Alexi319

[Alexi319]

Hello! Glad this resource exists. 

 

I am a 29 y/o female. I have a stable job I’ve held for the last 7 years. Very health conscious. Work hard on self care, mindfulness, meditation, therapy, etc. I have complex  trauma, as many people do, that I’m currently working through with my therapist. 

 

I was an anxious child. I had intense separation anxiety, panic attacks, stomach aches. I was in talk therapy from the age of 8 to about 13-14. I struggled with paranoia and the fear of people not liking me, talking about me when they really weren’t, etc. 

 

I wasn’t put on medication until my freshman year of college. I went to my GP complaining of issues concentrating, brain fog, problems with visually focusing and anxiety. Some depressive episodes as well of feeling very down. Started on Celexa for “imbalanced brain chemistry”. Lol. 

 

Stayed on that for about a year, didn’t feel a significant effect. More life events later, was put on lexapro. Had issues with substance abuse and went to treatment for a catatonic depressive episode with suicidal ideation. Was put on Zoloft in treatment. Terrible drug. Lost libido, felt like a zombie, gained weight. 300 mg/gabapentin 3 times per day was added to the mix after a couple of months. Stayed on gabapentin for about 6 months then tapered off - worst withdrawals ever.  

 

Then another GP put me on Prozac (10 mg) and Wellbutrin 150mg XR. I have been on that combo for about 1.5 years now. 

 

Currently I am experiencing high anxiety, paranoia, fear, irritability and rage in some instances. Surprisingly, no insomnia. I feel like I am constantly preoccupied. It won’t stop. 

 

When I asked my GP about getting off of the Prozac, he told me to stop taking it for a couple of days and see how I felt. I’m sorry, that sounds like a TERRIBLE IDEA. 

 

I am struggling. I can’t be present for life. I would like to eventually be off both of these drugs, but definitely Prozac first. 

 

Thanks for listening. 

 

2011-2012 - 20 mg/Celexa. No tapering. 

2013 - 2014 - 20 mg/Lexapro. No tapering. 

2016 - 2017 - 20 mg/Zoloft - 2 months. 

Added 300mg/gabapentin 3x per day in addition to the Zoloft. 

2018-tapered off of gabapentin. Then changed to 10 mg/Prozac and 150 mg/Wellbutrin XR. Tapered off of Zoloft. 

2019 - still currently taking 10mg/Prozac and 150 mg/Wellbutrin XR.

 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Alexi319.  I'm sorry you're having these symptoms.  You are right when you said that to stop taking the Prozac for a couple of days and see how you feel is a terrible idea.

 

When did you start experiencing the symptoms you describe?  Was it while you are on the Gabapentin or after you started tapering it.  How fast did you taper it?

 

Also, why do you want to taper the Prozac first rather than the Wellbutrin?  Are you having a negative reaction to the Prozac?

We recommend tapering no faster than 10% of current dose every four weeks.

 

 http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

This link is specifically about tapering Prozac.

 

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

To help us advise you, please let us know your daily symptom pattern now. Do you feel better or worse in the hours after you take the Prozac? The Wellbutrin?  Please keep daily notes on paper about your symptoms, when you take your drugs, and their dosages. Use a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right.

please keep daily symptoms notes so that you can see how reinstatement is going.  Then post this covering a 24-hour period for the net several days. This is an 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

 

Here are some techniques for coping with anxiety and fear.

 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)
 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes
 

VIDEO:  Peace from Nervous Suffering - Claire Weekes (1 hour) (http://sendvid.com/vgquc1dg)
 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help …

 

10 minute Restorative Yoga for Relaxation | Up the wall

 

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 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 Introductory topic, where you can post your daily symptom pattern and ask questions.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

[Alexi319]

Thank you for the response. 
 

I started feeling these symptoms about 1 month ago. The only thing I can pinpoint to this change in mood/heightened anxiety is the fact that I completely changed my diet in accordance to some dietary allergies I discovered. My “theory” is with this nutritional change, I’m absorbing nutrients more efficiently, and in turn potentially absorbing the medications more efficiently. However, I am not expert. Just gathering information from my own research.  

 

I haven’t taken the gabapentin in about 1.5 years, and I tapered off it in about 3 months. 
 

I don’t have any reason for wanting to taper off one rather than the other. It probably would be easier to do the Wellbutrin first since it’s a tablet and the Prozac is a capsule. On a side note, last week I accidentally took an old prescription of 75 mg immediate release Wellbutrin instead of my normal 150mg extended release Wellbutrin. I didn’t notice until I had done this for 3 days. I started feeling so horrible. Depressive, super anxious, suicidal ideation, fatigue, sleeping most of the time, etc. Thank god I figured it out but did want to mention this. It’s been about a week now that I’ve been on my regular 150 mg Wellbutrin Extended release, in addition to the Prozac 10mg. 
 

After logging my symptoms for a few days, this is a general pattern I’ve noticed that is pretty predictable and accurate. 

6am: Wake up, feel energized and rested.

7am: Take 10mg Prozac and 150mg extended release Wellbutrin.

8am: Slight headache, pressure behind eyes. Feels like a sandwich pressing down on either side of my head on my temples. 
10am: Having some brain fog. Typically don’t eat breakfast, but ate a small snack. 
11am: More difficulty concentrating. 

12-12:30pm: Eat lunch. 
2pm: Fatigued/difficulty concentrating. 
4pm: Get off work and head home. Most days I could take a nap after work. 
5pm-6pm: Eat dinner. Tired. Foggy. 
8-9: Usually take 5mg melatonin and wind-down for the night. Take magnesium calm powder. 
9:30-10:30pm: Go to sleep. 
10:30pm-6am: Sleep through the night, no waking up. Always have good sleep - I do have crazy dreams every night. Nightmares a lot of the time. 
 

Thank you for all the resources. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Alexi.

 

Why do you take Prozac and Wellbutrin at the same time? It appears you have an adverse reaction after taking them.

[Alexi319]

 

30 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Welcome, Alexi.

 

Why do you take Prozac and Wellbutrin at the same time? It appears you have an adverse reaction after taking them.

 

I think my Dr. recommended taking both in the morning because he thought they might "over-activate" me if taken later in the day...no real reason on my part. 

[Altostrata]

That headache you get after taking the drugs is probably due to the Wellbutrin. Also, it's well-known the 2 drugs interact in an activating way.

 

Since you started both drugs at the same time -- not a good medical practice -- we don't know which one is causing the brain fog. Could be both.

 

On 10/2/2019 at 1:51 PM, Alexi319 said:

Currently I am experiencing high anxiety, paranoia, fear, irritability and rage in some instances. Surprisingly, no insomnia. I feel like I am constantly preoccupied. It won’t stop. 

 

These are common Wellbutrin side effects.

 

Since you're sleeping well despite the above, I might very carefully go off Wellbutrin first. See Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)
-- our most-viewed tapering topic.

[Healingnow]

Alexi,  I'm new here - about to taper off of Wellbutrin so I've been reading about others taking it and tapering off it.  Wondering how you're doing.  I'm sorry you've had a rough time and hope you're healing.

[Alexi319]

Hi Healingnow, 

 

Thank you so much for your post, and welcome. 
 

I have not started titrating off of either medication yet. In truth I am terrified to start and fear how my mind and body are going to react. It’s so tough because on one end I’m struggling with side effects, but on the other I am worried of withdrawal and the potential effects of that process. 
 

I’m also discouraged by the medical and mental health professionals I’ve seen. They either feign confidence and give poor advice, or completely refuse to help navigate changes in psychiatric meds. 
 

Just trying to figure out what my next step needs to be. 
 

I wanted to start titrating off the Wellbutrin - My prescribing doctor is not going to be any help. I take 150 mg of the XL now. From what I read on here, I gathered I could titrate with the immediate release (75 mg) throughout the day because cutting the XL pill makes it immediate release? Are you navigating that process now? 
 

 

[Healingnow]

Yes, similar to you I'm trying to gather information to plan a slow taper off Wellbutrin.  

 

I recently tapered off Klonopin under supervision of my psychiatrist and because I didn't know better and relied on her guidance, it was too fast.  I'm certain my doctor means well but she doesn't believe that any of the difficult symptoms I had were related to withdrawal - the standard view most of the medical profession takes.  Pretty much destroyed my naive faith in the medical world.  So, like you, I won't be looking to my doctor for guidance in tapering.   

 

Instead, I'm hoping I learn from SA how to taper off Wellbutrin slowly enough to minimize WD symptoms;  and find support from people who understand WD is real. 

 

I take sustained release - not sure how it differs from XL and I don't know yet if I will be just cutting the tablets for the entire taper or using a liquid at some point.  

 

After I get off Wellbutrin I hope to taper down Celexa and Buspirone.  I totally understand weighing the side effects you're experiencing against the fear that you might not be able to handle the withdrawal symptoms.  

 

Having just gone through it with Klonopin, and it was no picnic, I was surprised to find strength in myself I didn't know I had, to power through each day and try to stay in the moment.  I also tried to accept the difficulties were part of my brain adjusting and healing and that they would pass.  Practicing self care has been hugely helpful.   

 

You have to do what's right for you.  It may be that you could start to taper slowly and stop at a reduced dose if you needed to.  

I wish you much healing.

[Alexi319]

I appreciate this so much, thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I hope the same for you in your journey through this process.