HopeFloats: Prozac, amino acids, withdrawals – reinstating Prozac

August 8, 2019

Hello there,

I am new to this forum and am seeking any guidance you can give me as I am in despair and feel horrible. I had been on SSRI’s for over 25 years and have always wanted to get off them but never could. Always tapered too fast and ended up feeling horribly sick so I would start back up. It was just easier staying on them. Several years ago, I realized that my mood had become really flat and I had trouble getting excited about anything. I wasn’t necessarily sad or depressed about anything but I felt that there was more to life and believed it had to do with the Prozac. So, I made the decision to taper differently this time – very slowly over the course of a few years. Unfortunately, I tapered completely wrong. Just because I was going more slowly did not mean that I was doing it right. How I wish I had found this website sooner.

I began skipping doses and taking 20mg every other day. Maintained that for about a year. Then began taking it only a few days per week and maintained that. Then dropped down to 2 days per week. Then instead of taking 20 mg, I began taking 10 mg 2 days per week. All this time, I was having intermittent withdrawals, but did not recognize the symptoms for what they were. I ended up in the ER twice with chest pressure that was diagnosed as acid reflux but it was withdrawals. I had bouts of severe muscle pain/burning in my shoulders and neck that would last for about a week and then go away and then resurface down the road. My doctor suggested I had Fibromyalgia and prescribed Cymbalta which I refused to take. I never believed that I had Fibro but I still hadn’t connected the dots that my symptoms were withdrawals from tapering so poorly. When I got down to 10mg twice a week, my doctor told me since I was on such a low dose, to just stop it. So, I stopped the Prozac in March 2019 and began taking amino acids – Tryptophan 1000 mg, DLPA 1000 mg and GABA 125 mg (upon the advice of a holistic doctor).

Since then, I have ranged from feeling ok to pretty good. In fact the week before the horrendous withdrawals began on July 24^th, I thought I was getting close to my “normal” self again. My husband and I were even planning on doing an embryo transfer later this year in the hopes of having our first child. The holistic doctor advised me that amino acids were safe to take while pregnant, however, I recently came across articles that say otherwise. Unfortunately, I played with fire and wanted to see what would happen if I stopped taking the DLPA. So, I stopped the DLPA, for 3 days. On the 3^rd day, all heck broke loose and I became extremely dizzy and off balance for most of the day. The very next day, I resumed the DLPA hoping it would alleviate my symptoms but they continued and evolved into other ones as well. Initially, I thought that the symptoms were withdrawals from DLPA but now I believe they are protracted withdrawal from the Prozac. I think the aminos were keeping the lid on the Prozac withdrawals and then once I lifted that lid off, everything boiled over.

After a week of terrible withdrawals and calling in sick for 2 days, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to reinstate the Prozac. I came across the SA website and the recommendation to reinstate a very small amount. I only had 10mg and 20 mg pills left so I made liquid Prozac out of the 10mg and reinstated at 1.25 mg. Although, I did not have any negative effects from 1.25 mg, the next day I was scared that I reinstated too high and only took .5 mg. That is where I have been at for 9 days now.

I am pushing myself to work each day and it is so very difficult with my symptoms: feeling sick/hungover, chest pressure, difficulty breathing, fatigue, insomnia, neck/shoulder tension, sometimes a burning sensation in my neck/shoulders, too. Over the past 9 days, I would say that I am better than I was before the reinstatement but I am still miserable. There have been a couple of times when I have experienced a wired feeling, too.

I did go and see my new PCP and it did not go well. Of course, she told me that there is no way I could be in withdrawals if I quit Prozac in March and that she believes I have underlying depression and anxiety in which she suggested I take Effexor. I told her I would never take that.

I am looking for guidance as to whether it is time for me to increase or hold at .5 mg longer. I apologize in advance if this was too long winded and does not make much sense.

August 10, 2019

Just wanted to give an update. Day 9 of my reinstatement was horrible. I felt constant anxiety throughout the day which I had not experienced to that extent before. I had trouble falling asleep but I finally was able to, only to wake up at 3 am full of anxiety and was unable to get back to sleep. I increased my dose to close to 1.25 mg on day 10 and actually felt pretty decent for the next 5.5 hours. I still ended up staying home from work though. After lunch, I noticed that I started to decline and felt very tired along with that sick/hungover feeling, with a mild headache. Didn't really have much in the way of anxiety.

I am wondering if this is a sign that reinstatement is working for me and that my body is accepting the Prozac back into my system. Perhaps, I could increase more quickly? My goal is to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms and hold it there for a long while. I just need some peace.

August 10, 2019

Hello Hope

Welcome to SA.

Apologies for the delay in replying

I am sorry you are having such a terrible time, but you now in the right place.

This site is run by volunteer Administrators and Moderators.

Your symptoms are what we would expect in withdrawal.

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/2390-dr-joseph-glenmullens-withdrawal-symptom-checklist/

Please do not increase any further at present, you need to give your body time to adjust to the new dose.

When we increase a dose it tkaes 4 days to reach the brain and about a week to fully register in your body.

If you increase too quickly your CNS ( central nervous system ) does not get chance to settle before you give it another dose to adjust to.

In reinstatement, as in tapering slow and steady is the only way to go.

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/6632-the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable/

I know we all want to feel better, be proactive but it is the worst thing we can do.

17 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

I am wondering if this is a sign that reinstatement is working for me and that my body is accepting the Prozac back into my system.

This may well be correct but you reinstating after 4 months off Prozac which is considerably longer than the " within one month " we normally recommend.

This does not mean it will not work but you need to very careful in order to avoid "kindling "

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/

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

On 8/8/2019 at 9:23 PM, HopeFloats said:

I did go and see my new PCP and it did not go well. Of course, she told me that there is no way I could be in withdrawals if I quit Prozac in March and that she believes I have underlying depression and anxiety in which she suggested I take Effexor. I told her I would never take that.

This all doctors and psychs know about withdrawal, pile one med on top of another.

Your knowledge and attitude are commendable.

We would like to help you through this difficult period so could you please complete and introduction and drug signature here:

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/18343-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

In your drug signature please ensure you include:

Drug Name, Dose, dates taken including tapers.

All supplements Name, dose , dates

I realise you have given much of this info above, but when you complete the signature it will appear below every post so mods can see your progress at a glance.

This is important as senior mods are very busy and do not have time to read long posts, this enables all of us to ensure you get the best advice possible.

Check the expiry date on your Prozac if you have had it since you quit. Will your PCP prescibe prozac for you?

Once again welcome

Sassenach

August 10, 2019

Hi Sassenach,

I am so appreciative of this website and your response. I became teary eyed when I realized that someone had responded to me. Thank you.

I tried to do my signature so hopefully it is correct now.

Unfortunately, before I saw your response, I got greedy and increased from 1.25 mg to close to 2.0 mg this morning. I took the increased dose at 6:30am and did not notice anything really except for fatigue. I guess I expect to feel tired and I also had awakened at 3am and took 1 mg of Melatonin to help me get back to sleep.

However, at about 9am, I began to feel incredibly irritable. Anything anyone said to me just rubbed me the wrong way. Finally, around 1pm, I a feeling less irritable but I do feel tightness in my chest. Do you think I should go back down to 1.25 mg tomorrow and hold it there for at least one week?

Also, a few days ago, I noticed that I began urinating more frequently. I even feel like I may have a UTI but I don't really have any pain. I have a constant urge to go to the bathroom. Could this also be related to the withdrawals or the reinstatement or is this more likely an actual UTI?

I am scared half to death that the reinstatement will not work. What do people do when reinstatement does not work? Are they stuck in a perpetual state of misery?

Thank you,

Hope

August 10, 2019

1990 - 2005 Prozac 20 mg - 40mg

2004 - 2008 Phentermine 18.75 mg

2006 - 2009 Celexa 20 mg

2008 - 2009 Wellbutrin (don't recall dose)

2009 - 2019 Prozac 20 mg (tapered from 2016 - 2019, last full dose in March 2019)

March 2019 - Present L-Tryptophan 1000 mg

March 2019 - Present DLPA 1000 mg

March 2019 - Present GABA 125 mg

2017 - Present Melatonin 1mg - 2mg

August 10, 2019

Hi Hope.

This is brief because it is bedtime in UK.

Yes drop back to 1.25 tomorrow and hold there for the time being.

You will probably get a surge in symptoms but it is better than going up too fast overall.

As you will see from the links I sent slow and steady is the only way.

Catch you tomorrow.

Sassenach

August 11, 2019

Hi Sassenach,

Even though I took 2 mg of Melatonin before going to bed last night, my sleep is still a huge problem - woke up around midnight, then at 2 am and again at 3 am. Finally, at 3 am, I took a sliver more of the Melatonin and fell back to sleep until just before 6:30am. When I had awakened at midnight, I was very uncomfortable. It felt like something was stuck in my throat. Luckily, that feeling did not last too long. Closer to 6:30am, I had butterflies in my stomach.

Yesterday, which was day 11 of my reinstatement was ok. I definitely had ups and downs. Cried a lot to my mom and my husband. Felt irritable for a few hours. Increased urination, some anxiety, fatigue, and overall unwell feeling. But I still feel like the increase helped though. Part of me really wanted to hold at 2.0 mg but I took your advice, and today dropped back down to 1.25 mg this morning so we shall see what happens.

As always, I appreciate everything you do.

Hope

August 11, 2019

Hello Hope

20 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

I am scared half to death that the reinstatement will not work.

This is far more likely to happen if you increase too quickly.

It is completely natural to want to be proactive and do something to make it stop.

Probably one of the most difficult things we have to do is convince members that patience is the only way.

It is normal to feel better for a short period following an updose but it does not last.

It would be good if you could post a daily diary in the following format.

DATE:

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

This will allow us to follow and analyse your symptoms and progress.

You should include the times you take all meds as timing can also exacerbate symptoms.

I would be grateful if you could put all your meds into the interaction checker here:

https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

Please copy and paste the results into this thread.

Your nervous system has been destabilised due the bad taper and final jump off recommended by your doctor.

I reinstated low dose Escitalopram in March 2019 after 3 months off following a cold turkey ( I now know how stupid that was ).

It has taken a while but I am stabilising and feeling a little better week by week.

The moral: Think positive, go slow and stick with it.

1 hour ago, HopeFloats said:

Felt irritable for a few hours. Increased urination, some anxiety, fatigue, and overall unwell feeling.

It may a good idea to get a UTI check, all the other symptoms are typical of withdrawal.

A word of caution. If you for a check ensure that you definitely have an infection because doctors are prone to hand out antibiotics like sweets.

If they are necessary, all well and good. They can however cause side effects which complicate monitoring.

You sound extremely sensible but sometimes in W/D the obvious eludes us.

It sounds as though you have a busy lifestyle but maybe the following might help.

non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/

Hope you can manage the diary so assist us in helping you.

Sassenach

August 12, 2019

Interactions between your drugs

Major

FLUoxetine tryptophan

Applies to: Prozac (fluoxetine), tryptophan

Using tryptophan together with FLUoxetine is generally not recommended. Combining these medications can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may result in coma and even death. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms while taking the medications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Drug and food interactions

Moderate

FLUoxetine food

Applies to: Prozac (fluoxetine)

Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of FLUoxetine such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with FLUoxetine. Do not use more than the recommended dose of FLUoxetine, and avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medication affects you. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns.

Drug Interaction Classification

These classifications are only a guideline. The relevance of a particular drug interaction to a specific individual is difficult to determine. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting or stopping any medication.
Major	Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit.
Moderate	Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances.
Minor	Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan.
Unknown	No interaction information available.

August 12, 2019

Hi Sassenach,

The drug interactions website did not recognize two of the amino acids I am taking - GABA or DLPA so there is nothing to report on those two.

It did recognize the Tryptophan and I pasted the results above. I also realize that taking Tryptophan and Prozac may pose a serious problem - Serotonin Syndrome. I did speak with my holistic doctor and explained to her what was happening. She understands my desire to reinstate the Prozac in order to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms. She said there should be no concerns with reinstating Prozac with GABA or the DLPA. I am not sure if she truly knows what dose of Prozac becomes dangerous with Tryptophan, but she threw out 2.0 mg. Once I go over 2.0 mg of Prozac, she said to discontinue the Tryptophan.

Obviously, I do not want to take the risk of Serotonin Syndrome, but I am also concerned about stopping the Tryptophan cold turkey, while I am reinstating the Prozac as it may worsen the withdrawal symptoms. My playing around with the DLPA for three days is what precipitated these withdrawals to begin with. If I then stop another amino acid, what am I in for? Especially Tryptophan which targets serotonin.

I wish I knew for sure what dose of Prozac was unsafe to take and I am trying to research it. I have a phone number of a nutritionist who highly recommends the amino acids and I am going to see if I can connect with her and get her opinion.

Thank you,

Hope

August 12, 2019

Hi Hope

It is essential you do not feel panicked into making any change.

I will contact the senior mods who are well versed in the potential interaction of different drugs

Doctors and psychs know nothing aboud A/D W/D, indeed most believe it does not exist, it is unlikely a nutritionist will be any more knowledgeable.

I will get back to you later.

Sassenach

August 12, 2019

Daily Log 8/11/19

6:30am - woke up and took 1.25 mg Prozac

9:00am - had breakfast

11:00am - went to store, felt weak and dizzy walking through store

12noon - took 500 mg DLPA

anxiety and chest pressure throughout the day

3:00pm - ran errand with my husband

5:00pm - ate a light dinner

7:00pm - watched movie w/my husband; felt anxious and restless throughout the whole thing

8:30pm - took 125 mg Gaba

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan

10:00pm - took 1 mg Melatonin

10:30pm - went to bed

2:30am - 3am - woke up and took .25 mg Melatonin, fell back to sleep

4:00am - woke up again, tried taking another .25 mg Melatonin but I was too anxious to fall back to sleep so I got up, watched tv

The anxiety is really bothering me. Will this ever go away? It feels like it is 24/7.

August 12, 2019

Hello Hope

Well done with the diary, please keep it coming.

15 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

She said there should be no concerns with reinstating Prozac with GABA or the DLPA. I am not sure if she truly knows what dose of Prozac becomes dangerous with Tryptophan, but she threw out 2.0 mg. Once I go over 2.0 mg of Prozac, she said to discontinue the Tryptophan.

Please do not even consider this Hope it is pure guesswork.

15 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

My playing around with the DLPA for three days is what precipitated these withdrawals to begin with. If I then stop another amino acid, what am I in for? Especially Tryptophan which targets serotonin.

The above shows that getting all necessary info. in place for the Mods on here who are well versed in poly med withdrawal and reinstatement is essential.

It does take time because it not just drug-drug interactions that have to be taken into consideration but also the order of changes, even the time of day meds are taken.

The ethos of this site is harm reduction in order to achieve your desired outcome.

15 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

I wish I knew for sure what dose of Prozac was unsafe to take and I am trying to research it.

No one can tell you that as we are all different but until your situation is clear any dose could be too much.

I understand you want to reinstate but it has to be safely.

Take care

Sassenach

5 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

The anxiety is really bothering me. Will this ever go away? It feels like it is 24/7.

It is one of the more distressing symptoms but yes it will go away, I just wish I could tell you when.

The following link helps many people cope:

non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/

August 12, 2019

On 8/8/2019 at 1:23 PM, HopeFloats said:

Unfortunately, I played with fire and wanted to see what would happen if I stopped taking the DLPA. So, I stopped the DLPA, for 3 days. On the 3^rd day, all heck broke loose and I became extremely dizzy and off balance for most of the day. The very next day, I resumed the DLPA hoping it would alleviate my symptoms but they continued and evolved into other ones as well. Initially, I thought that the symptoms were withdrawals from DLPA but now I believe they are protracted withdrawal from the Prozac. I think the aminos were keeping the lid on the Prozac withdrawals and then once I lifted that lid off, everything boiled over.

Hello, HopeFloats. Both DLPA and tryptophan are neurologically active. Most likely you triggered neurological instability (that's what withdrawal symptoms are) when dropped the DLPA.

On 8/9/2019 at 5:26 PM, HopeFloats said:

Just wanted to give an update. Day 9 of my reinstatement was horrible. I felt constant anxiety throughout the day which I had not experienced to that extent before. I had trouble falling asleep but I finally was able to, only to wake up at 3 am full of anxiety and was unable to get back to sleep. I increased my dose to close to 1.25 mg on day 10 and actually felt pretty decent for the next 5.5 hours. I still ended up staying home from work though. After lunch, I noticed that I started to decline and felt very tired along with that sick/hungover feeling, with a mild headache. Didn't really have much in the way of anxiety.

I am wondering if this is a sign that reinstatement is working for me and that my body is accepting the Prozac back into my system. Perhaps, I could increase more quickly? My goal is to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms and hold it there for a long while. I just need some peace.

It's possible that by day 9, you were taking too much Prozac. With its long half-life, Prozac will ramp up in strength over a couple of weeks. If you continually increased your dosage, you might have gone too far with reinstatement.

It's possible these symptoms are interactions with DLPA and tryptophan. Has your dosing of them been consistent throughout your Prozac reinstatement?

I'm confused about what you did when, because it seems you might have been changing DLPA, tryptophan, and Prozac dosing at the same time. That's too many variables to figure out. We'll need to see a baseline dosing and symptom pattern for at least several days, as Sassenach requested.

PS GABA and melatonin are also neuroactive. Please be very regular in your dosing of all of these so we can see what's causing what.

August 13, 2019

Daily Log 8/12:

4:00 am - woke up anxious, could not fall back to sleep so got up to watch tv

6:30 am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

6:45 am - showered

8:00 am - worked on computer

9:30 am - doctor's appointment

all morning , did not feel that great but was able to push through

1:00 pm - ate lunch

2:00 pm - went to work late

noticed I was feeling pretty decent when I got to work, seemed to have more energy

2:30 pm - took 500 mg DLPA

3 - 3:30pm - felt strange, got a mild headache on the top of my head, felt a little spacy

3:40 pm - felt tightness in my chest

5:00 pm - left work

6:00 pm - feeling amped up, a little wired

6:30 pm - grocery store - felt weird, a little off balance

I believe that since I have reinstated the Prozac, that the DLPA is too much for my system. I really want to get off of the amino acids. I read that I could take 1000 mg of Vitamin C to counteract any bad side effects of amino acids but I am afraid to do that. I don't want to take the DLPA tomorrow - I think it is too stimulating. Prior to the reinstatement of Prozac, by my not taking DLPA for 3 days, I believe it caused the Prozac withdrawals. Now, that Prozac is slowly building up in my system, I think the DLPA is too much. I just don't feel right as I am typing this.

Maybe the Tryptophan and GABA are too much as well. I normally take Tryptophan at night - around 9:30pm which is in 2.5 hours. I am not sure what to do. Should I skip the Tryptophan tonight?

August 13, 2019

Hope

Please do not stop or change any medication unless advised to do so buy alto strata are Shep.

If you do so you could trigger another reaction and your diary would then be useless for that period of time

They need to see what is happening and when everyday

Day.

You are in safe hands they are the best but they do need you to do exactly what they asked.

Sit tight, keep belief and you will get there.

August 13, 2019

Update to Daily Log 8/12:

4:00 am - woke up anxious, could not fall back to sleep so got up to watch tv

6:30 am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

6:45 am - showered

8:00 am - worked on computer

9:30 am - doctor's appointment

all morning , did not feel that great but was able to push through

1:00 pm - ate lunch

2:00 pm - went to work late

noticed I was feeling pretty decent when I got to work, seemed to have more energy

2:30 pm - took 500 mg DLPA

3 - 3:30pm - felt strange, got a mild headache on the top of my head, felt a little spacy

3:40 pm - felt tightness in my chest

5:00 pm - left work

6:00 pm - feeling amped up, a little wired

6:30 pm - grocery store - felt weird, a little off balance

7:30 pm - tightness in shoulders

8pm - 10pm - watched a movie with my husband. I did not notice any anxiety like the tightness in chest, racy feeling or difficulty breathing. I still had the weird, uneasy feeling that I had after I took the DLPA but it was great not having the anxiety.

10:30pm - went to bed - took 2 mg Melatonin. I skipped the Tryptophan worried that my system had too much in it.

Daily Log 8/13:

12 midnight - woke up, was concerned that I had skipped the Tryptophan so took 500 mg of it which is half the normal dose

My sleep was so off an on the rest of the night, it is hard to recall. I know I began to feel the anxiety/butterflies around 2 or 3am

6am - woke up very tired, am going to try and go to work today

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

Sassenach - I appreciate that advice. It does scare me to take the DLPA today when I believe that it did cause a negative reaction. Part of me thinks, I need to stop all the aminos, may be wait one day to get the Tryptophan out of my system, and then do a Prozac increase.

August 13, 2019

Altostrata:

It's possible these symptoms are interactions with DLPA and tryptophan. Has your dosing of them been consistent throughout your Prozac reinstatement?

No, I do not believe I have been consistent. I did take the DLPA yesterday, lower dose at 500 mg, and seemed to have a reaction within an hour. I am worried that I have too much stuff in my system. Years ago, I was on three drugs at the same time: Phentermine, Wellbutrin and SSRI - I ended up in the ER because my blood pressure dropped low. I have recently had my blood pressure checked and it is normal. I am just scared.

August 13, 2019

Good evening Hope.

18 hours ago, Altostrata said:

It's possible that by day 9, you were taking too much Prozac. With its long half-life, Prozac will ramp up in strength over a couple of weeks. If you continually increased your dosage, you might have gone too far with reinstatement.

2 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

No, I do not believe I have been consistent.

I hate to sound like a broken record but if you change anything now you will make it impossible for Alto to get a handle on how the various meds are affecting you.

If you increased your current dose you could make matters worse and then we have to wait it out again.

I have just realised that your reinstatement schedule is not in your drug signature.

Could you add that please so Alto can see dates and doses at a glance.

Please remember eveyone including Alto on here are volunteers whose only interest is helping you.

There is no advertising or big business interest involved, so advice is never compromised by money.

3 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

I am just scared.

We have all been there.

It is a horrible feeling, not knowing which direction to choose, which is why we all arrived here.

You are among friends on here but it is necessary to accept what is happening.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3533-acceptance/

Remember you can and will get better with time and being kind to yourself.

Sassenach

August 13, 2019

In the last week, how often have you taken DLPA? Tryptophan? Phentermine?

What are you trying to correct with these supplements?

Yes, you have overdone it with the supplements plus drugs, but you'll have to gradually edge off the supplements, too.

August 14, 2019

Hi Altostrata,

I take Tryptophan, GABA and DLPA daily. Lately, I have also been taking Melatonin because I have horrible insomnia. I haven't taken Phentermine in many, many years and will never touch it again. After I took my last Prozac pill in March 2019, a holistic doctor recommended the amino acids for mood. I also had read that amino acids can help when you are coming off of an SSRI.

Normally, I take 1000 mg of DLPA once a day, however, the past two days, I decreased to 500 mg. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was afraid I was having a bad reaction to it now, so I decreased it like a dummy. I take 1000 mg of Tryptophan at night and 125 mg of GABA at night. Then, I may take 1 - 2 mg of Melatonin.

Should I just hold it at 500 mg for 6 days. Then continue with the 25% reduction?

I increased the Prozac one time, from .5 mg to 1.25 mg. I did it on day 10 of the reinstatement. I will not increase it any further without direction from you.

My main symptoms lately have been horrible insomnia and anxiety. I fear that I am hyper sensitive which will make the reinstatement of Prozac not work and I will be stuck in this living nightmare.

Are there a lot of success stories of people like me? Will my brain eventually get used to the Prozac or am I doomed since I appear to be hyper sensitive early on?

I appreciate all that you do, Altostrata. I cannot even get doctors to call me back when I am trying to solicit their business.

Thank you,

HopeFloats

August 14, 2019

Daily Log 8/13:

12 midnight - woke up, was concerned that I had skipped the Tryptophan so took 500 mg of it which is half the normal dose ((((I will take 1000 mg from this point on. No playing with it right now)))

My sleep was so off an on the rest of the night, it is hard to recall. I know I began to feel the anxiety/butterflies around 2 or 3am

6am - woke up very tired, am going to try and go to work today

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

8:30am - took 500 mg of DLPA

9:40am: made it to work late, felt exhausted because I barely slept last night. I did not feel comfortable standing because I was so tired and weak.

10:30am - extremely exhausted, pressure at the bottom of my sternum - I guess chest pressure, head feels heavy, pressure on top of my head

11:15am - feeling anxious, have shaky hands

1:30pm - tried eating lunch but no appetite

2:23pm - noticed I feel much more amped up yet still tired at the same time. Heart beat is faster. Feel the need to pace or take short walks.

3:50pm - took a walk around my office building, once I got to my desk, felt heart flutters, racy/anxiety, no chest pressure right now

4:25pm - my heartbeat feels weird. Sitting at my desk, taking my pulse on my neck, but I feel the pulse down in my stomach

5:00pm - left work

more to follow later

August 14, 2019

Please post a complete 24 hour period at a time.

August 14, 2019

7 hours ago, Sassenach said:

Good evening Hope.

I hate to sound like a broken record but if you change anything now you will make it impossible for Alto to get a handle on how the various meds are affecting you.

If you increased your current dose you could make matters worse and then we have to wait it out again.

I have just realised that your reinstatement schedule is not in your drug signature.

Could you add that please so Alto can see dates and doses at a glance.

Please remember eveyone including Alto on here are volunteers whose only interest is helping you.

There is no advertising or big business interest involved, so advice is never compromised by money.

We have all been there.

It is a horrible feeling, not knowing which direction to choose, which is why we all arrived here.

You are among friends on here but it is necessary to accept what is happening.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3533-acceptance/

Remember you can and will get better with time and being kind to yourself.

Sassenach

Hi Sassenach,

Ok, I updated my signature...hopefully I did it correctly...

I have not increased the Prozac since the last time on August 9th....

I do appreciate everything you all do. As I mentioned to Altostrata, I have reached out to doctor's on the physician list, and cannot even get a return call. I so appreciate the help of everyone on this website.

Thank you,

HopeFloats

August 14, 2019

Daily Log 8/13:

12 midnight - woke up, was concerned that I had skipped the Tryptophan so took 500 mg of it which is half the normal dose ((((I will take 1000 mg from this point on. No playing with it right now)))

My sleep was so off an on the rest of the night, it is hard to recall. I know I began to feel the anxiety/butterflies around 2 or 3am

6am - woke up very tired, am going to try and go to work today

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

8:30am - took 500 mg of DLPA

9:40am: made it to work late, felt exhausted because I barely slept last night. I did not feel comfortable standing because I was so tired and weak.

10:30am - extremely exhausted, pressure at the bottom of my sternum - I guess chest pressure, head feels heavy, pressure on top of my head

11:15am - feeling anxious, have shaky hands

1:30pm - tried eating lunch but no appetite

2:23pm - noticed I feel much more amped up yet still tired at the same time. Heart beat is faster. Feel the need to pace or take short walks.

3:50pm - took a walk around my office building, once I got to my desk, felt heart flutters, racy/anxiety, no chest pressure right now

4:25pm - my heartbeat feels weird. Sitting at my desk, taking my pulse on my neck, but I feel the pulse down in my stomach

5:00pm - left work

anxious and amped up all night

8:00 pm - finally began to feel sleepy, on the couch

8:30pm - I think I fell asleep on my own but woke right back up

9:00pm - took 125 mg GABA Calm (I forgot to mention this formula also has other ingredients)

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan

10:00pm - took 2 mg Melatonin

10:00pm - went to bed, fell asleep

11:30pm - woke up, took 1 mg Melatonin which did not help at all

12midnight - got up

I can't take this. 1.5 hour sleep is all I got. Now I am up, anxious, in the middle of the night.

August 14, 2019

@Altostrata

Because of this downloaded by Hope at my request,

Using tryptophan together with FLUoxetine is generally not recommended. Combining these medications can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

Could Hope begin tapering Tryptophan or do you need more notes first?

August 14, 2019

Hello Hope.

I am sorry you are not sleeping.

Have you always taken Tryptophan before bed?

I have asked Alto a question above but do not change anything, she knows far more than me.

Will check back later.

Sassenach

August 15, 2019

Hi Sassenach,

For some reason, I am unable to respond to your question on my phone. Sorry for my late response, but I just got home and am at the computer.

When I stopped the Prozac in March 2019, I began the amino acids. I have always taken the Tryptophan a little before bedtime.

My life is pretty much anxiety 24/7 and being unable to get a good night's sleep. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

I am worried that my anxiety and insomnia are because of the Prozac reinstatement. If I cannot reinstate the Prozac, then I don't know what to do. What are the options?

Thank you,

HopeFloats

August 15, 2019

On 8/13/2019 at 6:09 PM, HopeFloats said:

a holistic doctor recommended the amino acids for mood. I also had read that amino acids can help when you are coming off of an SSRI.

Withdrawal syndrome is not a mood issue, and if you're having a bad reaction to something, it doesn't make sense to continue to take it.

Do you take these supplements at the same time and same dosages each day? We need to see how you feel before and after each dose.

How do you feel before and after taking Prozac?

21 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

9:00pm - took 125 mg GABA Calm (I forgot to mention this formula also has other ingredients)

What are the other ingredients?

While your taking the amino acids confuses the issue, because you might be having adverse reactions to them, it seems your main problem is withdrawal insomnia. It appears that you are alerting when you start to sleep more deeply. This is common in withdrawal insomnia. When you are sleeping better, you will feel better.

See

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

Path to Better Sleep FREE online for everyone from the US Veterans Administration

Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing cortisol spikes

White noise devices for sleep

A lot of people find fish oil and magnesium supplements helpful, see
https://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
https://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

August 15, 2019

10 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Withdrawal syndrome is not a mood issue, and if you're having a bad reaction to something, it doesn't make sense to continue to take it.

Do you take these supplements at the same time and same dosages each day? We need to see how you feel before and after each dose.

How do you feel before and after taking Prozac?

What are the other ingredients?

While your taking the amino acids confuses the issue, because you might be having adverse reactions to them, it seems your main problem is withdrawal insomnia. It appears that you are alerting when you start to sleep more deeply. This is common in withdrawal insomnia. When you are sleeping better, you will feel better.

See

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

Path to Better Sleep FREE online for everyone from the US Veterans Administration

Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing cortisol spikes

White noise devices for sleep

A lot of people find fish oil and magnesium supplements helpful, see
https://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
https://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

The other ingredients in GABA Calm are: Magnesium (as magnesium amino acid complex) 5 mg; Glycine 50 mg; N-Acetyl-Tyrosine 25 mg; Taurine 25 mg and then the GABA 125 mg

I am now trying to take the supplements at the same time, with the exception of Melatonin. If I happen to wake up in the middle of the night, I may take one. It is just dependent on the time of night it is.

Something interesting: Around 3:30am this morning, I was unable to sleep and noticed increased restlessness. Tossing and turning on the couch, pacing back and forth in my living room. This went on until 6:30am which is the time I take the 1.25 mg Prozac. After I took the dose, I was able to lie on the couch without tossing and turning. No pacing or restlessness. I was able to just lie there and rest my eyes. I feel this is a very good sign. I still had butterflies in my stomach but it was bearable. I felt like I was crawling out of my skin with the restlessness. I know this will not last though. The feeling is going to come back. It happens every day. I felt nothing negative after taking the dose of Prozac this morning aside from my hands are kinda shaky. If after taking the Prozac, the restlessness/agitation went away, I am really hoping this is a sign that I can tolerate more of it.

In a previous message, you had mentioned tapering off the DLPA, 25% every 3 days. Unfortunately, I did not see that message until after I had already lowered the dose by 50% myself. Today will be day 4 that I am taking 500 mg DLPA (down from 1000 mg). I thought it best to just continue with what I had started. However, on day 7, I can lower it by 25% and hold it there for 3 days. What do you think?

I would say my biggest issues are the insomnia and the anxiety/restlessness. The restlessness is horrible. It also seems to happen in the later part of the afternoon while I am at work.

Should I taper only the DLPA right now? Or start tapering all the aminos? Do you think an increase in the Prozac is warranted at this point?

August 15, 2019

46 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

The other ingredients in GABA Calm are: Magnesium (as magnesium amino acid complex) 5 mg; Glycine 50 mg; N-Acetyl-Tyrosine 25 mg; Taurine 25 mg and then the GABA 125 mg

I am now trying to take the supplements at the same time, with the exception of Melatonin. If I happen to wake up in the middle of the night, I may take one. It is just dependent on the time of night it is.

Something interesting: Around 3:30am this morning, I was unable to sleep and noticed increased restlessness. Tossing and turning on the couch, pacing back and forth in my living room. This went on until 6:30am which is the time I take the 1.25 mg Prozac. After I took the dose, I was able to lie on the couch without tossing and turning. No pacing or restlessness. I was able to just lie there and rest my eyes. I feel this is a very good sign. I still had butterflies in my stomach but it was bearable. I felt like I was crawling out of my skin with the restlessness. I know this will not last though. The feeling is going to come back. It happens every day. I felt nothing negative after taking the dose of Prozac this morning aside from my hands are kinda shaky.    If after taking the Prozac, the restlessness/agitation went away, I am really hoping this is a sign that I can tolerate more of it.

In a previous message, you had mentioned tapering off the DLPA, 25% every 3 days. Unfortunately, I did not see that message until after I had already lowered the dose by 50% myself. Today will be day 4 that I am taking 500 mg DLPA (down from 1000 mg). I thought it best to just continue with what I had started. However, on day 7, I can lower it by 25% and hold it there for 3 days. What do you think?

I would say my biggest issues are the insomnia and the anxiety/restlessness. The restlessness is horrible. It also seems to happen in the later part of the afternoon while I am at work.

Should I taper only the DLPA right now?   Or start tapering all the aminos? Do you think an increase in the Prozac is warranted at this point?

I took 500 mg of DLPA at 8:30am. I think I feel worse than before I took it. Nothing over the top though and its really hard to pinpoint how it is making me feel. But I don't feel as though it is doing anything to improve my situation and I just feel more "weird" after taking it. My concern is, if I stop the DLPA cold turkey, while I am in still in Prozac withdrawals, that would cause more chaos. Do I continue to taper off the DLPA? What about the other aminos?

August 15, 2019

Daily Log: 8/14

11:30am on 8/13, woke up, took 1 mg Melatonin, could not sleep still so I got out to lie on the couch

1am - 3am - I think I may have fallen asleep

3am - woke up again, took another 1 mg Melatonin

3am - 5am - think I fell asleep

5am - woke up exhausted, little anxious, just lied there for an hour

6am - got up to feed the dogs

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

6:45am - forced myself to eat some yogurt

7:15am - lied down to try and rest but was unable to relax, felt very alert

8:30am - took 500 mg DLPA

9:30am - went to work

9:45am - feeling spacy

12:15pm - feeling increased anxiety

12:30pm - rested in my car, feeling very hopeless

1pm - forced myself to eat something, feeling restless with no appetite, have been losing weight daily

1:45pm - feeling super restless and amped up. Not good at all. I can tell its going to be a long night

4:10pm - still at work feeling constant restlessness, not tired at all, very low mood, no interest in anything, everyone at my work knows something is wrong. Not sure how to handle their questions.

5pm - left work

6:30pm - surprisingly to me, I began to feel tired and get that old familiar sick/hungover feeling. Could it be lowered dose of DLPA? My head felt stuffy, little headachey

8:45pm - still feeling sick, anxiety lightened up I think, not in a hyper state anymore

9:00pm - 1.25 GABA Calm

9:30pm - 1000 mg Tryptophan

10pm - 1 mg Melatonin

10:30pm - went to bed

August 15, 2019

Hello Hope.

The restlessness is Akathisia and a common but unpleasant W/D symptom.

blog-my-akathisia-experience-by-akathisiainfo/?do=findComment&comment=99884

It probably feels worse as you tire during the day.

You are managing to continue with your job which many people cannot achieve in W/D, you are doing well.

5 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

If after taking the Prozac, the restlessness/agitation went away, I am really hoping this is a sign that I can tolerate more of it.

It may be but it is not yet a week since you updosed so the drug may not yet be at full state in your body.

The last thing you need is to updose too quickly and destabilise yourself again.

On 8/12/2019 at 11:26 PM, Altostrata said:

It's possible that by day 9, you were taking too much Prozac. With its long half-life, Prozac will ramp up in strength over a couple of weeks. If you continually increased your dosage, you might have gone too far with reinstatement.

20 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

My concern is, if I stop the DLPA cold turkey

Do not do this

9 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

Should I taper only the DLPA right now? Or start tapering all the aminos? Do you think an increase in the Prozac is warranted at this point?

Unless Alto tells you otherwise:

Continue with the DLPA taper as you outlined but only DLPA.

If you change more than one thing at once we will not know which is causing what.

It has to be slow and steady.

Your diary with symptoms and times included is now very important, it is easy for us to see how your symptoms are changing day by day.

It does not mean that you cannot post additional info as in your last post or ask questions.

You are heading in the right direction, try and be patient, then you will get there.

Sassenach

August 15, 2019

Sassenach,

I had to call in sick today. Last night was too rough on me. I have been pushing myself to work and everyone at my office can see how horrible I feel. It is not something I can easily hide.

Some ask what is going on. Others keep quiet. I am really not sure how to handle this. On one hand, my medical situation is my own business and I do not have to disclose anything. But by keeping quiet and not disclosing what is going on, is that telling in and of itself? I really don't want to disclose that I am going through SSRI withdrawals.

I know making up a lie is wrong but maybe a white lie in order to save face in this type of situation is understandable? Or do I sound horrible even saying that?

How do other people handle this medical illness while dealing with their work?

Thank you,

HopeFloats

August 15, 2019

Hope

11 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

How do other people handle this medical illness while dealing with their work?

As I said above many don't,

but you have been managing, when did you last have a sick day as a matter of interest

11 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

I really don't want to disclose that I am going through SSRI withdrawals.

Doctors and psychs do not believe in it so disclosing will leave you trying to explain ie. more pressure.

14 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

I know making up a lie is wrong but maybe a white lie in order to save face in this type of situation is understandable? Or do I sound horrible even saying that?

It is not only understandable but the best course of action, only my very closest friends know I am in W/D.

Do not feel bad about it . You are not tring to deceive anybody just protect yourself from unnecessary stress, which is essential to your recovery.

Remember you will get better.

Sassenach

August 15, 2019

40 minutes ago, Sassenach said:

As I said above many don't,

but you have been managing, when did you last have a sick day as a matter of interest

I called in sick today. I have also been coming in late to work this week. Prior to this, I think I called in sick two other times. It is tough though. Even though I have managed to get to work, I am dragging the whole day. I probably shouldn't be there. I worry that if I take some off work, it may cause problems at home - my husband does not understand what I am going through. He is really a loving, great guy, but he has never taken any medications like this before and has no clue how uncomfortable W/D are. He just doesn't get it.

HopeFloats: Prozac, amino acids, withdrawals – reinstating Prozac

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