kestrel28: on various SSRIs and antipsychotics for 30+ years

[kestrel28]

8 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Ordinarily, we urge people to reinstate very low doses. If you find the effect of 20mg gradually becomes too strong over the next couple of weeks, you've taken too much.

I already know that 20 mg is too strong.  I took it yesterday, and I was very irritable.   I just took 10 mg today, and hopefully this will be my starting point to come off of this terrible drug.

[kestrel28]

2 hours ago, Shep said:

 

Are you also taking a benzo? Which one? EDIT: just realized you have clonazepam in your signature. 

 

Please list the drug(s) you are taking, any supplements, and the doses. Also, please let us know what time(s) of the day you are taking them. Also include any drugs you are taking for other health conditions - many times there are drug interactions. Doctors tend to be pretty careless when doling out these drugs, especially to people with psychiatric labels. 

 

You can check yourself for drug interactions here on this drug interaction checker. We recommend folks do this prior to taking any drug. 

 

 

I just listed all the drugs and supplements in my signature.  I also take l-theanine for calm, and it's done a pretty good job over the years. 

 

I was so miserable yesterday with the agitation from the 20 mg of prozac that I seriously considered checking as an in-patient.   I then realized this morning that they would NEVER wean someone off of something in the hospital, and they would just switch me to something else. 

 

What would calm me if I start to get severely agitated during my taper?  My sleep was not too bad last night, and this morning I am feeling level headed and did NOT have any caffeine yesterday, nor this morning. 

 

My sleep can be really unpredictable.  I use melatonin 6 mg to induce sleep (sorry, but the signature will only allow me 12 lines).  Sometimes the melatonin works, sometimes it doesn't. 

 

I also have bought a white noise machine and use it with headphones. 

 

 

[Altostrata]

Your sleep may be irregular because you've had a million drug changes in 2 years.

 

You are also taking a strong benzodiazepine 3 times a day. What times o'clock do you take each of your drugs, with dosages? Do you move your clonazepam doses around?

 

9 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

What would calm me if I start to get severely agitated during my taper? 

 

We advise people to taper slowly so they don't get agitated. Did you read Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Strongly recommend you stabilize on Prozac before attempting to taper off. It will take a couple of weeks at least for the reinstatement to take full effect. It may become too strong for you during that time. Please let us know how you're doing.

[kestrel28]

52 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Your sleep may be irregular because you've had a million drug changes in 2 years.

 

You are also taking a strong benzodiazepine 3 times a day. What times o'clock do you take each of your drugs, with dosages? Do you move your clonazepam doses around?

 

 

We advise people to taper slowly so they don't get agitated. Did you read Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Strongly recommend you stabilize on Prozac before attempting to taper off. It will take a couple of weeks at least for the reinstatement to take full effect. It may become too strong for you during that time. Please let us know how you're doing.

.I have been very careful to take my klonopin .5 mg doses 6 hours apart for the past three and a half years.  Morning, afternoon, night.

As for fluoxetine, I always take it in the morning.  

I took 10 mg today and I feel much less agitated than yesterday (when I took 20 mg).  I am going to hold on 10 mg for a while and see how I feel.  

 

[Shep]

19 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

I use melatonin 6 mg to induce sleep

 

Thanks for updating your signature and providing more information. I quoted the melatonin part because that's a very high dose. Please see:

 

Melatonin for sleep

 

At some point, you may want to reduce the melatonin, but I would see how you do with the Prozac over the next couple of weeks first. 

 

You have omeprazole in your signature. As you come off these drugs, you may not need omeprazole. It's another drug you'll want to taper in order to prevent rebound GI symptoms.  It's possible that some of your symptoms are due to vitamin B12 deficiency caused by using PPIs. Please see the first post in this thread:

 

Tips for tapering off stomach acid blockers or PPIs...

 

A large part of recovery involves tending to diet and making sure you're eating the foods that will heal your gut. Psychiatric drugs are hard on the GI system - around 50% of serotonin is located in the gut and the gut is considered the "second brain." So eating healthy is definitely a priority. 

 

Please let us know how you're doing over the coming days and weeks. 

[kestrel28]

Update: Jumped for 2nd time on SSRI and currently tapering on liquid klonopin

 

Hi,

My depression has been so bad recently that I decided in my interest along with my doctor that I should try to reinstate Prozac at a low dose. 

 

I started my taper of liquid klonopin just under a month ago in three even doses at 5 ml per dose, going down .2 ml per week.  Right now, I am at 4.4 ml three times per day, and I intend to keep the 4 percent decrease steady until I have a problem--then I will hold. 

Let me explain my dilemma: I have come off Prozac at least twice this year, only to have raging irritability and crying come back both times after about 4-5 weeks completely free of it. 

End of February: came off Prozac and then in early April had fits of crying and irritability.  Proceeded to go back on various dosages of mainly Prozac for 5 months, never going higher than 30 mg. 

2nd jump: September 9th.  Felt good for the first few weeks until about early to mid October, and then the same exact thing happened: crying spells, irritability,  morning sadness. 

I feel so confused as what to do…I do not want to jeopardize my klonopin taper by adding another drug, but at the same time,  I am very miserable with the constant nerve irritation, the anxiety, and the depression. 

The thing that is an afterthought now is that is didn’t taper off slowly…i just got off the ssri, and I do not know if that was the right thing to do. 

 

Not to mention, I tried Zoloft very briefly this Summer, and that wasn't good either.

I am in the very early stages of my liquid klonopin taper, and I definitely want to succeed with it. 

Has anyone else had an unpleasant experience so bad that they couldn’t pinpoint what was causing it?

 

At this point, I did not taper in all four instances (rexulti in March, twice with Prozac, and once with Zoloft). 

 

I do not know what I was thinking in reinstating the prozac once again after cutting it out. 

 

I am thinking that simpler is better.  I want to succeed in the very gradual liquid taper of the klonopin


Any help insight into this would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks..

 

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[Altostrata]

Hello, @kestrel28

 

When you were here 7 months ago, did you read these topics?

 

On 4/11/2022 at 3:09 AM, Shep said:

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Did you do this type of gradual taper when you went off Prozac in September?

 

6 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

The thing that is an afterthought now is that is didn’t taper off slowly…i just got off the ssri, and I do not know if that was the right thing to do. 

 

The reason we advise people to taper gradually is to avoid the severe withdrawal effects you've experienced at least 4 times. That is what this entire site is about. Telling people about this is what the moderators are doing.

 

The reason we explain this carefully to people, as @Shep did last April, is to keep them from having an "unpleasant experience so bad".

 

You ask for our advice regarding your Klonopin taper, but you've already started it.

 

6 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

I started my taper of liquid klonopin just under a month ago in three even doses at 5 ml per dose, going down .2 ml per week.  Right now, I am at 4.4 ml three times per day, and I intend to keep the 4 percent decrease steady until I have a problem--then I will hold. 

 

4% reduction per week amounts to 16% per month, far more than the 10% taper we advise. But you have a clear plan to taper until you get withdrawal symptoms. What do you think you'll do then?

[Shep]

8 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

I do not want to jeopardize my klonopin taper by adding another drug, but at the same time,  I am very miserable with the constant nerve irritation, the anxiety, and the depression. 

 

8 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

Right now, I am at 4.4 ml three times per day, and I intend to keep the 4 percent decrease steady until I have a problem--then I will hold. 

 

It sounds like you already have a problem. 

 

Kestrel, I would either updose the Klonopin to where you were a week ago or simply hold the benzo steady. 

 

Continuing to taper while you're this destabilized may very well crash your nervous system. 

 

In the meantime, please work on eating a healthy diet, eliminating caffeine, avoiding alcohol, and all of the other factors that go into improving your likelihood of success. 

 

This thread has more great ideas:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Here is where you need to be before continuing your taper:

 

Withdrawal Normal

 

[kestrel28]

3 hours ago, Shep said:

 

 

It sounds like you already have a problem. 

 

Kestrel, I would either updose the Klonopin to where you were a week ago or simply hold the benzo steady. 

 

Continuing to taper while you're this destabilized may very well crash your nervous system. 

 

In the meantime, please work on eating a healthy diet, eliminating caffeine, avoiding alcohol, and all of the other factors that go into improving your likelihood of success. 

 

This thread has more great ideas:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Here is where you need to be before continuing your taper:

 

Withdrawal Normal

 

Thanks, Shep.  I cannot undo what I did before, with the fluoxetine.  

I cannot beat myself up for a mistake.
 

So,  I think holding at the current dosage of 4.4 ml of Klonopin for at least another week will be safe and smart.   While 4 percent reduction  seems to be low, I have to remember that changing dosage every week does not give my brain and body to smoothly adjust.  The hyper irritability is the most unpleasant part.

I’ll keep it simple.   Those non medication techniques are really interesting, and right now, I don’t have a complete balance of calming activity.  Just lots of exercise and reading.   So perhaps my body is being overstimulated and I need to remove myself from intensive stressors like driving too much and just be still.  Not sleep,  but quiet.  
 

I have a good psychologist who specializes in cbt.

My cognitive ability is compromised; I sometimes think I understand something when I don’t.  
 

I am willing and will succeed in being free from klonopin.  If it takes a while, so be it.  1 year is 3.5 percent of the total years (31) that I have been on it. So, I have to put it in perspective. 1 year will go by quickly, if done calmly and quietly.  

[kestrel28]

4 hours ago, Shep said:

 

 

It sounds like you already have a problem. 

 

Kestrel, I would either updose the Klonopin to where you were a week ago or simply hold the benzo steady. 

 

Continuing to taper while you're this destabilized may very well crash your nervous system. 

 

In the meantime, please work on eating a healthy diet, eliminating caffeine, avoiding alcohol, and all of the other factors that go into improving your likelihood of success. 

 

This thread has more great ideas:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Here is where you need to be before continuing your taper:

 

Withdrawal Normal

 

I am abstaining from alcohol, staying away from toxic people, eating sensibly,  have reduced my caffeine to less than a mug, but I may even have to eradicate that completely.  

[kestrel28]

There are days where I have more irritability than anything; other days, the moods are irritability alternating with crying spells,  and then there’s the morning emptiness that is very strong.  Today,  I feel OK.  No morning abyss.

 

I would absolutely love to follow the best plan to normalize and not be so irritable.  
 

I really appreciate everything being shared here.  The biggest thing I want to achieve right now is a restoration of calmness….something I have not had in a long time.  
 

I even quit Facebook, and do not miss it, almost three week ago.  
 

thank you all.

[Shep]

@kestrel28It sounds like you're coming to a high level of acceptance, which is great to read. Yes, hold for awhile and see how you do. 

 

Please post before making any more changes. Having a second opinion on whether or not it's a good time to make another reduction can be very helpful. 

[kestrel28]

3 hours ago, Shep said:

@kestrel28It sounds like you're coming to a high level of acceptance, which is great to read. Yes, hold for awhile and see how you do. 

 

Please post before making any more changes. Having a second opinion on whether or not it's a good time to make another reduction can be very helpful. 

i don't know what is going on.  This morning, the morning blues hit me like a ton of bricks once again.  so  I am really  trying to calm my nervous system with supplements...mainly i use l theanine  and just started to read about the benefits of magnesium for irritability and depression.   It seems as if my depression has come back very strongly in the past week.  i have been exercising regularly (hiking) almost 5 times a day, but haven't exercised in a few days due to a back injury.  I am so confused,  and scared about doing the wrong thing. (like what i did out of desperation many times this year with coming in and off the ssris multiple times). my mind and body needs some relief from this constant irritability.  I decided to try tms for depression,  and i only have 7 treatments left to go, but the commute is stressing me out terribly.  i am driving 40 miles each way every day for something that may or may not help me in the long term. 

 

I just want to stay out of the hospital.   i was in on September 5th through 17th this year, and thr only thing they did for me was take me off of 10 mg prozac.

 

I am tired, frustrated,  and my nerves are fried.

 

my thinking is i am going to hold the klonopin at 4.4 ml for a week, but,  this week has been full of agonizing emotional irritability and bawling.  i am beside myself as to what to do next.

 

 

 

 

[kestrel28]

It’s really hard to know what is withdrawal and what is depression and anxiety.  I’ve been on a benzodiazepine for 31 years and it certainly made me feel down.   Now that I am without an antidepressant, my agitation and depression are back really strong.  It’s one thing to exercise and eat right, meditate, and be mindful, but when this depression and ideations hit, there’s something really wrong going on.  The 4 to 6 weeks of relative ok feeling ended, and withdrawal and? Depression came back with a real bite.

 

I am frightened to try to reinstate Prozac.  But seeing since I am now only on a powerful benzo and tapering off of that,  I feel like I have to make a decision fast to stop this feeling of irritability and crying.

 

my question is this:  is the irritability and crying from the stopping of the antidepressant, or the benzodiazepine tolerance and taper? 
 

my mind is so confused.

[kestrel28]

I am so glad that I called my pharmacy and they carry liquid Prozac.  That takes the pressure off.  they were so helpful and explained it to me.  I then called my dr. And left a message on his answering machine regarding the need to stabilize for a while on a low dose of Prozac before even trying to go further down on the benzodiazepine.  I thought it cannot hurt to try…every other way was too much Prozac and I had to stop.  
 

glad I made the call. Here’s hoping my body will accept a low dose.  

[FindRest]

16 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

I decided to try tms for depression,  and i only have 7 treatments left to go, but the commute is stressing me out terribly. 

This may be part of the symptoms you are experiencing. You might read up on the side-effects of TMS and how much they correlate with what you are going through.
 

I’m not sure I would be trying to taper anything at this point, or adding another new drug (liquid Prozac). It’s going to be next to impossible to figure out what is causing your increase in symptoms. I know it’s often tempting to change things when you are in the thick of it, but this is rarely a good idea. Stabilizing is the goal. That often means doing nothing until things have settled down. 

[Shep]

21 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

i have been exercising regularly (hiking) almost 5 times a day, but haven't exercised in a few days due to a back injury.

 

Do you mean 5 times a week? 

 

Are you taking any medications to help the pain from your back injury? 

 

21 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

I decided to try tms for depression,  and i only have 7 treatments left to go, but the commute is stressing me out terribly.  i am driving 40 miles each way every day for something that may or may not help me in the long term. 

 

4 hours ago, FindRest said:

This may be part of the symptoms you are experiencing. You might read up on the side-effects of TMS and how much they correlate with what you are going through.
 

I’m not sure I would be trying to taper anything at this point, or adding another new drug (liquid Prozac). It’s going to be next to impossible to figure out what is causing your increase in symptoms. I know it’s often tempting to change things when you are in the thick of it, but this is rarely a good idea. Stabilizing is the goal. That often means doing nothing until things have settled down. 

 

@FindRestThis is brilliant advice.

 

@kestrel28 Here is the thread in TMS:

 

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

 

As Alto wrote about TMS:

 

On 3/8/2013 at 3:08 PM, Altostrata said:

It's not going to do anything for withdrawal symptoms. It may be irritating.

 

You can't treat withdrawal as though it were ordinary depression or other so-called psychiatric disorder (as though they know how to treat that!).

 

 

I would rest as much as you can to help heal your back. Back injuries can severely limit what we can do. Self-care in the form of resting, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and finding healthy distractions - all of this will help you feel better. 

 

During withdrawal, sometimes less is more. 

 

Please post your thoughts. 

[kestrel28]

8 hours ago, FindRest said:

This may be part of the symptoms you are experiencing. You might read up on the side-effects of TMS and how much they correlate with what you are going through.
 

I’m not sure I would be trying to taper anything at this point, or adding another new drug (liquid Prozac). It’s going to be next to impossible to figure out what is causing your increase in symptoms. I know it’s often tempting to change things when you are in the thick of it, but this is rarely a good idea. Stabilizing is the goal. That often means doing nothing until things have settled down. 

I have canceled my tms appointment for today, and do not intend to continue.   30 sessions.   irritability,  left ear tinnitus,  hypersensitivity.   they do not want to listen to my concerns! they are almost as bad as pill pushers.   they give this gibberish that it's important to continue treatment, and a pep talk "oh you're doing great" and when you tell then ykur concerns,  they ignore it and try to force you to continue.  they cannot force me to do anything. 

 

I made an appointment with both my neurologist and my ent dr. to see if things are really f'ed up. 

 

 

[kestrel28]

4 hours ago, Shep said:

 

Do you mean 5 times a week? 

 

Are you taking any medications to help the pain from your back injury? 

 

 

 

@FindRestThis is brilliant advice.

 

@kestrel28 Here is the thread in TMS:

 

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

 

As Alto wrote about TMS:

 

 

 

I would rest as much as you can to help heal your back. Back injuries can severely limit what we can do. Self-care in the form of resting, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and finding healthy distractions - all of this will help you feel better. 

 

During withdrawal, sometimes less is more. 

 

Please post your thoughts. 

my back is better.  have abstained from exercise for 5 days due to my back pain. 

[FindRest]

3 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

I have canceled my tms appointment for today, and do not intend to continue.   30 sessions.   irritability,  left ear tinnitus,  hypersensitivity.   they do not want to listen to my concerns! they are almost as bad as pill pushers.   they give this gibberish that it's important to continue treatment, and a pep talk "oh you're doing great" and when you tell then ykur concerns,  they ignore it and try to force you to continue.  they cannot force me to do anything. 

 

I made an appointment with both my neurologist and my ent dr. to see if things are really f'ed up. 

 

 

I think you’ve made a wise decision regarding the cancellation of the TMS. Gone are the days we just blindly accept whatever they are telling us. I’ve learned to be my own best advocate, especially when talking with doctors. Good for you.

Edited November 11, 2022 by FindRest

[Shep]

On 11/11/2022 at 10:25 AM, kestrel28 said:

my back is better.  have abstained from exercise for 5 days due to my back pain. 

 

That's great news about your back, Kestrel. And stopping the TMS is also great news. Both the back injury and the TMS sounded like they were very taxing on your system. Hopefully you'll get some relief just from rest and self care. 

[kestrel28]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:35 PM, Shep said:

 

That's great news about your back, Kestrel. And stopping the TMS is also great news. Both the back injury and the TMS sounded like they were very taxing on your system. Hopefully you'll get some relief just from rest and self care. 

thanks shep.

 

back is fully better. 

 

stood up for myself regarding my decision to not go back for tms.  like i thought they would, they were pushing me to get those last 6 "treatments ".  $$$$$. 

I listened,  and then ignored them.

 

same thing in dealing with regular doctors.. basically had to educate the dr. that yes, the liquid prozac is covered under my insurance,  and no, i wouldn't like to take 10 mg capsules every other day.

I will never give in to what a dr. is trying to persuade me to do.  just because they are ignorant or unaware or something  means i have to educate them as to why the slow gradual way is better. 

 

I  fought tooth and nail with ssa regarding ssdi payments and finally i got through to them.  told them bluntly that i have absolutely nothing to pay bills with; i cannot wait another week(s) for them to manually process the reinstatement.  

 

so yeah, going to be really like a tortoise 🐢  and be patient and try to accept what happens.  had a night sweat a few days ago and it was awful.  but I've been very lucky.. having almost no physical w/d effects..just emotional. 

 

 

 

 

[Shep]

@kestrel28Brilliant post, Kestrel. 

[kestrel28]

Thanks for the compliment, Shep.
 

If I knew 31 years ago that multiple drugs would cause me tons of problems and do almost nothing to help my anxiety, ocd and panic, I would have had a good cognitive behavioral therapist on board.  But now that I do,  I am feeling all the emotions come out, and I am very angry just at missing out on so many things due to being over sedated and isolated from social settings. The bull crap that still exists in psychopharmacology: have anxiety, a fear? Take a pill.  Oh, are you getting a bad reaction to that pill? Take another one.

 

I don’t expect my old self at 22 years old to magically reappear, but, I do want to be as free as possible (meaning minimal) of psychotropics in the long term.

 

feeling anger at the past can be ok for a while, but I prefer to be in the moment and try to be content with moving forward.  The past is dead.  There’s nothing that can be done about it except learn from it and change perspective. 
 

I’d rather deal with problems in life by making connections and network  in all aspects of life…not withdraw and isolate.

 

I am finally reinstated the liquid Prozac at 3 ml=3 mg per day for now.  I would not back down or give in to the boneheaded solution that the cantankerous old croaker suggested before.  
 

Sure, I got him to prescribe me both liquid Prozac AND liquid klonopin, but is he supportive? I don’t think so.

Sure, he’s very conservative about taking one thing at a time, but again,

I have had it with these n.p.s and docs that get testy when I become a problem (read: cannot easily solve my problem, or want to).  
 

my pcp is very reluctant to prescribe medications unrelated to his scope.  Tell me this, then doc, isn’t the brain a part of the body, too?  
 

So yes, I am going to hold steady at 4.4 ml 3x per day now for liquid klonopin until I know how I feel the next few weeks.  
 

so I am burning bridges with people that no longer help me.  Or never were helpful in the first place.  I refuse to be around emotional vampires.  

 

 

 

[Shep]

On 11/18/2022 at 9:14 PM, kestrel28 said:

so I am burning bridges with people that no longer help me.  Or never were helpful in the first place.  I refuse to be around emotional vampires.  

 

Best kind of bridges to burn! 

 

Just don't burn the bridge with your prescribing doctor until you're no longer in need of the drugs. And then you can part ways. 

 

On 11/18/2022 at 9:14 PM, kestrel28 said:

I am finally reinstated the liquid Prozac at 3 ml=3 mg per day for now.

 

Are you back on Prozac? When did you reinstate? Please update your signature to reflect this:

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

[kestrel28]

i updated my signature.   3rd day in, and feel very sleepy after even the smaller dose. 

 

getting weird dreams, which was common for me on prozac. 

 

yeah, it's even harder now than a few years before covid to find a good doctor who is patient.

 

I have had it with these old arrogant male psychiatrists that snap at me when they are frustrated.  seems they are the ones with the problem, not me.

 

 

 

[Shep]

17 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

i updated my signature.   3rd day in, and feel very sleepy after even the smaller dose. 

 

Thanks for updating your signature with this information.

 

Are you taking Prozac and Klonopin at the same time? Some of what you're feeling may be an adverse drug interaction:

 

Drug interaction - Prozac and Klonopin

 

Even with tiny doses, if your nervous system is destabilized, you may be hyper-reactive. If you're taking these drugs at the same time, you may want to separate them by at least two hours to reduce the likelihood of an interaction. 

[kestrel28]

On 11/21/2022 at 6:41 AM, Shep said:

 

Thanks for updating your signature with this information.

 

Are you taking Prozac and Klonopin at the same time? Some of what you're feeling may be an adverse drug interaction:

 

Drug interaction - Prozac and Klonopin

 

Even with tiny doses, if your nervous system is destabilized, you may be hyper-reactive. If you're taking these drugs at the same time, you may want to separate them by at least two hours to reduce the likelihood of an interaction. 

Taking them in the morning.  I cannot take Prozac later in the day.  3 mg isn’t much, but again, I have taken 6 days of the liquid Prozac and have had some very bad waves.  The feeling of calm is not there.  I have stayed put (held) my clonazepam dose for the third week.  
 

The morning blues are the worst; I wake up prematurely.  

[Shep]

13 hours ago, kestrel28 said:

The morning blues are the worst; I wake up prematurely.  

 

Sounds like early morning cortisol:

 

Early-morning waking - managing the morning cortisol spike

 

You may find some helpful information here:

 

Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

[kestrel28]

18 minutes ago, Shep said:

 

Sounds like early morning cortisol:

 

Early-morning waking - managing the morning cortisol spike

 

You may find some helpful information here:

 

Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Thanks, Shep.

 

yup, I suspected that it was high cortisol. Have had it before many years ago where my blood levels were extremely high.  
 

at this point, I think that there a couple of things that can work in my favor to stop this terrible 6 am pits. 
 

I do have a sun box which is used for SAD but I also read it can help with regular depression.  
 

I use melatonin and it usually does a very good job of helping me sleep, except for that 6 am early wake time.

 

I also make an effort to get out and walk in the sunshine for at least an hour per day when possible. Now that my hip arthritis is acting up,  I have to dial back my big hikes and take walks which are on flat ground.  But being in nature and being immersed in the outdoors is something very important to my healing process.

 

If I do not walk for a day or two, I find that my mood becomes worse.  I think the exercise boosts the endorphins, even with a brisk walk.  
 

I am also shutting off my phone at a decent hour…no need to keep it on.

 

also, I bam seriously wondering if wi fi signals being on all the time can delay the healing process, or, aggravate/stimulate one’s nervous system?
 

I do know when I go away for a weekend or a holiday in the mountains where there is no wi fi that I feel more relaxed and not edgy.  

[Shep]

Those sound like great ideas, Kestrel. For your hip arthritis, are you able to tolerate magnesium and take warm epsom salt baths? 

 

Also, if you aren't already doing so, you may want to wear a sleep mask at night - that can help with early morning light that can trigger early wake ups. 

[kestrel28]

On 11/25/2022 at 6:36 PM, Shep said:

Those sound like great ideas, Kestrel. For your hip arthritis, are you able to tolerate magnesium and take warm epsom salt baths? 

 

Also, if you aren't already doing so, you may want to wear a sleep mask at night - that can help with early morning light that can trigger early wake ups. 

I probably can take epsom salt baths.  Haven’t done so in a long time.  Waking up in sweats some nights.  It is a terrible feeling.  
 

Have held my dose of liquid klonopin for three weeks now.  at 4.4 ml.

while I have reinstated the Prozac 3mg for about 10 days, which isn’t doing much to make me feel better.  
 

I know baby steps are the way to go, but, I don’t want to end up being more aggravated than I already am.  
 

 

[kestrel28]

update: feel much better the past three days.

 

upped dose of prozac to 5 mg.  my sleep is much better.  I think the small reinstatement of prozac is working...i just had to get the dosage correct. i am going to stay on this dosage for a while. 

[Shep]

@kestrel28 I'm glad to read you're getting relief and feeling better. Please be careful with these increases.  With Prozac's long half-life, it takes longer to build up in your system, so you may end up upping the dose too much. Please see:

 

On 7/2/2011 at 2:11 PM, Altostrata said:

Prozac has the longest half-life of any SSRI. After you take it for a few days, half-life is about 16 days. Fluoxetine itself has a half-life of 2-4 days, but as it is processed, your body creates an active antidepressant metabolite, norfluoxetine, which has a half-life of 7-15 days. So Prozac keeps on extending its half-life as it is metabolized.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxetine , fluoxetine and norfluoxetine inhibit each other's metabolism, extending the half-life of the drug. Because the half-lives are so long, the full effect of Prozac on the brain may not be felt for several weeks.

 

[kestrel28]

Thanks, Shep. 
 

it appears that I have done just that with going up way too much.  
 

after switching providers, I went up to 7.5 mg liquid on Dec 14th.  This was where I started getting racing thoughts and inability to focus.  
 

After about ten days, I went up to 10 mg.  
 

this is the most irritable and I’ve been yelling and screaming obscenities.  
 

I now accept that I can no longer tolerate ssris, and specifically Prozac.

 

 It gives me lack of emotion and sexual dysfunction, which are the two reasons I will never, ever try to reinstate it again.  
 

now I know I have to gradually go down easily.  
 

I have been taking magnesium glycinate three times daily.  I also take 1000 mg flax oil pills but I see that fish oil and vitamin e is recommended? 
 

Trying to create a sense of calm during the storm.  
 

thanks.

 

[Shep]

@kestrel28 Yes, it does look like the dose is too high. Have you started decreasing yet? If so, what dose are you at and is the lower dose helping? 

 

The only supplements we recommend are fish oil and magnesium. Please see:

 

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

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

You can read about more supplements here:

 

Important topics about tests, supplements, treatments, diet

 

Please be careful about adding in more than one at a time, especially at high doses. 

 

The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.