Theon: is it possible to have withdrawal from just 4 months of prozac?

[Theon]

A little update:

 

I am still on 10 mg ready to continue tappering.

 

The physical symptoms have lessened; I experience the brain zaps and the ear pain less often.

 

The main psychological symptom that i have is still the emotional flatness, that started some months ago as a side effect of the fluoxetine way before starting tappering. I find it difficult to feel enthusiasm,  I feel demotivated about everything, and I am not able to care enough about things, and I have very little sex drive. Before starting fluoxetine I had never had problems with motivation, and I used to care TOO MUCH about everything  (that was what lead me to take fluoxetine in the first place).

 

The emotion that I feel strongest in me is anger, and I actually like feeling it because it moves me from my emotional numbness. This is making me spending a lot of time reading articles on internet about stories of people who regret having taken psychiatric medications, and feeling angry while reading them.

 

I am sure now that I prefer the anxious me, the overthinking me, the worrying-too-much me, the NATURAL me, than this person that I am now "thanks" to fluoxetine. 

 

I am eternally grateful to the internet that has provided me with soooo much information; the official and the unofficial , giving me the ability of creating an opinion about this topic. My doctor only told me the official information.

 

I don't consider myself completely anti-meds, because I have also read stories of many people who don't regret having taken these medications, but I do think that these medications are very over-prescribed and the fact that 1 in 10 Americans takes antidepressants seems to me a "little" too much.

[Altostrata]

If I were you, I'd continue holding at least until the brain zaps stop. Further tapering can make them worse.

[Theon]

Update:

Already on 7.5 mg,  I went from 10 to 7.5 because I don't have liquid fluoxetine, so I have to cut my 20 mg pills in 4 pieces and take 3.

 

Psychollogically i am still emotionally numb, feeling zombie-like and experiencing lack of sex drive.

The emotion I get the easiest is still anger.

 

I have not had any brain zap in a week or so, that's very good.  A new physical symptom that I have notice is that I feel always cold. it is 36º C = 97ºF, and I don't feel it!, it is so weird to see everybody around complaining about how hot it is and I can't feel it.  I actually remember having this very same symptom last summer when I first tappered fluoxetine, but I didn't make a link between it and the withdrawal. 

[Petunia]

Already on 7.5 mg,  I went from 10 to 7.5 because I don't have liquid fluoxetine, so I have to cut my 20 mg pills in 4 pieces and take 3.

 

 

See:  How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

[Theon]

Update:

Already on 7.5 mg,  so I have to cut my 20 mg pills in 4 pieces and take 3.

 

 

 That's obviously wrong, I am cutting my 20 pills in 8 pieces and taking 3.

 

I am so fed up with this "not feeling like myself" that started 4 months ago (when fluoxetine began making effects). I hate this new version of me that has been induced by fluoxetine. 

 

I  want to come back to my real personality: anxious, obsessive and hypochondriac? yes, but I had tons of good things that have also been affected by fluoxetine.

 

I am worried that I will never go back to myself... 

 

"we can do a lot of mistakes but not the one that destroys you"

 

Taking fluoxetine was a mistake, I simply hope it was not THE mistake.

[Theon]

I'm done with this.

 

Today I was with a friend and we were looking to pictures of girls in a flirting app. I was looking at the pictures but I cannot longer find girls attractive!!! I have never been like this before, Prozac has made this to me!!!!!!!  

 

April 2014 when I first took prozac my forecast was: you have just anxiety, you will be all right. Now after "treatment" I don't know who I am anymore.

 

I am  just 22 years old, what is the point of living if my feelings, my tastes, my drive have been stolen??????

 

I am done. I will quit completely before the end of July.

 

I know what you are thinking that I should not quit so fast but let me remind you: I have just taken  20 mg 4 months, and I have already been tappering for another 2 months. So far half as much time tappering as on the drug.

 

And what is more important, these 4 months of fluoxetine + 2 months tappering have been a hell of side effects with almost no benefits. 

 

I would give anything to feel like I did on january again, to be myself.

[bluebalu86]

I know how frustrating this is Theon. I'm 29, older than you, and still feel like "I'm too young to be dealing with this ****". Not that older people should be dealing with it, no one should. Do what you feel is best, but keep in mind that things can get a lot worse if you do a very fast taper or CT. I'm in a similar position to you - I started these meds in September 2014 and did a fast taper over a couple of weeks in January-February 2015. So six months. Then I had to reinstate 5mg Cipralex, then messed with the other drug with disastrous results. So I'll be tapering much longer than I've been on them, but I don't see any other way of surviving this. Good luck to you whatever you decide to do. 

[Marta]

to bluebalu86 I'm 29 too and cipralex too...strange life!!! I also feel too young to be on this...but also I'm really grateful for "normal" years in the past (which is also a duble sided coin, if you remember good times maybe it's worse) ...I just only hope we could be stronger than this and recover!!! <3

 

to Theon   my libido is 90% gone! (Poor my boyfriend!) But I think you don't have to force yourself because you'll make it worse...if you're like me I start thinking "uh I don't fell nothing today, neither yesterday, neither tomorrow, I'm doomed for ever" no no....just give it time....

which engeneering are you studying? Hugs!!!

[ang]

welcome  x  I am a female, off the drugs (different drugs), yeah I am back to better than before.  I was on the hormonal pill for most of my life, didnt realise how that destroyed my sex life. Just gotta find partner now!  Bitter sweet...... the pills destroy relationships,  that sexual attraction from a womans perspective....... that spark, was killed during my effexor years..... luckily that was only 10 years of my life, that effexor destroyed my marriage, a man I met at 16, and was with for nearly 30 years..

So more for a woman, that romance is destroyed...how can I describe it, not romance, that spark!!!!!  The pills kill that spark........start to hate everyone!  Distrust everyone!.             You will be fine, takes time!

[KT38]

Go as slow as possible. I was only on an AD for 2 months, cold turkey we and 12 weeks off I am still in distress. Please make sure you have a support person if you are not able to handle day to day things.

[Theon]

if you're like me I start thinking "uh I don't fell nothing today, neither yesterday, neither tomorrow, I'm doomed for ever" no no....just give it time....

 

That's exactly me , I have always been that way. Huggs to you too!

 

I know how frustrating this is Theon. I'm 29, older than you, and still feel like "I'm too young to be dealing with this ****". Not that older people should be dealing with it, no one should. Do what you feel is best, but keep in mind that things can get a lot worse if you do a very fast taper or CT. I'm in a similar position to you - I started these meds in September 2014 and did a fast taper over a couple of weeks in January-February 2015. So six months. Then I had to reinstate 5mg Cipralex, then messed with the other drug with disastrous results. So I'll be tapering much longer than I've been on them, but I don't see any other way of surviving this. Good luck to you whatever you decide to do. 

Thank you blue, I hope it all goes well to you and we all here learn again to deal with our conditions without meds as we used to do before we started them.

 

Go as slow as possible. I was only on an AD for 2 months, cold turkey we and 12 weeks off I am still in distress. Please make sure you have a support person if you are not able to handle day to day things.

I will go slow but I will be done this month .

I hope you recover soon from your bad reactions.

This second experience with prozac (the first one was last year that I took it for 3 months) has been almost a bad reaction to me (so many side effects), so I will read your thread to know what to expect.

[Theon]

Possibly new symptom?

 

4 nights in a row that my nose starts bleeding with no apparent cause, and it keeps bleeding way too long. It bleeds equially through both holes, and sometimes when one stops bleeding, the other one starts. During the day it also bleeds sometimes but not so often. I saw in a website that nosebleed is a symptom of prozac withdrawal, so here I am, a new symptom of this drug that I should have never taken.

"Thank you doctor for inform me about this" ironical.

[Theon]

I am currently experiencing stiffness in my head/neck, and an unpleasant feeling of not being able to relax. This feeling comes and goes.

is this the high cortisol that I have read about in some threads?

Libido still non-existant. Still emotionally flat.

[Altostrata]

The stiffness is a symptom of muscle tension. You might find massage, chiropractic, or acupuncture to be helpful.

 

Some people find rubbing magnesium oil on stiff areas helps.

[Theon]

Thank you altostrata,I'm getting hot showers and they help with that.

 

Psychologically the apathy is all over the place,no libido , no interest about anything... Hating this apathy, being sad and anxious before prozac was so much better.

 

Good news is that i don't have brain zaps and tinnitus anymore.

[oskcajga]

Hating this apathy, being sad and anxious before prozac was so much better.

 

That's basically the take-home-message from SSRI withdrawal. 

[Theon]

Experiencing a wave of irritability, inability to relax, bouts of anger, bouts of nervousness... who is this monster I have become... i dont recognize myself

[Altostrata]

That is such good news about the brain zaps and tinnitus going away. Hang in, you'll get through the waves.

[Theon]

The emotional flatness has eased a bit.

Today when I was alone at home I was feeling lonely and wanted company, it was not a good feeling, but I like it more than the apathy, so for me it's a step forward.

[Theon]

Ok, I spoke too soon about things getting better. Now i am having a wave of inner restlessness, lately they are common

Maybe i should get magnesium supplements

[Altostrata]

Magnesium may help. Also see The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

[compsports]

Ok, I spoke too soon about things getting better. Now i am having a wave of inner restlessness, lately they are common

Maybe i should get magnesium supplements

Not to be the voice of negativity but if you do decide to give magnesium a try, I would take a very low dose initially and increase very gradually.   While many folks have had no problems with magnesium during withdrawal, your system may be quite sensitive and that is why caution is warranted big time.

 

Best of luck.

 

49er

[Theon]

Thank you for your answers Altostrata and compsports.

[Theon]

Hello people,

I have been tappering fluoxetine since the end of April until now, and I have already took the last dose. I know it has been a faster tappering than the one advised here, but regarding that I only took it 4 months, I think that a 3 months tappering should not be so bad.

 

The withdrawal is not being very bad so far, only some short waves of restlessness, but what bothers me most is the feeling that my personality has changed a lot due to the pills and I hate this new personality, I miss my old self...

[Theon]

Anyways, I think patience and acceptance are key in this journey... So that's what I will do, fill myself with patience and acceptance.

[AliG]

 I agree with you , Theon.  I think that's all you can do.  I miss "me" too.  Have you tried the "magnesium". ?

 

 I think "acceptance" is  what we have to do, "physically & emotionally".   It's hard , but I think it's worth it.  

[Theon]

I've not tried it yet, I am eating 3/4 bananas a day instead because I read there is a lot of magnesium in them.

 

It's so hard to be patient..., but time is our best friend

[AliG]

 You're right. It' s so hard to be patient.  But it's all about "time".

[Theon]

Update:

 

7 months since I started prozac.

3 months since I started tappering.

some days since I took my last dose.

 

Waves of inner restlessness followed by waves of emotional anesthesia like if i was still on prozac.

Libido still non existant.

Some mild physical symptoms such as ear pain. But quite mild.

 

The emotional anesthesia is maybe easing a bit... it's hard to know.

[Theon]

I am going tomorrow to a 12 days stay on a voluntary work camp that I had planned since the begining of the year.

 

It's going to be 12 days of hard physical work with little sleep, an expericence that would be demanding in normal conditions, now in withdrawal it will be (demanding)^2. 

 

Before prozac (just some months ago) , I loved to do physical work because it was the best way to distract myself from my natural anxiety.

 

Now with this withdrawal I am sooo lazy that I don't even read (something that I have always loved), and the apathy does not help either.

 

It will be extra hard but I will do it, and I will remember it as that work camp that I did during withdrawal.

[KT38]

Wow!!!  I can't even make it into a store! Good luck and let us know how it goes!  Remember not to push yourself too hard if you are having a hard time because you are going through something very difficult not many people  can understand.

[Theon]

Hello there, I am back from my voluntary work trip.

 

There has been good and bad things about this trip, I'll start with the good ones.

 

On the bright side, my productivity has been better than I expected, I worked hard and well even though I slept 5/6 hours per day for almost 2 weeks. The first 2 days were harder but the more I worked, the easier it was. Also, my physical health is very good, and the physical withdrawal symptoms that I was having (earpain, blurred vision, brain zaps) are now rare.

 

Now the bad side.

The dark side is summarized by saying that I am still somewhat a zombie, and this has not improved even a little since I got it as a side effect from prozac some months ago.

This include lack of empathy, lack of sense of humor, lack of libido, lack of sense of accomplishment, sense of not caring about anything, difficulty making decisions because everything is just the same for me, lack of bad mood, lack of good mood, lack of feelings of fear, lack of feelings of love, etc.

I have never been bad socializing, but all this stuff makes it so hard.

 

I am having a good diet, plenty of exercise and I don't drink alcohol.  I don't even drink any caffeine. I cannot do anything else to help my brain recover itself... only wait and continue my life the best I can.

[Theon]

Am I the only one with waves of restlessness in which i have the urge to break everything, or to punch the wall or to punch myself?

It's difficult to control..

[compsports]

HI Theon,

 

After I finished my WD, I had horrific anger issues.   Got into a fight with a clerk at a hotel store about an excessive price for candy.  I later apologized but I was so embarrassed.

 

Sounds like you are experiencing unfortunately normal withdrawal issues in which the only solution is to be very kind and patient with yourself.

Am I the only one with waves of restlessness in which i have the urge to break everything, or to punch the wall or to punch myself?

It's difficult to control..

[Skyler]

Hi Theon... I've merged this topic with your intro thread because it's relevant to your personal journey and you will get more responses there.  Thanks

 

edit..

If you are having difficulty keeping track of your intro thread, please link it to your sig line.. see mine for an example.

[KT38]

Theon,  yes I had anger issues in the beginning and around 3-4 months it came back.  It's almost like you I have a short fuse.  You look at me the wrong way I will go nuts in my head.  If you say something dumb to me, the same.  It's like I can't take any stress or anything.