Bonpensiero Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Hi there I had my final dose of Fluoxetine about four months ago, having tapered for about a year. However, I am not doing well, and although I really, really want to stay drug free, I think I may need to reinstate. My question is, should I reinstate to my full original dose (20mg daily) or to a lower dose, and if so, what should the lower dose be? Thanks 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted June 22, 2015 Mentor Share Posted June 22, 2015 Hello and welcome, start low, very very low... Four months off, your brain has re balanced, no dont go full dose.. you tapered over a year! so much smarter than me. Can you give more information on your taper? The lower the dose, the lower the cut to reduce.......... I tried reinstating after 6 months or so, made me worse......... but everyone is different.......... we just dont know if the reinstating is causing the problems, or the withdrawals......... Anyway, lots of people smarter than me will be along to help shortly! I am a newbie, and I thank this site.......... for saving me! from disaster! 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
Theon Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Hello Bonpensiero. Which are your symptoms? What do you want to reinstate for? I am not experienced enough to tell you any information, but I am interested in your symptoms as my story is with fluoxetine too. Hope it gets better to you. 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
Bonpensiero Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Theon: Which are your symptoms? What do you want to reinstate for? My symptoms are dread, despair, hopelessness and almost total inability to handle stress of any kind. It feels like my nerves have been stripped down to the wire and are having acid poured on them (which they are, in the form of cortisol). I am thinking of reinstating because I may have to taper even more slowly than I did the first time. In particular, when I got down to a very low dose, I wasn't cutting it by 10%, but by 50% (this was before I discovered this site!), so I may need to go back and taper properly. ang: more information on your taper? I reduced by small amounts of the liquid form over about a year. Unfortunately, when I got down to very low doses, I was reducing by about 50%, not 10% (see above), so I may have gone too quickly. 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted June 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 22, 2015 Hello Bonpensiero and welcome to SA. We all want to come and stay off these drugs but if we rush it as you did towards the end it can result in the kind of symptoms you are having. Since your last dose was 4 months ago I wouldn t reinstate more than 1 mg. There is a chance it might not work so that way it will be easier to stop if that happens. How long were you taking flouxetine? Did you take any other drugs before that? It would help us if you could fill in your signature. I can t add any links typing from the phone but it seems you already know your way around here. You might want to check Reinstating to stop withdrawal. Best Bubble Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted June 23, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 23, 2015 Hello Bonpensiero, What dose did you stop from? Reinstatement of a small amount of the drug can often work well to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Here is the link: About reinstating and stabilizing to stop withdrawal symptoms As Bubble suggested, starting with a small amount, like 1mg would be a good option. Please stay in touch and let us know what you decide. Petunia. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Dear Bubble 'Since your last dose was 4 months ago I wouldn t reinstate more than 1 mg. There is a chance it might not work so that way it will be easier to stop if that happens' True. On the other hand, it might be that it doesn't work because it's only 1mg, and I would therefore need to reinstate at a higher dose to see any effect. It seems to me, if one is going to reinstate, one should do it at a level that has a reasonable chance of making a difference. Is 1mg really going to make much of a difference? 'How long were you taking flouxetine? Did you take any other drugs before that? I took it for 13 years. There were no other prescribed drugs before that. 'It would help us if you could fill in your signature.' I will try to provide more detail. Thanks for your help. Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Dear Petunia, 'What dose did you stop from?' It was somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3ml, so about 1mg, which I had been on for about two months. This was down from an original dose of 20mg (= 5ml). The whole taper took about a year, I think, although I didn't keep a diary, so I can't be sure. Do you think I went too fast? Thanks Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted June 23, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 23, 2015 Go to section called Tapering and check the topic Why taper? Paper demonstrating...if you scroll down you will see graphs showing how powerful these drugs are. There is basically little difference in how much our brain is affected by what is called therapeutic dose and much lower doses. What happened to you and all of us proves that. After 13 years of being changed by the drug one year might not be enough for the brain to regrow and we must be extra slow on low doses which that article will explain. In case you need more it is easy to updose but it is important to note that these drugs don t have instant effect. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thanks, Bubble. Makes sense. 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Hi all, I am wondering how to tell the difference between a w/d symptom and an underlying psychological condition that would be there regardless of the medication. The reason I ask is this. I read a lot on here and elsewhere about w/d symptoms, mostly physical, that I have never experienced (e.g. sleeplessness, tremors, nausea etc.). On the other hand, the symptoms I am experiencing post-taper are non-physical and I haven't heard them mentioned so often, if at all – e.g, despair, hopelessness, terror, irritability, aggressiveness, hostility, inability to relate, and an almost total inability to tolerate stress (like freaking out at minor things). So my question is, are these things I'm experiencing due to w/d or are they actually symptoms of the underlying psychological/disorder that I actually took the drug for in the first place and that are now returning with a vengeance? The reason I ask (and I am aware this is a question a lot of people struggle with) is that, if my symptoms are w/d-related, I can try to tough them out. But if they are related to the underlying condition, perhaps I should think about either reinstating or getting some kind of other treatment. I appreciate no-one will be able to give me a definitive answer. But does anyone have any suggestions about how to tell the difference? Thank you so much and God bless all the users and providers of this site. Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted June 23, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 23, 2015 Welcome, Bonpensiero. We have several topics discussing that question, seeWhat is withdrawal syndrome? Is it withdrawal or relapse? Or something else? The Windows and Waves Pattern of Recovery Early-morning waking with panic or anxiety Fear, terror, panic, and anxiety and other topics in this list:Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems Bouts of fear or terror with no apparent trigger are fairly typical withdrawal symptoms. You might considerAbout reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms Even 1mg Prozac might help. 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
Administrator Altostrata Posted June 23, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 23, 2015 Bonpensiero, I merged your topics. Only one topic to a person in the Introductions section -- this avoids duplication and keeps your story all in one place. Taking 1mg is a way to test the waters. Since you went off at 1mg, it's very possible this can help. 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
Bonpensiero Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 OK, thanks Altostrata. Sorry: I really can't get the hang of what to post and where. Thanks for all those links, I'll check them out. 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted June 24, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 24, 2015 Read this to find out how to take a very small amount of Prozac Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine) 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
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 8, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 8, 2015 Hello, how are you doing now? 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
Bonpensiero Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Having read up here and elsewhere, I have decided that my taper was probably too quick (one year after 13 years' use – pls. see signature for details). So what I'd like to do now is reinstate to full dose and start the taper again, this time over maybe three to four years. It would obv. be a shame to waste all the hard work of the original taper, but if it was too fast (which it probably was, especially towards the end), then I'm probably not going to ever recover properly. I certainly feel that way at the moment. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? In particular, should I jump straight back to full dose (I'm only a few months out) or work back up to it gradually? I know previous advice on here has been to reinstate gradually, but I've read of other people who have successfully reinstated at full dosage, and that would certainly be my preferred option so that I can start to taper properly . Thanks everyone. 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted July 27, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 27, 2015 Hi Bonpensiero-- Welcome to the group. I'm sorry to hear that your taper is not working so well, but yes it was too fast. Reinstatement is a tricky business and has to be done carefully. It is not a good idea to go back to the full amount that you started at. We recommend that people start with a very small amount (say 3-5mg) give that time to stabilize and then decide if they need to go up or down. There is a good thread about reinstating, you should be able to find it with the search function. I'm at work right now so I can't look for it. Thanks for filling in your signature, that really helps us get the full picture quickly. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Thanks Brassmonkey 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 27, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 27, 2015 Please keep an eye on your Introductions topic http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9395-bonpensiero-updosing-how-much/ We discussed reinstatement there. Please bookmark or "follow" your Intro topic by clicking on the big gray Follow this Topic button at the top of the 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
raul Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 hello bonpensiero, i am interested in what you had finally decided. Thanks. history: 2004-2009: paroxetine 20 mg. may 2009 to december 2009: mirtazapine 30 mg january 2010-july 2010: prozac 20 mg september 2010-december 2011: escitalpram 10 mg and march 2012 to december 2012: escitalopram 15 mg march 2013-16 june 2014: venlafaxine 75 mg: cold turkey 6th september 2014 escitalopram 10 mg tapering it in 1 mg /month until june 2015: tapering made in 6 months but have no respected 10% result: w/d symptoms 20 july 2015 reinstated 5 mg escitalopram and decided when stable to taper only 10%/month. I also take Mg, fish oil, vit C, E and multivitaminic with minerals,. Increase to 6 mg escitalopram on 14th august. Increase to 7 mg on 23th august, with 1 mg klonopin to help sleep. Updose to 10 mg on 28th august ( because of horrible depression and suicidal), and pray i made a good choice. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Dear Raul, About one month ago, I reinstated to 2mg, and am currently holding there. Things are better at 2mg than they were at 0mg, but I still think my taper was too fast. Anyway, I have no immediate plans to go any higher, but if I do, I'll update my signature. Best wishes, Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 29, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 29, 2015 Good to see you've seen it. Now I'm going to move it to your Intro 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
Bonpensiero Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Hello, how are you doing now? Dear Altostrata Sorry I didn't reply to this question of yours. The fact is I've only just now seen it; I must have somehow missed it until now. Anyway, thank you for asking. The answer to your questions is that, since reinstating to 2mg, things have improved somewhat. The severe withdrawal symptoms I was experiencing (deep depression, painful neuro-emotion, obsessive torturing thoughts, suicidal ideation) have lessened somewhat. They are still present to some degree some of the time, but are not as overwhelming as they were before, i.e. they're more manageable. So for the moment I'm parked at 2mg, just trying to stabilise after the massive hit my system took from my too-fast taper. In a couple of months, I'll try tapering again, this time really slowly, and of course at 10% of current dosage. Thanks for your help. Best wishes, Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Aliwill Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 So good to hear that it looks like it is working. I'm in a confused time at the moment after also dropping too fast. How long did it take for your updose to start to work. I would be really interested to know so I know how long to hold before I make any further decisions. So glad you are on the mend 2003 Zoloft for PND. No other Psych history before this. 2009 CT. Huge withdrawal. Voluntary hospital admission. Successfully stabilized on 40mg Prozac. 2012 CT after 2 years of tapering to 10mg. Another Disaster. No hospital admission. Stabilized 40mg Prozac 2014 CT after 2 years of tapering to 5mg. Destabilized but not as bad as previous. Found this site. Reinstated 5mg. Stabilized quickly but held for 6 months. Feb 2015 4mg Prozac March 2015 Tramadol for Pain after an OP. Didn’t realize it was an SNRI. March 2015 3 mg Prozac April 2015 2.5mg Prozac May 2015 2mg Prozac June 2015 Destabilized (After research believe it was delayed withdrawal due to the Tramadol) July 11th 2015. Updosed to 2.5mg Link to comment
raul Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 hello bonpensiero, as you i have decided to reinstate but a bigger dose of lexapro: 5mg.after finishing in 0 mg i think the last days of june (i'm not very sure) , but it is strange because i have better days and really horrible days, i have been on 5 mg (reinstated) since 20th.july and my days are like been in a roller coaster: some days fine and others terrible and i have appreciated that those that are bad are related with high cortisol and consequently bad sleep and depression and anxiety and suicidal thoughts. This happen to you the same? or you are more stable during the days? Thanks and hugs from raul. history: 2004-2009: paroxetine 20 mg. may 2009 to december 2009: mirtazapine 30 mg january 2010-july 2010: prozac 20 mg september 2010-december 2011: escitalpram 10 mg and march 2012 to december 2012: escitalopram 15 mg march 2013-16 june 2014: venlafaxine 75 mg: cold turkey 6th september 2014 escitalopram 10 mg tapering it in 1 mg /month until june 2015: tapering made in 6 months but have no respected 10% result: w/d symptoms 20 july 2015 reinstated 5 mg escitalopram and decided when stable to taper only 10%/month. I also take Mg, fish oil, vit C, E and multivitaminic with minerals,. Increase to 6 mg escitalopram on 14th august. Increase to 7 mg on 23th august, with 1 mg klonopin to help sleep. Updose to 10 mg on 28th august ( because of horrible depression and suicidal), and pray i made a good choice. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 So good to hear that it looks like it is working. I'm in a confused time at the moment after also dropping too fast. How long did it take for your updose to start to work. I would be really interested to know so I know how long to hold before I make any further decisions. So glad you are on the mend Dear Aliwill, I would say my updose began to take effect in about a week. Although from what I've read here, it's different for everyone. And as I said, the updose hasn't stabilised me completely. I still get w/d symptoms - they're just not as severe. Best wishes, Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 hello bonpensiero, as you i have decided to reinstate but a bigger dose of lexapro: 5mg.after finishing in 0 mg i think the last days of june (i'm not very sure) , but it is strange because i have better days and really horrible days, i have been on 5 mg (reinstated) since 20th.july and my days are like been in a roller coaster: some days fine and others terrible and i have appreciated that those that are bad are related with high cortisol and consequently bad sleep and depression and anxiety and suicidal thoughts. This happen to you the same? or you are more stable during the days? Thanks and hugs from raul. Dear Raul, Like you, I was experiencing very bad w/d symptoms at 0mg – high cortisol/extreme stress, serious depression and suicidal ideation. My sleep was OK, though. Now I have reinstated (2mg), the withdrawal symptoms are still there but are more manageable. Best wishes, Bonpensiero 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 30, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 30, 2015 Bonpensiero, how long have you been taking 2mg? Good to hear a little bit helped. 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
Bonpensiero Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Bonpensiero, how long have you been taking 2mg? Good to hear a little bit helped. About three weeks. 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 30, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 30, 2015 Would you like to try 2.5mg or 3mg? 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
Bonpensiero Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Would you like to try 2.5mg or 3mg? Do you mean maybe I should try that (i.e. you think it might be a good idea), or do you mean, do I want to (i.e. do I think it would help)? 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 31, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 31, 2015 What is your intuition? It's an option, it's up to you. 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
raul Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Hello bonpensiero, i want to know how are you feeling these days. I reinstated like you 2 weeks ago 5 mg lexapro, after a fast taper (6 months) and i have goods and bads days, but the bad days are horrible: high cortisol, bad sleep, crying, strange and suicidal thoughts, etc. so that's make be very scared. The good days are normal, i sleep good, very low anxiety, but i feel with no much energy and do not want to have sex (like an eunuch ). The fact is that as we are both in a similar way it is interesting to see how are you improving. hugs from raul. history: 2004-2009: paroxetine 20 mg. may 2009 to december 2009: mirtazapine 30 mg january 2010-july 2010: prozac 20 mg september 2010-december 2011: escitalpram 10 mg and march 2012 to december 2012: escitalopram 15 mg march 2013-16 june 2014: venlafaxine 75 mg: cold turkey 6th september 2014 escitalopram 10 mg tapering it in 1 mg /month until june 2015: tapering made in 6 months but have no respected 10% result: w/d symptoms 20 july 2015 reinstated 5 mg escitalopram and decided when stable to taper only 10%/month. I also take Mg, fish oil, vit C, E and multivitaminic with minerals,. Increase to 6 mg escitalopram on 14th august. Increase to 7 mg on 23th august, with 1 mg klonopin to help sleep. Updose to 10 mg on 28th august ( because of horrible depression and suicidal), and pray i made a good choice. Link to comment
Bonpensiero Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 What is your intuition? It's an option, it's up to you. Hi Altostrata - I don't know. On the one hand, I'm aware I tapered too fast, especially towards the end, and therefore want to reinstate to whatever level will correct the too-fast taper, and 2mg seems on the low side. On the other hand, I was loathe to reinstate in the first place and want done with the drugs as quickly as possible, so the less I reinstate, the less tapering I have to do. I feel OK on 2mg, but only just about OK, and some days can be bad. So as you can see, I really don't know what to do at this stage. 20mg Fluoxetine daily for 13 years. I did two tapers (both before I found this site). The first, about three years ago, was by breaking open the capsule and reducing the amount of powder. I did that for about 8 months. My doc then told me this was wrong and that, if I wanted to taper, I should use the liquid form. I then went on to the liquid form at full dose and started to taper again. This second taper took about a year, ending in about May this year. Since then, due to bad withdrawal, I have reinstated to 2mg and am just about coping, but not exactly thriving. Update: November 2015: upped reinstatement dosage to 4mg on advice received here. Since then, periods of feeling OK alternating with deep pits of suicidal despair, but the former are just about winning out over the latter. Was seriously considering going back on at full dosage for good, but have so far managed to resist that temptation. Update Feb 2016: feeling OK, although still not immune from waves of despair and deep depression. Reduced the 4mg by 10% with the aim of eventually getting back down to zero again, which I will be doing very, very, very slowly. Also taking 100mg 5HTP daily, which helps a little. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 2, 2015 Administrator Share Posted August 2, 2015 Right. Well, it's all up to you. From this point, you need to listen to your body for your guidance. If you make any increases, make them very, very carefully, by tiny amounts. 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
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now