Steven72: Advice Needed

[steven72]

I am 42 years old. I vent to the doctor with chronic headache,he prescribed me Luvox (Fluvoxamine) 200 mg/day, 1.plus 5mg Xanax/day. I had been taking these for 8 years.

 

In 2016 april i got tolerance for luvox. For the doctor recommendation started tapering the drug and came off in 4 months but during this time i had burning sensation in my intestine. I had really serious withdrawal-symptoms like dizziness,hypersensitivity,depression,tinnitus,insomnia,arthritis,etc. My symptoms are like PAWS. While i was coming down from luvox i had withdrawal-symptons for xanax ,because luvox makes xanax stronger.

 

By 2017 january my symptoms got very bad and i felt like my whole body is shutting down, i started taking   luvox   again  150mg/day,  plus 1,5mg xanax. To date i stil l have paws and have inflamation in my intestine. In order to stop this my gast roenteorologist reccommended to switch to PROZAC.

 

In this matter i need some advice from you. Any doctor i have talked to has no clinical experience with luvox in my country. Please help me with your advice!

Thank you

[LostInTheWoods]

Start here:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5095-tips-for-tapering-off-luvox-fluvoxamine/

 

It is weird to me to leave the SSRI first before the benzo since those act and leave the body faster, especially alprazolam. Do you or your doctor have a plan to leave Xanax?

[scallywag]

Steven72-- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
Some people do get intense symptoms in their digestive system from reducing dosage of an SSRI like Luvox or another psychiatric medication. Probably the taper over 4 months was too fast for your body. Some people can discontinue over a few months; others need a slower taper than that. Here are links to 2 topics discussing withdrawal symptoms.
What is withdrawal syndrome.
Digestive problems: nausea, diarrhea, bloating, GERD

It can take some time for a reintroduction of medication to affect symptoms. It may take many weeks.
How long to stabilize after reinstating or updosing.

What day in January 2017 did you start taking Luvox 150 mg?

I would suggest you ask the gastroenterologist
- why does he think that Prozac will make the gastro symptoms easier?
- why does he think that Luvox is causing the symptoms?

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
• You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature
• If you are using a phone or mobile device, you need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in Post 9 and Post 10

Another member of the site, LostInTheWoods, has posted a link above about Luvox, which I'll repeat here:
Tips for tapering off Luvox (fluvoxamine)

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

[scallywag]

When you have a question or news about your situation, please post it here in this topic so that all your information stays in one place.

This site has a different purpose than other sites for antidepressant withdrawal. Our purpose is to provide you with information so that you can make decisions for yourself. Because we're about information first and support/discussion are secondary, the site has different rules. It can take a few days or weeks to figure things out. We'll do our best to help you find what you need.

[steven72]

I am 42 years old. 2009 the doctor with cronic headache,

he diagnosed me with anxiety and depression and put me on Luvox (Fluvoxamine) and Xanax.

I ended up taking 200mg Luvox and 1.5 mg Xanax daily.

In april of 2016 I got tolerance for Luvox.

In may first I started tapering off the drugs with my doctor' knowledge and after 4 months I finally

stopped taking.

I tried to relieve my withdrawal-symptoms with everyday cardio (spinning and elliptical trainer).

I had withdrawal symptoms to xanax too. Luvox and xanax are interacting with each other.

. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8005185

 

-Luvox ( Fluvoxamine) increased plasma alprazolam concentrations by 100%. The mean apparent half-life of  Xanax (alprazolam) was increased from 20 h. 

From september of 2016 I had really serious withdrawal-symptoms like: dizziness, hypersensitivity

to light and noise, insomnia, tinnitus, ibs, arthritis, increased sensitivity to pain.

My symptoms were getting worse, more like (PAWS) SSRI, I got to the point that I could barely

walk.

At 2017 january 1 I started taking 50mg Luvox daily. Two weeks after I increased it to 150mg/day.

In these days I am taking 50mg Luvox, plus 0.5mg Xanax 3 times a day (at 9, 15, 21o clock) and

still having withdrawal symptoms from Luvox if not taking it in time.

At february 2. my symptoms eased about 20% compare to the situation in january (a month ago).

Right now I have dizziness, brain fog, hypersensitivity and tinnitus and irritable bowel syndrome

( IBS ) from the drug. I have been incapable of work and can not leave the house for longer than

2 hours because of my light sensitivity (eyes start burning).

I would need some advice stabilizing my health, and is it possible to start switching or bridging

to Prozac at this time or I should wait a bit?

Thank you,

[scallywag]

Steven

That's interesting that Luvox has been found to extending the half-life of alprazolam (Xanax) from an average of 11 hours to an average of 20 hours. A longer half-life may be a good thing because you are less likely to suffer withdrawal symptoms between doses.

About switching: It's usually best to wait until your symptoms are gone or at a low level that you can manage before making any change in your medication -- decreasing dose, changing formulation (example: tablet to liquid), or switching to another drug.

Since January 1, you have reinstated Zoloft at 50 mg, then increased to 150 mg for two weeks, then decreased back to 50 mg. That is 3 changes within a month.

There is no treatment -- drug, exercise, food, vitamin, mineral, or supplement -- that has been proven to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

 

We strongly suggest that people keep doses steady. To stabilize your symptoms, the safest option is to stabilize the dosage of the medication(s).
3KIS: Keep it slow. Keep it simple. Keep it stable.

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature
• If you are using a phone or mobile device, you need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in Post 9 and Post 10

[steven72]

Dear Scallywag!

 Thank you for your quick response.There was a little missunderstanding: since 2017 january 12 I have been taking 150mg luvox  and 1,5mg xanax daily and I have not got any better. Probably because I had been off  luvox for 4 months and getting back on it  have not solved my serious paws.

 

I think I should  have made the switch to prozac  before I got back on luvox again I just did not  have any knowledge of this and I found your site a bit to late. 

 

Dr. David Healy on prolonged antidepressant withdrawal syndrome (2009)

Started by Altostrata, Nov 15 2011 10:16 PM

Dr Healy recommends Prozac (fluoxetine) switcing also.

 

Only question is: can I make a switch under paws?  Any links or doctors recommendations would help.

 

Thank you,

[scallywag]

... About switching: It's usually best to wait until your symptoms are gone or at a low level that you can manage before making any change in your medication -- decreasing dose, changing formulation (example: tablet to liquid), or switching to another drug.

 

... We strongly suggest that people keep doses steady. To stabilize your symptoms, the safest option is to stabilize the dosage of the medication(s).

3KIS: Keep it slow. Keep it simple. Keep it stable.

 

 

I think I should  have made the switch to prozac  before I got back on luvox again I just did not have any knowledge of this and I found your site a bit to late. ...

Dr Healy recommends Prozac (fluoxetine) switching also. Only question is: can I make a switch under paws?  Any links or doctors

recommendations would help.

Thank you,

 

Steven, switching to Prozac can be risky. If you are having bad symptoms, switching could make them worse.

 

Sometimes it takes many weeks for a person to stabilize after reinstating and for the symptoms to get lighter. Please continue to be patient.

[Altostrata]

Hello, Steven.

 

Are your symptoms worse at any particular time of day? What time do you take your drugs?

 

Why does your gastroenterologist think Luvox is bad for your gut and Prozac would be better?

 

Does your gastroenterologist know what's wrong with your gut? What is the diagnosis?

 

In the meantime, you may wish to go on a very mild diet, such as chicken, chicken broth, rice, potatoes, cooked chopped or mashed green vegetables, oatmeal. No spices, no alcohol, little sugar, no preserved foods, no artificial flavorings. Smoothies (purees to drink) made from mild ingredients such as raw apples and lettuce could help.

 

There is a supplement called l-glutamine that is good for gut healing: 1 gram mixed in a glass of water 2-4 times a day.

 

It could be your gut got irritated from Luvox withdrawal and is now reacting to your food.