Melany: Stopped Prozac 66 days ago.

[Melany]

Hello, I m Melany and I stopped Prozac 66 days ago. I ve been on antidepressants for 2 years now because I had a major depression and Gad with Ptsd and probably a personality disorder. I have some borderline tendancies and obsesive compulsive behaviour sometimes.Recently diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. But mainly I suffer from anxiety the most. I was on benzos for months and quit them and now I am trying to recover from antidepressants or my disease.

I was never doing really well on prozac either , it was just keeping my panic atacks away.

I was having waves till something happened in my life and got worse. Now can t get rid of ruminations. My doctor wants me to take trazodone at least for a week but I am afraid it will ruin my progress so far. 

Can you help me with an explanation please?? Is there a thing as a progress in brain recovery after antidepressants? Does it really have a hard time readjusting itself or it s turning back to it s original state before the pills? No one ever explained to me what happends. Need some medical explanations before I take a decission.  Is there such a thing as brain readjusting or nothing will happen if I take some pills for a week? He says it s essential so it won t evolve in a bad way.  

PMDD treatment also involves taking prozac for 3 days a month. Please help!

[ChessieCat]

Hi Melany and welcome to SA,

 

SA staff and members understand what you are going through.  I have experienced bad withdrawal symptoms myself when I tried to reduce my drug too quickly.

 

What you are experiencing are withdrawal symptoms from stopping the Prozac too quickly.  The only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms is to take a small amount of the drug that your brain has adapted to. 

 

It is better to take some of the drug you were on, instead of starting a new drug.  The new drug might not help with the withdrawal symptoms and you might react badly to the new drug.  You will not know what is causing any issues if they occur.  I will provide some information about reinstating below.  Please read it carefully and let us know if you would like to try reinstating and we can suggest a dose for you to try.

 

Please create your drug signature and include ALL drugs / supplements with dates and doses.  Here are the instructions:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

Q:  How often have you taken a benzo this year?  What drug, dose and dates?

 

Please read Post #1 of this topic:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Post #1 of this topic provides some information about Prozac's half life which is important to know.  It also explains how to get non-standard doses:

 

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

See this link for month-at-a-time computer and printable checklists for recording symptoms:
Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Please create your drug signature.  In a post please answer my question and also tell us if you would like to reinstate.  One of the other mods will follow up after we have this information.

 

This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place for you to ask questions specific to your own situation and where you can journal your progress.

[Melany]

Isn t the fast tapering with prozac, been tapering for 6 months and I am done with benzos for a year now . I am taking a benzo maybe twice a year now in special ocasions . I believe I am done with the benzo withdrawl.

Don t want to reinstate the prozac. I  am truying to understand whether this is withdrawl or relapse . If it s a relapse I should take the 5 days antidepressant treatment to prevent it to evolve badly. 

Also was wondering what really hapends to our brain when we take 3 doses a month for PMDD. Is that safe when you are quitting antidepressants? You prolong your withdrawl? You mess up brains regulating process? Does that process exist? Or nothing happeds?  My doctor keeps telling me that simply symptoms come back and the brain is back to it s original state.

[Melany]

Are we recovering from withdrawl or from the original problem like depression, anxiety? How can we tell the difference if it s our anxiety or the withdrawl induced anxiety? No one mentions this, where are our previous symptoms in all this?

[getofflex]

Hello Melany.  This is your own personal thread where you can ask questions, report how you are doing, and get help.  

 

Can you please do the drug signature as requested by Chessie Cat?  Please click the link above and follow the instructions. 

 

Much of the time, when people go off psych drugs, doctors assume the withdrawal symptoms are just a relapse of the original symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc), when in fact, they are withdrawal symptoms.  

 

If it were me personally, I would not follow the doctor's advice to take trazodone.  Your system is already destabilized from withdrawing from the Prozac, and this could further destabilize you.  I was on trazodone because my SSRI gave me insomnia, and it just made me feel heavy and hung over the next morning.  

 

We will be able to better help you and answer your questions when you give us a detailed and complete drug signature.  Thank you.  

Edited March 4, 2021 by getofflex

[Melany]

Done. I can t remember much of what happened these past 2 years but I tried. 

I believe that I couldn t taper any slower than this.

[Melany]

Where do I activate my signature. It s there but not showing.

[Go2zero]

2 hours ago, Melany said:

Done. I can t remember much of what happened these past 2 years but I tried. 

I believe that I couldn t taper any slower than this

 

Dear Melany,

 

Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with withdrawal of Prozac. It happens very often that approximately 2-4 months after quitting heavy withdrawal kicks in. During the period directly after quitting (so the first 2-4 months) sometimes can be experienced as feeling good and energized. But then after the 2-4 months the WD starts. And that can be very extreme in some cases. 

 

Lots of effects that were not there before taking the meds can occur. Like heavy insomnia, depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, psychotic reactions, etc. And doctors very often say then, that one should take medication again. But actually, it is very often withdrawal. Most doctors are not aware of this and are not willing to accept this.

 

You write that you tapered very slowly, but you did not really taper enough. I will explain underneath why this is:

 

 

You should realize that the lower you go in dosage, the relative strength in blockage of the serotonin receptors increases extremely, compared to the dose. 

 

To give some figures for Prozac:

 

 

% of 1 pill(20 mg)	Dosage in mg Prozac	% blockage serotonin receptor (SERT)
100	20	78
50	10	72
25	5	62
12,5	2,5	48
10	2	44
7,5	1,5	37
5	1	29
4	0,8	25
3	0,6	20
2	0,4	14,5
1,5	0,3	11
1	0,2	8
0,5	0,1	4
0,25	0,05	2
0,1	0,02	0,9
0,05	0,01	0,5

 

For example, the above figures show that a dosage of 2,5 mg (1/8 pill) still blocks 48% of the serotonin receptors. Whereas a full pill of 20 mg blocks 78 % of the receptors. So a 87,5% drop in dosage (20mg to 2,5mg) creates a drop in blockage (SERT) of only 30 percentage points in blockage.

 

The further you go down in dosage, the more extreme you go down in SERT. Therefor it is so important to go slow and not jump to zero before you are nearly at zero. 

   

Here you can see the figures of Prozac in a graph (left one shows SERT vs Dosage)

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8583114_Serotonin_Transporter_Occupancy_of_Five_Selective_Serotonin_Reuptake_Inhibitors_at_Different_Doses_An_11CDASB_Positron_Emission_Tomography_Study

 

See on page 829 for graph of Prozac.

 

 

What I notice personally, is that I cannot drop more than the effect of 1 – 1,5 % in SERT, since I came under a dosage of 1 mg Prozac. That means in practice that I may need still 1 year or more to go down from only 0,5 mg to zero.

 

Given these facts and the fact that you already jumped to zero some 70 days ago, I think that reinstating Prozac at a low level of 0,5mg would be the best thing to do right now.

 

Taking other meds may disturb your nervous system even more. You “just: got of the Prozac much too soon at a much too high dose. 

 

A dose of 0,5 mg Prozac still blocks approximately 17% of the serotonin receptors. So do not think that 0,5% is little. Also realize that you will have to taper this 0,5% to zero very slowly. But before you start tapering the 0,5% you should stabilize on that level. Which may take several months. 

 

Here is also a very interesting thread about why to taper to extreme low dosages:

 

 

[Melany]

Now I understand, thanks. I kept reading that 10 mg is enough to go cold turkey with prozac. So I made sure that I take it even slower. When I was at 2.5 mg every 2 3 days I felt even worse so stopped. I thought I was having interdose withdrawl  because the day I got better I was supposed to take the next dose.

Is there a way I can pass through this? How long should I give it a try? If not I ll go back at 0.5 mg.

I constantly wonder why we re feeling better at the beginning of the withdrawl. Is that how we really are mentally  ? Or it s just an effect. I wonder what is withdrawl and what are my symtoms.

Don t want to go back on them:(

I was never doing ok on antidepressants , just keeping panic atacks away.

Wasn t myself at all on them,can t remember much , like I had a dissociation.

 

Thanks a lot for your help Go2zero

[Melany]

Wish I asked sooner and do it properly.Ufff!

[Go2zero]

Melany, first of all you should know that most people here have made similar “mistakes”. So did I. I went off 3 times with “slow” tapering and jumping to zero at a low (but too high) dosage. Doctors usually do not know how to taper properly. Therefor I am so grateful that I have found this website. It helped me to learn so much I did not know yet. 

 

So, do not blame yourself for not doing the tapering properly. You just did not know and did not get the right advice. Don’t look back. Accept where you are now and look forward in trust and faith!

 

Why it is that the rebound comes after 2-4 months for lots of people is not clear to me. But it happens to a lot of people who taper too fast and jump to zero too early.

 

To tell what is withdrawal of relapse is not always clear in my opinion. But when you have heavy symptoms that were not there before you started the meds, it will be withdrawal most probably.

 

I also started SSRI because of panic attacks only. But when I stopped them, I got suicidal thoughts, depression, extreme insomnia, blurred vision, brain fog, psychotic events, depersonalization, etc. Withdrawal can be much worse than the initial problem(s).

 

Maybe a moderator can give advice as well about whether to re-instate and if so which dose?

 

Personally I would never go higher than 1 mg. But I think that 0,5mg would be best to re-instate. You also have to reckon that you may need quite some time to taper properly to zero after re-instating. 

[Melany]

I am having the same symptoms thank God , so far . The severe depression hasn t returned yet. This wave is 2 3 weeks old so it could get worse.

I read something about the Humpty dumpty but what does that mean? Means I am at risk at evolving really bad?  Should I wait out for a while or not risk it? 

God bless you all for helping us. There is no one to talk to in Romania about these things. Doctors stay away, pacients stay hidden or on pills all their lives.

[Melany]

On 3/4/2021 at 12:47 AM, ChessieCat said:

Hi Melany and welcome to SA,

 

SA staff and members understand what you are going through.  I have experienced bad withdrawal symptoms myself when I tried to reduce my drug too quickly.

 

What you are experiencing are withdrawal symptoms from stopping the Prozac too quickly.  The only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms is to take a small amount of the drug that your brain has adapted to. 

 

It is better to take some of the drug you were on, instead of starting a new drug.  The new drug might not help with the withdrawal symptoms and you might react badly to the new drug.  You will not know what is causing any issues if they occur.  I will provide some information about reinstating below.  Please read it carefully and let us know if you would like to try reinstating and we can suggest a dose for you to try.

 

Please create your drug signature and include ALL drugs / supplements with dates and doses.  Here are the instructions:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

Q:  How often have you taken a benzo this year?  What drug, dose and dates?

 

Please read Post #1 of this topic:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Post #1 of this topic provides some information about Prozac's half life which is important to know.  It also explains how to get non-standard doses:

 

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

See this link for month-at-a-time computer and printable checklists for recording symptoms:
Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Please create your drug signature.  In a post please answer my question and also tell us if you would like to reinstate.  One of the other mods will follow up after we have this information.

 

This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place for you to ask questions specific to your own situation and where you can journal your progress.

 

70% of the day I m feeling bad 30% I m normal. Should I wait,maybe another window shows up? I m sorry for asking, I m a mess and don t want to screw it up.

I would like your opponion about the dose I should reinstate please.

I was ok at 2.5 mg, stopped it all  when i was taking this dose once every 2 3 days .

Thank you ChessieCat.

[Go2zero]

Good that you have asked for more advice whether and how to re-instate.

 

I do not know what you read about Humpty Dumpty...

 

You should realize that you jumped to zero at a dose that still has a very high serotonin receptor blockage. Therefor it might be possible that you will be in WD for quite some time. It cannot be said for sure, because we all react differently. Re-instating will likely make WD better to handle.

 

You are still in time to get a good effect of re-instating. Especially given the long half life of Prozac. 

[Melany]

Forgot to mention that I took a huge dose of hormones 2 3 weeks ago also . The second day pill, ulipristal acetate. Maybe that messed me up .

[Melany]

On 3/4/2021 at 12:47 AM, ChessieCat said:

Hi Melany and welcome to SA,

 

SA staff and members understand what you are going through.  I have experienced bad withdrawal symptoms myself when I tried to reduce my drug too quickly.

 

What you are experiencing are withdrawal symptoms from stopping the Prozac too quickly.  The only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms is to take a small amount of the drug that your brain has adapted to. 

 

It is better to take some of the drug you were on, instead of starting a new drug.  The new drug might not help with the withdrawal symptoms and you might react badly to the new drug.  You will not know what is causing any issues if they occur.  I will provide some information about reinstating below.  Please read it carefully and let us know if you would like to try reinstating and we can suggest a dose for you to try.

 

Please create your drug signature and include ALL drugs / supplements with dates and doses.  Here are the instructions:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

Q:  How often have you taken a benzo this year?  What drug, dose and dates?

 

Please read Post #1 of this topic:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Post #1 of this topic provides some information about Prozac's half life which is important to know.  It also explains how to get non-standard doses:

 

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

See this link for month-at-a-time computer and printable checklists for recording symptoms:
Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Please create your drug signature.  In a post please answer my question and also tell us if you would like to reinstate.  One of the other mods will follow up after we have this information.

 

This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place for you to ask questions specific to your own situation and where you can journal your progress.

I would like to reinstate. I can still fight it for sure but I don t want to damage myself for good. That s my biggest concern,that I ll end up in a place where nothing can help me.

 

I haven t taken any lorazepam this year. I took 2 mg all 2020. Last dose was 0.5 in september 2020. 

 

Thank you in advance.

[Go2zero]

Why don’t you start to re-instate Prozac on 0,5 mg? It may take several weeks to months to get stable on that dose. Then remain on that dose for a few months before you start to taper the 0,5 mg in very small steps (max 10% of last dose every month).

 

Do not skip doses as you have done before. Take doses every day! Otherwise you will upset your nervous system.

 

You are still in the right period to get good results from re-instating. 0,5mg might be enough. If not, you can always go a LITTLE higher. But give it 6-8 weeks at the least to see if 0,5mg gives you results.

[Melany]

Waiting for the moderator s opinion as you said about the right dose but I think she ll agree with you. I am just worried that  maybe its just a wave, some things  has happened to me recently..I can take a lot , A Lot ! but I know at some point I might crack . Thats how I ended up here :(.

 

[Melany]

On 3/4/2021 at 5:42 PM, getofflex said:

Hello Melany.  This is your own personal thread where you can ask questions, report how you are doing, and get help.  

 

Can you please do the drug signature as requested by Chessie Cat?  Please click the link above and follow the instructions. 

 

Much of the time, when people go off psych drugs, doctors assume the withdrawal symptoms are just a relapse of the original symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc), when in fact, they are withdrawal symptoms.  

 

If it were me personally, I would not follow the doctor's advice to take trazodone.  Your system is already destabilized from withdrawing from the Prozac, and this could further destabilize you.  I was on trazodone because my SSRI gave me insomnia, and it just made me feel heavy and hung over the next morning.  

 

We will be able to better help you and answer your questions when you give us a detailed and complete drug signature.  Thank you.  

Can I have your opinion Getofflex, please? Is 0.5 mg ok for reinstating?

[getofflex]

@Melany, I'm assuming you are referring to Prozac?  If so, yes, 0.5 mg is probably a good dose for reinstating the Prozac.  See how that goes for a week, and we will take it from there.  Here is more information about reinstating:  

 

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Symptoms

 

Please make note of your symptoms each day, so we can see how the reinstatement is working.  Here is a thread with a link to a handy checklist to help you. 

 

Withdrawal Symptom Checklist

 

Hang in there, and keep us posted.  

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by getofflex
soften wording

[Melany]

Thank you!

[Melany]

From 0.5 till 0.01.

So these are my dosages and have to do reduction monthly. That means I ll be done in 3 years right? That is even more than a year:(.

Am I getting this right? I will now see how much is that in liquid form.

 

1. 0.5
2. 0.45
3. 0.405
4. 0.3645
5. 0.3281
6. 0.2952
7. 0.2657
8. 0.2391
9. 0.2152
10. 0.1937
11. 0.1743
12. 0.1569
13. 0.1412
14. 0.1271
15. 0.1144
16. 0.1029
17. 0.0927
18. 0.0834
19. 0.075
20. 0.0675
21. 0.0608
22. 0.0547
23. 0.0492
24. 0.0443
25. 0.0399
26. 0.0359
27. 0.0323
28. 0.0291
29. 0.0262
30. 0.0236
31. 0.0212
32. 0.0191
33. 0.0172
34. 0.0155
35. 0.0139
36. 0.0125
37. 0.0113
38. 0.0101

 

[Melany]

On 8/28/2017 at 2:33 AM, Dan998 said:

Hi, Glyph.

 

I would be fascinated to find out about your own personal experience with psychiatric medication and your motives for joining Surviving Antidepressants. I'm assuming that you are here because you are either considering withdrawing from these drugs or have already done so and have run into difficulties. However, we cannot understand your perspective until you tell us a bit more about yourself. For this reason we ask everyone who joins to start an introductory thread.

 

The first post in this topic has links to some well respected organisations and individuals that advocate a gradual reduction to prevent the disabling symptoms that can accompany drug withdrawal. There is also a wealth of information and resources provided by The Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry

 

We have a whole section devoted to journals and scientific papers that form the basis of our evidence for this condition. These papers have been peer reviewed and may ease some of your concerns about the validity of the statements you referenced.

Journals and Scientific Sources

 

 

Whilst it is true that some people have unresolved psychological issues that may resurface and will need to be addressed. It is also true that there are others who were prescribed antidepressants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines for conditions unrelated to mental health. They had no baseline issues. We have members who were given psychiatric medications, off-label, to treat conditions such as chronic pain, insomnia and migraines. These people had no history of psychiatric illness, but subsequently developed severe withdrawal symptoms whilst trying to come off these medications. Theirs and many other personal testimonies can be found in the introductions and updates forum. 

So this only applies to them? Its possible that I am not widthdrawing and only resurfacing my isssues? I shouldn t be here? your message is worrying me..

I am curious about the Humpty Dumpty idea also. The honeymoon period also. I cannot explain, neither my doctor why I felt alright for 2 months then collapsed.

[Melany]

On 3/7/2021 at 2:29 PM, Go2zero said:

 

Dear Melany,

 

Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with withdrawal of Prozac. It happens very often that approximately 2-4 months after quitting heavy withdrawal kicks in. During the period directly after quitting (so the first 2-4 months) sometimes can be experienced as feeling good and energized. But then after the 2-4 months the WD starts. And that can be very extreme in some cases. 

 

Lots of effects that were not there before taking the meds can occur. Like heavy insomnia, depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, psychotic reactions, etc. And doctors very often say then, that one should take medication again. But actually, it is very often withdrawal. Most doctors are not aware of this and are not willing to accept this.

 

You write that you tapered very slowly, but you did not really taper enough. I will explain underneath why this is:

 

 

You should realize that the lower you go in dosage, the relative strength in blockage of the serotonin receptors increases extremely, compared to the dose. 

 

To give some figures for Prozac:

 

 

% of 1 pill(20 mg)	Dosage in mg Prozac	% blockage serotonin receptor (SERT)
100	20	78
50	10	72
25	5	62
12,5	2,5	48
10	2	44
7,5	1,5	37
5	1	29
4	0,8	25
3	0,6	20
2	0,4	14,5
1,5	0,3	11
1	0,2	8
0,5	0,1	4
0,25	0,05	2
0,1	0,02	0,9
0,05	0,01	0,5

 

For example, the above figures show that a dosage of 2,5 mg (1/8 pill) still blocks 48% of the serotonin receptors. Whereas a full pill of 20 mg blocks 78 % of the receptors. So a 87,5% drop in dosage (20mg to 2,5mg) creates a drop in blockage (SERT) of only 30 percentage points in blockage.

 

The further you go down in dosage, the more extreme you go down in SERT. Therefor it is so important to go slow and not jump to zero before you are nearly at zero. 

   

Here you can see the figures of Prozac in a graph (left one shows SERT vs Dosage)

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8583114_Serotonin_Transporter_Occupancy_of_Five_Selective_Serotonin_Reuptake_Inhibitors_at_Different_Doses_An_11CDASB_Positron_Emission_Tomography_Study

 

See on page 829 for graph of Prozac.

 

 

What I notice personally, is that I cannot drop more than the effect of 1 – 1,5 % in SERT, since I came under a dosage of 1 mg Prozac. That means in practice that I may need still 1 year or more to go down from only 0,5 mg to zero.

 

Given these facts and the fact that you already jumped to zero some 70 days ago, I think that reinstating Prozac at a low level of 0,5mg would be the best thing to do right now.

 

Taking other meds may disturb your nervous system even more. You “just: got of the Prozac much too soon at a much too high dose. 

 

A dose of 0,5 mg Prozac still blocks approximately 17% of the serotonin receptors. So do not think that 0,5% is little. Also realize that you will have to taper this 0,5% to zero very slowly. But before you start tapering the 0,5% you should stabilize on that level. Which may take several months. 

 

Here is also a very interesting thread about why to taper to extreme low dosages:

 

 

Do you follow the 10% reduction Go2zero? Only if I reduce by 20% I'll finish in 18 months. Also, what method are you using for prozac, liquid measuring or powder?

[Go2zero]

4 hours ago, Melany said:

From 0.5 till 0.01.

So these are my dosages and have to do reduction monthly. That means I ll be done in 3 years right? That is even more than a year:(.

Am I getting this right? I will now see how much is that in liquid form.

 

 

In theory your calculations are right. But I calculate not only 10% os last dosage. I also look at the overall percentage in SERT going down. I make my calculations so that I go down approximately 1,4 % of total SERT. 

0,5mg give a SERT of approximately 17%. So when you would go down 1,4% every 4 weeks, you would need 12 periods of 4 weeks, so 48 weeks in total.

 

Also this is theory. We all react different on tapering. I often hoped to go faster and suddenly I got such heavy WD that I had to slow down again. Listening to you body and stabilizing when needed is extremely important.

 

I you would have problems with calculating I can make a table with the calculations. But do no have time for that right now.

 

Main thing is, that you stabilize first. Do not start too soon with tapering!

 

[getofflex]

@Melany, I understand the frustration of wanting to get off the meds, but realizing that it is going to take a long time.  Here is some information about how to manage the end of a taper.  This just goes to show how sensitive and complex our nervous systems are.  I concur with Go2Zero "Main thing is, that you stabilize first. Do not start too soon with tapering!".  It is better than the alternative, which is a nervous system in major disarray, and all the pain that goes with it.  Hang in there.  I hope this reinstatement helps.  

 

Managing the Endgame Taper

[Melany]

You both are amazing, thanks!🥰

I had my doctor s appointment today, showed him what you guys sent me, the data is right. He doesn t agree that Wd can happen that late but he accepted my method(said it s torture though). He can t explain the honeymoon period either, he said maybe I was extra nice to myself or that the context was different. 

Also, there is a big posibility that that big dose of hormones I took messed me up.

I do wish to be done with it in a year , a year and a half. I am 35 and I want kids. 

Thank you again . I ll update .

[Go2zero]

8 hours ago, Melany said:

Do you follow the 10% reduction Go2zero? Only if I reduce by 20% I'll finish in 18 months. Also, what method are you using for prozac, liquid measuring or powder?

Until now I weigh my doses on a scale that can measure with an accuracy of 1mg. I open a capsule of Prozac and weigh a total for 10 days. In that way small faults in weighing daily dosages are evened out. For example, I am on a dose of 0,47mg (working substance) at this moment. That is equivalent of 5,5 pill weight (so including all filling material). Total pill weight of Prozac capsule is 234mg (without capsule itself).

 

So for 10 days (dose 0,47mg) I weigh 10 x 5,5mg= 55mg. Then I take off 5,5mg by weighing 55-5,5= 49,5 mg. And so on until I have 10 daily dosages of 5,5mg, which I wrap individually in a small paper.

 

I think I will be able to continue this method until I am on a dosage of approximately of 0,1mg. Then I will see if I will switch to Prozac liquid, or continue with capsules.

 

I am a bit afraid to switch to liquid, since I suffer from quite some WD effects now and then. I was on capsules already, before I found out there is liquid Prozac as well. In your case you could use liquid if you want, since you are currently not taking any Prozac.

[Go2zero]

3 hours ago, Melany said:

I had my doctor s appointment today, showed him what you guys sent me, the data is right. He doesn t agree that Wd can happen that late but he accepted my method(said it s torture though). He can t explain the honeymoon period either, he said maybe I was extra nice to myself or that the context was different. 

 

I experienced late withdrawal 3 times after stopping at a too high (low) dosage. 3 months after stopping I hit the wall (hard)!  And lots of members here report the same. Doctors just don't know and say that it is relapse. And tell you most often to start the meds again... I am sure it was WD in my case. And I guess in most cases it is. Certainly when WD effects have lots of symptoms you never had before taking these meds.

[Melany]

I believe I am in relapse cause my symptoms aren t as bad as before but going there.  I am stopping medicatiom not because I am well but because I thought I am well enough to handle things without medication. 

I am in therapy for 2 years since all this started and I am refusing to change, to let go of my old self and way of functioning.

It was an investment so I can carry on without medication. I also tried Tms but I do not recomend it.

Whether its Wd or relapse  I am trusting you. Sometimes I feel sorry for not pushing through it and giving up. But I am also afraid not to loose my progress, afraid that I ll end up on full dose again. Shifting sands and I better be caucious and do things right.

I pray to God it s Wd !! People don t wish for that but I do. The other option is worse.

I searched for your introduction post but cannot find it. Was interesred in reading your story.

We have only dispersable tablets of 20 mg here so I ll dilute that pill in water and extract what I need with a serynge.I figure I will have to dilute it in more water when I cannot measure it out.

I ll disturb you if I need any help.

 

Wishing you strenght and thanks again.

 

 

[Go2zero]

Here is my introduction.

 

I do not have experience yet with diluting tabets or capsules in water. But what I do know is that you should keep the solution refrigerated and do not keep it much more than 3 days.. There is a lot to find about it in this website. Let me know when you need advice. Wish you all the best! You are not alone here!

[Melany]

I diluted 20 mg of prozac in 20 ml of water(8 serynges of 2.5 ml). It dispersed in water imediately since it s a dispersable tablet. Mixed it and took out 0.4 ml in a serynge to get 0.4 mg. Sorry I went with 0.4 since my symptoms are not that bad. Actually, after my period came I instanly got better .I am doing it to be sure I won t fall of the wall and I can always go up.

Cried when I took it, but doing it for my familly not to torture them. My 2 years taking this I was missing ,all a blur .I could have pushed through..:(

Did I do it right? Ordered some lab bottles and pipettes to be more exact from now on. I ll increase my water volume when dealing with smaller quantities.

Felt the effect right away 2 minutes after, I remember it from the first doze I ever took. Don t know if that means that I was in Wd or not.

I ll be checking in now and then. I appreciate all the support and help guys !

[Go2zero]

It seems that you calculations are OK! Maybe 0,4mg will do as well. I still gives a SERT of 15 whereas 0,5mg would give a SERT of 17,5. So the difference is not extreme. The lowest you can go the better in my opinion. Saves you time in tapering. But I would not go lower than 0,4mg now.

 

And take time to stabilize!

 

By the way, the SERT numbers are average numbers. They all differ a bit for every person, because of differences in weight and metabolism. 

 

I would suggest you take more water. Say 100ml. In that way it is easier and more accurate to measure your daily dose. Taking accurately 0,4ml with a syringe is not that easy. And it is important that your daily dosages are as accurate and even every day. When dipersing in 100ml water, you would take 2 ml to have 0,4mg Prozac. That is much easier and accurate to measure.

 

Good luck!

 

[Melany]

This doesn t feel right. ..Anyone had that feeling? Felt exactly like having a cig after quitting for months. That feeling that the drug flows through your veins. It actually made me worse and that veil, that cloud over my eyes is back. Its like somwone smushed my bain into a mixer and placed it back. Sure I ll develop tolerance, it s the same as with nicotine but it feels wrong.

Anyone felt that? Is it normal?

I m sorry I m a pain and not easy to work with .Don t leave me:(. Not doing it on purpose .

How was it for you Go2zero?

[Go2zero]

29 minutes ago, Melany said:

This doesn t feel right. ..Anyone had that feeling? Felt exactly like having a cig after quitting for months. That feeling that the drug flows through your veins. It actually made me worse and that veil, that cloud over my eyes is back. Its like somwone smushed my bain into a mixer and placed it back. Sure I ll develop tolerance, it s the same as with nicotine but it feels wrong.

Anyone felt that? Is it normal?

I m sorry I m a pain and not easy to work with .Don t leave me:(. Not doing it on purpose .

How was it for you Go2zero?

 

Hi Melany,

 

You are not a pain and I will not leave you! And I am sure others in SA will keep supporting you as well!

 

My story is a bit different, but I will try to explain and advise you.

 

I was on Lexapro before. I quit that for 3 times, after tapering too fast and mostly after jumping to zero too soon. There we have a similarity, but with a different drug. I went back 3 times on Lexapro, since doctors told me I was in relapse (which most doctors say, I found out later on SA).

Later I became sure it was not relapse, but WD. All the info and help on SA made me sure of that. At a certain point (Lexapro approximately  0,2mg), I decided to make a switch to Prozac. 

 

Here comes the info that is important for you:

 

I switched to approximately 0,4 mg Prozac (equivalent to 0,2mg Lexapro) and wow, did I feel that! But it needs time to settle.

 

My story continues in another direction, since this Prozac switch "helped" me into a heavy WD of Lexapro (although taking Prozac). Wish I had not made that switch. 

 

But for you: Yes, even such a low dosage of Prozac can give quite a heavy reaction, but I am pretty sure it will settle within 2 weeks. 

 

[Melany]

I feel  so depressed and that wasn t back. Why is my brain reacting like this? My familly tells me its worse. I havent moved all day or reacted.