rd57: Need help getting off fluoxetine!

[rd57]

Hi all,

 

I have been on/ off fluoxetine, approaching around 4 years now, having started taking it in around March 2017 when I was 18. I started taking it as I was experiencing high levels of anxiety from all of the stress in both my personal and professional life (I was doing A-Levels at the time). When I first started taking it, it was incredible and calmed my anxiety, unbelievably, within a week and so I kept taking it even though it was only meant to help get me through that time. 

 

In January 2019 I decided to no longer take it and went cold turkey - withdrawal was not too bad, a few left arm aches but nothing really other than that.

In September 2019, I was back on it - I was starting my second year of uni and the pressure was really bad.

 

In October of 2020, the fluoxetine stopped working and so I was recommended to discontinue the fluoxetine for one week and then start 25mg sertraline, then increasing to 50mg after one week. Sertraline was the worst medication I've ever taken; my heart was racing almost everyday, intense anxiety, chest pain and more. I only took it for 4 weeks, I physically and mentally couldn't take any more. So, I then came off the sertraline and the fluoxetine was reinstated at 20mg for 2 weeks in January of 2021, and then increased to 40mg to try to help my anxiety. The 40mg was even worse than the sertraline and so since late January 2021, I've been taking 20mg fluoxetine. 

Now though, after sex or a similar stressor, I'm full of anxiety for around 2 weeks before it starts to decline.   

 

The 20mg fluoxetine has always kept me emotionally numb though, and I'd like to come off it; it was only meant to be a temporary fix but has now been used for too long. I'd rather do it sooner than later, when my body becomes even more dependant on it reduce the anxiety.

 

Is it a wise idea to start tapering it now, possibly to just 10mg, so soon after reducing from 40mg to 20mg?

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, rd57.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Just drug, dosage and dates in a list format.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Your system is very sensitized after all these drug and dosage changes.  The drop from 20mg to 10mg the you mention is far too fast and puts you at risk of further destabilization and withdrawal symptoms.  We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Using the 10% taper, your first reduction would be from 20mg to 18mg.  The following link is specifically about tapering fluoxetine, including how to get to small nonstandard doses you'll need for your taper.  Please read the various methods of getting small doses and get back to us with your thoughts about which method you're most comfortable with.  I don't know if liquid Fluoxetine is available in the U.K. or if NIH would permit it.  If so, that's the easiest method to taper.  Other methods described in the link include making your own liquid and measuring tablet powder using a Gemini 20 scale available on Amazon.

 

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

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) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Gridley

[rd57]

18 hours ago, Gridley said:

Welcome to SA, rd57.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Just drug, dosage and dates in a list format.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Your system is very sensitized after all these drug and dosage changes.  The drop from 20mg to 10mg the you mention is far too fast and puts you at risk of further destabilization and withdrawal symptoms.  We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Using the 10% taper, your first reduction would be from 20mg to 18mg.  The following link is specifically about tapering fluoxetine, including how to get to small nonstandard doses you'll need for your taper.  Please read the various methods of getting small doses and get back to us with your thoughts about which method you're most comfortable with.  I don't know if liquid Fluoxetine is available in the U.K. or if NIH would permit it.  If so, that's the easiest method to taper.  Other methods described in the link include making your own liquid and measuring tablet powder using a Gemini 20 scale available on Amazon.

 

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

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) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

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

 

 

Ok, thank you. I currently take the 20mg fluoxetine in capsules, but I'd prefer to taper by liquid, it seems far easier than having to measure out and then refill the capsules' powder. I'm sure I'll be able to get the doctor to prescribe liquid instead of capsules.

Is it wise to start tapering by 10% immediately, or wait a few weeks to reduce the destabilisation I'm currently going through?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gridley]

4 hours ago, rd57 said:

 

Ok, thank you. I currently take the 20mg fluoxetine in capsules, but I'd prefer to taper by liquid, it seems far easier than having to measure out and then refill the capsules' powder. I'm sure I'll be able to get the doctor to prescribe liquid instead of capsules.

 

When changing from capsules to liquid, we recommend a gradual switch.  This is easier on your system and allows you to become acclimated to the new form of the drug.  Here's our recommended switchover schedule:

 

3/4 dose by capsule, 1/4 dose by liquid for 3 to 7 days 

1/2, 1/2 for 3 to 7 days

1/4 by capsule, 3/4 by liquid for 3 to 7 days.

All liquid thereafter

 

Don't taper while doing the switchover.  Remain at your current dose during the switchover.

 

4 hours ago, rd57 said:

Is it wise to start tapering by 10% immediately, or wait a few weeks to reduce the destabilisation I'm currently going through?

 

I would wait a few weeks before doing the switchover.  Then, after the switchover is complete and if you're feeling stable, you can begin your 10% taper.

[rd57]

16 hours ago, Gridley said:

Don't taper while doing the switchover.  Remain at your current dose during the switchover.

 

Is it normal for the fluoxetine to cause anxiety every day while I'm in this destabilisation period?

[Gridley]

5 hours ago, rd57 said:

 

Is it normal for the fluoxetine to cause anxiety every day while I'm in this destabilisation period?

You've had a number of dose and drug changes.  Your anxiety could be due to any of them or a combination of them.  It's impossible to pin down the cause(s).  Given your drug/dose changes, it would be "normal" to experience anxiety as all these changes have left your system very sensitized.

[rd57]

5 hours ago, Gridley said:

You've had a number of dose and drug changes.  Your anxiety could be due to any of them or a combination of them.  It's impossible to pin down the cause(s).  Given your drug/dose changes, it would be "normal" to experience anxiety as all these changes have left your system very sensitized.

 

Is there any real downside to starting tapering by 10% immediately? I'm not sure how much more of this destabilisation/ reaction I can take in all honesty.

[Gridley]

32 minutes ago, rd57 said:

 

Is there any real downside to starting tapering by 10% immediately? I'm not sure how much more of this destabilisation/ reaction I can take in all honesty.

As I noted, there is no way to determine what's causing your symptoms (destabilization, reaction) because of the number of drug and dosage changes you've undergone.  Is it the fluoxetine, the sertraline, the up and down with the fluoxetine?  There's no way to know.

 

The decision is yours to make.  We can only provide information to help you make your decision. Here are a few downsides to an immediate 10% taper:

 

1.  If you switch to liquid, it's better to do it very gradually so you don't further  destabilize your system--which could make you feel worse.  Most people do fine with liquid but some don't. That's one reason why we suggest a gradual switchover to make sure the liquid is well tolerated.  Another reason is to allow your system to become acclimated to the new tapering method.  Drug absorption rates differ according to the mode of delivery.

2.  It's better to begin a taper when you're fairly stable.  Tapering when unstable, again, can worsen your symptoms.  That's an argument for a conservative approach.  

3. As I've said, there's no way to know what's causing your symptoms.  There's a risk that an immediate taper, without allowing yourself some time to stabilize a bit after all your drug/dose changes and without a gradual switchover from tablet to liquid, will make things worse.  The fewer variables, the better.

 

We recommend taking things slowly and making only one change at a time.  Changing from capsule to liquid is a change.  Starting a taper is another.  If problems result, you won't have any way to know the cause.

[rd57]

23 hours ago, Gridley said:

As I noted, there is no way to determine what's causing your symptoms (destabilization, reaction) because of the number of drug and dosage changes you've undergone.  Is it the fluoxetine, the sertraline, the up and down with the fluoxetine?  There's no way to know.

 

 

 

No, I think you're right; best to wait a few weeks and hopefully stabilise.

Thank you for all of your help so far! I'm sure I'll have more questions in the future though.

[rd57]

rd57: Fluoxetine taper - tapering side effects or withdrawal symptoms?

 

Hi all,

 

On the 16 August, I decided to begin reducing my fluoxetine 20mg dosage by 10% (after having read this site's advice), therefore taking 90% of the original 20mg. During the first week, I felt literally no change at all. In the second week, I started a new job and started to feel all kinds of withdrawal/ anxiety symptoms. On the Friday of that second week, I had a major stressor trigger even more kinds of anxiety symptoms. The symptoms have since then gradually reduced in frequency and intensity but some are still there, the major one being that time seems to run more slowly for me. I had this previous side effect when I switched to 40mg of fluoxetine earlier in the year, but this effect disappeared once I went back down to 20mg.

 

Since I went back down to the 20mg whenever there has been a stressor, I get all kinds of anxiety but it usually subsides in a few weeks and after a few months of stabilising on the original dose of 20mg, I felt around 90% back to normal/ symptom-free. 

 

My question is are the side effects that I'm currently experiencing down to the major stressor I talked about and my brain repairing itself in response to the stressor, or is it that my brain cannot tolerate a 10% taper? For this reason I am currently still taking 90% of the original 20mg. 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

PS. I also take 10mg CBD when symptoms get too much. 

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[arbor]

Hello @rd57.

Welcome to SA.

 

Thank you for doing your signature.  That will make it easier for people responding to your questions.  As you probably have read, fluoxetine has a longer half-life, so it's not unusual that your withdrawal symptoms didn't show up in the first week.  I'm happy to hear that they've mostly subsided.  The fact that you've gone off fluoxetine and restarted, as well as the switching with sertraline, may have sensitized your nervous system.  Did your doctor explain the likelihood of that happening?  Here is a link that may help with talking to your doctor:

How to talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

This is a link that you might want to share with your doctor:

What I have learnt from helping thousands of ... - PubMed

 

I think you're smart to question how fast you want to move with your taper, especially, it would seem to me, if you're in a new job.  What are the other symptoms?  What times of day do you get them?  What time of day do you take fluoxetine?  You might find this article interesting in relation to your time running more slowly, since the psycho-drugs, including the CBD, also affect dopamine:

Dopamine, time perception, and future time perspective - NCBI

7 hours ago, rd57 said:

My question is are the side effects that I'm currently experiencing down to the major stressor I talked about and my brain repairing itself in response to the stressor, or is it that my brain cannot tolerate a 10% taper? For this reason I am currently still taking 90% of the original 20mg. 

I think it is likely to be both.  If it were me, I would hold for now.   When you feel more stable, you might consider a micro-taper to see how it affects you:

The slowness of slow tapers 

 Micro-taper instead of 10% or 5% decreases

 

I am not a doctor, but I recommend not stressing your system as much as possible, in general, but especially at this point, since moving too quickly could set you up for a much longer recovery.  

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms:  

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

  

We don't suggest many supplements, but 3 that many of us find helpful are magnesium, omega-3, and melatonin. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you.  

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

Melatonin

 

This is your Introduction site where you can ask questions, record your progress, and connect with other members.

I'm glad you've found us. 

Arbor

 

[rd57]

10 hours ago, arbor said:

Did your doctor explain the likelihood of that happening?

 

No, not at all.

 

 

10 hours ago, arbor said:

What are the other symptoms?  What times of day do you get them?  What time of day do you take fluoxetine? 

 

Other side effects include racing heartbeat (even though it is completely normal for me according to my apple watch), heart pain, dizziness and some confusion. They usually start once I have taken the medication and don't normally subside until late evening but the slow time is essentially all the time. I take it first thing in the morning which is usually around 8 o'clock for me.

[arbor]

Hello @rd57

Thanks for your reply.  I'm not sure how your morning dose is effecting you, so I'll ask a few more questions.  Are you drinking coffee/tea or anything else that could be stimulating?  It could be a timing coincidence since w/d symptoms are usually highest in the morning, also the same time you take your dose.  This is a double-checking question.  Do the heart pain, etc, symptoms ever start before you take the drug?  Do you notice symptoms that could be rebound after taking CBD?

My best to you,

Arbor

[rd57]

5 minutes ago, arbor said:

Hello @rd57

Thanks for your reply.  I'm not sure how your morning dose is effecting you, so I'll ask a few more questions.  Are you drinking coffee/tea or anything else that could be stimulating?  It could be a timing coincidence since w/d symptoms are usually highest in the morning, also the same time you take your dose.  This is a double-checking question.  Do the heart pain, etc, symptoms ever start before you take the drug?  Do you notice symptoms that could be rebound after taking CBD?

 

Absolutely no coffee/ tea - anxiety is through the roof if I were to have a cup of either. Sometimes the heart pain and other symptoms start before the drug but sometimes there are no side effects before taking the medication at all. Rebounding symptoms after taking CBD - haven't noticed any. 

[PsychologicalSafe15]

Do you have symptoms like bloating ??

[rd57]

9 hours ago, PsychologicalSafe15 said:

Do you have symptoms like bloating ??

 

Very, very rarely. 

[PsychologicalSafe15]

@rd57 Many people after quitting complain of stomach distention after they quit fluoxetine , but not you amazing .

[rd57]

Micro-taper from fluoxetine

 

Hi all,

 

Dropped from fluoxetine 20mg by 10% back in August 2021 and have been dealing with pretty rough side effects since then but thankfully since the start of this year, I'm feeling generally very stable with hardly any new side effects. I would like to begin my tapering once again, but since a 10% reduction has been too much for me, how would I go about reducing by 1%?

 

Would I reduce by 1% at the start of the week, hold this for a few weeks and then proceed to try a more substantial reduction?

 

 

- Thanks in advance. 

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

The 10%/4 week taper is only a guide.  You do not have to make a full 10% reduction. 

 

When you have experienced bad withdrawal symptoms in the past it can make you worry about reducing again, once bitten, twice shy, and you don't want it to happen again.

 

If you are feeling unsure about whether you are ready to make a reduction this can cause anxiety which, if you make a reduction and have symptoms, can make it hard to know whether the symptoms are from the reduction and/or the anxiety, and sometimes when this happens a person can end up becoming even more anxious and the symptoms can worsen even more because they are scared and confused.  And I have seen members panic and make bad decisions when this type of thing happens.

 

Something that I suggest to members who are anxious but feel that they may be ready to taper is to make a small test reduction, eg reducing no more than 2.5% or even as little as 1%.  If you feel okay after this small reduction you may feel less anxiety and also more comfortable and confident to make a larger reduction the next time.

[rd57]

On 3/5/2022 at 2:15 AM, ChessieCat said:

The 10%/4 week taper is only a guide.  You do not have to make a full 10% reduction. 

 

When you have experienced bad withdrawal symptoms in the past it can make you worry about reducing again, once bitten, twice shy, and you don't want it to happen again.

 

If you are feeling unsure about whether you are ready to make a reduction this can cause anxiety which, if you make a reduction and have symptoms, can make it hard to know whether the symptoms are from the reduction and/or the anxiety, and sometimes when this happens a person can end up becoming even more anxious and the symptoms can worsen even more because they are scared and confused.  And I have seen members panic and make bad decisions when this type of thing happens.

 

Something that I suggest to members who are anxious but feel that they may be ready to taper is to make a small test reduction, eg reducing no more than 2.5% or even as little as 1%.  If you feel okay after this small reduction you may feel less anxiety and also more comfortable and confident to make a larger reduction the next time.

 

Thank you for the advice ChessieCat, I think it best to start at a 1% reduction and see how I go from there:)

[rd57]

Hi all, quick update and a few questions:

 

On Monday 21st March, (member reduced by 1% not 10% - see quote below) I reduced my daily fluoxetine (90% of 20mg dosage) by 10% and for the first week, didn't feel side effects at all. Second week in and feeling great, a return to how I used to feel before all of the problems with medication changes (including time not being slow anymore). On the Wednesday (30 March), I overexerted myself a bit and triggered the side effect of constant nervousness. Saturday was particularly bad - anxiety increased and had a bout of low mood which then resolved itself. It's now Monday and the nervousness is pretty much still there. I’m also undergoing weekly talking therapy.

 

Is the duration of this side effect to be expected and if not, should I return to my previous dosage?

Is my brain is now kindled after so many drug and dosage changes?

Is it even the correct time to be making these reductions and should this be done in maybe a few years to allow my brain to recover after so many drug and dosage changes?

 

  

3 hours ago, rd57 said:

 

Sorry, I've just read back my April 4 post and I made a typo - I did not decrease by 10% as stated but by 1% (apologies for the confusion). Withdrawal side effects are already subsiding and while I do feel great, I will hold my current dose to allow for consistency. Thank you for the advice!

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by ChessieCat
added member's correction

[rd57]

On 4/4/2022 at 1:53 PM, rd57 said:

Hi all, quick update and a few questions:

 

On Monday 21st March, I reduced my daily fluoxetine (90% of 20mg dosage) by 10% and for the first week, didn't feel side effects at all. Second week in and feeling great, a return to how I used to feel before all of the problems with medication changes (including time not being slow anymore). On the Wednesday (30 March), I overexerted myself a bit and triggered the side effect of constant nervousness. Saturday was particularly bad - anxiety increased and had a bout of low mood which then resolved itself. It's now Monday and the nervousness is pretty much still there. I’m also undergoing weekly talking therapy.

 

Is the duration of this side effect to be expected and if not, should I return to my previous dosage?

Is my brain is now kindled after so many drug and dosage changes?

Is it even the correct time to be making these reductions and should this be done in maybe a few years to allow my brain to recover after so many drug and dosage changes?

 

@ChessieCat @arbor @Gridley  any thoughts?

[ChessieCat]

On 4/4/2022 at 10:53 PM, rd57 said:

should I return to my previous dosage?

 

It is not a good idea to jump around with your dose.  And this is even more important when taking Prozac/fluoxetine.  This is because of the very long half life.  Many psychiatric drugs have a half life of 4 days (to get to full level in the blood), whereas Prozac takes about 2 WEEKS to build up to full level in the blood and longer for it to fully register in the brain.

 

The increase in symptoms coincided with you overdoing things.  Increasing your drug is not the answer to this.  The better option is to hold on the dose and give your body time to settle back down over the over exertion.

 

SA strongly encourages members to learn and use non drug techniques:

 

Non-drug techniques

[ChessieCat]

The important thing when tapering is to listen to your body/symptoms and hold for longer if you are not stable.

 

Stability

 

WDnormal

 

And Brassmonkey talks more about it here:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

[rd57]

23 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

It is not a good idea to jump around with your dose.  And this is even more important when taking Prozac/fluoxetine.  This is because of the very long half life.  Many psychiatric drugs have a half life of 4 days (to get to full level in the blood), whereas Prozac takes about 2 WEEKS to build up to full level in the blood and longer for it to fully register in the brain.

 

The increase in symptoms coincided with you overdoing things.  Increasing your drug is not the answer to this.  The better option is to hold on the dose and give your body time to settle back down over the over exertion.

 

 

Thank you for the reply, and apologies for tagging you (I didn't read that you preferred not to be tagged in your signature). I'll continue to hold on the current dose and go from there, as the last thing I want to do is further destabilise my nervous system. I don't understand why increasing the drug wouldn't be the answer though, as considering that the side effects are due to the reduced dosage, shouldn't the increase remove them? 

[ChessieCat]

On 4/11/2022 at 8:07 AM, ChessieCat said:

It is not a good idea to jump around with your dose. 

 

As I previously stated ^

 

The brain likes consistency.

 

Most likely the withdrawal symptoms will gradually ease over the next week or so.

 

Unfortunately there will most likely be times during a taper when you experience some withdrawal symptoms.  If the end goal is to get off the drug then it is generally better to hold for longer and give the brain a chance to adapting to not getting as much of the drug.  If the withdrawal symptoms are absolutely unbearable then updosing by a tiny amount is something to consider.

 

The "trick" with tapering is to only taper at the rate that suits you.  You might find it better to reduce by less than 10% next time.

 

Please note that I did suggest the following at the beginning of March, but you made a 10% reduction.  Sometimes we just need to sit with the symptoms and do nothing (which is actually doing something because it is giving the brain the time it needs without messing around with the dose):

 

On 3/5/2022 at 1:15 PM, ChessieCat said:

If you are feeling unsure about whether you are ready to make a reduction this can cause anxiety which, if you make a reduction and have symptoms, can make it hard to know whether the symptoms are from the reduction and/or the anxiety, and sometimes when this happens a person can end up becoming even more anxious and the symptoms can worsen even more because they are scared and confused.  And I have seen members panic and make bad decisions when this type of thing happens.

 

Something that I suggest to members who are anxious but feel that they may be ready to taper is to make a small test reduction, eg reducing no more than 2.5% or even as little as 1%.  If you feel okay after this small reduction you may feel less anxiety and also more comfortable and confident to make a larger reduction the next time.

 

[rd57]

7 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Please note that I did suggest the following at the beginning of March, but you made a 10% reduction.  Sometimes we just need to sit with the symptoms and do nothing (which is actually doing something because it is giving the brain the time it needs without messing around with the dose):

 

Sorry, I've just read back my April 4 post and I made a typo - I did not decrease by 10% as stated but by 1% (apologies for the confusion). Withdrawal side effects are already subsiding and while I do feel great, I will hold my current dose to allow for consistency. Thank you for the advice!

[ChessieCat]

Thank you for advising the error.  I will add a note to that post.

 

It is interesting that you got symptoms from only reducing by 1%.  This could be due to a variety of things.  You might not have been stable enough to start tapering, possibly that you were stressed about making the reduction and the symptoms you have are due to the anxiety (and these sensation may be misinterpreted at withdrawal symptoms - see diagram below), or it could be due to some other non-tapering event or a combination of two or more of these things.

 

I found this diagram very helpful in understanding how anxiety can affect the body.  From https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/anxiety-self-help/

 

 

[rd57]

On 4/12/2022 at 1:24 AM, ChessieCat said:

It is interesting that you got symptoms from only reducing by 1%.  This could be due to a variety of things.  You might not have been stable enough to start tapering

 

The last time I had tapered before the current 1% decrease was in August 2021 where I had decreased by 10%, surely after 7 months I should be able to start tapering through a decrease of 1% and feel hardly any symptoms since the reduction is so small?

[ChessieCat]

6 hours ago, rd57 said:

surely after 7 months I should be able to start tapering through a decrease of 1% and feel hardly any symptoms since the reduction is so small?

 

That's why I mentioned that anxiety/stress can cause similar symptoms.

 

On 4/4/2022 at 10:53 PM, rd57 said:

On the Wednesday (30 March), I overexerted myself a bit and triggered the side effect of constant nervousness.

 

And you did over exert yourself which is a stress on the body.

 

[rd57]

 

12 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

And you did over exert yourself which is a stress on the body.

 

The one side effect that I cannot understand is that whenever I get just a bit too excited or move around too much (such as going shopping), I then get the symptom of nervousness/ racing heartrate that does not settle down unless I either take magnesium/ CBD or it goes away naturally. Before the 1% reduction I had this similar issue but it settled down after a few months to the point where I could get excited and I wouldn't really get those symptoms. Possibly, the 1% reduction has re-enabled this problem and it settles down once my brain gets used to/ stabilises on the 1% reduction?

[ChessieCat]

2 minutes ago, rd57 said:

The one side effect that I cannot understand is that whenever I get just a bit too excited or move around too much (such as going shopping),

 

This is over-stimulation of the brain and nervous system.  And it is not unusual.  Loud music/noise, bright lights, a busy environment, too much or too strenuous exercising, eating too much or eating some foods.  It is simply because the brain struggles to process the information.  Consider the wide variety of processes that your brain is doing when you go shopping; planning, driving, dealing with unexpected situations, making decisions, feeling overwhelmed and getting tired and hungry, if you go out with another person having to communicate, co-operate, compromise.

 

If you are drinking alcohol, caffeine beverages or foods containing MSG (a neurotoxin) or artificial sweeteners (phenylalanine / aspartame) you might consider stopping these.

 

And stress can also have an impact on the nervous system.  There are different kinds of stress, both good and bad, short and long term, high stress and low level stress.  The last 2 years have been stressful due to Covid (and it's consequences; changes in work structure, financially, isolation or being in close proximity to family) and several other major world events and even though we are starting to get back to a more normal life, it is not the normal that it was before it started.  When we experience low level stress over a long period of time it can catch up with us and sometimes we don't realise the cause. 

 

Magnesium is one supplement which SA recommends.  I find that it takes the edge off my anxiety.  It is better to take it several times during the day instead of in one dose.  Also, if you are taking a calcium supplement they should be taken 2 hours apart, otherwise the calcium cancels out the calming effect of the magnesium.

 

The other supplement which SA recommends it fish oil/omega.  When trying anything new, start with a small dose and only try/make one change at a time:

 

Magnesium

Omega-3 Fish Oil

[rd57]

Hi all,

 

Quick update and a few questions. Since I dropped my medication by 10% in August 2021, I’ve felt inconsistently happier and able to feel more emotion but I now can’t do any physical activity, e.g. go for a short walk for 30 minutes without feeling a (physical) stress overreaction even though there is no stressor; this has gotten worse since dropping by a further 1% (in March 2022) and shows literally no signs of improvement. These are the same problems that are described in the previous posts. Any kind of sexual activity or gym workouts are out of the question, as the stress overreaction doesn’t dampen down for sometimes weeks at a time. I’ve found no real benefit from tapering apart from feeling inconsistently happier but mostly it’s been side effects that haven’t gone away even though it’s been coming up to a year since my first taper, which wasn't even by that much (10%). I'm not understanding why the side effects haven’t reduced by now.

 

Considering these problems started with the 10% and were exacerbated with the further 1% taper, shouldn’t these problems resolve/ significantly improve upon a return to the original 20mg dosage? What is the opinion of more experienced members?

 

 

Thank you. 

[ChessieCat]

Please edit your drug signature and state the mg dosage not the percent reductions.  Thank you.

[ChessieCat]

CBD for side effects

 

Have you considered that it might be the CBD causing/contributing to your issues?

[rd57]

2 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

Please edit your drug signature and state the mg dosage not the percent reductions.  Thank you.

Done:)

 

 

2 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

CBD for side effects

 

Have you considered that it might be the CBD causing/contributing to your issues?

I've considered it, but even when I don't take CBD the problems I've mentioned are still there.