withdrawing from prozac

[ben]

debbie wrote:

I have been on Prozac for FIFTEEN years! Eight weeks ago I decided to stop cold turkey. I was on 20 mgs for the entire time except the last two months when my doc increased me to 40 mgs because I felt it wasn't working for me anymore. For the first month on the higher dose I felt great, but quickly went back into "it ain't working" mode. So I stopped cold turkey. Crazy, right? What I am begging for on here is someone, anyone to tell me how long the withdrawal effects last? It's been eight weeks and I am seriously wondering if this IS the real me. Depression, anxiety, irritability, etc. Thanks!

I am 90 days prozac free after 1 month taper, and am still getting new symptoms like unreality, sinus problems, anxiety attacks. I took prozac for 10 years and think the longer you took it the longer the withdrawal (based on my other withdrawal experiences). My depression peaked at day 80 when i thought i could not take it anymore, so hopefully a sign of better things to come. The one thing i was not prepared for was how long the withdrawal was likely to be. I can assure you that it is very unlikely that the way you are now is the real you. I shall try to update my progress.

[katie]

maybe too early to tell but i am on my second week of reduced dose,, seemingly successful. I was on 20mg of fluoxitine for a year, one chat with my GP about not coping and i had them. I never questioned it until recently, the panic attacks and mood swings were getting worse, I decided to go to my GP maybe i needed an increased dose. I mentioned this to a friend in passing, he suffers from panic and depression, I was shocked when he showed me a literature where the side effects of prozac could be often worse than the original illness.
I started to reduce immediately, i felt angry that the way i was feeling 'could' have been brought on by this drug. The hot sweats i was experiencing, prseuming to be early menopause almost stopped immediately. I am not longer numb, i am crying writing this, but i can feel again.
I would urge anyone to come off this poison, talk to friends, get support. If you need more there are alternative drugs, speak to a doctor.
For me this is one of the best things i have ever done, my family and friends notice the difference already. Two weeks in i can sleep again, i can feel emotions, I can do it.
Please.. this is poison, get it out of your system!

[Jay]

My partner was on 60mg now I dnt no much about Prozac but is this not pretty strong? Shes only 23. I feel this was the downfall on our relationship. I posted on here in October. And we have since split up.. I personally don't no where to turn.. Can I blame these pills I really don't no! Just in such a horrible place rite now.

[Carol]

I have been on prozac for 3.5 years and am trying to wean myself of it. I was put on it by my doctor for anxiety and panic attacks along with depression. I have been cutting back for three or four months now and am presently able to go around 6 days between tablets but then I start to feel APPALLING. I feel frightened, unwell in my head like...I cant describe it but its a horrible feeling, depressed and like I'm just going through the motions of whatever it is that I'm doing at the time. I also get a sense of desperation to the extent that I end up just grabbing a pill and taking it. I just cant seem to get past the six day mark. Has anyone else experienced this? or am I just going mad?

[christine]

There's a good site you could visit for tapering advice called Paxilprogress.org . Unfortunately, I only found this site when I had already been off my medication for over a year after going cold turkey and suffering hell. Withdrawals can be bad and frightening especially if you have no knowledge of what to expect. I strongly suggest you give this site a try, they're very experienced. Good luck.

[Rahcel]

Im 15 and Ive been taking Prozac for about a year now and I quit it all at once and its like week two now Im extreemly tired but cannot sleep, Im dizzy, I have headaches, I cant eat. When will this stop!?!?

[anne]

i've been on prozac since 2008 after avery long unhappy marriage came to an end and my beloved mother died suddenly. But I've Now relocated to be with my partner though i have a few money worries i'm much less worried all the time so i decided to stop my prozac very naughty wthout medical help. I do feel very tired and at the end of the day sleep like a baby whereas when I was on prozac i found my sleep was often broken. I also notice a very strong chemical smell from my urine but i'm much more in control i found prozac made me lose my sense of self preservation and often got my self into some quite scarey situations because i had no fear at all.

[doable France]

I have been on prozac for nearly six months. side effects (nausea, headache, insomnia, weight gain) are all bearable, since I feel great. Jokes are funny again, my adolescent children like to spend time with me again. Life can be better, and it does take a little help from drugs to balance your brain chemistry again. In retrospect, I spent 6-8 years mildly depressed, before I had enough courage to talk about suicidal thoughts with my GP. Looking forward to stopping the drug soon. Wish me luck!!

[ben]

doable France wrote:

I have been on prozac for nearly six months. side effects (nausea, headache, insomnia, weight gain) are all bearable, since I feel great. Jokes are funny again, my adolescent children like to spend time with me again. Life can be better, and it does take a little help from drugs to balance your brain chemistry again. In retrospect, I spent 6-8 years mildly depressed, before I had enough courage to talk about suicidal thoughts with my GP. Looking forward to stopping the drug soon. Wish me luck!!

Good that you intend to stop which is not always easy as withdrawal often worse than original condition, and in my case can lead to years of use. They do not balance brain chemistry--period, and this is a myth with no scientific basis perpetuated by doctors and shrinks.
It is interesting you mention mild depression, as SSRIs do not perform any different than a sugar pill for people with mild to moderate depression.
A study just published in JAMA Jan 5 2010, reported that SSRI antidepressants are no better than placebo for most cases of depression. The authors reviewed 30 years of data and concluded that "the benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo may be minimal or nonexistent in patients with mild or moderate symptoms".
I think as you referred to talking to someone is a powerful thing and this is why talk therapy is just as effective as drugs; it is just easier and cheaper for doctors to write prescriptions even when they are not scientifically proven to work for people with a hamilton score below 24(above 24 is severe depression).
I am going to guess, maybe wrongly, that the doctor did not get you to do a hamilton depression rating scale and rule out physical reasons for depression such as thyroid function. If so the doctor is as negligent as all the GPs i have ever seen.

[Gaby]

On Prozac for 17 years . Got off but feel dizzy. How long are you dizzy for

[ben]

Gaby wrote:

On Prozac for 17 years . Got off but feel dizzy. How long are you dizzy for

It depends on each person and how long you were exposed. I took prozac for 10 years and still have right temporal headaches and ringing in my right ear after 5 months now, after a one month taper. Be careful tapering off to quickly: Prozac has a 4-7 day half life with an active metabolite half life of 16 days after long term use. Seeing as it takes 4-5 half lifes to clear your system, bad withdrawals may be delayed by a month or two or more. My worse withdrawals have been month 4 and 5.
Unfortunately for some people, including myself, neurological healing after long term use is very slow. I have had ringing in my ears since month 2, and it is very very gradually getting better. You may be luckier and not get protracted withdrawal, best of luck.

[Judy]

I have been taking Fluox for 9 years now and I started on 20 mg and went down to 10mg and back up to 20mg because of some family issues in January 2011. I am trying to wean myself off of this medicine and I have cut it down to 10 mg which I have been taking for 3 days. I do have side effects such as a rapid heart beat and headaches. I want to eventually get off of it forever but I am worried. I tried a few times but I started feeling really strange with all the side effects so I went back on. How is the best way to get off this medicine totally? I do not want to rely on this medicine for the rest of my life.

[ben]

Judy wrote:

I have been taking Fluox for 9 years now and I started on 20 mg and went down to 10mg and back up to 20mg because of some family issues in January 2011. I am trying to wean myself off of this medicine and I have cut it down to 10 mg which I have been taking for 3 days. I do have side effects such as a rapid heart beat and headaches. I want to eventually get off of it forever but I am worried. I tried a few times but I started feeling really strange with all the side effects so I went back on. How is the best way to get off this medicine totally? I do not want to rely on this medicine for the rest of my life.

If you struggle with withdrawal i would suggest a very gradual taper. Prominent psychiatrist Peter Breggin suggest that you can taper for a month for every year on. In your case 9 month gradual taper. Keep in mind prozac has a very long half life and side effects can get worse after a month; so do not be tricked into thinking you are doing better than you are and rushing.
You do not have to take all of nine months. The key is to go slowly, and at a speed that is comfortable for you: everyone is different. This may mean taking longer for some people.

To put into perspective rushing: I tapered for only a month after 10 years use of prozac. I thought i was doing really well. I am now going into my 6th month off and have ringing in my right ear, sinnus problems, right temporal headaches, insomnia. Depression and anxiety were extremely bad in late month 3 right up to mid month 5. Mood swings, bouts of depression and agression are just starting to improve in last 15 days.
So again go slow. Side effects from a single dose change can take 2 weeks to show, and a month or more to peak in severity. The reason why this is: prozac has a 4-7 day half life, with an active metabolite half life of 16 days after long term use. It takes 5 half lives after stopping for prozac to be out of your system: so up to 80 days.

ps some helpful sites: http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/taper.htm

[Chrissy]

Judy wrote:

I have been taking Fluox for 9 years now and I started on 20 mg and went down to 10mg and back up to 20mg because of some family issues in January 2011. I am trying to wean myself off of this medicine and I have cut it down to 10 mg which I have been taking for 3 days. I do have side effects such as a rapid heart beat and headaches. I want to eventually get off of it forever but I am worried. I tried a few times but I started feeling really strange with all the side effects so I went back on. How is the best way to get off this medicine totally? I do not want to rely on this medicine for the rest of my life.

Paxilprogress.org is the best website I have found to help people who are coming off psychiatric drugs. Ask people there for the best way to taper, I didn't find the site until I was nearly a year off after going cold turkey from prozac. Biggest mistake of my life, still suffering neurological symptoms, whole central nervous system is affected in one way or another. 21 months off and still not recovered!! Good luck.

[andrei]

why would you only do it under medical supervision? Doctors dont want to give you vitamins they would just try convince you to keep taking your prozac or try replacing it with some other pharmecutical.

I ditched doctors 4 months ago, stopped taking their pills and stuck to vitamins. I now feel amazing

[ben]

prozac wrote:

Hi,i had been on prozac since march 2009, i have recently stopped taking prozac now for 3 weeks,how long do you think it takes for it to get out of your system and can some one explain what half life is? I am trying to understand depression, i dont feel depressed but sometimes feel tear full for no apparent reason, my head just feels like its not there,unable to think properly, tending to say what i feel but it comes out the wrong way? My brain doesnt want to sleep and only sleeps when it is shattered,not been able to do any more ,i then suffer the consequences afterwards the next day,My appetite is really none exsistant, i dont want to eat and tend to rely upon milky coffees instead.Is this what depression is?
jeanette

Take a hamilton depression rating scale for depression. It should be noted that JAMA, after compiling 30 years data, found that SSRIs do not work for people with a score below 24(above is severe depression).http://healthnet.u massmed.edu/mhealth/HAMD.pdf
Half life relates to the time it takes for half the dose to still be in your system: so if you took 20mg, after 1 half life there would be 10mg left in your system. There would be 5mg after 2 half lifes and 2.5mg after 3 half lifes. It takes 4-5 half lifes for the drug to be out of your system.
Prozac has a half life 1-3 days short term and 4-6 days long term, and has an active metabolite with a half life of 9-16days (16days after long term use). So worse case the active metabolite will hang around in your system for up to 80 days.
ps It is possible that some of your problems are due to prozac or come about because of tolerance to it.

[kendra]

i have 6 children. ages 17,14,9,6,3 and the baby is 2months. my father passed in july, i gave birth in november & have been suffering from extreme post partum depression, anxiety attacks, & constant paranoid episodes. my obgyn put me on 20 mg prozac a day for 4 wks then increased it to 40mg a day. i broke out n hives the size of baseballs & had uncontrolable shakes. i quit taking it!!! it has been 10 days since i've had any meds. the depression, anxiety & paranoidness is coming back. does anyone have ANY advice as to what i should do?

[chrissy]

kendra wrote:

i have 6 children. ages 17,14,9,6,3 and the baby is 2months. my father passed in july, i gave birth in november & have been suffering from extreme post partum depression, anxiety attacks, & constant paranoid episodes. my obgyn put me on 20 mg prozac a day for 4 wks then increased it to 40mg a day. i broke out n hives the size of baseballs & had uncontrolable shakes. i quit taking it!!! it has been 10 days since i've had any meds. the depression, anxiety & paranoidness is coming back. does anyone have ANY advice as to what i should do?

I suggest that you speak with your doctor, I don't know how you manage to visit this forum with the amount of work you must have.

[cazzy]

I am coming off it as I now take other drugs to do the job: Lithium and Lamotrigine (I am bipolar). Gone from 80mg to 40mg in two steps recently but have really noticed problems. Shrink has re-advised me and told me not to drop by 20mg per fortnight but now to drop monthly. Am getting sweats, headaches, problems with sleep, anxiety that is oh so crushing and stops me from doing anything. Having trouble remembering that I am not getting ill again, that it is apparently side-effects. How long will it last? This feels bleak....

[ben]

lithium research:
Investigators observed moderate renal failure in 33.5% of those on therapy for up to 18 months; 30.2% on therapy for 18 months to three years; 34.4% on therapy for three to six years; and 49.3% on therapy for more than 10 years. Rates of severe renal impairment ranged from 0% in patients taking lithium for 0-18 months to 1.7% among those on the drug for more than 10 years, Dr. Moore said. No correlation was found for duration of exposure and eGFR.
http://www.renalandurologynews.com/even-brief...
It can also affect thyroid function.
A recent survey from France shows that 5% of patients taking lithium aged 40–69 years are in stage 4 of chronic kidney disease, when patients become symptomatic from the disease and may require
dialysis or transplantation, compared with 0.4% of the general population.
Stage 3
chronic kidney disease is asymptomatic but it is associated with a 40% increase in cardiovascular mortality in the community when all other cardiovascular risk factors are controlled for. http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/193/2/93.full....

hope your shrink spelt out the risks of lithium use. It is your choice, just hope it is fully informed. My brother took it for 10 years and now has acquired polycystic kidney disease and hypothyroidism.
Prozac withdrawal can be horrid. I am in my 6 month off after 1 month taper and 10 years use. I have found that symptoms got alot worse since month 3, and not sure if they have peaked yet.