Cam003: Godawful side effects from only 5 pills of Prozac 20mg each: still feeling minor effects of it 2 months later

[Cam003]

Hi, the name is Cameron. I've known for a long time that I've had anxiety, but it wasn't until recently that I put my foot down with Kaiser to get me medication so I can get proper help for it. I've tried meditation and the like, but it's only done a minuscule job of helping me overall.

 

Short version: Prescribed 20mg Prozac. Had horrible side effects, like visual demonic-looking hallucinations, increased anxiety/heart rate, and insomnia. Only took 5 pills. Had to take Ativan/Lorazepam to get me to sleep to alleviate the side effects after 48 hours of no sleep. Had a second 'episode' one month later despite not taking any more pills for that whole month; alcohol and caffeine in the 48 hours leading up to it may have had something to do with the second episode possibly. Can't think of any other reason why it happened again. Am feeling okay in present day but really want to connect with people who experienced the same or similar thing as me and need clarity on why this is happening despite only taking 5 pills. 

 

Long version: Was prescribed 20mg of Prozac by my doctor. First prescription/medication I've EVER taken in my entire life. Yes, I realize how heavy of a dose this is being my first time ever, but I trusted in my doctor so I didn't question it at the start. I figured since he was a doctor, he knew what he was doing. 

 

The pills worked. My anxiety decreased and I felt great (except for severe stomach pains on day 3)...but then day 4 hit. I couldn't sleep at all on night 4. I brushed it off and figured it was just a side effect that'll go away, and I can handle not sleeping for one night. But then the next night happened, and I couldn't sleep again. I was starting to get scared. I was beginning to see visual hallucinations that looked like faint demonic-looking entities popping in and out of my vision every so often. When I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, I saw these demonic-looking entities forming and morphing into geometric shapes then back into those entities. I tried my best to keep calm...but I knew deep down something wasn't right here.

 

I called Kaiser ER that night and told them my situation. They said that they wouldn't take me into the ER simply because I was going on a second night of no sleep, and that I should change taking the pills from evening to morning (my doctor originally instructed me to take them that night), but one nurse DID point out to me that it was strange that my doctor prescribed me Prozac and not a psychiatrist, and that the standard procedure was going to a psychiatrist to get medication and NOT through your doctor. But, they put my name in the system to contact me during the day to figure out a gameplan with the side effects.

 

After that phone call, I still couldn't sleep. Morning came. I noticed my heart was beating more rapidly than usual and that the hallucinations were occurring more frequently in my vision. I went to work still, hoping that the side effects would dissipate eventually...but man, it somehow got worse.

 

E-mailed my doctor about my symptoms worsening and about getting no sleep, which I think was making the hallucinations more prominent than they would've been. Got a response back from someone who works for the doctor saying to discontinue Prozac and that my doctor would call me within the hour.

 

My anxiety increased further. I started to sweat more and more and now, this demonic-face with yellow eyes and sharp teeth kept popping in my vision every few seconds. I was beginning to freak out incredibly and thought I was going to go insane. Doctor calls me and tells me that I've had the worst case of side effects with Prozac he's ever heard of in his entire 20 year career. That piece of info didn't help my state of mind. He then prescribes me Ativan/Lorazepam which will help me get to sleep, which should alleviate the crazy side effects and that I can pick it up in the next hour.

 

I leave work early and tell some of my coworkers about my scary situation. I drive to the nearest Kaiser, which was about 10 minutes away from my job, thinking I can just push through that 10 minutes on the road...and **** hits the fan. I am EXTREMELY lucky I didn't get into a car crash.

 

My body began to vibrate/tremor and that demonic face was popping in my vision every 2 seconds now. I pulled over into the nearest neighborhood and called 911. My heartbeat was racing like crazy. My legs and arms were shaking like crazy. I thought my life was ending. I was the most terrified I've ever been. I called my mom and dad and cried uncontrollably, letting them know the chaos that was happening with me.

 

911 came and took my pulse and blood pressure. The symptoms were beginning to alleviate slightly. I think that was the 'peak' of the symptoms and I was now coming down from it. They said everything was normal and that I was 100% coherent. I was only a few minutes away from Kaiser at this point so I told them I was fine to drive and that I was beginning to feel better. So, I drove to Kaiser, noticing the tremors of my body and the demonic face becoming less prevalent. I went into the pharmacy, got the Ativan, drove home, took a pill and passed the hell out.

 

Woke up the next day, feeling way better. Was still experiencing faint hallucinations every so often, but nothing horrifying compared to before. My anxiety/heart beat was back to normal. The following day, the side effects seemed to be completely gone.

 

Fast forward one month later to September...the 'episode' happens again while I'm driving. Exact same side effects: demonic face popping in and out of my vision every few seconds, body shaking, increased heart rate, and I noticed the side of my mouth had slight paralysis as I could barely move it. One month of NOT taking any pills. Why in the hell was this happening when the drug should be out of my system by then!? My theory was this: I went a little overboard on drinking alcohol the 2 nights before the episode AND I drank a lot of caffeine the morning of the episode. So maybe the alcohol/caffeine triggered whatever may have been left of the drug in my system to 'act up' and made me go manic again. I don't know. But I went to the Kaiser ER this time. I've talked about this second episode to a couple people at the ER and an actual psychiatrist, but no one knows why I experienced a second episode. All of them said that the drug should be out my system by the one month point and that alcohol/caffeine wouldn't have triggered anything...but I feel like it's too much of a coincidence that the second episode happened shortly after drinking lots of alcohol plus caffeine.

 

Fast forward another month later to present day. The side effects are 99% gone, but once in a while, I'll see that demonic face 'form' when my eyes are closed for when I try to go to sleep. Or I'll see it faintly on occasion when my eyes are opened. I'm terrified of going through another 'episode' again. I refuse to take ANY meds to help my anxiety after this nightmare. I guess I'm just gonna have to hone in on meditations and mindfulness to help with it. If anyone can relate to what I'm going through, or can help make sense of my situation, it'd be greatly appreciated. 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Emonda
Name to title

[Catwoman73]

Hi @Cam003, and wecome to SA!  We are a community of volunteers providing peer support in the tapering of psychiatric medications, and their associated withdrawal syndromes.  

 

I'm so very sorry for what you have experienced.  We do have a subset of folks here who had immediate adverse reactions, like you did, and we do have a thread specific to that.  I will link it below.  There are a few currently active members who have experienced this- BaccatePlayer comes to mind.  Several others with short term use adverse effects- Sandman79 is the one I can think of at the moment.  

 

Immediate Adverse Reactions to Antidepressants- How Long for Recovery?

 

The good news is that most people who have adverse reactions do recover faster than those of us who have been injured over longer periods of time.  There's no guarantee though- the nervous system does not heal quickly for most people, and timelines can vary greatly. 

 

There are a few things you can do to help with your recovery.  Most are rather intuitive, but I'll give you the list!  Eat a balanced, whole foods diet, stay well hydrated, engage in gentle exercise, and get adequate rest/sleep.  Avoid all neurologically active substances, including caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and recreational drugs.  It looks like you've already figured this out the hard way, but those substances are like pouring gasoline on a fire for your symptoms.  And you are wise to avoid any further psychiatric medications.  It's not worth the risk, and they could make you significantly worse rather than better.  

 

We only recommend two supplements while healing- magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.  Do be mindful though, when your nervous system has destabilized as yours has, it is very common to develop hypersensitivities to all sorts of things, including medications, supplements and even foods. So if you try any supplements, even those we recommend, start at a very low dose and see how you fare.  You can increase slowly over time if you tolerate them.  I am a good example of this- I can't take magnesium at all.  It's supposed to be calming, but causes brain zaps and severe insomnia in me!

 

Do take note of the things that seem to trigger your symptoms- obviously alcohol and caffeine are in that category.  You may find it helpful to start a symptom journal for this purpose.  Healing is a much smoother process when you can identify and avoid your triggers. 

 

In terms of both getting through this period of instability, and coping with your anxiety long term, it's really important to start working on some non-drug coping mechanisms right away.  We have lots of threads on this stuff here- I'll link some below.  I have found that developing a daily mindfulness practice to be extremely helpful in managing my anxiety.  Grounding exercises are also extremely helpful when you feel that anxiety coming on.  I have also found it extremely helpful to learn to recognize the thoughts behind the emotion (example- if I start feeling anxious at a crowded party, I dig deep to identify the thought/reason associated with it- typically something like 'I just don't fit in'), and challenge and replace that thought with something more positive (example- I am an introverted person, so parties aren't my cup of tea- I'm going to try to find someone I can talk to one on one, because that's more comfortable).  A good therapist can help with this stuff... but good ones can be hard to come by.  

 

Grounding Techniques

Getting Started with Mindfulness

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 Easing your way into meditation for a stressed-out nervous system

Music for self-care: calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

Ways to cope with daily anxiety

"Change the channel" - dealing with cognitive symptoms

 

Most of all, I want to assure you that you can heal from this!  And you can absolutely learn to manage anxiety without medication.  On both fronts, it takes some hard work, but it's the most important work you'll ever do.  Be consistent and persistent, and things will get better.  I'm here to help in any way I can!

 

This is your introduction topic- each member gets one intro topic.  Please post any updates or questions here, on this thread.  But do explore the rest of the forum- there's lots of good info here!  And don't hesitate to read and comment on the intro threads of other active members- creating a community for yourself in this way can make the journey much less lonely.  

 

Sending healing vibes, and I look forward to hearing about your progress!

[Cam003]

^Hey, I appreciate the help! Yeah, I've been taking Magnesium pills lately and I've noticed a SLIGHT calming effect when taking them, but that's about it. And the bottle I got recommended you take 4 per day (350mg total) and I have taken 4, but there's no significant change. I'll have to try Omega-3 fatty acids then. 

 

What sucks most though is becoming SUPER weary/hesitant of taking anything new in fear of 'triggering' the damned side effects once again. Makes me feel like a prisoner almost. I never thought a simple medication would be so powerful in negatively affecting your body.