sandman79: Prozac and lexapro

[sandman79]

Does this usually go away after withdrawl 

[sandman79]

Does this usually go away after withdrawl . I was thinking about trying nigella sativa seeds also. I read @giak had success with this and really helped her. But wasn't for sure if anyone had tried this and what dosage . I used to take the seeds couple years ago. 

[Sebas]

22 hours ago, sandman79 said:

Maybe the senna wasn't a good idea? Or the prune juice didn't agree with me? Maybe one of them made me feel sick

 

Do not underestimate the potency of medicinal herbs and also some fruits (!). They can be full of all kinds of ingredients like (powerful) vitamins, anti inflammatory, antioxidants. Anything you add out of the normal regular diet can <given CNS has become destabilized> become a new conflict to CNS stability.

 

When constipated you might try to drink lukewarm water, with a tiny sip of lemon or orange juice. No herbs or supplements. 

 

Have you phased out the hydroxizine?

 

Bye Sebas

[Sebas]

31 minutes ago, sandman79 said:

was thinking about trying nigella sativa seeds also

Strongly advice not to. The anti inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant effect is very likely to mess up withdrawal in current situation. 

[sandman79]

I have phased out hydroxyzine when you told me to. I have been kind of itchy today but not bad. Off and on. The hive or whatever it was went away in an hour or less. What do you think I should do ? And if it is a histamine does that usually get fixed after the withdrawl ends. Only thing I ate today was some plain yogurt with honey like every morning. Had a handful of peanuts couple hours later . About an 1.5 later I noticed the hive. But none since 

[sandman79]

@Emonda if it is histamine does this go away with time 

[sandman79]

And another question. I know you said reinstating could be dangerous. And I agree, but would it be better to taper to not deal with the withdrawl . I am not sure my self don't have the knowledge like you guys do. I have only been on a few and not as long as a lot of people on here. I do want to.thank you guys for the insight and knowledge. I ask a lot of questions cause I have no clue what to do and when to do it. Especially when new things can pop up at anytime. Then it's like here we go again. Now how do i combat this. Just never would have thought i would be dealing with symptoms this long after ..  

[sandman79]

Only thing I am taking now is fish oil,3 times a day. magnesium glycinate usually before bed around 75 mg .. might go up in dosage .. it does seem to help some with sleep. I eat yogurt plain. Ginger tea usually 1 time a day but sometimes 2. Sometimes melatonin but not often. Try to eat healthy as I can. Fish chicken vegetables. Oats gluten free pancakes. I used to eat eggs but when I was on prozac I couldn't eat them for some reason have had any since April 2024 was scared to try.  I am a little itchy today. So I don't know if i should have a test for histamine or if this is just part of the process.  

[Ariel]

Hi @sandman79

 

4 hours ago, sandman79 said:

I have phased out hydroxyzine when you told me to.

 

Are you currently taking any drugs, and if so, which ones?

Are you drug-free?

Please update your drug signature to accurately reflect current status.

This will help moderators and other members better assist you.

 

 

[sandman79]

Only thing I am taking is fish oil 3 times a day. I take magnesium glycinate around 75 to 100 mg at night. Sometimes throughout the day but also rare.  And sometimes small amount of melatonin to help sleep. Ginger tea couple times a day but not everyday. Pepto for nausea when occurs which also is not everyday nausea is getting better Tums sometimes for nausea. Which is not all the time, rarely. So the most I take is fish oil and magnesium glycinate on a daily basis. .

[sandman79]

8 hours ago, Ariel said:

Hi @sandman79

 

 

Are you currently taking any drugs, and if so, which ones?

Are you drug-free?

Please update your drug signature to accurately reflect current status.

This will help moderators and other members better assist you.

 

 

I have put the info on profile. I guess waiting for it to be approved. Not sure if I did it right. I stopped hydroxyzine July 22nd . I didn't know if it could from not taking it anymore? 

[sandman79]

13 hours ago, Sebas said:

Strongly advice not to. The anti inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant effect is very likely to mess up withdrawal in current situation. 

I stopped hydroxyzine on July 22. And I took benadryl everyday from June 9  for 2 to 3 weeks. cause I read it helped .  What i have read it has all these symptoms also?  So I haven't been on any drugs since July 22. Other the supplements I have mentioned

[Ariel]

Hi @sandman79

 

1 hour ago, sandman79 said:

I have put the info on profile. I guess waiting for it to be approved. Not sure if I did it right.

 

I don't see that your drug signature has been successfully updated. 

Here are the instructions, in case it's useful to review.

 

[sandman79]

11 minutes ago, Ariel said:

Hi @sandman79

 

 

I don't see that your drug signature has been successfully updated. 

Here are the instructions, in case it's useful to review.

 

July 22 stopped hydroxyzine since then I have only taken magnesium glycinate it's a 300mg pill but cut it down . Usually take around 75mg at night . Also fish oil 1200 mg has 600 mg of epa dha. I take it around 3 times a day. Vitamin e 400 in the morning. If I feel nausea I usually take some ginger tea not everyday. I take pepto bismol if it's real bad it helps a lot but only take occasionally. Also tums helps a little. I do have melatonin very small dose probably like .3 what you guys recommend on here. And inhave taken it 3 to 4 times cause I have had trouble with sleep here recently.  

[Catwoman73]

Histamine sensitivity, like all other withdrawal effects, can and often does fade with time.  I would give the low histamine diet a shot, to see if it helps.  

 

I know these allergic-type reactions can be extremely uncomfortable.  Personally, I can take very occasional doses of Claritin with no negative effects.  If you are in really bad shape with itching, you could certainly try something like that- I would just recommend that you start with a low dose to see how your body reacts to it.  I started with 1/4 of a Claritin tablet, and worked my way up to a full tablet with no issues during the spring allergy season (I have very severe seasonal allergies).  Summer has been ok for me- no real issues with allergies.  Fall is often my worst time however, so I suspect I will have to reintroduce the Claritin at some point.  It's important to take it slow, because the non-sedating antihistamines can be a bit stimulating for those of us in withdrawal, and can result in lost sleep, anxiety, etc.  So just start low and go slow if you feel you need to take something.  

[sandman79]

I have been having a lot of brain fog in the mornings for 4 or so hours.  Today had terrible brain fog along with feeling sick nausea. I started to have some bowel movements and brain fog lifted. I feel like my issue is in my guts. With this brain fog and nausea. I am thinking my ibs is not good and causing a lot of these issues. Of course I have never had brain fog before these drugs or nausea. But now it's amplified. I am earing pretty clean also. I have a gi appointment the 29th. Hopefully he can tell me something. This brain fog and nausea is terrible. 

[Catwoman73]

Keep in mind that serotonin is made mostly in the gut.  So it makes perfect sense that your GI system is in chaos right now, after coming off of prozac and lexapro.  It will take time to heal.  Maybe more time than most, simply because you have a history of IBS anyway.  I doubt your GI will have any insight, as the vast majority of doctors have no clue how these drugs impact our overall health, and how difficult withdrawal can be.   That's not to say it's not worth seeing him to rule out other causes of your symptoms, if you have concerns. But it could be that you just walk out of that appointment with yet another prescription... sadly, it's the pharmaceutical companies that seem to drive our healthcare.  Not investigation into root causes of our problems, and solving those issues. Keep up with the clean, whole foods diet and stay hydrated.  These things certainly help facilitate healing. 

 

As for morning brain fog- I hear you!  I am most certainly at my worst in the mornings too.  I try to take comfort in the fact that I do typically get some relief in the evenings.  I've just had to reorganize my days a little bit.  Mornings are pretty unproductive now (I typically don't even get out of bed until 11:00 anymore), and I spend my evenings getting things done that require any brain power.  Yes, it kinda stinks, and it's not fair that a drug prescribed to us by the medical practitioners we are supposed to trust has caused this, but it is what it is.  We just have to adapt, and allow time for healing.  I'm so sorry you're struggling though- it is NOT much fun, I know. ❤️‍🩹

[Sebas]

58 minutes ago, Catwoman73 said:

Keep in mind that serotonin is made mostly in the gut.  So it makes perfect sense that your GI system is in chaos right now, after coming off of prozac and lexapro.  It will take time to heal.  Maybe more time than most, simply because you have a history of IBS anyway.  I doubt your GI will have any insight, as the vast majority of doctors have no clue how these drugs impact our overall health, and how difficult withdrawal can be.

Well that's exactly my opinion too. Don't focus too much on wd symptoms, there can be lots of them. Fighting them with supplements is no good strategy. It's just your system being busy healing.

 

1 hour ago, Catwoman73 said:

But it could be that you just walk out of that appointment with yet another prescription.

Exactly. 

 

Everytime you (occasionaly) take a sup or medicinal herb, like the ones you mention, it may disturb healing process. Less is more my friend. I'm saying this from years of experience. 

 

Bye Sebas

 

 

[Sebas]

2 hours ago, sandman79 said:

I have been having a lot of brain fog

 

2 hours ago, sandman79 said:

But now it's amplified.

This is what i mean.

 

4 hours ago, sandman79 said:

July 22 stopped hydroxyzine

This may also take some time for CNS to process.

[sandman79]

22 minutes ago, Sebas said:

 

This is what i mean.

 

This may also take some time for CNS to process.

I stopped when you advised me to. Is hydroxyzine known to make you nauseous? And brain fog ? Cause gi issues

[sandman79]

44 minutes ago, Sebas said:

Well that's exactly my opinion too. Don't focus too much on wd symptoms, there can be lots of them. Fighting them with supplements is no good strategy. It's just your system being busy healing.

 

Exactly. 

 

Everytime you (occasionaly) take a sup or medicinal herb, like the ones you mention, it may disturb healing process. Less is more my friend. I'm saying this from years of experience. 

 

Bye Sebas

 

 

I am doing my best and following your advice . The brain fog and nausea is just rough . Do you have any of these syptoms? And how do you get by. And what do you do to help nausea and especially insomnia

[sandman79]

Is ginger tea a bad idea? I no melatonin is a risk. What about pepto bismol or tums? Pepto really helps with nausea. Usually take it once and helps a lot. And that's not everyday. How long can hydroxyzine give you symptoms? 

[Catwoman73]

Ginger tea is perfectly fine, and can be very helpful for nausea.  

 

Too much pepto or tums can cause you to have paradoxical diarrhea... I found this out the hard way, many years ago, when I started using tums like a calcium supplement.  Couldn't figure out why my bowels were so liquidy... then I did some research.  So I would be super careful, and use these very sparingly.  

 

I think the hydroxyzine is just a small part of your issue- I think it's the rapid switches and additions of all the drugs in a very short period of time that is really causing you problems.  Your nervous system is just out of balance, and trying to find homeostasis again.  Sebas is right- less is more.  Trust your body to heal, because it will.  That's how we're designed!

 

Hydroxyzine is actually typically used to TREAT nausea, but it also has an effect on neurotransmitters, and as a result, is used off label for anxiety sometimes.  It is this effect on the neurotransmitters that make us say that it's a very bad idea to take it- taking anything that impacts the neurotransmitters while you are destabilized is very likely to make things worse in the long run.  And it most certainly has not been studied in the context of SSRI withdrawal.  The unknowns around taking a medication like this do not make it worthwhile when your nervous system is destabilized. It seems that coming off of it, even after only short term use, has caused you to have rebound nausea.  It will clear with time, but the complexities of healing the nervous system make it so we really can't say how long it will take.  It know it's awful- I only have nausea once in a while, and it's brutal!  

 

Other things you may want to consider- fish oil at high doses, can cause nausea and heartburn.  I'm not sure how quickly you introduced your fish oil, but three doses per day might just be too much, and might be contributing to nausea.  Start low and go super slow, even with our recommended supplements- they are not predictable when in withdrawal!

[Sebas]

2 hours ago, sandman79 said:

. The brain fog and nausea is just rough . Do you have any of these syptoms? And how do you get by. And what do you do to help nausea and especially insomnia

 

I know a thing or two about feeling sick yeah. I don't do anything, have learned to accept wd symptoms, without trying to beat them. I try not to pay much attention to them. Just take best care of myself and move on. 

 

Bye Sebas

 

 

[sandman79]

I didn't mean that in a bad way at all. I hope you didn't take that the wrong way . I apologize if you did. I know you have been through the ringer and I do appreciate when you do comment back. It makes my day. Cause I know you have alot of information and I don't know how you know all this stuff. I am sorry if I am asking a lot . But I am just worried cause this is hell.. any and all input is amazing.. from everyone 

[sandman79]

And I was gonna ask another question. Should I be worried about weight loss. I had tests a moth ago (blood work) dr said white blood cell was elevated just a little but wasn't concerned. I am eating a little. I found that gluten free pancakes are pretty good. So eating them and hopefully gonna put on some weight. 

[Sebas]

48 minutes ago, sandman79 said:

I didn't mean that in a bad way at all. I hope you didn't take that the wrong way . I apologize if you did.

No i didn't 👍.

 

48 minutes ago, sandman79 said:

Cause I know you have alot of information and I don't know how you know all this stuff

It's a combination of 5 years of intense wd experience, self education, my GF is a nutritionist and i've always been interested in health and physiology. 

 

43 minutes ago, sandman79 said:

Should I be worried about weight loss.

Weight changes are related to ssri. Google "weight loss and ssri" and you'ff find several sources. 

 

Goodnight Sebas

 

 

 

[sandman79]

Also I wanted to say that I forgot to say I was on cholesterol meds but I haven't taken them since I stated having withdrawls. It was creator 10 mg. I only took every other day. But havent taken them since beginning of June 

[sandman79]

Well I had a dr appointment today. Wasn't my regular dr but I explained to her that I didn't have any of these symptoms until I started these meds and after stopping them cold turkey she told me it was such a low dose and not that long on them so it shouldn't be in my system. I told her that I have found many people that have had issues like this from not being on them long at all. She told me that I needed to take something for anxiety cause she could tell. She told that I should take a clonzapam and see if it helps. I said I am not taking that cause that's y I am feeling terrible. She is doing some blood work to check stuff.  I told her that when I started taking this stuff it is when all these problems started. But apparently she doesn't believe me. Thinks I need the meds.. 

[Catwoman73]

6 minutes ago, sandman79 said:

Well I had a dr appointment today. Wasn't my regular dr but I explained to her that I didn't have any of these symptoms until I started these meds and after stopping them cold turkey she told me it was such a low dose and not that long on them so it shouldn't be in my system. I told her that I have found many people that have had issues like this from not being on them long at all. She told me that I needed to take something for anxiety cause she could tell. She told that I should take a clonzapam and see if it helps. I said I am not taking that cause that's y I am feeling terrible. She is doing some blood work to check stuff.  I told her that when I started taking this stuff it is when all these problems started. But apparently she doesn't believe me. Thinks I need the meds.. 

 

OMG.  I'm so sorry you had that experience.  There's nothing worse than being gaslit when you already feel like garbage.  Sadly, this is a pretty standard interaction with the majority of doctors- always wanting to throw more pills at us, without fully understanding how much worse that will make things in the long run, and sometimes, even in the short term!  

 

I would show her the SERT occupancy curves for these drugs if you ever interact with her again- these curves show that there really are no 'low' doses.  Very low doses have massive effects on the brain.  That's why coming off the last few milligrams is so hard- even tiny cuts mean that large numbers of receptors in the brain are affected. 

 

SERT Transporter Occupancy Studies Show the Importance of Hyperbolic Tapering

 

I know that the UK and Australia both have updated guidelines on tapering- Australia's are much more recent.  You could also look up those guidelines and show physicians that.  I wonder when we'll finally get on board here in North America lol!!  

 

Hang in there @sandman79!  You're doing just fine. ❤️‍🩹

[sandman79]

20 hours ago, sandman79 said:

Also I wanted to say that I forgot to say I was on cholesterol meds but I haven't taken them since I stated having withdrawls. It was creator 10 mg. I only took every other day. But havent taken them since beginning of June 

Crestor sorry

[sandman79]

Also I wanted to ask a question. Why was when I was on hydroxyzine after stopping lexapro and prozac. That it felt I had more windows more often and wasn't as much nauseated? But when I did take it it knocked me out and didnt have trouble sleeping Now that I am off of it since july 22nd sleep isn't as good noticed more brain fog and more nausea. I mean it helped but didn't.  Just weird

[sandman79]

3 hours ago, Catwoman73 said:

 

OMG.  I'm so sorry you had that experience.  There's nothing worse than being gaslit when you already feel like garbage.  Sadly, this is a pretty standard interaction with the majority of doctors- always wanting to throw more pills at us, without fully understanding how much worse that will make things in the long run, and sometimes, even in the short term!  

 

I would show her the SERT occupancy curves for these drugs if you ever interact with her again- these curves show that there really are no 'low' doses.  Very low doses have massive effects on the brain.  That's why coming off the last few milligrams is so hard- even tiny cuts mean that large numbers of receptors in the brain are affected. 

 

SERT Transporter Occupancy Studies Show the Importance of Hyperbolic Tapering

 

I know that the UK and Australia both have updated guidelines on tapering- Australia's are much more recent.  You could also look up those guidelines and show physicians that.  I wonder when we'll finally get on board here in North America lol!!  

 

Hang in there @sandman79!  You're doing just fine. ❤️‍🩹

I couldn't believe it really. I threw everything at her. She said the meds are out of your system and there isn't anything to withdrawl from. I said then why is there so many people having the same issues as me that I have found online. She said maybe people that have been on them for a long time. She said she was going to take my phone so I couldn't read anymore. She was reading back my file and said you have said you had anxiety in the past and told your doctor. I said yes when my mother was going through cancer and after she passed I had a few episodes. But I never had anxiety or anything like this till I started these drugs. I tried these for ibs cause said that they helped some people but it made everything worse. She told.me I needed to go home tonight and try a clonazepam cause I was anxious. Lol. And she was a younger dr. Told her i justice wanted someone to listen to my story and understand my side. I told her no doctors want to hear this side of it and dont want to try. My other dr actually listened and tried to understand 

[Catwoman73]

Good for you for standing up for yourself!!!  That takes a lot of courage.  You should be proud of yourself.  I tend to be very non-confrontational these days- I think two years of dealing with gaslighting from long covid has worn me down.  I'm going to take inspiration from you, and tell my doctor how it is next time I see him!!!

 

It's like they're reading from a script... it really blows my mind that people who are smart enough to be admitted to medical school, finish the program and become actual doctors have such closed minds.  Its insane. 

[Sebas]

3 hours ago, sandman79 said:

Also I wanted to ask a question. Why was when I was on hydroxyzine after stopping lexapro and prozac. That it felt I had more windows more often and wasn't as much nauseated? But when I did take it it knocked me out and didnt have trouble sleeping Now that I am off of it since july 22nd sleep isn't as good noticed more brain fog and more nausea. I mean it helped but didn't.  Just weird

It may have partly covered up the lexapro and prozac wd which has now become more manifest.

 

This is important cause your body can now start healing from lexapro and prozac wd without any other source interfering. For this same reason it's important not to add supplements.

 

Good thing you stood up at your doctor today. Never forget they are the ones that got you in this challenging situation - for no obvious reason - in the first place. Next time suggest a role play. You be the doctor and she be the one put on prozac, lexapro, hydroxizine and clonazepam in short time frame.

 

It's really unbelievable. I suspect they receive commission from big pharma.

 

The nausea and brain fog will eventually become less. It's nothing more than a sign your body is still recovering from serotonine disbalance. Over the years i have kept an album full of wd nausea selfies on my smartphone. 

 

Bye Sebas

.

 

 

[sandman79]

Thanks again my friend.. it really is surprising they don't want to understand our side. She was more worried about people that have been on long term. But kind of blew me off like it couldn't happen.