lexapronomo: Lexapro to Prozac

[Altostrata]

We have many people who have tapered Prozac. Symptoms of withdrawal or destabilization are often physical.

 

Please keep daily notes on paper of your symptoms, when you take your drugs, and their dosages. This will help determine whether your symptoms are from the drug you are taking.

 

Do they happen at any particular time of day? Are there times when you don't feel so sick?

 

What do you mean by "sick"? Are you dizzy? Are you able to eat? How are you sleeping?

[lexapronomo]

I am taking 18 mg of Prozac in the morning, for the vast majority of the time I feel at the very least fatigued.  Foggy, trouble concentrating.  I often feel anxious upon waking up, or if I were to fall asleep during the day.  I can sleep pretty well for the most part, although I occasionally get night sweats.  I often feel weak, like my body just isn't ready to go, alot like what it feels like when you have a cold.  Many times when I stand up, my head swims for a minute.  I have to stand still and give myself a second.  Every now and then I get these periods where I feel ok.  But for the most part, when I wake up i feel anxious and weak physically.  I feel like I am running at about 60 percent.  I excercise a lot so my diet is pretty disciplined.  Whole foods.  Water.  Coffee in the morning.  I'm generally pretty healthy.  No blood work has ever showed anything.  hormones, testosterone.  had it all checked.  I'm excited to have started my taper.  I feel like that's progress.  

[downtongirl]

Hello! I may not be the best one to chat with about this because I have failed many times but I recently used Prozac to bridge off of Effexor this summer...my plan was to stay on a low dosage of Prozac like 5 or 10 milligrams if I did not have a lot of side effects. I had previously had success with Prozac but no such luck this summer. The Prozac did get me off of the Effexor but after about 5 weeks on just Prozac I was having bad reactions to it. I think after 21 years of psych med use and several several drug changes and failed attempts at being med free my system is to sensitized for Prozac. I found this time taking Prozac that it was too activating for me and I also had adhedonia very bad. It made me have severe mood swings so I had to stop it. I looked at my notes today and I am 25 days off Prozac and in some ways I feel much better and in some ways I am struggling with withdrawal symptoms. Things that are better for me at the least at this point are...

 

Adhedonia is still there at times but better

 

Motivation and creativity is better

Anxiety is still there but better

Heart palpitations and heart rate are better

 

I can feel emotions now which means I cry which I think is not a bad thing because I seem to feel better after I cry

 

Adrenaline surges are still there but not as bad

 

Things that are not better

 

Insomnia

 

I now have some morning cortisol surges that wake me up

Muscle pain and cramps

 

I am happy to walk through this with you

[wantrelief]

Hey Lex,

 

I hope the Prozac bridge helps you.  I am curious about this option as I might have to consider it if I can't stabilize on Citalopram.  I have tried now to get off of Zoloft and Citalopram and have not been successful with either.  Not sure if there would be any difference with Prozac but it sounds like others have had success so hopefully you will too!

 

Oh - l related to your post as I have been describing how I feels as "sick" as well but don't know how to tell people what that means. I just don't feel like myself at all.  I suppose it is like you said - like when you have a cold or flu but worse than that for me as it is coupled with anxiety and depression.  I have no motivation to do anything and am finding it hard to go outside.  

 

I am hoping this works for you!

[scallywag]

Lex, I saw your post in the discussion Did reinstatement help you.
 

I took Lexapro for 15 years and did a taper over about 1 month. After about six months things got really bad. Constant insomnia anxiety and depression. I reinstated after 9 months and it has been hell ever since. My symptoms are very physical in nature. I feel sick all the time. 3 weeks ago I started Prozac and I am starting a very very slow taper. I am hoping that getting off of all psychiatric medicines is what I need.

 

Question about the bolded text:  Switching to a different drug can be a destabilizing event.  If I'm interpreting your posts correctly you've cut dose from 20 mg to 18 mg Prozac. Typically we suggest staying steady on the dose of the new drug for longer than several weeks. Would you share your thinking about the dose reductions that increase the risk of worsening withdrawal symptoms?

[Chicago77]

I was on Lexapro for 15 years and all my symptoms have been physical, so yes it's normal. I don't feel depressed or anxious, but I have insomnia, fatigue(feels like I haven't slept in years..yet I can't sleep no matter how tired I am), burning skin feeling, pain that is always moving around my body, trouble concentrating, cracking/popping joints and a feeling of a lump in my throat. I think sometimes when you only feel physical symptoms, you think something is seriously wrong.