Ruthjess: Prozac withdrawal

[Ruthjess]

Hi everyone.

 

In june 2013, at a weak point in my life i made the vital error of agreeing to go onto Lexapro. I specifically asked the psychiatrist about withdrawal, whereby she said she has never heard of it in regards to Lexapro. Stupidly i took her word for it, without doing my own research. I now know better...

 

After gaining 10kg in 10 months and loosing all motivation, i new it was not for me. I was sleeping all the time and did not feel well. I was worse off thatn i was before starting it, so i decided to go off. i tapered but too quickly. Withdrawal kicked in after 5 days off of it, and it was intolerable. I couldnt be inside my own skin. The psychiatrist denied it and didnt offer me any constructive help, and infact made it infinately worse, as i lost all trust in her.

 

I had to start doing my own research, i found out that Prozac has a longer half life. So i transferred. I am now three months off the Prozac, but any stress still gives me very bad tingles and shocks, especialy at night which makes me sleep badly.

 

Im wondering if anyone can give me any info as to if this is normal on prozac. I know withdrawal can be extended, but im starting to get a bit scared that i might have other neuralogical problems. If anyone can give me any info id be ver greatful.

Edited January 29, 2015 by cymbaltawithdrawal5600
added line breaks for readability

[Ruthjess]

I guess my main question is: Does stress exacerbate withdrawal symptoms, and could these aches and pains, plus bodily shock/tingle sensations still be related to prozac withdrawal? I am just under three months off everything...

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

It sounds like you are experiencing withdrawal syndrome.

 

You have not listed the doses of lexapro and prozac that you were on but you have started stopped and started and stopped 2 drugs in 1 1/2 years, which is enough to destabilize your nervous system. Why did you decide to go off prozac?

[bubble]

Hello Ruthjess and welcome to SA, from me too.

 

It woudl help us to give you more advice and suggestions if you could put your drug history in your signature as explained here: http://survivinganti...your-signature/

 

There you can put your doses and timeframes as CW indicated.

 

Stress most definitely exacerbates withdrawal symptoms. I would find it very unlikely that you have any neurological disorder. It's just that these drugs even after short use can mess up with all our systems. Withdrawal symptoms often mimic many health conditions that we would find very unlikely to connect with it. Among other things, I developed a severe sinus condition when I stopped Lexapro. 

 

Compared to many of us here, you were on these drugs for a short period of time and despite stopping and starting you shoudl be fine. It just takes time. Fear is our worst enemy here and it is very understandeable because these symptoms are very disturbing. But once you know it's withdrawal, it's easier to accept them and not be scared.

 

If you look at the list of these withdrawal symptoms you will find what you describe listed there: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2390-dr-joseph-glenmullens-withdrawal-symptom-checklist/

 

Poor sleep is also one fo the most common withdrawal symptoms. But the good things is that it passes with time. It's just that this time can last.

 

You may want to check our symptoms and self-care section for ideas on how to manage these symptoms with non-drug methods.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/

[Addax]

Hi Ruthjess.

 

Prozac does have a longer half-life than other SSRIs, which in someways may make witdrawal less sudden, but does not protect from withdrawal symptoms in and of itself. i have found that while doctors may acknowledge withdrawal is possible when discontinuing an SSRI, more seem to think prozac is the exception in that there is no or minimal withdrawal symptoms associated with it.

 

I guess my main question is: Does stress exacerbate withdrawal symptoms, and could these aches and pains, plus bodily shock/tingle sensations still be related to prozac withdrawal? I am just under three months off everything...

So yes, stress does seem to exacerbate or even bring on new withdrawal symptoms, and yes the pains and sensations you're feeling are consistant with some of the symptoms experienced during withdrawal from prozac or any of the SSRIs.

 

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

[Ruthjess]

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement everyone. This forum is a god send in that its only us, who have suffered with these medications who truly know the agony of trying to get off, and how destructive it can be on lives. My history is actually quite extensive regarding medication. After a very serious adverse reaction to Effexor at age 21 i was put on 100mg of trepaline. This is due to the chronic insomnia which developed as a result. I was also diagnosed with bi polar after the withdrawal from Effexor, and believed it, as i hadnt understood what had caused me to get so ill. Being older now, having my own resources and access to internet to be able to do my own research i now know it was Effexor withdrawal that i went through. If i could sue my psychiatrist i would, as coming off the effexor led to me admitting myself into a private psychiatric clinic, which was traumatic. I however was young and i trusted the professionals... I was on trepaline for about 8 years for sleeping, because i believed if i didnt take it i would have a repeat episode of what i went through with withdrawal. I weened down to 25mg of trepaline though, until i was put on the Lexapro in a moment of weekness, and things have gone seriously down hill from there.

[Ruthjess]

the moment the psychiatrist said she had never heard of withdrawal on Lexapro, i knew i wasnt going to get the help i need, so i did my own research which led me to the knowledge that its easier to transfer to prozac and try to get off that. I was never on high doses of either of them, but i think because i had been hooked on meds in general for so long, my system has been very sensitized.

[Ruthjess]

I decided to go off prozac, because ive been on meds for so long, and wanted to atleast try and see what my base line is. im almost three months off everything now, but not sleeping well due to these shocks/tingles and aches, which get way more pronounced with stress which i unfortunately have  alot of.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Ruthjess,

 

Your doctor should not have put you on lexapro while you were on the amitriptyline (trepiline) as the combination can cause serotonin toxicity.

 

Please use the link above to list all of of the drugs you have taken and their dosages and when you stopped and started them.

 

Interactions between your selected drugs

amitriptyline ↔ escitalopram

Applies to: amitriptyline, Lexapro (escitalopram)

Talk to your doctor before using escitalopram together with amitriptyline. Combining these medications can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms while taking the medications. In addition, you may have an increased risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious. Your doctor may be able to prescribe alternatives that do not interact, or you may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to safely use both medications. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, shortness of breath, or fast or pounding heartbeats while taking the medications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

 

 

Trepiline is not a sleeping pill, it is a tricyclic antidepressant. Are you also taking it with the prozac?

 

So I still need the information of what drugs, their doses and for how long, it is very important.

 

You stopped everything cold turkey? Your system is 'more sensitized' from removing the drugs it had come to depend upon. Often this can be avoided by coming off them slowly so the body and brain has a chance to remodel itself.

[Petunia]

It woudl help us to give you more advice and suggestions if you could put your drug history in your signature as explained here: http://survivinganti...your-signature/

 

There you can put your doses and timeframes as CW indicated.

 

Please use the link above to list all of of the drugs you have taken and their dosages and when you stopped and started them.

 

Here's how to add your signature from a phone or tablet:

 

http://survivinganti...nature/?p=84105

 

[Ruthjess]

Hi everyone.

Today i went to go and see my local GP to see if there was anything he could give me to help with shock sensations which are happening at night and have been causing me to sleep very badly.

I will NEVER go back to him. None of these doctors listen, and they all just say its the underlying anxiety disorder. I am now three months off of prozac and getting worried as the shocks arnt subsiding. I have had anxiety all my life, i think i know the difference between anxiety and abnormal shock sensations. Makes me angry, these people should know better. He then told me i need to go back on an anti-depressant. All the while looking at me as though i was cuckoo. If anyone else has struggled with shocks at night for this long, please let me know. It is made much worse by stress.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

RJ,

 

I moved your latest post into your Introduction topic, it is one topic to a person in this forum so that all of your information remains in one place. You can bookmark it so that you can always come back to it when you want to add more information or ask questions about your situation.

 

Were you able to read any of the information that we have given to you above? It is not stress that is causing the tingles and shocks, it is your body reacting to the starting and stopping of those powerful psychiatric drugs your doctor gave you to take. They cannot be taken that way. It is not going to get better and it could get worse. At this point what we usually recommend is that you go back on a small amount of the last drug you were on to see if the symptoms abate and then you can slowly taper off that small amount and let your body get used to being drug-free a lot more slowly.

[clearday]

Hi Ruthjess,

 

Prozac withdrawal can last for years. I was on Prozac for six years. When I stopped using Prozac, I was fine for four months and then WHAM I got hit with severe WD symptoms which I struggled with for a few years, at varying severity. But the symptoms all mostly cleared up after a few years. Luckily you were on Prozac for less time than me, I think..... 

 

Each person has their own reactions to these drugs. But overall, SSRI WD symptoms are widely varying from person to person and drug to drug, but what the symptoms all have in common is that they all suck, they can pop up out of nowhere, and can be scary and confusing.

 

I hope you go to "My Settings" in your profile and add your drug history in the "Signature" section. It will help everyone else here to help you better.....

 

Good luck on your journey to recovery......... 

[Ruthjess]

Thank you RJ. My apologies, am still learning the ropes here, and thanks for the assistance with the signature, had tried a few times but didnt realise it was in settings. Regarding the shock sensations, can it realy be that they wont get better? They only realy started at the end of my second month off! Ive noticed that excercise makes them worse at night and so does stress without a doubt. Time and time again, when im stressed they are worse at night. I also made a big mistake in taking ritalin as i had three exams ive had to write in Jan/Feb and needed it to concentrate on the day. The shocks have definately been worse since the first time i took ritalin. Could i possiblt try using some valium to dampen them down?

[Ruthjess]

i meant to say thank you platinum star, not RJ...

[clearday]

I guess my main question is: Does stress exacerbate withdrawal symptoms, and could these aches and pains, plus bodily shock/tingle sensations still be related to prozac withdrawal? I am just under three months off everything...

 

I made the same mistake, thinking that someone's name was silver star or platinum star.... their name is on the blue line above where it says platinum star -

 

Tingle and shock sensations can last for a long time after stopping these drugs. They can also be related to your Lexapro WD. I am off Lexapro for one year now, and I continue to get hit with weird sensations out of nowhere, which come and go, including numbness and brain zaps. Overall I am getting better over time.

 

It is hard to believe that these symptoms can pop up months and years after being off these SSRIs. If I was not going thorugh it myself, I would not believe it. That's probably why doctors don't believe it, because they have never taken these drugs or experienced WD.

 

Unfortunately, I am living proof that these symptoms can last for months and years afterward. And so are thousands of other people on these blogs.

 

Everyone is different. Some are affected worse than others, and in different ways. 

 

Just remember that if weird things like numbness, insomnia, brain sensations, fatigue, etc happen to you during the following months, the cause could very well be SSRI WD. When any kind of symptom pops up, for us, it is a challenge to be able to figure out if the symptom is from WD or from something else like an injury, illness, or aging. It is easy to fall into the trap of blaming everything on SSRIs. Unfortunately, these SSRIs do cause so many things to go haywire in the months after stopping the drug, as our brains struggle to readjust to the new chemical environment without the SSRIs. 

 

For me it is kinda easy, because overall I am very healthy. All the bizarre things I have been getting hit with in waves since I stopped Lexapro have clearly been from the Lexapro WD, because I never experienced any of this stuff beforehand. And also because so many others here have experienced the same things while WDing from Lexapro and other SSRIs.

[Ruthjess]

so are you saying that the shocks tingles arnt going to go away? They are a big problem, cause they are happening when ever i am drifting off to sleep, and then jolting me awake. Literally physically jolting me. my muscles twitch.... Im afraid that it wont get better. Will it get better, or will i have to go back on a small does of the meds?

[Ruthjess]

The insomnia is stopping me from being able to function and making me very depressed anxious and moody.

[clearday]

so are you saying that the shocks tingles arnt going to go away? They are a big problem, cause they are happening when ever i am drifting off to sleep, and then jolting me awake. Literally physically jolting me. my muscles twitch.... Im afraid that it wont get better. Will it get better, or will i have to go back on a small does of the meds?

The shocks and tingles are going to go away. It may take some time.

 

You are off the meds for a few months, that is good, and your body will spend some more months readjusting.

 

The insomnia will also go away in time. Your brain is adjusting back to normal sleep patterns.

 

Getting jolted awake as you drift off is called hypnotic jerks, very common in insomnia Wd.

 

I had them for a month or so but they went away and now I sleep very well.

 

I am off these meds for over one year and I continue to heal more every day.

[Petunia]

Hi ruthjess,

I'm sorry you are going through this.  It sounds like withdrawal symptoms. Doctors don't understand withdrawal syndrome, many think its a 'relapse' of a previous condition.

 

These symptoms will go away in time, but its impossible to say how long it will take, everyone is different.  When I first went into acute withdrawal, I had problems with being jolted awake for a couple of months, it gradually got better.

 

Reinstatement of a small amount of the drug can sometimes work well to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.  According to medical knowledge, reinstatement is the only way to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.  Reinstatement is best done immediately upon appearance of withdrawal symptoms. The more time that passes, the less likely it is to work.

 

You have been off prozac for 3 - 4 months now, so I'm hesitant to suggest reinstatement, but there is a possibility it may help, it could also make things worse.  Here is some information about reinstatement to help you decide if its something you would like to try:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to stop withdrawal symptoms

 

If you did decide to try, I would suggest starting with a very small dose, for example 1mg.

 

I notice in your signature you are taking some mixed supplements.  Some of the ingredients in some of them have been problematic for people in withdrawal.  When the nervous system becomes sensitized, it often can't tolerate some substances which previously may have been helpful.

 

Aside from a high quality fish oil and magnesium, its best to avoid supplements. (See King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) and Magnesium, Nature's Calcium Channel Blocker). They've been helpful to many of us.

 

Also see:

 

The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

 

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

 

Please let us know what you decide. 

 

Petunia.

[Ruthjess]

Hi everyone.

thank you for the reasurance, i have been going through hell.

Last night i finaly caved in and took 50 mg of trepaline. I had my first full night sleep in about 6 weeks. Today i feel better.

I know this is not ideal. but my mother was cornering me and calling me mentaly disturbed which hurt hugely, i had to get some sleep so caved. do you think taking the trepaline is a big problem? Im not going to take it every night only when i have to due to complete exhaustion.

[clearday]

My opinion is do what you have to do to survive withdrawal.

 

I used small amt of Xanax to get sleep during worst insomnia, it was either that or go to the ER. And there they would medicate anyway.

 

I had no problems getting off the small amt of Xanax once my natural sleep was restored. 

 

I don't know about trepaline......

[Petunia]

Last night i finaly caved in and took 50 mg of trepaline. I had my first full night sleep in about 6 weeks. ...

... do you think taking the trepaline is a big problem? Im not going to take it every night only when i have to due to complete exhaustion.

 

I'm glad you finally were able to get some sleep, but Trepiline is an international name for amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant.  I don't think we would advise taking this on an irregular basis for sleep, its likely to cause more disruption to your nervous system.

 

Have a look through this topic to find some non-drug ways to help with sleep:

 

Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems