Hazel: struggling with Paxil to Prozac bridge

[Rosetta]

Me, too, Hazel!

[Carmie]

Hi Hazel, 

 

Just checking in to see how you’re doing. Are you still doing okay?💚

[Hazel]

17 hours ago, Carmie said:

Hi Hazel, 

 

Just checking in to see how you’re doing. Are you still doing okay?💚

Hi Carmie,

good to hear from you.  I am still doing well.  I plan to continue to hold yet for a while and will start a slow taper when i am up for it.

How have you been?

[Altostrata]

Good to hear, Hazel.

 

Looking back, how would you summarize your experience in switching from paroxetine to citalopram? How long did it take your nervous system to settle down at every step?

[Hazel]

17 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Good to hear, Hazel.

 

Looking back, how would you summarize your experience in switching from paroxetine to citalopram? How long did it take your nervous system to settle down at every step?

I would say it wasn’t too bad overall.  The first few weeks were tough, but around a month in I knew I made the right decision as I was noticing quite a bit of improvement.

It took about a month each time to settle on an increased dose.  I worked my way up slowly to 10mg to begin with and held for about 1 month or so, then gradually increased to 15mg.  I held there for about 4 months and was still having some ups and downs, so gradually increased to 20 mg by the middle of March where I have continued to hold.

I am feeling good right now and plan to continue to hold until at least the first of the year.  If I am still feeling good I will likely start a slow taper off.

[Altostrata]

Please let us know how you're doing.

[Carmie]

Hi Hazel, 

 

How have you been doing?🧡

[Hazel]

Hi Carmie!

I have been doing well.  I feel like I am very close to being stable on the citalopram. I am back to living my “normal” life again and that feels amazing.

Hope all is well with you and thanks for checking in😊

[Carmie]

I’m very happy you’re doing so well Hazel🧡

[Altostrata]

@Hazel, how are you?

[Hazel]

@Altostrata

I am doing well.  I am at 25 mg of citalopram and have been holding for about 6 months now. I want to continue holding until I feel confident enough to start a very slow taper.

Thanks for checking in🙂

[Altostrata]

Thank you! What happened after you dropped paroxetine in the course of your bridging to citalopram?

 

Please update your signature with dates.

[Hazel]

I actually started to feel an improvement after being off of the paroxetine.  It did take time to adjust to the citalopram, but I never felt as bad as I did while on paroxetine.

[Altostrata]

Do you recall how much time it took to adjust? What symptoms did you have?

[Rosetta]

I’m glad you are doing well!

[Hazel]

Thank you! @Rosetta

[Erell]

On 6/18/2020 at 11:49 PM, Altostrata said:

Do you recall how much time it took to adjust? What symptoms did you have?

 

 Hello Hazel, 

would you agree to explain in detail ?

 

It would be great for our community to gather testimonies about switching.

 

Take care ❤️

[Hazel]

22 hours ago, Erell said:

 

 Hello Hazel, 

would you agree to explain in detail ?

 

It would be great for our community to gather testimonies about switching.

 

Take care ❤️

Hi,

sorry it’s taken a bit for me to get back on this.  I had to look back on my journal since it’s been a while and I don’t think about it much anymore.  
I started the switch by taking 9mg of paroxetine, which is where I had been, and added 5 mg of citalopram.  The next day I went to 8.5mg of paroxetine and 5 mg citalopram.  I continued to slowly reduce the paroxetine while gradually increasing the citalopram.  I was also taking lorazepam as needed through the process, but didn’t take it every day and never more than 1mg/day.  I dropped the paroxetine after 2 weeks on citalopram and at that point I was up to 10 mg of citalopram.  I was still having a lot of anxiety at that point and decided to increase to 15 mg of citalopram slowly, but it was too much, so slowly went back down to 10mg and held for a little over a month.  I increased to 11 mg and started to notice improvement.  I continued to slowly increase.  I had a lot of ups and downs as I worked my way up to 15 mg over the course of about a month.  Started feeling quite a bit better by mid October, not quite 2 months since I started the switch.  I would continue to have ups and downs on 15 mg over the next 4 months or so, and decided to increase to 20mg slowly by the end of February.  I got up to 20 mg in a month.  I was doing much better at that point until June when I hit another wave.  I got better, but had another wave at the end of July.  I then felt really good till about October 2019 when I started feeling up and down again.  I decided to increase to 25 mg slowly and have held there since.  I don’t plan to increase anymore, but I also am not ready to start a decrease yet either.  I still get some anxiety hear and there, but nothing like before.  I pretty much am back to normal and living my life like before I was in withdrawal.  I don’t like being on the medication, but for now, it is what I need to do to live my life and be happy.

[ChessieCat]

8 hours ago, Hazel said:

I still get some anxiety hear and there, but nothing like before.

 

Have you ever tried magnesium for the anxiety?  I have proven, by going and and off a few time, that for me it does reduce my anxiety.

 

The only supplements which SA recommends are:

 

Magnesium

Omega-3 Fish Oil

 

Try a little bit, one at a time, to see how it affects you. 

 

the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable

 

[Carmie]

Hi Hazel, 

 

How are you doing?

 

Sending hugs🤗

[Hazel]

Hi Carmie!

I am doing well, thanks for checking in.  I am still on 20 mg of citalopram and mostly stable.  I still hope to be able to taper at some point, but I’m not sure if that will ever happen as I am not willing to risk going down the same awful path again.

How are you doing?

Hugs to you🤗

[Carmie]

I’m sorry I missed your post Hazel, I took quite a long break from this site and just popped in very occasionally.

 

I’m glad you’re doing okay. Are you still on 20mg of citalopram?
 

I hope you’re having a good day🧡

Edited October 28, 2021 by Carmie
Typo

[Rosetta]

Hazel!  I’m so happy to read that you are feeling well.  Take care, R

[Hazel]

On 4/26/2019 at 9:23 PM, Rosetta said:

Me, too, Hazel!

I am doing well overall.  I’ve been thinking about tapering, but am honestly really scared to do it.

[Hazel]

15 hours ago, Carmie said:

I’m sorry I missed your post Hazel, I took quite a long break from this site and just popped in very occasionally.

 

I’m glad you’re doing okay. Are you still on 20mg of citalopram?
 

I hope you’re having a good day🧡

No problem.  I don’t come here much anymore either.  
I am still on 20 mg.  I often think about starting to taper again, but it terrifies me as I don’t want to ever go back to where I was a few years ago.

How are you doing?

[Carmie]

On 10/29/2021 at 2:26 AM, Hazel said:

No problem.  I don’t come here much anymore either.  
I am still on 20 mg.  I often think about starting to taper again, but it terrifies me as I don’t want to ever go back to where I was a few years ago.

How are you doing?

Yes, thinking about tapering again can be scary Hazel, 

 

I’m glad you’ve been stable on 20mg of citalopram. I’m tapering extremely slowly at the moment, if you decided to taper you could do it in minuscule drops and hold it for really long periods of time. 
 

I’m happy moving forward in my tapering even if it’s slow. I dropped by 0.05mg last time, my next drop will the same. Slow and steady wins the race. 
 

Sending hugs🤗

[3Shadows]

Hi Hazel and Carrie!

 

I hope you both are feeling well and encouraged by a return here. I too am returning.

 

A little about me:

Treated for depression, anxiety, PTSD.

61

Post menopause

Lyme, Ostioarthritis, mild degenerative disc disease.

 

I too have been off and on Paxil. I have gone through relapses and returned.  Switched and failed. Bridged with Prozac while still on a low dose benzo, and relapsed after being med free for a few weeks.

 

Presently on 20 mgs. Of Paxil and zero benzos-yaye.

 

However my depression is never too far away.  I am presently 35 pounds and over weight, have difficulty sleeping, unmotivated alot and tired.  So tried add ONS with Paxil and no help. Often feel "over it- of trying different meds." But I just keep trying and hoping. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Songbird]

Hi Hazel, I don't come here often any more.  Good to hear you've stabilised on citalopram.

I was tapering paroxetine and in 2016 hit big trouble for a number of reasons,  switched over to citalopram, which I've been very slowly tapering since then.  In recent years I've been doing what Carmie said above - miniscule drops with long holds.  If you do decide to try tapering again, this "turtle tapering" method could be the way to go.

[Hazel]

On 11/14/2021 at 8:01 PM, Songbird said:

Hi Hazel, I don't come here often any more.  Good to hear you've stabilised on citalopram.

I was tapering paroxetine and in 2016 hit big trouble for a number of reasons,  switched over to citalopram, which I've been very slowly tapering since then.  In recent years I've been doing what Carmie said above - miniscule drops with long holds.  If you do decide to try tapering again, this "turtle tapering" method could be the way to go.

Thanks Songbird.

My issue is I don’t feel I am 100% stable on the citalopram.  I still get morning anxiety and get anxious about things I used to be able to let go of before I ever went into withdrawal.  I don’t know if it’s realistic that I’ll ever really be fully stable and that’s what confuses me as far as taking the step to taper.  This may be as good as it gets for me.  I am so much better than where I was 3 years ago, but not where I would like to be if I want to try tapering again.

[Carmie]

On 11/9/2021 at 1:11 AM, 3Shadows said:

Hi Hazel and Carrie!

 

I hope you both are feeling well and encouraged by a return here. I too am returning.

 

A little about me:

Treated for depression, anxiety, PTSD.

61

Post menopause

Lyme, Ostioarthritis, mild degenerative disc disease.

 

I too have been off and on Paxil. I have gone through relapses and returned.  Switched and failed. Bridged with Prozac while still on a low dose benzo, and relapsed after being med free for a few weeks.

 

Presently on 20 mgs. Of Paxil and zero benzos-yaye.

 

However my depression is never too far away.  I am presently 35 pounds and over weight, have difficulty sleeping, unmotivated alot and tired.  So tried add ONS with Paxil and no help. Often feel "over it- of trying different meds." But I just keep trying and hoping. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi 3shadows, 

 

Hope you’re having a good day. Can you please start a thread of your own, as then you’ll be able to have an interchange of encouragement with different ones on here. It’s good to have others to chat to that can understand what you’re going through. 
 

I’m glad you’re feeling hopeful, one day at a time does it. 
 

Sending hugs🤗

[Carmie]

On 11/17/2021 at 6:35 AM, Hazel said:

Thanks Songbird.

My issue is I don’t feel I am 100% stable on the citalopram.  I still get morning anxiety and get anxious about things I used to be able to let go of before I ever went into withdrawal.  I don’t know if it’s realistic that I’ll ever really be fully stable and that’s what confuses me as far as taking the step to taper.  This may be as good as it gets for me.  I am so much better than where I was 3 years ago, but not where I would like to be if I want to try tapering again.

Yes, thinking of tapering again can be a scary thing Hazel, 

 

Only you can tell how your body is doing, and whether it’s time to taper again. 
 

My concern for myself is that if I don’t taper and get off these meds what will happen if all of a sudden I can’t get the meds anymore, I would end up with full blown Akathisia again. That being said, it’s going to probably take me a decade to get off even on the small dose I’m on, as every teeny tiny drop affects me. Our poor destabilised nervous systems. 
 

If I was cold turkeyed off the meds now, even though I’m down to 4.05mg I would still end up with severe Akathisia. It’s a really scary thought. If I taper too quickly, even a little too quickly I feel the Akathisia coming on. I do still get it here and there tapering slowly, but it’s mild and bearable. It’s an inner Akathisia. I had one night recently though, that I had really restless arms and couldn’t settle. 
 

Take care dear Hazel, and I hope you have a happy day☀️☀️☀️

 

[Carmie]

Hi Hazel, 

 

How are you doing? Did you ever start tapering again?🧡

[Hazel]

5 hours ago, Carmie said:

Hi Hazel, 

 

How are you doing? Did you ever start tapering again?🧡

Hi Carmie,

I am doing well, thanks for asking.  I did make a small attempt to try to taper, but it only lasted a day.  I think everything I went through with trying to taper in the past was really traumatizing for me, so I get really anxious when I try now.  I’m not sure I will ever get off these meds, but I am grateful that I am doing as well as I am now.

How are you doing?

[Carmie]

19 hours ago, Hazel said:

Hi Carmie,

I am doing well, thanks for asking.  I did make a small attempt to try to taper, but it only lasted a day.  I think everything I went through with trying to taper in the past was really traumatizing for me, so I get really anxious when I try now.  I’m not sure I will ever get off these meds, but I am grateful that I am doing as well as I am now.

How are you doing?

Glad you’re doing well Hazel, 

 

I remember what a hard time you were having in the past. You need to do what’s best for you, and if you’re too scared to taper for now that’s fine. 
 

I’m still tapering, I’m down to 3.75mg now. I only tapered by just over 1% last time and I had to hold for nearly two and a half months to stabilise again. 
 

I think the two tapers before then caught up with me as well, though they were only over 1% and I held around a month or so each time. My brain won’t let me go very quickly, though some people are fine with 10%. 
 

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely day Hazel and it’s nice to hear you’re doing well🧡
 

 

[Hazel]

Thanks Carmie😊

[Carmie]

Hi Hazel, 

 

Are you still doing okay holding? Have you tried tapering again or have you decided to stay put still? 
 

Sending hugs🤗