sandycove Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 My telemedicine doctor has prescribed me Fluvoxamine because it has been shown helpful in preventing long-hauler's covid. I plan on taking this SSRI for no more than two weeks. HOWEVER, I am concerned that I might develop withdrawal problems from even this short time on the drug. Has anyone had problems coming off an SSRI (any SSRI is relevant) after only two weeks on the drug? I am a survivor of Benzo withdrawal and I never want to go through anything like that again. Link to comment
Moderator Onmyway Posted May 10, 2022 Moderator Share Posted May 10, 2022 Hi @sandycove, thanks for coming to SA. This is a good question. I think there was one person who had trouble with fluvoxamine which she took for Covid. Let me try to see if others can remember their username. There are potentially two things that could go wrong with short term use - an immediate adverse reaction and withdrawal. We don't know what the likelihood is of either. One thing that worries me is that you have been on benzos before and have had a hard time coming off of them. We find that the more we have been on and off psych drugs, the more sensitive our nervous system to new introductions, what is commonly known as kindling. You know your risk tolerance best but if it were me, I wouldn't touch any psych drugs. Not sure if this helps, OMW "Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. Aug 2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used) Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up) September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0 Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering) citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg, 7/27/19 -1.5 mg, 8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted May 10, 2022 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 10, 2022 Hi sandycove and welcome to SA from me as well. I wanted to say that I agree with Onmyway. If it was me, I would definitely not be taking a psychiatric drug in this instance. This might be the member that @Onmyway was referring to: shury * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
sandycove Posted May 10, 2022 Author Share Posted May 10, 2022 Thank you both, Onmyway and Chessiecat. Shury's post was exactly what I was wanting to know. I thought maybe I could get away with it since it's "only" two weeks, but this is not worth the risk for me. I had not heard the term kindling, but that makes complete sense to me because I seem to be more sensitive to many substances since benzos. Even my first dose of fluvoxamine tonight (50mg) and I can tell this stuff is toxic. You helped me dodge a bullet. Thank you. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted May 10, 2022 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 10, 2022 You are very welcome. I'm glad that we were able to provide you with the information you wanted/needed. Thank you, too, for letting us know of your experience with only one dose. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 13, 2022 Administrator Share Posted May 13, 2022 Hello, @sandycove Do you have covid? To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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