Eva: struggling after 20+ years Prozac and now without.

[Altostrata]

eva, all the benzos incur the same risk. There is no lighter benzo.

 

You should try to take the lowest effective dosage. You may need to open a capsule to see if a partial dose will work for you, or get a lower dosage from your doctor.

 

I can't tell you whether 10 days on a benzo will incur a withdrawal problem. For some people, it would.

 

How are your other symptoms? Have you seen any changes since reinstatement? Please keep notes on paper about your daily symptom pattern relative to when you take your drugs.

[eva]

My other symptoms are much better. The anxiety and panic are almost  gone. The worrying and ovethinking of my situation is less. But that might be just because I am sleeping again... I have taken the 10 mg fluoxetine now for six days, could it really be working already?

I feel much more calm, but still tired from all the stress of the past month.

Will go to my GP this morning to talk about when to lower the benzo-dosage.

[Altostrata]

Yes, sounds like the fluoxetine is working -- for your withdrawal syndrome.

[eva]

Yes... will not start taperering the fluoxetine too soon and when I do, extremely slow...

[Addax]

Hey Eva. I just wanted to check-in and see how you're doing. I hope things are going well.

[eva]

Hey Addax, thanks for asking... I have been on a two week holiday with my family. Had some good moments but still too much anxiety and no sleep without benoz's. Two days ago i upped the fluoxetine to 15 mg., which initially is making the nights worse agian... but that will only last for a few days I hope. My gp wants me to take 20 mg as 15 is below the lowest 'normal' dose, and she would prefer if I started paroxetine, because that would ne better for anxiety and is more 'moder'. But I am afraid of starting any new meds.... had weird side effects in the past when trying other ssri's then prozac.

I hope the 15 mg will really help and that i will be able to taper the flurazepam. Did taper to 5 mg. but because of the higher dose of prozac had to take 15 mg last night again. But will start tapering it as soon as the initial side effects of the prozac have died down.

[Addax]

I'm glad you had some good moments while on holiday, but sorry to hear you had to deal with anxiety and poor sleep. I'm not sure I understand your GPs rationale for increasing to 20mg or switching to another medication. I hope one of the admins will weigh-in here.

 

I hope the 5mg increase helps. As you alluded to, it will take several days for your body to adjust and for you to know. For me, Benzos increased my anxiety once they wore off. I started taking Ativan for sleep, but found my anxiety would be much worse upon waking the following day when it had left my system.

 

I hope your sleep improves and your anxiety subsides quickly!

[mammaP]

Glad you had a good holiday Eva. If you are feeling worse after increasing the prozac I doubt that it will get easier.

Your body is reacting to the higher dose. Your doctor saying that 20mg is needed to be effective is talking about

the chemical imbalance myth!  There are some graphs about receptor occupancy in the scientific section that 

disproves what the doctors say about low doses.  You are right to avoid switching to another drug, the last thing

your nervous system needs is  more changes.  

 

There are windows and waves when in withdrawal and tapering, when things get worse and settle down again. 

You can read about that here  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/

 

You have only taken 2 doses at 15, I think I would stick with the 10 for a while longer to stabilise. Upping to 15 and then having to up

the fluorazepam will be destabilising. 

 

This will pass but you need to be patient. I know that is not easy but it will pay off in the end. 

[eva]

Thanks Adddax!

MammaP, I know about the windows and waves, and have experienced them over the past year without meds. But this, the panic, severe anxiety plus not being able to sleep due to nightly panic attacks and physical jolts everytime I fell asleep, was not something I could sit through. I was afraid I was losing my mind and that has never happened to me before. I have three kids to take care of and can't loose it. I took the 10 mg for 4 weeks and when I started it, it also made the panic worse for a few days before it started to help. I had to take 30 mg. flurazepam for a few days, then dropped to 15, and then to 10 and then 5.

Also, I have stopped and started fluoxetine before, and 10 mg. was never enough to really work. The last time was about a year and a half ago. I think I will take the 15 mg for a few more days to see if the increase in fear stops again.... if not, I will drop to 10 again.

[Altostrata]

Eva, please go carefully with fluoxetine. Your system is more sensitive than it was, you will react differently. Better to start with a very small dose to see how it affects you.

[eva]

Hi Alto I started at 10 mg. and stayed on that dose for 4 weeks. It lessened the panic and anxiety a little but not enough and i stil have the nightly jerking and waves of panic if `i don't take flurazepam for the night. I upped the prozac to 15 mg. five days ago, it made the anxiety flare up again for the first few days but today I felt better. I will stay on the 15 mg. for at least another 4 weeks, to see what happens. In the meantime I will try a slow taper of the flurazepam, while staying in contact witj my GP and my psychotherapist.

I am sad to be on meds again, after a whole yaer without any meds at all... but I felt it was the lesser of two evils, the other evil being having to go to a psych ward and not being able to take care of my family anymore.

[Jasper175]

Goodness,   I never know what is wrong with me but no SSRI ever worked, and now I figured why not try St John’s...

 

3 weeks in and i feel manic and acid brain.  Just had a bit of depersonalization.

 

If only 3 weeks at 900 daily can I just stop?

[Altostrata]

If I were you, Jasper, I'd reduce by 25% and see how that feels.

 

Please start a topic for yourself in the Introductions forum.

[Annesj]

On 2/28/2014 at 3:39 AM, Altostrata said:

Since you've already got withdrawal symptoms, I would reinstate perhaps 500mg a day -- your nervous system might have adjusted somewhat to a lower dose -- stabilize for a month or two, and then taper.

 

You can probably get St. John's Wort in lower doses and cut up the tablets so you're tapering by small amounts, such as 25mg.

 

We have had people here who got St. John's Wort in liquid drops and tapered using the liquid.

 

General information about St. John's Wort here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/652-st-johns-wort-hypericum-perforatum/

 

Note: St. John's Wort is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). If you are taking it, you may have odd reactions to a substance called tyramine in some foods. You may wish to go on a restricted diet for MAOIs http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/maois/faq-20058035

 

Please start a topic for yourself in the Introductions forum http://tinyurl.com/3o4k3j5

and let us know your progress.

Hi. 

I know this is an old thread but I was reading about St Johns wort. As I cant get any relief from my depression, I will try St Johns wort. My question is if St Johns wort are as "potent" as MAOI antidepressants, when it comes to being carefull with tyramine in foods? I hope not because I think its my last hope to ease my depression. I think its related to withdrawing zopiclone but Im really not sure anymore. Mabye both. Have had depression before (before benzo). 

Thanks

[Altostrata]

People have different reactions to St. John's Wort, some of them bad. We don't recommend it for withdrawal symptoms. We don't treat depression here. Please see 

 

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

 

Shame, guilt, regret, and self-criticism

 

Ways to cope with daily anxiety

 

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

[Annesj]

Thanks. Do you mean they had bad reactions when trying them in withdrawal ?  Ive only read about some people here taking them so its hard to know. Some good reactions too.

I guess people react bad on ADs too. I guess they are suppose to be safer than AD. In Sweden its approwed by MPA