voosmuas: doing with withdrawal

[voosmuas]

Hi, I hope I'm using this correctly.  I have been on Paxil for about 10 years.  Had trouble getting off it.  My psychiatrist said to try Prozac.  Switched and was on Prozac for about 8 months.  Tapered to 10mg for a month after being on 20mg and quit.  Had brain zaps but nothing else.  Everything was okay until a month after.  I suddenly had insomnia.  Couldn't sleep and trazadone only helped 1-2 hours.  Didn't talk to my psychiatrist but just went back on Prozac 10mg.  Met with him two days later.  But this time taking it caused a lot of anxiety issues.  He said it will take weeks to work again so I hung in there.  After two weeks, I couldn't take it anymore.  The anxiety was unbearable.  Decided to switch to Paxil again as it was more fast acting.  It didn't help any.  After a week of Paxil I quit it.  Decided to try supplements as my doctor said it didn't have side effects.  Took Sam-e with all kinds of vitamins the next week.  That didn't help either.  After a week of Sam-e and vitamins I quit it all.  Stopped cold turkey on Sam-e and vitamins.  Still dealing with the same anxiety, akathisia, some insomnia.  My doctor and psychiatrist don't really know what to do with me.  They just want me to put me on some other medications.  What to do?

Edited November 22, 2020 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, voosmuas.

 

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.  We particularly need to know the date when you quit the Prozac after taking 10mg for a month.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Your taper from 20mg to 10mg in one month and then dropping from 10mg to zero amounted to a cold turkey of the drug, which is very destabilizing to your brain.  Symptoms are often delayed, and after a month you experienced insomnia, a very common withdrawal symptom.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Your brain was very sensitized from the cold turkey, and when you reinstated 10mg Prozac, it was too much for your brain to handle (we would have recommended a much smaller reinstatement), causing more anxiety.  So what you're not experiencing is withdrawal, likely compounded by the too-large reinstatement of 10mg Prozac. The symptoms you describe--anxiety, akathisia and insomnia--are typical withdrawal symptoms.

 

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take psychiatric 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.  

 

These explain the healing process really well.

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

Trying another drug is like playing Russian roulette--you and the doctors have no idea what effect it's going it have.  At this point you have, in our view, two alternatives.  Reinstatement of a very small dosage of your original drug, in this case Prozac, is the only known way to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.  The other choice is to wait it out and wait for your brain to recover homeostasis.  While some recover fairly quickly, others can takes months or longer.  Please read:

 

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

 

Much depends on the the date of your last dose before you went from 10mg to zero.  If you're interested in reinstating a very small dose of Prozac, let us know and, after you've completed your drug signature, we can suggest a reinstatement dosage.  Please do not reinstate without letting us suggest a dosage.

 

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) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by manymoretodays
removed excess white space

[voosmuas]

How do I complete my drug signature.  I'm not really knowing how to use this website.  Please help.

[manymoretodays]

Hi voosmuas, and welcome,

And you got it, really, the signature.

I'm going to refer you back to the link though:  Please summarize your withdrawl history in your signature

and if you would remove the bold background, on further edit, that will really help when we view it.  And then just note dates, and drugs, basically, and how you tapered.

You could use CT for cold turkey, or FT for fast taper.

 

And then how are you doing now?

 

Welcome again.  You'll get the hang of it here.

 

L, P, H, and G,

mmt

Edited January 19, 2021 by manymoretodays

[voosmuas]

Ok. Thanks.  Not doing so good.  Dleeping little.  I'm on 2 and a half months out.  I think the worst thing right now is the akathisia.  How have others dealt with this?  I've learned that sugar is bad for it?  Can someone give me some tips and how they handled it and how long they had it?

[voosmuas]

I would like to reinstate Prozac.  Its been almost months off now.  How can I do this.  What is your recommendation? 

[voosmuas]

I meant to say it has been almost 3 months now off Prozac.

[manymoretodays]

Hi voosmuas,

 

I'm having a heck of a time with your signature.  As you can see, I tried to get rid of that bold black, and now it is much worse.

 

And so: ">

I was on Paxil for about 10 years starting in 2009. Last year December 2019 my doctor nurse practioner switched me to Prozac. Took it until September 2020. After a month on 10mg in August, I stopped Prozac. One month later in October 2020, I couldn't sleep for a week. I decided it was withdrawal and started taking 10mg of Prozac on October 12th. Took it for two weeks until October 24th. The next week I started Paxil. After a week I quit it also. The next week, I took the supplement Sam-e for one week until 11/7/20. 

 

2009- Paxil

2019- December, switched to Prozac- 2020 September Prozac 10 mg, - 2020 August stopped Prozac

2020- October, couldn't sleep for a week- 12th October-  Prozac 10 mg- 24th October

2020-  24th or 31st of October- started Paxil, stopped a week later

2020- late October- 7th of November took Sam-e

 

Can you go to AccountsSetting/signature and see if you can delete the old one, and add in the new one.  I did take some liberties, with organizing the information, as best I could.

And I'll ask someone to take a look at it, as well.  I've run into this kind of thing before.  Did you copy your signature from somewhere?  It's horribly eye straining right now.

 

Have you had a chance to review the reinstatement topic?  I see the link, up above in the post to you from Gridley.

 

Are you still on Trazodone?

Any other medications or supplements right now?

 

I'll include the tips for tapering Prozac now, as well, as this will help you figure out how to get a low dose for reinstatement, if you really want to try this now:

Tips for tapering Prozac(fluoxetine)

 

And I wouldn't recommend any more than a 1 mg reinstatement, myself.  It may take awhile to see if it is going to help, even if just a little bit.  Possibly more than a week.

 

You may be pretty sensitized right now, and I would, if it were me, want to start really low, with the reinstatement.  And at 3 months out now, it may or may not help much.  You've been on and off a lot since the first FT, and so you may be kindled a bit now.

 

You had asked about non-drug coping too.  Can you describe what you mean by akathisia?

Our topic:  Akathisia vs restlessness, anxiety, agitation

One of the things you can try:

Weighted blankets and bedtents for restlessness, akathisia, insomnia, and agitation

 

You might also get some relief from Magnesium, either orally, or in the form of an Epsom Salt bath

 

I briefly suffered some severe inner agitation, and found pacing to help, while clutching a pillow.  Also pretty much mummified myself with quilts and blankets.

 

 

Sounds really tough right now voosmuas.  Any Windows lately at all?  Even short periods of relief?

 

Best, L, P, H, and G,

mmt

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Altostrata
edited font

[manymoretodays]

Hi voosmuas,

And signature great now!

Have you had a chance to review topics?

And please do update too, when you can.  It may be helpful to other members too.

 

And best, L, p, h, and g,

mmt