ElaineM: Need advice on fluxotine withdrawal

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM I thought you reinstated about a month ago. Did you stick with the reinstatement? If yes maybe you could update your drug signature. I think your body is just trying to heal from the CT and being pregnant also puts more demands on your system. Just keep being kind to yourself, don't overdo it, time is a great healer. ♥️

[ElaineM]

Thank you for the encouragement ❤️ Up again… got like 5 hours of sleep last night, couldn’t take a nap really and now I basically haven’t slept any yet and it’s 1:30. I can’t go on like this so either I need to up my reinstatement to 2 or I need to go back on meds or something. Any thoughts. I really don’t want to go back on meds but this is probably about as bad for my body.

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM the problem is you were put into withdrawal from the too fast taper of Prozac from your doctor. The drug just won't work the same any more because your central nervous system has been majorly affected by this so it is working overtime to try to adjust. Adding more drug will just start the process over again and probably not for the better. I tried that myself before I found this site and it wasn't good. My body massively rebelled against going higher with vomiting, dry heaving, the inability to stand up straight.... And as you experienced, going to a different drug doesn't get rid of the withdrawal and adds more side effects. Your body is sensitized and all you can do is accept and heal. If you were dealing with a physical illness you would give yourself time and understanding. In many ways this is harder because from the outside we look fine and therefore think we should be fine. Have you read the thread on insomnia? Some good tips. Also you may benefit from lavender oil. Studies have shown it is as effective as Ativan/lorezapam. Search it on this site as well. 

[LostInCanada]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19962288/

As with all supplements go with small amounts, it is recommended just 3drops in water. It can take up to an hour to feel the effect. Use sparingly. Are you trying melatonin, just 0.33mg an hour before bed. No devices in the evening. Blackout blinds, etc. Listening to calming music. Reading a paper book.

[ElaineM]

I take 1 mg of melatonin. I just don’t know if this is withdrawal or not… Everyone else acts like they are super sensitive to supplements and stuff. I can take tons of stuff and my stomach don’t bother me. and actually I dont really know if a other ssri would have helped or not, I only took it 2 nights.

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM I can't imagine when I read the effects of these drugs, the black box warning, and what has happened to me from them why anyone would think they have any benefit but that is something you will have to decide. I wouldn't wish this journey on anyone. Your symptoms are classic WD, you just fortunately found this site before it got worse. I don't have supplement sensitivity either but insomnia, anxiety, nausea are classic.

[ElaineM]

I don’t want to go back on but It is hard to function and a wife and mom.

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM I am struggling daily too. None of us signed up for this insanity. Wish there was a quick fix. ♥️

[ElaineM]

thank you for being so sweet! so would you recommend upping my meds to 2nd or leaving it where it is?

[LostInCanada]

On 4/24/2023 at 11:57 AM, manymoretodays said:

That would be fine.  As fluoxetine has that long half life we'd want to wait and see.......a week, and then maybe a little longer to see if it helped.  No rush to get off if it helped with your symptoms.  And after week one or longer......it might be worth a little updose too, like maybe to 2 mg.  Once you've had a couple of months feeling stable and like it is all manageable then you would taper off that reinstatement dose.

Do you think the reinstatement has helped at all? @manymoretodaysis quoted above. You could try updosing but I would do 1.5 mg max and see if that helps since a little goes a long way. Be aware it may not help but if it is worse go back immediately to 1mg. @manymoretodays what do you think?

[manymoretodays]

21 hours ago, ElaineM said:

I did rectory get pregnant…maybe that’s messing it up but it just never has been very consistent… I don’t want to sound complainy but it is hard to plan out activities or go on vacations. Lack of sleep is really hard on me. Makes me feel sick and I get anxious and cry a lot. Hoping it gets better soon… I just don’t get why I can’t take naps either

  

Thanks LostInCanada......I am in and out today.  Caught me.  🙂

@ElaineM  and referring to what I quoted.  Did you mean you recently got pregnant?  You can edit your posts apparently up to 20 minutes after you submit for members.  And do before submitting reply try to proof it a bit.  I thought I saw LostInCanada explain further on editing and so won't repeat here.

 

If so, and you are preggers.......... congratulations!

 

And then I am reading, and do correct me if wrong......your ?2 other kids are now out of school, and you are wanting badly to be "normal"(whatever that might be, possibly an illusion....lol).  Also you are wanting to fully participate in family vacations, including driving, and planning.

In any case some situation demands do seem to be at play.

 

Great advice from LostInCanada on minimizing melatonin to just what you find works for you, which may well be less than 1 mg.

And also on if you do elect to do a teeny updose from the 1 mg of Prozac, that you only do it by a 0.5 mg dosage increase.

I'll just add that it might well be a full week or more until your body registers a nice steady state of that dose too.  So........be patient if you opt for that.

 

Sounds to me, and especially if just now in early pregnancy, that you might just ride it out for a little longer before doing a teeny updose.  Early pregnancy, as you know can hit one with overwhelming emotions and feelings.  And then if the other kids are out of school, anyone on drugs or not, in WD or not.......would surely be feeling the increase of stress hormones.  Planning vacations-same.  Worrying about driving-same.  And could you not arrange to not drive or only drive on the non-traffic laden stretches so you could help given your present limitations due to WD and associated emotions and feelings?  A night or 2 of interrupted sleep- same, a stressor.  Yet not the end of the world or significant that this will continue forever. 

Sleep hygiene, sleep tips, adjusting melatonin might all do the trick.  Especially if your hormones are shifted into early pregnancy whackiness, as they so often can be.

 

Updating your signature is easy.  Here is the direct link that should take you to yours:  AccountSettings/profile/signature

Please get the year, month, day and name of your drug and dose reinstated in there ASAP.

 

Hopefully congrats on that "rectory get pregnant"!  Got to laugh as sometimes my own posts do come out sounding like I never learned grammar or spelling.  The nature of the internet these days, and internet forums limitations.  Wish we were all united in person sometimes for more of the "human" and "humanity" effect to why we are all here on site.

 

My 10 cents of input.

 

To wellness.  rapid healing,

L, P, H, and G,

mmt

 

links to more information on sleep tips, and melatonin:

Tips to help sleep:........

Melatonin

Edited May 27, 2023 by manymoretodays

[ElaineM]

hello, thank you so much for getting back to me. I have one daughter that’s a year and a half and no she didn’t go to any school or daycare. Sorry it was confusing. I’m just saying that it’s very hard to be a mom and wife when you’re struggling so much with sleep and anxiety. and I was saying it’s hard to plan out your schedule or even want to go on vacations because you might not be able to sleep and feel miserable the whole time. and of course the more anxious I am about getting sleep the worse I sleep! And yes I am pregnant so that probably has something to do with not sleeping. I never did get to a point were I was always sleeping good but I was doing ok but then it’s hitting bad again.

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM have you read about waves and windows on here as well? Try not to compare how you felt during your first pregnancy with this one. Even without WD, each one is so different. ♥️ Acceptance and deep breaths.

[Altostrata]

For withdrawal syndrome, 5 hours of sleep is not bad. Being able to take naps at all is pretty good.

 

14 hours ago, ElaineM said:

And yes I am pregnant so that probably has something to do with not sleeping. I never did get to a point were I was always sleeping good but I was doing ok but then it’s hitting bad again.

 

If this is a natural result of your pregnancy, you may have to wait it out until it goes away. 

 

Many people find these to be helpful:

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

You might try a low dose of one at a time to see what it does for you.

[ElaineM]

I really haven’t been able to nap lately. and yes I already take magnesium and fish oil!l. Thanks for the input! Have a good evening!

[ElaineM]

Hello,

    It seems like every time I have plans the next day in the morning I get anxiety and can’t sleep. This does not seem like withdrawal to me at all! thoughts?? 

[Shep]

30 minutes ago, ElaineM said:

Hello,

    It seems like every time I have plans the next day in the morning I get anxiety and can’t sleep. This does not seem like withdrawal to me at all! thoughts?? 

 

If insomnia is a withdrawal symptom for you, than not being able to sleep is to be expected. However, if you feel that your anxious thoughts are also in play, then it may help to work on managing your thought-streams so they don't spiral into catastrophic thinking and keep you awake. Also, your pregnancy may also be affecting your ability to sleep, as well. 

[ElaineM]

It seems like I am just more anxious when I have plans the next day and have to get up at a certain time… I think it is anxiety. Honestly as time goes on and I continue to struggle with sleep Im starting to wonder if lack of sleep is just as bad if not worse than being in meds and maybe I should just go back on. Im stubborn though and don’t want to but this is majorly affecting my quality of life.

 

they say ssri’s might cause memory problems later on in life but guess what… so does lack of sleep.

[Shep]

14 minutes ago, ElaineM said:

It seems like I am just more anxious when I have plans the next day and have to get up at a certain time… I think it is anxiety. Honestly as time goes on and I continue to struggle with sleep Im starting to wonder if lack of sleep is just as bad if not worse than being in meds and maybe I should just go back on. Im stubborn though and don’t want to but this is majorly affecting my quality of life.

 

they say ssri’s might cause memory problems later on in life but guess what… so does lack of sleep.

 

Please work on the non-drug coping skills. If you haven't already done so, reach out to family and friends to get assistance with the day-to-day obligations. If you're taking on tasks that others can do, by all means delegate those tasks. If you're making plans that you don't need to do, than I would get out of those plans. 

 

If you wish to resume what psychiatry refers to as a "therapeutic dose," please work closely with your doctor, not an online forum. You are pregnant and we don't know all there is about the effects this can have on your baby.

 

This is beyond what online peer support can help out with. 

[Shep]

@ElaineM Before you make a decision regarding these drugs, you may want to take this free class offered by the Mad in America site, which comes highly recommended here for giving people informed consent on these drugs:

 

Antidepressants & Pregnancy - The risks and potential harm to normal fetal development

 

This is information you can use to discuss what is right for you and your baby with your doctor. 

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM these drugs make us emotionless and we never learn coping skills when we stay on them. They also can poop out at anytime and then the situation is worse. You can now be in control of this taper in the best way. You need to accept as I have had to, that it's okay to be an anxious person. It is just our overproduction of adrenaline. It won't hurt us. Accept, don't fight it, relax, allow time. It takes practice. Please read Claire Weekes. She is a bit outdated in reference to tranquilizers but her explanation of anxiety is spot on. You can do this  ❤️

[ElaineM]

I’m aware that meds is probably not the best option but I’ve tried so many things and I’m getting really weary! Thank you so much for your help! I do appreciate it!

[ElaineM]

Also I still had emotions when on meds and honestly I thrived on them! they worked really well for me! I still struggled with some anxiety but it was better! I truely don’t want to go back on but I am running out of options and it isn’t worth it to keep living the way I have been! I am still planning on giving it longer but if this continues I don’t feel I have tons of other options. 

[ElaineM]

could taking a whole milligram of melatonin be causing sleep problems?

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM yes it can. I take .25 mg. That seems to be enough for me. Funny thing with supplements is they can be fine and then all of a sudden cause issues. What dose of Prozac are you taking now? How have you been?

[ElaineM]

still only 1 mg of prozac. And still not sleeping well😓 maybe I should take less melatonin. I am taking 1 mg so maybe that’s not helping. I’m so sporadic…i can sleep good one night and bad the next. I’m thankful for the good nights but my body is so confused. I’m thinking about going and seeing a naturopathic doctor for this sleep problem. I don’t really want to spend the money though and am hesitant about it even helping if its withdrawal🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve been off now 4.5 months and am hoping this is close to being over😭😭

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM I am just over the 6 month reinstatement and am finally feeling much better. My sleep is still an issue but it seems 90 minute wake ups are becoming more like 2 hours now. I still have nights where it can be every hour I wake which is frustrating so I get it. Do you go to bed at the same time every night? Do you get off devices 2 hours before bed? Do you try to eat at least 2 hours before bed? I find also if I do too much physically in the day, I can't sleep that night. It overstimulates for sure. Are you staying caffeine free ( including chocolate 😭), artificial sweeteners are bad as is msg and too much sugar. 

[ElaineM]

I have a small bit of caffeine in morning and that’s usually it but i’ve had days i do caffeine and days i don’t and i’m not convinced either affects me. I don’t eat much chocolate… I don’t do great with the screen thing but I used to sleep just fine with screens, plus I turn my phone to nighttime mode (and have even went into setting and turned the red way up) so I feel like that makes it better than normal. I also don’t do great at the same time every night going to bed but I also feel like that could cause me anxiety and make it worse possibly🤷🏻‍♀️

[ElaineM]

When I read stuff like yours.. waking up every hour.. that just makes me depressed. I know some people can handle it and deal with it but I really struggle…Even before I went off my meds if I didn’t get enough sleep I would feel gross. I’m one of those people that require solid sleep or I feel achy, my mood is bad, and it’s just not a good deal. I’m trying to hold out but I’m getting pretty depressed.

[ElaineM]

also I get hungry so bad at night so I would have to eat something before going to bed if I ate two hours before bed.

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM being hungry definitely doesn't help sleep either. I used to get so nauseated and the shakes from lack of sleep. Some days that still happens but I don't have a baby to care for so I can be useless for a day. I don't know if you read any of Claire Weekes but I love how she breaks down anxiety to just being too much adrenaline, it can't hurt you. Face it, accept it, float (basically relax the body consciously like when you float in the pool) and let time pass'. This helps me when trying to sleep. Are you able to get some sunshine in the morning? Later in the day is a problem for some. I think you just need a bit more time and  some deep breathing before bed might help.

[ElaineM]

i’m confused… sunlight later in the day is a problem for some?! Is that what you meant?

[LostInCanada]

5 minutes ago, ElaineM said:

i’m confused… sunlight later in the day is a problem for some?! Is that what you meant?

Yes, I guess early morning sunshine is better for the circadian rhythm.

[ElaineM]

hmm weird…I don’t know.. sometimes it seems there are so many little details that just don’t really work😂🙈

[LostInCanada]

@ElaineM lol...I think the key is anything can help or hinder or have no effect. If you find something that helps embrace it and if something hurts then avoid it. Writing a journal with any changes in routine, diet, etc is useful to pinpoint things if necessary. Other than that it is patience, acceptance, time. What choice do we have when this whole WD thing is virtually unknown, unexplored, untreatable with regard to the medical field.

[ElaineM]

I’m not sure but I don’t feel like being the guinea pig😂😂