Greenriver: switch from sertraline to fluoxetine

[Greenriver]

Im shocked at the price of everything when I visit Ireland. I’m trying to stay away from the booze but will probably have a few pints if I’m on holiday.  I met a lot of toxic people back when I used to drink a lot.  I suppose it teaches you a thing or two about people though.

Understanding human behaviour definitely helps deal with things.   I used to take people’s **** so personally and now I don’t care as much. 

 

The type of people who make snide comments like that are usually careful not to do it around management. Then again, I’ve witnessed managers making mental health innuendos too. 

 

[powerback]

12 minutes ago, Greenriver said:

Im shocked at the price of everything when I visit Ireland. I’m trying to stay away from the booze but will probably have a few pints if I’m on holiday.  I met a lot of toxic people back when I used to drink a lot.  I suppose it teaches you a thing or two about people though.

Understanding human behaviour definitely helps deal with things.   I used to take people’s **** so personally and now I don’t care as much. 

 

The type of people who make snide comments like that are usually careful not to do it around management. Then again, I’ve witnessed managers making mental health innuendos too. 

 

Its discrimination beyond belief ,theres enough mental health awareness campaigns around now that there should be change but it doesnt transpire on the ground.

I think we all live in a world were as long as its not in our back yard attitude .

Only in the last few years I realized I was raised by a father with mental health issues ,mainly panic disorder. The poor man hasnt a clue why he's an eternal pessimist .

I need to seak out organizations that are gearing towards change rather than giving time to ignoramuses ,im already distancing myself from most of my peer group.

Im nearly sure ireland has the highest tax on drink ,that says alot because it aint on broccoli .

Ireland has spent loads of money overseas advertising .I supose most of the planet is just capitalistic consumerism.the history like scotland is ancient ,so that aspect is interesting ,buy nothing tho.

[Greenriver]

Topic title:  Prozac therapeutic dose

 

Im not sure if  I’ve updated my signature properly. Apologies if this hasn’t been done correctly

 

Does anyone have any idea what dose Prozac’s effects start to wear off? I’m currently on 3mg and still feel quite brain fogged. For me Prozac is the heaviest feeling of all the SSRIs. Sertraline, while harder to get off, felt like a light jacket in comparison. Prozac feels like a big heavy raincoat. It’s getting to the stage where I’m considering switching back to an equivalent dose of Sertraline. While it’s harder to get off, the side-effects are easier to deal with. 

 

Edited April 11, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[Altostrata]

Hi, Greenriver. How long have you been taking 3mg Prozac? How did your last Prozac reduction go?

 

Is it making you sleepy? What time of day do you take it?

[Greenriver]

Does anyone find that they can taper at a faster rate on Prozac due to the half-life?

[Gridley]

2 hours ago, Greenriver said:

Does anyone find that they can taper at a faster rate on Prozac due to the half-life?

 

The following is taken from the link

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

Is Prozac "self-tapering"?
Because of its very long half-life, Prozac has the reputation of being "self-tapering," meaning it requires only a short taper. However, some people do suffer withdrawal from Prozac, just as severe as other SSRIs. Because of the long half-life, withdrawal symptoms simply take longer to appear.

We suggest starting out with a slow taper of 10% per month for a couple of months; if no withdrawal symptoms appear, rate of taper may be increased -- but slow down if withdrawal symptoms arise.

Reduce by 10% per month to start
The 10% rule holds for Prozac, just like other psychiatric drugs: Reduce by 10% per month, calculated on the last dosage. (The amount of the reduction gets progressively smaller.)

See Why taper by 10% of my dosage?
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Greenriver]

 

 

Hi, I’m wondering if someone can please help me out. I’m currently experiencing extreme agitation and panic. Last week I switched from Prozac to Sertraline, after nearly four years on Prozac.

 

Rough med background (dates may be slightly off):

1999-2001: flovomax

2001-2003: Paroxetine.

2003-2016: Sertraline, 75mg. Dropped down to 50mg in 2005.  Dropped down to 20mg between 2013 & 2016.

Feb 2016: started Prozac, 10mg. Gradually decreased dosage down over that time  to 2.8 mg, April 2019. 

April 2015- Diazepam, roughly 5mg per day

 

When I started prozac I experienced very strong brain fog, like nothing I ever experienced on any other med. It felt like a ‘chemical cosh’ effect. I actually welcomed it at the time I was feeling quite paranoid and  emotionally unstable.  That’s one thing the Prozac did very effectively - it levelled me out emotionally like no other drug. The withdrawals weren’t nearly as acute as Sertraline withdrawal either.

 

My biggest problem I had with it was the brain fog. During withdrawal it would get so bad that I would get actual brain freeze and struggle to formulate basic sentences. Over the last six months my mood has deteriorated. My Dr suggested increasing the Prozac dose but I did not want to exacerbate the brain fog so she suggested going back on Sertraline as I had very little brain fog on it. I took my last dose of Prozac last Thursday and started Sertraline on the Friday, roughly 6mg per day (12.5mg every two days). Bizarrely, the brain fog that I’ve been struggling with over the past four years on Prozac vanished within a couple of days, which basically makes no sense, as Prozac has a gigantic half-life. My vision also became clearer. Perhaps Prozac activates  a certain receptor in the brain responsible for the brain fog, and the Sertraline blocks it. Who knows, but it’s certainly very strange. I was fully expecting a four week wait for the brain fog to lift. 

 

I was was feeling quite good about this and then woke up on Tuesday morning in a state of extreme agitation. It basically felt identical to an acute bout of SSRI withdrawal. But I only stopped Prozac five days previously, so I knew it wasn’t the Prozac. I had to take quite a large amount of Valium, 10mg (I currently take 5mg per day) which helped a bit. The next day was fine, felt better, but Thursday was roughly the same as Tuesday. I had a bad bout of anxiety yesterday and had to take 15mg of Valium in one day. Today I feel slightly better.

 

sorry for this long ramble. I’m now wondering if perhaps I made a mistake. My mind is a hell of a lot clearer, but my anxiety and agitation is very bad. I had nothing like this on Prozac. I think this is a bodily reaction to the Sertraline. Will this pass? Should I stick it out for another week and see if my symptoms abate? My GP said I should stick it out, but then had the cheek to say, “have you evert heard of a placebo effect? Because that’s what it could be.” Im certaim it’s chemically induced agitation. I’m tempted to go back on the Prozac today or tomorrow, because if I leave it too late, my body might not adjust to the Prozac and will take longer to take effect. Perhaps brain fog is a price worth paying for emotional stability. 

 

My my plan with the Sertraline was to eventually stabilise on 12.5mg for six months and then titrate down using the liquid version. Unfortunately the liquid version costs too much money for the NHS so I would need to make my own. 

 

[Greenriver]

I’ve decided I’ll prob just go cold turkey off this. I kind of want to end it tbh and withdrawal will def give me the impetus to jump in front of that fast train. 

 

I actually feel feel relieved now that I’ve made the decision, like a weight has been lifted. My brain has been so preoccupied with what medication to take etc, it takes up so much of my head space. Worst case scenario: suicide, although this is what I now want, so it doesn’t bother me. I’m going to try and ride out the withdrawals as best I can and hopefully come out the other side, although I doubt it. I don’t really give a **** anymore ha ha 

[Altostrata]

@Greenriver Please put your questions and updates here in your Introductions topic so they don't get lost.

 

Cold turkey is a terrible idea. If you don't like the symptoms you have now, you're in for a lot worse. You won't be ha ha then.

 

You have withdrawal from Prozac, so far the sertraline has not effectively substituted. To stop the withdrawal symptoms, you might immediately go back to Prozac. Or you could wait to see if the sertraline finally will take effect. Nothing is certain.

 

Please note you could also be suffering long-term adverse effects of taking diazepam daily for years.

 

Please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php
and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic.

[Greenriver]

What kind of long-term effects from the Diazepam do you mean? I really don’t like taking this much Valium (over 5mg) but I’m hoping the agitation is an initial side-effect of the  Sertralne that will eventually subside. I’m not entirely sure that what I’m experiencing is Prozac withdrawal. I’ve occasionally not taken my Prozac dose for up to five days and not experienced these symptoms. I think it was a bodily reaction to the Sertraline. From what I’ve read though, this can happen when you start a new SSRI. They can make you feel more anxious and depressed. 

 

I just feel feel so horrible not ha ha. I don’t  get any help from my GP or the NHS. She suggested I might be experiencing a placebo effect. I don’t know about America, but mental health support in this country is notoriously appalling. It’s depressing having to reach out through the internet. I do really appreciate what you people do here. This website is a goldmine of useful info. 

 

I’ll prob try upping the Sertraline to 12.5mg this week and see if that helps. Otherwise, I’ll go back on the Prozac. One advantage of Prozac is that I didn’t have as much sexual dysfunction. Unfortunately that side-effect returned within an hour of taking my first Sertraline tablet. 

 

On a a side note, I experienced quitesubstantial hair loss after starting Prozac, which has increased quite dramatically over the last six months. Obv this could be genetic, or stress-related, but it’s another reason I want to go back to sertraline, as Prozac is known to cause this. 

 

 

[Altostrata]

2 minutes ago, Greenriver said:

From what I’ve read though, this can happen when you start a new SSRI. They can make you feel more anxious and depressed. 

 

If you get a bad reaction when starting an SSRI, the dosage is too high or the drug does not agree with you.

 

It's possible you're having an adverse reaction to sertraline. It's also possible that when you took fluoxetine irregularly, you made your nervous system more vulnerable to strange effects from the drugs, such as the fogginess. Drinking alcohol can contribute to this. The nervous system is not made of rubber -- a history of drug changes, adverse reactions to drugs, withdrawal symptoms, alcohol etc. can hurt it.

 

It sounds like sertraline does not agree with you, but it is more stimulating than Prozac. You might go back to a slightly lower dose of Prozac, such as 2.5mg or 2.25mg, perhaps the adverse effects of Prozac will be less.

 

Yes, attention to psychiatric drug side effects is terrible everywhere. I'm sorry you've had such a bad time of it.

 

Please consult Dr. Google about adverse effects of long-term benzodiazepines.

[Greenriver]

Thanks. It’s hard to know what to do.I guess I just want someone to tell me the correct path to take, but that’s hard to know. I hate these drugs so much. Im starting to wonder if it’s posdible to be off these drugs if you’ve been on them for two decades. The agitation seems to have lessened somewhat. I don’t remember experiencing this degree of agitation when I previously started sertraline. 

 

My instinct is to perhaps go back on Fluoxetine tomorrow at a slightly lower dosage, as you say. That’s ten days since my last dose. I’ll prob experience some sertraline withdrawal though as I’ve been taking it for a week. I don’t really drink much these days, or touch drugs anymore. I think the brain fog is directly related to the Prozac. Hopefully it will abate once I titrate below 1mg, although I think the drug still has 60% receptor occupancy at 1mg. I was taking it once every two days though, sometimes three. I think I’ll take it once a day and see if that helps. 

 

I agree, Sertraline is more stimulating, although it seems to be the opposite for a lot of people. For me, Prozac feels almost Valium-like.  Funnily enough, my GP said she’s never seen anyone taking doses as low as me. She said most people come off them with few side-effects. 

 

As as bad as Prozac is, it is titratable. My GP said sertraline liqyid costs £300 a bottle and was too expensive, despite me receiving it five years ago from a previous GP. I’m not sure why Fluoxetine liquid is cheaper.  I was a mess though trying to titrate off Sertraline, although I think I was dropping down way too fast. 

[Altostrata]

1 hour ago, Greenriver said:

The agitation seems to have lessened somewhat.

 

It could be that the combination of the sertraline added to the Prozac that was already in your system has been too stimulating, and the Prozac level is being lowered as it metabolizes -- which can take a few weeks. If so, you should feel progressively less activated. Perhaps you should give the sertraline more time.

 

I would not increase the sertraline dosage. Please update your signature with the sertraline information.

 

Weirdly, when you came here nearly 5 years ago, you were switching from sertraline to fluoxetine. Why did you choose to switch from fluoxetine to sertraline rather than citalopram, which is more commonly prescribed in the UK, with the liquid more widely available?

 

You were skipping doses of Prozac? Not a good way to keep your nervous system stable.

 

Your GP doesn't know anything about dosing or tapering. You have already reduced your intake of antidepressants. Minimizing your drug burden is a worthy endeavor.

[Greenriver]

I thought about mentioning Citalopram to my GP, but I was wary of throwing another unknown drug into the mix. I was on sertraline for years so I’m somewhat familiar with it. I also had the liquid version last time, however, it seems to be more expensive these days. 

 

 Is Citalopram more sedating or stimulating? I remember reading that it’s harder to get off compared with Prozac. 

 

I don’t think I'm

in quite a rational frame of mind at this point in time. I think it’s harder to deal with stress on the lower doses of Prozac. My mood has been pretty low. I’ve been desperate for years to get off these drugs and now I’m on a low dose of Prozac and have my sex drive more or less back to normal (albeit, I still have severe brain fog, although I’m starting to wonder if depression could be a contributing factor too) I want to go back on an SSRI (sertralibe) that at several points in my life gave me severe sexual dysfunction for months and months on end. The mild genital numbness is back since starting the sertraline too, but my mind is so clear. I’m actually interested in things again. I lost all interest in books/current affairs when I started Prozac. Even Trump getting elected failed to interest me. It seems there is no perfect drug. 

 

Unfortunately my Mum hasn’t helped matters. She found out that Prozac is linked with hair loss and now has me convinced that’s why my hair is falling out. I have been pretty stressed the last six months with a new job, so it could be that. I didn’t realise just how traumatising losing your hair can be. That and the brain fog is why I want to switch to something else. 

 

Tbh when I experienced the sexual dysfunction (it felt more like chemical castration) on sertraline, I think it was because I was dropping my dose down way too fast. 

 

 

[Greenriver]

I’m thinking of reinstating my Fluoxetine. My last dose was 12 days ago. 

 

Im thinking of taking an initial 20mg and then 2.4mg every day thereafter.  Is that too high?

 

ive been taking sertraline 12.5mg every two days since I stopped Prozac 12 days ago. The tablets don’t split properly so the dosage is prob uneven. 

[Greenriver]

On 11/10/2019 at 11:08 PM, Altostrata said:

 

It could be that the combination of the sertraline added to the Prozac that was already in your system has been too stimulating, and the Prozac level is being lowered as it metabolizes -- which can take a few weeks. If so, you should feel progressively less activated. Perhaps you should give the sertraline more time.

 

I would not increase the sertraline dosage. Please update your signature with the sertraline information.

 

Weirdly, when you came here nearly 5 years ago, you were switching from sertraline to fluoxetine. Why did you choose to switch from fluoxetine to sertraline rather than citalopram, which is more commonly prescribed in the UK, with the liquid more widely available?

 

You were skipping doses of Prozac? Not a good way to keep your nervous system stable.

 

Your GP doesn't know anything about dosing or tapering. You have already reduced your intake of antidepressants. Minimizing your drug burden is a worthy endeavor.

 

14 hours ago, Greenriver said:

I’m thinking of reinstating my Fluoxetine. My last dose was 12 days ago. 

 

Im thinking of taking an initial 20mg and then 2.4mg every day thereafter.  Is that too high?

 

ive been taking sertraline 12.5mg every two days since I stopped Prozac 12 days ago. The tablets don’t split properly so the dosage is prob uneven. 

 

[Greenriver]

On 11/10/2019 at 11:08 PM, Altostrata said:

 

It could be that the combination of the sertraline added to the Prozac that was already in your system has been too stimulating, and the Prozac level is being lowered as it metabolizes -- which can take a few weeks. If so, you should feel progressively less activated. Perhaps you should give the sertraline more time.

 

I would not increase the sertraline dosage. Please update your signature with the sertraline information.

 

Weirdly, when you came here nearly 5 years ago, you were switching from sertraline to fluoxetine. Why did you choose to switch from fluoxetine to sertraline rather than citalopram, which is more commonly prescribed in the UK, with the liquid more widely available?

 

You were skipping doses of Prozac? Not a good way to keep your nervous system stable.

 

Your GP doesn't know anything about dosing or tapering. You have already reduced your intake of antidepressants. Minimizing your drug burden is a worthy endeavor.

I’ve decided to go back on the Prozac. My GP suggested taking 20mg today and then resume my previous dose. I’m not entirely sure the rational, but she seems to be suggesting g that the 20mg will cover me for the last two weeks I had without it. However, I’ve been taking sertraline, 12.5 mg , every two days the past 12 days. 

 

I’ve decided not to follow her advice and have just taken 4mg of Prozac 1 hour ago.  Do you think I should titrate off the settralibe? I have been on it for 12 days now. Not sure what to do as I don’t really trust my GPs advice and seeming lack of concern. 

[Sassenach]

Hi Greenriver

 

On 11/10/2019 at 7:50 PM, Altostrata said:

You might go back to a slightly lower dose of Prozac, such as 2.5mg or 2.25mg, perhaps the adverse effects of Prozac will be less.

@Altostrata has spent a good deal of time corresponding with you. She is recognised as a leading authority on A/D W/D.

If you choose to ignore her advice she is extremely busy and can spend her time elsewhere.

AS you have already taken 4mgs I suggest you continue to do so at the same time every day.

The two drugs  may prove too much for your system as Prozac increases slowly in the body.

You symptoms need to be monitored so keep and post a diary in the following format.

DATE:

 

6 a.m. Woke with anxiety 5
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache 3
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy 6
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

Without this info we cannot monitor your progress.

On 11/10/2019 at 11:08 PM, Altostrata said:

Please update your signature with the sertraline information.

and also the new Prozac dose.

You will not feel well on or off these drugs unless you introduce some consistency and work from there.

 

Sassenach

[Greenriver]

8 minutes ago, Sassenach said:

Hi Greenriver

 

@Altostrata has spent a good deal of time corresponding with you. She is recognised as a leading authority on A/D W/D.

If you choose to ignore her advice she is extremely busy and can spend her time elsewhere.

AS you have already taken 4mgs I suggest you continue to do so at the same time every day.

The two drugs  may prove too much for your system as Prozac increases slowly in the body.

You symptoms need to be monitored so keep and post a diary in the following format.

DATE:

 

6 a.m. Woke with anxiety 5
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache 3
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy 6
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

Without this info we cannot monitor your progress.

and also the new Prozac dose.

You will not feel well on or off these drugs unless you introduce some consistency and work from there.

 

Sassenach

Sorry

 

 

[Sassenach]

No need to be sorry.

We want to help you to help yourself.

[Greenriver]

18 minutes ago, Sassenach said:

Hi Greenriver

 

@Altostrata has spent a good deal of time corresponding with you. She is recognised as a leading authority on A/D W/D.

If you choose to ignore her advice she is extremely busy and can spend her time elsewhere.

AS you have already taken 4mgs I suggest you continue to do so at the same time every day.

The two drugs  may prove too much for your system as Prozac increases slowly in the body.

You symptoms need to be monitored so keep and post a diary in the following format.

DATE:

 

6 a.m. Woke with anxiety 5
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache 3
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy 6
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

Without this info we cannot monitor your progress.

and also the new Prozac dose.

You will not feel well on or off these drugs unless you introduce some consistency and work from there.

 

Sassenach

I’m just pretty agitated. Things should settle down in a week once the Prozac takes effect

i did try and update the signature but I couldn’t find the corrrdct link and gave up 

[Sassenach]

Here's the link

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/settings/signature/

[Greenriver]

Cheers, I just updated 

[Sassenach]

Dr has given me a script for Citalopram, 10mg. I was planning on cutting them in half and taking 5mg every day, but the pills are tiny. Tried cutting them with a Stanley knife and they just explode into powder. Might have to make a homemade liquid. 

You can cut them easily with a pill cutter available from chemist or online.

Still think your doc is wrong adding the citalopram.

Sassenach

[Greenriver]

Hi

 

UK Doctor wants me off Diazepam first. Prozac taper will need to stop

 

I've been trying to come off Prozac over the past four years now. I'm now down to 2.4 mg per day. Unfortunately my GP has just cut my Diazepam script by 14 2mg tablets per month, as it is "an addictive drug and causes brain atrophy and early stage dementia." This means I will have to halt my Prozac taper. I'm on 4mg of Diazepam per day. She wants me to take 4mg one day, 3mg the other day, so 0.5 mg reduction over one month. 

 

Does anyone within the UK know whether it is possible to challenge this? It was via a telephone consultation and the Doctor in question was quite forceful and, I don't know, I feel like I was bamboozled. I usually have a three monthly valium review face-to-face with a GP but because of COVID it's just telephone consultations they're doing at the moment. I don't get much side-effects from valium other than slight drowsiness. Prozac gives me so many side-effects though. I told her all this but she kept telling me that Prozac isn't addictive and that valium is. I get the impression they equate recreational abuse potential with addiction. Just because you can't get high off Prozac does not mean it is not addictive.

 

She kept assuring me that Prozac is non-addictive despite the fact I'd just told her about the withdrawal symptoms, the zaps, the sexual dysfunction, it ruining my life. I also told her I feel much better on a lower dose and that my sexual function has markedly improved. I honestly don't think she gave a ****. I suspect there are now targets in place to get people off these drugs. Perhaps this is why there has been such a massive surge in street diazepam overdoses, particularly in Scotland, as people seek out street supplies due to the utter stupidity of the medical establishment forcing people to come off these drugs too fast. I don't think the media help either with their sensationalist headlines ("millions addicted to valium" etc) which forces Governments into implementing ill thought out policies.  It seems very similar to the opioid crisis that hit America when Doctors pulled Oxy scripts and patients started snorting heroin instead.  Unintended consequences etc. For the greater good.

 

She breezily finished the conversation by telling me that I should perhaps consider another SSRI at a higher dose. I told her that I'd run the gamut of SSRIs and I now want off them. She then suggested Mirtazapine. It was like talking to a Terminator. Something non-human. I don't know what to do.

 

Does anyone know whether private doctors in the UK have a more understanding attitude? I wish I'd never started Diazepam, despite the fact I don't get any side-effects from it at present. It will no doubt catch up with me later on, but at the moment I just want off Prozac, and then deal with Diazepam later.

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

Hi Greenriver,

 

I've moved your new post to your Introduction topic.  Please update your drug signature if needed.  Thank you.  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

I've asked the other mods to check in on you.

[Gridley]

21 hours ago, Greenriver said:

She wants me to take 4mg one day, 3mg the other day, so 0.5 mg reduction over one month. 

I know you're at the mercy of the psychiatrist, but the method she suggests (4mg one day, 3mg the next) is a terrible idea.  Your body needs stability, and this method creates varying amounts of the drug in your blood steam, stressing your central nervous system and making withdrawal worse.

 

I don't know if this is an option for you, but we recommend tapering psychiatric drugs by no more than 10% of current dose every four weeks.  This is in line with Dr. Ashton's protocols; she did pioneering work in benzo tapering in the U.K.  A 10% taper will give you a 0.4mg reduction over a month.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

I don't know anything about the private medical system in the U.K.  Perhaps another member can help out here.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Gridley

[Greenriver]

Thanks. I suspect it will send my body into flux. I've never really tapered Diazepam and I don't fancy trying it right now.

 

I'm using the 10% method for Prozac with moderate success. I use Prozac liquid. My GP (just a random Dr at my practice; I don't have a personal GP, as such)  wanted to reduce Diazepam by 1mg per month but only changed tact when I told her the problems I was having withdrawing from Prozac. She said I must be very sensitive.

 

I don't think they're too keen on giving out any liquid version of Diazepam (even though it does exist) as they no doubt suspect people might nip down a dark alley and start drinking it as soon as they leave the Chemist. It's annoying because Diazepam gives me very little in the way of kickback whereas Prozac (most SSRIs) has really screwed me up. I suspect they think patients are exaggerating when they talk about how hard they're finding withdrawal (or discontinuation symptoms, as most of them put it)

[Altostrata]

Greenriver, how are you doing?

[Greenriver]

Hi Altostrata

 

Just getting this

 

I'm doing ok. I've been taking  3.5mg of Diazepam over the last month, so a 0.5mg drop in Diazepam. The first few weeks were a bit difficult but not as bad as I expected. My Doctor wants me to try dropping down again in a month's time. 

 

I switched over to Citalopram five days ago. I stopped Prozac one week ago. I'm currently taking 2mg of Citalopram and might titrate up to 4mg. I don't really want to go any higher than that. I do feel calmer on Citalopram. I'll probably stay on it for four months and then very slowly start titrating down. I'm just paranoid that the switch might go wrong and I end up with PSSD again.

[Altostrata]

Why did you change to citalopram?

 

We advise changing only one drug at a time. You have just made a switch to citalopram, apparently shortly after a reduction of diazepam. It would be wise to wait a month or 2 to let your nervous system settle down from the changes.

 

We recommend reducing diazepam by 10% per month. 0.5mg decrease from 4mg is 12.5%. With the withdrawal symptoms, your nervous system is saying this is too much.

 

When you have withdrawal symptoms and reduce any of the drugs again, it makes the withdrawal symptoms worse.

[Greenriver]

I'm just getting your reply. For some reason I didn't get an alert that you had replied.

 

I've switched back to Fluoxetine today, at 0.8mg. I'll gradually bring it back up to 2.4 mg (my previous dose) over the next week. I started getting crazily intense stimulation from Citalopram, 2mg that felt borderline psychotic. I had to take 8mg of Valium one night just to feel somewhat sane. 

 

The reason I made the initial switch to Citalopram was due to excessive stimulation and hair loss despite being on the same dose of Prozac, 2.4mg, since December last year. I've had the stimulation and restlessness problem prior to the Diazepam drop. It was hard to sleep at times due to the stimulation. In retrospect, when I was eating healthy, meditating daily and not drinking at weekends, the stimulation and restlessness were easier to deal with.

 

Unfortunately my Doctor won't prescribe me liquid Diazepam, so it's very difficult to drop by 10%. The best I can do is try and hold her off. I'm just paranoid that she cold switches me to Pregabalin or something if I don't comply properly. I strongly suspect that GP Practices now have targets to reduce the number of patients on Diazepam. They do certainly seem far more eager and pushy to get people off the stuff. There has been an explosion in illegal Valium use & deaths over the last two years in the UK, particularly Scotland. It wouldn't surprise me if there is a link between Doctors pushing patients off their valium scripts and a rise in illegal valium use. 

[ChessieCat]

10 minutes ago, Greenriver said:

Unfortunately my Doctor won't prescribe me liquid Diazepam, so it's very difficult to drop by 10%.

 

I am fairly certain that you can make a liquid diazepam from tablets.  I'll check with the other mods.

[Greenriver]

I was away camping and missed one daily dose.

 

What am I supposed to do? Just carry on with the usual regime or double the dose the next day? I actually took 1.5 x my daily dose today and don't feel too weird or anything, just a bit stimulated.

 

I'm taking 2.4mg of Fluoxetine daily.

[Gridley]

14 minutes ago, Greenriver said:

What am I supposed to do? Just carry on with the usual regime

Go back to your regular dose tomorrow.  Missed doses are generally not significant and things should settle down within a few days.

[Greenriver]

Cheers