AmyLGeek Back to the real world

[AmyLGeek]

I started taking prozac in January 2006. It did help me with my mental instability however it made me numb and tired all them time. This went on for 6 years. I just muddled through life without much joy and without much energy. I moved out of my house and separated with my husband in fall 2011. I decided to quit the prozac and see if my energy would come back. So in January 2012, I started weaning myself from the drug. I bought my last 90 day supply.

 

 

I was taking 20mg of the medication daily so I started by deleting the dose every 3rd day. I did this for 3 weeks. Then it was every 2nd day...for 3 weeks...every other day...3 weeks. I continued this pattern until I was only taking a pill a week. I still had no symptoms. I quit the drug completely by the end of May.

 

The first symptom I noticed is that I cried over old wounds. People who died years ago...the though of them had me in tears again. I was talking to a friend about a neighbor from my childhood (made a big impression on me) I could not even complete my story as I was sobbing about his death 15 years ago!

 

I also notice that my temper is flaring. People who I perceive as ignorant or rude are at the top of my list. I have lost my temper at work, lucky for me, my boss is aware that I am coming off this drug and he is being supportive.

 

On a positive note, my energy is back. I am no longer sleeping so much. And my lack of interest is gone. I have begun to experience boredom whereas before I was just go to bed and sleep my numb life away.

 

The symptom I am the most concerned about is what I would consider to be dread. I have this regret about things in the past that cause me to feel I have wasted a bunch of my life. I regret not being there for my kids. I feel sad about aging and the aging of my parents...again regrets about not participating because of my mental illness.

 

I am not suicidal. So please nobody worry about that. My goal is to find happiness and stability without the medication. I want to participate in life. My husband tells me to obsess about living and not about dying. I am trying to do that.

[xDebbiejo]

Hi Amy

 

So sorry to hear you are suffering.

I was suffering too, when I found this site.

I am now stable after taking advice from caring and knowledgable people on this site.

 

I think if you reinstate a little Prozac it will help the way you are feeling. I don't doubt that you are suffering from WD symptoms as you have come of way to quickly

 

Someone will be along shortly to advise you

 

Welcome to the site Amy!

You have come to the right place for support!

 

Wishing you relief soon

 

Debbie x

[Barbarannamated]

Amy,

ALL of what you describe has been my experience also - crying uncontrollably over things in the past, wanting to recapture and make up for lost time, etc. Your emotions were put in a deep freeze for those years and they are coming to the surface now. It's very disconcerting but very "normal" for what our brains have gone through.

Here's one discussion:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2319-urgency-to-reclaim-lifemake-up-for-lost-time/page__fromsearch__

It sounds like your husband is supportive and pointing you in a good direction - forward!

 

More detailed advice will be offered shortly.

 

Welcome to the group.

[tezza]

Welcome to the site, Amy. I agree with what Debbie x and Barb said. You will get lots of support and good advice here. {{{hugs}}}

[Altostrata]

Hi, Amy, welcome.

 

On one hand, you may be re-experiencing what it's like to have feelings after being anesthetized by Prozac for so long.

 

On the other hand, you might have some subtle withdrawal symptoms that showed up after the last Prozac was finally out of your system. I'm concerned about the irritability and sense of dread.

 

What you might do is take a very small amount of Prozac, such as 1mg-2mg and see if those symptoms go away. Stay on it for maybe a month, then taper very, very slowly. You can use liquid Prozac to do this. See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/759-tips-for-tapering-off-prozac-fluoxetine/