Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted May 26, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 26, 2015 How are you doing today naturegirl? 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 Hi everyone, Just an update... was out of town for over a week visiting family. Did better with them, but still had random nights of zero sleep and anxiety, mixed with nights of good sleep and feeling almost normal. I'm still taking 5 mg prozac daily, and have been taking clonazepam and mirtazapine on the really bad nights when I feel like I'm gonna lose it. I really want to stop these, though- I think they're giving me mini-withdrawals from the intermittent usage. And of course, I hate taking anything after being drug free for over a year. I still have paresthesias and they're truly awful. Sometimes I think they're getting better, and then they bounce back to terrible again. There's actually two types I get- one is "pins and needles", the other is more of a severe restless leg. The restless leg feeling is much less tolerable- it gets so bad that I pound on my legs to distract myself from the feeling, and have even had bizarre thoughts of cutting them with a knife, just to provide a different and more powerful sensation. Never in my life have I had such thoughts until now! So disturbing. Anyhow, I continue to put one foot in front of the other and am trying my hardest to remain positive. I completely lie to my family now and tell them everything is great, as they think I'm a nut job and have nothing to say to me when I talk about what I'm going through. Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
clearday Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Just so you know - Look at what happened to someone who combined an SSRI with Mirtazapine - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9229-raspberry-nightmare-after-treatment-and-too-abrupt-withdrawal-of-sertraline-and-mirtazapine/ Prozac and Mirtazapine carry similar risk when taken together according to drug interactions checker at drugs.com; click on image to enlarge: Hell hath no fury as an SSRI scorned..... Prozac: 20 mg 1996 – May 2003 CT to 0 mg; by Aug 03 CRASH then protracted WD 3 yrs Zoloft: 2004 few weeks;, CT to 0 mg Effexor: 2005 few months CT to 0 mg; bad withdrawal. Lexapro: 10 mg from 2009 – 2011; cut dose in half to: Lexapro: 5 mg from 2011 – Feb. 2014; CT to 0 mg; 2 months of fatigue, followed by:Aug - Oct 2014 Lexapro WD Insomnia Wave; sleeping very good from Nov 2014 - Nov 2015; broken sleep pattern Dec 2015 - Jan 2016 Dec 2014 - present: Brutal Lexapro WD ear ringing/head ringing/head pressure lasting for 14 months now. 24 months SSRI-free Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm quite certain that the paresthesias I have are more of an akathisia. Can anyone please tell me how to get through akathisia. It's the worst thing I have encountered by far. I causes me to feel suicidial 24/7 as I am so uncomfortable in my own body. The only thing that helps is clonazepam. Now, I fear I am addicted to this. It helps take away the internal restlessness but makes me depressed, dizzy and zombie-like. I am still working, but it's incredibly hard. I'm not really sleeping. Even with clonazepam on board, I only get a very restless, light sleep with frequent waking. I read about akathisia being permanent in some cases. Could this be true? It would be impossible to be that way forever. I would need to be locked in a padded room for the rest of my life, as the feeling is that unbearable. How the heck am I going to get through this? Every time I talk to my doctor, she wants to add more drugs. She's very kind and really is just trying to help, but doesn't seem to understand that all drugs cause problems and withdrawals. Has anyone tried propanolol for akathisia? Does this cause withdrawal upon stopping? I'm considering going to a rehab center. I feel like I need to be monitored for safety's sake while I get off all these drugs and suffer through the withdrawals. Has anyone tried this? Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Is there anyone out there? Can a moderator please respond? I'm not doing well at all. I'm very concerned.... Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted June 11, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 11, 2015 Some people have found propanalol relieved symptoms naturegirl , other have found it didn't help. You may want to message Petunia , or do a google search for "survivingantidepressants propanalol" and follow what comes up. From your posts I agree what you're experiencing is akathisia - the physical restless feeling you described , and pre-occupation with thoughts of death and dying. Akathisia can lead people to impulsive acts of self-harm (like deciding you should cut your leg off) , like jumping out of a moving vehicle or off a high place. It's the condition , not the real you , that creates these thoughts. As a survivor of severe akathisia , I can guarantee you that it cannot kill you , even if you wish it would. Those who have it long-term don't have the intensity you have now , it's more of an occasional burst at a lower level. I found that walking or pacing helped relieve the sensations , and it was essential to tell myself over and over that this was the drugs and it will pass. If you feel you need to be monitored for safety's sake , hospital is one option , but you will lose control over your mediacation regime. Is there someone who can stay with you? A nursing service? Don't worry about the clonazepam if it helps. Be on the look-out for it to stop helping , that may well happen if the w/d gets too strong for it. There is a list of drugs i tried in post 1 of my thread , but nothing was able to contain it. The best thing was codeine , until that stopped working too. Are you still taking prozac 5mg? If it helped you might consider updosing? This isn't permanent naturegirl. Remind yourself over and over. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Thanks Fresh. I'm still taking prozac 5 mg but I think if anything it has made the akathasia worse, so my doctor is thinking of tapering me off using a liquid. I hope that's the right decision. It's so hard to know if I should go up or down, you just never know what may happen. I'm so scared I will lose my job. I worked yesterday and was barely functional, and did not do a good job. I'm so scared. My family is scared for me. They know I have suicidal thoughts and that terrifies them. It terrifies me. I know they're only thoughts but they sure are overwhelming at times. Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Jlynn Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Just wanted to drop by and give hugs and prayers for you. During my last bout with severe symptoms I had a lot of trouble working. My job is also very stressful and I had to take time off. I understand your fear and frustration. Thinking of you and praying for healing! 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted June 11, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 11, 2015 If you go down you can probably do a fast taper because you haven't been back on it for long. If you go up , do so by tiny increments in case of an adverse reaction. Same with if you take any new med - take just a fraction of the recommended starting dose and see how you respond. Consider staying with family if it's possible - sometimes a sense of psychological safety can help reduce the fears. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted June 11, 2015 Mentor Share Posted June 11, 2015 hi and welcome. I was off meds for 6 months before the sudden unexpected dive........... i hung in for 3 months, then I tried reinstating drugs.... one at a t time, each attempt was a failure. Off the drugs I felt awful, but did get out of bed, stayed all day in a dressing gown, I ate, enough, some days didnt eat anything (got rid of all that SSSRI fat)..... off everything I had no alcohol cravings (wine, needed that sugar kick)....All I was able to do. playing computer games to try and distract myself from my suffering. The two main reinstatements I tried, I gave up on after hanging in usually for 2 or three weeks.. why did I give them up? They made me feel suicidal, I stayed all day in bed, in some sort of chronic fatigue state. You said before, you dont believe in suicide, but now on the drugs, you want to suicide.......... it is the drugs, they are "not real" emotions...... Hang in there, I have no idea if you should try and continue the reinstatements, or not, but for me someone on this site gave me great advice, I dumped all the drugs, except the one that helps me sleep........ (yep we all need that last resort).......... And I am finally feeling well enough to get dressed in the morning, and work a couple of days a week. The drugs made me worse, I cant tolerate them anymore. I cant tolerate most benzos either. Yes WD takes years, but doesnt mean the initial agony lasts, it doesnt....... for me trying more drugs didnt help, made me worse........... for others taking drugs again helps............... only you can judge..... sounds to me you know how awful it was before you went back on the drugs, are you any better? If not..... ride it out off of the drugs. After being on them only a few weeks, is just a glitch if you stop taking them. If youa re off drugs you can try for a baby...If you fall pregnant, I think you will find the pregnancy happy hormones will make you feel better............. if they dont, and you desperate, can always try the drugs again midway in pregnancy. 1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression. Serotonin syndrome, oh yes! seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol. Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly) pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby). 98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout.... Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol, and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg tegretol 400mg. Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.Mid 15 .... 75mg seroquel, 3 x 1800mg SJW 2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 I have decided clonazepam is the devil. It causes horrendous rebound anxiety 1 1/2- 2 days after a dose. I had to pull over and do jumping jacks on the side of the road on my way to work the other day just to get some of the anxiety out. I'm sure passers-by think I'm a lunatic but oh well! My doctor is tapering me off prozac 5 mg because I think it's making the akathisia worse, and every time I try to up-dose per my doctors instructions, I get even worse anxiety and akathisia. Does anybody know if it will be very difficult to get off 5 mg? I don't feel as though it has done much for my anxiety, so it doesn't seem as though things can get much worse, but with these meds it's a crap-shoot I suppose. My doctor wants me to try Deplin and biofeedback therapy. Has anyone tried Deplin? It's a form of folic acid- it's not a drug, and has no side effects (supposedly). I guess some people cannot convert folic acid into the form usable by the body, and this leads to anxiety and depression. I may be willing to try it as it doesn't act on brain chemistry and has no side effects, also I read some great reviews on-line. If anyone has any thoughts on how difficult tapering off 5 mg of prozac will be, and whether Deplin is worth considering, that would be great. Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted June 15, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 15, 2015 Biofeedback may be promising . . . I've had no withdrawal symptoms since starting CES therapy a few months ago , even though I'm tapering and have done two decrements. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted June 15, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 15, 2015 naturegirl, what is your daily symptom pattern relative to when you take your drugs, and what are the dosages of the drugs? Hi Fresh, On May 14th the paresthesia had improved quite a bit, but this only lasted a couple days and came back in full force. It has been pretty much constant for 1 month, other than that couple day window. The only medication I have continued (unfortunately) is prozac 5 mg. The inner restlessness and agitation comes and goes, but is gradually improving and less severe overall. .... Initially, the Prozac helped. Things are really bad for me now. The prozac 5 mg I'm taking seems to have made my anxiety and insomnia even worse. So now, I'm taking clonazepam, mirtazapine, and I have some Trazadone on hand. I'm right back to where I started, but even worse. I feel nauseous, dizzy, weak, and have diarrhea. I have been taking proazac for 12 days now and have yet to feel stable. I'm thinking of giving up. I mean ending it all. The withdrawal from the effexor was too bad, and now new meds are not helping me, and are making me worse. I'm stuck with no where to turn and no one and nothing to help me. I turn to the doctor for help and get more drugs which make me feel worse. I tried staying off drugs and made it over a year before I couldn't take the withdrawal anymore. My family has no clue what to do with me. Therapy doesn't help when the anxiety is induced by drugs. I think I'm gonna give up. Can't keep doing this. Too much pain and suffering. No solution or end in sight. I can't afford to quit my job and just hole up and wait for it all to improve. I don't want to, but I think it's all over for me. I'm very sad. I had a very bright life and future, and am shocked that it is coming down to this. I never would have seen this happening to me. I'm very sad. This suggests that 5mg Prozac is too much for you. You might do better with 2.5mg Prozac. See how to make your own liquid Prozac here Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine) Very few doctors grasp withdrawal syndrome, and your doctor is not one of them. When did you add clonazepam, mirtazapine, and trazodone? Are you still taking them? If you are taking additional drugs, please update your signature with their dosages and when you started them. Please put ALL the drugs you take in the Drug Interactions Checker http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html and post the results in this topic. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Update- I am doing much better than I was a week ago. I have been sleeping (some nights well, other nights very light and restless), but a vast improvement regardless. I haven't taken a dose of mirtazapine in over two weeks, and only had 3 doses throughout the last month. I plan never to take this again. I haven't had a dose of clonazepam in 6 days, and am hoping never to take this again, either, but I will if things get bad enough that I need something to keep me from going to the hospital. I have tapered to 4 mg Prozac as of 1 week ago. I would really like to just get off the prozac quickly, but am unsure of how powerful it is, and whether I could get hit by delayed withdrawals. So far nothing I have taken seems as powerful as the evil effexor that got me into this whole mess. That stuff is serious business. But, I know others on this site have struggled greatly coming off prozac. I just don't know if the dose I was taking (5 mg) is enough to cause severe withdrawal. Has anyone tried taking Deplin? It's not a drug, more like a vitamin. It's supposed to relieve anxiety and depression in people that cannot convert folic acid to the usable form. My doctor wants me to try it. Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
clearday Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 My opinion - Prozac is a very powerful drug, just like each and every one of these SSRIs. Every one of these SSRI/SNRI drugs is capable of producing the same severe withdrawal symptoms, we know this from reading all the stories on here. I certainly know how powerful Prozac is, it gave me and other people years of debilitating protracted withdrawal. If you think the Prozac is keeping your Effexor withdrawal symptoms at bay, maybe you could stick with it if you can stabilize on it for awhile. Then you can do a slow taper off it when you think it's best. I'm guessing that if you go off Prozac too quickly, you will go back to resuming your protracted Effexor withdrawal process. The purpose of reinstating (going on the Prozac) at a low dose is to provide your nervous system with a "crutch" as it continues to heal from the long term changes induced by using Effexor. These drugs are very powerful even at low doses, that's why they can help so much to reduce withdrawal symptoms at low doses. This guidelines here say keep it slow, simple, and stable - People doing a long taper usually encounter their toughest challenges coming off the last 2 mg of these drugs. They all advise to go really slow during the last 2 mgs of their med. Remember the serotonin transporter occupancy curves, they demonstrate why low doses are very powerful: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6036-why-taper-paper-demonstrates-importance-of-gradual-change-in-plasma-concentration/ Hell hath no fury as an SSRI scorned..... Prozac: 20 mg 1996 – May 2003 CT to 0 mg; by Aug 03 CRASH then protracted WD 3 yrs Zoloft: 2004 few weeks;, CT to 0 mg Effexor: 2005 few months CT to 0 mg; bad withdrawal. Lexapro: 10 mg from 2009 – 2011; cut dose in half to: Lexapro: 5 mg from 2011 – Feb. 2014; CT to 0 mg; 2 months of fatigue, followed by:Aug - Oct 2014 Lexapro WD Insomnia Wave; sleeping very good from Nov 2014 - Nov 2015; broken sleep pattern Dec 2015 - Jan 2016 Dec 2014 - present: Brutal Lexapro WD ear ringing/head ringing/head pressure lasting for 14 months now. 24 months SSRI-free Link to comment
LoveandLight Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Nature girl..I'm very happy to hear your a bit better xx 2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare! On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect. Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan. Nightmare that could have been avoided! Link to comment
naturegirl Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 Update... I am doing a lot better overall. I've been sleeping 5-8 hours every night, some nights are very restless with lots of tossing and turning, other nights are good. I tend to wake up with a lot of body aches and pains no matter what. I still have flashes of anxiety for absolutely no reason, but am able to ignore it for the most part. I'm going to work each day and doing well there. I'm currently taking 2.4 mg of liquid prozac (weaning down from 5 mg over the past 2 months). I have no idea if the prozac is doing anything to help me or not. I am horrified that I'm even taking it after being free of drugs for 15 months. I'm wondering what kind of trouble I have set myself up for now...will I get hit with delayed withdrawals 6 months after stopping the prozac, even though I only took 5 mg for a few weeks and weaned down from there? Who knows. I'm currently trying not to dwell on all the money and trauma this whole experience has cost me. I also have pretty severe tinnitus which seems to be permanent. I get a lot of muscle twitching all over my body. I wonder what is causing this? The effexor withdrawl? (16 months out now). The prozac? Withdrawal from clonazepam?(even though I only took ~6 or 7 doses over a 2 month period)? I don't think its a vitamin or mineral deficiency, as I eat very healthy, exercise every day, and take a women's multivitamin and fish oil capsule daily. Just like everything else, I wonder if it's permanent? Will my body and mind be screwed up forever? Who knows. I just got the bill for the intensive outpatient therapy I did for 1 week. $1000 after insurance. Wow. Just gotta keep moving forward, and be grateful to be alive. Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 8, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 8, 2015 That is promising, naturegirl. You may want to hold for a bit on tapering Prozac to allow your nervous system to rest. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LoveandLight Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 This is good nature girl..I'm pleased for you... 2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare! On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect. Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan. Nightmare that could have been avoided! Link to comment
Jlynn Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Hope you are continuing to feel better! When going through the worst of my withdrawals I also questioned every second if what I had was permanent damage. Fortunately as my brain began to calm down so did the symptoms. It is so scary when you are in the middle of it and I completely understand! 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted July 15, 2015 Mentor Share Posted July 15, 2015 Glad you are feeling better..... I believe I suffered effexor withdrawals even 18 months after going off the stuff, and with a switch to another drug. So when I went off all the other damn drugs, I still had the effexor wd to deal with. Anyway......... your working, you sleeping, ignore the rest of the stuff. Well done! 1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression. Serotonin syndrome, oh yes! seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol. Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly) pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby). 98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout.... Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol, and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg tegretol 400mg. Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.Mid 15 .... 75mg seroquel, 3 x 1800mg SJW 2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted July 15, 2015 Mentor Share Posted July 15, 2015 And naturegirl, the damage I dont think is permanent................... give it time................ My brain aint as good as before ADs but a damn sight better than it was 6 months ago................... we improve, just takes time.......... Hugs x 1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression. Serotonin syndrome, oh yes! seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol. Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly) pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby). 98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout.... Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol, and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg tegretol 400mg. Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.Mid 15 .... 75mg seroquel, 3 x 1800mg SJW 2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment
DaddyCee Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Does anyone know if people 100% get through this? Those who recover usually have the message: recovery is tough and takes a long time, but it is worth the effort. They urge people that if they can just stick it out through the bad waves, and build up hope during precious windows of feeling normal, that they can get through it and recover: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/ 100% believe in this. Never give up!! 1997 - 2001 Seroxat 10mg 2001 - 2013 Escitalopram 10mg Gradual taper from 10mg to 5mg over 2.5 years (between 2011 - 2013) Last taper from 5mg to 0 under advice from doctor done in 1 month (too damn fast!) - included missing out days. Have been drug free since Oct 2013. - Yep 5 years drugs free Link to comment
naturegirl Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Hi everyone...I seem to have a wave of withdrawal coming on, and I don't know if it's from Effexor or Prozac (16 months off effexor, tapered from 5 mg prozac to 2 mg over the past 2 months). I had paresthesias before starting prozac 2 months ago, but now they are getting worse... lots of muscle twitching, muscle weakness, tingling, and itching. The itching is new since starting prozac- is pretty much all over my body and at times is unbearable! Benadryl takes away the itch so I use this sparingly....I wonder if I'm allergic to the prozac, or if this is a stubborn seasonal allergy? I have never had a seasonal allergy persist this long or itch this badly. If I'm allergic to prozac, I need to get off it ASAP...but I'm afraid of withdrawal bad enough to render me non-functional. I also have nightmares and wake with headaches now. But, at least I'm sleeping! I would choose nightmares and headaches over insomnia any day...sad but true. I'm starting to lose hope regarding being able to start a family. I wanted to be drug and symptom-free for at least 1 year before trying for a baby. Tomorrow is my 35th birthday, and I am not anywhere near being drug or symptom free, and am out of the ideal child bearing age already. Still having a hard time accepting that this is my life now, and these are the cards I've been dealt. And every day, hundreds more people are prescribed these awful drugs! So difficult to even believe. I guess I'm trying to figure out what to do with the prozac...get rid of the last 2 mg quickly and hope this stops the itching, tingling, and twitching? Or hold steady to avoid awful withdrawal and destabilization considering a mere 2 months ago I was on the verge of hospitalization and thought constantly of escape via suicide? I know it's impossible to know for sure the right decision, just wondering what others gut instinct is? Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
SelmaLady Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 You were on 4mg of Prozac last month and now are on only 2mg? That's a big jump, especially as you get lower in the dose. I don't have the tingling and twitching but I do get the itching at times---it does seem to be one of the symptoms of w/d/ It it were me, I surely wouldn't jump off the Prozac, especially since you have stopped SSRI's in the past, only to have to reinstate. Just my own thots but I do know how horribly hard it is to figure out what is w/d and what are side effects! Hoping that you'll find a way to come safely off the Prozac as your system allows. 1971-81 Valium 5mg c/t PAWS 1992- through now Zoloft 25mg 2003-05 Valium 12mg Slow Taper Off 2013 Afrin Exposure to CNS 2013 O/D Val 230mg 2013 Doxepin 50mg Clonidine 2mg Zoloft 25mg 3/15/16 Doxepin 49mg Micro Tapering Zoloft 24.3mg Holding taper 3/15/16 Clonidine mg 0.1 1/2 - Decreasing incrementally. DISCONTINUED 10/9/16 Doxepin 48.9 Zoloft 24.3 Clonidine 01.10 Continuing micro taper on Doxepin. 11/16/16 Doxepin 48mg Zoloft 24.3mg Clonidine 1.30mg 5/4/17 Doxepin 45mg Zoloft 24mg Clonidine 1.20mg Micro taper of Doxepin , Clonidine 01/13/19 Doxepin 45mg Zoloft 21mg Will start Micro taper of Doxepin 2/19 12/21/21 Doxepin 20 mg ? Reducing using water micro taper--Pulling 24ml from 75ml 12/2121 Zoloft .060 grams by weight--HOLDING (info from post added by CC: On 12/21/21 my dosage was .060grams by weight or 20mg. ) 26 Apr 2022 - Zoloft at -0- Link to comment
naturegirl Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 I was hoping that since Prozac has such a long half life, and I have only been on it a bit over 2 months, and only at 5 mg at the highest, that I would be able to get off it a little faster, before my body becomes too dependent on it....Maybe that line line of thinking is dangerous? Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
clearday Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I know it's impossible to know for sure the right decision, just wondering what others gut instinct is? Ok, here is my gut instinct - I think that focusing on what the Prozac is doing is taking your focus off the fact that your are stuck in protracted withdrawal from the Effexor and the other SSRIs that you were on before that. I don't think that half-life has anything to do with this. Just like me, you were struck down with classic delayed SSRI WD symptoms around a year after stopping an SSRI. We know from hundreds of accounts, and from doctors who are familiar with this, that reinstating after such a long time off usually does not help, and often makes things worse. We also know that getting hit with such a delayed WD response usually means around a 2 - 3 year protracted withdrawal period of windows and waves recovery, with the worst cases taking around 4 -5 years. But they mostly do recover, and it usually gets slowly more tolerable as recovery progresses. The recovery period can be almost unbearable at times, and for some I suppose it is unbearable. For those people, they go back on the SSRI out of desperation. Hopefully it works, but often it does not. Once off these SSRIs for a year after a cold turkey, our bodies have changed during that time, and they usually no longer respond to reinstatement. Your symptoms now are just a continuation of your protracted withdrawal from Effexor and the the other SSRIs before that. And it sounds like reinstating has made things worse for you. That is very common, and I'm sorry to hear that. Protracted withdrawal is very entrenched, and if there was an easy way out of it, we would have heard of it by now. I have been off Lexapro for 18 months. I got hit with one of my worst waves last week. It was very difficult. I usually get SI during bad waves, that is to be expected. The symptoms were as bad as they ever were, even worse. I was in despair, as I often am during bad waves. But I keep in mind that "Countless times during recovery, you will be convinced that no healing is taking place, but in fact healing is taking place." That's just how this recovery works. It's extremely important to keep this in mind during the entire years-long process of recovery. I have done much healing over the last 18 months. My windows are getting better each time. But it's a long, difficult journey. My story is progressing exactly as the stories of those who have healed from going off an SSRI and being plunged into protracted WD. It is a long difficult journey. I'm in this for the long game, because I know that recovery will happen as long as I stay away from the drugs that caused this damage in the first place. I am doing very well for a few days now. I came out of this last terrible wave better than ever. This mess that we are all in requires super-human strength and patience. Thank goodness that healing and recovery happens. We have real reason to hope, and to see the light at the far end of this long tunnel we have to travel through. Our brains have an amazing capacity to heal, it just happens very slowly and mysteriously. Honestly, I don't know what you should do about the 2 mg Prozac. If you think it is helping you, stay on it. If not, then wean off it. Either way you will still be dealing with protracted WD from prior SSRI use. Hell hath no fury as an SSRI scorned..... Prozac: 20 mg 1996 – May 2003 CT to 0 mg; by Aug 03 CRASH then protracted WD 3 yrs Zoloft: 2004 few weeks;, CT to 0 mg Effexor: 2005 few months CT to 0 mg; bad withdrawal. Lexapro: 10 mg from 2009 – 2011; cut dose in half to: Lexapro: 5 mg from 2011 – Feb. 2014; CT to 0 mg; 2 months of fatigue, followed by:Aug - Oct 2014 Lexapro WD Insomnia Wave; sleeping very good from Nov 2014 - Nov 2015; broken sleep pattern Dec 2015 - Jan 2016 Dec 2014 - present: Brutal Lexapro WD ear ringing/head ringing/head pressure lasting for 14 months now. 24 months SSRI-free Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted July 19, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 19, 2015 Hi, Naturegirl, I just read through your whole thread and found it very gripping and emotion-laden. I also think that Clearday is spot on in his views of where things are and what is happening to you. The other things, e.g., appear to be nothing more than a "sideshow" to the Effexor withdrawal you are going through. Thus, I would think that getting of the Prozac relatively quickly is not likely to adversely affect your overall situation. I think getting to a point of being drug-free and "waiting it out" while you heal is the option I would go for. I also think your views and anxiety are clearly shaded by the fact that you are desperate to have a baby and a family. I don't really think you are "past the point" and, in a day and age where people are routinely getting pregnant in their late 30s, you still have time to fulfill that dream. I don't think you need to set a firm time frame for how long you need to be off the meds to get pregnant. Once they clear the system they won't damage the baby -- it's all about your ability to deal with being pregnant and still having some symptoms. Bottom line is that acceptance here is critical. As to be expected, the tone of your emails showed a little desperation and a little bit of anxiety. Over time you have begun the process of accepting that this is something you will need to work through. You seem to be very high-functioning and someone who rises up to meet challenges. I believe you will do so with this as well. Hang in there and be patient. Thoughts with you. Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 19, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 19, 2015 naturegirl, when did the itching start? Is it constant? Do you have any visible rashes? To answer your question about Deplin: It's a B vitamin. Psychiatrists believe it has magical properties to treat "depression" as an "adjunct" to antidepressants. People can have adverse reactions to it, particularly anxiety and other alerting symptoms. It doesn't treat withdrawal syndrome. By the way, happy birthday. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
naturegirl Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Thank you so much Clearday, Andy and Alto. I am trying to hold it together and your responses give me strength. Alto, I had tingly hands and feet before starting Prozac, but the all over body itching started about 3 weeks after starting Prozac. Some days are worse than others, and the more I scratch the more itchy I get. It's not constant, is off and on throughout the day but definitely worse in the evening and at night (I take the medication first thing in the AM). Sometimes I lay in bed trying to fall asleep and have to force myself not to itch. I do have hives on my body that pop up here and there, and they get bigger and worse when I itch at them. Other than that, no rashes and my skin appears normal. My doctor doesn't think I should try Deplin anymore- she says it may make the anxiety worse, which is interesting because when she first mentioned it she assured me that it has absolutely no side effects. Thanks for the B-day wish! Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 20, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 20, 2015 Could anything else be causing the itching? Soap, laundry detergent, lotion, heat rash etc.? Where are the hives? Do they come and go? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
naturegirl Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Hi Alto, I can't identify any other cause of the itching, other than potential seasonal allergies. No new lotions, detergents, etc. The hives are often on the backs of my hands and on my trunk, especially my back. They come and go, and if I itch them they get a whole lot worse. Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Theon Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Hello Naturegirl, I got itching while I was on prozac on the palms of my hands after doing sports, and also once on the soles of my feet. It happened just 2 or 3 times, and always when I was taking a shower after exercising a lot. About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety. April 2014 - May 2015---------- Prozac 20mg On and Off. Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality. May 2015 - July 2015----------------- Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality. Current symptoms-------- pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on. Link to comment
Rosie20yearsago Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Hi Naturegirl, I have read your thread and I am really sorry you are going through this! The hives and itchiness does sound to me like an allergy; histamine mediated, like drugs, some fresh foods, or infections; but this is of course just a guess I don't know . It sounds really awful. I hope you can find out what it is or it resolves. wish you all the best! <p>Became depressed and anxious after persistent bulliying at school. started with fluoxetine 20 years ago(1995), when I was 21, was changed to seroxat(citalopram) 20 mg after a couple of years or so because of side effects. This enabled me to get through university and beyond but whenever I tried to stop, usually tapering, I never got past one year off meds. This time I stopped around Christmas 2014. I did taper but very fast I guess, from 40 to 30 to 20, then 10, then 5(I think), over a few months. I cannot remember precisely. I stopped while moving from the Netherland to Holland so am no longer under any medical supervision. However I am trying a reinstatement; I tried 1mg from the 29th of June for ten days, 2 mg from the 11 th July 2015, 1.8mg from 10th Aug, 1.6mg from 16th Sept. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 20, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 20, 2015 Please look into heat rash. I would think if the itching was from the drug, it would be constant. Is there a different drug or supplement you take occasionally? If I were you, I'd keep notes on paper about your symptoms from day to day along with what you eat or the drugs you take. I believe you'll see a pattern that can identify the source of the rash. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Rosie20yearsago Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Hi Naturegirl, How are things going with you? Did you discover the course of itching or did it go away? I hope you are ok, Rosie <p>Became depressed and anxious after persistent bulliying at school. started with fluoxetine 20 years ago(1995), when I was 21, was changed to seroxat(citalopram) 20 mg after a couple of years or so because of side effects. This enabled me to get through university and beyond but whenever I tried to stop, usually tapering, I never got past one year off meds. This time I stopped around Christmas 2014. I did taper but very fast I guess, from 40 to 30 to 20, then 10, then 5(I think), over a few months. I cannot remember precisely. I stopped while moving from the Netherland to Holland so am no longer under any medical supervision. However I am trying a reinstatement; I tried 1mg from the 29th of June for ten days, 2 mg from the 11 th July 2015, 1.8mg from 10th Aug, 1.6mg from 16th Sept. Link to comment
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