Hope2020: Pristiq to Prozac

[Altostrata]

There must be a misunderstanding. We never told you to drop Prozac. We would never recommend anyone take Pristiq on alternating days. You must have gotten this very bad advice somewhere else.

[Hope2020]

I managed to get off Pristiq alive.  That was the most unbearable experience i can ever remember.  I was put on Seroquel IR to stabilize me.  She started me on 12.5mg for the firsts couple of days, then upped it to 25 and then 50.  She wanted to keep upping saying that she felt that i would be good at around 150mg  even though I kept telling her my goal is to be off all  psychiatric  medication.   I insited on staying on 50mg since i wasn't feeling great, but was definitely managing my day to day.   After few months i deciede to start weening down.. so from 50mg to 25 was not bad at all, i barely felt any different.  I stayed at 25 for about a month and then split the 25mg in half around 3 weeks ago .  I didn't feel so bad for a few days on the  12.5 , but little by little i have started with alot of depression and anxiety and zero energy.   I am still on 12.5.   Im afraid that this is just my old self coming back.   I really feel that if i can just be off everything, eventually my brain will reset and i can have a normal life without these drugs.  

 

My question is: is this definitely withdrawal symptoms, and will it pass so that i can continue to reduce my dosage ?  or what do you suggest i do?  I appreciate any advice.. Anything you can give me.   I have read the entire internet and alot of places say that seroquel at such a low dose is just like benadryl but if that is the case why am i so depressed getting off it ? 

 

[Erell]

Hello Hope2020

 

Can you please update your signature and explain us the changes you made lately with all the dates ?

 

With all the dates it will be easier for us to understand your situation.

 

52 minutes ago, Hope2020 said:

 Im afraid that this is just my old self coming back.   

 

Your CNS went through a lot of changes past 2 years : it is more likely that your symptoms are the sign of a destabilised CNS. 

[Hope2020]

Its not letting me save it.  It keeps saying "signature spans too many lines"  

 

2009-2018 Lexapro 20 mg.    Aug 2018 - weaned off Lexapro too fast

Oct 2018  - trintelix for 2 days  Oct 2018  had a bad accident and was hospitalized for a month. 

 Oct 2018-  July 2019 10mg of Lexapro ( started while i was in the hospital) 

July 2019- crossed tapered Lexapro 10  with Pristiq 25     July 2019 - Pristiq 50 

Aug 2019-  March 2020  Abilify 2mg   Off since 3/15/2020

March 5 2020 increased Pristiq to 75mg   March 21, 2020 dropped extra 25 of Pristiq  and started Prozac 10mg    (took xanax .25  1 time this week)

March 30, 2020  increased Prozac to 20  ( still on Pristiq 50)   

April 10,2020 -   increase Prozac to 40  - dropped Pristiq to 25    April 14, 2020 on Pristiq 25, Prozac 20  took .05 Klonopin  

April 17th, 2020   off Pristiq and Prozac and started 12.5mg of Seroquel

April 27th, 2020  Seroquel 50mg    July 1,2020  Seroquel 37.5 mg  July 15,2020 Seroquel 25mg   

Aug 18,2020  Seroquel 12.5mg  

[Hope2020]

Im hoping that it is my CNS which is why i dont want to go back to the psychiatrist..  she will just say i need to be on medication.  How long more or less do you think before i start feeling a little less depressed ?  Its been about 3 weeks since i started the taper.  I think im in the thick of it and keep thinking i will wake up a little better by the next day, but it just doesnt happen.

 

I am meditating, walking, taking detox baths as well as Magnesium and Fish oil.    I just need reassurance that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel 

 

Please see the last 3 lines on my signature above.    

[Hope2020]

Can the CNS get back to normal???  

[Shep]

Quote

 

April 14, 2020    decreased Prozac to 20 -   took .05 Klonopin 

Currently on Pristiq 25, Prozac 20  took .05 Klonopin 

 

 

Hope, this is from your signature. Did you mean to write .5 mg of Klonopin (and not .05 mg)? 

 

[Hope2020]

Yes.  .5 mg of Klonopin.    I rarely take it since i really am trying to normalize my brain.   Please let me know if you have any experience with weaning off this horrible drug.  Since i last wrote i feel a little better depression wise.  I am now on a little less than half the pill and am terrified of cutting  down anymore since im scared i will get depression again, but i dont want to prolong this weaning thing too long either.   Please advise what you think i should do.    And is it normal to have those symptoms for a month after the drop, or is that because i dropped too much at once.?   

 

 

[Shep]

19 hours ago, Hope2020 said:

Yes.  .5 mg of Klonopin.    I rarely take it since i really am trying to normalize my brain.   Please let me know if you have any experience with weaning off this horrible drug.

 

Yes, I do have experience coming off benzos, although I didn't know about tapering so I came off too fast. 

 

I've updated your signature to reflect the .5 mg dose, but please let us know more about when you are taking it now - is it once a week, once a month, etc.? Klonopin has a half-life of 18 - 50 hours, so it's possible to become dependent on it with periodic use. 

 

19 hours ago, Hope2020 said:

Since i last wrote i feel a little better depression wise.  I am now on a little less than half the pill and am terrified of cutting  down anymore since im scared i will get depression again, but i dont want to prolong this weaning thing too long either.   Please advise what you think i should do.    And is it normal to have those symptoms for a month after the drop, or is that because i dropped too much at once.?   

 

Please update your signature to reflect what you were on a month ago. Your signature states you haven't made a reduction since April. 

 

Account Settings - Create or Edit Your Signature

 

What drugs are you currently taking? Please list the drug name, dose, and time(s) of day. Also, please let us know the last time you took Klonopin and about how often you are now using it. 

[Hope2020]

Hi 

I dont think i have a benzo issue since i dont take it more that a couple of times a month and actually go months without taking it at all.   My issue is coming of the Seroquel.   It is very hard to know exactly how much im actually taking because the pill is so small and when i cut it i dont get the same amount every time.  I am weighing it so that i take more or less the same amount every night.   I went from 50mg to 25mg without a problem.  My issues started when i cut the 25 in half.  within about a week or so, i started with horrible depression that lasted  almost a month.  I am not down to a little less than half , probably about 1/4 and want to know you recommendation so that i dont get so affected.  When should i jump off completely?  I dont think i can cut it much more.  Do i just stop taking it and hope for the best, and expect depression again ?   

[Shep]

21 hours ago, Hope2020 said:

I dont think i have a benzo issue since i dont take it more that a couple of times a month and actually go months without taking it at all.   My issue is coming of the Seroquel. 

 

Hope, I found your Seroquel tapering information in a previous post and have added it to your signature, along with clarifying your Klonopin use. If anything is incorrect, please correct it here: 

 

Account Settings - Create or Edit Your Signature

 

 

 

21 hours ago, Hope2020 said:

It is very hard to know exactly how much im actually taking because the pill is so small and when i cut it i dont get the same amount every time. 

 

You may want to use a scale or taper by liquid. Please see:

 

Tips for tapering off quetiapine (Seroquel)

 

Using a digital scale to measure doses

 

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

21 hours ago, Hope2020 said:

I went from 50mg to 25mg without a problem.  My issues started when i cut the 25 in half.  within about a week or so, i started with horrible depression that lasted  almost a month.  I am not down to a little less than half , probably about 1/4 and want to know you recommendation so that i dont get so affected.

 

This is way too fast a taper. Please see:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

 

On 9/3/2020 at 1:12 PM, Hope2020 said:

I stayed at 25 for about a month and then split the 25mg in half around 3 weeks ago .

 

I would increase the Seroquel from your current 12.5 mg dose, since you were recently on 25 mg and were stable at that dose. If you don't want to increase back up to 25 mg, you could aim for 20 mg. 

 

You're likely still in antidepressant withdrawal and are making it worse by these large Seroquel decreases. 

 

Be gentle with your nervous system. Increase your dose and hold for several months before making any more changes. This will allow your nervous system to recover some from the antidepressant withdrawal and these more recent Seroquel changes. 

 

Please see:

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

When you resume your taper in a few months, please, no faster than 10% a month. 

[Hope2020]

Just wanted to come on here and give an update of my progress since i realize not everyone comes back on once they feel good.  It has now been around 3 month since my last does of Seroquel on 10/11/2020.   I kept a log so i know i had terrible sleep for about 2 months.  And with that also big bouts of depression and anxiety.   Little by little i started sleeping better.. I never had a problem going to sleep, i just couldn't stay asleep.   I go to bed around 11 and would fall fast asleep until like 1 or 2am and then wide awake all night.. little by little it went to 3am then 4 and now I'm waking up at 5am which is perfectly fine.    I still have a bit of anxiety, but my depression is way better.   I'm really hoping my nervous system is still in healing process and will only improve through the year.  2020 was a horrific year for me.  The change of meds and the withdrawals seemed never ending.   2021 seems to be much brighter and starting a new year after so so many on those horrible drugs is really a great feeling.   Lots of prayer and meditation is also key.  

 

[Shep]

@Hope2020Great update, Hope! Thanks for sharing how much progress you're making. Please stop by again and let us know how you're doing.