Prozac Reinstatement -- did I do the right thing?

[[an...]]

Hi everyone -

 

As you can see in my sig, I am different than mostly everyone else here since I was only prescribed an AD and not a benzo. However, for those who can give me some insight on this, was it OK for me to reinstate after 4 months of withdrawal from a fast taper/CT of Prozac? I reinstated 4 days ago at 1mg but I'm hoping this was a good decision since I know reinstating is frowned upon after a CT... I just couldn't handle the intense pain of the sxs (90% of sxs are all physical). I did have windows during the course of the last 3 months but they were gradually getting smaller and not as frequent.

 

What would be your input?

[[Es...]]

 

I reinstated Prozac after a year I think. But I've been taking benzos for 30 yrs. I don't regret having reinstated Prozac. Have been on it since May this year, 11,25 mg now. All SSRIs are crap, but Prozac works best IMO. I'm in hell because of benzos. Not because of Prozac.

[[an...]]

 

I reinstated Prozac after a year I think. But I've been taking benzos for 30 yrs. I don't regret having reinstated Prozac. Have been on it since May this year, 11,25 mg now. All SSRIs are crap, but Prozac works best IMO. I'm in hell because of benzos. Not because of Prozac.

 

Hi Estee:

 

Did you feel any WD from  Prozac though? Seems like you were at least on some medication while you weren't taking it. I'm trying to see if it's OK to reinstate it now after having taken NO meds at all during my CT

[[an...]]

Can anyone else give me some feedback please? 

[[Es...]]

 

When I withdrew from Prozac, I suffered terrible apathy. I lost all motivation, self-assurance etc. The SSRI anxiety was gone, but this apathy was unbearable. I finally returned to classic benzos after 11 yrs' abstinence. Cause I also had anxiety. Not the SSRI anxiety, but my own social phobia.

 

I must take SSRIs, have been taking different ADs for about 16 yrs for my OCD and dysthymia. Prozac is the best IMO. For me. It is a terrible combo with benzos anyway. At least with the amount I'm on.

 

I think SSRIs change brain chemistry in a way that is irreversible. When I reduced Lexapro to the lowest possible amount, I suffered from terrible OCD. Washed my hands several hundred times a day.

 

We're all different. I just know these drugs alter our brain chemistry in an irreversible way. The only thing that can help is therapy and devouring self-help books.

 

[[Es...]]

 

Prozac has an extremely long half-life. No wonder you felt good for a month. You should go very slowly with increasing the dose. Like 10% a month I think. I used to be on 1,25 mg Prozac for some time (without benzos) and was OK. All hell broke loose when it left my system completely. You are happy to be without benzos. They are terrible, ruin life completely.

 

I mean some folks can manage on a small dose. I was on 5 mg, then 2,5 mg Prozac - I was OK. Just could not stand this anxiety. We all have different conditions. Are all different.

[[Tr...]]

I'm not aware of problems happening when reinstating an SSRI, but you have to do it gradually, kind of a reverse rapid taper. You can't just start taking you original therapeutic dose all of a sudden. You have to ramp up to that over the course of a few weeks. Talk to your doctor.

 

I reinstated Zoloft. I had done a rapid taper from Zoloft and fell into a deep depression. I tried to fix it with Klonopin and that was a big problem. I reinstated back to Zoloft after 5 months, stabilized, then tapered off the Klonopin. About 9 months later I did a longer taper off the Zoloft and I've been med free for over a year.

[[an...]]

 

When I withdrew from Prozac, I suffered terrible apathy. I lost all motivation, self-assurance etc. The SSRI anxiety was gone, but this apathy was unbearable. I finally returned to classic benzos after 11 yrs' abstinence. Cause I also had anxiety. Not the SSRI anxiety, but my own social phobia.

 

I must take SSRIs, have been taking different ADs for about 16 yrs for my OCD and dysthymia. Prozac is the best IMO. For me. It is a terrible combo with benzos anyway. At least with the amount I'm on.

 

I think SSRIs change brain chemistry in a way that is irreversible. When I reduced Lexapro to the lowest possible amount, I suffered from terrible OCD. Washed my hands several hundred times a day.

 

We're all different. I just know these drugs alter our brain chemistry in an irreversible way. The only thing that can help is therapy and devouring self-help books.

 

 

Wow, I am sorry you went through all that. Did you have OCD prior to ever taking meds? I hope I didn't cause any irreversible damage... I never had OCD or any type of mental illness other than general anxiety (which I could have gone to therapy for instead of a pill!). I just want my life back the way it was prior to medication.

 

 

I'm not aware of problems happening when reinstating an SSRI, but you have to do it gradually, kind of a reverse rapid taper. You can't just start taking you original therapeutic dose all of a sudden. You have to ramp up to that over the course of a few weeks. Talk to your doctor.

 

I reinstated Zoloft. I had done a rapid taper from Zoloft and fell into a deep depression. I tried to fix it with Klonopin and that was a big problem. I reinstated back to Zoloft after 5 months, stabilized, then tapered off the Klonopin. About 9 months later I did a longer taper off the Zoloft and I've been med free for over a year.

 

I talked to my primary doctor who didn't understand that I was having WD from Prozac. She isn't a psychiatrist so it's understandable. She suggested I start at 5mg and taper down within 3 months which doesn't sound like the smart thing to do... Thus, I am ignoring her. I also asked her if I could get a referral to a neurologist and a GI doctor to cancel out anything that maybe have developed in the past few months. She told me that she wouldn't find any reason for a referral because she couldn't pinpoint why I was having all these symptoms. So I walked out with a bad suggestion on tapering and a blood test for TSH levels. Ugh. I should be getting results in a few days.

 

Thankfully, I just found a psychiatrist who seems to understand AD withdrawals and is willing to work with me, thank god! However, he charges pretty high - about $270 for the first visit and $175 for subsequent visits. But he sounds so reassuring -- he did not once question my symptoms! He also sounded very concerned, warm, and even asked to talk with my therapist. I am hoping I can be his patient.

 

You said you reinstated Zoloft after 5 months... do you mean 5 months after the rapid taper? At what dose did you start the reinstatement and how long did it take for you to feel stabilized on it? Are you successfully med free 100% now? Do you feel back to your normal self?

 

 

[[Tr...]]

You said you reinstated Zoloft after 5 months... do you mean 5 months after the rapid taper? At what dose did you start the reinstatement and how long did it take for you to feel stabilized on it? Are you successfully med free 100% now? Do you feel back to your normal self?

 

Yes, 5 months after my rapid taper I went back on Zoloft. I started at 50mg for a week then went up to 100mg. I think I should have taken 2 weeks on 50mg because I suffered from intense insomnia and anxious thoughts when I was at 100mg. It took about 3 weeks before I felt stable, then things were great and back to normal.

 

But being on Zoloft meant gaining 30 lbs, feeling lethargic and having difficulty achieving orgasm. Once I got in a good place in my life I decided to taper again, slowly.

 

I am 100% med free now, since January 1, 2016. I feel mostly like my normal self. I still suffer from occasional anxious or depressive periods but they are never too deep and only last a day or two. I've learned a variety of coping strategies so they never cause too much suffering. I meditate about every other day, stopped drinking, swim or jog 3x a week, try to get out of the house when I can, switched from coffee to green tea.

 

I finally started seeing a therapist this year to confirm that I don't need medications and she pretty much agrees that I'm recovering well. She's helping me get through some life stress right now. It's great because she talks about how my thinking is problematic and how I can change the way I look at things, rather than immediately saying I need to be medicated.

 

I'm not against anti-depressants because I see how they've helped me. But I do think they need to be considered as a temporary help to get to a better place and should be part of a larger set of practices to overcome mental difficulties.

 

[[an...]]

You said you reinstated Zoloft after 5 months... do you mean 5 months after the rapid taper? At what dose did you start the reinstatement and how long did it take for you to feel stabilized on it? Are you successfully med free 100% now? Do you feel back to your normal self?

 

Yes, 5 months after my rapid taper I went back on Zoloft. I started at 50mg for a week then went up to 100mg. I think I should have taken 2 weeks on 50mg because I suffered from intense insomnia and anxious thoughts when I was at 100mg. It took about 3 weeks before I felt stable, then things were great and back to normal.

 

But being on Zoloft meant gaining 30 lbs, feeling lethargic and having difficulty achieving orgasm. Once I got in a good place in my life I decided to taper again, slowly.

 

I am 100% med free now, since January 1, 2016. I feel mostly like my normal self. I still suffer from occasional anxious or depressive periods but they are never too deep and only last a day or two. I've learned a variety of coping strategies so they never cause too much suffering. I meditate about every other day, stopped drinking, swim or jog 3x a week, try to get out of the house when I can, switched from coffee to green tea.

 

I finally started seeing a therapist this year to confirm that I don't need medications and she pretty much agrees that I'm recovering well. She's helping me get through some life stress right now. It's great because she talks about how my thinking is problematic and how I can change the way I look at things, rather than immediately saying I need to be medicated.

 

I'm not against anti-depressants because I see how they've helped me. But I do think they need to be considered as a temporary help to get to a better place and should be part of a larger set of practices to overcome mental difficulties.

 

Omg you're truly an inspiration! I just read your story that you linked in your sig and I am so happy you are recovered and are managing depression with natural forms of healing. Seems like your taper didn't last long either for all your meds; just a couple months. That's truly amazing! Did you work with a doctor on your taper?

 

I'm also glad your therapist says you don't need meds and I do agree with you that ADs are effective but to a certain extent in the larger scheme of things. When I was put on Prozac, I did not learn how to really manage and cope with my anxiety. Even when I went to see my therapist during the time, I didn't fully implement the practices into my life. And now that I'm trying to get off the drug and going through severe WD, I feel like I am a floundering fish lost at sea not knowing what to do with myself because I didn't practice.

 

I am surprised your reinstatement of Zoloft worked after 5 months ... It seems like usually reinstatement doesn't work for many people. I am hoping mine will work. I updosed to 2mg of Prozac because 1mg isn't doing much. I just want these SXS to disappear already!

[[Tr...]]

Thanks for the kind words! I look back on my story now and just can't believe that was my life. It truly has gotten better and better.

 

I was seeing both a psy-doctor and a therapist when I was tapering. The doctor said that Klonopin was no big deal, that it was like having a glass of wine in the evening. He felt I should just take .5mg whenever I was feeling anxious and never talked about the addictive potential, side effects of stopping, interdose withdrawal or any of that. I was having .5mg every two or three days and it was causing big dips in my mood, as well as benzo depression.

 

My therapist, on the other hand, understood that benzos are only a short term solution and really should only be used for extreme panic attacks, not anxiety and worry. She fully supported my taper, and also supported my decision to go back on Zoloft.

 

I owe a lot to the info on this board. It's a great, supportive community, and helps put things in perspective. I had no idea what i needed to do to get off. The best thing I ever did was get on a steady dose and taper, rather than trying to stretch out the time between doses.

 

i sometimes feel silly being on these boards because I was on such a low dosage and only had problems a short time. But really, everyone on here is dealing with different issues in life, and learning to cope with depression and anxiety is something we can all help each other with. And writing here and being a part of the community is a form of therapy for me too.

 

Good luck with your reinstatement. Hopefully the 2mg does the trick! It's never too late to learn self-care also, from meditation, exercise, self-help books, supplements, etc. You can do it!

[[an...]]

Thanks for the kind words! I look back on my story now and just can't believe that was my life. It truly has gotten better and better.

 

I was seeing both a psy-doctor and a therapist when I was tapering. The doctor said that Klonopin was no big deal, that it was like having a glass of wine in the evening. He felt I should just take .5mg whenever I was feeling anxious and never talked about the addictive potential, side effects of stopping, interdose withdrawal or any of that. I was having .5mg every two or three days and it was causing big dips in my mood, as well as benzo depression.

 

My therapist, on the other hand, understood that benzos are only a short term solution and really should only be used for extreme panic attacks, not anxiety and worry. She fully supported my taper, and also supported my decision to go back on Zoloft.

 

I owe a lot to the info on this board. It's a great, supportive community, and helps put things in perspective. I had no idea what i needed to do to get off. The best thing I ever did was get on a steady dose and taper, rather than trying to stretch out the time between doses.

 

i sometimes feel silly being on these boards because I was on such a low dosage and only had problems a short time. But really, everyone on here is dealing with different issues in life, and learning to cope with depression and anxiety is something we can all help each other with. And writing here and being a part of the community is a form of therapy for me too.

 

Good luck with your reinstatement. Hopefully the 2mg does the trick! It's never too late to learn self-care also, from meditation, exercise, self-help books, supplements, etc. You can do it!

 

Wow you must feel like a brand new person! Glad you made it out alive! I'm guessing your WD symptoms were not as bad either? Did you have any symptoms after the taper or did it all just go away during the taper?

 

Your therapist sounds like she knows what she's doing. Crazy how doctors themselves don't have a full grasp on how to properly taper off these drugs...

 

I don't think you should feel silly for being here. Like you said, we are all  dealing with different stuff and trying to cope the best that we can. I hope the 2mg works too... Still thinking I'm gonna need to updose at some point lol the burning and itching has not gone away 

 

Well, I'm gonna exercise now. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!

[[Tr...]]

I'm guessing your WD symptoms were not as bad either? Did you have any symptoms after the taper or did it all just go away during the taper?

 

The taper went smoothly and I didn't have many symptoms afterwards. I suffered some anxiety, insomnia, and de-personalization during and a little after the taper but they were manageable.  I felt a little light headed for a couple weeks after the second taper from Zoloft but that went away eventually.

[[Es...]]

 

Anongrl5590 - my OCD started about 30 yrs ago and was extremely severe. If it weren't for Anafranil (clomipramine), I don't know if I would survive.

 

I was terribly abused physically as a child (beaten), by my father, who's a pill addict. My mother prescribed him addictive sleeping pills (z-drugs etc.) all his life. When he had WD, he beat me in attacks of fury.

 

Turned for support towards my mother, which was the worst thing I've done in my life. She gave me benzos to suppress my social phobia and so that I could study. Finished 3 faculties. Benzos worsened the depression and insomnia, that existed since childhood. So pdocs started giving me different ADs for dysthymia (neurotic depression) and APs for sleep. Mother has also abused me mentally in the most cruel way: harsh criticism, sarcasm etc.

 

I upped Prozac from 12,50 to 15 mg and feel awful. Benzos are slowly killing me. I think Prozac is a double-edged sword. But I really don't know if the benefits are greater than the losses. I only know SSRIs change brain chemistry. So that quitting them is almost an impossible task.