Coming Off Prozac Information

Dave B replied: "I was on prozac for many months and you need to be weaned off it and not stop straight away. Go see your GP and ask about how to come off them. For me it was to start taking one every other day for a week, then every third day the following week and so on"

lisa1cares replied: "here are some of the withdrawal symptoms of coming off Prozac. bloating crying, laughing, anger for no apparent reason cursing (involuntary) dizziness emotional upheaval exhaustion flu-like symptoms headaches irritability (intense) insomnia itching hypo-mania and mania hives joint pain nausea panic attack rage rambling, slurred speech rashes seizures shakes single words racing through mind suicidal ideation sweating/chills vomiting and yes I totally understand what its like and why you feel like this. I do say you should ween yourself off them and speak with the person that gave them to you before stopping."

piepiepie replied: "I was on 40 mg of prozac for awhile and some other antidepressants. I just quit them right away. I got headaches, but I get headaches anyways, so I don't know. Prozac has a really long half life so it's not likely that you need to be weaned off of it like some of the other antidepressants. You should talk with your doctor, but I never bothered."

Terry G replied: "Im exactly the same as you. Had a bit of a rough patch in December with anxiety and mild depression and got put on 20mg of Prozac. I feel better now but I'd like to think I had a part in that through changing my lifestyle. I find that they cloud my mind too, can feel tired or sometimes that I'm just not with it if that makes sense. I've been on them for the same time as you and I'd like stop but my dovtor advised stay with them for 6 - 9 months to prevent possible relapse. They have a long half life which means of all the meds they are easiest to get away from. Talk to your doctor and tell them your concerns. Hope your feeling better soon"

coming off prozac cold turkey? as of saturday i plan to come off prozac cold turkey, i have been on it for 5 months but really dont want to be on it anymore plus i probably wont be able to see the GP for a few days so he can wean me off it so it would be easier to go cold turkey, does anyone know if it is safe to do this and how will it will take for the drug to leave my system? what withdrawal symptons should i expect and how long will they last?

Gracee's Mommy replied: "I wouldnt do it cold turkey! I came off Zoloft cold turkey at it was horrible! I was throwing up because coming off medicine cold turkey can give you flu symptoms. Also, I had extreme anxiety and headache and felt like I was literally going crazy. I went back on it, and came off slowly, like 25 mg a week, and it was fine. I do not recommend the cold turkey method."

Bob replied: "Because Prozac has a very long half-life, extreme withdrawal symptoms are unlikely with it. There is a built in "tapering off" by virtue of the fact that it leaves your body so slowly. Then again it depends on the dose. Call your GP and they will tell you over the phone what to do. They'll even call in a lower dose if necessary to help you get off it quickly. They'll do it over the phone if you tell them that this is what you are gong to do and that's that. As for the withdrawal symptoms, there are quite a few: Anxiety Dizziness Fatigue Restlessness Tremors Visual hallucinations Diarrhea Blurred vision Headache Insomnia Nausea Vomiting Muscle and joint pain Jolting electric "zaps” Tingling sensations Vertigo Anorexia Agitation Gait disturbances Sweating Fever Abdominal discomfort Flu symptoms and general malaise Irritability Aggression Lethargy Weakness Myalgia Chills and hot flashes Crying spells Suicidal thoughts Sleep disturbance and insomnia Nightmares Vivid dreams Confusion Memory and concentration difficulties"

1mom replied: "Cold turkey off Prozac expect to be severely depressed for at least the first couple of days and it is not really safe to do it cold turkey. Call your GP if you can't see them and leave a message for them about what your considering. There are many things that factor into this= how many mg. have you been taking, why the decision to stop, why where you put on in the 1st place. ? See where I'm going , call GP now and leave a message for them and the nurse should call you back before the office closes today."

Belinda28 replied: "***PLEASE READ*** There is a high suicide rate for people, especially teenagers, going off Prozac cold turkey. I urge you not to do this. Consult your doctor. You must be weaned off it."

asboclothing replied: "I have taken it on and off for 15 years. 1 You shouldn't just stop taking it without consulting your doc. BUT Hallucinations Panic Attacks Lose sleep Feel sick Dizzy It's fucking endless On ething that has stoped me from taking it is exercise"

Maria B replied: "this would be a very silly thing to do, it is extreamly dangerous to come off them without talking it through with your doctor, you may feel fine and ready to come off them, but if u do it cold turkey u may find u feel worse than u did first going on them!!! see yor doctor first!"

Sakira replied: "Have you talked to your doctor? That would be your best bet to come out of this as safely as possible."

Jen H replied: "Unless you're on a high dose (ie. 60mg daily) you probably won't have any problems at all coming off it. In fact, if you're only on 20mg, which is the most common dose, then you can't really be "weaned off" it, because the lowest dose tablet you get is 20mg. Prozac has a long half life which means it kicks about in your blood stream for a few days. You're not likely to have any withdrawal symptoms unless you're on a high dose. The only potential problem is that you might get depressed again once you stop taking it."

rabbitaboo replied: "With respect to you if you have been taking them for a few months what is the urgency to stop on Saturday? It is not as if they are preventing you doing anything and surely it would be better to speak to teh GP first. After all you wouldn't have been prescribed tehm in the first place unless there was a reason and you wouldn't want to go backwards would you? Keep taking them and talk to the GP."

Gard23 replied: "Cold turkey is not a good idea. How 'safe' it is depends upon how you react, which could be anything from 'nothing' to 'so bad you don't want to know'. Withdrawing from these antidepressants is not simply about getting the drug out of the system, it is about allowing the system to try and adapt to a functioning state without the drug, since many changes have taken place (including structural ones) and at the moment everything only makes sense with x mgs of the drug. It you wish to understand 'why' then get a copy of the book on antidepressant withdrawal (linked below, first chapter available online) so you understand the possible implications of a cold turkey approach. The onset of Prozac withdrawal usually occurs 2-3 weeks after a dose drop, due to the long half-life of the drug. This is not 'written in stone'; some patients feel Prozac withdrawal effects after a couple of days. Some patients are told their Prozac withdrawal is over before it would be expected to begin (half-life, again), and Prozac withdrawal can be a Catch-22 because of the longer gap between the dose drop and onset. It can be a few weeks before someone may feel the impact of Prozac withdrawal, which puts the unwary patient at risk of having their withdrawal symptoms misdiagnosed as 'return of the original problem'. You may find the following of interest. David Healy's document is designed to be printed out and handed to GPs, should you feel it useful (two versions below, one more recent that the other). Note that anxiety and depression are prevalent withdrawal symptoms - including in those who were prescribed for non-psychiatric reasons. Withdrawal symptoms, Glenmullen's list below - and it is a good idea to tell those about you to watch out for the possible behavioural effects, especially the mania/energy burst ones (anecdotally, commonly described by those on the web, particularly by those that stop the drug(s) suddenly, and usually followed by a crash). Prozac is standardly available as a liquid, and has been for many years. The liquid version allows accurate dosing for both tapering (invaluable) and for those on lower dose regimes (after all, efficacy in the trials was at the 5mg level)."

poshpasha replied: "NOOOOO, DON'T DO IT!!!"

coming off prozac - 2 weeks on....? Hello lovely helpful sorts. I'm 23/f, coming off prozac currently. I've been on 20mg for a year and a half or so for depression/anxiety. I also lost my dad last summer and felt it best to stay with the medication for this reason. Im in a good place in my life now, uncertainty regarding work etc but honestly average life material i feel i can healthily cope with. With the advise of my doctor, i cut the dosage down to 20mg every other day and then every third. i did this for around 3 weeks and have been compleately clean of it for about 2 weeks now. Rather suddenly i was overcome with a deaply disturbing bout of darkness and this hasnt eased for the past 48 hours. I feel mild paranoia, tiredness, sickness, detachment and a general sence of unease in my farmiliar surroundings. Also i have been thinking about my father, hes in my dreams and i have become very tearful. Do you think these sound like withdrawel symptoms? It all came on so suddenly that im a little worried. Many thanks

How hard is it to come off Prozac? Ive been on Prozac now for about 6 months, it was prescribed for extreme anxiety. I want to come off it now, mainly because im scared of the long term effects and its also effecting my sex drive. Last week I tried to wean myself off, im usually on 40mg, so I tried 40mg and 20mg alternately for a week, at the end of the week I felt awful, I felt nauseous, tired, moody, slightly depressed and really anxious. Will there always be side effects when coming off of Prozac or is it just a sign that im not ready to yet Any info would be really helpful.......thanks :o)

Emma B replied: "i dont remember having any bad withdrawals at all and was on 75mg. speak with your doc tho - everyone is different. It is all to do with the drugs half life - the amount of time it takes for the drug to get out of your system - im sure if you looked online about prozac withdrawal, there would be plenty of info. And are you def ready to come off the drugs? sometimes you think you feel fine and are ready, but then when you stop them, the depression/anxiety is still there. good luck."

louisessmith replied: "Six months may not have been long enough for you. I suffered from depression and took prozac for about 18 months. Thrre were no long term side effects. I think you need to see your doctor and explain the concerns you have, ie you are worried about taking ti long term and also mention about your sex drive. I don't think you should be self-medicating and altering your doses. I know that I came off it very slowly, and it didn't cause me any ill effects. Please see your doctor and get his/her help."

twikletoes replied: "Before trying to wean yourself off Prozac, please go to your doctor as they can help you come off the Prozac. You can find it very hard to do it by yourself, and the doctor can give you the best advice and keep a eye on you while you are doing this."

lochmessy replied: "You are not coming off of it slowly enough. Even though you have only been on it for 6 months every SSRI drug take quite a long time to work out of your system. I tried doing what you just did and got extremely sick myself. You need to set up a program with a doctor as to how to get off the drug, and to decide if you really should be getting off the drug. You never ever just drop one of these on your own. Ok, it's effecting your sex drive, but is it helping other parts of your life. You can get past the sex problems with viagra, but you probably went on prozac for other reasons. Talk to the doctor before changing any medicine like this, you can do major damage to your head/psyche if you aren't careful."

lynno replied: "your doctor should decide this.but i do know you have to wean off then gradually.you must not stop them all together."

robb10036 replied: "The following instructions were giving by my doctor about how prepare your body to get off a drug. I was taken Prozac for six months too, than I started to have panic attacks. My doctor told me it was a side effect from Prozac and I should stop taken it. He told me to during one week take everyday half of the original dose, on the second week, he told me to take a dose every other day, on the 3rd week he told me to take a quater of the original medication, on the 4th week, he told me to take a quarter every other day, on the 5th week stop taken the medication because the process of taking the medication out of my body was completed. PS: It is normal to feel nauseas, depressed, tired, moody or anxious, but if you feel it is something hard to control, you should slow the process of takeing the drug out of your system, even more the way I described above. For example: If on the first week, you feel extreme sick, take the original dose of the drug on the next day, and go back to the half of the dose on the following day. If it happens on the second week, the same should be done. Take the drug on the day you should not take it and and continue with the instructions of the 2nd week. If your sickness become extreme on the 3rd week, take a half of the dose on the next day after you feel sick and get back to the quarter dose on the next day. If it happens on the 4th week, take the quarter dose on the day after you have gotten sick than stick back to the 4th's week instructions. All the drugs should be taken on the same time. I hope my answer can help you."

Dr Frank replied: "Most patients, particularly those on 40mgs, which is a highish dose will experience withdrawal symptoms. Puting the dose up and down is often recommended, 20/40 alternate days, but it is not logical because of the half life of the drug, and does not work because of this. My practise is to use 20mgs capsule/ day + liquid. This is 20mgs/5mls. I reduce the liquid by 1ml every 3-4 weeks, depending on patient response, until the patient is only on the capsule, then replace this with liquid and continue to reduce to zero. This takes a long time,as much as 9 months, but it is usually problem free. It is important for a doctor,or a nurse, to see the patient and discuss how they are feeling, before each reduction."

Christine replied: "I've been on Prozac for 11 years and everytime I cut down I get the same symptoms. You might try taking it every couple of days as I do now. I've been on 20 mg since I first started taking it. I think it's a wonderful drug but can cause a few side effects that do go away with time."

I am coming off fluoxetine (prozac) i stopped takeing them about 3 weeks ago and feel awful? i was on them for 6 months but then my doctor stopped them saying it was time to come off and that i should do more exercise easyer said than done i dont want to leave the house is there anything i can do?

Rob B replied: "Depending on your dosage, you shouldn't quit any anti-depressant cold-turkey. You should wean off if it slowly. You also should be seeing the doctor on a regular basis during this time and see a therapist to help you deal. Don't just depend on your GP for depression issues, see a specialist."

Gard23 replied: "Prozac needs to be tapered, just like the other SSRI/SNRI antidepressants. Cold turkey should be avoided. Prozac has a longer half-life than the rest of the similar antidepressants, so the withdrawal effects take longer to kick in, with the typical onset of withdrawal 2-3 weeks after a dose drop. This longer half-life means that people are at greater risk of being told that standard withdrawal is the return of their 'original problem'... Healy and Glenmullen's work will tell you how to differentiate between the two. Ask your library to get you a copy of 'The Antidepressant Solution' by Joseph Glenmullen - which is all about antidepressant withdrawal. On-line, have a quick read of David Healy's 'Halting SSRIs'... are your current 'feeling awful' symptoms, covered by the withdrawal list on this document? Exercise will help get endorphins (the body's natural 'high' givers) swirling around; however in withdrawal it can be a double-edged sword as some people can cope with exercise, some cannot... some find that the exercise worsens the withdrawal symptoms and leaves them wiped out."

Coming off Prozac, what should I expect? Was taking it for mild anxiety and depression....

Shan Bokhari replied: "Well, if you come off it slowly as advised by a doctor (weaning) then you can expect minimal side effects. If you stop it all of a sudden, which you should never do unless you reacted badly to it, then you can expect anything from sleeplessness to major fatigue, nausea, headaches and a rise in depression and anxiety and extreme irritability for the first little while to nothing at all; depends on the person, but those are some of the common withdrawal symptoms - and the one's I experienced, while other friends of mine felt nothing at all and made seemless transition to new antidepressants. But generally, it is one of the antidepressants that are safe to stop immediately at a lower dose, because they're first line and weak, because of its chemical nature and the amount of time it stays in your system. There are others like Effexor which are a bloody nightmare to come off."

Anna replied: "from experience of taking it , I was alittle bit more irritable than before. I snapped at everybody and cried most of the time. other than that there was no more effect."

ck replied: "i was on it for like 6 months, and i stopped all of the sudden which i know is bad, but i had no side effects.. well my depression came back like 2 weeks later, but i knew THAT would happen.."

Gard23 replied: "The main thing to know is that due to Prozac's longer half-life, the onset of withdrawal is usually seen 2-3 weeks after a dose drop... so don't be fooled if there's a time gap between the lowering of the dose and the beginning of any withdrawal effects. Many people feel fine, then get depressed and anxious within a few weeks, and are completely unaware that the onset of this fits with classic Prozac withdrawal. Main possibilities? Physical - headaches, 'flu', dizziness, digestive issues, heightened sensitivity to light/sound/smell, 'zaps', fatigue, nausea Psychological - anxiety and depression (listed as the perhaps the most common withdrawal symptoms, hence VERY important to be aware of the half-life ramifications), irritability, vivid dreams, insomnia, mood swings, emotional lability."

Coming off Prozac? I was prescribed prozac to help me get over a bout of depression after losing my mum 4 years ago. Can I simply just cut it out or should I cut down slowly?