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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
QUESTION ABOUT TAPERING PROZAC/SIDE EFFECTS ETC.
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
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QUESTION ABOUT TAPERING PROZAC/SIDE EFFECTS ETC.
by 13tiger, Apr 05, 2004 12:00AM
I have written many times. I have developed accute sensitivity to medications since menopause; which I discovered when I was told I had Prozac Poop out after 9 years of success with it. Then after 7/8 failures on new medications (including xanax) and several ER visits,I finally said enough and I had been off of prozac for 5 months and was only taking a small dose of Lorazepam at night. I was doing pretty well during that time and was planning to wean off the Lorazepam and then an emotional breakdown hit me when my husband had to have open heart surgery I went back to prozac. Then the news about the surgery hit so I started slow on the Prozac to help me cope, hoping I would not have side effects as it was when I took it originally. Unfortunately I did have side effects and started on 2mg and went up slowly to 10 and jumped to 20 just before my husbands surgery Nov. 19. I had stayed on 20 for over 4 months and was still having side effects, prozac peaks and sobbing episodes daily, trouble functioning etc; one Psychiatrist wanted me to go to 30mg and take more lorazepam for my QUALITY OF LIFE (I am terrified of becomming dependant but did start taking 1/4 mg. 1 or 2 times a day; the other Psych. wanted me to add wellbutrin to the prozac and seroquil because I have sleep problems. Then I wrote you and you suggested I might be better off taking NOTHING except xanax but I had mentioned before I get opposite reactions from that and ended up in the ER with severe aggitation so I substituted the lorazepam for your suggestion and started tapering off Prozac. I dropoed from 20mg to 17.50 and was doing pretty well then I dropped to 16.25 a couple of weeks ago and started feeling slightly uncomfortable and odd right away, I think now it was from the first drop; for the last week, since dropping to 16.25 I have been sinking back into the sobbing, anxiousness,restless feeling inside and find I am mourning my old ME. This is horrific I feel dispair. (1) Is this normal? (2) Will this pass? (3) Am I going to be stuck in a world of dispair on or off the prozac? I am terrified and so disappointed I have started experiencing this again. My husband feels it is part of the withwrawal process.(4) Should I taper even slower and less mg's? I have tablets & liquid and I can measure. I am taking 10mg. capsule brand name, and the tablets are Prozac 20 for Fluoxiting hydrocloride scored.The pharmacy said they were brand name as well as I have problems with fillers in generics and they said the same active prozac ingredients were in the tablets as the capsules. I was concerned about mixing them. I am praying I can get off the Prozac and then the Lorazepam and emerge with my life back. Please tell me this is a possibility. If you could take the time to answer all my questions in detail it would be very comforting.I am losing hope.I am praying you can help ease my mind. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and answer my questions I need answers and hope.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Apr 06, 2004 12:00AM
, Apr 06, 2004 12:00AM
You are not the typical case, so I can only advise you to continue your own exploration of the right dose and the right timing. You have all the equipment and knowledge you need to do that...so do it carefully, and slowly, and don't over- read the occasionaly set backs.. you are watching too closely...back off a little bit...this is not a permanent condition.
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