Yettid Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Hi. I have fibromyalgia. Was on celexa for 10+ years dosage 20-30mg. My major FM symptoms are pain, unrefreshed sleep/chronic fatigue, anxiety. Celexa worked ok for years then pooped out. 6 months ago started Cymbalta. 20mg up to 60mg. Hated it, too many side effects. Decided I wanted off AD's. I'm at the point where I don't know what are symptoms of my illness and what are side effects. I wanted a clear base line of what I'm treating. With Dr approval she weaned me off from 60mg titrating down over about 5 weeks. Within days I had horrible withdrawal. Dr put me on 10mg prozac daily for 2 weeks, then 10 mg every other day. I'm due to stop prozac next week. Although the extreme physical side effects stopped almost immediately following taking prozac, I still feel pretty bad emotionally. I'm exhausted, restless, anxious, super irritable, and at moments depressed. I want to eat sugar by the pound???? is this relapse or withdrawal? I still hv prozac in my system so I'm confused. Maybe even side effects from prozac?? Idk! 43 yr fe, 10mg prozac 3x wk, 30mg adderall xr, .25mg klonopin 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Yettid Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Trying to get off this stuff! FM/GAD From Celexa to Cymbalta-yettid 28 October 2014 - 09:13 AM Hi. I have fibromyalgia. Was on celexa for 10+ years dosage 20-30mg. My major FM symptoms are pain, unrefreshed sleep/chronic fatigue, anxiety. Celexa worked ok for years then pooped out. 6 months ago started Cymbalta. 20mg up to 60mg. Hated it, too many side effects. Decided I wanted off AD's. I'm at the point where I don't know what are symptoms of my illness and what are side effects. I wanted a clear base line of what I'm treating. With Dr approval she weaned me off from 60mg titrating down over about 5 weeks. Within days I had horrible withdrawal. Dr put me on 10mg prozac daily for 2 weeks, then 10 mg every other day. I'm due to stop prozac next week. Although the extreme physical side effects stopped almost immediately following taking prozac, I still feel pretty bad emotionally. I'm exhausted, restless, anxious, super irritable, and at moments depressed. I want to eat sugar by the pound???? is this relapse or withdrawal? I still hv prozac in my system so I'm confused. Maybe even side effects from prozac?? Idk! 43 yr fe, 10mg prozac 3x wk, 30mg adderall xr, .25mg klonopin 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted October 29, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 29, 2014 Welcome to the forum Yettid, I'm sorry to hear you have been struggling so much. It sounds like you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. For a brief introduction to withdrawal please see: Intro to antidepressant withdrawal syndrome Many of us are here because we tapered too fast while believing we were doing it right. Sadly, most doctors don’t have a clue and often advise tapers that lead patients to going back on the drug because of a ‘relapse’, which is actually withdrawal. Many people arrive here after following the advice of well meaning, but ill informed doctors. See: What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms You have been tapering too fast. We suggest reducing by no more than 10% of the current dose every 4 weeks, this reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms arising. Please read through this post which will explain why: http://survivinganti...0-of-my-dosage/ Please do not taper using the skipping days method. ... the nervous system does best in a stable environment. Help your nervous system adapt to life without drugs by maintaining as much stability as you can. This is the way you can take care of yourself and help your nervous system to recover. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to stressing our nervous systems! Examples: 3.a. Do not suddenly quit taking your drugs. Do not skip doses to taper. These big, fast changes are the opposite of providing stability for your nervous system. Skipping doses causes the amount of the drug in your bloodstream to go up and down. Do not do this for any psychiatric drug. Please see: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable Also please see: this post which explains the long term changes these drugs make, and why we need to taper slowly. My suggestion is to immediately go back to to taking 10mg of prozac every day and hold there at that dose for at least a month, until you are feeling well again. You may need to wait longer, but eventually your nervous system will settle down. Then you can begin a safe taper from the prozac using the 10% method. You have been on these kinds of drugs for a long time and so you can't expect to come off them in a few weeks. Here are our tips for safely tapering off Prozac: http://survivinganti...zac-fluoxetine/ Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful non-drug ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover. Especially read the topics pinned at the top. You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want. Please stay in touch and let us know what you decide. Petu. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Yettid Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 I can't thank you enough. This site is by far the most informative I've found. I'm also sleeping poorly, as I've just read, due to withdrawal. I will call my Dr. today and continue taking 10mg prozac daily.???? 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted October 30, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 30, 2014 This topic may give you some ideas to help with the sleep issues: Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems Please stay in touch and let us know how you are doing. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 I've been on 10mg prozac daily for over a week. I feel more stable, less irritable. But I still feel little motivation and very tired???? I'm still anxious but not nearly as much as a few weeks ago. I am feeling some depression and having some negative thoughts (nothing crazy, just feeling sorry for myself lol). Still craving carbs like crazy and weight gain! So I'm better than I was. But not feeling good yet. I find myself questioning if I "need" meds. I'm guessing that is probably part of the withdrawal process? 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted November 5, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 5, 2014 Hello Yettid, this is actually a great improvement. After all destabilisation you have put your central nervous system through, it is rewarding you with major diminishing of symptoms after only one week of treated it properly. Recovery comes in windows and waves and there are no quick fixes. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/ You have been on a drug that changes the brain structure for over 10 years. Reversing all those changes takes time. Why do you think you need meds? When our CNS gets sensitised with changing drugs, more drugs frequently cause more trouble. Thsi has ben our experience here but of course the choice is yours. We opt for lloking at other ways of feeling more comfortable inside our skins. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 5, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 5, 2014 Hi-- I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker, for some background about psych meds, as part of exploring whether or not you want to take them. And continue reading the materials on this forum, there's a ton of good information. Check out the "pinned" topics and the links in those. Take your time, stabilize well on the Prozac; you've had a lot of med changes in a short time and you will continue to have some ups and downs. While doing that you can study and learn and process so you'll have a better idea of where you want to go next. Welcome to the forum, good luck to you! Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thanks Bubble. I guess when I feel good, I think the process is over. Only to be disappointed by feeling bad again. I started taking meds for anxiety and chronic fatigue. Although they helped at times, they never "cured" me. I get afraid of feeling like this forever on top of my fibro symptoms. I just want to feel better now. So I question needing meds out of momentary desperation.????thanks for the reality check. It's just what the doctor ordered. 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thanks Rhi! I will get the book today! 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Meimeiquest Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Cymbalta intentionally manipulates two kinds of neurotransmitters, Prozac just one. So it is normal to still have symptoms. Just hold tight and se what happens. Or read Bubble's thread to see how well she settled down. 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 My physical symptoms have improved alot. By nature I'm a pretty optomistic, patient person. I've never "lost" my cool. I'm not a yeller or arguementative. But since wd, I've noticed myself snapping and yelling. I "lost it" for the first time. Found myself yelling in my sons face. I felt no warning, no anger building. Just reacted. It feel like I'm not me at times. All I really feel like doing is eating garbage food and laying around. Good thing I actually have a life, a job, etc. so I have to move! 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 I'm feeling pretty GOOD! Finally, I'm not crawling out of my skin. I don't feel like yelling at everyone:) I'm no longer dizzy and exhausted. I'm sleeping much better(maybe due to aminos at night??) I'm getting some motivation back too. Still struggling with this crazy carb binging. It's a vice I think. My allergist prescribed Singulair for allergies. I'm feeling like its a bad idea to try it since the side effects can be psych. Any thoughts ? 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 Btw. Got the book Anatomy of an Epidemic. Profound read. (Although the argument that the stats could be manipulated/interpreted to prove a point are valid) We should be angry at the drug manufacturers and report our side effects and experiences to the FDA. Our psych Drs are not educated on the facts of these meds. My Dr is one of the good ones. And I guarantee she has no idea of the repercussions of these "medicines". 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 17, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 17, 2014 Good to hear your withdrawal symptoms are settling down, yay! If it were me I'd be cautious with the Singulair, depends on how desperately you need help. Carb cravings are not unusual on antidepressants. You might want to start reading through the materials in the Tapering section, especially the thread on tapering Prozac, if you haven't already; it sounds like you're stabilizing well and you can probably start tapering in another month or so if you're still doing this well, if you want to. Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
Yettid Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 That's the plan. I'll stay on 10mg for a month then start the 20% taper. I think I'll pass on the Singular for now. Thanks for the support ???? 43 yr old female. (weaned off Cymbalta 60 replaced with )Meds Prozac 10 mg every other day, Adderall 30mg, klonopin .25. 10/25/14. Prozac 10mg daily, 30 adderall, klonopin .25-.5 daily, fish oil 11/1. Added l arginine/l orthinine Link to comment
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