Anyone have this experience? please help

[[je...]]

Hi,

I asked this in another section but did not get many replies.

I am tapering using the Ashton method from Ativan to valium.

My psych added 10mg Prozac two weeks ago because she says it will "help ease the taper.

I feel MUCH worse this past two weeks. Extreme panic/anxiety increase lasting all day, when I used to feel more relaxed in the evenings.

 

Is it possible that there could be a bad reaction to anti-depressant medication, maybe an adverse drug interaction?

Has anyone had this experience with anti depressants during the taper?

Please, I'm functioning at the lowest level I ever have.

Any advice will be so appreciated!

thank you-

Jen

 

[[gr...]]

Hi Jenny,

I am sorry you are not getting more responses -- I think in part because it is just so hard to answer.  the all dreaded" each person is do diffiferent' while true is also hard to write and to hear.  but in this case, it is absolutely true in that some can do well on an AD and some find that adding it in can intensify their symptoms.  it sounds like from what you have written that the worsening of symptoms coincided with the adding in of the prozac? 

 

 

[[je...]]

Thank you,

Even though it is not a definitive answer, it is very helpful to know that people are different ... and I could be one who does not react well to the combination of medicines. I am going to talk to my dr and say I want to try a few days without it.

I appreciate your input so much!!

-Jen

[[Ro...]]

Hi,

I asked this in another section but did not get many replies.

I am tapering using the Ashton method from Ativan to valium.

My psych added 10mg Prozac two weeks ago because she says it will "help ease the taper.

I feel MUCH worse this past two weeks. Extreme panic/anxiety increase lasting all day, when I used to feel more relaxed in the evenings.

 

Is it possible that there could be a bad reaction to anti-depressant medication, maybe an adverse drug interaction?

Has anyone had this experience with anti depressants during the taper?

Please, I'm functioning at the lowest level I ever have.

Any advice will be so appreciated!

thank you-

Jen

 

SSRI drugs like Prozac and Zoloft are notorious for increasing anxiety the first few weeks they are used.  I'd contact your psych and let him/her know what's going on.

[[je...]]

Thank you,

I just spoke to my doctor. She refused to believe that it is the Prozac.

I said however, that I am going to stop taking it for a few days and see how I feel and she agreed that that was fine.

I really do not think most of these doctors know a lot about this process.

I feel like I know my body intuitively, but the confusion the drugs cause really interfere with my ability to trust myself

I will let everyone know if I feel any better, in case anyone else has this horrible experience.

Thank you so much!

-Jen

[[op...]]

Any time a doctor refuses to believe that you could be having a reaction to a medication, it's a bad sign. My doctor refused to believe I was having w/d symptoms when I had tremors, akathisia, and vomiting. He said it was my "anxiety returning". I never went back to him.

 

The best kind of doctor you can find in all this mess is the one who believes you and collaborates with you.

 

(As a side note, I tried Prozac years ago and was straight up allergic to it; my upper lip blew up like a bowling ball. These drugs can definitely increase anxiety, and mixing them together can cause all kinds of increased symptoms. Listen to your body and be your own advocate!)

 

Sending you lots of healing wishes.

[[je...]]

Thank you openroad,

I have seen so many doctors and none of them really seem to understand this situation.

I truly feels like we have to figure everything out on our own.

I have lost so much in my life from this, my job, friends, interests, self esteem.

All I can hope for is that it will be over some day.

Thank you for your reply and words of encouragement, I appreciate them very much.

Sending healing wishes back,

-Jen

 

 

[[He...]]

Hi Jenny,

 

I'm so sorry for your suffering right now. Years ago when I was first attempting to taper Xanax and then Z drugs, my doc prescribed Lexapro.  I had joined another benzo group and the person in charge of the group recommended I get off the Lexapro as soon as I coudl that adding more meds would only complicate things.  BUT, as has been stated here, some people do well with AD's.  I think for me less is more. Your doctor is probably trying to think of a way to bridge you through this but for me there wasn't really a good bridge.  I hope getting off the Prozac helps you!  Hang in there.

 

Helen

 

[[Ha...]]

Hi Jenny, in 100 years time, I think that people will look back on this era of benzos etc and consider it a crime on humanity. The point being that we are really all taking part in a big trial and error mental health experiment. No one even really knows how ADs work and we certainly don’t know how they work on a particular person. Some doctors are honest enough to admit this and work alongside us to to get the best treatment out of many alternatives.

You would not choose to feel as you do. At least your doctor is happy for you to stop the Prozac for now. ADs have helped me but I had to try a few before finding an effective one. I thought it was common knowledge that they can make you feel a bit worse in the early weeks, which may be what has happened to you.

This is your taper and you are in control. I hope you get through withdrawal, recover well and be happy. Here to help.

Hardy.

 

[[co...]]

I tried Lexapro as well a few years back and couldn't get out of bed!  I only took it for 2 days and then stopped.  I was clearly allergic to it or something!  It's sad to me your doctor didn't believe you!  Why on earth would you lie?

On another note, I did this genetic test my Pdoc suggested that tells you what medications work best with your DNA. Here is what he ordered and my insurance paid for the whole thing!  www.genomind.com

It was nice to see that Lexapro was in the RED for me and in fact didn't work with my system.  It's not going to get you off Benzos, but it will be able to tell you which medications work best with your DNA should you end up needing another medication down the road- that's not a Benzo of course!  If nothing else, it was nice to see that I wasn't crazy!  If your insurance will pay for this test, ask your doctor to order it and they can see for themselves you are not lying!  Ugh!  That makes me so mad to hear!  I am so sorry your doctor is not listening to you! 

[[je...]]

Thank you Cooper5, Hardy66 and HelenHMB

(I can not figure out how to reply separately to each person :/

 

But thank you for your personal experiences with adding drugs to the taper.

I decided to stop the Prozac on Monday and thankfully I have a lot less anxiety. I hope this continues.

I do have other WD symptoms; depression, anxiety, sadness, brain fog, exhaustion etc

...but the level of fear and panic I was having was pure hell and lasting all day and night

It means so much to me that you guys take time to share your experiences with me because it truly made me realize that I could trust my gut feeling.

So thank you so much again.

xG

 

[[Ro...]]

Thank you Cooper5, Hardy66 and HelenHMB

(I can not figure out how to reply separately to each person :/

 

But thank you for your personal experiences with adding drugs to the taper.

I decided to stop the Prozac on Monday and thankfully I have a lot less anxiety. I hope this continues.

I do have other WD symptoms; depression, anxiety, sadness, brain fog, exhaustion etc

...but the level of fear and panic I was having was pure hell and lasting all day and night

It means so much to me that you guys take time to share your experiences with me because it truly made me realize that I could trust my gut feeling.

So thank you so much again.

xG

 

I'm glad that you called your psych and she acquiesced to your wanting to drop the Prozac and that you actually did and found the cause.  Btw, to respond to a particular person's post you can click where it says Quote at the top right above their post.  That's what I did to copy your post and reply to you.

[[je...]]

Thank you Cooper5, Hardy66 and HelenHMB

(I can not figure out how to reply separately to each person :/

 

But thank you for your personal experiences with adding drugs to the taper.

I decided to stop the Prozac on Monday and thankfully I have a lot less anxiety. I hope this continues.

I do have other WD symptoms; depression, anxiety, sadness, brain fog, exhaustion etc

...but the level of fear and panic I was having was pure hell and lasting all day and night

It means so much to me that you guys take time to share your experiences with me because it truly made me realize that I could trust my gut feeling.

So thank you so much again.

xG

 

I'm glad that you called your psych and she acquiesced to your wanting to drop the Prozac and that you actually did and found the cause.  Btw, to respond to a particular person's post you can click where it says Quote at the top right above their post.  That's what I did to copy your post and reply to you.

 

Thank you for the support!!

And thank you for showing me how to reply to each person

xG

[[ba...]]

Thank you Cooper5, Hardy66 and HelenHMB

(I can not figure out how to reply separately to each person :/

 

But thank you for your personal experiences with adding drugs to the taper.

I decided to stop the Prozac on Monday and thankfully I have a lot less anxiety. I hope this continues.

I do have other WD symptoms; depression, anxiety, sadness, brain fog, exhaustion etc

...but the level of fear and panic I was having was pure hell and lasting all day and night

It means so much to me that you guys take time to share your experiences with me because it truly made me realize that I could trust my gut feeling.

So thank you so much again.

xG

 

I'm glad that you called your psych and she acquiesced to your wanting to drop the Prozac and that you actually did and found the cause.  Btw, to respond to a particular person's post you can click where it says Quote at the top right above their post.  That's what I did to copy your post and reply to you.

 

They tryed me on every anti depressant. Yes have had the increased axiety with prozac, also glad you went to psych.  The tough bit is two fold in my experience. everyone reacts differently, but even I can act differently to same treatment at different times.  So not a fan of any antidepressants but most mess around with my system and mood for a minimum of two-four weeks of starting a new one before things settle down..good luck

[[je...]]

Thank you Cooper5, Hardy66 and HelenHMB

(I can not figure out how to reply separately to each person :/

 

But thank you for your personal experiences with adding drugs to the taper.

I decided to stop the Prozac on Monday and thankfully I have a lot less anxiety. I hope this continues.

I do have other WD symptoms; depression, anxiety, sadness, brain fog, exhaustion etc

...but the level of fear and panic I was having was pure hell and lasting all day and night

It means so much to me that you guys take time to share your experiences with me because it truly made me realize that I could trust my gut feeling.

So thank you so much again.

xG

 

I'm glad that you called your psych and she acquiesced to your wanting to drop the Prozac and that you actually did and found the cause.  Btw, to respond to a particular person's post you can click where it says Quote at the top right above their post.  That's what I did to copy your post and reply to you.

 

They tryed me on every anti depressant. Yes have had the increased axiety with prozac, also glad you went to psych.  The tough bit is two fold in my experience. everyone reacts differently, but even I can act differently to same treatment at different times.  So not a fan of any antidepressants but most mess around with my system and mood for a minimum of two-four weeks of starting a new one before things settle down..good luck

 

Thank you Bayriver,

I decided to stay off any other medications including the prozac as I taper. I hope I can get through without anything, because it seems like there is no rhyme or reason to the interactions for each person. I am much less agitated off the prozac.

Thank you again for sharing your experience w mw.

xJen

[[Es...]]

My boyfriend is having this same issue. I couldn’t have imagined that things could possibly get any worse for him during his benzo withdrawal. However, he was put on SSRIs and immediately things got worse. I had to take him to the hospital due to suicidal ideations and he was in an inpatient psych facility following that. His cognitive and physical symptoms were worse as well. A doctor had told me it’s normal for it to make things worse for up to 9 weeks before it “settles in”. Although he is at home now and has a better handle on himself, things really haven’t alleviated for him and I think a lot of this suffering is due to the AD. The doctor stated “oh it’s no big deal you’ll be fine! I took them myself and for the first 9 weeks I was having homicidal ideations but it passed!” Like what?! How is that okay? Why is this “normal”? Not to mention the horrible symptoms you guys are experiencing are due to physical damage of the GABA receptors, not a psychological issue. I’m no doctor but I just can’t piece together how this would help, it seems it would only make it worse. I’m wondering if since this post, have you stayed on the meds or did you stop taking, and if so, how do you feel?

[[je...]]

My boyfriend is having this same issue. I couldn’t have imagined that things could possibly get any worse for him during his benzo withdrawal. However, he was put on SSRIs and immediately things got worse. I had to take him to the hospital due to suicidal ideations and he was in an inpatient psych facility following that. His cognitive and physical symptoms were worse as well. A doctor had told me it’s normal for it to make things worse for up to 9 weeks before it “settles in”. Although he is at home now and has a better handle on himself, things really haven’t alleviated for him and I think a lot of this suffering is due to the AD. The doctor stated “oh it’s no big deal you’ll be fine! I took them myself and for the first 9 weeks I was having homicidal ideations but it passed!” Like what?! How is that okay? Why is this “normal”? Not to mention the horrible symptoms you guys are experiencing are due to physical damage of the GABA receptors, not a psychological issue. I’m no doctor but I just can’t piece together how this would help, it seems it would only make it worse. I’m wondering if since this post, have you stayed on the meds or did you stop taking, and if so, how do you feel?

Hi Esor86,

I'm so sorry your bf is going through this

You are wonderful to be so caring of him in his darkest time. I'm sure it is not easy for you either.

But what we are experiencing is beyond anything I have ever faced.

I stayed of the Prozac, I noticed a dramatic lessening of the anxiety and panic attack feelings right away and it has been almost 2 weeks.

I think and I am much better without. I do still have depression, sadness, fearfulness, dark thoughts every day.

But I do not have a constant racing heartbeat, trembling and Panic feeling .. and I have been able to function much better without the prozac as I taper.(getting up, doing laundry, going to get groceries etc).

I couldn't do anything on the prozac besides lay in a fetal position and feel terrible fear (

The doctors really do not seem to be able to open their minds to the fact that what they think about medication could be wrong.

I will talk to my psych on Wednesday and I will tell her I am staying off.

Then we will make a cut in my Ativan, and I am sure to have a hard time, but I do believe it is worse with the anti depressant meds..even though she does not believe this.

I think it is worth a try to have him ask about not taking the pill for a few days and see what happens.

I really hope this helps a little bit.

Good luck to you and write too me any time if you need,

xJen