Relentless27 Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Hey Guys, New here. I have been on and off antidepressants for over 15 years. I am not 37 and have been off Prozac for 4.5 months. Just a quick question. It seems over the last couple weeks I have gotten super restless and there is a TON of fear & terror. Is that pretty par for the course for this amount of time being off? Just looking for some answers. Thanks for taking the time. 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted November 22, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 22, 2017 (edited) Hello, Relentless and welcome to survivingantidepressants.com, I'm glad you found your way here. So that we may better answer your questions and offer guidance, we ask that you you summarize your history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly? You said you have been off Prozac for 4 1/2 months. Could you be sure to include the dosage(s) you were on and whether you tapered (if so, as what rate?) or went off the drug cold-turkey. Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 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. Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. A too-fast taper can certainly cause the symptoms you are talking about. Anxiety and restlessness are very common withdrawal symptoms. Regarding restlessness, if you Google "survivingantdepressants akathisia" or "survivingantidepressants restlessness" you will find a wealth of material on the subject. Here are some other links you might find helpful. The link "Non-drug coping techniques to cope with emotional symptoms" offers many ways to help you cope with anxiety. Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms We encourage members to visit the topics of other members. This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress. Edited November 22, 2017 by Gridley Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Hey Guys, 2 weeks off 6 months out and i have to say that the past week has been the worst so far. Akathisia is a pretty bad and i fear that im losing my mind. Is this normal to hit 6 months out? Things started getting difficult in month 4. I try to stay away from these forums as sometimes i feel like it makes me dwell on my current state more but sometimes i can't help but come on and scroll through countless posts looking for some shred of comfort. Looking something positive. It's also my suspicion that the holidays arent making things any easier too. any help is appreciated. I remember when i stopped the meds last year feeling exactly this way and i had no idea about withdrawal from this stuff so i was going out of my mind from doctor to doctor, even got diagnosed with OCD which i have never had before. I guess i'm a little more prepared this time which helps but sweet jesus is this terrifying. Anyone else have this pattern? i hear alot of people say they improved slightly at 7-8 months, any truth to that? Thanks for looking. 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
Mentor FarmGirlWorks Posted December 22, 2017 Mentor Share Posted December 22, 2017 Hi Relentless, Oh yeah, it is normal to have WD several months out. I am in month 8 of a sertraline/zoloft WD and still experiencing the windows and waves. The waves seem super intense and makes me so grateful for windows even if they are only a few hours or a day. For me, months 3-5 were worse. I know what you mean about not coming to these forums so as not to dwell on your state but so many great resources and in Waves the support, for me, has been essential. Prozac | late 2004-mid-2005 | CT WD in a couple months, mostly emotional Sertraline 50-100mg | 11/2011-3/2014, 10/2014-3/2017 Sertraline fast taper March 2017, 4 weeks, OFF sertraline April 1, 2017 Quit alcohol May 20, 2017 Lifestyle changes: AA, kundalini yoga "If you've seen a monster, even if it's horrible, that's evidence of divinity." – Damien Echols Link to comment
nz11 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Sorry you have to go through this relentless. No one can tell you how long it will go on for. Healing takes as long as it takes. However for some of us (especially those who tapered too fast and had long term exposure) it appears to be taking years. It will get better with time. For me the first two years were the most difficult and I saw little improvement. Then things got better ...slowly over the next few years. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 Hi Guys, Just checking in. 6.5 months off now. Is it normal for things to get worse this far out? I think it's safe to say that this is the worst i've felt so far. Tons of anxiety, depression & terror are the highest they have been. I think the thing that gets me is that i seem to obsess over the possibility of this getting worse. Reinstatment has crossed my mind. I'm just super scared and my body feels jittery and terrified. I'm not sure there is much i can do. Maybe just looking for some support or reassurance. Thanks for anyone who reads. 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
kesh Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 I know how you feel about obsessing about things getting worse. Lots of people here hit bad times 4, 6, 8 or 12 months after, but check out the recovery stories section of the site to help you out with that obsessing. More experienced people will be able to talk about reinstatement, but my newbie understanding is that as your last med was over 6 months ago it is better not to. It's more likely that you are just going to have to sit tight and get through it. But wait until someone who knows for sure replies. Check out the symptoms and self care section too. Current daily meds. Citalopram 2.5mg morning. Diazapam 1.5mg evening, Propanalol 40mg split 4x10mg throughout day. Recent meds. Fluoxetine 20mg began 24th Nov 2017, CT on 4th December on medical advice due to bad Akathisia. Citalopram 10mg began on 13th Dec 2017, tapered to 2.5mg by 20th Dec 2017 on medical advice. Diazapam 2mg began on 6th Dec 2017 cut to 1.5 mg on 26th Dec. Propanalol 40mg began on 13th Dec. Zopiclone 3.75 mg began 13th December, used maybe 5 times then quit. Previous history. Tricyclics, Fluoxetine or Citalopram for periods of 6mo to 2yrs over last 25 years. Probably 5 yrs in total. No significant ill effects. Link to comment
direstraits Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 I'm not a mod but I know there is still a small chance a RI could help...maybe 1 or 2 mgs. it's worth trying if it lets you avoid years of suffering like I have. hope Alto or a mod will advise you. take care and good luck. ds went on Prozac 1994-99,60mg.poopout ct back on 2001-2002,prozac weekly 2002,not working,Effexor 75 mg.?2003-mar.2004 gaining weight 8wk. taper,wellbutrin 150 mg.mar. -may 2004 ctmedfree til july 2005 back to Prozac gaining weight again,back on wellbutrin jan.2006150-300 mg.bad constipation.also was taking aygestin(hormone)perimenopausal irregular bleeding.back on Prozac around sept,?2006,hysterectomy jan30.2007(adenomyosis)off&on Prozac til 2009,citalopram about 1 mo, April 2010 no effect,Effexor again may -mar, 2011.ct,Prozac aug,-dec, 2011 &sept-nov 2012,paroxetine oct,23 2013-may 4 2014 20 mgs.tapered 6 wks.-failed RI in Oct.2014-in protracted WD.started 10 mgs. Fluoxetine May 25 2021 .Stopped fluoxetine May 2022 at 5 mgs. Link to comment
JamesF Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Hi Relentless. I don't think anyone here can guarantee that things will definitely improve for you soon. What's the general pattern? Is it improving, stable, or worsening? Have some things got better and others worse? Personally, I tried to ride out withdrawals twice. Last time in 2017 they steadily got worse over 8 months. I didn't experience "increasing windows vs waves" as is talked about during withdrawal. Things simply got worse for me over time. My sense is that if the time on SSRIs is long, or the jump is too quick, then the nervous system really struggles or simply cannot bridge the gap between how it functioned on the drugs and how it used to function. The only small relief I got was reinstating a small amount of the original SSRI. If things are following the trend of getting worse, I'd encourage you to consider trying this. I was in an insane level of daily suffering until shortly after I did reinstate. It took a few weeks of enduring chaos but then it was simply better on every level. The only thing that was hard to digest was that my suffering over the last 8 months had been needless. I had imagined going through the dark tunnel of sewerage and coming out of the other side free. I was fully willing to do it. Like the shawshank redemption or something. But it doesn't work that way. It was just a myth I was buying into to rationalise my own suffering. The best way to heal seems to be to stay out of that tunnel. To go so slowly and gently that you never enter that place of severe suffering. Because if you go there, 1) there are no guarantees of a timeline of getting better, although people usually do heal in the long term and 2) severity of symptoms may negate your ability to have a balanced, healthy life, to sleep, work, exercise, socialise, and so on - and these are precisely the things that will help you to heal. 2008: Started Citalopram 30mg Sept 2014: Tapered down Citalopram over 6 months and discontinued Feb 2015 Severe withdrawals peaked in July/Aug 2015. Totally housebound. Sept 2015: Sertraline started @ 100mg on GP advice. Oct to Dec 2015: Reduced to Sertraline 50mg due to side effects. Jan 2016 to March 2017: Tapered Sertraline to 2mg @ 10% per month. Severe withdrawals peaked again June 2017. Totally housebound. Diazepam: July 2017 5mg // Aug 2017 2.5mg // Sept 2017 1mg // 12th Dec 2017 0.85mg Sertraline Reinstatement: 23 Oct 2017 5mg // 15 Nov 2017 10mg // 23 Nov 2017 15mg Link to comment
Mentor FarmGirlWorks Posted January 19, 2018 Mentor Share Posted January 19, 2018 Sertraline is a tough one. I was having a bad day yesterday and then feel okay emotionally today. Went over my journals from when this rollercoaster started 9.5 months ago and can see that there HAS been improvement. It is just hard to remember when in the midst of a wave. I am sorry you're feeling so bad, Relentless. Read a Success Story as they do show that there is an end to this tunnel. It's just dark and scary while in it. So glad to have found this forum for support and real information. Hang in there! ps: instead of taking fish oil/omega 3 in the morning, started taking it three times/day to increase the support of my brain. It's only been a day but feel that has been helpful. Prozac | late 2004-mid-2005 | CT WD in a couple months, mostly emotional Sertraline 50-100mg | 11/2011-3/2014, 10/2014-3/2017 Sertraline fast taper March 2017, 4 weeks, OFF sertraline April 1, 2017 Quit alcohol May 20, 2017 Lifestyle changes: AA, kundalini yoga "If you've seen a monster, even if it's horrible, that's evidence of divinity." – Damien Echols Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Would i get liquid prozac to reinstate? Would i eventually microtaper off this or is this a lifetime thing? Any advice from mods would be great. 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 2mg? 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 James, do you plan on being on the medicine for life or do you plan to reduce further? 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 22, 2018 Administrator Share Posted January 22, 2018 Hello, Relentless. How did you come off Prozac? Was it effective in stopping your symptoms from cold turkey of Zoloft and Klonopin? When you cam off Prozac, did you have any withdrawal symptoms? Yes, reinstatement of perhaps 2mg Prozac might help. This topic explains how to make your own liquid Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine) This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 Hi Alto, i didnt really have any symptoms after stopping prozac. They actually started around month 3.5. I did find out that i have acid reflux which was keeping me from sleeping and sent me into a panic hence the trip to the ER. I also have some pretty big life events going on which cause stress like im having another baby in 2 days and my business is not doing so well and had to close one of my stores. I really dont want to touch the prozac again so was just thinking taking a benzo rarely and as needed. I tapered off prozac over the course of 3 months from 20mg. I just dont want to make things worse and to tell you the truth the thing that stirs up most panick is the thought of things getting worse which is silly. The benzo does calm me down a bit as i had some in hospital the other night so i figured it might help. Thanks for the reply and let me know if you have any more questions. 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
dj2010 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 8 hours ago, Relentless27 said: I did find out that i have acid reflux which was keeping me from sleeping and sent me into a panic hence the trip to the ER. I had a lot of stomach problems many years ago when was forced to go cold turkey from venlfaxine, I got a stomach ulcer and had acid reflux for long time, at first was on omperazole, but what found most effective for acid reflux was apple cider vinegar, mix couple of teaspoons in water and drink morning, afternoon and before bed, stay strong 2001 - 2005 prozac, 2001 - 2017 various benzos, mainly diazapem and zanex, 2002 - 2017 olanzapine or seroquel, 2002 -2017 propanolol, 2005 - 2009 venlafaxine 75mg , forced to go cold turkey off venlafaxine as moved Thailand, doctor cut me off and couldn't get it there, severely ill for over 2 years, countered withdrawals with more zanex and seroquel 2014 returned to UK, mainly to get treatment getting off meds doctor advised to taper seroquel over a few weeks, severely ill and bed bed-bound so reinstated it, 2015 tapered seroquel myself slower over a few months, was off it 2 months and was too ill so went on olanzapine, became zombie and too tired to get out of bed, went back on seroquel, very depressed so went back on venlafaxine, didnt work so doctor swapped to zoloft became very agitated so back on venlafaxine June 2016 - felt strong enough to begin tapering again, started what I thought was a slow taper of all meds, 2016 July Not had any alcoholic drink since this date, 2016 October completely off diazepem, 2017 Feb completely off seroquel, 2017 March completely off proponanlol, 2017 April (day before birthday) completely off venlafaxine, OFF ALL MEDS 11/4/2017, was fine for nearly 3 months and then delayed withdrawal hit, supplements taking: turmeric capsules, NiaCel (nicotinamide riboside), Vit B12 sublingual, Vit B3, Vit B6, Vit B1, apple cider vinegar, manuka umf 10 honey, camu camu powder, melatonin when needed, epsom salt baths, juices, smoothies, Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15175-dj2010-off-all-meds-for-3-months-and-been-fine-now-bad-insomnia/ Link to comment
Relentless27 Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Hi Alto, so i would go on the liquid and then taper from there once im stabilized? Gonna try to get some liquid. jon 2007-2016- zoloft 100mg, klonopin 1mg March 2016- Cold turkey off both July 2016- Reinstated Prozac (after 3 months med merigo round) July 2017- Off prozac after 3 month taper from 20mg July 2017 MED FREE Link to comment
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