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TB1973: Prozac and sleep


TB1973

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Five months ago I decided to stop taking Effexor 75mg cold turkey.  It was the biggest mistake of my life!  I tried to get through the withdrawals by myself although failed and sought help from my psychiatrist.  After seeking help, I have tried 5 different antidepressant medications to help me overcome the withdrawal and after so much pain and suffering caused by the adverse effects to each medication, have found some relief with 20mg of Prozac.  Over the 5 month period of trial and error with medications I've developed insomnia due to the withdrawal and as a side effect to medication.  I am currently taking 20 - 30mg of temazapem at night for sleep.  My doctor has tried to introduce 5mg of zyprexa on it's own for sleep although this didn't work.  If anyone has any advice and/or ideas of natural forms of medication or anything else that will help for sleep,  I'd be very grateful to hear from you.  I'd also like to know if the insomnia will pass?  I've only been taking 20mg of Prozac for the past 3 days.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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Hi TB, I'm glad you found you way here.

 

Prozac is quite stimulating, so it could definitely be affecting your sleep, along with the withdrawal from Effexor.

 

Firstly, would you mind filling in a drug history with drugs/ dates, doses etc.This appears below each of your posts. Once we have this information we can offer more concise advice for your situation.

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

20 mg is quite a large dose to start back on after a C/T ~ it can often be sensitizing. A lower dose will likely be just as effective and at the end of the day is less to taper off. I would perhaps think about halving that to 10 mg or preferably even 5 mg as you've only been back on it a few days and at this point you could lower the dose fairly safely.

Let us know what you decide ~

 

This link may be helpful with your sleep issues ~ yes, the insomnia does usually pass, in time. Of course, it varies individually.

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have withdrawal insomnia

 

Welcome to SA,

Ali 

Edited by AliG

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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On 17/01/2018 at 8:39 AM, TB1973 said:

Five months ago I decided to stop taking Effexor 75mg cold turkey.  It was the biggest mistake of my life!  I tried to get through the withdrawals by myself although failed and sought help from my psychiatrist.  After seeking help, I have tried 5 different antidepressant medications to help me overcome the withdrawal and after so much pain and suffering caused by the adverse effects to each medication, have found some relief with 20mg of Prozac.  Over the 5 month period of trial and error with medications I've developed insomnia due to the withdrawal and as a side effect to medication.  I am currently taking 20 - 30mg of temazapem at night for sleep.  My doctor has tried to introduce 5mg of zyprexa on it's own for sleep although this didn't work.  If anyone has any advice and/or ideas of natural forms of medication or anything else that will help for sleep,  I'd be very grateful to hear from you.  I'd also like to know if the insomnia will pass?  I've only been taking 20mg of Prozac for the past 3 days.

2010 to August 2017 - 37.5 to 300mg Effexor - came off this cold turkey August 2017 at 75mg - not a good choice

2012 Seroquel for sleep 50mg (I can't remember how long I took this for) - came off this cold turkey and it was horrendous

October 2017 - 50mg Zoloft (I could not take this drug as I couldn't sleep, I felt totally wired and felt out of control)

October 2017 - 20mg Brintellix (I could not take this drug as I couldn't sleep, I felt totally wired and felt out of control)

November 2017 - 25mg Valdoxen (I could not take this drug as I couldn't sleep, I felt totally wired and felt out of control)

December 2017 - 20mg mirtazapine and 20mg temazapam (this seemed to work for me for a little while, although I was totally confused after taking so many medication and still going through some kind of withdrawal, I stopped taking it.  I have been dealing with my psychiatrist over the phone as I need to go to work every day and am trying to sort this medication situation out after hours so that I don't lose my job.

January 2018 - 5 beads of Effexor and 5 mg of Prozac with 20mg of temazapam

January 2018 - 20 mg of of Prozac and 20mg of temazapam

January 2018 - 5mg zyprexa - (to assist with sleep stopped taking it as it didn't help - I'm dealing with too many other symptoms at the moment)

January 2018 - 20 mg of of Prozac and 40mg of temazapam

 

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi TB and welcome to SA from me too,

 

Thank you for providing your drug history.  Please click on this link which will take you directly to where you can create your drug signature.  This will appear below every post you make.  Copy and paste what you have in your above post and remember to click Save.  Also, please update it whenever you make a change so it remains current.  Thank you.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Hi AliG,

 

Thank you so much for responding to my post.  I will cut down my dosage of Prozac to 10mg for 2 days and then 5mg going forward.  I just need to get to my GP so that I can get a new script for the Prozac in liquid form so that I am able to measure the dosage. 

 

As you can see from my signature, my psychiatrist is simply prescribing one medication after the other which he told me will reverse the Effexor withdrawal.  I told him I can't take any of these medication as I'm feeling suicidal and I can't think straight.  I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I'm going crazy and I have to keep my job, care for myself and I also have a 13 year old daughter.

 

As mentioned above I am finding some relief from the Prozac.  I will do as you suggest and cut down the dosage over a few days to 5mg.  I cannot sleep without temazapam, although I can feel that this will not work for me for much longer as I have become immune to what it is supposed to do for you.  I thought I might try 50mg seroquel tonight to try something else to help with my sleep.  I'm at my wits end - I don't know what else to do.

 

The link below that you sent to me isn't working for some reason - could I please ask you to provide it to me again?

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/555-tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-withdrawal-insomnia/

 

Thank you - Tammy 

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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Hi TB1973,


I am very sorry you are suffering from having discontinued Effexor.  Usually it is recommended to go back to the drug you originally were taking which in your case would be Effexor, not Prozac, in the hopes of quelling the withdrawal symptoms.  I would wait for a moderator to give you advice on this rather than the plan mentioned with Prozac (I am not sure Ali was aware you had quit Effexor).

 

 

-1/06 - 3/07 Cymbalta. Fast taper (essentially CT); withdrawal symptoms after 4 mos (didn't realize was WD)

-10/07: 100 mg Zoloft; 1 mg Klonopin - tapered off Klonopin after 4 mos. Several unsuccessful slow tapers of Zoloft; went up and down in dose a lot

-Spring 2013 back on 1 mg Klonopin to counter WD symptoms; switched over 5-6 mos from Zoloft to 35 mg citalopram
-Two attempts at slow tapering citalopram, always increased dose due to WD; also increased Klonopin to 1.25 mg in 2014, then to 1.5 mg in 2015

-8/17-9/17: After holding one year at 20 mg, feeling withdrawal symptoms due to stress - slowly increased to 25 mg. No change in symptoms after 6 months (? tolerance ?)  - decided to start citalopram taper February 2018 (still on Klonopin 1.5 mg).

Supplements: fish oil; magnesium; vitamin D3; curcumin

Citalopram taper:  2/2018 - 12/2019: 25 mg - 11.03 mg I 2020: 10.89 mg - 7.9 mg I 2021: 7.8 mg - 5.26 mg I 2022: 5.2 mg - 3.36 mg I 2023: 3.3 mg - 1.47 mg 2024: 1/5/24: 1.44 mg; 1/19/24: 1.40 mg; 1/26/24: 1.37 mg; 2/2/24: 1.34 mg; 2/9/24: 1.31 mg; 2/23/24: 1.28 mg; 3/1/24: 1.25 mg; 3/8/24: 1.22 mg; 3/15/24: 1.19 mg

 

 

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50 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Hi TB and welcome to SA from me too,

 

Thank you for providing your drug history.  Please click on this link which will take you directly to where you can create your drug signature.  This will appear below every post you make.  Copy and paste what you have in your above post and remember to click Save.  Also, please update it whenever you make a change so it remains current.  Thank you.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

Hi ChessieCat - Please see my message to TB regarding reinstating Effexor; would this be what you would recommend rather than staying on Prozac?

-1/06 - 3/07 Cymbalta. Fast taper (essentially CT); withdrawal symptoms after 4 mos (didn't realize was WD)

-10/07: 100 mg Zoloft; 1 mg Klonopin - tapered off Klonopin after 4 mos. Several unsuccessful slow tapers of Zoloft; went up and down in dose a lot

-Spring 2013 back on 1 mg Klonopin to counter WD symptoms; switched over 5-6 mos from Zoloft to 35 mg citalopram
-Two attempts at slow tapering citalopram, always increased dose due to WD; also increased Klonopin to 1.25 mg in 2014, then to 1.5 mg in 2015

-8/17-9/17: After holding one year at 20 mg, feeling withdrawal symptoms due to stress - slowly increased to 25 mg. No change in symptoms after 6 months (? tolerance ?)  - decided to start citalopram taper February 2018 (still on Klonopin 1.5 mg).

Supplements: fish oil; magnesium; vitamin D3; curcumin

Citalopram taper:  2/2018 - 12/2019: 25 mg - 11.03 mg I 2020: 10.89 mg - 7.9 mg I 2021: 7.8 mg - 5.26 mg I 2022: 5.2 mg - 3.36 mg I 2023: 3.3 mg - 1.47 mg 2024: 1/5/24: 1.44 mg; 1/19/24: 1.40 mg; 1/26/24: 1.37 mg; 2/2/24: 1.34 mg; 2/9/24: 1.31 mg; 2/23/24: 1.28 mg; 3/1/24: 1.25 mg; 3/8/24: 1.22 mg; 3/15/24: 1.19 mg

 

 

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3 minutes ago, wantrelief said:

Hi TB1973,


I am very sorry you are suffering from having discontinued Effexor.  Usually it is recommended to go back to the drug you originally were taking which in your case would be Effexor, not Prozac, in the hopes of quelling the withdrawal symptoms.  I would wait for a moderator to give you advice on this rather than the plan mentioned with Prozac (I am not sure Ali was aware you had quit Effexor).

Thank you for your response - any helpful information I can get at this time is comforting.  I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

3 minutes ago, wantrelief said:

 

Hi AliG,

 

Thank you so much for responding to my post.  I will cut down my dosage of Prozac to 10mg for 2 days and then 5mg going forward.  I just need to get to my GP so that I can get a new script for the Prozac in liquid form so that I am able to measure the dosage. 

 

As you can see from my signature, my psychiatrist is simply prescribing one medication after the other which he told me will reverse the Effexor withdrawal.  I told him I can't take any of these medication as I'm feeling suicidal and I can't think straight.  I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I'm going crazy and I have to keep my job, care for myself and I also have a 13 year old daughter.

 

As mentioned above I am finding some relief from the Prozac.  I will do as you suggest and cut down the dosage over a few days to 5mg.  I cannot sleep without temazapam, although I can feel that this will not work for me for much longer as I have become immune to what it is supposed to do for you.  I thought I might try 50mg seroquel tonight to try something else to help with my sleep.  I'm at my wits end - I don't know what else to do.

 

The link below that you sent to me isn't working for some reason - could I please ask you to provide it to me again?

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/555-tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-withdrawal-insomnia/

 

Thank you - Tammy 

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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Wantrelief - Thank you for your response - any helpful information I can get at this time is comforting.  I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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No problem - hopefully a moderator be by soon will confirm the plan with you. 

-1/06 - 3/07 Cymbalta. Fast taper (essentially CT); withdrawal symptoms after 4 mos (didn't realize was WD)

-10/07: 100 mg Zoloft; 1 mg Klonopin - tapered off Klonopin after 4 mos. Several unsuccessful slow tapers of Zoloft; went up and down in dose a lot

-Spring 2013 back on 1 mg Klonopin to counter WD symptoms; switched over 5-6 mos from Zoloft to 35 mg citalopram
-Two attempts at slow tapering citalopram, always increased dose due to WD; also increased Klonopin to 1.25 mg in 2014, then to 1.5 mg in 2015

-8/17-9/17: After holding one year at 20 mg, feeling withdrawal symptoms due to stress - slowly increased to 25 mg. No change in symptoms after 6 months (? tolerance ?)  - decided to start citalopram taper February 2018 (still on Klonopin 1.5 mg).

Supplements: fish oil; magnesium; vitamin D3; curcumin

Citalopram taper:  2/2018 - 12/2019: 25 mg - 11.03 mg I 2020: 10.89 mg - 7.9 mg I 2021: 7.8 mg - 5.26 mg I 2022: 5.2 mg - 3.36 mg I 2023: 3.3 mg - 1.47 mg 2024: 1/5/24: 1.44 mg; 1/19/24: 1.40 mg; 1/26/24: 1.37 mg; 2/2/24: 1.34 mg; 2/9/24: 1.31 mg; 2/23/24: 1.28 mg; 3/1/24: 1.25 mg; 3/8/24: 1.22 mg; 3/15/24: 1.19 mg

 

 

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Hey TB,  Welcome to SA from a fellow Aussie 🙂 I am truly sorry you are suffering...unfortunately yours is a common story, please know you are not alone in this mess.  Withdrawal is terribly frightening, especially when we are not supported or validated by the medical professionals. I hope you will find SA as comforting and informative as I have.  We share a similar medication history.  I'm also sorry you were given Brintellix (Vortioxetine)...a brutal new drug and prescriptions increasing at a dangerous rate.  I am currently taking 40mg of Prozac and it is a stimulating drug.  I suffer from insomnia but it has been improving.  Sometimes I find it difficult to distinguish between w/d and side effects...I'm looking forward to getting off all these medications.  Anyway, I'm happy to support you in anyway I can.  Cheers. K 🌻

  • Citalopram 20mg - 40mg ~ approx 2010 - October 2015 (stopped over one week)
  • Parnate  20mg - 50mg and olazapine 5mg ~ Jan 2016 - May 2016 (ceased over 2 days) 
  • Lithium 450mg-900 mg and Thyroxin ~May 2016 - May 2017
  • Diazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ 2015 - 2017
  • Oxazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ May 2016 - June 2016
  • Lurasidone 20mg ~Mid May 2016 - Mid June 2016
  • Vortioxetine 10mg - 20mg ~ 6th June 2016 - 20th July 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Amitriptyline 200mg ~July 2016 - September 2016 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Nortriptyline  (dose ?) ~October 2016 ~ November 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Seroquel XR 100mg - 300mg ~ May 2016 - August 2017 (ceased over 3 weeks)
  • Escitalopram 10mg - 30mg ~ August 2016 - March 2017 (ceased over 2 weeks)
  • Bupropion 300mg ~ December 2016 - May 2017 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Clonazepam 1.5mg daily ~ July 2016 (started tapering May 2017 - September 2017 currently on 0.375mg..ie 0.125mg TDS) 27th May 2018 5% 0.357mg (possible paradoxical reaction - see benzo thread)  28th June 5% 0.337mg, 28th July 10% 0.303mg, 12th September10% 0.272mg, 18th September reinstated 10% due to intolerable WD 0.303mg, 1st October-11th Oct 10% (1% reduction over 10 days) 0.272mg, 22nd October clonazepam ceased crossed over 10mg diazepam
  •  Dexamphatamine 20mg ~ December 2016 (started tapering October 2017 - tapered 1.25mg 4th Dec 2017, 1.25mg 19th Dec 2017 6.25mg, Speed up decrease due to major interaction between Dex and fluoxetine- ref to thread 10% 17th Feb 2018 5.63mg, 10% 21st Feb 2018 5.1mg, 10% 26th Feb 2018 4.5mg 10% 28th Feb 4.1mg, 10% 1st March 3.7mg, 10% 5th March 3.3mg, 10% 8th March 3mg, 10% 10th March 2.7mg, 10% 12th March 2.4mg, 10% 14th March 2.16mg, 10% 16th March 1.94mg, 10% 18th March 1.74mg, 10% 20th March 1.57mg, 10% 21st March 1.41mg, 10% 22nd March 1.26mg, 10% 23rd March 1.13mg, 10% 24th March 1.01mg, 10% 25th March 0.9mg, 10% 27th March 0.81mg, 10% 29th March 0.73mg, 10% 31st March 0.66mg, 10% 2nd April 0.59mg , 10% 4th April 0.53mg, 10% 6th April 0.47mg, 10% 8th April 0.42mg, 10%10th April 0.37mg, 11th April 0.2mg, 12th April 0.1mg (last dose) OFF! 
  • Fluoxetine 40mg ~December 2016 - 31 Jan 2018 reduced to 20mg (probable serotonin toxicity) 10th March 2020 10mg (1:1 ratio), 7th April 9mg, 1st May 8.5mg, 15th May 8.0mg, 27th May 7.5mg, 8th Sept 7.2mg, 2nd Oct 7mg, 19th Oct 6.8mg, 28th Oct 6.6mg, 5th Nov 6.4mg, 26th Nov 6mg, 2nd April 2021 5.9mg, 9th April 5.8mg, 19th April 5.75mg, 22nd April 5.7mg, 26th April 5.65mg,28th April 5.6mg, 1st May 5.5mg, 4th May 5.45mg, 7th May 5.4mg, 10th May 5.35mg, 12th May 5.3mg, 15th May 5.25mg, 18th May 5.2mg, 20th May 5.15mg, 22nd May 5mg, 10th July 4.5mg, 9th Aug 4.48mg (switched from syringe to pipette method), 12th Aug 4.46mg, 14th Aug 4.4mg, 18th Aug 4.38mg, 19th Aug 4.36mg, 20th Aug 4.34, 21st 4.32mg, 22nd 4.3mg, 23rd Aug 4mg (hold), (micro-taper) 12th Oct 2021 3.98mg, 14th Oct 3.96mg, 15th Oct 3.94mg, 16th Oct 3.92mg, 17th Oct 3.9mg, 18th Oct 3.88mg, 19th Oct 3.86mg, 21st Oct 3.84mg, 22nd Oct 3.82mg, 23rd Oct 3.8mg, 24th Oct 3.78mg, 25th Oct 3.76mg, 26th Oct 3.74mg, 27th Oct 3.72mg, (WD reached intolerable level, reinstated 0.06mg) 28th Oct 3.8mg, 7th March 2022 3.7mg, 21st March 3.6mg, 4th April 3.5mg, 18th April 3.4mg, 2nd May 3.3mg, 16th May 3.2mg, 20th June 3.1mg, 4th July 3mg, 18th July 2.9mg, 12th September 2.7mg, 18th October 2.5mg, 14th Nov 2.3mg, 12th December 2.1mg, 18th January 2023 1.9mg, 9th July 2023 1.88mg, 16th July 1.86mg, 23rd July 1.84mg, 30th July 1.82mg, 6th Aug 1.80mg, 10th Sept 1.7mg, 12th Oct 1.68mg, 23rd Oct 1.66mg, 30th Oct 1.64mg, 6th Nov 1.62mg, 13th Nov 1.60mg, (2:1 ratio) 30th Dec 1.597mg, 7th Jan 2024 1.595mg, 8th 1.592mg,  10th 1.589, 11th 1.587, 12th 1.585, 13th 1.583, 14th 1.58 cont… 5th Feb 1.56mg, 11th Feb 1.55mg, 19th Feb 1.54mg, 26th Feb 1.53mg, 4th March 1.52mg, 11th March 1.51mg, 25th March 1.50mg, 1st April 1.49mg
  • Diazepam 10mg ~ 22nd Oct 2018, 10th November 8mg, 14th Nov 7mg, 8th December 6mg, 30th December 5mg (Nocte), 7th March 2019 4.5mg,14th March 4mg, 5th April 3.5mg, 9th April 3mg, 18th April 2.5mg,1st May 2mg, 17th May 1.75mg, 25th May 1.6mg, 4th June 1.59mg, 5th June 1.58mg, 6th June 1.57mg, 7th June 1.56mg, 8th June 1.55mg, 22nd June 1.4mg, 4th July 1.2mg, 16th July 1mg, 30th July 0.8mg, 13th Aug 0.6mg, 28th Aug 0.4mg, 10th Sept 0.2mg, 23rd Sept Off! 
  • SR Circadin 2mg (melatonin) 25th May - 20th June 
  • Zolpidem 10mg 25th May (7 tablets)
  • Supplements: Magnesium glycinate (soluble - sip throughout the day) 

 

"Whenever you feel yourself doubting how far you can go,  just remember how far you have come.  Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome"    Unknown 

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Hi Kristine - thank you so much for reaching out.  I can see from your signature that you are using magnesium for sleep - unfortunately that is not helping me at the moment.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

Link to comment

Hi TB,  I need to updated my signature...I reduced and then stopped taking oral Magnesium about two weeks ago (thought it may have been aggravating some symptoms but not so sure now) I still take fish oil.  There are many little things I do for sleep...but I think one very important change I have made is to avoid sugar especially after dinner. A mug of warm milk before bed is helpful.  Stay hydrated.  What exactly is your sleep/or lack of pattern? Do you have ruminating thoughts at bed time? K

  • Citalopram 20mg - 40mg ~ approx 2010 - October 2015 (stopped over one week)
  • Parnate  20mg - 50mg and olazapine 5mg ~ Jan 2016 - May 2016 (ceased over 2 days) 
  • Lithium 450mg-900 mg and Thyroxin ~May 2016 - May 2017
  • Diazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ 2015 - 2017
  • Oxazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ May 2016 - June 2016
  • Lurasidone 20mg ~Mid May 2016 - Mid June 2016
  • Vortioxetine 10mg - 20mg ~ 6th June 2016 - 20th July 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Amitriptyline 200mg ~July 2016 - September 2016 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Nortriptyline  (dose ?) ~October 2016 ~ November 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Seroquel XR 100mg - 300mg ~ May 2016 - August 2017 (ceased over 3 weeks)
  • Escitalopram 10mg - 30mg ~ August 2016 - March 2017 (ceased over 2 weeks)
  • Bupropion 300mg ~ December 2016 - May 2017 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Clonazepam 1.5mg daily ~ July 2016 (started tapering May 2017 - September 2017 currently on 0.375mg..ie 0.125mg TDS) 27th May 2018 5% 0.357mg (possible paradoxical reaction - see benzo thread)  28th June 5% 0.337mg, 28th July 10% 0.303mg, 12th September10% 0.272mg, 18th September reinstated 10% due to intolerable WD 0.303mg, 1st October-11th Oct 10% (1% reduction over 10 days) 0.272mg, 22nd October clonazepam ceased crossed over 10mg diazepam
  •  Dexamphatamine 20mg ~ December 2016 (started tapering October 2017 - tapered 1.25mg 4th Dec 2017, 1.25mg 19th Dec 2017 6.25mg, Speed up decrease due to major interaction between Dex and fluoxetine- ref to thread 10% 17th Feb 2018 5.63mg, 10% 21st Feb 2018 5.1mg, 10% 26th Feb 2018 4.5mg 10% 28th Feb 4.1mg, 10% 1st March 3.7mg, 10% 5th March 3.3mg, 10% 8th March 3mg, 10% 10th March 2.7mg, 10% 12th March 2.4mg, 10% 14th March 2.16mg, 10% 16th March 1.94mg, 10% 18th March 1.74mg, 10% 20th March 1.57mg, 10% 21st March 1.41mg, 10% 22nd March 1.26mg, 10% 23rd March 1.13mg, 10% 24th March 1.01mg, 10% 25th March 0.9mg, 10% 27th March 0.81mg, 10% 29th March 0.73mg, 10% 31st March 0.66mg, 10% 2nd April 0.59mg , 10% 4th April 0.53mg, 10% 6th April 0.47mg, 10% 8th April 0.42mg, 10%10th April 0.37mg, 11th April 0.2mg, 12th April 0.1mg (last dose) OFF! 
  • Fluoxetine 40mg ~December 2016 - 31 Jan 2018 reduced to 20mg (probable serotonin toxicity) 10th March 2020 10mg (1:1 ratio), 7th April 9mg, 1st May 8.5mg, 15th May 8.0mg, 27th May 7.5mg, 8th Sept 7.2mg, 2nd Oct 7mg, 19th Oct 6.8mg, 28th Oct 6.6mg, 5th Nov 6.4mg, 26th Nov 6mg, 2nd April 2021 5.9mg, 9th April 5.8mg, 19th April 5.75mg, 22nd April 5.7mg, 26th April 5.65mg,28th April 5.6mg, 1st May 5.5mg, 4th May 5.45mg, 7th May 5.4mg, 10th May 5.35mg, 12th May 5.3mg, 15th May 5.25mg, 18th May 5.2mg, 20th May 5.15mg, 22nd May 5mg, 10th July 4.5mg, 9th Aug 4.48mg (switched from syringe to pipette method), 12th Aug 4.46mg, 14th Aug 4.4mg, 18th Aug 4.38mg, 19th Aug 4.36mg, 20th Aug 4.34, 21st 4.32mg, 22nd 4.3mg, 23rd Aug 4mg (hold), (micro-taper) 12th Oct 2021 3.98mg, 14th Oct 3.96mg, 15th Oct 3.94mg, 16th Oct 3.92mg, 17th Oct 3.9mg, 18th Oct 3.88mg, 19th Oct 3.86mg, 21st Oct 3.84mg, 22nd Oct 3.82mg, 23rd Oct 3.8mg, 24th Oct 3.78mg, 25th Oct 3.76mg, 26th Oct 3.74mg, 27th Oct 3.72mg, (WD reached intolerable level, reinstated 0.06mg) 28th Oct 3.8mg, 7th March 2022 3.7mg, 21st March 3.6mg, 4th April 3.5mg, 18th April 3.4mg, 2nd May 3.3mg, 16th May 3.2mg, 20th June 3.1mg, 4th July 3mg, 18th July 2.9mg, 12th September 2.7mg, 18th October 2.5mg, 14th Nov 2.3mg, 12th December 2.1mg, 18th January 2023 1.9mg, 9th July 2023 1.88mg, 16th July 1.86mg, 23rd July 1.84mg, 30th July 1.82mg, 6th Aug 1.80mg, 10th Sept 1.7mg, 12th Oct 1.68mg, 23rd Oct 1.66mg, 30th Oct 1.64mg, 6th Nov 1.62mg, 13th Nov 1.60mg, (2:1 ratio) 30th Dec 1.597mg, 7th Jan 2024 1.595mg, 8th 1.592mg,  10th 1.589, 11th 1.587, 12th 1.585, 13th 1.583, 14th 1.58 cont… 5th Feb 1.56mg, 11th Feb 1.55mg, 19th Feb 1.54mg, 26th Feb 1.53mg, 4th March 1.52mg, 11th March 1.51mg, 25th March 1.50mg, 1st April 1.49mg
  • Diazepam 10mg ~ 22nd Oct 2018, 10th November 8mg, 14th Nov 7mg, 8th December 6mg, 30th December 5mg (Nocte), 7th March 2019 4.5mg,14th March 4mg, 5th April 3.5mg, 9th April 3mg, 18th April 2.5mg,1st May 2mg, 17th May 1.75mg, 25th May 1.6mg, 4th June 1.59mg, 5th June 1.58mg, 6th June 1.57mg, 7th June 1.56mg, 8th June 1.55mg, 22nd June 1.4mg, 4th July 1.2mg, 16th July 1mg, 30th July 0.8mg, 13th Aug 0.6mg, 28th Aug 0.4mg, 10th Sept 0.2mg, 23rd Sept Off! 
  • SR Circadin 2mg (melatonin) 25th May - 20th June 
  • Zolpidem 10mg 25th May (7 tablets)
  • Supplements: Magnesium glycinate (soluble - sip throughout the day) 

 

"Whenever you feel yourself doubting how far you can go,  just remember how far you have come.  Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome"    Unknown 

Link to comment

Hi Kristine, I think my insomnia is related to the medication I am taking.  I do have ruminating thoughts, such as "when will this nightmare be over?", "will I sleep tonight?", and "will I be able to go to work and function?". 

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

Link to comment

I listen to podcasts at night.  And I found the 'let's talk withdrawal' pod cast particually helpful when insomnia was at its peak.  The host James Moore has a comforting voice and the interviews range from personal accounts and experts in the field (made me feel validated)....here it is if you are interested  http://www.jfmoore.co.uk>podcast   I think Ali put a sleep/insomnia link on your thread as well.  I don't want to bombard you with to much information...I'm no expert...just speaking from my own experience.  I agree, Prozac could be the culprit. You have landed in a safe place 🙂 K 

  • Citalopram 20mg - 40mg ~ approx 2010 - October 2015 (stopped over one week)
  • Parnate  20mg - 50mg and olazapine 5mg ~ Jan 2016 - May 2016 (ceased over 2 days) 
  • Lithium 450mg-900 mg and Thyroxin ~May 2016 - May 2017
  • Diazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ 2015 - 2017
  • Oxazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ May 2016 - June 2016
  • Lurasidone 20mg ~Mid May 2016 - Mid June 2016
  • Vortioxetine 10mg - 20mg ~ 6th June 2016 - 20th July 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Amitriptyline 200mg ~July 2016 - September 2016 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Nortriptyline  (dose ?) ~October 2016 ~ November 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Seroquel XR 100mg - 300mg ~ May 2016 - August 2017 (ceased over 3 weeks)
  • Escitalopram 10mg - 30mg ~ August 2016 - March 2017 (ceased over 2 weeks)
  • Bupropion 300mg ~ December 2016 - May 2017 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Clonazepam 1.5mg daily ~ July 2016 (started tapering May 2017 - September 2017 currently on 0.375mg..ie 0.125mg TDS) 27th May 2018 5% 0.357mg (possible paradoxical reaction - see benzo thread)  28th June 5% 0.337mg, 28th July 10% 0.303mg, 12th September10% 0.272mg, 18th September reinstated 10% due to intolerable WD 0.303mg, 1st October-11th Oct 10% (1% reduction over 10 days) 0.272mg, 22nd October clonazepam ceased crossed over 10mg diazepam
  •  Dexamphatamine 20mg ~ December 2016 (started tapering October 2017 - tapered 1.25mg 4th Dec 2017, 1.25mg 19th Dec 2017 6.25mg, Speed up decrease due to major interaction between Dex and fluoxetine- ref to thread 10% 17th Feb 2018 5.63mg, 10% 21st Feb 2018 5.1mg, 10% 26th Feb 2018 4.5mg 10% 28th Feb 4.1mg, 10% 1st March 3.7mg, 10% 5th March 3.3mg, 10% 8th March 3mg, 10% 10th March 2.7mg, 10% 12th March 2.4mg, 10% 14th March 2.16mg, 10% 16th March 1.94mg, 10% 18th March 1.74mg, 10% 20th March 1.57mg, 10% 21st March 1.41mg, 10% 22nd March 1.26mg, 10% 23rd March 1.13mg, 10% 24th March 1.01mg, 10% 25th March 0.9mg, 10% 27th March 0.81mg, 10% 29th March 0.73mg, 10% 31st March 0.66mg, 10% 2nd April 0.59mg , 10% 4th April 0.53mg, 10% 6th April 0.47mg, 10% 8th April 0.42mg, 10%10th April 0.37mg, 11th April 0.2mg, 12th April 0.1mg (last dose) OFF! 
  • Fluoxetine 40mg ~December 2016 - 31 Jan 2018 reduced to 20mg (probable serotonin toxicity) 10th March 2020 10mg (1:1 ratio), 7th April 9mg, 1st May 8.5mg, 15th May 8.0mg, 27th May 7.5mg, 8th Sept 7.2mg, 2nd Oct 7mg, 19th Oct 6.8mg, 28th Oct 6.6mg, 5th Nov 6.4mg, 26th Nov 6mg, 2nd April 2021 5.9mg, 9th April 5.8mg, 19th April 5.75mg, 22nd April 5.7mg, 26th April 5.65mg,28th April 5.6mg, 1st May 5.5mg, 4th May 5.45mg, 7th May 5.4mg, 10th May 5.35mg, 12th May 5.3mg, 15th May 5.25mg, 18th May 5.2mg, 20th May 5.15mg, 22nd May 5mg, 10th July 4.5mg, 9th Aug 4.48mg (switched from syringe to pipette method), 12th Aug 4.46mg, 14th Aug 4.4mg, 18th Aug 4.38mg, 19th Aug 4.36mg, 20th Aug 4.34, 21st 4.32mg, 22nd 4.3mg, 23rd Aug 4mg (hold), (micro-taper) 12th Oct 2021 3.98mg, 14th Oct 3.96mg, 15th Oct 3.94mg, 16th Oct 3.92mg, 17th Oct 3.9mg, 18th Oct 3.88mg, 19th Oct 3.86mg, 21st Oct 3.84mg, 22nd Oct 3.82mg, 23rd Oct 3.8mg, 24th Oct 3.78mg, 25th Oct 3.76mg, 26th Oct 3.74mg, 27th Oct 3.72mg, (WD reached intolerable level, reinstated 0.06mg) 28th Oct 3.8mg, 7th March 2022 3.7mg, 21st March 3.6mg, 4th April 3.5mg, 18th April 3.4mg, 2nd May 3.3mg, 16th May 3.2mg, 20th June 3.1mg, 4th July 3mg, 18th July 2.9mg, 12th September 2.7mg, 18th October 2.5mg, 14th Nov 2.3mg, 12th December 2.1mg, 18th January 2023 1.9mg, 9th July 2023 1.88mg, 16th July 1.86mg, 23rd July 1.84mg, 30th July 1.82mg, 6th Aug 1.80mg, 10th Sept 1.7mg, 12th Oct 1.68mg, 23rd Oct 1.66mg, 30th Oct 1.64mg, 6th Nov 1.62mg, 13th Nov 1.60mg, (2:1 ratio) 30th Dec 1.597mg, 7th Jan 2024 1.595mg, 8th 1.592mg,  10th 1.589, 11th 1.587, 12th 1.585, 13th 1.583, 14th 1.58 cont… 5th Feb 1.56mg, 11th Feb 1.55mg, 19th Feb 1.54mg, 26th Feb 1.53mg, 4th March 1.52mg, 11th March 1.51mg, 25th March 1.50mg, 1st April 1.49mg
  • Diazepam 10mg ~ 22nd Oct 2018, 10th November 8mg, 14th Nov 7mg, 8th December 6mg, 30th December 5mg (Nocte), 7th March 2019 4.5mg,14th March 4mg, 5th April 3.5mg, 9th April 3mg, 18th April 2.5mg,1st May 2mg, 17th May 1.75mg, 25th May 1.6mg, 4th June 1.59mg, 5th June 1.58mg, 6th June 1.57mg, 7th June 1.56mg, 8th June 1.55mg, 22nd June 1.4mg, 4th July 1.2mg, 16th July 1mg, 30th July 0.8mg, 13th Aug 0.6mg, 28th Aug 0.4mg, 10th Sept 0.2mg, 23rd Sept Off! 
  • SR Circadin 2mg (melatonin) 25th May - 20th June 
  • Zolpidem 10mg 25th May (7 tablets)
  • Supplements: Magnesium glycinate (soluble - sip throughout the day) 

 

"Whenever you feel yourself doubting how far you can go,  just remember how far you have come.  Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome"    Unknown 

Link to comment

Thank you Kristine - I'll listen to the podcast this evening.

 

Unfortunately the link Ali sent through doesn't work.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Welcome, TB.

 

Try this link Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

It could be the Prozac is helping to keep you awake, as AliG mentioned. This topic explains how to make your own Prozac 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

Thank you Alto - I will try melatonin tonight as I'm worried because I have been taking temazapam for 7 days now and have also increased the dosage to 40mg (I'm not happy with that at all), and I'm very concerned about withdrawing from this medication also.

 

If I do not sleep with the melatonin - can I take valium, will that be safe?

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

Link to comment

I wanted to update any administrator as to what I am doing.  Last night I took 2.5mg of melatonin and 30mg of temazapam for sleep.  It seemed to work although I think maybe I took too much melatonin as I needed to top up with temazapam to sleep - what do you think?

 

Today I decreased the Prozac to 10mg.  I've been doing okay at this dose, I think it is much better than the 20mg that I was originally taking.  Throughout the day I have felt quite emotional and needed some support.  At lunch time I took 2 x fish oil capsules and 1 x 150mg magnesium glycinate tablet and also had a cup of camomile tea.  I felt a little calmer for a few hours.  3 hours later I took a further 2 x fish oil capsules and 1 x 150mg magnesium glycinate tablet, and felt a little bit of relief.

 

Could you please provide advice as to what I should do for sleep tonight and if I should continue 10mg of Prozac tomorrow?

 

I have an appointment with my GP on Monday and will ask for the liquid form Prozac - I'll check back in with you with regards to tapering after this appointment.

 

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from someone.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

Link to comment

Hi TB,  You might want to post your question about temazapam in the 'Members only benzos forum'.  You might want to also mention the question about Valium. The moderator ''Shep" is very knowledgable about benzos. Hugs. K 🌻

  • Citalopram 20mg - 40mg ~ approx 2010 - October 2015 (stopped over one week)
  • Parnate  20mg - 50mg and olazapine 5mg ~ Jan 2016 - May 2016 (ceased over 2 days) 
  • Lithium 450mg-900 mg and Thyroxin ~May 2016 - May 2017
  • Diazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ 2015 - 2017
  • Oxazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ May 2016 - June 2016
  • Lurasidone 20mg ~Mid May 2016 - Mid June 2016
  • Vortioxetine 10mg - 20mg ~ 6th June 2016 - 20th July 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Amitriptyline 200mg ~July 2016 - September 2016 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Nortriptyline  (dose ?) ~October 2016 ~ November 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Seroquel XR 100mg - 300mg ~ May 2016 - August 2017 (ceased over 3 weeks)
  • Escitalopram 10mg - 30mg ~ August 2016 - March 2017 (ceased over 2 weeks)
  • Bupropion 300mg ~ December 2016 - May 2017 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Clonazepam 1.5mg daily ~ July 2016 (started tapering May 2017 - September 2017 currently on 0.375mg..ie 0.125mg TDS) 27th May 2018 5% 0.357mg (possible paradoxical reaction - see benzo thread)  28th June 5% 0.337mg, 28th July 10% 0.303mg, 12th September10% 0.272mg, 18th September reinstated 10% due to intolerable WD 0.303mg, 1st October-11th Oct 10% (1% reduction over 10 days) 0.272mg, 22nd October clonazepam ceased crossed over 10mg diazepam
  •  Dexamphatamine 20mg ~ December 2016 (started tapering October 2017 - tapered 1.25mg 4th Dec 2017, 1.25mg 19th Dec 2017 6.25mg, Speed up decrease due to major interaction between Dex and fluoxetine- ref to thread 10% 17th Feb 2018 5.63mg, 10% 21st Feb 2018 5.1mg, 10% 26th Feb 2018 4.5mg 10% 28th Feb 4.1mg, 10% 1st March 3.7mg, 10% 5th March 3.3mg, 10% 8th March 3mg, 10% 10th March 2.7mg, 10% 12th March 2.4mg, 10% 14th March 2.16mg, 10% 16th March 1.94mg, 10% 18th March 1.74mg, 10% 20th March 1.57mg, 10% 21st March 1.41mg, 10% 22nd March 1.26mg, 10% 23rd March 1.13mg, 10% 24th March 1.01mg, 10% 25th March 0.9mg, 10% 27th March 0.81mg, 10% 29th March 0.73mg, 10% 31st March 0.66mg, 10% 2nd April 0.59mg , 10% 4th April 0.53mg, 10% 6th April 0.47mg, 10% 8th April 0.42mg, 10%10th April 0.37mg, 11th April 0.2mg, 12th April 0.1mg (last dose) OFF! 
  • Fluoxetine 40mg ~December 2016 - 31 Jan 2018 reduced to 20mg (probable serotonin toxicity) 10th March 2020 10mg (1:1 ratio), 7th April 9mg, 1st May 8.5mg, 15th May 8.0mg, 27th May 7.5mg, 8th Sept 7.2mg, 2nd Oct 7mg, 19th Oct 6.8mg, 28th Oct 6.6mg, 5th Nov 6.4mg, 26th Nov 6mg, 2nd April 2021 5.9mg, 9th April 5.8mg, 19th April 5.75mg, 22nd April 5.7mg, 26th April 5.65mg,28th April 5.6mg, 1st May 5.5mg, 4th May 5.45mg, 7th May 5.4mg, 10th May 5.35mg, 12th May 5.3mg, 15th May 5.25mg, 18th May 5.2mg, 20th May 5.15mg, 22nd May 5mg, 10th July 4.5mg, 9th Aug 4.48mg (switched from syringe to pipette method), 12th Aug 4.46mg, 14th Aug 4.4mg, 18th Aug 4.38mg, 19th Aug 4.36mg, 20th Aug 4.34, 21st 4.32mg, 22nd 4.3mg, 23rd Aug 4mg (hold), (micro-taper) 12th Oct 2021 3.98mg, 14th Oct 3.96mg, 15th Oct 3.94mg, 16th Oct 3.92mg, 17th Oct 3.9mg, 18th Oct 3.88mg, 19th Oct 3.86mg, 21st Oct 3.84mg, 22nd Oct 3.82mg, 23rd Oct 3.8mg, 24th Oct 3.78mg, 25th Oct 3.76mg, 26th Oct 3.74mg, 27th Oct 3.72mg, (WD reached intolerable level, reinstated 0.06mg) 28th Oct 3.8mg, 7th March 2022 3.7mg, 21st March 3.6mg, 4th April 3.5mg, 18th April 3.4mg, 2nd May 3.3mg, 16th May 3.2mg, 20th June 3.1mg, 4th July 3mg, 18th July 2.9mg, 12th September 2.7mg, 18th October 2.5mg, 14th Nov 2.3mg, 12th December 2.1mg, 18th January 2023 1.9mg, 9th July 2023 1.88mg, 16th July 1.86mg, 23rd July 1.84mg, 30th July 1.82mg, 6th Aug 1.80mg, 10th Sept 1.7mg, 12th Oct 1.68mg, 23rd Oct 1.66mg, 30th Oct 1.64mg, 6th Nov 1.62mg, 13th Nov 1.60mg, (2:1 ratio) 30th Dec 1.597mg, 7th Jan 2024 1.595mg, 8th 1.592mg,  10th 1.589, 11th 1.587, 12th 1.585, 13th 1.583, 14th 1.58 cont… 5th Feb 1.56mg, 11th Feb 1.55mg, 19th Feb 1.54mg, 26th Feb 1.53mg, 4th March 1.52mg, 11th March 1.51mg, 25th March 1.50mg, 1st April 1.49mg
  • Diazepam 10mg ~ 22nd Oct 2018, 10th November 8mg, 14th Nov 7mg, 8th December 6mg, 30th December 5mg (Nocte), 7th March 2019 4.5mg,14th March 4mg, 5th April 3.5mg, 9th April 3mg, 18th April 2.5mg,1st May 2mg, 17th May 1.75mg, 25th May 1.6mg, 4th June 1.59mg, 5th June 1.58mg, 6th June 1.57mg, 7th June 1.56mg, 8th June 1.55mg, 22nd June 1.4mg, 4th July 1.2mg, 16th July 1mg, 30th July 0.8mg, 13th Aug 0.6mg, 28th Aug 0.4mg, 10th Sept 0.2mg, 23rd Sept Off! 
  • SR Circadin 2mg (melatonin) 25th May - 20th June 
  • Zolpidem 10mg 25th May (7 tablets)
  • Supplements: Magnesium glycinate (soluble - sip throughout the day) 

 

"Whenever you feel yourself doubting how far you can go,  just remember how far you have come.  Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome"    Unknown 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus
On 1/18/2018 at 11:43 PM, TB1973 said:

Thank you Alto - I will try melatonin tonight as I'm worried because I have been taking temazapam for 7 days now and have also increased the dosage to 40mg (I'm not happy with that at all), and I'm very concerned about withdrawing from this medication also.

 

If I do not sleep with the melatonin - can I take valium, will that be safe?

 

Hi, TB.

 

Just a few precautionary notes about using benzos such as temazepam and Valium to cope with antidepressant withdrawal.

 

You can become dependent on a benzo in as little as 2 - 4 weeks, even with periodic use. Benzos only work for about 2 weeks and then the only reason we continue to take them is to stave off withdrawal. They also are notorious for causing paradoxical reactions including increased anxiety and insomnia in the long run and especially while withdrawing. 

 

Withdrawing from benzos is very similar to withdrawing from antidepressants. From PubMed:

 

What is the difference between dependence and withdrawal reactions? A comparison of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.

 

We found that discontinuation symptoms were described with similar terms for benzodiazepines and SSRIs and were very similar for 37 of 42 identified symptoms described as withdrawal reactions.

 

You state that you've only been on temazepam for 7 days, but you have in your signature the following in regards to benzos:

 

         December 2017 - 20mg temazapam 

         January 2018 - 20mg of temazapam

         January 2018 - 40mg of temazapam

 

By your comment that you've been taking temazepam for 7 days now, do you mean you've been taking it consecutively for 7 days and prior to that it was "as needed"? As much as you're able, please list the dates you've used temazepam. Also, please let us know if you've been on any type of benzo or sleeping pill (such as Ambien) previously to the December 2017 date. 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment

Hi Shep, that is correct, I have been taking Temazapam for the last 8 nights to assist with sleep, otherwise I've just taken it as needed.  Last night I got away with 20mg and a little bit of melatonin - approximately 2mg and slept for about 7 hours, waking twice to use the bathroom.

 

I've decreased Prozac to 10mg and think this is still too much and will reduce further to 5mg tomorrow.

 

I'm not finding it easy to concentrate at the moment and apologise if none of this makes sense. I'm so confused and don't know what I'm doing.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus
On 1/18/2018 at 4:57 PM, TB1973 said:

As mentioned above I am finding some relief from the Prozac.  I will do as you suggest and cut down the dosage over a few days to 5mg.  I cannot sleep without temazapam, although I can feel that this will not work for me for much longer as I have become immune to what it is supposed to do for you.  I thought I might try 50mg seroquel tonight to try something else to help with my sleep.  I'm at my wits end - I don't know what else to do.

 

Hi, TB.

 

It sounds like the Prozac Bridge is working and the idea of reducing to 5 mg sounds very good. It's likely your nervous system is hypersensitive at this point and the lower dosage will be better for you.

 

A note regarding adding Seroquel back in (or any other type of "helper" sleep drug) - please note, there is no "fix" to withdrawal. Adding in other drugs to solve the withdrawal problems of another drug can easily create another dependency. It also can destabilize your nervous system. The best remedy for withdrawal is to hold and let yourself stabilize and then do a very slow taper.

 

 

4 hours ago, TB1973 said:

Hi Shep, that is correct, I have been taking Temazapam for the last 8 nights to assist with sleep, otherwise I've just taken it as needed.  Last night I got away with 20mg and a little bit of melatonin - approximately 2mg and slept for about 7 hours, waking twice to use the bathroom.

 

I've decreased Prozac to 10mg and think this is still too much and will reduce further to 5mg tomorrow.

 

A quick note regarding Melatonin. Sometimes less is more. 2 mg is a large dose, especially with a sensitized nervous system. You're better off starting with only .25 mg - .50 mg. Please see:

 

Melatonin for sleep

 

As I mentioned in my earlier post, dependency on benzos can happen in as little as 2 - 4 weeks, even with as-needed use.  When you were taking it as needed, how many times a week were you taking it? This is important to determine if you're dependent. If you are already dependent, you may want to pick a regular dose to take every day and stay on it until you're off Prozac. And then you can slowly taper off the benzo. 

 

I'd also like to leave you with some resources to understand the slow taper, what withdrawal is, and some non-drug coping resources to help make this journey off drugs a bit easier.

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

 

Healing from antidepressants. Patterns of recovery video (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

 

 

Link to comment

Is there anyone online who can talk me through what to do please?

I'm trying to stabalise on 5mg of Prozac.  I think I'm doing this too quickly.  I know there are links to tapering although I'm so desperate I just want someone to tell me what to do. My doctor has prescribed me 15mg of Belsomra for sleep now to replace temazapam.  Temazapam isn't keeping me asleep.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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Hi TB ,I see you are distressed ,please breathe and calm your thinking ,I totally get your pain but there is times the mods are not around or very busy,you will not come to harm ,only earlier today I needed support and I'm here trying to distract my mind .

I know its meds advice you want but I wont muddy the waters ,I'm not on any level of understanding of meds like the mods .

I just wanted to reach since your new to the site .you will not come to harm .as I said try calm your panic spiral .

Take care 

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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Hi Gold Star, thank you for reaching out.  I've lost total faith in doctors.  I'm at my wits end.  I just want this to stop.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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I'm thinking back over the past 5 months and only felt withdrawal relief from mirtazapine - I felt okay during this time in December last year.  I stopped taking it because I thought it was a sleep medication, like temazapan and my psychiatrist didn't make this clear to me!!!! I decided to do the prozac bridge, although this doesn't seem to be working either.  Do you think I should start 15mg of mirtazapine tonight?  I can't see my psychiatrist until next week and need relief as soon as possible.  I don't trust my psychiatrist.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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1 hour ago, TB1973 said:

Is there anyone online who can talk me through what to do please?

I'm trying to stabalise on 5mg of Prozac.  I think I'm doing this too quickly.  I know there are links to tapering although I'm so desperate I just want someone to tell me what to do. My doctor has prescribed me 15mg of Belsomra for sleep now to replace temazapam.  Temazapam isn't keeping me asleep.

Hey TB,  Just thought I'd pop in to offer some reassurance.  You have been on and off many medications and the cT of Effexor was only 5 months ago.  This w/d is cruel but it will slowly improve.  I was reading what Shep said....

15 hours ago, Shep said:

As I mentioned in my earlier post, dependency on benzos can happen in as little as 2 - 4 weeks, even with as-needed use.  When you were taking it as needed, how many times a week were you taking it? This is important to determine if you're dependent. If you are already dependent, you may want to pick a regular dose to take every day and stay on it until you're off Prozac. And then you can slowly taper off the benzo. 

It might be worth trying to estimate how many often and for how long you were taking the temazepam "as needed".  Also any other benzos such as Valium.  If Shep has this information when she next visits your thread she can give you some clear guidelines for your next step forward.....

 

xox

K 🌻

 

 

  • Citalopram 20mg - 40mg ~ approx 2010 - October 2015 (stopped over one week)
  • Parnate  20mg - 50mg and olazapine 5mg ~ Jan 2016 - May 2016 (ceased over 2 days) 
  • Lithium 450mg-900 mg and Thyroxin ~May 2016 - May 2017
  • Diazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ 2015 - 2017
  • Oxazepam various doses (including PRN) ~ May 2016 - June 2016
  • Lurasidone 20mg ~Mid May 2016 - Mid June 2016
  • Vortioxetine 10mg - 20mg ~ 6th June 2016 - 20th July 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Amitriptyline 200mg ~July 2016 - September 2016 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Nortriptyline  (dose ?) ~October 2016 ~ November 2016 (abruptly ceased)
  • Seroquel XR 100mg - 300mg ~ May 2016 - August 2017 (ceased over 3 weeks)
  • Escitalopram 10mg - 30mg ~ August 2016 - March 2017 (ceased over 2 weeks)
  • Bupropion 300mg ~ December 2016 - May 2017 (ceased over 1 week)
  • Clonazepam 1.5mg daily ~ July 2016 (started tapering May 2017 - September 2017 currently on 0.375mg..ie 0.125mg TDS) 27th May 2018 5% 0.357mg (possible paradoxical reaction - see benzo thread)  28th June 5% 0.337mg, 28th July 10% 0.303mg, 12th September10% 0.272mg, 18th September reinstated 10% due to intolerable WD 0.303mg, 1st October-11th Oct 10% (1% reduction over 10 days) 0.272mg, 22nd October clonazepam ceased crossed over 10mg diazepam
  •  Dexamphatamine 20mg ~ December 2016 (started tapering October 2017 - tapered 1.25mg 4th Dec 2017, 1.25mg 19th Dec 2017 6.25mg, Speed up decrease due to major interaction between Dex and fluoxetine- ref to thread 10% 17th Feb 2018 5.63mg, 10% 21st Feb 2018 5.1mg, 10% 26th Feb 2018 4.5mg 10% 28th Feb 4.1mg, 10% 1st March 3.7mg, 10% 5th March 3.3mg, 10% 8th March 3mg, 10% 10th March 2.7mg, 10% 12th March 2.4mg, 10% 14th March 2.16mg, 10% 16th March 1.94mg, 10% 18th March 1.74mg, 10% 20th March 1.57mg, 10% 21st March 1.41mg, 10% 22nd March 1.26mg, 10% 23rd March 1.13mg, 10% 24th March 1.01mg, 10% 25th March 0.9mg, 10% 27th March 0.81mg, 10% 29th March 0.73mg, 10% 31st March 0.66mg, 10% 2nd April 0.59mg , 10% 4th April 0.53mg, 10% 6th April 0.47mg, 10% 8th April 0.42mg, 10%10th April 0.37mg, 11th April 0.2mg, 12th April 0.1mg (last dose) OFF! 
  • Fluoxetine 40mg ~December 2016 - 31 Jan 2018 reduced to 20mg (probable serotonin toxicity) 10th March 2020 10mg (1:1 ratio), 7th April 9mg, 1st May 8.5mg, 15th May 8.0mg, 27th May 7.5mg, 8th Sept 7.2mg, 2nd Oct 7mg, 19th Oct 6.8mg, 28th Oct 6.6mg, 5th Nov 6.4mg, 26th Nov 6mg, 2nd April 2021 5.9mg, 9th April 5.8mg, 19th April 5.75mg, 22nd April 5.7mg, 26th April 5.65mg,28th April 5.6mg, 1st May 5.5mg, 4th May 5.45mg, 7th May 5.4mg, 10th May 5.35mg, 12th May 5.3mg, 15th May 5.25mg, 18th May 5.2mg, 20th May 5.15mg, 22nd May 5mg, 10th July 4.5mg, 9th Aug 4.48mg (switched from syringe to pipette method), 12th Aug 4.46mg, 14th Aug 4.4mg, 18th Aug 4.38mg, 19th Aug 4.36mg, 20th Aug 4.34, 21st 4.32mg, 22nd 4.3mg, 23rd Aug 4mg (hold), (micro-taper) 12th Oct 2021 3.98mg, 14th Oct 3.96mg, 15th Oct 3.94mg, 16th Oct 3.92mg, 17th Oct 3.9mg, 18th Oct 3.88mg, 19th Oct 3.86mg, 21st Oct 3.84mg, 22nd Oct 3.82mg, 23rd Oct 3.8mg, 24th Oct 3.78mg, 25th Oct 3.76mg, 26th Oct 3.74mg, 27th Oct 3.72mg, (WD reached intolerable level, reinstated 0.06mg) 28th Oct 3.8mg, 7th March 2022 3.7mg, 21st March 3.6mg, 4th April 3.5mg, 18th April 3.4mg, 2nd May 3.3mg, 16th May 3.2mg, 20th June 3.1mg, 4th July 3mg, 18th July 2.9mg, 12th September 2.7mg, 18th October 2.5mg, 14th Nov 2.3mg, 12th December 2.1mg, 18th January 2023 1.9mg, 9th July 2023 1.88mg, 16th July 1.86mg, 23rd July 1.84mg, 30th July 1.82mg, 6th Aug 1.80mg, 10th Sept 1.7mg, 12th Oct 1.68mg, 23rd Oct 1.66mg, 30th Oct 1.64mg, 6th Nov 1.62mg, 13th Nov 1.60mg, (2:1 ratio) 30th Dec 1.597mg, 7th Jan 2024 1.595mg, 8th 1.592mg,  10th 1.589, 11th 1.587, 12th 1.585, 13th 1.583, 14th 1.58 cont… 5th Feb 1.56mg, 11th Feb 1.55mg, 19th Feb 1.54mg, 26th Feb 1.53mg, 4th March 1.52mg, 11th March 1.51mg, 25th March 1.50mg, 1st April 1.49mg
  • Diazepam 10mg ~ 22nd Oct 2018, 10th November 8mg, 14th Nov 7mg, 8th December 6mg, 30th December 5mg (Nocte), 7th March 2019 4.5mg,14th March 4mg, 5th April 3.5mg, 9th April 3mg, 18th April 2.5mg,1st May 2mg, 17th May 1.75mg, 25th May 1.6mg, 4th June 1.59mg, 5th June 1.58mg, 6th June 1.57mg, 7th June 1.56mg, 8th June 1.55mg, 22nd June 1.4mg, 4th July 1.2mg, 16th July 1mg, 30th July 0.8mg, 13th Aug 0.6mg, 28th Aug 0.4mg, 10th Sept 0.2mg, 23rd Sept Off! 
  • SR Circadin 2mg (melatonin) 25th May - 20th June 
  • Zolpidem 10mg 25th May (7 tablets)
  • Supplements: Magnesium glycinate (soluble - sip throughout the day) 

 

"Whenever you feel yourself doubting how far you can go,  just remember how far you have come.  Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome"    Unknown 

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I'm at the end of my tether.  I've been pretty much house bound for 5 months with the exception of going to work.  I can't live like this any more.

Thank you for responding x

 

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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Hi moderators.  I have taken 15mg of mirtazapan and 20mg of temazapam for sleep tonight.I don't know what to do about my medication.  Should I try and reinstate the effexor?

 

 

 

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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  • Moderator Emeritus
22 hours ago, Shep said:

As I mentioned in my earlier post, dependency on benzos can happen in as little as 2 - 4 weeks, even with as-needed use.  When you were taking it as needed, how many times a week were you taking it? This is important to determine if you're dependent. If you are already dependent, you may want to pick a regular dose to take every day and stay on it until you're off Prozac. And then you can slowly taper off the benzo. 

 

Please answer this, as best as you can remember.

 

9 hours ago, TB1973 said:

Is there anyone online who can talk me through what to do please?

I'm trying to stabalise on 5mg of Prozac.  I think I'm doing this too quickly.  I know there are links to tapering although I'm so desperate I just want someone to tell me what to do. My doctor has prescribed me 15mg of Belsomra for sleep now to replace temazapam.  Temazapam isn't keeping me asleep.

 

If you replace the temazepam with Belsomra (which is not a benzo and has no action on GABA like a benzo), you will go into cold turkey withdrawal from the temazepam. If you are dependent on Temazepam, the below symptoms may occur:

 

Ashton Manual - benzo withdrawal symptoms

 

Belsomra is a newer sleep aid that only claims to help for "at least four weeks" and can also cause dependence (Source - Wiki - Belsomra / Suvorexant). Because it's a newer drug there haven't been many members on it, but the warnings on this drug are the exact same warnings as for benzos and for z-drugs such as Ambien and Lunesta. 

 

As mentioned earlier when you posted about using Seroquel for sleep, there is no "fix" to withdrawal. Adding in other drugs to solve the withdrawal problems of another drug can easily create another dependency. It also can destabilize your nervous system. The best remedy for withdrawal is to hold and let yourself stabilize and then do a very slow taper.

 

 

22 hours ago, Shep said:

A quick note regarding Melatonin. Sometimes less is more. 2 mg is a large dose, especially with a sensitized nervous system. You're better off starting with only .25 mg - .50 mg. Please see:

 

Melatonin for sleep

 

It's possible that you are experiencing a paradoxical reaction after doubling your benzo for one night (up to 40 mg) and using a high dose of melatonin. The more you suppress your nervous system, the more it "fights back". This is what causes a paradoxical reaction. 

 

My advice would be to reduce the melatonin (see the link for details). 

 

7 hours ago, TB1973 said:

I'm thinking back over the past 5 months and only felt withdrawal relief from mirtazapine - I felt okay during this time in December last year.  I stopped taking it because I thought it was a sleep medication, like temazapan and my psychiatrist didn't make this clear to me!!!! I decided to do the prozac bridge, although this doesn't seem to be working either.  Do you think I should start 15mg of mirtazapine tonight?  I can't see my psychiatrist until next week and need relief as soon as possible.  I don't trust my psychiatrist.

 

If it's only been a month since you stopped taking the mirtazapine, you may be able to reinstate it, but I wouldn't reinstate at the 15 mg dose. It's possible your nervous system is hypersensitive now and it my overreact. 

 

I'll ask the other mods for their feedback. 

 

You are still adjusting to the Prozac changes. Please note it can take 4 days for your nervous system to adjust to these changes and several weeks to stabilize after a change. 

 

If you have a few days you can take off from work, that might help, as you seem to be in full panic mode right now. Some other resources for coping:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Here are some breathing techniques that are very helpful. Learning how to breathe may be one of the most powerful non-drug coping techniques there is:

 

The 4-7-8 breathing technique

 

Synch your breathing to the circle

 

"Change the channel" - dealing with cognitive symptoms

 

Powerback mentioned the "panic spiral", which is seen a lot while coming off these drugs. This is a great thread with tips on calming down:

 

Dealing with Emotional Spirals

 

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
1 minute ago, TB1973 said:

Hi moderators.  I have taken 15mg of mirtazapan and 20mg of temazapam for sleep tonight.I don't know what to do about my medication.  Should I try and reinstate the effexor?

 

 

 

 

I just posted a response as you were posting this. Please see my response. 

 

 

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  • Administrator

TB, how many days have you been taking 5mg Prozac?

 

Please don't make more than one drug change at a time! This confuses your situation a lot.

 

What exactly are you taking now, at what times of day, and what dosages?

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.

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Last night I took 20mg of temazapam and 15mg of myrtazapine for sleep. I was desperate and didn't know what to do.

I was only on 5mg of prozac for one day and felt the full withdrawal effects.  I called the hospital last night to talk to someone as I mentioned I'm desperate for help.

I went to see my doctor today because, as you have suggested, I am definitely in panic mode and don't know what to do.  She suggested stopping everything and changing to Ednep (Amitriptyline) at 10mg this evening to assist with sleep and depression.  I'm reluctant to do anything at this stage.  A representative from the hospital called me today to follow-up and suggested that I don't take any antidepressants and just the temazapam.  I told her I can't handle the withdrawal or whatever is going on any more and that I just wanted to feel stable on something and to sleep.  I need some advice please.  I was going to take myself to the hospital today although the thought of sitting there for hours because of the way I feel turned me off doing that.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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I've been thinking about what to do all day.  I'm seeing a psychologist, David Fox, in Australia who himself, has also come off anti-depressant medication and has written about it on his website - Fox Psychology.  I've decided not to take any medications until I see him, no anti-depressants or temazapam.  It doesn't matter if I don't sleep tonight, or how I feel tomorrow.  I will take a little bit of melatonin and if it doesn't help, so be it.  I am off work for the next 5 days and have a little bit of time up my sleeve.  I'm making decisions out of desperation.  I'll have to tolerate some sort of withdrawal, and am willing to do that to help myself.  I think I just need to take a step back, breathe and not do anything.  Does that make sense and do you think it's a good idea for the next day or two any way?  Clearly there is too much going on in my brain at the moment and jumping from one medication to the other isn't helping.  I continue to read all of the posts on this site and I cry.  I can't believe there are so many people suffering. I can't thank all of the team enough for responding to me, as I know I'm desperate and you are all trying to help.  I wish we had something similar in Australia.  I pray every day that the next day will be better.  Today  was a little better than yesterday.

August 2017 - Quit 75 mg Effexor cold turkey

October 2017 - January 2018 - several changes to medication, first AD introduced, 20mg Zoloft (October 2017), changed to 20mg Brintellix (November 2017), changed to 25mg Valdoxan (November 2017), changed to 15mg Mirtazapine (December 2017), changed to 20mg Prozac (January 2018), changed to 15mg  Mirtazapine (January 2018), all of the previous AD mentioned were at one time or another taken with 20mg Temazapam, changed to 5mg Lexapro and 50mg Seroquel (February 2018).

Finally admitted to hospital February 2018 due to all medication changes.

February/March 2018 - 20mg Prozac and 5mg Zyprexa

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TB,  please just stick with the program as we have outlined above, for now. Any sudden changes are going to destabilize you even further. It may be tempting, whilst in the throes of a neuro - emotional storm to, throw your hands up and say that you're not going to take anything more, however that can be very counter - productive and even dangerous.

 

What do you mean exactly : you took 5mg Prozac for one day and felt the full withdrawal effects?

 

See your doctor, by all means ~ and see what he recommends but don't destabilize yourself in the meantime. It may seem difficult now but with more instability, it can become much worse.

 

These links may help ~

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

Ali

Edited by AliG
added links

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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