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Hello, my name is Jami. I am new to this forum and need some support and advice on a taper. I haven't started the Prozac taper yet but i have been injured by the medical field for the past four years. I have come off five diff phyc med drugs given to me for one wd for the next. It has been a brutal couple of years. I was given the wrong advice and Poly drugged because no dr or phyc dr. understood what i was going through. I searched for help and came across a benzo forum and found out what i was going through was benzo wds. and then i was told to come off lexipro . I was on that for 16 years, and it wasn't even being given to me by a phyc dr. I didn't ever struggle with depression or anything. I had an acute situation 16 years ago and just stayed on the Lexapro with no one tell me it is doing more harm than anything? i tapered 20 mlg for 8 months and when i got down from 5mlg to 2.5 something unimaginable happened. I had severe pacing akathisia and verbal aka. I paced for 5 months. I went to ers hospitals, phyc hospitals everywhere, and they all said i had anxiety! I had flu symptoms, chills, burning skin, insomnia, shakes, pgad, muscle pains, joints, agoraphobia, sweats, paranoid, angry etc. and it wouldn't stop? I had full on ssri discontinuation syndrome. No one was able to help me. I was told by a phyc dr that that cannot happen when i did my own research and it can and did. I was then put on Zyprexa with Prozac. 20 mlg Prozac, and 5 mlg of Zyprexa. I decided i didn't want to stay on the Zyprexa so i lowered it right away to 2.5 and then began to taper it by liquid for 14 months. I also was put back on a benzo that i had to taper another benzo liquid for 12 months. I was also having wds from baclofen was given to me again with no clue that was so addictive, and I even was put on suboxone for pain that I had to come off and went through severe wds from. It's been an absolute terrifying nightmare. for me and my family and loss of job and life. I am now 5 weeks off Zyprexa and having horrific wds. and am just taking the Prozac 20 mlg and I feel like when i now take the Prozac my now sensitive brain cant even handle that? I want to come off it but i am scared that i will have aka again like last time. I don't know if the Prozac is an entirely diff drug then the Lexapro now being out of my system for almost 3 years. Can i taper while i am in Zyprexa wd??? and still 6 months now off this valume? I also can't find much literature on Zyprexa wds ? I have all the aches pains anxiety tremors insomnia joints ache teeth hurt eyes blurry. its getting a little better but still very much there. I have spent over 100,000 on tests and treatments being told i have Lyme again and this and that. had major Lyme treatments. nothing worked. Because it's been one drug wd after the next and there is no information out there? These drs don't have a clue??? Its not my Lyme its classic brain injury. I am wondering if anyone has any advice or help for me to get through the rest of this nightmare. Thank you. I cannot even type the major harm and trauma that has been done to me with this, its hard to fathom this can happen to people.

Just came across this site, wish I saw it sooner! My primary care doctor put me on celexa 20 mg in 2012 for some mood issues. Started seeing a psychiatrist in 2016 who then put me on 40 mg celexa. Switched to effexor, not sure about dose in 2018, then switched to 10 mg prozac in 2020. Tried coming off cold turkey in 2022, was fine for 3 months then withdrawal hit, psychiatrist had me reinstate to 10mg and I stabilized. April 2023 psych had me drop 1 mg every 1 months until I got to 1 mg in December 2023. January 2024 went down to 0.5 mg then February 2024 went down to 0.3 mg. The crash came at the end of February 2024. Psych had me updose to 3 mg which I've been on for 8 days now. Thought I felt some improvement with the updose but still having periods of severe anxiety every other day. My question is should I stay on 3mg for a few weeks and see if I stabilize? Thanks for any input.

I am tapering venlaflaxine at 5% monthly and I am at 17.50mg now. Been on antidepressant for 30 years

Sorry that this is really long and rambley. I have a lot to unpack... Hello, I am a 17-year-old male teenager and I've been on antidepressants since I was 12. I remember when me and my class went on a few days long school trip at the end of my last year of elementary school and I felt sad the entire time. Back then even I wasn't really sure where it came from, but I attributed my feelings to homesickness, as I had never been on that kind of trip before. But even when I came back home, that sadness didn't disappear. That was probably when I first noticed that something was "wrong". The sadness and sense that something was horribly wrong would persist for my entire summer break. But I ignored all of it and insisted to myself that everything would be back to normal once I started middle school. These feelings of melancholy weren't abnormal for me during long summer breaks, and it would all disappear once school started again. Surely once school started , I would become happy again right? Wrong. The first day of school I was filled with a bunch of overwhelming emotions I couldn't process. The second day my mind burst and I was left sobbing in the shower. The next few months would be an excruciating hell filled with frequent crying spells, anhedonia, and just general awfulness. My feelings were completely out of control. Sometimes I would feel happy, sometimes I would feel absolutely miserable. The whole time I was agonizing over what could've possibly been causing all this. I told my doctor that I thought my feelings were due to puberty. He dismissed it. He suggested it was due to the singulaire I've been taking, but that ended up not being the case either (I guess it could be, but why would it start being a problem now when I've been taking singulaire my whole life? I abandoned this train of thought long ago) My depression continued even after I stopped taking singulair. The uncertainty over what caused my depression just made it worse. And just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, it all culminated into one random really bad day, when all of a sudden I lost my sense of self and my sense of reality. I was in the school nurse's office awakwardly explaining to the lady what was going on in my mind (or lack thereof) like an idiot. Then I was face up on a bed in that office emptily wondering if I had gone mad. Then I was at home in bed. All that time wondering, "How did I get here?" Nothing felt real. My sense of "self" returned, only to allow me to experience the most tortorous time in my life. I was panicking and crying like crazy for days, all over delusions of solipsism and the feeling that I was secretly living in a TV show my whole life without me knowing until recently. My vision was filled with static. I looked online, it was called visual snow. Everything looked far away, sounded far away, felt far away. Living with these symptoms for years have caused me to grow used to it, but back then I couldn't handle it. I was so done with everything, I just wanted to give up. I remember one day my mom asked me if I wanted to go to a buddhist temple to pray. It was so out of nowhere and I would've normally declined. But I had nothing better to do, everything was pointless, so I went anyway. I started taking antidepressants when I would've refused to before. I remember taking my first pill of lexapro, immediately feeling sleepy, then passing out and having the most vivid lucid dream I've ever had and probably will ever have. Then after a day, I would feel absolute euphoria for the next few weeks. It was so surprising! But then that euphoria would disappear to be replaced by mundane nothingness. I complained at first, but eventually I would grow to accept that feeling nothing was better than feeling miserable. Still, I never figured out where that initial burst of happiness came from. My best bet was divine intervention, that by praying in front of a Buddhist statue had obtained me a blessing from some higher being. It was ridiculous, but I had nothing else. All these years later and I haven't figured out what caused my depression either. Was it the emotional gut punch from the sudden realization that life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows like naive little kid me thought? Was it the intense pressure of entering adolescence and starting middle school? Was it due to puberty, like what I initially thought, all those years ago? The last one was unlikely. I think about it a lot, what could've possibly caused all this?Oftentimes I've been satisfied with my rationalizations. But ultimately, I still don't know. Fast forward to October of 2023 and I've made the decision to taper (again). I told my psychiatrist that I wanted to go off slowly, much more slowly than last time. But I made one crucial mistake. I forgot to request liquid medication. I wanted to wait until my next appointment to get my liquids before I begin tapering, but my mom forced me to decrease by 10mg monthly with the physical pills. By the time my next appointment rolled around, my 80mg of Prozac had decreased to 60mg. I finally got my liquid medication, but ultimately decided to pause tapering to exhaust all of the physical pills from my previous prescription before continuing a 10% taper with the liquid. Everything was fine, at least at first. This January, I read a visual novel Umineko: When They Cry. It was absolutely life-changing, hands-down the best fiction ever. One character in particular really resonated with me, with their struggles with gender dysphoria. I am nonbinary, but I haven't had any desire to change my body in any way or become more feminine. I found it strange how attached I've grown to this character, but I figured it was just that Umineko magic. But the more I obsessed and cried and the more that my feelings became disconnected from what I thought was the "source", the more that I, once again, felt that something was horribly wrong. It began in February, two months after my previous dose reducing, and it's continued until now. My mood is out of control. Feelings of depression come and go. I want to believe it's all withdrawal. But what scares me is that it feels exactly like my initial depression five years ago. I would be comfortable dismissing it all as due to withdrawal if it all came out of nowhere. But that's the thing, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it feels like there's something weird happening in my brain, weird emotions, but with no thoughts. But other times I spiral and there are thoughts attached to those emotions. Thoughts about how I hate my body, my body hair, my fat, how I wish I had boobs. Just intense gender dysphoria out of nowhere! I've questioned if I'm a trans girl before but never so desperately. I can't describe it all that well unless I'm experiencing it in the moment. I'll probably come back here again to post while I'm spiraling. When I'm in a calmer state, like now, it makes me feel really stupid, like I'm worrying over nothing. But I know it does happen, and it'll most likely happen again sometime in the near future. But why? Could gender dysphoria be a symptom of withdrawal? I don't think that's how that works, right? Could I have been repressing it for a long time? But how? I think back to all those years ago, when I told my doctor about my symptoms, said that I thought it was due to puberty, only for him to dismiss my conjecture. Could 12-year-old me back then have been right all along? What if the hormones from puberty gave me dysphoria, which I couldn't process or express at the time because I had no idea about what being trans is, then antidepressants caused me to bury and repress that dysphoria, only for it to resurface and relapse once I'm slowly getting off them? Is this theory too crazy to be true? Am I too desperate too make things make sense? I'm not sure how "connected" this dysphoria is to my actual emotions, so maybe I'm just deceiving myself. I don't know, I keep switching back and forth between withdrawal and relapse. It's so confusing. I feel like an idiot now because I'm in a calm state. But once I spiral the uncertainty becomes unbearable, so I really need to figure this out.

I have been on 20 mg of Lexapro for about 20 years for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I have had breakthrough anxiety several times during the period and recently it seems to have quit working. My doctor did a genetic test which showed that I was not a good match for Lexapro do to being an ultra rapid metabolizer of the drug. Two weeks ago he did a direct switch from the 20 mg of Lexapro to 40 mg of Prozac. Since the switch I have been getting progressively worst having extreme anxiety, feeling sick, and having trouble with concentration. Really unsure of what to do as the symptoms are pretty severe. Any suggestions on what to do to help with the symptoms, should I reinstate the Lexapro or continue going forward with Prozac. Thanks in advance

Hi sorry for my poor english i'am suffering from nerve pain after I CT prozac and abilify I took them for almost 3,5 weeks I was on ativan from 9-11 2023 0.5-1mg Clonazepam 11-1 0.5mg tappering for 0.25 for month and i am on 0,25 from 2 month olanzapine 10m g 2 weeks in 12 2023 then abilify 10 days 10 mg 7 days ablifiy 5 mg and stopped at 13/12/2023 beacuse TD started Prozac 20 for 3.5 weeks and ct in 16/12 /2023 mild withdrawal then In 2/2 2024 My body started tingiling only when move then day after day pain is increased now it like fire ants 24/7 is it from prozac, abilify or clonazepam i was on 0.25 clonazepam for 3 weeks before it started and there was no thing

Despite being quite nervous, I think it's time to make my introduction. I spent from early 2000's trying a variety of antidepressants. Prozac, setraline, amitryptiline, duloxetine, mirtazipine. Possibly something else, as well. Then, a crisis led to hospitalisation, and addition of quetiapine to fluoxetine. This was early 2019. Around four months ago, I stopped taking prozac, and about three months ago, I quit quetiapine. Both CT as I hadn't discovered this site. I was only taking 25mgs quetiapine and 20mgs prozac, so couldn't really taper without the help of the GP practice, in whom I have no confidence. A few months along, I am experiencing what I realise are waves and windows. Insomnia has been a recurring problem, but advice gained here has been very helpful. In my waves, I feel very depressed, but I now see this as withdrawal, rather than relapse. I don't think that antidepressants ever helped. As a cptsd sufferer, married to a troubled man, with two autistic sons, I was just overwhelmed. I am now a widow, and l live a very quiet life, with one if my sons. Medication does not feature in my future. History

Hi all, First off I am grateful for this forum, thank you for letting me join. My journey began with trying to address some confusing health issues that put an end to a career that I dearly loved. Anxiety and overwhelm with my situation took over and it was recommended by my therapist that I try an antidepressant. Since my father took escitalopram without issue (going on or off) I decided to try it. My mother and I are sensitive to medication and I was very, very resistant to going on an antidepressant. My GP prescribed 10 mg of escitalopram and hydroxzine for sleep. At this point I had been taking 50 mg of Trazodone for sleep. The first weekend of taking those meds changed everything. After the first dose I woke up dizzy and disoriented, nearly falling out of bed. The derealization and confusion from that was incredible. The panic and anxiety intense. After that weekend I stopped the hydroxyzine I asked to step down to 5 mg and did that for a month, eventually going to 7.5 because I was told that my body would adjust (under my doctors direction by alternate taking 5 and 10 mg every other to reach 7.5mg). By the fourth month at 10 mg I was having severe waves of body agitation followed by waves of peaceful calm, extreme eye strain, evening concussive headaches, sweating, fluctuating eye sight, trembling, contstipation, and derealization. The waves of body agitation were the worse but at least at that time I could lay down, ride it out and have moments of peaceful calm. I was told by my psychiatrist that most of my symptoms couldn’t be from the meds and had more with my aversion to taking it. After seeing several specialist and testing it was determined that I have acquired spontaneous nystagmus and an inner ear caused balance. Based off of my timeline of symptoms the balance issue thought to be most likely caused by long covid. At four months on escitalopram I tapered down over 2 weeks from 10 to 5 to 0 mg. Reviewing information on this site I realize now that may have been too fast. However, a lot of my symptoms did improve until I started vestibular therapy where they suggested that an ssri has sometimes been found to be beneficial. So, after 1 month of being off of escitalopram I started fluoxetine at 10 mg. Trembling started again with more headaches and brain fog. After two months of fluoxetine I’d had enough and was told that I could go off it cold turkey because it was “self tapering”. I have been off of fluoxetine for a month and was told that it would be out of my system at that point. Still I’m left with feet tingling, headaches and a constant feeling of derealization with brain fog, headaches, concentration issues and unsteadiness. Now true to form my physiatrist wants to try other things like Viibryd, Lamictal or Gabapentin. I can’t see getting hooked on benzo’s or going back on another psych med unless it’s going to be able to address my other issues. Of course nobody except my audiologist wants to go down the long covid route. Looking at past immediate AD reaction post it appears to me that I may in fact have had an adverse reaction to escitalopram and may have deregulated my nervous system further starting fluoxetine? Admittedly I am anxiety ridden over my situation regarding my nystagmus, inner ear balance (long Covid) issues but the brain fog derealization is the worst of it. I feel I may have made things worse by switching around with the meds, the way I took them and went off of them. I am being told that I wasn’t on the meds long enough or at a high enough dose to cause lingering withdrawal symptoms. I’m now basically bed ridden, unable to work or drive. I have looked through the supplements recommendations and started fish oil. I have taken vitamin C and D and a probiotic for ever. Thanks for being here and any insight that you can give me

Hi Everyone, First of all I want to thank each person who will take the time to read my story and answer me This is my story and I could write a book.. I am a 33 years old French man I started PAROXETINE when I was 16 years old ( 18 years of treatment ) 2006 I Started PAROXETINE at 20mg by my family doctor following a huge panic attack triggered by a bad trip to Canabis (heavy consumption the same day) in high school, with a suddenly effects of DP/ DR tenfold, symptom accompanied by period of black out.. I was not a regular consumer just a young person with bad attendance and very impressionable who wanted to try. At this point I did not know what DPDR was and no doctor explained to me the why of the how. For me it was a reaction of cannabis. The years have passed I have not had any particular psychological or psychiatric follow-up. DPDR it is installed then it is attenuated until disappearing, I remember having occasional panic attacks that manifested by a DPDR and then went away.. Terrible teen that I was it was not my lesson, DPDR resurfaced on a Christmas night or I re-smoked cannabis with a bad trip that manifested as the first time with blackout periods The years have passed. I tried to stop treatment with my doctor several times. The instructions of my first weaning were to take 1 pills per day then every other day then every other day etc... The symptoms of physical withdrawal brain zap often made me stop attempts to stop treatment because unbearable with reintroduction of the dose at 20mg each time. I had to stay at least 8-10 years at 20mg I felt normal. 2015-2016 During these years I always wanted deep down to stop this treatment because I did not want to be dependent on a drug and for me everything was fine but I began to be afraid of the long-term effect on my memory, An example in a discussion with friends when I was asked, you remember when we did this on that day or you remember this movie… and I had trouble remembering each time… (I still have this problem to this day 18 years later) So I started looking on the internet for a way to stop this treatment that for me was the cause of this loss of memory and that would make me lose my mind in the long term.. I do not have a great memory but I found this forum in 2015 or I found info that explained that during a withdrawal it was especially important not to jump dose and that it was necessary to gradually decrease the doses by taking it all the days I started to cut the tablet from 20mg in 2 from 20mg to 10mg I stayed for a long time at month 2-3 years at this dose trying later to cut it again in 2 and passing to 5mg It should be noted that during all these years I have always been someone very anxious who constantly wonders about the why of the like, life, existence, a terrible anguish by death with occasional anxiety attack and panic attack that manifested through a DP/DR and then passed and I became normal again without being blocked in the DP/DR (I still don’t know what DP/DR was in those 2015-16 years) 2020 My wife gets pregnant, upheaval in our life, during pregnancy questions begin to settle, life, life existence, aging etc… We go on holiday in the USA in the family of my wife For 3 weeks I drink alcohol because the family there party and drink alcohol, almost every day, (but usually I do not drink alcohol I drink some beer from time to time but no more...) At this time (and even before these holidays ) I regularly drank lots of coffee like any normal person. Coffee has always tended to make my heart beat We come back from vacation the same evening I lie next to my wife and a big palpitation happen, I put the hand of my wife on my heart I’m afraid, I have the impression of having a heart attack, but it is a panic attack. I ended up falling asleep.. The next day, everything got weird I’m not myself the DPDR came back knocking and settles and gets worse by the day The loop settles, existential questions turn in loop, the birth of my future child, the fear of growing up, aging and death, it turns in loop, all the days. I’m not hungry anymore. This time it’s about I’m going crazy, I literally think I’m going schizophrenic. (I still don’t know what DPDR is at that time) I decide to make an appointment with a psychiatrist explaining the situation, at that time I was at 10mg PAROXETINE, he tells me that 10mg is not a therapeutic dose it is necessary to go up to 20mg to feel effects I go up to 20mg of PAROXETINE but nothing always passes this weird feeling of being foreign to myself. I take an other appointment with him and he tell me to go up to 40mg of PAROXETINE and prescribe TRANXENE(Clorazépate) to take punctually I try some day I take a TRANXENE my condition worsens.. I continue it’s even worse I decide to go down to 20mg of PARXOETINE it’s still not okay but I continue and stabilize to 20mg of PAROXETINE I am afraid, I take refuge on the internet, what happens to me? I search : "Weird sensation of not being yourself" I discover the word Depersonalization and Déréalization DP/DR I search and search and read lots of forums in French, English, YouTube etc… , I’m a little reassured because I’m not alone in having this but I’m still with this DP/DR symptoms I come across a video the guy explains that : "it’s a weird sensation, its strange but not dangerous… quick tips put sunglasses!" , I do it immediately it calms down a little and I come across a site that catches my attention: "the guide to overcome dpdr" of Shaun O Connor I read it and learn what is really the DPDR, its a symptom of Aniety, then i applied to the letter the steps of the guide. Time passes I get back to the gym, I discover breathing, cardiac coherence, I go see a Psychologist expert in EFT technique to manage my emotions, DP/DR still does not pass I continue to look, I go to see a neuropsychologist I make a brain x-ray for me I have a tumor but results... no, nothing i am normal. The sessions pass, I hang up during this period to snort a paper soaked with lavender because I read that it calms the stress, my state improves only a little I hold the blow, I occupy my mind, I work, my daughter is finally born, I listen to music all day, music is my life. I’m a drummer. I put into practice what I learn in the guide! I stop eating too much candy of all kinds during this period and especially I stop coffee because I learn that it triggers anxiety in my case, I tell myself that’s it, I drink up to 4-5 coffee a day, I put my finger on the cause I drink too much coffee and too much caffeine = palpitation = it triggers my screams of anxiety why I didn’t think about it earlier… For me I found the solution: I stop coffee = I wouldn’t have panic attacks I stop my antidepressant = I am cured no more memory problem. Life goes on DPRDR fades and DPDR disappears without I really realize when 2021 My daughter grew up, she is already 1 year old and I no longer have an anxiety attack, I really feel normal The Covid lockdown is coming and I stay at home I see my daughter growing, stressed of this strange period but no anxiety attack, because for me I put my finger on the problem, no more panic attack as long as I will not drink coffee I will not have any anxiety attack. I start to look to now deal with this PAROXETINE treatment. I read and read on the internet I learn that PAROXETINE has a very short half-life that must be reduced by 10% increments otherwise the side effects happen very quickly. I learn that PAROXETINE exists in liquid version so i begin it. 2022-2023 I do an excel sheet with calculations and final dates, end of year I am free of this poison that for me makes me lose memory and that is finally can be also potentially trigger Anxiety DP/DR I start the liquid version I go down from 20mg to 10mg of PAROXETINE, everything is fine I stabilize at 10mg and I continue by lowering 1mg by 1mg Every month so : 9mg - 8mg -7mg - 6mg...until 0 I arrive at 2 mg of PAROXETINE i do not have any withdrawal symptom but onyl light brain zap, but problem, the bottle is empty I go to the pharmacy as usual to take my treatment but the pharmacist told me that the liquid version is stopped in France for an indeterminate duration.. I drive until 2 hours to take the last stock of pharmacies nearby I go down to 1.5mg of PAROXETINE, I’m almost there, I’m at the end but I have no more PAROXETINE in the bottle... what do I do? I go on internet I search that I could make switches on PROZAC/FLUOXETINE which is also in liquid. I don’t have time, I don’t have anything left in the bottle just enough to switch gradually to PROZAC. I change my excel table with the dose and date calculation for the switch and let’s go. Meanwhile I move, I buy a house and begins heavy renovation work, lots of stress.. I debute a cross switch I lower the PAROXETINE : 1,5mg - 1 - 0,5 - 0 and rise to 5mg of PROZAC and stabilize during 4 week of PROZAC Brain zaps are hard but I’m finally going to be free… I’m holding on I’m almost there.. The days pass and suddenly DPDR arrives from nowhere and settles down and no longer me, what happens to me I thought I was done? I don’t drink coffee anymore how is that possible? This time it’s the right one my brain is screwed. My condition degrades very quickly I put my sunglasses I take out my lavender paper back.. The loop resets day after day with the fear of being afraid… , severe depression, severe anxiety, morning diarrhea, awakening with palpitation great sadness, uncontrolled crying, impulse phobia I am afraid of hurting myself I am afraid of committing suicide, I’m doing work in the bathroom upstairs I look at the window I’m afraid of losing control and jumping.. MARCH 2023 I can’t stay like this… I have a home business if I don’t work I don’t make money… I take refuge on the internet and I search: Best psychiatrist DP/DR specialist I search and I search I find a 400km a specialized hospital that speaks of DPDR the psychiatrist seems to know what she speaks and recognized in the environment I take appointment I melt in tears I’m at the bottom of the hole.. She told me that the dose are too low and prescribed me 20mg of PROZAC and ATARAX(Hydroxyzine) to take punctually 2 weeks pass I retake an appointment with her it goes very slightly better so I continue at 20mg 4 weeks pass it worse, I have the impression that the PROZAC is too strong and it is what induces and persists DP/DR I ask him to lower to 10mg I ask her if she knows a therapist because I would like to take things in hand and start a CBT , She gives me the name of a colleague she works with I take 1 session then 2,3,4 until 8, i hang on that, I speak to her, it does me good I wait for each session as a deliverance, It costs me a lot of money but I have no choice. At the same time the DPDR persists I am still not myself sudden mood changes, sudden big sadness, uncontrolled crying, morning diarrhea, my libido collapses.. My wife is aware of my PAROXETINE treatment we have been together for 18 years , she has always suffered my mood change and do not understand I look good outside... but I in my head it is hell She often asks me "what you look like you’re depressed ?" My 3-year-old daughter also often asks me: "Dad, why are you making that face" , "Dad, why are you sad?" I’m having a hard time playing and taking care of her.. My anxiety is too present it always turns in loop in my head. All awakenings are accompanied with palpitations and a new symptoms in the morning of the awakening are random words and phrases that pass at full speed in my head like when you have a music stuck in your head What happens to me? I go crazy ? I have random words in my head i talk to myself ? this time it’s sure for me I am becoming schizophrenic... (but my Psychiatrist told me : I promise you are not schizophrenic, its all about anxiety..) SEPTEMBER 2023 4 months pass the sessions of CBT help me a little, I space the sessions them more and more because too expensive, the DPDR is always present for me I am still not normal I am always disconnected I continue to occupy my mind every minute, I continue the renovation of my house all the days even the week-end, first minute of each day I put my earphones I have to occupy my mind, I listen to podcasts until the evening everything is good so that I avoid thinking about DP/DR and looping on the existential thoughts it tired me but I have no other solution.. OCTOBER 2023 A rather exceptional event manifests itself on a Sunday, by sudden brain zap, vertigo.. , I wonder what happens to me, big palpitation I have the impression that I will have a heart attack, I am at 2 finger to call the emergency, I decide to go to the "Emergency Pharmacy" because all our pharmacy are closed on Sunday in France, I take my prescription with me, I tell myself that the box of prozac has a defect and that suddenly I have brain zap I do not understand.. To my surprise and as the pharmacist informs me: "Sir it’s normal, have a look, they were wrong at your last prescription, they gave you PAROXETINE instead of PROZAC, I look at the prescription and it is well marked : PAROXETINE delivery. I cry, its a nightmare.. Its actually been 1 month that I had switch without knowing 10mg of PROZAC to 10mg of PAROXETINE. Unfortunately, I did not notice this mistake cause I usually put the box of medicine in my bag by taking it in the morning in a hurry before work without my daughter seeing me take it, I did not check the box, it has become so automatic... I blamed myself terribly, what a nightmare, the last switch PAROXETINE —> PROZAC had been so hard and horrible that I had gone back to square one… 1ST DECEMBER 2023 My condition is horrible, my brother-in-law’s father died suddenly, I put myself in his place , its loop in my head, I’m afraid, I cry, I transpose all the faces of my family on the body, I decide to go back to 20mg of PROZAC I have no other solution on hand.. The next day on December 2nd it is already better, i am quite surprised because the PROZAC has a very long half life.. 14 DECEMBER 2023 Debut of new unpleasant symptom random tingling sensation throughout the body, adrenaline discharge sensation with sudden tingling, I become very sensitive to the slightest sound , TV, light, it triggers me this weird symptoms 16 December 20233 I go from 20mg to 10mg of PROZAC to try to alleviate the new symptoms because for me the PROZAC does not suit me or the dose is not good, (for me the PROZAC was always something that did not suit me and made me feel weird) i don't know.. 2024 So actually, 2 months later, I am still at 10 mg of PROZAC, I decided to stabilize myself at this dose even if i am not feeling normal, cause as you can see there were a lot of changes in the dose of PROZAC. I still do not feel myself, always this feeling of DR of unreality of the world, depression, with moments where my face freezes without emotion… and loss/supression of my libido like I’ve never had. I don’t know what’s happening to me. According to my research on the forum and the article of Altostrata on PUBMED I explain what happened to me with the sudden arrival of a big anxiety and DP/ DR during the switch last year is that I was in the post withdrawal phase of PAROXETINE and that the sudden loss of libido would be PSSD ?, I am not yet very familiar with all these terms but I think I put my finger on the why of the how, tell me if I am wrong. My current dilemma: Is it better not to be dependent and not to take an antidepressant but to risk being bad and "look like sh*t" all my life with this depression, DP/DR or is it better to take an antidepressant (PAROXETINE) all my life but to feel good. I am currently thinking of 2 solutions because I want to get out of it, 1) Doing a gradual withdrawal of PROZAC knowing that I am stabilizing at 10mg, and try to live without antidepressant (I do not know what it is to live without this antidepressant I do not remember because I started it when I was 16) OR 2) Take the PAROXETINE back to 10mg and take it all my life, because it is very hard stopped with its very short half-life. In fact i think, i am not a specialist but its easier to stop a long half life antidepressant than a short half life one. I ask to you all, because my psychiatrist clearly told me that PAROXETINE was not possible that it was not a stable molecule and that if we had to change antidepressant we would go from PROZAC to SERTRALINE Please, I am very lost and look for any help, Thanks again for everyone who came this far Have an excellent day

Hello all, I have been reading this site for awhile but recently decided to join. Please forgive me for any misspellings or anything poorly written as my brain is not what it once was as a result of these drugs. Even finding the motivation to write this post took me multiple days. My parents were very pro-medication at a young age, I developed OCD around age 10 and took Zoloft for approximately 2 years as I was told I needed it to get better. I was also on Ritalin from age 5-13. I went through most of high school and college unmedicated, until the end of college around age 21 deciding to seek out adderall again as my grades were starting to take a hit. I also had a breakup at the time and a doctor put me on 40mg fluoxetine (prozac). I wasn't even that sad but he said it would help take the edge off. I didn't think twice about this drug after taking it, and somehow ended up taking it for the following 10 years. Fast forward to age 31 (about 1.5 years ago) Things were going incredibly well in my life, recently married, job going well, driven and enjoying life, and I looked at my pill one day and thought, Why am I still taking this? I learned about the long half life of this drug and since I was told 10mg was the lowest dose, I asked my doc to change to 10mg which he did without a real question. I went from 40 to 20 to 10 in about a month, and then started taking the 10 every other day, every third day, every 4 days, and so on, until I got to one pill every two weeks. Since this was the minimum dose, I figured this was the most drawn out "taper" possible. I took my last pill somewhere around October of 2022 and oddly enough, the 2-3 weeks that followed were incredible. Life was brighter than it had ever been, I was happy and motivated to take my life to even another level i had not yet experienced. About one month off the drug, I started to notice some very strange effects. My body and mind did not feel right. I had extreme mood swings and fatigue, complete loss of libido that has never returned, and other symptoms. I got my testosterone tested and it was very low, in the first percentile for my age. Health is my biggest passion and I had done nothing to cause this, I had continued my extremely healthy eating, active lifestyle, great sleep etc so I found this very odd. I eventually went back on the drug for approximately 1.5 months to see if it helped with my issues and libido (and I had genital numbness), but it didn't seem to make any meaningful difference (I also dont think I tried it long enough) so I did the same "taper" again around Feb of 2023. Looking back my taper was probably more of a cold turkey than a taper, given my last dose was still a full dose (10mg). My testosterone level started to improve, but not without a ton of other symptoms coming and going over time. Whole body pains, cognitive issues, weird mental issues like extreme difficulty making decisions among other things. This has been an ever evolving range of symptoms, with some things sticking around changing in severity and others coming and going. My current symptoms which have been around for quite some time are an extreme lack of motivation and a strong sense of apathy. This is also accompanied by severe anhedonia. Every simple task has become difficult, and I often feel like I am stuck in the mud with the way I interact with the world in my new state. I struggle to work my job in whhich I have been a high performer for many years, and I require a lot of daily assistance from my wife and father. I feel like a burden on those around me, I am no longer the same person and I keep desperately searching and trying to find that person again. I have considered a reinstatement, but do not want to slow down my recovery - but at this point I am getting kind of desperate for some relief. It is hard to say if I have experienced any real windows, but I guess things are changing, even if not for the better, which signals something is going on in my body. I continue to care for my body in every way imaginable from a great diet, sleep, exercise. However I am sure there are other things I could be focusing on to heal more quickly. Open to any and all suggestions or advice. Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this.

Hi All! Was previously on Lexapro from 2016-2022. Last dose Dec 1, 2022. Severe and debilitating anxiety and panic reared November 2023 and after about a month I asked my family doc if I could start Prozac. After 7 weeks, it is not doing anything, and the side effects (I assume they are) are really difficult to deal with. So I'd like to come off. I am not sure if I will try something else. I am having lots of issues functioning and the physical anxiety is extreme so i may still need help (besides therapy). (Palps, vomiting daily, adrenal surges, shaking limbs, loss of appetite, and on and on) I need advice on how to stop the Prozac. I was on 5mg, went down to 4mg for 10 days, now on 3mg. Since I was only on for 7 weeks and never got above 5mg, do I still need to do the 10% taper? I feel like then the taper will be longer than me being on it and I just want it out of my system. At what point do I just jump? I have liquid version.

Hi, Im 66 yrs old and I just know basic computer so this site is hard for me especially since im severely damaged from too fast a taper and not going slow taper so I know Im doing everything wrong. Please bear with me. I took 20mg Prozac for 26-27 years. Up to this point I was healthy and happy but wanted to get this drug out of my body. I cut the Prozac to 10mg starting Mar 2022 thru Aug 2022. finally stopped Aug 1st2022. During this time horrible insomnia and crazy energy but thought it would go away. Jan 2023 my already severe insomnia got worse averaging 14 hours each week, crazy energy, brain wouldnt shut off cant think, akathesia in body I dont have to pace all the time just some. In Mar 2023 I tried 20mg Prozac for 13 days but it made me more hyper so stopped. I also started getting many UTI's and took lots of antibiotics May 2023 I started getting severe anxiety(never had anxiety before) extreme severe depression, couple months ago started getting night terrors(never had this in my life) extreme suicidal ideation. Cant concentrate to read a book eyes dart back and forth. This is so unbearable day after day. Tiniest bit of stress sets me off. I know all the drugs that I tried were bad for me but I was desperate Ambian 7.5 and doubled dose took maybe 8 times only got 4 hours sleep and made depression worse so stopped. Belsomra 20mg put me to sleep 2 times but didnt work after that and caused depression tryed this about 5 times and stopped. Trazadone 300mg for sleep I got about 6 hours but caused worse depression so I stopped took this about 12 times. Klonopin .5 doubled dose Tried just about every supplement for sleep worked at first but stopped. Im hoping to please get support and looking for people who have taken the drug 25+ yrs and healing. Im fighting for my life

Hello, I've been reading this forum since October, and waited patiently to sign up on January 1. I am currently going through the worst time of my life EVER and need advice. My doctor has been no help. I weaned off Effexor, slowly I thought, and might have been able to deal with it, slowly healing my brain. But I lost my job two months after reaching 0mg, and it was a blow I couldn't deal with. I suffer from extreme anxiety, and after agonizing about it, and getting some advice on Reddit from people familiar with this forum, I decided to reinstate Effexor. Started with 2mg (counting beads from one type of Effexor) and now I take 25mg (2 tabs from another brand of Effexor). It hasn't worked. I finally filled a prescription for liquid Prozac which my doctor agreed to give me (she doesn't know how to help me and just asks what I want) and took 5mg last night. But I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I'm so scared. The thought of having to wean off Effexor slowly while on Prozac is freaking me out. Or maybe Prozac won't work. What should I do??

Hi, I started reducing my 10 mg of prozac on 1/1. My doctor recommended going down to 7.5 mg. I have been taking it consistently in the evening to no initial side effects for the first week, but today (about 8 days in) I am feeling the effects of the taper. Was 7.5 too much, too fast? Should I go back up to 10 mg and then wait for it to level out and then reduce it by 10% (per the guidance here)? Thanks all, Erin

I was born in 1957 a physician's daughter. I didn't question taking medicines. When my father was dying and my original family was flying apart from the stress, I was prescribed Paxil for anxiety by a psychiatrist. As it has turned out I took Paxil for twelve years until 1/2022. I spoke to my current internal medicine provider who advised me to half my 25mg dose, wait two weeks and take it every other day for two weeks. I was never told of the long term risks of staying on Paxil for so long. My withdrawal difficulties started after I had successfully halved my original dose. Headache, body-aches, gastrointestinal upset, irritability that eventually turned into rage. Luckily I was steered from a friend to someone, a lay person, who understood my symptoms. They suggested switching to liquid and for a year I tapered .5 mg every 14 days. Taking a week off if needed. Fall of this year my body became extremely sick at 5mg and it would not let up no matter what I tried, my taper stopped. I began focusing on nutrition and nothing changed. I was forced to give up all commitments and stay home. During this time I tracked down the original prescribing doctor who had long since moved away. They switched me to liquid Prozac at the same 5mg dose for 5 days. My symptoms immediately improved. This was one month ago. I still have some withdrawal symptoms but nothing like before. To date my body has dropped 30 lbs, 12 lbs in the past 30 days. I'm still focusing on nutrition. My anxiety vs withdrawal is not easy to separate. I don't feel plagued by anxiety but my raging pushed all my family away and I'm in grief about this. I don't know how these relationships can repair themselves. One adult child is no longer speaking to me. I'm sure this has overwhelmed them. My other child I've been able to repair communications with. One complicating factor is that I'm a horsewoman. I fall off occasionally and hit my head. So this weaves in and out throughout this past year. I have GERD, Hypothyroidism, Insomnia, struck by lightning, chronic sensitization to light, sound, smell, migraine sufferer. This past year kidney stones, migrated stint, medical fiasco from a provider clinic. My hope isn't gone, but its worn quite thin. I am isolated and trying to recover. It's clear that it may take months or years.

Good Day, I'm brand new here. Was on 20 mg Prozac since approx 1991. Cut to 10mgs approx 3 years ago. No noticeable impact. Asked my GP (DO) about dropping it completely in March. He said it was small enough dose to just stop. I did. There have been tears as I seem to be reconnecting with feelings. Not a bad thing. However, across the emotional spectrum I would describe emotions and anxiety as going from a previous '2x' status to an 'x squared' range. Everything is more sensitive. It's been 9 months cold turkey. I almost called GP to restart last month. There have been some unusual triggers, plus the status of world we are living in also adds angst. Many times in the recent weeks I've thought, 'What was I thinking here about coming off of this?' Now reading about tapers I see they are more gradual. However being months out now I definitely dont want to go back. However the struggle is real. Looking for comments, advise, encouragement, general thoughts of helpful nature. God bless you all! Age mid 60s...

I was prescribed Prozac for social anxiety in early 2021 and quickly upped the dose to 60mg which I have been prescribed since. I did not fully understand what I was getting myself into and just decided to follow my doctor's advice. I really have no clue on whether it has helped with my issue or not; I never kept track on how it affected my issue over time. I don't like certain ways in how it has affected me and regret blindly agreeing to go on the medication and decided to go cold turkey on November 20th, 2023 which is 45 days ago from this time of writing. I joined this forum to receive advice and knowledge on how much longer I have until I am in the clear from withdrawals and I can move on from this medication for good.

Hello everyone, My name is Franck and I am French. I started Deroxat 20 MG in 01/2008 for anxiety disorders...Since then I have never been able to get rid of it despite several reduction attempts, admittedly too rapid, by my doctor. 2023 has been a dramatic year for me and I'm heading into 2024 with a new antidepressant. I have many side effects: memory loss, intense fatigue, irritability, insomnia... I stopped deroxat 20mg in 08/2008 as planned by my doctor, reducing it in less than a month... in 01/2009 I fell into severe depression and lost 25 kg before the doctor didn't realize I had Crohn's disease. I took deroxat again in 07/2009 but still with a lot of fatigue, 0 emotions, 0 libido, irritability, non-restorative sleep... We tried again to stop deroxat 20MG in 03/2014 while reducing the dose by 1/4 every 15 days... in 05/2014 it's hell.... My last stop took place on 11/2022 when I suddenly stopped taking deroxat in the middle of Covid, a month and a half with very good windows and some side effects... Mid-January 2023, impossible to get out of bed, feed myself, wash myself... my doctor decided to reintroduce 10 mg until March 2023... without effect... he then changed to Effexor 75MG then 150 MG...it got me out of bed but the sensations aren't great... In November 2023, effexor no longer works... I sleep 20 hours a day, I no longer eat, I no longer drink, a real zombie... they change my treatment and put me on Prozac 20MG in the morning and Diazepam 30MG in three doses. Today I am very slowly stopping the diazepam. 2 mg in the morning and 10 mg in the evening remain manageable. What do you advise me based on my experience, I would like to try magnesium and reduce this Prozac when the time comes but with a real withdrawal protocol... Thank you in advance for your answers and support.

Hey guys, So i was on Sertaline a few years ago it worked perfectly. Then i came off it. Anytime i tried to go back on it, i had an intense reaction where i couldnt sleep and felt extremely agitated and wired. Then this happened again with prozac (Fluoxetine), and then i panicked and went to the hospital and got put on seroquel for 6 weeks. Following this I decided to stop as it was a horrible drug. When i stopped I could no longer sleep. Now, 6 months later I was slowly getting my sleep back little by little. Until 4 days ago. I was feeling ill and decided to try Prozac again to see if my symptoms were a result of withdrawal from these meds. I literally opened the pill and licked a tiny bit (few mgs probably) then i had an extreme reaction to this and the last 3 nights I have slept 1 hour each night. I feel terrible again and I am so angry that I've done this and worried I've gone back to square 1 with my sleep. Prozac has a long half life, will this go when it is out of my body or have i put myself back to the beginning again with this reaction? Today is day 4 since taking and my pupils are still huge, i still feel incredibly wired and awful. Thanks Dylan

About three years ago, I went to a new psychiatrist, highly recommended by my therapist, to ask him about getting off the venlafaxine and clonazepam I was put on 20 and 15 years ago. When I left I had two new prescriptions: bupropion and lamictal. He thought I was severely depressed. The lamictal was supposed to counteract the effects on adrenaline production of long-term use of venlafaxine. It worked overnight. I enjoyed a few years of relatively good mood. I was also 3 years sober then, and now 6.5 years. Quitting all psychotropics has been on my mind for years. An early experience with Paxil in the 1990s--I took it for maybe a month, tops, but it made me groggy. I became sicker than I'd ever been--flat on my back with vertigo, horrible nightmares, and continuous nausea, as well as the brain stuff. Lucky for me, all this cleared up after about a week. Of course any doctor I spoke to about this had no idea. I am here to learn about weaning, and to find support for making a decision and beginning the baby steps.

Hi all, I have come to this website fairly late (I hope) in my journey with psych meds. I no longer take anything, but 9 weeks from my last dose of Fluoxetine I am still suffering bad waves/windows. Until May of this year, I was still suffering badly with waves/windows from Diazepam withdrawal, which began properly in June 2022. I have been off work pretty much since then. Things got a good bit better between May and August, more like a higher baseline of anxiety/vulnerability to stress, rather than the waves/windows pattern. During this time, I was doing Neurofeedback and the ketogenic diet (thanks to Dr Chris Palmer's excellent book). I was able to do a speech at a family gathering, which feels unthinkable now. In June, I started tapering from Fluoxetine, 20mg (my history with which you can see in my signature), using the liquid solution, reducing by 2mg every 3 weeks. I now realise that was too fast. In mid-August I started getting waves again. I had not done nearly as much reading into SSRI withdrawals as I had with benzos, so I assumed it was the Diazepam waves coming back (which Ashton says can happen), but then at the end of August I got one of my worst waves ever for about 4 days: suicidal depression, 0hr sleep (even during worst of benzo withdrawal I could get 2-3 hours a night), tremors, agitation. At the time, I believed that was because I was given a different brand of the liquid solution - I thought maybe more of the active ingredient was getting into my system somehow, causing serotonin syndrome (because of the tremors). But now having read about the dangers of linear tapering I am guessing that it was withdrawal from Fluoxetine, and my cliff edge was around 10mg, made worse as I was/am not yet fully recovered from the Diazepam withdrawal. However, at that stage I decided to just to jump from 10mg, partly influenced by doctors who said that would be fine. I have now read about the need to do hyperbolic tapering, but I am where I am - 9 weeks off and I do not really wish to reinstate. I am having waves/windows every 3 days, which is very different from Diazepam - that was more like 3 week waves, 1 week windows - but they do seem to be just as severe, particularly the depression. I realise that I am perhaps lucky that I was on Fluoxetine rather than another SSRI (I am well over a year out from stopping Mirtazapine, so I don't think that is likely to be playing a role still). I am interested to hear any indications/opinions from folks on here as to how long it may be before the waves disappear and I return to my previous level of function. I am encouraged by the fact that although they are regular/severe, the waves do seem to have identifiable triggers rather than totally random. This is embarrassing, but I have found that one definite trigger is orgasm/ejaculation. In that process, there is a huge release of dopamine, followed by a decrease but also an increase of a hormone called prolactin which at a high enough level can cause psychosis. I am thinking my dopamine levels/receptors are just too low, because dopamine restrains prolactin production. You may ask, why not abstain? But another clear symptom of my withdrawal is uncontrollable nocturnal emissions, which I didn't even have in my teenage years - roughly once a week, followed by a 3-day wave. I did not have obvious sexual dysfunction while on Fluoxetine, but I am thinking that this symptom is some kind of rebound hypersexuality. Finally, the other clear triggers for symptoms are sweet foods and stress. Thanks for reading - I wish you all continued, and quick, healing.

Hi, As I tried to state in my signature, I have been on Viibryd for 7-8 years at varying rates but 10-30mg. I determined back in January 2023 that I wanted to get off the medication as my life was stable and I wanted to get pregnant in the near future and Viibryd is not approved for pregnant women. My doctor directed me to go off the meds in two weeks, but I knew from experience that I could feel Viibryd withdrawals very soon after missing a dose. I began a self-directed taper (prior to finding this site but reading about it on Reddit). I did 10mg to 5mg to 2.5 mg for one month each. I was doing okay with the taper until I got to 2.5 mg and I wasn't settling out. I called my doctor and he put me on 10mg of Prozac as a bridge and then i just stopped the Prozac. I then began to experience the withdrawal symptoms from April 2023 until I decided to reinstate Prozac (approved for pregnancy) in August 2023. I reinstated per my doctor's directions of 20mg of Prozac. I took it for about 8 days and felt totally sick, which I believe was kindling. I stopped taking it at day 8 and let it naturally taper out of my body. Around day 14 of the natural taper, I started to feel alright and wished I could bottle that drug level in my system to use as a starting point for reintroduction. Almost 3 weeks to the day since I stopped the 20mg of Prozac, I began to have major withdrawal symptoms. This time iI had a bit of a plan and I reinstated with 0.5mg of Prozac and I have been taking that for 6 weeks now. It helped at first with mitigating the dizziness and keeping the bottom from falling out with mood swings and suicidal ideations. However, I'm starting to feel quite jittery and anxious again and the dizziness is back. My plan was to hold at 0.5mg of Prozac until the end of the year and then begin a 10% taper from there. I'm wondering if: -Is 0.5mg of Prozac the proper dose? -Could my issue be that I'm still withdrawing from Viibryd and I'm just compounding it with Prozac? -Should I just stop all meds altogether? -I have had some recent major life events that are causing me anxiety so should I just hold here? Even though I'm not totally stable? -I drink alcohol daily. Around 4oz of vodka. Since the life events, I have been waking in the middle of the night around 3am with a pounding heart and anxiety. Is this due to the alcohol? Or is it due to the Prozac and the levels it's at? I have been drinking daily throughout this whole ordeal so I don't see that as a changed variable but it certainly could be. -I would eventually like to quit birth control. Is there a good or better time to do that? -Other medications I take daily are: famotidine and zyrtec Thank you for your help.

Hi All, Brand new here, and like many I happened upon this site after frantically googling after just over a week of horrendous WD symptoms. Here is my story and history. I had suicidal ideation at 15 and visited a doctor. The doctor took one look at me over his glasses and said, "well you don't look very depressed," but wrote me a script for Seroxat. That was I think the year 2000, and I have been on one SSRI or another (and Mirtazapine to mix it up) since. It was around this time last year (October 2022) my annual low mood took hold and I decided to actually take control of my own mental health. I had been bluffed off by doctors all my life and switched around SSRI's, but almost always ended up back on Citalopram. The diagnosis was anxiety and depression, and some wishy washy half baked, low funded group based therapy (CBT) was offered alongside drugs. For 20 years I towed this line, periods of highs and lows, things sometimes went well but my life always had this backdrop of chaos. Missed bills, final warnings, red letters, court dates, missed speeding fines, so on on. I insisted on further assessments, and had 2 very brief encounters with mental health clinicians, told I had GAD and I make it all worse by drinking/smoking weed, and or both. There maybe some truth to this, but the diabolical and haphazard approach to my mental health care was akin to someone licking their finger and sticking there finger in the air to see which direction the wind was blowing. Self medication is almost guaranteed if people aren't taken seriously. It was finally agreed after a couple more appointments that I probably have undiagnosed ADHD, maybe EUPD from the constant low key trauma but I am not entitled to a "proper" assessment because I smoke weed. My only option was to remove the crutch that in my opinion is keeping me alive and functioning, and once I can piss clear of drugs I can go on a waiting list for assessment. Currently estimated wait time 18 months +. At this point I have decided to disengage with medicine for my mental health care. I am seeking alternative therapy that at this time will require me to travel abroad. I don't want to go into the details. It's "out there" therapy that is making waves in science, and requires my withdrawal from Citalopram. I have tapered from 40mg Citalopram, to 30mg, to 30/20 alternate days, to 20, 20/10 alternate, 10, 10/0 alternate to 0. This was done over a period of about 4 months. We are very limited in the UK and specifically in my NHS area, as licencing does not allow them to prescribe the "branded" version that also comes in a liquid form for slower tapering. They also can't advise me to "break" pills smaller to attempt to taper in smaller increments. The WD symptoms hit me within about 30-48 hours of been on 0. Cold chills, muscle aches, a feeling of rigidity in muscles, brain zaps, heart zaps, cold and flu symptoms the whole shebang. I still don't have access to a psyche so am dealing with a GP. I suggested maybe switching to low dose Fluoxetine after research to take the edge off and the longer half life. She did her own research and agreed, so yesterday after fighting it out a few more days hoping it would pass, I took a 10mg Fluoxetine. 11 days after withdrawal. Today my head is somewhat clearer and the feeling of "G-Force" in my muscles has somewhat gone. I still have really bad tinnitus and brain fog. Brain zaps are still present but much reduced in frequency And that is where I am at... Desperate to get off but those 10 days or so were ROUGH!

I was on Prozac 20mg from 2000 until 2022. I tried to come off a few times over the years, without much planning or understanding what I was doing each time I was ok for a short time then fell off a cliff mood wise and reinstated within 6 weeks or so. I reduced my dose from 20mg to 10mg in September 2022 then CT from 10mg in November 2022. I wasn’t aware of how dangerous this course of action was at the time and have definitely learned the hard way. I have had a truly horrific time over the last 11 months, the worst of it being extremely distressing neuro emotions, DP/DR, low moods/severe depressive symptoms/SI … I reinstated yesterday at 0.5mg as I feel that I cannot endure any more of this, I feel debilitated by WD symptoms and a danger to myself during the worst waves 🌊. So far no adverse effects 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻. Posting here to access support and advice about reinstatement. Thank you so much for the amazing work you do at SA. 2000- September 2022 prozac 20mg to 10mg November 2022 CT from 10mg December 2021 - April 2022 Diazepam 10mg per day approx . April 2022-June 2022 tapered down to 0.

I am introducing myself, as the forum suggests. I have been taking SSRI antidepressants, mostly in the form of Prozac, for over 30 years. I have always taken a low dose, 20mg. They did help get me through a difficult time in my life but now I don't need them and am having awful withdrawal symptoms. I am here for guidance, which doctors have none of regarding this. It's been like a mass experiment on people. I want to be free from this drug and learn how to get through withdrawal.