Jasminecat: trying to quit Prozac after 15 years

[Jasminecat]

Hello I'm new here and need everyone's help. I was first prescribed generic prozac back in early 2007 due to a bad relationship and subsequent divorce soon after. I was recommended to take 60mg a day by a therapist that I only saw a couple times. He was not my main therapist but could prescribe meds so my main therapist thought I should see him. After I stopped going to any therapy, I still was taking prozac 60mgs a day. In 2009, I started seeing a new regular MD for my yearly physicals. He recommended I keep taking the prozac because each and every time I tried quitting it, I started feeling very sick and anxious.

So from 2009-2021 I have been taking 60mg. I have since remarried and have two kids. The only time I was not on prozac was my pregnancies. Oddly, I had no withdrawl symptoms when I was pregnant, but as soon I gave birth I felt an immediate need to go back on my meds. The reason for the medication, dealing with all the emotions of a divorce no longer exist and I often ask my doctor why I need this medication anymore. He claims I suffer from anxiety and how its a natural healthy medication which makes me feel better so why not take it.

I have tried quitting multiple times only to go back. In June 2021 I weaned off one week at a time for three weeks lowering the dose each week. So by July I was off and still off by early February 2021. However, aside from the initial symptoms after I first stopped taking it, brain zaps etc, as the months went on I began to feel sicker and sicker. I thought after a few months had past and I wasn't on it, I was over it.

But by December 2021, I began to slowly notice worsening anxiety. In January and February 2022 I was so sick I couldnt stand it.

It felt like waves of anxiety coming and going all day, especially in the mornings. I have a lot of stress with my kids who are ages 5 and 9.

My symptoms felt like I was falling off a cliff at times. Like my brain was all out of balance and my emotions were out of control. I was fearful, nervous, anxious, nauseous, moody, sad, and just felt sick to my stomach. I didnt want to get out of bed in the mornings and just lay there in a ball. I felt it was getting worse each month. So I called my doctor and told him I was off the meds for six months and was feeling very badly. He always reverts back to how I need these pills. I tell him before I ever started taking them I was fine. I was able to function as a normal person and now I cant function without them. He denies I am addicted to them and makes me feel like Im crazy. Like I need these for the rest of my life. Problem is I have been on them so long, I don't know how to get off them forever and go back to the way I was. I felt like I was suffering from a chemical imbalance when I wasn't on them. I don't like the side effects of taking these drugs so that is why Im trying to get off them.

IS there anyone who can help me? Even after six months being off them, I felt so bad I went back on a low dose of 20mg daily. And yes it has made me feel much better, more calm and stable. However the side effects are starting again too. I want to kick this drug once and for all. I stopped taking it again yesterday but I know its only a matter of time before I feel sick again where I can't take it. How can I get through this? I don't know if this is me or if this is withdrawl, that feeling. But I dread it coming back again so much. IS it something I need to deal with until it passes or will I feel like this forever? 

 

60mg Prozac Spring 2007-June 2021

February 2021-April 2021 20mg

[Onmyway]

Dear @Jasminecat, 

I am so sorry you have been going through such a horrible time and I am so glad you found us - we can certainly help you get off of this drug. It will be a long and possibly unpleasant process but we will help you minimize the withdrawal symptoms and support you through the difficult times. 

 

A few things first. You do not have a chemical imbalance that means that you have to take these drugs. Your intuition on this is right. There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance that can be measured - heck nobody even knows what a chemical imbalance is - that is a myth that was created by pharma and perpetuated by the psychiatric establishment. Here is the former head of the APA admitting it is a myth but still denying doctors were part of the whole thing. Debunking the Two Chemical Imbalance Myths, Again (psychiatrictimes.com)

 

In fact antidepressants work no better than placebo - the details are in this article. It's been known for a while but there is a lot of denial in the field because in the end these drugs are the bread and butter of the profession - what else do psychiatrists have to treat MH issues - most of them don't do therapy any more. 

Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect - PMC (nih.gov)

 

We don't really know how ADs work in reality - we believe the body does adapt to their introduction by lowering their sensitivity to the extra serotonin so by the time you withdraw the drug you have created a 'deficiency' - we think of it as yanking out a trellis around which the body has developed. 

What is happening in your brain? - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

These drugs are very potent and so we need to taper at a very slow rate - no more than 10% of the previous dose every 4 weeks. 

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Why taper? SERT transporter occupancy studies show importance of gradual change in plasma concentration - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

When people withdraw from these drugs fast or cold turkey there are immediate effects and there are delayed effects. What has happened to you is quite normal. The brain zaps and panic attacks etc. are immediate effects and the delayed effects happen months later. In the case of prozac even 6 months later as this is a drug that leaves the body very slowly. You are not crazy, your experience is not uncommon and your doctor just doesn't have a clue - all of which are normal occurrences if you read more stories on this forum. 

 

I have posted A LOT of information here. Have a read and come back with any questions that you have. 

This is your intro topic so any questions you have about your own case we can answer here - we want to keep your story here so we can easily refer to it when we need to help out with advice. If you want to participate in the rest of the forums - you are welcome to post there as well. In that vein, can you also create your drug signature please? Here are the instructions: 

How to List Drug History in Signature - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

At a time when you feel stable and you don't have any major stresses, we will advise you to drop your current dosage by about 10%. This thread has the nitty gritty of how to do it properly. 

 

 

You will then track your symptoms and see how you handle that and if all goes well, in 4 weeks you will be able to drop another 10% - 1.8mg. If you tolerate that well, then in the same way we will continue. If you hit some more difficult times along the way we will stop and have you hold at that dose until your body adapts to it and your withdrawal symptoms are minimal. The goal is to have you functional and as close to normal as possible during this time. 

 

Yes, this will take a long time but it will minimize your withdrawal symptoms and it absolutely worth it. 

 

I am so glad you have found your way to us. We will help you get through this! This is doable and people get through it all the time but it will likely be the hardest thing you've done. 

 

Are We There Yet? How Long Is Withdrawal Going To Take? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

These will help you going!

Success stories: Recovery from psychiatric drug withdrawal - Surviving Antidepressants

We also recommend magnesium and Omega-3 to help support your nervous system during this time. We recommend you don't take any other psychoactive drugs incl street drugs/pot/alcohol or even vitamins (some B vits and D vit can be too activating) as we tend to be too sensitive to  those for a while. 

 

 

Welcome again, 
OMW

[Jasminecat]

Hello again,

 

So tomorrow Monday 4/11/22 will be a week since I have taken any prozac. So far, I feel fine. A little more edgy and a little more anxious but nothing I can't handle. I so far have not had any brain zaps like I got last time I got off these pills. No other symptoms. I am sleeping better at night and not waking up, which was a side effect of being on prozac. I would wake up at night and not be able to go back to sleep for awhile.

My question is, since this medication is still in my system I am worried I haven't felt it yet. I was on a low dose (20mg) for two months and then stopped cold turkey. However last time I stopped, I tapered off each week from 60mg to 20mg. Probably too fast especially I had been on it for four years in a row since I last gave birth.

Now, having been on a low dose and stopping that I wonder if I will get any immediate withdrawl symptoms. Last time I tried getting off this medication, each month I slowly felt worse and worse til I had to call my doctor bc I wasn't feeling well at all. I always worry I will wake up one day feeling that horrible anxiety. For now- one week out on no meds I feel fine. My mind is more sharp, not blurred like being on prozac makes you. I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is feeling those emotional spirals, that terrible fear, stomach in knots and feeling so sick with anxiety it feels like you are falling.

But week one so far so good. My goal is one whole year no meds.

[ChessieCat]

Please follow these instructions and create your drug signature so that we can see your drug history at a glance.  Please ensure that you include the dose you last took and the date of that last dose.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

[Altostrata]

On 4/10/2022 at 7:19 PM, Jasminecat said:

My question is, since this medication is still in my system I am worried I haven't felt it yet. I was on a low dose (20mg) for two months and then stopped cold turkey.

 

It will take several weeks for you to fully metabolize the Prozac you had in you. 20mg is a normal dose, not a small dose. 

 

Please let us know how you're doing.

[Jasminecat]

Hi, Just a quick update and question.

It's been over two weeks since I took my 20mg, the last date was 4/4/22.

So far I have had no withdrawl symptoms other than increased low level anxiety. I feel

it more so in the mornings, than at night.

Last time I quit these meds it was rather fast and I don't remember when, but I did experience brain zaps.

As of yet, I haven't gotten any of those. Is the withdrawl period still not here yet even though it's been over two weeks?

I anticipate my anxiety will get worse over the coming months, that is what I am dreading.

But so far, its flutters of anxiety. Sometimes however I wish I could take my medicine so I don't feel even that.

Any advice on this? For me, even the morning anxiety I feel is uncomfortable. Its not intense but its there. It got more noticeable a week after I stopped the pill.

[Onmyway]

Hi @Jasminecat, 

I have looked over your thread and one of the links I thought I had posted, I don't see there, might not have posted correctly. It was on reinstatement. One way to deal with withdrawal is to reinstate the drug and then taper properly. In your case we would recommend reinstating an amount closer to your original dose - 20mg. Usually we recommend 1mg or less but for you something around 5mg at least? But can try lower and see how you feel and updose if needed. 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

The symptoms you are feeling - the morning anxiety that gets better over the course of the day seem like withdrawal. Have they been getting better or worse? 

 

You will have some prozac in your body for 4-5 weeks from what I know. Prozac has active metabolites (esp. norfluoxetine) that have a half life of 7-15 days. You need about 5-7 half lives for the drug to be completely cleared from your body. You may not feel the full effects for a long time. That is a min of 35 days to a max of 105 days. Luckily the dose is getting smaller and smaller so it is a sort of tapering but much faster than SA would recommend. 

 

Hope you start feeling  better and the morning anxiety goes away slowly, 

OMW

 

 

 

[Jasminecat]

Hi,

My anxiety this week is worse than last weeks. It begins in the mornings and lasts most the day. Its like on and off flutters of anxiety and fear. I anticipate this will get way worse because I still have prozac in my system as you said. It came on stronger and stronger last time I was off this medication over the course of six months.

I am wondering if this daily anxiety feeling will ever go away and disappear. OR because I once took prozac for so many years, is this the new normal when one isn't taking the pills anymore? It's not that I can't live like this, it's just not pleasant.

And last time, it got so bad I called my doctor and they did like an emergency refill for me so i could pick up the pills the following day.

I don't want to call my doctor, he thinks i am on my 20mg. Everytime i tell him i don't feel well from not being on it, he says I need it. That I do better on it. He doesn't get that I was put on this medication years ago for a temporary issue I was going through. I could have dealt with the issue without medication but I was young and naive. So I listened to these idiot therapists and started taking prozac instead of dealing with emotions which is healthy to do in the first place.

Now I feel like I am addicted to something which I never wanted or needed. Yet, I trusted my doctor to keep going on it to feel "normal". I don't like being on it, because of the other side effects and feeling like a tired zombie all the time. Yet getting off it is proving to be very problematic. Had I known, I never would have taken it.

What do I do each week? I don't want to call my doctor and ask for a lower dose. Even with the 20mg I was feeling some anxiety after the first month or so bc it wasn't my usual dose of 60mg. He doesn't want to help me go off it completely. Im trying to find ways to hang in there and deal the best I can.

[Onmyway]

Hi @Jasminecat, 

my advice would be to reinstate 5 mg or even 10 mg and stabilize on it. It will take a few days until you feel it but that way you are warding off the 'potentially' more severe symptoms. If you had said that the anxiety was improving I might have said to ride it out. 

 

It is perfectly possible to come off of these drugs and no, anxiety is not your destiny. What will happen is that once you stabilize on the reinstated dose, you will taper very slowly 10% a month, which is a long process but may be completely without withdrawal symptoms and if any, they would be mild. 

 

For most people MH issues are transient - they would have gone away on their own even if they didn't take anything for it. In fact, these drugs are no better than placebo no matter how some researchers try to twist the data to find some effect. Any effect found is so small (and likely due to breaking blind in placebo controlled trials) that it is clinically insignificant. Also, even if people had more serious issues - due to trauma and adverse early experiences they can get therapy and heal and learn ways to manage symptoms. So no, you are not dependent on these drugs. If you taper properly, you might not even have any withdrawal symptoms.

 

So you need to make a decision soonish (on reinstatement). I can understand you being hesitant about it because it might feel like failure or because it might feel like being chained to a drug. It is neither. It is an empowering decision to take care of yourself and do this from a position where you control the rate of taper and the drug rather than it controlling you. 

 

You can do this. 

And we will be with you every step of the way! 

 

OMW

[Jasminecat]

Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and help me out! I really appreciate it!!

So you think I should ask my doctor for a lower dose- less than 20mg. Then he would know I'm trying to get off it.

IF I did use 10mg for example instead of 20mg, how long would I have to take the 10mg for? Then would I drop to 5mg? and after 5mg is there a less dose or you just quit at that point?

IF I chose to ride this out, will the anxiety keep getting worse and worse? Is it something that will cure itself in time or is it absolutely necessary to keep dropping the doses til they are practically 0.

My doctor is a bit of a cocky guy. I kept questioning him why I need these pills and he told me to speak to a psychiatrist with my questions. He thought if i didn't trust his answers on why these pills are good for me, then I might feel better hearing it from another person.

He isn't trying to help me get off these pills. He thinks I do better on them. He knows everytime I went off them in the past and experience what I now know was simply withdrawl, he makes it seem like I'm a person who suffers from anxiety and depression. LOL NOT before I took these pills 15 years ago.

IF you believe it would help me, I can email him and request a 10mg dose which I have never taken. My lowest is 20mg.

However I would prefer to see what happens. It is fair to note, my two kids are a huge source of stress for me. I feel if it was me and my spouse here alone I might not feel my withdrawl as much. I can't tell what is withdrawl or what is simply stress from having young kids at home.

I know for sure the morning anxiety is withdrawl from not taking my pill in the mornings. I can say though my withdrawl last summer was much crazier than this. I got brain zaps which so far I haven't got.

I also had a few glasses of wine with dinner to help me relax. IS alcohol a good way to cope with withdrawl anxiety??

I find it made a good difference but I'm not usually a drinker. Very rare for me to drink.

Thank U Everyone for all the support!!!!

[Onmyway]

4 hours ago, Jasminecat said:

Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and help me out! I really appreciate it!!

So you think I should ask my doctor for a lower dose- less than 20mg. Then he would know I'm trying to get off it.

IF I did use 10mg for example instead of 20mg, how long would I have to take the 10mg for? Then would I drop to 5mg? and after 5mg is there a less dose or you just quit at that point?

IF I chose to ride this out, will the anxiety keep getting worse and worse? Is it something that will cure itself in time or is it absolutely necessary to keep dropping the doses til they are practically 0.

My doctor is a bit of a cocky guy. I kept questioning him why I need these pills and he told me to speak to a psychiatrist with my questions. He thought if i didn't trust his answers on why these pills are good for me, then I might feel better hearing it from another person.

He isn't trying to help me get off these pills. He thinks I do better on them. He knows everytime I went off them in the past and experience what I now know was simply withdrawl, he makes it seem like I'm a person who suffers from anxiety and depression. LOL NOT before I took these pills 15 years ago.

IF you believe it would help me, I can email him and request a 10mg dose which I have never taken. My lowest is 20mg.

However I would prefer to see what happens. It is fair to note, my two kids are a huge source of stress for me. I feel if it was me and my spouse here alone I might not feel my withdrawl as much. I can't tell what is withdrawl or what is simply stress from having young kids at home.

I know for sure the morning anxiety is withdrawl from not taking my pill in the mornings. I can say though my withdrawl last summer was much crazier than this. I got brain zaps which so far I haven't got.

I also had a few glasses of wine with dinner to help me relax. IS alcohol a good way to cope with withdrawl anxiety??

I find it made a good difference but I'm not usually a drinker. Very rare for me to drink.

Thank U Everyone for all the support!!!!

Hi @Jasminecat

Sorry my post will be brief as I'm on a phone.

 

2. To get the right mg, you can cut the pill or dissolve it liquid. I'll post a link to the topic with that info in the tapering forum

 

2. Alcohol and any other psychoactive substances usually make withdrawal worse. I'd advise against them.

 

3. The morning anxiety is likely not from not taking your pill in the morning specifically. Even people who take their pills in the evening get that. It's due to our CNS being very sensitive to the body's natural morning cortisol surge. One thing that helps with that - a really really dark bedroom or in its absence an eye mask. 

 

4. Withdrawal may get worse. I hope it doesn't but it may. Reinstatement sooner rather than later is better. At some point if destabilization gets much worse reinstatement might not worth as well.

 

5. Your doctor can continue prescribing you the meds as they are, you can make your own dosage. If there's a danger of him abandoning you if you taper, you may keep quiet. You will need a supply of the meds for tapering. Would have been nicer if doctors understood withdrawal and tapering and supported us but they don't. So here we are.

 

OMW

[Jasminecat]

hello all!

Just a quick update. so far three weeks no pill. This week i feel my anxiety is the worst in the morning but still mild anxiety.

I have no had any alcohol since i was told it makes withdrawl worse. i am sleeping through the night again, no insomnia.

i have not had any brain zaps like i did last time i stopped the pill. im hoping by three weeks this medication is totally out of my body. i am hoping that i do not get any worse anxiety. if i keep feeling as i do now i should be okay. the problem and fear is the last time after about 5 or 6 months i started feeling manic anxiety through out the entire day. felt like i was sick, literally. i hope to god this does not happen. i went on the 20mg for two months this year to help me stop feeling that god awful withdrawl. last year i had been on 60mgs for a few years continuously. i hope that by doing 20mg for a couple months, maybe there will not be any withdrawl effects. it sucks bc it is a waiting game to see how i feel each day. but so far its ok. like i said no brain zaps. i feel better this week than i did last week or the week prior. i have more like a nervous energy to me. but i feel better as a whole without taking those damn pills.

[Onmyway]

This sounds good @Jasminecat. Hope things continue in the same direction

Take care of yourself, 

OMW

[Altostrata]

21 hours ago, Jasminecat said:

This week i feel my anxiety is the worst in the morning but still mild anxiety.

I have no had any alcohol since i was told it makes withdrawl worse. i am sleeping through the night again, no insomnia.

 

 

Hello, @Jasminecat This sounds like your mild withdrawal symptoms are resolving. If they get significantly worse, you might consider reinstating a very low dose, such as 0.5mg or 1mg. Any doctor can prescribe fluoxetine liquid, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist.

 

You are right to avoid alcohol. You probably should plan on doing this for a year or longer -- even mild withdrawal symptoms can make your nervous system vulnerable.

[Jasminecat]

Hello All,

 

Quick Question: It's been exactly a month since I took any pill. I have had no brain zaps at all during this month. Anxiety is still mild, worse in morning. Does this mean I have passed my withdrawl period? Is this medication out of my body completely?

Also, is it normal to feel some anxiety and/or depression due to one's life and what is happening? If it stays as it is, I will be ok. My fear is one day it will gradually get worse to the point where I feel sick like last year. But as of now, I'm just wondering about my progress so far and if I feel like this bc i still have some prozac in me.

I am sleeping through the nights, no waking up. Feeling more normal in terms of alertness, sharpness, and being fully present.

Thank u all for all the advice and help!!!

[Jasminecat]

Hi All,

 

So its been over two months since I took Prozac 20mgs and I have some issues. I don't have any physical problems, but I feel a lot going on in my mind all day long. I am more neurotic and over analyzing everything. I am sensitive emotionally more so now than when i was on prozac. I alternate between feelings of sadness, loneliness, to anger, anxiety, depressed, and over thinking every damn thing. This happened last time i quit these meds but it got far worse over time.

This is so annoying bc i feel weaker mentally than ever. Things that shouldnt bother me or i should let go of, i tend to dwell on. It makes life very difficult.

How LONG will this go on for?

Is this withdrawl or just my personality? I was never like this before i took these meds.

Does anyone else have this problem? I miss the pill temporarily stabilizing my thoughts so all negative thoughts are put away.

Now it feels like i live in negative thoughts. Please respond to this posting, thanks!!

[Ariel]

@Jasminecat

 

25 minutes ago, Jasminecat said:

I feel a lot going on in my mind all day long. I am more neurotic and over analyzing everything. I am sensitive emotionally more so now than when i was on prozac. I alternate between feelings of sadness, loneliness, to anger, anxiety, depressed, and over thinking every damn thing. This happened last time i quit these meds but it got far worse over time.

This is so annoying bc i feel weaker mentally than ever. Things that shouldnt bother me or i should let go of, i tend to dwell on. It makes life very difficult.

How LONG will this go on for?

Is this withdrawl or just my personality? I was never like this before i took these meds.

Does anyone else have this problem? I miss the pill temporarily stabilizing my thoughts so all negative thoughts are put away.

Now it feels like i live in negative thoughts.

 

These sound like the usual mental/emotional symptoms of withdrawal. I deal with these, too. They do get better with time. 

I'm sorry you're going through this. 

 

[Jasminecat]

Thank you for the reply Ariel!!

Hope you feel better too!!

Glad to know there is a reason behind this emotional storm.

[Jasminecat]

Hello All,

So its been over four months since I last took 20mg of Prozac. I am coming back on here for advice.

I feel like I am starting to feel last year when my withdrawl was getting worse each passing month.

It's the summer so its naturally difficult with kids being home more. However, I feel bad anxiety when I wake up in the mornings. After I have some chamomille tea, I feel a little better. As the day goes on, I feel more normal. Overall though, I still feel a lot of negative, unhappy moods and thoughts. I am emotional and very short tempered at times. Its a rollercoaster of feeling like crap.

I want it to stop already, I don't know how long I can take this. I am sleeping fine at night. I just am very edgy during my waking hours and overall feel depressed. I never was like this before I took those pills. Now that I am trying for the second time to get rid of them permanently, I feel l need help.

Can anyone help me? Its horrible to not feel yourself when you are with your kids. Will this ever go away????

There are times I want to pop a prozac just so I feel more normal and stable.

Again only four months in, but it feels like a lot longer to me. Any advice would be appreciated.

[methuselah]

On 4/27/2022 at 11:22 AM, Altostrata said:

 

Hello, @Jasminecat This sounds like your mild withdrawal symptoms are resolving. If they get significantly worse, you might consider reinstating a very low dose, such as 0.5mg or 1mg. Any doctor can prescribe fluoxetine liquid, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist.

 

I'm not a moderator, but I expect they'll come back with what they've been telling you above, small reinstatement, stabilize there for a few months, slow taper of no more than 10% per month thereafter.  The small reinstatment is great bc it alleviates symptoms, shouldn't trigger an adverse reaction to a sensitized system, AND you don't have a huge amount to taper from after stabilization.  You have to be patient, this is hard trust me i know, and give the reinstatement time to work especially given prozac's half life.

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Jasminecat

 

It sounds like you are making a normal, slow recovery from withdrawal. How has your symptom pattern changed in the last month? 

 

Are you getting at least 1/2 hour of regular gentle exercise per day? 

 

It sounds like you may be sensitized to your normal morning cortisol spike. See 

 

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing the morning cortisol spike

 

Withdrawal syndrome can also make you irritable. These techniques may be helpful:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Easing your way into meditation for a stressed-out nervous system

 

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

 

Ways to cope with daily anxiety

 

Coping with irritation, anger and rage

 

 

Many 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/

 

You might try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you. Please let us know how you’re doing.

 

 

[ChessieCat]

13 hours ago, Jasminecat said:

I am sleeping fine at night.

 

This is great.  Many members suffer from insomnia which makes it harder to deal with other withdrawal symptoms.

[Jasminecat]

Thank you for all the helpful responses, I really appreciate it!!!

I hope I don't have to reinstate a small dose, I hope I can just live through this to the other side. How long before your mind and body get back to normal? A year of being off completely? There are days where anxiety in mornings is terrible and my whole day is feeling like crap. Other days for no reason, anxiety like today is not as bad.  However, when it is that time of the month (period), the emotions, feelings and moods are unbearable. Feels like I am a crazy person.

The scary thing is I can't tell if I feel this way bc of my actual life and its problems and stress. Or is this an effect of withdrawl? I do have a lot of stress with kids especially in summer time. I will let everyone know in September if them being in school all day makes me feel different and better. Then I know how I feel is not just withdrawl. But that morning cortisol spike makes me sick at times. Feels like falling in air.

 

           

[Altostrata]

Quite commonly, women will feel more acute withdrawal symptoms during menstruation. You might want to take ibuprofen for a few days.

 

Recovery can be very slow and gradual over months. You might find fish oil and magnesium supplements to be helpful.

 

 

 

 

[Jasminecat]

So its September and kids are back at school for a full day. I had thought this would completely change how I feel.

It makes the day easier however, there is a lot going on in my mind. Haven't taken prozac since beginning of April so its been five months i believe. The feeling is getting worse in the mornings and last through out most the day. Its so bad i want to take a prozac just to fix it. I feel flutters of anxiety, and I am constantly nervous even when I'm alone: no kids around. I'm also sensitive and paranoid to other people's comments or feelings. But the nerves and anxiety is the worst. When I am around others, I don't feel like myself. I feel like I just want to be alone. I wouldn't say I'm depressed but I don't feel happy that much. Please tell me how long this will last and will it get better? Feels like its slowly getting worse. I see a huge difference from May- now. IT just sucks not to feel like how you felt before ever taking these drugs. and i was on them over 10 years at 60mg. AM i permanently changed from them? Should i go for an MRI?

Does anyone experience this? How do you get through each day? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? To be honest, if it wasn't for weight gain associated with SSRI's, I would probably keep taking them. Please help>

[Altostrata]

You have withdrawal syndrome. We expect very, very slow improvement over months, with waves and windows. See 

 

What is withdrawal syndrome? 

 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Are We There Yet? How Long is Withdrawal Going to Take?

 

"Is it always going to be like this?"

 

The importance of recognizing you're feeling good

 

Progress! What withdrawal symptoms have gone away for you?

 

Please explain more about how your symptoms have become worse.

[Jasminecat]

Thank you for getting back to me, I really appreciate it. My symptoms have become more intense over the months. The first month or two off prozac I felt slightly off but not this bad. It gradually gets worse and I feel it in the mornings and early part of the day the most. It's so intense you want the prozac just to feel better. The one day yesterday, I woke up and felt like I was in a window. No anxiety and felt pretty normal. Then the next morning, I feel like I'm in a wave again. It feels endless. And based on my experience last year, it only got worse and worse. After six to seven months, I couldn't do it anymore and called my doctor. He gave me 20mg prozac but even that didn't help for too long. I was on 60mg for almost 14 years. I know the days I feel normal and the days when I am not. Feels like horrible anxiety, paranoia, over analyzing things that never used to bother me, sadness, etc. Feels like a tornado of emotions in your mind, and you don't think or feel rationally. It feels like hell. I am trying to not break and take a pill bc then I will never, ever get off this cycle. Thank you for the links you attached, I will read them.

[Jasminecat]

I was also wondering, is it possible to sue the doctor who had wrongly prescribed this medication for years to me. Telling me I needed it when I didn't. He also never ran any tests or evaluations to see If I needed to keep taking it. Also the original doctor who prescribed it to me, never followed up with me when I stopped coming in to see him. But my primary care doctor was the one who had me keep on it when I first told him I had been taking it for two years already. So two years went to 14. Would have been longer, but I made the choice to stop it. Why aren't these doctors getting sued for malpractice?

[Altostrata]

Do you now have 20mg Prozac capsules?

 

On 4/27/2022 at 8:22 AM, Altostrata said:

If they get significantly worse, you might consider reinstating a very low dose, such as 0.5mg or 1mg. Any doctor can prescribe fluoxetine liquid, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist.

 

This topic explains how to make your own liquid Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

You'd have to talk to a lawyer to sue your doctor. You can make a complaint to your state medical board yourself.

[Jasminecat]

I was taking the 20mg Prozac capsules for just two months, from February to April 4th. I was always on 60mg and went off them way too fast last summer. So the withdrawl was so bad that my doctor told me to go back on them. I told him I didn't want to take them anymore and he disagreed with me. So he said take 20mg daily, I stopped taking them on my own. I haven't taken a pill since April 4th and I really don't want to go back on any dose in any form. I am just hoping this withdrawl clears up gradually. Even if i have one normal morning, the next day it starts again.

The scariest thing is I don't know if this is ME, my personality, OR is it withdrawl.

[Crepe]

Hi Jasminecat, I wish I'd read your thread sooner and could have responded.

 

I've had terrible problems with fluoxetine (prozac) including many awful symptoms that you've described. I'm still in shock at the way my withdrawal has progressed.

 

I too was on 60mg for many years. I tapered off last year. I suffered many debilitating  symptoms after ceasing but the worst of my problems (nausea & vomiting) hit me really hard 5 months later in May. I am still suffering. It seems that I am a slow metaboliser and perhaps you are the same.

 

A reinstatement of a small amount as others have recommended (split open a capsule and measure a portion) might be sensible and not too difficult to do.

 

Withdrawal will end. One day we will find ourselves feeling normal. No one can say how long it will take, but it will end. There are days when I simply don't cope & want to give up but I know these horrible feelings will come to an end.

 

I've found Baylissa Frederick's work incredibly helpful, she has worked with people withdrawing from antidepressants and psychoactive drugs for many years and has her own lived experience.

 

Be good to yourself.

[Jasminecat]

Thank you so much for your insightful and helpful reply Crepe!!! It is nice to know I am not alone!

I am so sorry you are experiencing such terrible withdrawl from Fluoxetine. I had no idea and was never told when i began taking it, that it would be so difficult once you stopped taking it. I didn't look at it like a drug, I looked at it like a happy pill my doctor had no problem continuously prescribing to me. I noticed unpleasant side effects over the years from taking it. Then I began wondering why am i still taking this pill 15 years later. IF I had known, I never ever would have gone on it in the first place!!! I could have and would have dealt with my life problems on my own. These therapists make things worse. and they love to put people on pills.

I was wondering how long you had been taking fluoxetine for and how long you have been dealing with your withdrawl?

I have never had vomiting or nausea, but horrible manic anxiety and mood swings and paranoia. Some days I really feel it only in the mornings and then around 11-12 it goes away. Other days, it is for the entire day and most the night. Just feels like I am sick with something. Thank God I found this website because no one I personally know can help me through this. They don't get it.

I tell myself if I can keep hanging on and wait it out for a year since taking the last dose, I should be okay. But I don't know.

Thank you for sharing your story with me and I hope you start to feel better and make it through this!

I tell myself each day that passes is a win. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing!

[Altostrata]

If your withdrawal syndrome is getting worse, you might consider a reinstatement of 1mg Prozac to start, to see if it may help.

 

If you wish to cope with your symptoms and let time do the healing, please see 

 

[Crepe]

@Jasminecat , sorry for the delayed reply, things have been a bit crazy...

 

I completely agree with all you said about not being informed and therapists making things worse etc. I've had some truly evil psychiatrists, I don't use that word lightly. I've also had psychs who really had the best intentions and cared for my wellbeing. But they didn't do their research, they didn't inform themselves and were therefore unable to inform me.

 

To answer your question I was on fluoxetine 60mg consistently from 2016 til 2021. Before that I'd been on it since 2009 with a few breaks to try other drugs (oh the joys!)

 

Since dropping below 20mg mid last year I've had terrible bouts of all sorts of symptoms, many of which have resolved thankfully. I have to hold on to the hope that this withdrawal suffering will come to an end sooner rather than later.

 

Wishing you happy days ahead!

 

C.

 

 

[Jasminecat]

Hi everyone!

 

Quick question: Would anyone recommend during days of really bad anxiety and withdrawl using weed to make one feel better?

I have tried the gummies and it does relax me for a bit. A half of one does the trick, a whole one put me to sleep. However the next day, I feel i am even more edgier and anxious. I  know they claim weed is natural and I only have used it when I really felt it.

But I dont want to become dependent on that either. I also have been tracking my waves and windows. Seems like everyday is a wave, some mild, some bad. I only had a couple days where I put window. This was over a week. It has only been over five months since I took 20mg prozac. I can not imagine feeling like this for another seven months at least.

 

[Onmyway]

48 minutes ago, Jasminecat said:

Hi everyone!

 

Quick question: Would anyone recommend during days of really bad anxiety and withdrawl using weed to make one feel better?

I have tried the gummies and it does relax me for a bit. A half of one does the trick, a whole one put me to sleep. However the next day, I feel i am even more edgier and anxious. I  know they claim weed is natural and I only have used it when I really felt it.

But I dont want to become dependent on that either. I also have been tracking my waves and windows. Seems like everyday is a wave, some mild, some bad. I only had a couple days where I put window. This was over a week. It has only been over five months since I took 20mg prozac. I can not imagine feeling like this for another seven months at least.

 

Every time you introduce a psychoactive substance you may get relief but you are complicating your withdrawal, the brain doesn't know quite what to do and you're pushing stabilization further away.