gardengirl: 26 years paroxetine and it's time to go

[gardengirl]

Hello fellow AD wayfarers,

I've been following this site for several weeks and am amazed at what we humans can endure. I do believe that in the process of withdrawing from these drugs, many of us have been to h###. I think we're a select group, and unless you've been there, you wouldn't understand. I feel for everyone here who is going through this dark night!

26 years on paroxetine 20 mg, and I've just finished transitioning to fluoxetine with the goal of totally transitioning off all ADs next year. I began Paxil in 1993 due to a history of depression and anxiety. It worked like a charm, and I was thrilled. After 2 years, I tapered down to 0 mg over just 3 weeks because my husband and I were ready to get pregnant. All was well at first but withdrawal kicked in about a month later. I white-knuckled my way through it and experienced two miscarriages during that time. I reinstated the Paxil the next spring, I think, and subsequently had 2 beautiful daughters.  🙂

Fast forward to 2009. I was feeling good and eating well and was ready to experience life again without ADs. My emotions were well-controlled but flat-lined, and I had put on 30 lbs. I enlisted a chiropractor and an acupuncturist to assist me with treatments over my 4 month taper. Not knowing any better, I tapered by cutting out the paroxetine one day the first week, two days the second week, and so on. Not sure how it took almost 4 months but that's what I remember doing. I started having withdrawal symptoms before the end of the process.

The symptoms became intolerable. I remember spending a lot of time in bed with severe depersonalization (which I learned about here- I was so happy to find a name for it! Thought I was losing my mind!), not sleeping or eating for days due to severe anxiety and nausea, and very jittery with weak and trembling muscles. It was absolutely terrifying. Add to this the guilt of not being a great mother to my two girls at this time. Thank God for wonderful husbands. I reinstated the paroxetine after a couple of months and the symptoms abated. It never seemed to work as well, though.

Fast forward again to this summer. Working with my psychiatric nurse, I spent 3 weeks going from 20 mg paroxetine to 20 mg fluoxetine. I know transitioning off fluoxetine is a much gentler process. Although I'd love to get off ADs sooner rather than later, I'm planning on holding here until spring of next year when I'll begin the process of tapering. I teach middle school and trying to do this during the school year would probably be a disaster.

I was REALLY nervous about the switch but it's gone way better than I imagined! I've been on straight fluoxetine now for 2 weeks. My symptoms include persistent headaches, stiff and jerky neck muscles, blurry vision, trouble falling asleep, and minor anxiety upon waking. Nothing major at this point. I'm hoping and praying it doesn't get worse and that it improves before school starts. Most any physical activity is hard right now.

I'm putting my intro out there now wondering if anyone has experience doing the same thing. I'm curious how long these symptoms will continue. The headaches are really annoying. Ibuprofen helps to a certain extent, but there's always some discomfort. I'm so grateful for all who work this site and contribute with their stories. Withdrawal involves such feelings of loneliness. This site is much needed! Thank you! xoxo

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, gardengirl.  I'm glad the crossover from Paxil to Prozac went well and that your symptoms are tolerable.  I think it's wise to hold off on your Prozac taper until school is out.  Thank you for completing your drug signature.

 

When you do start your Prozac taper, we recommend tapering by no more than 10% of current dose.  Some have to taper more slowly.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

This link is specifically about tapering Prozac.

 

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

You mention wanting to be off all AD's by the end of net year.  Since you won't be starting your taper until school is out in the spring, your timeline would be an 8-month taper of 20mg, which is far too fast.  We recommend throwing out goals and schedules and listening to your body and going slowly.  Your previous fast taper showed you the problems you can encounter when you taper too fast.  Tapering too fast runs the risk of engendering intolerable withdrawal systems, updosing to try to alleviate those symptoms, and taking longer than you would've if you'd tapered slowly.  I've been tapering 20mg Lexapro for 2 1/2 years and have quite a while to go, as you can see from my signature.

 

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

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gardengirl]

Thanks so much for the info, Gridley. Yes, I see now that tapering slowly off of 20 mg will be quite a journey. I definitely don't want to go through the withdrawal nightmare that I experienced previously.

 

As for the fish oil, I took omega-3 EPA & DHA (2100 mg) last year for several months and started experiencing heart palpitations and jitteriness.

 

I found info online including these:  "According to an June 2005 article in USA Today, a study lead by Merritt Raitt of the Portland VA Medical Center showed that fish oil supplements may trigger arrhythmia in patients who were already prone to irregular heart beat. This is a surprise, even to those who lead the study, since fish oil has so many beneficial effects on health" and "Insomnia and exacerbation of anxiety associated with high-EPA fish oil supplements after successful treatment of depression", a study.

 

Have you ever heard of such a thing?

 

Thanks for the welcoming email!

 

Edited July 19, 2019 by ChessieCat
resized font

[gardengirl]

OK, things are starting to get rough. I've been off my paroxetine and on fluoxetine for 2 months now. In the past 3 weeks, I've started the early morning awakenings with anxiety. Crying spells have kicked in and a floating anxiety is ever present. The lorazepam (.5mg up to twice a day) relaxes my muscles but doesn't do much for my anxiety. My psych nurse would like me to try clonazepam instead which is longer acting.

This is all especially troublesome now that I'm back in my 8th grade classroom and needing to be on my game.

I'd like to hear if anyone has transitioned from parox to fluox in an effort to get off ADs. That's my long-term goal.

Also, are my symptoms from parox withdrawal or is the fluox ineffective?

My psychiatric nurse transitioned me only over a month, claiming that it should go pretty smoothly.

Any words of experience or comfort would be greatly appreciated. This is a bear!

 

 

[Chasers]

Hi Gardengirl , I am trying to wean off of Paxil  10 mg .  I have been on it for over 20 years. I too am having awful symptoms.  How did you reinstate your Paxil?  In small dosages? I want to try to withdraw again but slower next time .

[ChessieCat]

6 hours ago, gardengirl said:

Also, are my symptoms from parox withdrawal or is the fluox ineffective?

 

Because of all the changes you have made it is difficult to know what is causing what.

 

Are you taking the lorazepam every day, and twice a day (about 12 hours apart)?  If not you may be experiencing interdose withdrawal.

[Altostrata]

19 hours ago, gardengirl said:

The lorazepam (.5mg up to twice a day) relaxes my muscles but doesn't do much for my anxiety. My psych nurse would like me to try clonazepam instead which is longer acting.

 

Hello, gardengirl. What exactly are you taking now, at what times of day?

 

We need to know exactly when you're taking clonazepam and how much. Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day.

 

You can post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

 

It could be that inconsistent clonazepam dosing is causing your symptoms. Please don't make any changes until we unravel this. Att @Shep

 

 

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

We need to know exactly when you're taking clonazepam and how much.

 

Member is currently(?) taking lorazepam.

 

23 hours ago, gardengirl said:

The lorazepam (.5mg up to twice a day) relaxes my muscles but doesn't do much for my anxiety. My psych nurse would like me to try clonazepam instead which is longer acting.

 

Q:  Which of these are you currently taking?

 

Please advise drug name, when you are taking it and how much.

 

 

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day.

 

Example:

 

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

Edited August 27, 2019 by ChessieCat

[Altostrata]

Sorry, my error. I mean lorazepam. We need to know exactly when you're taking it every day, and how much.

[gardengirl]

Hi Chasers,

no, I went right back up to 20 mg Paxil when I reinstated and it worked well for me. The second time I reinstated, though, it never seemed as effective.

 

Hi Altostrata and Chessie Cat,

I have not started the clonazepam and am reluctant to take it. I'm taking a .5 mg lorazepam only when I really feel the need. I really don't want to take this stuff. During the past 2 days now that school has started, I've taken one lorazepam after school at around 4:30. I experience some anxiety with the letdown after a teaching day. If I take two lorazepam which I did a few days last week, I space them twelve hours apart. For a while, I wasn't taking any lorazepam because withdrawal symptoms had not become real pronounced. It's in the past 2-3 weeks that the early morning wakings, crying spells and anxiety have kicked in.

I'm thinking it's parox withdrawals. Just wondering if the fluox is going to compensate. This is a tough situation to be in when trying to teach.

[Altostrata]

Did you start taking lorazepam on July 3?

 

We need you to keep daily notes about when you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. It's possible, even likely, that the symptoms you're attributing to antidepressant withdrawal are interdose or rebound symptoms from the benzo. Intermittent benzo dosing can also cause these symptoms.

 

Please post at least 24 hours of notes at a time here in your Intro topic. Att @Shep

[Shep]

On 8/26/2019 at 6:15 PM, gardengirl said:

The lorazepam (.5mg up to twice a day) relaxes my muscles but doesn't do much for my anxiety. My psych nurse would like me to try clonazepam instead which is longer acting.

 

11 hours ago, gardengirl said:

I have not started the clonazepam and am reluctant to take it. I'm taking a .5 mg lorazepam only when I really feel the need. I really don't want to take this stuff.

 

It's good you haven't added or switched to clonazepam. As you write out your symptoms notes (see ChessieCat's post here), we can help you gage your level of dependency and space out the lorazepam so you're getting fewer paradoxical and rebound reactions. 

[gardengirl]

Thanks Altostrata and Shep. I'm surprised to hear you think my symptoms could be benzo related. I try to take the lorazepam as little as possible. Today I took none, yesterday I had one. Because of your concern, I looked around online for information. Yowza, this stuff is addictive. 

I'm not sure that the benzo is my problem though. It's the early morning waking with dread and the anhedonia. I'm finding little joy in life these days and am experiencing floating anxiety. It's not rational yet my mind still works overtime trying to find a way to get some relief.

Today was a pretty good day although the anxious waking and nausea first thing in the morning is a lousy and depressing way to start the day.

I will chart my symptoms as you requested. I really appreciate your generosity in helping me and others.

I'd like to hear from anyone else who has gone from parox to fluox in an effort to get off ADs.

Thanks so much and know that you all are appreciated. What a comfort!

[gardengirl]

I'm failing fast. I taught my 8th grade science class today with great difficulty. I don't know if I can keep this up. It has been two months since I switched from parox to fluox and the anxiety has skyrocketed the past several days. I don't know that I can function in the classroom any longer and if I can go through this process during the school year. My psych nurse has transitioned other people from parox to fluox with relative ease in an effort to eventually get off ADs. 

 

I broke down and bought the clonazepam today and took .25 mg, half a pill, about an hour ago. I haven't seen much of a change yet. Since no one can predict how long these transitions take, I'm severely tempted to reinstate that paroxetine, if only to be able to function in my job for the school year. And, even though it was losing its effectiveness. 

 

Or perhaps I should try another? I simply don't know which way to turn right now.

Monday- 

7 pm - walked half an hour, then ate something, not much appetite

9 pm - 5 mg melatonin, epsom salts bath, meditation app, fell asleep pretty well

2:30 am - woke, unable to sleep, took 625 mg magnesium glycinate

3:00 am - fell asleep

5 am - woke with anxiety, took .5 mg lorazepam

7 am-2:30pm- in classroom, no appetite, teary, anxiety

4 pm - .25 mg clonazepam, ate a small amount

6 pm (now)- still anxious, weepy, no appetite, feel like insides are quivering

 

Any advice would be very much appreciated. I'm feeling a bit hopeless and lost right now.

[brassmonkey]

Hi Gardengirl--  I'm sorry to hear that you're having so much trouble right now.  Bridging from paxil to prozac can be an iffy proposition at best, and doesn't always work.  It's possible that this is one of those times.  If you are considering switching back, PLEASE WAIT.  We need more information on your current dosing in order to come up with a good plan.  Just switching back to your old dose could trip off a bad reaction, and we don't want that. Also switching back won't be a panacea, there will be a fair amount of upset involved,  once that has had time to stabilize, things should settle down. 

 

You mentioned that the bad anxiety just started a few days ago.  This would indicate that it is the results of a wave and not a reaction to the prozac.  Anxiety waves can be brutal, I had a number of them during my taper and again post "0".  Not much you can do about them either, except accept the anxiety as a part of you and work to ignore it and live around it.  I have found that anxiety waves tend to last just a few weeks and then resolve in a couple of days. 

[Shep]

10 hours ago, gardengirl said:

9 pm - 5 mg melatonin, epsom salts bath, meditation app, fell asleep pretty well

2:30 am - woke, unable to sleep, took 625 mg magnesium glycinate

 

In your signature, you have 1 - 5 mg Melatonin. Please note this is a high dose and you may do much better on a lower dose. Please see:

 

Melatonin for sleep

 

How often do you take 1 mg and how often to you take the larger doses of 2 mg or higher? The reason I'm asking is to gage how adjusted your nervous system may be to the higher doses and if it would be safe to drop down without tapering. 

 

The problem with these higher doses of melatonin is they can cause a paradoxical reaction - the more you dampen down the nervous system, the more it fights to stay awake. This creates a paradoxical reaction. 

 

10 hours ago, gardengirl said:

I broke down and bought the clonazepam today and took .25 mg, half a pill, about an hour ago.

 

Please note that clonazepam is twice as potent as lorazepam. Per the benzo equivelancy chart, which compares each benzo's potency to 10 mg of Valium. Per the chart, .5 mg clonazepam equals 10 mg Valium and 1 mg lorazepam equals 10 mg Valium.

 

So .25 mg clonazepam equals .5 mg lorazepam.

 

 

8 hours ago, brassmonkey said:

You mentioned that the bad anxiety just started a few days ago.  This would indicate that it is the results of a wave and not a reaction to the prozac.  Anxiety waves can be brutal, I had a number of them during my taper and again post "0".  Not much you can do about them either, except accept the anxiety as a part of you and work to ignore it and live around it.  I have found that anxiety waves tend to last just a few weeks and then resolve in a couple of days. 

 

I'm going to add onto what Brassmonkey is saying here. I would be very careful about adding in another benzo in order to ride this wave out. You can become dependent on a benzo in 2 - 4 weeks. Some people become dependent in as little as 10 days. 

 

Instead of adding in clonzaepam, you may want to slightly increase your lorazepam dose and split it out to three times a day to prevent interdose withdrawal (going into withdrawal in between doses). 

 

Please post your thoughts on this and what the minimum dose you think will help and then we can work on a benzo dosing schedule. 

 

Please keep posting your daily drug and symptom notes. 

[Cheeky]

Hi Gardengirl,

I'm cheeky and have been on paxil.just as long as you have. I understand what your going through , as I  too tried to come off Paxil and  onto something else by recommendation by my doctor. I really don't want anyone to.suffer like I did and it is only farr to tell you that it wasn't a great outcome for me. After 3 months I reinstated back on Paxil with.the added sequel ( which.i thought was a sleeping tablet) and now am.slowly tapering both. I don't want to.scar you I  just personally think.we have been.on these drugs too long and.to.change to something else would make our CNS go.out of whack. If you.were functioning okay on the Paxil then I would go back.on it, that's just my opinion.  Please feel.free to ask me anything.

I.really know how hard it would be for you.at the moment and sending a hug your way 

[Altostrata]

Paxil is very difficult to go off.

 

What time of day do you take fluoxetine? Do you feel better or worse after you take it?

 

It's possible your fluoxetine dosage is too high.

 

If it isn't the fluoxetine causing the symptoms, what I might do is get Paxil liquid and add 0.5mg to the fluoxetine.

 

You'd go off the Paxil gradually in a couple of months. This may help you complete the bridge to fluoxetine.

[ChessieCat]

On 9/5/2019 at 6:00 AM, Altostrata said:

What time of day do you take fluoxetine? Do you feel better or worse after you take it?

 

Please answer Alto's questions.  Thank you.

[gardengirl]

I'm overwhelmed by all of your replies. Thank you so much. I will update you on the past few days.

I ended up taking the whole .5 mg clonazepam on Tuesday and it kicked in about an hour later. I can't tell you what a relief it was. I became relaxed and wanted to sleep. I have been taking the same dosage now around 7 pm every day as it makes me super tired. It is taking pretty good care of the morning waking anxiety.

 

That said, the depression is lingering. I feel like I'm living only to avoid anxiety and gain comfort by meeting my responsibilities like having lesson plans in order and such. This is what my efforts focus on these days; I'm living to 'avoid' stressful emotion versus living life to enjoy it. It does not make for a fulfilling or enjoyable existence. My psych nurse has just upped my does to 40 mg Prozac in an effort to address this. She said it becomes a balancing act.

 

On 9/3/2019 at 8:53 PM, brassmonkey said:

I have found that anxiety waves tend to last just a few weeks and then resolve in a couple of days. 

 

Are you saying the waves come and go during this process? Or resolve and 'go away'. Because of this experience, I'm thinking that I will probably need ADs for my lifetime. I can see evidence of it throughout my childhood and on. I want to avoid the Paxil again and am hoping the Prozac will work. I don't look forward to the trail and error of trying different ADs if it doesn't.

 

On 9/4/2019 at 5:06 AM, Shep said:

In your signature, you have 1 - 5 mg Melatonin. Please note this is a high dose and you may do much better on a lower dose.

I found that anything below 3 mg was not working for me. 5 mg seemed to do the trick. It wouldn't keep me sleeping past 2 am or so, though, but it definitely helped me fall asleep. I am not taking it now that I have the clonazepam.

 

On 9/4/2019 at 5:06 AM, Shep said:

I'm going to add onto what Brassmonkey is saying here. I would be very careful about adding in another benzo in order to ride this wave out. You can become dependent on a benzo in 2 - 4 weeks. Some people become dependent in as little as 10 days. 

Perhaps unfortunately, I just read your note about increasing and spacing out the lorazepam versus starting the clonaz. I voiced my concerns about the clonaz to my psych nurse. She said she would help me taper when the time comes. My concern is if this anxiety lasts for months- I don't want to be using this that long. I mentioned that I thought the clonaz is a more powerful benzo. She said it has a longer half life and that is partly why it's more effective than the loraz.

 

On 9/4/2019 at 10:23 AM, Cheeky said:

I don't want to.scar you I  just personally think.we have been.on these drugs too long and.to.change to something else would make our CNS go.out of whack.

Hi Cheeky, thank you so much for your words! Yes, I have no doubt 26 years on Paxil has really altered my brain. One of the reasons I decided to get off ADs at this point is that the Paxil was losing its effectiveness. It hadn't pooped out totally, but it felt like I was starting to suffer withdrawals to a minor degree. It was not pleasant. With this latest bout of difficulties, I think I may be in for a lifetime of AD use. Sigh. I can accept this at this point if I can find an effective one. Bless you bless you for messaging me. Thank you. I hope and pray for your successful progress.

 

On 9/4/2019 at 3:00 PM, Altostrata said:

What time of day do you take fluoxetine? Do you feel better or worse after you take it?

 

It's possible your fluoxetine dosage is too high.

 

If it isn't the fluoxetine causing the symptoms, what I might do is get Paxil liquid and add 0.5mg to the fluoxetine.

 

You'd go off the Paxil gradually in a couple of months. This may help you complete the bridge to fluoxetine.tostar

Altostrata, this is an intriguing idea. I've already been off the Paxil for 2 months. Is it too late? I do have some pills left which I could work with. Please let me know what you think. At this point, I can't function without the clonaz but there's no way I want to continue it for more than a few weeks. Thanks so much for your suggestion. I'd like to hear more.

 

To all of you, your concern means the world to me and I'm sure to everyone you minister to on this site.

I have updated my signature.

Here's what I can remember about past 24 hours:

Fri

6am  40 mg Prozac

7-4 pm  at school, ate some lunch, generally OK due to the routine but not enthused

6pm craving carbs (I'm doing keto); ate mac and cheese + a sausage for protein

7pm .5 mg clonaz; stayed on couch all evening; totally worn out, watched movie

9:30 pm  bed; fell asleep well

7:30 am  woke earlier but tried to lounge in bed; 40 mg Prozac, no appetite; anhedonia quite pronounced. No ambition or joy for the day.

10:00 am  ate, read, no ambition.

 

 

 

 

[brassmonkey]

Hi Gardengirl-- the only predictable thing about this process is that it's unpredictable.  The "Windows and Waves" pattern is a very big part of it.

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-stabilization/

 

As the brain and body adjust to the changes in medication there is an ebb and flow of symptoms.  Something will spring up for a few weeks and then disappear for a while, it might come back, and it might not.  Anxiety is one of the primary symptoms of a taper and can happen in small acute "attack" like flair ups that last seconds to hours or in waves that build and can last several weeks.  Getting through those times is where learning and practicing out Non Med coping techniques comes into play. Yep, we have a thread for that too:

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/

 

We do not recommend trying a variety of different ADs to try and fine the "sweet spot" or right combination.  There isn't one and all the experimentation can cause a lot of sensitivity to the drugs that is very hard to stabilize and get out of.  Cross tapering from Paxil to Prozac and then reducing is an accepted technique and works well in many cases.  If you really don't want to take the paxil any more it would be worth a shot.

[composter]

Hey there! My username is also garden-themed bc I love to garden. Also I really respect that you are a teacher and teach science! Many of my family members are teachers.

 

Hope you find time to read thru the resources linked by mods above. It is very important to keep your dosage stable and be cautious and slow about any changes.

[Altostrata]

On 9/7/2019 at 9:03 AM, gardengirl said:

My psych nurse has just upped my does to 40 mg Prozac in an effort to address this.

 

Since you just started clonazepam, changing two drugs at the same time is not good medical practice, which is to see what one drug does before adding another.

 

On 9/7/2019 at 9:03 AM, gardengirl said:

Altostrata, this is an intriguing idea. I've already been off the Paxil for 2 months. Is it too late? I do have some pills left which I could work with. Please let me know what you think.

 

I suggested it because it might be the case. However, if 30mg fluoxetine was causing problems, 40mg will be worse.

 

Your psych nurse has a very different approach than we have here. Perhaps you want to try it for a while? You can come back here if you find it's not working.

[gardengirl]

6 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

I suggested it because it might be the case. However, if 30mg fluoxetine was causing problems, 40mg will be worse.

 

Thanks for the reply Altostrata.

I feel like it's more paxil withdrawal than the introduction of prozac. These are the symptoms I experienced when I tried withdrawing before. The 20 mg prozac dosage didn't seem to be taking care of the anxiety and sleeplessness symptoms which were getting progressively worse, hence the increase.
The clonaz worked like a charm for two days, then the persistent anxiety returned along with weepiness. Ugh. I understand what you mean about increasing the prozac and starting the clonaz at the same time. Yes, which if either, is the culprit? Or is it just withdrawals? It sounded like the paxil to prozac switch was pretty straight forward.

 

23 hours ago, brassmonkey said:

We do not recommend trying a variety of different ADs to try and fine the "sweet spot" or right combination.  There isn't one and all the experimentation can cause a lot of sensitivity to the drugs that is very hard to stabilize and get out of.  Cross tapering from Paxil to Prozac and then reducing is an accepted technique and works well in many cases.  If you really don't want to take the paxil any more it would be worth a shot.

And thanks, brassmonkey. Different ADs seem to work differently for each person. I always thought it was a matter of finding the one that worked well with your brain chemistry. Is that not the case? Thanks for your advice.

 

9 hours ago, composter said:

Hey there! My username is also garden-themed bc I love to garden. Also I really respect that you are a teacher and teach science! Many of my family members are teachers.

Hi composter, good to hear from you. Thank you! I started a garden club at school and we do composting as well. It's so good for the kids to see the full cycle from seed to plant to compost and back into the garden. I'm not really able to enjoy the garden right now, but it's so good for the soul isn't it? 

 

Thank you all so much for your input. It's given me lots to think about. Have a relaxing Sunday.

[Altostrata]

26 minutes ago, gardengirl said:

The clonaz worked like a charm for two days, then the persistent anxiety returned along with weepiness. Ugh. I understand what you mean about increasing the prozac and starting the clonaz at the same time. Yes, which if either, is the culprit? Or is it just withdrawals?

 

The anxiety might be caused by the benzo. We seem to be going around and around.

 

Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. You can post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

[Terry]

On 9/7/2019 at 12:46 PM, brassmonkey said:

As the brain and body adjust to the changes in medication there is an ebb and flow of symptoms.  Something will spring up for a few weeks and then disappear for a while, it might come back, and it might not.

I'm so glad you mentioned this.  I am having somewhat of a window today after being in wave for quite a while.  And because of what you said here, I realized that the itching I'd been experiencing on my head and the right side of my body for some time was gone!  I'm sure I would have noticed eventually, but your reminder about ebb and flow of symptoms made for a pleasant surprise.  THANK YOU!

 

@gardengirl The moderators here have good advice to offer.  Be assured that they are trying their best to help you.  Best wishes to you on this journey!

[ChessieCat]

2 hours ago, gardengirl said:

I always thought it was a matter of finding the one that worked well with your brain chemistry.

 

again-chemical-imbalance-is-a-myth-stop-the-lies-please

[gardengirl]

Thanks everyone. The paxil worked almost miraculously on my depression and anxiety 26 years ago. I understand that they don't really know how these drugs work in the brain. A little disconcerting. I just remembered being overjoyed at experiencing joy and interest in life again. It worked well for years.

 

Is there a better way to tackle these issues in this day and age? I'm thinking humans weren't designed to live at the pace we live at today and our bodies and minds are having a hard time keeping up, especially for those of us who are more sensitive to these things.

 

I read that an excess of prozac can cause my anxiety symptoms. They have really kicked in since upping my dosage just 4 days ago. The hard thing is that I was barely functional on Monday, the day before starting the clonazepam and two days before starting the 40 mg prozac.

 

If I go back to my original dosage after my paxil switch to 20 mg prozac, I will certainly struggle mightily to keep teaching if I don't have the clonaz or at least the loraz. This is a huge and perhaps unfair question for you all: after 26 years at 20 mg paxil (30 mg most winters), would it be good to reduce back to 20 mg prozac and resort to loraz when absolutely necessary, as I was doing?

 

I will keep a record for the next 24 hours. I may reduce to 30 mg prozac tomorrow morning when I usually take it. So confusing and uncertain when results are not immediate.

Thank you so much for your help.

[Altostrata]

On 9/8/2019 at 1:29 PM, gardengirl said:

They have really kicked in since upping my dosage just 4 days ago. The hard thing is that I was barely functional on Monday, the day before starting the clonazepam and two days before starting the 40 mg prozac.

 

This could be an adverse reaction to your drug changes, particularly increasing the Prozac. But who knows.

 

I've lost track of your drug changes over the last 2 weeks, could you please list them?

 

As you can see, unraveling the recent simultaneous drug changes may take some time, during which you may be uncomfortable.

 

Note of advice: You'll probably either have to follow your psych nurse's advice or ours. We advise against making drug changes just because; we have to see a baseline symptom pattern first. Fixing the psych nurse's errors may be more than we can handle.