Going off Prozac

[[ma...]]

I'm doing a little better (less depression, anxiety, insomnia) after my last cut from 24 to 22 mg Valium about a week ago.  I've also started tapering off my Prozac.  I have been on 10 mg Prozac for several months and tapered down to 5 mg about 3 days ago.  I have gone off Prozac before and just got really tired for a few days. So, that might explain why I am sleeping better and have less anxiety during the day.  Hard for me to know?

 

I know it's not recommended to taper off anti-depressants with benzos, but I feel like I need to try it.  I don't believe I need the Prozac, and it has caused me varying levels of insomnia since I started taking it.  I have tried a load of other a/d and they all made me either aggitated or too sedated. Prozac seemed to have the least side-effects so I went back on it. I always felt very peppy on it, but didn't sleep well. A year ago my psychiatrist had me on 40 mg a day after I complained again about the insomnia.  She thought the insomnia was a sign of depression and increased the Prozac from 20 mg to 30 mg to 40mg within a couple months or so. 

 

Curiously enough, that was around the same time that I then started having even more sleep problems and was prescribed z-drugs (Ambien and Lunesta) and then finally benzos when the z-drugs were not working and I was getting worse. Then, over the past year, I started cutting down on my Prozac even though my doctor didn't think it was such a good idea. I started having dizzy & fainting spells on the 40 mg and just knew I was taking way too much of it.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to share that I was going off Prozac too. 

 

Maggie

[[ra...]]

I'm happy for you.You know yourself best. :)

[[mi...]]

Wow Maggie you're coming off of two at the same time! I can't even begin to think of the Effexor yet, I'm just not too sure of this whole benzo thing yet. I DESPARATELY want off the Effexor ... which is why I've even done any of this reseach at all ... and keep hearing and reading that I should coe off of the benzo FIRST!  I'd so much rather get this Effexor out of me! I can't stand what it has done to my body ..  (my "adverse side effects" as the legal drug pushers call it). Wish this clonazapam would hurry itself up out of my body too!!!!!!!! :tickedoff:

[[ma...]]

Hey Millargirl,

 

Yeah, I just don't want to be on an a/d anymore if I don't have too.  I figure since my dose is low it won't be too bad of a w/d.  So far, so good.  I plan to stay on the 5 mg Prozac for several weeks and then try to cut it down to 2.5 mg for a few weeks.  I'm feeling more stable on my taper of Valium and am just gonna do it, despite the advice not to.

 

I don't think I've ever been on Effexor, but it's possible.  I've tried so many over the last three years.  In terms of a/d's, my psychiatrist told me last year that "We tried almost everything!". What are the "adverse effects" for you?  May I ask what it was prescribed for-anxiety, depression, both?

 

By the way, I'm taking lots of the recommended supplements.  Raven and "The Road Back" website has helped guide me on what to try.  I'm feeling pretty good and just got the Body Calm today.  I'm hoping it will help my sleep.

 

Do you take supplements?  If you do, may I ask what has worked best for you?

 

Maggie 

[[mi...]]

Hey Millargirl,

 

Yeah, I just don't want to be on an a/d anymore if I don't have too.  I figure since my dose is low it won't be too bad of a w/d.  So far, so good.  I plan to stay on the 5 mg Prozac for several weeks and then try to cut it down to 2.5 mg for a few weeks.  I'm feeling more stable on my taper of Valium and am just gonna do it, despite the advice not to.

 

I don't think I've ever been on Effexor, but it's possible.  I've tried so many over the last three years.  In terms of a/d's, my psychiatrist told me last year that "We tried almost everything!". What are the "adverse effects" for you?  May I ask what it was prescribed for-anxiety, depression, both?

 

By the way, I'm taking lots of the recommended supplements.  Raven and "The Road Back" website has helped guide me on what to try.  I'm feeling pretty good and just got the Body Calm today.  I'm hoping it will help my sleep.

 

Do you take supplements?  If you do, may I ask what has worked best for you?

 

Maggie 

 

Good to hear!! Glad you did check them out Maggie.

 

Yes, I'm not sure if you got the email I sent you but I also thought you might wanna check that website out as well. Did you get it? Well I'm glad you are getting some advice on it, (and I know Raven's excellent at that for sure) cause I was pretty confused at first too, as to how to use the products from the road back. And I must say, they are far better than any others that I've been on; I'm somewhat of a health nut to begin with, and I've never had the results that I've had with Global's products. Glad to hear you're trying them out. I'm not sure so much, but the protien that I had didn't compare to or have the same results as Global's Essential Protien Formula. Something to do with the barley in it I believe. If you do have other questions about it, I can let you know how they've helped me or Raven had a number for someone you could call as well. I think it was Chris? not sure.

 

For now, MG