3 weeks on Saturday.  And don't beat yourself up over it either. 

If you'd like to.......I'll help you work down to another small drop in milligrams and just what that would be in millileters. 

 

 

 

Glad you posted.  You are doing great.  Did you get moved yet?  I don't have much time today to catch up and read.  I'll check back next week.

 

Love, peace, healing/inrecovery, and growth,

mmt

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by manymoretodays

[manymoretodays]

1 hour ago, Nuttinanna said:

Don't understand why the mental/emotional WD is worse this time with only doing a small drop.  Any thoughts?

 

Sorry, I did not mean to ignore this.  It's W/D.  Neuroemotions are common.  Some thoughts around this here:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/14397-neuro-emotions/

 

[manymoretodays]

......and so.......see what you come up with in the meantime........this is just a brain challenge for you to do over the next couple of days or week.

 

What would be 10% in milligrams(mg) of 13.6mg?  Then 5 %?  Then 2.5%?

 

Then subtract the amounts you come up with from your present 13.6 mg and show me the results.

 

And then the clincher.........calculate the millileters that you would then use for just the 10% decrease.

Remembering that each millileter of your current Prozac solution has 4 milligrams of Prozac in it.  4 mg/1mL or 4 mg in each millileter.

(we advocate a rounding up as well)

 

You don't have to........ but it might help before doing another drop.

Edited May 17, 2018 by manymoretodays

[Nuttinanna]

Hi MMD

 

Thanks for all the comments about tapering measurements but I don't have a problem with the math - I think I confused myself by posting the wrong figures.  This is the problem I am having at the moment - I cant focus or concentrate.  I knew that I was taking 3.4ml for last few weeks but my brain thought  "syringe goes to second line so thats 3.2" and didn't think through what I was typing.

 

Read the link about neuro emotions and could identify with  lot of the comments.

 

But what I am still puzzled about is why the depression/anxiety etc was worse when only making a small drop?

 

Wondering if I only drop 5% again ( to 3.2ml  - 12.8mg rounded) will my brain be used to the small drop and not react quite as badly?

 

Or is it all totally random and could go either way - better or worse.

 

xx

[manymoretodays]

On 5/18/2018 at 4:19 AM, Nuttinanna said:

This is the problem I am having at the moment - I cant focus or concentrate.  I knew that I was taking 3.4ml for last few weeks but my brain thought  "syringe goes to second line so thats 3.2" and didn't think through what I was typing.

 

 

On 5/18/2018 at 4:19 AM, Nuttinanna said:

But what I am still puzzled about is why the depression/anxiety etc was worse when only making a small drop?

 

^^Withdrawal symptoms Nuttinanna.  I'm not sure if cumulative is the right word, but these are both W/D symptoms.  ? Delayed might be a more apt term.   As well as a "too fast taper" for you...... overall.   If the symptoms are manageable it may be best to settle in for a longer hold time now.

So again........too fast taper.  Overall.  Since January you have gone from 20mg. of Prozac/fluoxetine down to your present dose of 3.4mL or 13.6 mg.   You are down 32% now from your original dose in 3 and 1/2 months.  Again I'll use the word cumulative, for lack of a more exact term........cumulatively you have done a taper of approximately 10% since you started.  It may be time to just HOLD until your brain adjusts/symptoms improve before tapering further.   If I were you, I'd hold now until you feel like symptoms have improved(e. g. confusion, focus difficulties, depression, anxiety)  Listen to your body in other words.........and go another full month or two now without making any changes.  Meantime........look at some of the coping skills in our symptoms and self care section and use what might apply.  Try to just stick with some of the pinned topics at the top so you don't fall prey to "health anxiety" in general or ? health obsessions.........that seems to happen to many here.  You can also plug in fluoxetine or Prozac in the search box at the top of the Introductions and Updates and see how others doing a similar medication taper are doing, whats worked and what hasn't.  Try and find some of the others who are just dealing with a fluoxetine taper like you. 

 

Perhaps this will help with your understanding. 

"SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long."

extracted from *** http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1160-how-psychiatric-drugs-remodel-your-brain/

 

.......and from Gridley, posted to you in Jan.  "Your brain likes stability, to be treated gently.  It is ideal if you can accommodate it to lower and lower dosages. Move it slowly down a ramp by gradually decreasing dosage by an amount it may hardly notice."  

 

On 5/17/2018 at 8:44 AM, Nuttinanna said:

Wondering whether to wait and see if the depression/anxiety stuff settles right down or just go for it and reduce again.

If and again......ONLY IF........symptoms become intolerable you could consider a very slight updose again........just up 0.2 mL = 0.8 mg.......which would be back to the 3.6 mL in other words.  ONLY IF.........as I think you may reach a better place overall in another few weeks........fluoxetine has one of the longest half lifes of the SSRI's so oftentimes......... what this translates to is that you don't feel the tapering drop for 2 or more weeks after.  And then there is the wait to adjust and feel back to your "better" withdrawal normal BEFORE tapering again.   It's also possible that there are other variants at play ........ your age, your other medications, and even situational circumstances involved in the process.  Let's just keep it simple for now though.  You might just be feeling your last drop now.

 

You also might work on how to improve the accuracy of dosage in mg's in the interim.  This is going to be really important when you get down to lower dosages.   The dropping off point for coming off A/D's that we've found here to work best is usually something less than 1.0 mg.   I believe it's always best to round up(in mg's) when making a drop.  Can you start to try with your 1 mL syringe for just the 0.4 mL part of your dose........

On 5/17/2018 at 8:44 AM, Nuttinanna said:

I am using the 5ml syringe as the other is too small for my hands to manage easily.  May have to use the smaller one later on but for now am sticking with the big one.

Most definitely you will have to use the smaller one later so why not practice now?   Or ask for help if you have someone else in the household?

On 5/18/2018 at 4:19 AM, Nuttinanna said:

Wondering if I only drop 5% again ( to 3.2ml  - 12.8mg rounded) will my brain be used to the small drop and not react quite as badly?

 

Probably not if you do it too soon.  The "rounding" up that we often refer to when doing calculations for tapering refers to dosage, especially when trying to do tapers at less than 10%.

 

"An easy way to work out your next taper dose (a 10% reduction) is to multiply the current dose by 0.9 (if making a 5% reduction multiply by 0.95).  This will be the dose you need to take.  If you want to double check your calculations you can also multiply the dose by 0.1 (for a 5% reduction multiply by 0.05) and then deduct that from the previous dose."

extracted from ****http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/9167-how-to-calculate-dosages-and-dilutions-spreadsheets-and-calculators/

 

Your present dose in mg = 13.6

13.6 x 0.95= 12.92

If you drop all the way to 3.2 mL you'd again wind up doing a greater than 5% drop.  This might be part of the problem of your ongoing W/D symptoms occurring at different times and having different varieties of symptoms........added to the switch to liquid without crossover, and some early mishaps in calculations.  If you can eventually work with your 1 mL syringe, you could do your next taper more accurately by taking 3 mL out of your 5 mL syringe, and then .3 mL out of your 1 mL syringe.  With your present dose you would want .4 mL from your 1 mL syringe and the 3 mL out of your 5 mL syringe.

 

I know I've probably made some of the same points a couple of times.......and I hope that is not too annoying. 

 

Love, peace, healing/in recovery, and growth.......at any age Nutti!!! 

mmt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by manymoretodays
was working on

[Nuttinanna]

Still holding at 3.4mL - have had some kind of virus which meant I was, and still am, coughing constantly and not sleeping properly as a result.  Thought I would not give my body anything else to deal with for the time being.

 

One thing I have noticed is that although I am very gradually beginning to think more clearly in some situations, at the same time I am becoming more and more forgetful.  Cant seem to retain information.  I am very aware of this feeling that my brain cannot cope with remembering things - like its struggling to do so but cant. (And like it doesn't really want to!)    I know that with age comes this same forgetfulness and have had it for many years but it is much worse now.

 

And over the past 6 months sInce beginning to taper I seem to be super aware of emotions and thoughts.  I can actually feel my brain trying to sort itself out and working overtime.  I feel I need to keep things as simple as possible and not strain it further.  

 

Is that crazy?  To be consciously aware that your brain is not functioning quite right?  

 

I manage to function normally most of the time and say and do the things I need to but I feel all the time a conflict going on inside.  What I really want to do is sit and look out the window, or crochet or watch tv.  But then it will change and I am interested in stuff again.

 

After reading through this it makes no sense!  But will post anyway in case someone can read through the craziness?

 

xx 

[Nuttinanna]

Could someone please explain why it seems to be an accepted fact that Fluoxetine is the easiest AD to come off of?

 

I understand that the half life is longer and in my case it is around 10-12 days before any WD kicks in after a drop in dose.

 

But just because you have to wait for the WD doesn't make it any less.  

 

And it just means you have to hold longer to allow for the time lapse.

 

Or am I missing something?  I don't get it ...............

 

Can someone enlighten me please?

 

xx

[wantrelief]

31 minutes ago, Nuttinanna said:

Is that crazy?  To be consciously aware that your brain is not functioning quite right?

Hey Nanna - I too feel aware that my brain is not functioning right.  Mine feels like part of it is shut down, like I can almost physically feel it isn't working.  So, no....you are not crazy!

[ChessieCat]

On 7/3/2011 at 4:11 AM, Altostrata said:

 However, some people do suffer withdrawal from Prozac, just as severe as other SSRIs. Because of the long half-life, withdrawal symptoms simply take longer to appear.

 

[Nuttinanna]

Haven't been on the forum for a while for several reasons, the main one being that I cannot focus on anything long enough to do it.

 

Down to 3mL (12mg) now and holding for the moment.  

 

Haven't had any physical WD since I started tapering by 5% but getting long bouts of horrible depression, health anxiety, disinterest,  unmotivation (not sure if thats a word), hopelessness and many other equally dismal and draining emotions.  This is worse when it hits the 10 day mark after dropping which is normal for me with Prozac.

 

I have had loads therapy over the years, culminating in 12 months of quite intense schematherapy about 8 months before I started to taper.   And now it seems like every issue that I dealt with is back with a vengeance.  I feel I am constantly trying to hang on to the truth while my emotions are telling me that I am worse now than before and will never get better.

 

I feel like I am fighting it all over again - all the negative **** that I worked so hard to process and deal with is back.  Maybe I didn't deal with it all - maybe having therapy while being still on Prozac prevented me from feeling it all properly and so it is still all there.

 

I don't want to go out unless I have to and don't want to talk to anyone.

 

Cant imagine having to feel like this for at least another 12 months and then who knows how much longer once I am off this .

 

Right now I don't know who I am , what I am doing,  what I want to do (apart from nothing).

 

I do have windows of feeling relatively ok and the cloud lifts a bit but not for long and then it all descends again.

 

I know there is nothing I can do and don't really know why I am posting except to whine!  Keep thinking I will taper faster just to get it over with but I know thats not a good idea as we have discussed before!

 

So I guess I just keep going.

 

Love and blessings to all on this journey x

[manymoretodays]

Hi Nutti!

 

On 8/5/2018 at 6:28 AM, Nuttinanna said:

So I guess I just keep going.

 

And thank you for the update.  Nice avatar by the way.  You would think.......that.......I......might do the same, finally replace my generic big M with an avatar!!!!  After some 3 years here, for me!!!!!  One of these days.......

 

You are down to 12 mg.  now.......that's worth celebrating, eh?

 

Yes, definitely keep going.  Focus problems and the emotional(neuroemotions) stuff can be difficult.  There are, lot's of things that we can do..........in the way of non-drug coping to improve, and help our brains and nervous systems recover after long term A/D usage.  Are you doing any physical exercise?  Even just some short walks every day can help.  How about trying to learn a new skill?  Oh, and meditation........which can take all forms really.  Personally.........I'm not much for the just sitting still forms of meditation.........I get the most peace and clarity often after about my 4th or 5th lap in a pool.......that's when the Zen mind really hits.  Or after about 15 minutes of walk/running.

 

I'll leave you the link to symptoms and self care

Go on down to the pinned topic on non-drug coping and open that up.  There's a whole list of indexed posts that you might find something new, as far as coping skills go, to adopt.

 

Also.......travel over to the success stories and read the most recent one posted by freespirit, she talks about how her cognitive functions returned nicely.

The finding meaning section might also help. 

 

We all struggle from time to time.  It's not whining to want to just blurt it on out once in a while.

 

Okay, all for now.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

 

Edited August 10, 2018 by manymoretodays
puncuation

[Nuttinanna]

Help!

 

Picked up latest prescription and its a different brand!  Rang pharmacist but she just said "its the same active ingredients" like they always do to anything generic.
 

I am very anxious about it causing problems.  I started it this morning and it tastes different.  Is this ok or should I ask them to change it for the original one.?

 

Have a niggling feeling that this could be a cheaper version and they are changing it because I have been taking it a long time and its expensive.

 

The original one was called Fluoxetine and by Cipla.   This one is called Prozep (Fluoxetine) and by Chemidex Pharma.

 

I know if I try to change it I may have a fight on my hands as our surgery is struggling financially so need to know if I am panicking unnecessarily.

 

Maybe its just a case of just getting used to the new one for a month without dropping but would rather not waste any more time. 

 

xx

 

 

[manymoretodays]

On 8/17/2018 at 2:48 AM, Nuttinanna said:

Have a niggling feeling that this could be a cheaper version and they are changing it because I have been taking it a long time and its expensive.

 

The original one was called Fluoxetine and by Cipla.   This one is called Prozep (Fluoxetine) and by Chemidex Pharma.

 

I know if I try to change it I may have a fight on my hands as our surgery is struggling financially so need to know if I am panicking unnecessarily.

 

Was it cheaper?  Here's the Chemidex site:  http://www.chemidex.co.uk/

And the Cipla formulation is fairly easy to find. 

You could check it out yourself or trust your pharmacists input.

I don't blame you a bit for opting out of a fight with the larger powers of health coverage in your country.

 

You may just wish to HOLD for a bit longer.  Treat it as a dose change.  Fingers crossed for you.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

 

[Nuttinanna]

This is Nuttinanas daughter - the following is dictated as Mum can’t use her computer at the moment.

 

I have held at the last two months as have been moving house but due to physical problems and lack of sleep I accidentally missed a couple of doses.  I didn’t notice any effects of this and then five days ago I decided to start reducing by 2mL and a couple of days later noticed I was starting to get slight brain zapping.  I hoped it would pass but it got worse and now I’m five days into the new drop and really suffering severe brainzaps and dizziness and headaches and don’t know if it’s becuase I missed the doses alone or if it’s from the missed doses and Dropping or just the drop.

 

Not sure if it’s too late to go back to the previous dose or if I have got to stick it out at this dose.

 

Please help as soon as possible.  Thank you.

 

ps - had three different types of Fluoxetine liquids now and have had no issues.

 

 

[ChessieCat]

It would probably be better to pick a dose in between the last dose and the current dose.  Quite often just a tiny bit more can take the edge off the withdrawal symptoms.  It's better to start with a tiny bit and increase if needed than to take too much.

[ChessieCat]

It takes about 4 days for a dose change to get to full level in the blood and a bit longer for it to register in the brain.

[Nuttinanna]

10 hours ago, Nuttinanna said:

2mL

MISTAKE   - reduction was 0.2mL (0.8 mg)

[Nuttinanna]

 

Am reducing Fluoxetine which normally takes 10 - 12 days to kick in which is why I wasn’t sure if the WD was just caused by the missed doses or somehow made worse by the lowered dose.

[manymoretodays]

Hi Nuttinanna!  Good to see you posting!  (as well as your daughter)  Is this the first time you have experienced the zaps?  And that is certainly great that the changing formulations have not affected you.  Are you using any fish oil(omega 3)?  This may help a bit.                                 I don't know either..... if your current symptoms are due to the taper or the missed doses.  I do not think it is too late to go up in dose, by just one half or.....0.1mL (0.4mg).  And then hold tight at that dose.  The brassmonkey slide method may be best going forward.  (my apologies as I am unable to link you this morning, as I am away from my desktop)                                                                               Good job holding for 2 months!   And ugh.....sorry for your current symptoms.  L, p, h, and g,  mmt

[manymoretodays]

10 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

It would probably be better to pick a dose in between the last dose and the current dose.  Quite often just a tiny bit more can take the edge off the withdrawal symptoms.  It's better to start with a tiny bit and increase if needed than to take too much.

 

[manymoretodays]

Hi Nuttinanna,

Back at my desktop. 

King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids(fish oil)

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

^ links to supplements that are often helpful in W/D.

Start with just one or the other at a time and at a low dosage.  If tolerated .....then increase slowly.  It's also good to keep notes, especially when adding or changing anything.  That way you can identify what might be helping or hindering.

The slowness of slow tapers(micro-taper)

^ more about micro-tapers

The Brassmonkey Slide Method

specifics micro-taper ^

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

Edited October 17, 2018 by manymoretodays
added link

[Nuttinanna]

Well haven’t managed to write on here for months - in fact haven’t managed to do much at all except survive.

 

After moving house in September everything went horribly wrong with the house we were renting and we had to move again after just 3 months.  This was so so hard as the Lupus makes me very fatigued anyway so the upheaval for the second time was unbelievable.  

 

I managed to find a little cottage to rent and eventually things began to settle down a little.  However after 3 months the landlord decided he needed to sell the property and I would have to move.  AGAIN!  Three house moves in 7 months is too much for anyone but for someone like me with lupus and tapering off fluoxetine it was just unbelievable.

 

I fortunately managed to find somewhere not too far away and have just picked up the keys today.  My daughter and husband will help me move but I have found it all almost too much.   The emotional effect has been overwhelming -  and physically and mentally I am totally exhausted.

 

I stopped dropping doses a while back and have stuck on 2mL (8mg) as I think my body has enough to deal with right now!

 

This move has caused me so much anxiety and fear that I have been very tempted to increase the fluoxetine!  But I won’t!

 

Love to all x

 

[thecowisback]

so sorry you've had such a rough time with the house moves 😣