Realzman: Tapering low dosage of Prozac

[Realzman]

I started on liquid prozac at 2mg. Took 2mg for 1 week, then went to 4mg for last 2 days. Due to feeling even more depressed and getting a flood of suicide thoughts the pdoc said to stop. I am new to site and scared. The suicide thoughts stopped a couple of days ago. I told pdoc I wanted to stick it out thinking prozac might give me hope for my clinical depression (started 3 months back). I started to feel a little better last night, but my wife and me don't believe it could be prozac because it takes weeks to work. Plus I am a skeptic of ssri meds so I don't believe placebo. Mostly gave in to take because wife and family kept asking me to try. Then read a lot about how these meds can cause lifelong depression and other long term brain damage.

My question is since I have only used for several days do experts suggest I taper over days or do they suggest I taper the 10% over months and thereby extend usage?

We think my depression got worse on prozac...possible side effect. Today I feel a little less depressed...all this change in emotions is confusing because my depression was a flat empty feeing for months. If only we knew the cause of these moments of lessened depression.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Karma

[Realzman]

One thing I forgot, went small dosage on prozac because had nightmare from hell on a Celexa.

[Rhiannon]

Realzman, with such short use you can probably come off faster, although without knowing more about your prior history it's hard to say (if you're still in withdrawal from other meds or med changes that will make a difference.) I would say, maybe cut back to 2 mg and then wait 4-6 days or so and see what happens. Again, if you have recent history with other meds that might change things. Also, please start a thread for yourself under Introductions and Updates for ongoing advice and interaction--this thread doesn't get followed like those do.

[Altostrata]

Realzman, some people are hypersensitive to antidepressants from the start and should not take them at all.

If you had a bad reaction from a few days on Celexa, it's likely you are one of those people.

If that is the case, if I were you, I'd stop taking Prozac right away.

What happened with the Celexa?

I've moved your posts to the Introductions forum as your situation may get lost in the Tapering forum. Please post any questions you may have in your Intro topic.

[Realzman]

I started on liquid prozac at 2mg. Took 2mg for 1 week, then went to 4mg for week 2, then 6mg for week 3, and finally 8mg for week 4. My history is never having been depressed or on antidepressants.  I am taking xanax for the anxiety .5mg as needed every 8 hours.  Due to feeling even more depressed and getting a flood of suicide thoughts the pdoc suggested consider stopping.  I also feel anxiety, agitation, restlessness, nervousness, and my sleep has gotten much worse (since starting Prozac).  I am new to site and scared. I told pdoc I wanted to stick it out thinking prozac might give me hope for my moderate/severe clinical depression (started 3.5 months back). I started to feel a little better in my depression on the 4th day, but my wife and me don't believe it could be prozac because it takes weeks to work. Plus I am a skeptic of ssri meds so I don't believe placebo. Mostly gave in to take because wife and family kept asking me to try. Then read a lot about how these meds can cause lifelong depression and other long term brain damage.  Plus read about withdrawals and higher relapse rates for med users.  It seems in the 60's and 70's most depression was managed by exercise, therapy and time.  I'm very much thinking this is a safer approach for me, but still am 2nd guessing my instinct.  The small dosage titration was because I tried Zoloft and Celexa each for one week and they sent me into a mental and physical hell.  I have been labeled "medication resistant".

This all started with Panic attacks and severe anxiety for 2 months.  We think the endless anxiety and literally no sleep set the depression in.  Also, I was diagnosed with OCD.  It was always there...but just thought I was a "worrier".  It blew up and went crazy in the midst of all the panic and anxiety.  Before Prozac, I was finally getting a little sleep, anxiety was mostly gone, and I had stopped the xanax.  As I said, my instinct tells me to go no meds, work out, eat healthy and get my head shrunk.

 

My question is since I have only used for a month do experts suggest I taper over days or do they suggest I taper the 10% over months and thereby extend usage?

 

Any help would be sooooo appreciated!
 

Edited February 4, 2014 by Karma
Edited name at members request

[Karma]

Hi Realzman

 

Welcome to the forum.  It would be helpful if you summarized your drug history in your signature per this thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/759-tips-for-tapering-off-prozac-fluoxetine/

 

I am a little confused about your drug history.  It appears that you took Zoloft and Celexa and had an unpleasant reaction to them.  Can you share a little more about the most bothersome symptoms?  It then appears that you started Prozac, but I am not clear on how long you've been taking Prozac. 

 

It also appears you've been taking Xanax.  In one place it appears you stopped Xanax, but in another place you indicate you are taking it every 8 hours.  If you stopped Xanax after taking it even a short time, you might be experiencing withdrawals from Xanax and that could be complicating your situation.

 

It would be helpful if you could clarify how long you've actually been taking Prozac.  Prozac can be activating and it sounds like that is what you are experiencing.  I'm not going to make any recommendation on withdrawal until we understand your history a little better. 

 

Here is our thread on tapering off of Prozac: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/759-tips-for-tapering-off-prozac-fluoxetine/

 

I apologize.  I had a different response (basically the same content), but I went in to edit it and the links messed up.

 

You'll find lots of support here.

 

Karma

[Realzman]

Thanks, I will later.

 

My Xanax use is limited. Mostly at bed time to reduce the anxiety so I can sleep a little.

[Realzman]

I took xanax in the beginning following my panic attack in early October 2013.  I don't recall, but at least 4 to 5 weeks.  I took usually two .5mg pills per day.  I decided at one point to try to suffer the anxiety because I know long term use of benzos is bad. I stopped cold turkey and then restarted about three weeks ago when i began prozac.   At the most I might take 1 or 2 .5mg pills per day.  As I said, the only way I can sleep is taking a .5mg xanax sometime in the evening. Otherwise I am too agitated from Prozac.

 

The Zoloft was tried about 4 months ago for one week.  The Celexa about 2 months ago for one week.  I had adverse effects, severe depression, panic, anxiety, insomnia, etc.

 

 

I am terrified I will never have my life back.  I had a great life up until October 2013.  My life is my wife and my three small kids (5, 2, infant).  I am in my early 40's and had undiagnosed OCD.  In 2006 I had a panic attack related to religious OCD.  It devastated me for quite some time.  They never diagnosed OCD though, I thought I had a spiritual problem.  Following my panic attack in October 2013, my OCD has become unbearable.  My OCD is all unwanted thoughts.  Religious OCD kicked in full force.  Having OCD has made it hard for me to want to take any meds because I have read "all" the documentation on side effects.  However, I had given in because of my severe depression and OCD. The OCD dosage for Prozac would be 60 to 80mg....so that scares me.

 

I am desperate and honestly struggle with taking meds I know are harmful.  I go back and forth...I don't fear battling the depression without meds...but the OCD is an evil affliction...I am so hopeless right now...sometimes I have prayed for God to just take me.  I am weary of the horrible depression....but hate most the mental anguish of OCD intrusive thoughts.  Please....oh please...somebody say something encouraging.  I feel hopeless.

[Karma]

Hi Realzman,

 

Take some deep breaths.  You can get your old life back.  People recover all the time from being on many more meds than you have taken and for much longer duration than you have taken them.  It is the drugs that are causing you to feel so desperate and I realize that it is very uncomfortable and frightening.  Sometimes it is helpful to identify that it is the drugs.  You can recover.

 

I think that based on the symptoms you report you probably should never have been given antidepressants and I would encourage you to avoid them in the future.  But we are where we are today. 

 

I've asked for some additional help with your situation.  Normally, I would recommend a 10% taper off of Prozac, but it sounds like you are having adverse effects from Prozac so I want to find out if maybe in your case we should attempt a more rapid reduction from Prozac.  One of the other moderators or I will be post some additional guidance on this shortly.

 

I do think that you have some dependency on xanax after 4 or 5 weeks of consistent dosing.  Don't worry about it, you can work on a xanax taper after we get you off of the Prozac.  But you need to realize that your body is somewhat dependent on the xanax so you don't want to try and remove it completely without a thoughtful taper.  Rhi or one of the other mods who is more knowledgeable in benzos will be along shortly and may have some suggestions on how to leverage the xanax to weather the discomfort until we can get you to a more stable place.

 

We recommend that you get off of the more activating drug first and that is Prozac.  Hang in there, you've come to the right place.

 

Karma

 

[Realzman]

Thank you. I feel very anxious. Should I be consistent in the time I take my Xanax. Some days I take 2 of the .5mg pills. Yesterday I only took a half of pill once when I could not sleep from anxiety.

[Rhiannon]

Dosing Xanax irregularly will make your symptoms worse. It is very important to be consistent with Xanax, since it's a short-acting benzo. 

 

You've been taking high enough doses for long enough that your brain has adapted to it.

 

Xanax doesn't stay in your blood for very long (blood levels peak out in less than two hours and then drop). Your brain is "addicted" to the Xanax.(That is, your brain has changed its receptors and its chemistry in response to the Xanax, so when the Xanax levels fall, its chemistry gets wobbly and doesn't work right.)

 

As the levels drop, you get an increase in anxiety, or even (probably) panic attacks.  This is called "interdose withdrawal."

 

The way to get this under control is to take the same amount every day, and to divide up your daily total into separate equal-sized doses, and take a dose every four hours or so. (Xanax levels peak in the bloodstream in less than two hours and then drop.)

 

Pick a daily dose on the high end of the average of what you've been taking (be honest with yourself about this, you won't be doing yourself any favors if you go too low, you'll just go into benzo withdrawal, which is not fun). Divide that into six equal parts and take a dose every four hours. You might be able to get through eight hours at night if you take the double dose at bedtime, but if you find you're waking up panicky, split it up and take one during the night.

 

The idea is to try to keep the level of Xanax in your bloodstream steady, not bouncing up and down in a roller coaster fashion. This should help settle your anxiety and panic attacks.

 

Once you get this under control you will be able to see how much of your symptoms are due to interdose withdrawal from Xanax and how much might be due to overstimulation by Prozac. Then you can tackle tapering your Prozac down.

[Realzman]

Thanks...hard to divide Xanax into equal parts. Is it possible to do four doses a day instead of six? I have mostly been taking a .5mg per day...only occasionally taking more. I am in a major depression and have noted some times where my mood just dropped really lower than the steady empty feeling. A very unbearable sort of despair. I wonder if this has been due to irregular use of Xanax. Sometime I took at 11 pm and others 4 am and others any time in between. Usually I took one to take the anxiety off for sleep if I awoke and could not fall back to sleep from tension.

 

So I just hold the Prozac then?

[Petunia]

I think that based on the symptoms you report you probably should never have been given antidepressants and I would encourage you to avoid them in the future.  But we are where we are today. 

 

I've asked for some additional help with your situation.  Normally, I would recommend a 10% taper off of Prozac, but it sounds like you are having adverse effects from Prozac so I want to find out if maybe in your case we should attempt a more rapid reduction from Prozac. 

 

Hi Realzman,

After reading through your posts, I tend to agree with Karma in that SSRI medication is too activating for you. You have tried 3 different kinds, and each time have had the same bad side effects.

 

 The small dosage titration was because I tried Zoloft and Celexa each for one week and they sent me into a mental and physical hell......

 

.......  Before Prozac, I was finally getting a little sleep, anxiety was mostly gone, and I had stopped the xanax.

 

Seeing as you have only been on the Prozac about 4 weeks, I also suggest a fast taper.

 

I also agree with Rhi, that the way you have been taking Xanax is probably making your symptoms worse for all the reasons she wrote.  If you follow her advice (below), it will help to stabilize your nervous system and you will feel better faster.

 

Dosing Xanax irregularly will make your symptoms worse. It is very important to be consistent with Xanax, since it's a short-acting benzo. ........

 

The way to get this under control is to take the same amount every day, and to divide up your daily total into separate equal-sized doses, and take a dose every four hours or so. (Xanax levels peak in the bloodstream in less than two hours and then drop.)

 

Pick a daily dose on the high end of the average of what you've been taking (be honest with yourself about this, you won't be doing yourself any favors if you go too low, you'll just go into benzo withdrawal, which is not fun). Divide that into six equal parts and take a dose every four hours. You might be able to get through eight hours at night if you take the double dose at bedtime, but if you find you're waking up panicky, split it up and take one during the night.

 

 

Once you are off the Prozac, and feeling calmer, we can help you safely taper from the Xanax.

 

But you are still going to be left with what caused a sudden increase in anxiety and subsequent depression which began late last year.

 

You mentioned religious OCD and a 'spiritual problem', I'm not sure what religious OCD is, but I do know what spiritual problems are and I'm wondering if perhaps spiritual based counseling might help.  But first, we need to help you get stable.

 

You will be able to get your life back on track, for now, do what you can to stay calm, relax as much as possible, avoid anything stimulating.

 

Petu.

[Rhiannon]

Thanks...hard to divide Xanax into equal parts. Is it possible to do four doses a day instead of six? I have mostly been taking a .5mg per day...only occasionally taking more. I am in a major depression and have noted some times where my mood just dropped really lower than the steady empty feeling. A very unbearable sort of despair. I wonder if this has been due to irregular use of Xanax. Sometime I took at 11 pm and others 4 am and others any time in between. Usually I took one to take the anxiety off for sleep if I awoke and could not fall back to sleep from tension.

 

So I just hold the Prozac then?

 

Sure, you can try every six hours, especially if that's something you can start right away. 0.5 a day total is probably enough from what you've said. 

 

In the Tapering section there's info about how to make a liquid by dissolving tablets, that's the easiest way for me with the Xanax, I divide it into little bottles. But whatever works right now, if that's cutting up your tablets, maybe get the 0.25 mg tablets--just start with what you can do and then continue to improve it until you have things feeling pretty steady.

 

As for holding the Prozac, I'd like to see what Alto has to say.  Can you put your med history into your sig line? Are Prozac and Xanax the only psych meds you've ever taken? Is the only Prozac you've taken just what you've been taking for the past four weeks? And you've been taking it for four weeks total? No other ADs in the past?

 

I would definitely not increase the Prozac for sure.

[Realzman]

I have only taken Prozac and Xanax.

 

My biggest concern is I have "pure o" form of OCD. It is an anxiety disorder where you are mentally tormented by intrusive thoughts. Horrible thoughts that keep repeating. It is real...I live in a mental hell. I am opposed to meds....but since my panic attack and depression, the ocd has went into hyper speed. The only known medical aid are ssri meds. Even then you may only slightly benefit. I feel torn. I can survive the depression naturally, but what do I do about ocd. I didn't find ocd even in my search of the forum. On days where ocd thoughts are just barely survivable...I think no meds...then today I am being decimated by these thoughts. Anyone on here deal with OCD not as a side effect but a condition?

[Petunia]

Hi Realzman,

I'm a bit confused, in an earlier post you wrote that you previously took Zoloft and Celexa and had bad reactions to both, but in your latest post you said you have only taken Xanax and Prozac.

[Realzman]

Hello Petu,

I only took them each for 7 days. I couldn't handle the side effects. They were taken in October and November of 2013. Sorry.

[Petunia]

That's ok, its easy to forget things when we are not feeling well.  If possible, could you add those to your signature, with the dose you took and the adverse effects they caused.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, realzman.

 

Some people have immediate bad reactions to serotonergics. It sounds like you are one of these people. Please take your adverse reactions as a red flag that you should not take an antidepressant, they don't get along with your nervous system.

 

If I were you, I would back off the Prozac the way you went on it, fairly rapidly.

 

It's possible many of your symptoms are due to rebound from the Xanax as well. I bow to Rhi's excellent advice in that regard.

 

Please investigate non-drug treatments for your concerns. For example, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a non-drug treatment that is particularly helpful for OCD.

 

You also may be misdiagnosed. The origin of your panic attack needs more investigation, not having prescriptions thrown at it. Perhaps one of these doctors is near you http://tinyurl.com/7cp8l8v

[Realzman]

PLEASE HELP!

 

This is my first update following initially joining the site and seeking recommendations. I was convinced that psychotic drugs are poison and true healing is from learning coping techniques, diet, exercise, and connecting with God.

 

At the time I was determined to come off of these drugs. I had severe OCD, major depression (severe), extreme panic (mainly OCD caused) and struggles with intense anxiety (OCD and general). In addition, I had terrible insomnia and was lucky to sleep 3 to 4 hours. It was suggested I try Cognitive Behavior Therapy for my OCD. My OCD was not the form most people see which is overt observable behaviors. Rather my OCD was wicked horrible intrusive unwanted thoughts that bombarded me during all waking hours. These thoughts caused panic, depression, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, etc. The advice to seek CBT was good. I saw a therapist out of pocket and he did help some. His worry was my severe depression, and that CBT for OCD works best when depression is minor or not present.

 

My dose of Prozac wasn't helping yet (OCD requires 60 to 80mg). After much hard consideration, I decided to titrate up on Prozac slowly, about 2mg per week (liquid form). This decision was because the OCD was overwhelming and unbearable. The thought of living in the thoughts 24/7 made me conteplate suicide. My wife and I felt the evils of psychotic drugs at least would be better than me ending my life. Later, I peaked at 16mg, and decided to titrate down because I felt the OCD was very difficult but I could see very

slowly CBT was helping me with coping tools/skills. I was hopeful, over time I would be able to manage my OCD and find myself able to lead a normal life and become "habituated" to the thoughts so they eventually lose power (panic/anxiety/fear/depression). Follwing habituation, the brain realizes the thoughts are not important and they begin to taper off and disappear mostly...which then makes life all the more easier from OCD. Since I saw this small amount of success, and had spoke to four other people who had fought the

same OCD, I believed I could be successful like them one day. I also believed, while the journey would be terribly difficult, it would get better over time. I am now down to 8mg of liquid Prozac, but holding it there. My titration down was 2mg per week over the last 5 weeks.

 

On the Xanax, I decided I would titrate down slowly. However, because I experienced agitation, anxiety, and worsening insomnia while starting and titrating up Prozac (at the same time I was bringing the Xanax down) I left the Xanax at .5mg three times per day for a while. I thought these issues I was having were coming from the Prozac. At first, upon recommendations I started to slowly titrate down the Xanax. Thinking back...it may have been xanax withdrawl and not the prozac. I did still cut my Xanax to .25mg three times a day and this is where it had been for about 45 days before I quit.

 

The past five weeks or so was a small glimpse of a normal life. My sleep was 5 to 6 hours, with only a few wake ups. I fell asleep quickly. The quality wasn't like life before my breakdown by it was getting better over time. My depression seemed to be improving, I was starting to have a little joy and a little happiness and numbness seemed to be slowly giving way to motivation and pleasure. As I said, I seemed to be struggling through my OCD a little better. The anxiety was significant but was down considerably. I was feeling more confident in my ability to work through the tough times using life tools and skills and not medicine.

 

This last Monday and Tuesday I cut my Xanx to .25mg twice per day instead of three times per day. Then Wednesday I stopped taking Xanax. I felt fine Thursday and the first part of Friday. In the evening of Friday and all day Saturday I could feel a sudden deepening depression, emptiness, despair, detachment and rise in anxiety. Also, last night I only could sleep 2 hours. After mulling this over in my head and with my wife, we both believe all of this must be Xanax withdrawl. So at 6AM this morning I took .25mg.

I didn't feel any different. My wife and I believe since this is Xanax withdrawl the right thing to do is resume dosage where I left off and then beging a slow tapering.

 

My questions are, is it likely that in a few days of resuming that I might return back to my state prior to quiting?

 

Also, most people recommend when taking both a benzo and anti depressant to slowly taper off the benzo first and then 4 weeks after the benzo taper is complete to begin a slow antidepressant taper.

 

I am beating myself up...I should have not quit as I did. My psychiatrist had told me a .25mg three times a day is almost nothing and I would not have withdrawls. I am seeing she was wrong.

 

In the Ashton manual it said in 8 weeks even on the smallest of dosages the body build up dependency. I am back here for help and support. Cleary, you people have walked the terrible path tapering off these drugs. I am thinking a cross over to liquid valium and then a slow taper. I can only pray and hope that resuming the Xanan will "re-stablize me" for now. I feel absolutely "terrible". The only thing helping me is that I did have the 5 week window in the last 7 months of hell since my melt down.

 

My wife still wants me to ask if my xanax dose is low enough to just stop and go through the hell of withdrawl...how long does that usually lasts? She is worried about worsening Tinnitus, which has happened since Xanax. Is there any info on how often tinnitus is permanent following xanax use?

Edited April 20, 2014 by Realzman
adjusted formatting for readability

[GiaK]

Please do reinstate. The sooner the better. And then follow a very slow tapering protocol as supported on this site. 

 

It is NOT a good idea to tough out this sort of thing. Your nervous system is in distress and the best thing to do is soothe it with the drug. Once you've found some stability with the reinstatement you can then again consider tapering very slowly.

[Altostrata]

Realzman, please visit this forum to discuss benzo tapering http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-tapering-discussion/

 

Going off benzos is not the central focus of SurvivingAntidepressants.org. There are several Facebook groups specializing in this, one is https://www.facebook.com/groups/benzogroup

 

I hope this helps.

[Rhiannon]

"Also, most people recommend when taking both a benzo and anti depressant to slowly taper off the benzo first and then 4 weeks after the benzo taper is complete to begin a slow antidepressant taper."

 

Actually, this advice is not universal, and in fact based on my own experience of tapering both I have to agree with this:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2207-taking-multiple-psych-drugs-taper-the-antidepressant-first/

[GiaK]

yeah...I saved the benzo for last because it was sedating and I wanted that...but it's one of those things that really is going to play out differently from person to person...and I can't say it actually helped me in any meaningful way...but I don't really know either given that is the way I did it. 

[Realzman]

In July 2016 my now 6 year old was diagnosed with a terminal disease. I was able to work through sadness without medication. I found joy and was giving my son the best life I could. 

 

He started a clinical trial. It required flying from California to Florida. Since August 2017 him and I were on about 50 flights. I missed lots of sleep, exercise and my diet suffered with all the travel. There was stress and anxiety from all the travel and from his illness. Still I wasn’t sad. However, I believe the stress, anxiety, loss sleep, missed exercise is what shut my brain into a depression. 

 

In December 2017 I realized I never felt drowsy or tired in my head anymore. Sleep began to be 4 to 5 hours with countless wake ups. Next came anxiety in December and into January.  In January sleep got worse. I dropped about 40 pounds in January. 

 

The worst was that as January began I loss interest in everything and couldn’t experience joy. All my health stuff was checked out to rule other causes. Diagnosed with depression. I had an episode that began in December 2013 that lasted about 3.5 months of this anhedonia. 

 

It has been 2 months of this. Anxiety is down. I was tried on Prozac but it made me almost kill myself at only 2mg to 6mg. No medication now. I have a psychiatrist appointment on 3/20.  He will want to put me on another medication. 

 

My in laws came because I am not able to take care of my kids. My wife is working.

 

In my first episode in 2013 this cleared at about 3.5 months. Low Prozac for 9 weeks during the tail of it. I had total insomnia and severe panic/anxiety side effects but I stayed with it. I later tapered off the Prozac slowing a few months after the depression lifted. 

 

 

To me the loss of joy and lack of interest is unbearable and unlivable. Also for how long my son may be alive I am not enjoying him.

 

I am desperate. My history is no illegal drugs. Most folks here tell stories of coming off meds. In a normal depression episode where you don’t take meds does the body recover on itself. I want to feel joy again and want to have interest again. Most of what I read online says ADs cause neurogenisis and reduce inflammation which is how they really can work. I know nobody here would be recommending them. I just wonder if anyone here has an encouraging story of a depression episode  lifting on it’s own without meds. My depression is severe. I’d rather have the low mood type than loss of ability to have pleasure and loss of interest. Passing each day is impossible. At times I feel I will go insane.

 

i do brisk walking most days 30 minutes, eat mostly raw diet, take ton of supplements. Sleep is not good but a little better. 

 

 . Last for those who believe I humbly ask for prayers for my son, me, and my family. I a, scared this loss of interest and pleasure will not end.  

Edited March 11, 2018 by ChessieCat
resized font

[Dalalea]

53 minutes ago, Realzman said:

 

26 minutes ago, Realzman said:

stress and anxiety from all the travel and from his illness

 

Realzman,

I just sent you a message.

I'm praying for you, your son, and your family.

Dalalea

 

 

 

 

[Realzman]

Thank you Dalalea

[Gridley]

Sorry you are going through this, Realzman.   

 

Were you on Prozac once or twice?  Did the loss of feelings occur before or after you went on Prozac?

 

It is possible that you are still in withdrawal from your taper of Prozac, especially if you tapered too fast.  The loss of feelings and lack of interest you describe is known as anhedonia, which is a common antidepressant withdrawal symptom.  Here is a link to a thread on anhedonia:

 

Anhedonia, apathy, demotivation, emotional numbness - Symptoms ...
 

Here is an SA post on handling anhedonia.  Sorry, I don't know the author to give credit to, but it's good advice:

 

"One thing I did learn was to look for and cherish all the little moments of joy.  They actually are popping up all the time, but are very fleeting and easily overlooked.  When you look at a flower, instead of thinking "darn, I can't enjoy this flower", watch for the momentary little flash of joy that that flower brings when you first see it, and acknowledge it when it happens.  Stop and try to see the beauty in things, even if you don't feel it. "Wow, the sun on those clouds is really pretty, one day soon I will feel it again".  Stop and recognize the joy/wonder in the scene, but let your body react in it's own manner.  This exercise will help reestablish the neural pathways and little by little dig out and strengthen the feelings."

 

 

The non-drug techniques in the following link have helped many members deal with emotional symptoms, including depression.

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms 

 

Could you please add to your signature the dates you were on Prozac and the dates and rate that you tapered it?

[Altostrata]

5 hours ago, Realzman said:

In December 2017 I realized I never felt drowsy or tired in my head anymore. Sleep began to be 4 to 5 hours with countless wake ups. Next came anxiety in December and into January.  In January sleep got worse. I dropped about 40 pounds in January. 

 

 

Welcome, Realzman.

 

This sounds like your sleep cycle got thrown off from all the traveling. Everyone has been barking up the wrong tree. You are a person who has to pay particular attention to maintaining good sleep habits ("sleep hygiene").  Anxiety doesn't help either, you might learn ways to manage that.

 

Please read Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

 

Key to re-setting your sleep cycle: 1) Get natural sunlight during the day; 2) Turn off lights and computer at nightfall; 3) Keep bedroom dark and cool; 4) Keep regular hours.

 

You might take 0.5mg melatonin at nightfall to start, this will encourage your cycle to reset to a natural rhythm.

 

 

[BloombieK]

I'm really sorry to hear what you are going through Realzman.  It must be very hard to go through with your son what you are going through, and that enough is a challenge for the whole family.  I pray and will keep you in my prayers.

[Realzman]

I am not sure to add to my signature. 

 

As for Prozac is was only on for one week. The depression (loss of interest and lack of experiencing pleasure) began weeks before the Prozac. This would not be a withdrawal symptom. I wondered since folks here after stopping all meds how they later deal with an episode of depression. Do they just ride it out and it clears with time. How long do most episodes last on average without medication. I can’t get this info anywhere else because as you know most people take medications. Does this make sense?

[Altostrata]

Please see my response above. You are a person who is sensitive to sleep disruption.

[Realzman]

Thank you for the advice on sleep. I have been getting sun nearly every day for over 2 months. I am in CA so it is very strong sunlight. 

 

This sleep disruption seems to not resolve due to depression. 

 

Plus i I take the melatonin. Could start the stuff with e devices. 

[Realzman]

I thank everyone for the suggestions. I just think it is not understood that I am in a real depression. I am trying to avoid meds. People due get depression not on meds and not withdrawing from them. That’s what I hope some folks can help give me ideas on. I don’t want meds. I am desperate though. My family is with me 24/7. I often think of dying. I don’t want to go to a hospital because they will pump me on high doses of meds. 

 

My body is out of control. I can’t help it that I am depressed. Surely people must have gotten an episode of depression after being med free. 

[Altostrata]

Do you turn off all lights at night, particularly the computer, and keep your bedroom dark and cool? Do you keep regular hours, going to bed at the same time each night?

 

No matter what you call it, you need to repair your sleep as much as you can. Your situation is sad and stressful. Anyone would be affected by it. Are you seeing a therapist?

 

This is a site for going off drugs. We don't have any simple cures for depression of any type. We recommend people take a good look at Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms and adopt a toolbox for coping with emotional symptoms. Many people find meditation to be helpful.

[ChessieCat]

Hi Realzman,

 

I've just discovered that you had 3 Intro topics.  I have merged the 1st and 3rd Intros you created into the 2nd Intro.

 

Each member has only 1 Intro topic where they can ask questions and journal their progress.  This keeps their history in one place.  Please do not create any more Intro topics.

 

This link takes you directly to where you can update your signature.  Remember to click Save.  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

This is the preferred format:

 

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.