MeAngel Prozac Withdrawal Help.

[MeAngel]

Driving to Texas in a few hours with my family. Any tips to minimize symptoms or things to be aware of during such a long drive?

[MeAngel]

Why do you guys believe that the withdrawal affects are not permanent? What makes you believe that it is temporary?

[KarenB]

I believe it because I've seen people successfully stop using them and get back to a normal life.  Also I believe it because of the research about how brains continue to change throughout our lives - neuro-plasticity.  I also have this idea that everywhere in nature we see things being pulled back towards their natural state - how they are meant to be.  Things like forests regenerating after fires, the ozone layer slowly healing itself... 

 

I also have a lot of faith in healing since finding ways to heal from depression, PTSD, and childhood trauma (which can really change your brain around). 

 

That's just my take on it...

[MeAngel]

Very insightful! Thank you.

[O2bhappy]

KarenB-

 

Your comments are very promising.  It is hard when you are hit with a bad wave to think that you will ever get better. 

[MeAngel]

Im not in a great deal of physical pain, and it's only been 6 weeks since I stopped my 4 month relationship with my first psychiatric medication--fluoxetine.....however....I still don't feel emotionally well. I'm tired, sleepy, and I get agitated easily. It's making me consider going back on meds just to hurry up and feel fully normal.

 

Sadly, I was fine before I tried these pills. No diagnosed mental illness. I really don't want to be a med head, but I want to feel better NOW. Im tired of waiting.

[O2bhappy]

MeAngel -

 

I can understand wanting to go back on the medicine just to feel better. I have had the same thoughts but I know that wasn't an option for me because of the reaction I had switching generics of fluoxetine. Have you thought about re-instating? You could always re-instate and then slowly taper off the medicine. I know it is awful to feel bad everyday. I struggle everyday just to get through and it is certainly not a way to live.

[MeAngel]

I reinstated briefly for 4 days when I stopped cold turkey, but it did not help much so I stopped again. The thing that has me perplexed is that even if I try a new medicine, and go back on the meds, how will that help me in the long run? I wish I could be more patient

[MeAngel]

I never needed the meds to begin with, now I feel like the meds have CREATED a need for meds. I really don't want to go further down 5he rabbit hole with more meds. But I want to feel better. I'm so confused. It's been 6 weeks. How much longer should I give myself to heal before considering more meds?

[Altostrata]

Many doctors will try to treat withdrawal syndrome with other psychiatric drugs, which sometimes backfires because the nervous system has become sensitive to drugs. We suggest reinstatement of the same drug at a very low dose to see how it works.
 
4 days is not enough time to see if it will work. It's also possible you took too high a dose and, if your system is sensitized, it wasn't any help.
 
In your situation, perhaps .5mg Prozac would help. It comes in a liquid for tapering. After you stabilize for some months, you'd taper off by very tiny amounts. See
 
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms
 
Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

[MeAngel]

Yesterday I felt completely normal ALL DAY! No morning brain fog, anxiety, fatigue, headache etc. Just normal. It was beautiful ????

[MeAngel]

Update: Today I feel incredibly sleepy, and when I try to sleep I wake up panicked because I am afraid that I am dying in my sleep or that I will be unable to wake up.

 

I just feel so sleepy and scared today for no apparent reason. Also, I am still In Texas visiting family with my husband. I feel embarrassed that I don't feel well. I hope I don't have to go to the hospital.

[MeAngel]

How do I know when I am legitimately ill, or when it's "just withdrawal"? I'm so scared.

[mammaP]

Don't think of this as 'just withdrawal', it can be seriously debilitating but s not life threatening. Lots of members go through all kinds of tests and they usually come back ok, which can actually be devastating because they just want it to be something that can be treated easily and quickly. You had a lovely window and that is promising, there are many more where that one came from. The stress of travel can cause a wave but it will settle down again. Are you having to keep up with things when you just want to rest up ? That often happens when visiting family. I am going to visit my family next week, and it will be hectic but I will take myself to lie down when I get overwhelmed, they all understand and don't mind.  Going round to visit everyone is tiring but is worth it to see everyone again and get some amazing hugs .  Did you think about reinstating 0.5 as Alto suggested?  Sometimes a very tiny amount is all that is needed to calm withdrawal 

[SeasideDiva]

Hi MeAngel,

 

I've been following a few topics on this site just trying to find some insight and encouragement myself, which I have. I was excited to see you had a beautiful, "normal" day, and then sorry to hear that it was followed by a not so good day. That prompted me to write because yesterday I did my normal morning exercise I do on MWF; nothing too strenuous, just a half hour or so of a video for general strengthening to keep as flexible as I can. All was fine until about midday and BAM! It felt like someone pulled my plug from the wall. Just overwhelming fatigue with the brain fog you mentioned. I never know if I'm catching a cold/flu or it's just WD. All I can do is wait it out and hope it goes away sooner than later. I just laid low, took a nap eventually when I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, and did "quiet" things like crossword puzzles and TV. Woke up Saturday just fine and dandy, and even went out to my usual street concert and Karaoke in the evening. So weird and arbitrary. I've been in WD for almost 11 months now, but I was on the drugs for about 20 years and tapered in 3 weeks---before I found this site and knew what a bad idea that was. I'm also 64 years old, so don't have the "bounce back" power some younger people might. Still, compared to some here, I'm doing pretty well, my remaining major symptom being deep sadness and depression from time to time. I've asked all the same questions you're asking, and some just don't seem to have any clear answers which is very, very frustrating. I'm learning to look at the whole experience with an attitude of acceptance rather than trying to "fight" with it which only seems to exacerbate my anxiety and bring on bad things. Right now you are away from home and visiting with family which can be exhausting and stressful in and of itself. Then of course you'll feel bad about feeling bad and a vicious cycle is engaged. I'm no doctor or expert, but If you have regular check-ups and are otherwise pretty healthy, I think it's safe to assume that you are experiencing WD. We all want to feel better YESTERDAY. We all will heal in our own time with respect to our own unique brains and bodies. I agree with Karen B with whom I shared some of the same traumatic experiences, and have survived. I too have read some books that include the amazing ability for our bodies and brains to heal themselves. I think it's our job to help them along as best we can with the self-soothing tips we find here and in other resources such as gentle exercise, a healthy diet, and regulating our thoughts through acceptance and other calming exercises.

A funny thing about my fatigue yesterday: I got an intense craving for cake! I told a friend who knows what I'm gong through (sorta) that I would've traded in one of my cats for a big piece of fresh, white cake with thick white frosting on it. I ended up settling for a PBJ on a half of a hamburger bun....

Wishing your strength and recovery,

S

[MeAngel]

-MamaP

 

I did consider reinstating, but I would have to get a new prescription--I trashed my supply. The thing is, wouldn't reinstating prolong rhe process? Even with a longer taper, what's the gurantee that I wouldn't still have withdrawal symptoms then too? I really don't want to do any more damage to my brain

[MeAngel]

-SeasideDiva

 

I am 32, but withdrawal has me feeling 72 on some days Unfortunately, since I've been in Texas, I've been eating some not so healthy foods. These can't be helping me. I know. So far, I've been in withdrawal for 6 weeks after 4 months use of Fluoxetine. I did stop cold turkey. I just don't want to be permanently ill or dependant on psych meds. This is so scary.

 

One thing is for certain, I'm glad I found all of you. I appreciate the support so much.

[mammaP]

Withdrawal can go on for years for some people, for others months. Reinstating can halt withdrawal then you could start a slow taper off the small dose;  Even a tiny 

0.5 might help you to stabilise, and you can ask for liquid to get the small dose, but your doctor will most likely not believe that such  tiny amount can help. That doesn't matter, as long as you get the prescription. It would be better than going back on the full dose or another drug. You are right that not eating properly will be having an effect, you need to eat as healthy as possible,avoid stressors as much as possible ( not easy with children ).

[MeAngel]

Being that this was my first psych med,and I was only on 10mg for 4 months-- HOW is it possible that withdrawal is lasting so long for me?

 

That doctor should have told me ALL of this before prescribing those meds. That's so irresponsible.

[MeAngel]

Also, if I reinstate--even at the tiniest dose, wouldn't that be making my brain more dependant on the meds, causing more changes in my brain? (Extending the duration of use)

[MeAngel]

My marriage is stressing me out

[MeAngel]

Its the main reason I started the meds in the first place. I might have to go back on them just to cope.

[mammaP]

Being that this was my first psych med,and I was only on 10mg for 4 months-- HOW is it possible that withdrawal is lasting so long for me?

 

That doctor should have told me ALL of this before prescribing those meds. That's so irresponsible.

Everyone is different, some people are affected for a very long time. I'm sorry to see that you are struggling so much, you seemed to be improving when you first came here. The tiny dose would not increase dependency, it could calm the withdrawal. It isn't like a drug addiction, it's the brain that has grown around a drug for months and now struggles to get back to normal.  Withdrawal can make us less tolerant and react to stressful situations. Anti depressants dull emotions and many people can't feel love after a while, and end their marriage. The love is still there they just can't feel it any more. All this comes back, and a tiny dose has less of the side effects. 

[MeAngel]

The interesting part is that I had no side effects that I noticed while taking Fluoxetine. Which is why I'm thoroughly shocked that I'm having such a hard time coming off of it.

[MeAngel]

Is there anyone here who feels that after having taken an SSRI, then tapered off or gone through withdrawal, that they are now FULLY recovered and back to normal?

[SeasideDiva]

Have you been on this site to the Success Stories forum? 

I just read CharlieBrown's recent success story myself and found it VERY encouraging! I have read others too, though sometimes it's hard to remain positive when we are going through some tough symptoms. I have decided to stay off the meds and remain hopeful that I too, will be without all med induced symptoms before too long. I am already so much better than I was 6 months ago, 3 months ago, ONE month ago, and I have enjoyed a window of very few symptoms other than some unexplained fatigue for a couple of separate days this last week.  I try to remember that I have had emotional issues before taking SSRIs, and I need to learn to cope with them in other ways than from a substance promoted by the legal drug pushers of the pharmaceutical industry. 

Best Wishes,

S

[MeAngel]

So far, magnesium, b complex, and vit d ALL make my headaches and blurry vision worse. My eyes are burning after taking magnesium today.

 

I was going to try fish oil....but now I'm scared. Is it possible to heal without adding any supplements? Can I just stick to water, healthy diet and light exercise while in withdrawal?

[scallywag]

MA:  It is entirely possible to heal without supplements. Water, healthy diet and light exercise are good tools for anyone but are only part of the optimal plan for dealing with a CNS recovering from a psycho-neuro-substance like Prozac. Fish oil and magnesium are supplements that many, many people have found ease or resolve some troubling w/d symptoms.

 

Whether to take them or not is up to you.

 

Hey, quick question: When you first posted you were urgently requesting assistance and input.  Does your topic title reflect your current thoughts about your situation?

[MeAngel]

Yes, I do still feel the same sense of urgency as I did when I first joined this site. Probably more so now.

 

I am 7 weeks fluoxetine free. My current symptoms are blurred vision, emotional anesthesia, cognitive/memory impairment, headaches, excessive worry, and suicidal thoughts/hopelessness.

 

The fact that I have yet to read any success stories of complete and total healing/recovery has left me feeling extremely worried and hopeless.

 

I am 32, married with 3 kids. 11, 10, and 7. Two boys, and my daughter is the youngest.

 

I feel like I have ruined my life and made a grave error by taking these meds. I feel hopeless, sad, and alone--very distressed. Like no one can help me and no one cares.

[MeAngel]

Just picked up some Nature Made Fish Oil softgels. 1200 mg with 360 mg of Omega-3.

 

EPA 360 mg and DHA 240 mg. They are purified to remove mercury.

 

Suggested dose is 2 a day with a meal.

 

Does this sound efficient?

[apace41]

The fact that I have yet to read any success stories of complete and total healing/recovery has left me feeling extremely worried and hopeless.

 

MeAngel,

 

Have you read through the Success Stories thread?  People do recover. 

 

It is important that you start working on some self-soothing techniques so that you can reduce your catastrophic thinking.  All the things you say are true about the fact that being on the meds for a shorter period of time should give you a leg up in terms of getting off.  It is not always that simple, however, and patience is a scarce commodity in this regard.  To the extent you can keep yourself calm it will bode well.

 

Best,

 

Andy

[MeAngel]

I really need to talk to someone who has experienced this "withdrawal syndrome" and healed. Perhaps a phone call.

 

Anyone up for talking to me?

 

My symptoms are everywhere. And I seem to be feeling worse since I got back home from Texas.

[MeAngel]

What symptoms do the Fish Oil help exactly?

[scallywag]

MA:  For your convenience, I'm reposting a link JanCarol provided on page 1 of your thread.  Read the thread for information on the benefits of Omega-3 fish oil

[MeAngel]

-Scallywag

 

Thank you. I have read that thread multiple times before. Not sure what symptoms it helps besides brain zaps? I don't have those much. I have headaches, dizziness, Drowsiness, blurred vision, emotional anesthesia, and memory trouble as of now.

 

My symptoms seem to come and go, alternating between the days/weeks. Magnesium made my headaches worse. So, Fish oil is my last option. Otherwise I am stuck.

[scallywag]

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA) are important molecules for the body, including the brain and the CNS. If the information in our topic on Omega 3 fatty acids isn't sufficient, try a web search on the full names as written in the first sentence.