success gallanthero26: Prozac and trifluoperazine withdrawal

[gallanthero26]

Hi my name is Sean and I'm currently coming off of prozac and trifluoperazine. I had taken 10mg of prozac and 5 mg of trifluoperazine for about 3 weeks. The meds made me gain considerable weight (10-15 lbs in 2 to 3 weeks) and I felt numbed out so I stopped them cold turkey not knowing about withdrawal side effects. I started experiencing withdrawal effects about a week into stopping (dizziness, lack of concentration, memory problems) itching, and they have been getting progressively worse, with fluctuation in symptoms. It's been 3 weeks now and at this point I have a fever, (not sure if I have the flu or not but it feels like I have a bad flu), racing strange thoughts (to the point which I've never experienced before) fatigue (sleeping until about noon some days), lack of motivation, and the same concentration/memory issues.

Since it's been 3 weeks I'm wondering if I should try to go back on a low dose of anti depressants or if I should just try to ride this out and hope it subsides. Thank you in advance.

[Shep]

Hi, Gallanthero.

 

Have you been on any type of psychiatric drug prior to going on prozac and trifluoperazine three weeks ago?  This is important. You can become dependent on an antidepressant or antipsychotic in as little as one month, so you are at the edge of that timeframe. But we'll need to know your complete history before giving you any advice.

 

Please add a signature.  Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

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• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
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[gallanthero26]

I was put on abilify but that was about 5 years ago and I don't take any supplements. It's been about 23 days now and I think the symptoms I'm experiencing are more due to the prozac (longer half life) than the 5mg of triufluoperazine. I'm thinking my best two options now would be to either ride it out or maybe go back on a low dose of prozac (2.5 mg) and gradually wean from there.. That might be tough to do though as I would prefer the tablet route (grinding them in half monthly) and its hard to even get in contact with my psychiatrist.

 

[gallanthero26]

Other symptoms I've been experiencing are shakiness, sinnusitus (hacking up bloody mucous, I also live in a highly heated area but the burning sensation in my sinuses is new) easily agitated, physical weakness and lack of motivation. These symptoms fluctuate so its hard to tell if I'm getting better or not. I just don't want to wait too long if I could have done anything (my psychiatrist makes this very hard to do as he said that prozac has no withdrawal and wonders if it's a natural progression on my ocd...)

[Shep]

Hi, Gallanthero.

 

Thanks for the added information. Please also add your Abilify use in your signature (dates and doses you were on it), even though it was several years ago, it's good to keep up with all your information in your signature.

 

Yes, many doctors attribute withdrawal to a reoccurrence of the original problem, but as we know from forums such as this, with time and lots of self-care, these symptoms fade, as they are very much related to withdrawal. This thread is great at explaining how these drugs affect us even after the drug is removed:

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

15 hours ago, gallanthero26 said:

It's been about 23 days now and I think the symptoms I'm experiencing are more due to the prozac (longer half life) than the 5mg of triufluoperazine.

 

I'm going to link some information for you that may help you figure this out. 

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

We don't have a "tips for tapering off" section for  trifluoperazine (Stelazine), but this general thread may be helpful:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

When dealing with polypharmacy, the concept of "brakes and accelerators" comes up. This may help you figure out what symptom is coming from what drug. Here's an explanation:

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

Please have a careful read of this thread. I fear that if you do reinstate the Prozac and it's stimulating, you may have trouble sleeping without the triufluoperazine. Before I was placed on Seroquel, I had been on Stelazine (triufluoperazine) for over 20 years and I remember it being sedating and helping with my insomnia. 

 

Being able to sleep is key, so please monitor how well you are sleeping.

 

At three weeks, unless you are having really severe symptoms, you may very well want to not reinstate and to ride out the symptoms. But again, it's important to monitor your sleep, appetite, anxiety levels, etc. 

 

SA doesn't recommend a lot of supplements, as many people have sensitive nervous systems that hyper-react to supplements, but we've found that magnesium and fish oil can be helpful in calming the nervous system. Please only add in one supplement at a time and at a low dose. Here's more information:

 

King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

Some great ideas for non-drug coping:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Please keep updating and let us know what you decide to do and post any questions you have. 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Shep
added more links and information

[Altostrata]

Welcome, gallant.

 

If I were you, I might reinstate 1mg Prozac to start. The link Shep gave you Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)  will explain how to make a liquid so you can take a small dose.

[gallanthero26]

Thank you for the responses. Trying 2mg for 2 weeks then 1mg for 2 weeks now.

[Shep]

16 hours ago, gallanthero26 said:

Thank you for the responses. Trying 2mg for 2 weeks then 1mg for 2 weeks now.

 

Hi, Gallent. Please post and let us know how you're doing over the coming days (how much you're sleeping, how your anxiety levels are, etc) before you make any dose changes.

 

Please note it takes 4 days for your nervous system to register a change, but it can take a week or longer for you to stabilize on it. 

[gallanthero26]

Hey so after about a week I was on a low dose of about 2-3 mg for about a week and then I started getting sick with bowel movements again so I quit off of it again. I thought not to mess with even a low dose but it was like I went through a mini withdrawal again. I think my nervous system was really sensitive because its kind of felt like I've been going insane sometimes (particularly at night and early in the morning). I got over the worst hump but I have very low energy now and am weak. I'm scared to even go on 1 mg at this point and don't think I should try to do that again. So I guess looking for any advice on that, I have a very strong inclination to not even try it again though as I think it had been too long.

[Shep]

Hi, Gallanthero. Thanks for the update. It's likely 2 -3 mg was too high a dose.  You mention feeling like you were "going insane" at night and early in the morning. What time of the day were you taking your dose? 

[gallanthero26]

About 6 pm, it feels like the dream state has an after effect now when I go to bed and wake up. Hard to explain but very weird schizophrenic like thoughts/ideations with an internal dialogue seperate from something I would create or think myself. I really don't want to go back on even 1 mg dose because I feel like it will prolong this withdrawal and I got sick when I was on the 2-3mg. I'm getting slightly better from where I was a few days ago, but feeling very drained and not very productive/hard to focus and get normal things done. I'm hoping this is just acute and I will at least be 50% better by the middle of March.

[Shep]

Hi, Gallant. Please look at the magnesium and fish oil links I listed in my earlier post, along with the non-drug coping skills link. 

 

You may be able to find a couple of things that will help ease you through this. The fact that you're feeling a bit better is a great sign.

 

Please keep updating and let us know how you're doing. 

[gallanthero26]

Hey so a quick update, I seem to making slight improvements in some ways and in other ways I feel like I'm getting worse. There seems to be more anhedonia lately I get sore from what would have been simple hobbies (20-30 minutes of playing the piano equates to my hand and wrists being sore that have never happened before) with general body aches and pains. I'm also dealing with more cognitive issues lately. Other weird symptoms are my teeth not producing much plaque, my skin feels different (like less nerves), and even that my face has more droopyness to it.

 

I'm wondering if I should try re-instating again at 1 mg to see if that would do anything but am concerned to do further damage to my nervous system (its been about 6 weeks now minus the week long 2mg reinstatement I tried). I'm not sure if the previous attempt at reinstatement put me further back so I feel like I'm in a pickle still. Also was wondering about medical cannabis, (I've seen people with nervous system disorders benefiting greatly from this). 

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on SA, including cannabis.  To search the site I use a search engine and include survivingantidepressants.org in my search string.

[gallanthero26]

I read the tapering advice and it seems like a gamble either way. I'm leaning with not reinstating though but am curious if the fact that I was on 10mg for only 3.5 weeks would have anything to do with the duration of symptoms. 

[ChessieCat]

3 minutes ago, gallanthero26 said:

am curious if the fact that I was on 10mg for only 3.5 weeks would have anything to do with the duration of symptoms. 

 

Nobody knows.  We are experiments where N=1.

[gallanthero26]

So I tried reinstating again at a very low dose (1mg) but its only been 2 days. I feel like its been getting to this point anyway and 2 days is too early to tell but its very hard to get out of bed and I get psychotic dream like thoughts and tremble/shake when I first wake up. It seems like its a cortisol wake up but the trembling is new and I'm feeling rigid and less in control of my nervous system. Is this due to the 2 days of reinstatement (1mg) or should I stick it out as this is too early for something severe like that to happen. Really confused and any personal insight would be great. 

[PoetJester]

hey Sean

 

i was just reading your thread, in particular, the part about the face droopiness.  i had the same thing when i quit zoloft and zyprexa cold turkey in 2014.  my sleep was terrible afterwards and after a month or so into wd, i noticed that i was losing the definition around my eyes.   One morning i looked in the mirror and my eyes were sagging to the point that i resembled a dog in some ways.  i mean, i looked just like a cross between a man and a springer spaniel because without decent sleep my eyes were beginning to droop.  my sleep continued to be awful- shallow, depressed, fragmented over the years and now i have huge bags under my eyes.  it's depressing to even look in the mirror anymore.

 

i also suffer with the eternal internal dialogue thing to the point where it feels like i have lost almost all ability to be contemplative.  no more quietness of mind.  i used to be able to enjoy reading novels quite a bit and now in the past 4 years i have only read a few short stories besides the constant internet surfing.  it's frustrating to say the least.  like i have adhd or something.  probably fueled by increased anxiety due to how wd is affecting my health.  

 

Poetjester (Derek)

[gallanthero26]

Yes I definitely noticed the baggy eyes. I think its pretty physically noticeable and its almost as if keeping my normal body composition is a struggle. I didn't realize how many things serotonin is responsible for until depleting my system of it. I'm hoping there is a significant movement to avoid the unnecessary administration of these drugs and more research and ways to help people who are already suffering. (It seems like Big Pharma doesn't want that though). 

[Shep]

 

17 hours ago, gallanthero26 said:

So I tried reinstating again at a very low dose (1mg) but its only been 2 days. I feel like its been getting to this point anyway and 2 days is too early to tell but its very hard to get out of bed and I get psychotic dream like thoughts and tremble/shake when I first wake up. It seems like its a cortisol wake up but the trembling is new and I'm feeling rigid and less in control of my nervous system. Is this due to the 2 days of reinstatement (1mg) or should I stick it out as this is too early for something severe like that to happen. Really confused and any personal insight would be great. 

 

Hi, Gallanthero.

 

Are you keeping a drug and symptoms journal? This is a good format to use.

 

Keep notes on paper about your drug dosages and daily symptom pattern

 

What time of day are you taking the Prozac? How many hours are you sleeping at night? Are you eating a healthy breakfast and if so, does that help with the shaking? These drugs can cause fluctuations in blood sugar (symptoms of which include weakness and shakiness), so it's important to eat small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day. 

 

Please update your signature to reflect your latest reinstatement. Here is a direct link to your signature:

 

Account - settings - signature

 

[Altostrata]

gh, when does this shakiness occur? What does it feel like? Does it affect a particular part of the body?

 

Did this change while you were taking the Prozac this last time around?

[gallanthero26]

The shakiness occurs at morning and I think its just how the withdrawal has progressed and due to the fact that I'm beginning to get drained from dealing with the withdrawal. It seems to happen along with the schizophrenic thoughts upon waking. Its almost like I'm conscious of being in a half dream like state and my mind kinda runs wild for a bit. It calms down significantly at about noon and then I'm just dealing with fatigue and lack of ability to concentrate and memorize.

 

One thing that is improving a lot lately is the aches. I'm feeling a bit more physically capable. I still think I should've stuck out the initial reinstatement though. I'm on 1 mg now hoping this is a happy middle ground for my mind/body because I don't want to have to taper or aggravate my nervous system. May try this out for 3 - weeks to a month then go to .5mg and then off. That's just my best guess as to how I should proceed as my psychiatrist wants me back on 10mg and I really don't think that's a good idea.

[Shep]

57 minutes ago, gallanthero26 said:

One thing that is improving a lot lately is the aches. I'm feeling a bit more physically capable. I still think I should've stuck out the initial reinstatement though. I'm on 1 mg now hoping this is a happy middle ground for my mind/body because I don't want to have to taper or aggravate my nervous system. May try this out for 3 - weeks to a month then go to .5mg and then off. That's just my best guess as to how I should proceed as my psychiatrist wants me back on 10mg and I really don't think that's a good idea.

 

Hi, Gallanthero.

 

Thanks for the update. I'm glad you're seeing some improvements. However, I'm concerned about your future plans of going from 1 mg to .5 mg and then stopping. 

 

I would encourage you to do some research. You are coming off and on these drugs, which can lead to limbic kindling, making each subsequent withdrawal worse. 

 

Here is some information for your research:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Limbic Kindling -- Hardwiring the brain for hypersensitivity

 

One theory of antidepressant withdrawal syndrome

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

These threads may help you understand why your doctor is so insistent on 10 mg and how best to navigate a conversation:

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?
 
What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

 

[gallanthero26]

So do you think I should just stay off them now or stay on the 1 mg dose longer?

[Shep]

Please take some time to read through the various links already posted for you, including the "About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms" link. 

 

It takes 4 days for your nervous system to register a change and several weeks to completely adjust to it. It's too soon to tell if the reinstatement is working. 

 

Again, please update your signature to reflect your most recent reinstatement. 

 

Account - settings - signature

[gallanthero26]

I think I'm going to deal with the cold turkey then, I'm just worried the 4 days I tried this time rekindled my limbic system though.

[gallanthero26]

Still going with the cold turkey but things have gotten worse. I'm still wondering if I didn't give the reinstatement enough of a chance though but at this point am at a total loss if the attempts are either making things worse or if my withdrawals are just naturally progressing this way. Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[gallanthero26]

An update: I have been getting worse with symptoms. There has been more fatigue, less motivation, sleeping in later, and more brain fog. My question is at this point would it be better to reinstate at 1mg now and hold? or just compeltely stay off? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[manymoretodays]

Hi gallanthero26.

And congratulations again on your successful departure from psychiatric medication.

 

gallants Success Story is here:  Healing from withdrawal

 

As is custom, I will close your Introduction topic now to further comments, or questions. 

Those may now go to your Success Story topic.

 

Many thanks, for coming back and updating us all.

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

manymoretodays