johnksso2007: Second time into serious tapering. Hoping for success this time.

[johnksso2007]

I'm 47, currently coming down on Prozac.  Not sure if I should ask about lowering my 50mg dosage of Lamictal now that my Prozac is down to 20 from 40mg.  Also on Klonopin 2mg per day, but "saving" that for last.  Taper has taken about 6 months so far.

Kim 

[Gridley]

Hello, johnksso2007, and welcome to SA,

 

Congratulations on getting down from 40 to 20mg Prozac.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

• 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. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

At Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.  Some people may have to taper at a more conservative rate as they are sensitive to even the smallest drops.  Please be sure you are not tapering the Prozac by more than 10% every four weeks.
  
To get you started, and familiarized with the protocols followed by SA, I am linking a few topics so that you have a better understanding of what is recommended here. 

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Brain Remodelling

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

Unless you are having a problem with the Lamictal, we would suggest you continue your Prozac taper and leave the Lamictal taper for afterward.  Prozac, like most antidepressants, is an activating drug--an accelerator to the nervous system--while Lamictal is a brake, which has a calming effect and can help you with your withdrawal from the more activating Prozac.  Benzos like Klonopin are also brakes.

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

How is the Prozac taper going?  

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community. I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

 

[johnksso2007]

Thank you, Gridley.

 

The taper is going pretty well.  I go back to see my ND (I also have a regular PCP) in a couple weeks, and I figured she was going to ask me about dropping the Prozac some more.  I wasn't sure if I should try to lower the Lamictal now to "balance" out the Prozac decrease, but I will go with what you and her say, and stick with continuing to taper the Prozac.  

 

I've had a couple of bad days (depressed/felt sick), but I really think the supplements are helping.  Drinking lots of water, getting out in the sunshine with no sunglasses, stopped gluten, reduced milk, etc. I did have a day or two of floaty/dizzy feelings after each drop, but nothing serious.

 

Kim

[Gridley]

Good report, J.