Can I ween myself off of Prozac?

[alvaa]

I keep cancelling my doctors appointment to see my psych because it is an hour away and I get anxiety driving up there. He said if I don't come see him, he cannot refill my prescription. Either the Prozac is not working or not working right, because of my anxiety. I just wonder if I could come off of it all together?

[alvaa]

I was on Zoloft back in the late 1990's. I was on Effexor from like 2004-2006. I was on Cymbalta from around 2007- until last year.

[nursegirl6572]

Hey buddy!  I'm so sorry you're still struggling so much!

Of course you know probably what I'm going to say.  Weaning off the Prozac because you're having a hard time getting to your appts isn't the anwser.  If anything, it will make your anxiety even worse.

I'm glad to hear you've found a doctor closer to home.  I think it's absolutely necessary to discuss what's next at this point, as the Prozac doesn't seem to be doing much for you.  I was on it during a pregnancy (switched from Lexapro as the Prozac was thought to be a little bit safer)...and while I can say it helped me some, it definitely didn't have the same affinity for panic and anxiety as the Zoloft or Lexapro did for me.

Are you still doing therapy?  CBT?  That's SO important.  I think that meds are a reasonable part of your treatment plan, as your anxiety is still so severe, but the therapy part is just vital.  Remind me, have you tried any other meds?  Are you prescribed an as needed anti-anxiety med?

Definitely it is time to reevaluate the situation, with the new doctor, but PLEASE find a way to get to the other doc so you don't run out of Prozac.  Honestly, that's going to just add insult to injury if you run out and are forced to come off of it.  IMO, you need to stick to your current regimen until you can meet with your new doc.  

Have you talked to your current doc on the phone, and explained that your agoraphobia is making getting there nearly impossible?  Did you tell him you found a new doc closer to home for that reason?  Maybe if you're very honest and explain what's goiong on...he'll call you in just enough to get you to the new doc.  I wouldn't count on it though, as they DO need to actually SEE you occasionally for a med check in ordfer to keep Rx'iong the meds.  You'll have to find a way to get there, as hard as it is!  Been there, done that!

You've been complaining about this job related stress for a while.  Wasn't there an issue with your boss being very hard to deal with?  Is there ANY way you could try to look for something else?  

Keep us in the loop, okay!?

[alvaa]

I have found one closer to home. He is about 20 miles away. I will start with the new psychiatrist on March 25th. Driving, riding, even having someone with me doesn't help. It is getting so far away from home. I have never been in this bad of shape with anxiety. I have had so much going on in my life and my job is #1 on my stress list.

[blued82]

I don't know much about meds but I get driving anxiety 2. I had a panic attack while driving and since then I have not been able to drive alone really. Do you have anyone to go with you? This might help. I hope you are able to go and continue getting help.

[Paxiled]

This is why your psychiatrist wants to see you.  For one, Prozac, while being the easiest ssri to come off of, isn't the best for anxiety because it tends to be stimulating.  Great place to start because it's got a reputation for being easier to come off of, but not so great for results.  If it isn't working, that's what you need to discuss with your doc.  If you want to go without meds, then you need to do therapy, which you should be doing even if you're on meds.  But truly, it's not often any medication completely erases anxiety, it just mitigates the symptoms, while on those occasions therapy and relaxation techniques do work, and we really don't know how often they work, then it's long-lasting relief.  As for weaning yourself off Prozac, it's a hard one to gauge because it stays in the body longer than other ssris.  That means withdrawal may be less, as is believed, or it may be it just happens later, since it stays in the body for a month whereas the others leave in a matter of hours (which is one reason, many believe, they're so hard to come off of).  Given that, doing this in concert with a good shrink is important, but my own experience is that most shrinks don't have a clue about withdrawal or don't want to deal with it and primary docs are even more clueless.  That's why it's important to talk to your shrink before doing these meds to satisfy yourself they'll know how to react when reaction is necessary.  If you insist on weaning yourself off, there are internet sites and books with protocols for proper weaning, and frankly many are much better than what most shrinks use.  But it does leave you on your own.