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I started tapering from Prozac, 40 mg and Elavil 40 mg in Oct. 2015.  I did not know if I could do it.  One of my motivations was 3 years of chronic pelvic pain which started while I was on medication.  Then all through 2016 I got sick.  I spent 2016 in bed, mostly too tired to do very much and the withdrawal from the drugs was one of mostly forgetting to take the medications as I felt sick and had pains and distress, malaise, flu like symptoms In Nov. 2015 I got very dizzy.  In Jan. 2016 I noticed that I had electric zaps up and down my spine and inner trembling.  I became so weak in August of 2016, I could barely do anything.  It felt like I had infections but I never had fever. By Dec. 2016 I had severe pelvic and groin pain.  I could barely sit in Jan and Feb 2017.  During all this time I felt ill, but not depressed. Today, I started to feel clinical depression coming on.

 

I have seen a neurologist who discounted my symptoms of neuropathy.  I notice that anything can trip the inner trembling and inner electric zap feelings on.  

 

In the past and recently there were no explanations of gynecological pain (all tests normal) or abdominal pain ( had 2 colonoscopies).

 

I could put up with all the symptoms - but now 17 months after I started - I am really depressed.  My nervous system seems to be hyper and reacts to everything with very subtle neuropathic symptoms which the neurologist discounted.  I thought about reinstating prozac but I am scared.

 

I was on antidepressants for 20 years and could not discontinue any of them before.  This is the first time I made it - but I think I have peripheral neuropathy and I may not be able to reinstate to any antidepressants.  I am still seeing my psych doc thinking that I should go back.  But would it be safe?

 

Edited by scallywag
tags

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

Link to comment

I don't have much to offer as far as advice, but you are not crazy. I feel the same way most of the time. I went through the zaps for a few weeks because of Effexor. It is horrible and is not something I could explain to anyone. If a person hasn't actually had zaps themselves, they have no idea how terrifying they are or how unpredictable. I used massive doses of Omega 3 oils (over 10 grams per day) and that really helped. The zaps only lasted a few weeks (2-3) instead of the months that I hear some people experiencing. Maybe you should read The Mood Cure. It is not a magic bullet, but some of the suggestions have been very helpful to me.

Feb 2017: Cold-turkey withdrawal from Abilify 30 mg (12 years) and Effexor 150 mg (8 months)

Jan 2017: Diagnosed MTHFR

Current Supplements: SAMe, GABA, 5-HTP, DLPA, Melatonin, powdered Amino Complex, B12, and a special type of Folate for people who have MTHFR.

 

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Good for you! Surviving this stuff is HARD, but be patient.  In my opinion it is NOT safe to consult a psychiatrist; you will be prescribed more junk and you'll never be free.  Neuropathy can be successfully treated, often just with TENS, but they wont tell you that. Also look into low level - near- infra- red light therapy for pain.  Look in the Physiotherapy/Kinesiology literature, or a journal like Annals of Physical Medicine  & Rehabilitation. Dont forget the Rxisk site, and check out a UK group, something like, Counsel for Evidence-Based Psychiatry, they have riveting videos - one man, Paul, said that after 4 years off his drug he felt 75% better - the brain is slow to heal.  i'm still in the midst of Hell and often see no way out except in a box. I'm a lot older and have Parkinsonism, but that doesn't even slow their prescriptions down!

Retired in  May, 2010, still working part time  as Occupational Therapist in North Toronto Community Health Clinic - 6 family practice docs + vrs allied health professionals. I was resp. for  home or clinic "Barrier-free" patient population, i.e. CP/MS/MD/spinal cord inj/disease pts.- independent living but requiring Attendant Care - power wheelchair dependent people/; also Seniors' Advisory Ctte./Advocacy staff liaison to Board; [received good evaluation on mandatory College of OT's practice review].   Otherwise, stayed active in bicycling,  gym,  yoga, walking, theatre volunteering.  Enjoyed eating out in mid-level restaurants, liked my city on Lake Ontario. Enjoyed travel to Stratford, ON, time spent with friends and on farm.    I was not on any Rx drugs, no health problems, but took lots of health food dietary vitamins and supplements - stupid me [same corporations, same profit motive, no regulation of product by governmental or other oversight body.

  • I think dietary supplement SAMe either triggered or contributed to sudden and accelerating deterioration into Parkinsonism, esp. late in 2011- I have  since found several scientific journal articles to support my opinion - all of my 5 doctors (family doc and 4 neurologists ignored it.)
  • Diagnosed at two major Toronto hospitals with "Idiopathic Parkinsonism" in early 2012.
  • Primary sympt. at that time:  rigidity, spasticity, slowness, deteriorating cursive writing, shaking arms/hands, severe burning pain in feet/knees/back, severe insomnia - no tremor at that time.
  • First Rx drug: generic sinemet [Apo-levocarb] 100/25  (3x/day) April 21, 2012. This drug was never very effective; only had ~ 1 hr ''ON" time, no matter the dose./timing. Sometimes sinemet seemed to make things worse rather than better, i.e. more muscle tone./cogwheeling/severe night sweats/low blood pressure.  
  • Next Rx drug; Zopiclone; neuro said it was NOt a  benzo., but worked on same receptors, therefore she never warned me re withdrawal problems. Took it for ~ 3 years nearly every night. Seemed to work well.
  • Third RX drug: Lorazepam. I asked Neuro for it as it seemed to make the levocarb work better and helped wth anxiety.  Neuro advised it was addictive, but never explained about tolerance, withdrawal, down-regulation of receptors. I took 0.25 mg once or twice a WEEK at first and that tiny amound helped for a day at least.
  • Fourth RX drug: Mirapex. i was still plagued by mostly "down" time with rigidity and non-movement disorders, so agreed to try Mirapex.  i never got up to the therapeutic dose (near threshold) because it made me so sick and it seemed to make things worse, i.e. more muscle tone, problems with balance, severe nausea.  Read manufacturer's monograph updated to 2012 and decided the risk was worth it, benefit unlikely.

My self-initiated withdrawals.  Every time i've changed one drug, i've had to make changes in the others too, e.g. at 20 mg Citalopram i had too much sinemet (dyskinesias) so i lowered sinemet to ~1000 mg and that was better.  Also, as Citalopram has gone down, Lorazepam has had to increase 'cause it seem not to last as long or work as well.

  • So on my own, I decided to taper off Mirapex, not knowing a thing about withdrawal problems. Whew!  Thanks to zopiclone and increased frequency and dose of Lorazepam, i got off Mirapex in March 2013.
  • Next I took myself off Zopiclone after reading very negative things about its' long-term use.  I was doing this without guidance or help from MD's. I increased sinemet and lorazepam to cope with the withdrawal effects of Zopiclone. Going off Zopiclone made PD symptoms worse; neuro wanted to put me on Entacapone, but i declined it.

More MD's/more problems with Rx drugs.

  • Zopiclone withdrawal + Incr. levocarb and incr. lorazepam landed me in the ER at CAMH, where there is a priscription drug withdrawal program, so I thought they could help me. The doctor took me off Zopiclone and Lorazepam and substituted Clonazepam alone.  From the first day Clonazepam caused frightening and serious side effects, like periods of amnesia, loss of balance, dizziness, memory problems, mental processing problems, serious nausea - worst was interdose withdrawal every 4 hours resulting in 'panic attacks' - i was jumping out of my skin!
  • Another RX drug: My own neuro gave me Citalopram to help me withdraw from Clonazepam.  Didnt work; after 2-3 weeks the Citalopram became a bigger problem with side effects than the Clonazepam. Neuro switched Lorazepam to replace the Clonazepam, but left me on the Citalopram. 
  • Rapid loss of 40 lbs of body weight into undernourished zone.
  • I ended up in ER with my forehead bashed down to the bone as a result of 'syncope'; unconscious for unknown lenght of time, probably only a few minutes. Neuro threw me under the bus - now said i needed the Citalopram for depression and Lorazepam for anxiety disorder - said there was an emotional component to my complaints and made a referral to a psychiatrist. I didnt go to him, but tried to get into a addictions/withdrawal program at that hospital, did see a 5th year psych. MD there. 
  • i got copies of last few neuro/psych reports to my family doctor - I was shocked.  I think the neuro/family doc were afraid i'd sue them or complain to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, so; they set up a 'defense' with psychiatric diagnosis to explain drug side effects and head injury, even suggested i might have 'psyhogenic' Parkinsonism.

More self-initiated withdrawal.

  • I decided to get off most dangerous drug first - Citalopram; it never made me feel anything other than sick and near invalid from side-effects.
  • Have reduced dose from 20 mgs to, recently, 5 mg.  Having a terrible time - every day seems new problem - today it was akathisia coming out of nowhere - took Benadryl - it helps.
  • Nearly house-bound now. 

Current drugs:  Citalopram (taper: 20 mg to 15 mg to 12.5 to 10 to  5 to 2.5, then zero.)  44 days at zero, getting worse side effects now than when I was 'ON' it.  Apo-Levocarb, immediate release (recent dose =1500mg) =~1250mg in 10 doses/day;/2-3 levo-carb CR/day;/Lorazepam (from 1.0 mg to 2.5 or 3, or more mg/day. Benadryl as needed. Tylenol as needed to reduce 'fever' feeling in head and/or headache. Occasional Advil.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Lynx2121 -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
Your account of your time on Prozac & Elavil and your experience during and after tapering are unfortunately shared by many others. 
 
Tell us more about how you tapered off Prozac & Elavil, starting in Oct. 2015:

  • Did you taper them at the same time?
  • First one to zero mg then the other?
  • Or, did you "interweave" the tapers: decrease one, hold for a while, decrease the other, hold for a while?
  • When did you get to zero with Prozac?
  • When did you get to zero mg with Elavil

Are you currently taking any medications -- prescription, over-the-counter, or street drugs -- for any reason? Not just antidepressants or meds a psychiatrist would prescribe, but anything?

Have you noticed any pattern with your symptoms? Please keep notes on paper of your symptoms and the times of your dose(s). This post has a useful format for a daily log:
Take notes of doses and symptoms.

We usually suggest starting with a low dose -- much lower than most doctors would prescribe -- and taking it for at least 2 weeks to see how your body reacts to the reintroduction. Please read about reinstating medications in an attempt to reduce withdrawal symptoms (emotional, cognitive or physical):
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

If you have questions about reinstating, please post them here in your introduction thread.

For your reference:
Our suggested taper approach is 10%/month: Why taper by 10% of my dosage?.
Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)
Tips for tapering off amitriptyline (Elavil)

Would you take a moment to post a medication and withdrawal history in a signature that will appear below all your posts?

Please summarize your history -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly:

  • Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
  • Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
  • Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
  • Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
  • A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
  • You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature
  • If you are using a phone or mobile device, you need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in Post 9 and Post 10

This is YOUR introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

 

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

I don't have much to offer as far as advice, but you are not crazy. I feel the same way most of the time. I went through the zaps for a few weeks because of Effexor. It is horrible and is not something I could explain to anyone. If a person hasn't actually had zaps themselves, they have no idea how terrifying they are or how unpredictable. I used massive doses of Omega 3 oils (over 10 grams per day) and that really helped. The zaps only lasted a few weeks (2-3) instead of the months that I hear some people experiencing. Maybe you should read The Mood Cure. It is not a magic bullet, but some of the suggestions have been very helpful to me.

I thought I had the worst was over - but today I have the worst zaps ever. Thank you for your advice.

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

Link to comment

Good for you! Surviving this stuff is HARD, but be patient.  In my opinion it is NOT safe to consult a psychiatrist; you will be prescribed more junk and you'll never be free.  Neuropathy can be successfully treated, often just with TENS, but they wont tell you that. Also look into low level - near- infra- red light therapy for pain.  Look in the Physiotherapy/Kinesiology literature, or a journal like Annals of Physical Medicine  & Rehabilitation. Dont forget the Rxisk site, and check out a UK group, something like, Counsel for Evidence-Based Psychiatry, they have riveting videos - one man, Paul, said that after 4 years off his drug he felt 75% better - the brain is slow to heal.  i'm still in the midst of Hell and often see no way out except in a box. I'm a lot older and have Parkinsonism, but that doesn't even slow their prescriptions down!

Today - I have the worst electric zaps up and down my spine.  I am sorry I every stopped the drugs.  I thought I was having a hard time.  Today hell started abruptly. Thank you for answering and offering your advice.

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

Link to comment

Have you noticed any pattern with your symptoms? Please keep notes on paper of your symptoms and the times of your dose(s). This post has a useful format for a daily log:

Take notes of doses and symptoms.

 

We usually suggest starting with a low dose -- much lower than most doctors would prescribe -- and taking it for at least 2 weeks to see how your body reacts to the reintroduction. Please read about reinstating medications in an attempt to reduce withdrawal symptoms (emotional, cognitive or physical):

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

 

If you have questions about reinstating, please post them here in your introduction thread.

 

For your reference:

Our suggested taper approach is 10%/month: Why taper by 10% of my dosage?.

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

Tips for tapering off amitriptyline (Elavil)

 

Thank you for this advice.  I will try to do this as soon as I can.  I tapered very badly but thought I was over the worst.  Ironically tonight I have the worst symptoms ever - severe electric  zaps up and down my spine, inner trembling and a feeling of panic - like I cannot endure this.  

 

I tapered very poorly over the past year plus a few months.  However, I managed to get to 0 prozac and 0 elavil and I thought I was merely home free.

 

Now I am in emergency mood - the symptoms are absolutely horrific. Can you direct me to some links on how

to survive the horrific? Thank you for replying, volunteering on this website and helping others.

Edited by scallywag
select most relevant portions of quoted post

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

Link to comment

Tell us more about how you tapered off Prozac & Elavil, starting in Oct. 2015:

  • Did you taper them at the same time?
  • First one to zero mg then the other?
  • Or, did you "interweave" the tapers: decrease one, hold for a while, decrease the other, hold for a while?
  • When did you get to zero with Prozac?
  • When did you get to zero mg with Elavil
Are you currently taking any medications -- prescription, over-the-counter, or street drugs -- for any reason? Not just antidepressants or meds a psychiatrist would prescribe, but anything?

 

Proposed new signature:

 

Tapering from Prozac 40 mg and Elavil 40 mg in Oct. 2015 - beginning.

Jan 2016 - Dec 2016 - mostly in bed due to intense fatigue and sleeping - had electric zaps up and down spine but bearable.

During this time I did not do a good taper - I merely forgot to take the drugs regularly.

I think I stopped Prozac and Elavil in August 2016 when I became too weak to sit up.

Jan and Feb of 2017 intense groin pain - could not sit.

March 2017 - having problems.

Edited by scallywag
select most relevant text in quoted post

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Many of your symptoms are noted withdrawal symptoms and/or drug adverse effects (also know as "side" effects which makes them seem nicer than they are). The discussion topic at this link has several formats to download of a list of common w/d symptoms.
Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

To find discussion topics for specific symptoms, you can either

  • browse the Symptoms Forum, or
  • search using a web search tool (Google, Bing, etc.) for the symptom but add site:survivingantidepressants.org   to your search so that results from this site are at the top of the results.

You may find it helpful to learn how others have dealt with symptoms successfully in our Success Stories Forum. Another resource is the site Beyond Meds, founded by a woman who recovered from having been polydrugged and from the lengthy withdrawal (Monica posts on this site as GiaK). Her dogged persistence for healing is inspiring.

Some people find high EPA and high DHA (omega 3 fatty acids) fish oil helpful for brain zaps. There are people who have a negative reaction to it so buy a small quantity of a high quality product rather than the warehouse-club multi-pack that's a year's supply for a family of 10. You can read more about that here:
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil).

Another supplement that many people find helpful is magnesium, taken by mouth or through the skin in epsom salt baths:
Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker.

If you choose to test supplements, start with ONE supplement at a low dose, half or one-quarter of the amount recommended on the bottle and work your way up to the full amount slowly.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Welcome, lynx.

 

A combination of Prozac and Elavil, especially at the high dosages you were prescribed, is dangerous, see https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/elavil-with-prozac-168-74-1115-648.html

 

Your doctor has been remiss. When you have a chance, if I were you, I would get a new doctor and liver and kidney function tests.

 

Still, it sounds like you have withdrawal syndrome. I might try reinstating 1mg Prozac to start, see if it helps. It will take at least 4 days to get to steady state in your system, it might take some time after that for your nervous system to settle down. For information about how to take a small amount of Prozac, see Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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the AD might help with the anxiety and depression brought on by benzo withdrawal

I know the benzo sites are saying this, but it is untrue.

 

It probably comes from Ashton, who didn't understand antidepressant withdrawal at all. She might have thought AD withdrawal is like relapse. Anxiety and depression are only one facet of AD withdrawal syndrome, as so many of us have found out. The surges of hyperalerting and sleeplessness are probably the most destructive AD withdrawal symptoms.

 

Even if you don't feel the sedative effects of a benzo you've been taking, it is dampening some reactions in your body, which can come in handy during AD withdrawal.

 

If the benzo has gone paradoxical, its dosage must be reduced. A paradoxical response to benzos is as bad as hyperalerting from antidepressant withdrawal. The alerting system is something you do not want to go haywire.

 

In case anyone has misinterpreted the first post, I want to emphasize it is only about polypharmacy, where you've already been taking several drugs for a while and you may be physically dependent on all of them.

 

While some people find they need an occasional benzo to get through antidepressant withdrawal, I am not advocating ADDING any kind of sedating-type drug to your drug regimen in order to make antidepressant withdrawal easier. This won't work; you'll just end up dependent on all of them and multiplying your withdrawal problems.

 

IF YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF TAPERING do NOT count on adding a drug to make withdrawal symptoms more tolerable. If you are already having withdrawal symptoms, the addition of any other neuroactive drugs could make it worse.

 

If possible, deal with withdrawal symptoms during a taper by slowing the taper or updosing slightly.

 

You have much more control over a slow taper than you would have depending on a benzo to control your symptoms.

 

 

 

I withdrew from Prozac 40 mg and Elavil 40 mg with few problems until March 1.

The original taper was from Oct 2015 unti Nov 2016 and was not problematic - I mostly slept.

While I did have neuropathic symptoms - they were bearable.

About the past 2 weeks I have had horrific neuropathic symptoms like electrical zaps up and down my spine, inner trembling, pins and needles all over my body...

I discontinued the Prozac and Elavil probably too fast.

I did the antidepressants before the benzodiazepine - 20 mg valium.

Tonight I took 10 mg valium - which previously I have taken with good results and planned to taper very slowly in the future.

It calmed me mentally but I got pins and needles - quite painful all over my body which took 2 hours to subside.

This bizarre paradoxical reaction to valium was a surprise.

It never did this before.

Was it a cause and effect? Or did I take the valium when I was going to have a bad episode of neuropathy anyways - as I have had in the past 2 weeks?

I never had a paradoxical reaction to benzodiazepines which were the first meds I was given when I got anxiety attacks long time ago.

I am a senior and before antidepressants ever existed - valium was used and I found that in the past lowering valium was easier than antidepressants.

I had my first antidepressant withdrawal nightmare in 2001 and since then could never come off - only switch.

Could the antidepressants have injured my peripheral nerves more than the benzos or was it just polypharmacy - 3 drugs at one time?

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

Link to comment

Welcome, lynx.

 

A combination of Prozac and Elavil, especially at the high dosages you were prescribed, is dangerous, see https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/elavil-with-prozac-168-74-1115-648.html

 

Your doctor has been remiss. When you have a chance, if I were you, I would get a new doctor and liver and kidney function tests.

 

Still, it sounds like you have withdrawal syndrome. I might try reinstating 1mg Prozac to start, see if it helps. It will take at least 4 days to get to steady state in your system, it might take some time after that for your nervous system to settle down. For information about how to take a small amount of Prozac, see Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

I was just preparing 1 mg of Prozac.

Today I got a paradoxical reaction to 10 mg valium.

It made me mentally calm but caused (?) pins and needles all over my body - painful and surprising.

Valium never gave me a paradoxical or adverse reaction and  I have been exposed to it on and off for 50 years (I am a senior).

I was saving tapering from 20 mg valium only after successfully withdrawing from the antidepressants.

I replied to you..Admin Altostrata in a 2012 post you gave some information on in another thread.

Very worried now about what harm my nervous system has sustained. 

prescribed Prozac for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1995

switched to Paxil in 1998, Elavil was added

switched to Effexor in 2004

tried to get off Paxil in 2001 - could not

tried to get off Effexor in 2007 - could not

was on Prozac and Elavil from 2008 to 2015

thought i withdrew from Prozac and Elavil without too much agony

now realized that although I tapered....I am having horrible symptoms

thinking about reinstating as I write this....

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

lynx -

 

I c/t Prozac 1 1/2 years ago and I have also experience internal shaking/tremors.  I have noticed that it is getting better but I still have it every day.  I had to give up caffeine because that made it 100 times worse. 

 

Hang in there!

Discontinued Fluoxetine cold turkey after taking it for 12 years. Stopped taking Fluoxetine in August 2015.

My current withdrawal symptoms: Itchy skin, smell hallucination, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and anxiety. 

Synthroid for hypothyroidism.

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