yayabear79: Struggling with Prozac Withdrawals

[yayabear79]

So I started taking 20mg of Prozac that my primary doctor prescribed me to hopefully help with anxiety. I was on it for about a week and a half before I came down with a case of the stomach flu/food poisoning (still don’t know for sure but leaning more towards stomach flu) and got the worst anxiety of my life. I was convinced I was going to die. Usually when I experience an illness like this I don’t get bad anxiety. I just let the sickness ride it’s course and move on. After getting this anxiety I decided to stop taking the Prozac cold turkey. I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to do this until I googled and discovered withdrawal symptoms. 
 

After I was feeling better from the stomach flu, I was feeling good for the whole week. Then, that Friday, I decided to hang out with some friends. I drank some alcohol, not a lot, only two 3% bottled drinks. I thought everything was fine until I woke up the next morning. 
 

I threw up bile, which I thought was normal since I just recovered from the stomach flu, and I also experience this due to frequent heartburn. I then ate some food but then I threw it back up about an hour later. I was going to a concert this day, so I had to convince myself to just push through since I thought this wouldn’t be a big deal. Then, at the concert, after force feeding myself some fast food, I projectile vomited in the bathroom. I told my friend what happened and we decided to leave. 
 

When I looked up Prozac withdrawals, I found that any consumption of alcohol will make it worse. By now it had been a week since I stopped taking the medication. Keep in mind I was only on it for less than 2 weeks. My mom thought I was pregnant, which was debunked when I took a pregnancy test and got my period. 
 

Saturday-Monday I felt like I had the stomach flu again. Puking in the morning, barely eating any food. This entire week I’ve been throwing up bile in the morning. Trying to force feed myself food but feeling nauseous whenever I try to eat. I’ll randomly start crying, wishing I could just go back to normal and feel the way I did before taking this medication. For a few days I was also experiencing dizziness and vertigo, but that has since subsided. I also have either been experiencing insomnia, due to a crippling fear that this isn’t withdrawals and I could be dying. Or I’ll be sleeping super heavily. I’ll sleep 10-11 hours a day and still feel tired all day. I have been feeling super out of it, almost like I’m not real. 
 

I’m looking to seek some support and help. I just want these symptoms to end. I am a senior in college and I just want to be able to finish this semester strong. I’m also supposed to be starting a job and I’m just worried these withdrawals will get in the way. I’m also scared of taking any medication that could help in fear that it’ll mess with the Prozac that is still in my system. 
 

please help 

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  You have come to the right place!  You were fine to quit the Prozac cold turkey, since you were only on it for a week and a half, and your brain didn't have a chance to become dependent on it.  

 

Can you please give us specific information about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Use this format:

 

Drug name: date, dose, date, dose, date, dose…

Drug name: date, dose, date, dose, date, dose…

Etcetera

 

Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

It may be that you had an adverse reaction to the Prozac.  That might explain why you had severe anxiety, and the throwing up and stomach issues.  

 

On 2/11/2022 at 12:31 PM, yayabear79 said:

I drank some alcohol, not a lot, only two 3% bottled drinks. I thought everything was fine until I woke up the next morning. 
 

I threw up bile, which I thought was normal since I just recovered from the stomach flu, and I also experience this due to frequent heartburn. I then ate some food but then I threw it back up about an hour later.

It's possible that if you had an adverse reaction, this may have affected your stomach.  There are many serotonin receptors in the digestive system, and Prozac affects the serotonin receptors.  Not only that, our central nervous systems are connected to every other system in the body, so this may be related to the Prozac.  If your nervous system has been destabilized by the adverse reaction, which it may have, any alcohol may trigger your symptoms (throwing up).  If it were me, I would avoid alcohol and other mind altering substances for a while, until I fully recovered.  

 

Here is some information about having an adverse reaction to SSRI drugs, and what to expect.  

 

Adverse Reaction

 

Adverse Reaction to Antidepressant

 

 

This link goes into digestive issues, and ways to help with that, and what others have experienced.  

 

Queasiness, Nausea

 

Digestive Problems

 

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms. Symptoms of an adverse reaction are very similar to those of withdrawal.

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

The key to recovery from this is time, and patience.  Unfortunately, since the nervous system is highly complex, healing is a gradual process.  However, you will recover, if you take proper care of yourself.  Please keep us posted on how you are doing.  

 

 

[yayabear79]

The only other medication I am currently on is birth control in the pill form. I’ve been on that for about 4 years now. Prozac was the first (and probably the last) antidepressant I’ve ever taken. Only 20mg from January 15th-January 27th. 

[yayabear79]

Also, do you think caffeine is safe to consume during this time? I love coffee and Diet Coke, and I was wondering if that would be okay. I didn’t know if it would make withdrawal symptoms worse 

[ChessieCat]

Coke contains caffeine.

 

See SA's topic:

 

caffeine-in-coffee-tea-soft-drinks-energy-drinks-tolerance-issues

 

Also see:

 

Neurophysiological symptoms and aspartame: What is the connection?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28198207/