BaronessG - prozac 8yrs, tapered off over two months, struggling

[BaronessG]

Eight years ago I started taking prozac 20mg, over the next four years this was increased to 60mg. Over the next few years I made a couple of doctor supervised reductions back down to 20mg. This summer I tapered off over just a couple of months (now been off it for 2.5 months). Since then I feel more motivated and alert, which is great. I definitely don't feel that I am suffering from depression any more (woo hoo!).

 

The problems have been in managing my emotions. I get very angry very easily, things that a few months ago would have been mildly irritating are now causing me such anger. I have some issues with being angry that I need to deal with, when I get angry I feel like a monster. I realise that I have to learn to not feel bad about myself for getting angry and I'm going to seek help for managing my response to feeling anger but that doesn't help right now. It's starting to bum me out so hard, when I feel that rush of rage it makes me feel like a terrible person because I know the anger is put of proportion to the situation. I then want to hurt myself, which I haven't felt like doing in so long, it feels like going backwards. 

I'm also really struggling to stay asleep. No matter when I go to bed or how much sleep I get if something disturbs me I am just awake and cannot get back to sleep. It's beginning to have a real impact on my emotions and work (thankfully I work from home so I don't have to deal with bosses or anything and I can adapt my hours to suit how I'm feeling though).

 

I really thought for a while that I was just a terrible, terrible person. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to find this site and know that I'm not alone (although in some ways it's heartbreaking how many people are going through the same thing), when I read about neuro emotions and the experiences of some folk with anger it honestly made me cry with relief! 

 

I am going to seek help for managing my reaction to getting angry and I really want to try and improve my diet (for a lot of reasons but mainly to see if it help with this!).

 

Thank you so much to the creators of this site and everyone who has shared what they're going through, it has made a real difference in my life just knowing that I'm not alone or just a horrible person.

 

 

 

[Nomoreheadmeds]

Welcome 'baronessg' .Someone will be along soon to assist you.

I wish you well

[Theon]

I can definitely relate to the anger feelings,, and also the regret after the anger passes...

 

The anger feelings were very frequent at the begining of the prozac withdrawal(during the tapper and during the 3 first months off) but now that I am entering the 4 month off they are almost dissapeared... but I took prozac for less time than you, so I am afraid you will have to go though it a bit longer... but eventually it will pass.

[BaronessG]

Thank you Theon, I appreciate you saying so. I really hope it settles down soon, I feel like a teenager again, emotions just on a knife edge!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, BaronessG.

 

The sleep problem is highly characteristic of withdrawal syndrome. See Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

 

A lot of people also experience "irritability." This could be associated with lack of sleep.

 

Did you have any other symptoms shortly after coming off?

 

After 2.5 months, reinstatement of a small amount, even 1mg Prozac, is iffy, but could help. You would taper off this by tiny amounts later. See What is withdrawal syndrome?
 
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms
 
The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

How to take a small amount of Prozac Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/
 

[BaronessG]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share that with me Altostrata, I'll have a look through those.

[KarenB]

Hello BaronessG,

 

I'd like to chime in and say you are not terrible - you are a lovely, lovely, strong person who is fighting to find a healing path.  And you will make it!  

 

I spent well over a decade feeling like a useless broken angry thing - broken like a glass gets broken never to be fixed again.  But in the last year or two, as I've moved into this really focused healing part of my life, that belief has changed.  I now truly believe that each person has a core of goodness which cannot be touched by anything bad thing - traumas, meds - nothing can damage it.  It's there, not so much with you, it actually is you, and it's what is helping move you into healing, and it's what you'll start to emerge with as you work through the outside issues and slowly taper.

 

Enjoy rediscovering this real you,

Karen 

[chicken]

I quit prozac semi cold turkey after about 10 years of use.

 

I experienced extreme anger for a few months. It eventually faded away. I didn't experience any sleep issues.

 

Made the mistake of taking prozac again about about 2 years off for anxiety thinking it would work again but it didn't.

[BaronessG]

Thank you so much KarenB, that's a really beautiful thing to say. I'm so glad you're doing better after such a struggle, partly selfishly as it gives me hope, but also it's just really wonderful to hear when someone has made it through the other side.

I hope you keep doing well, and taking the time to help out someone like me.

[BaronessG]

Thanks Chicken, I hope this anger is a temporary thing. I even get annoyed with my poor dogs when they're eating and drinking!

[BipolarNoMo]

BaronessG, when I cold turkeyed off of 20mg paxil several years ago, just about everything set me off. When I reinstated and was given Seroquel and Depakote along with the paxil, I was still angry all the time. I thought it was a character flaw when it was just the withdrawal. It's good that you recognize that it's not you, but the withdrawal

[BaronessG]

Thanks BipolarNoMo, it's so hard to bear it in mind but it was so unbelievably reassuring to come across this site. It was such a relief to feel that I'm not either a terrible person or a crazy one!

I hope you're doing better, it's such a tough ride.