Change of Meds

[FJOHNONE]

I am three weeks into the process of changing meds from Lexapro to Prozac. I went from 20mg of Lexapro to zero, as of yesterday. I have been on this dosage for 4 years. I began Prozac two weeks ago.

My question is this....If Lexapro is now at zero, and my Prozac (20mg) has not taken effect, yet, am I completely defenseless at this point regarding panic/anxiety? I do take Ativan when I have my back against the wall, but I don't want to take too much of that stuff. What do people do when they are symptomatic and the meds are either withdrawing and/or have not taken effect yet. Do you just "ride it out?

[RubyWitch]

Hello again.........I just talked to you up there a minute ago and now, here you are again! How are ya?

Really, really good question you posted here. Sadly, none of us are pharmacists or doctors, so we can't answer your question unless you want a mess of opinions, which in the long run won't do you any good. You need to call your doctor and discuss this with them. Or, you CAN call your local pharmacist and pose these questions to them. They actually know more about pharmacology than most docs! They can't change or alter your meds in any way, but they will certainly be able to answer your quesitons for you. They understand how long certain drugs stay in your system and which systems they stay in and how some can overlap and hold there in sufficient dosage until your new med titrates up to take over...............all that kinda stuff....they know that stuff up, down and sideways. You will know where you stand and if you are having some "break through" anxiety and your doc HAS written you a script for Ativan, the pharmacist can legally tell you to go ahead and take some additional Ativan to help you through the rough patch until you can speak with your doc. By "additional" I don't mean they can tell you to take MORE than your doc has prescribed! If your doc said you could take 2mg and you've only been taking 1mg, the pharmie can legally counsel you to go ahead and take an additional 1/2-1mg which will not exceed the dose you were prescribed.
And yes, there ARE some who just "ride it out." But why put yourself through that? You've got your meds under control, right?
Keep us posted and the best of luck
Peace
Greenlydia

[starr28]

Hi,

I know you dont want to rely on the ativan too much, but I take xanax
to get me through really bad times or med changes like u are going
through.  It has been a lifesaver for me.  It is in the same family as
ativan.  I have taken it for up to 5 months during an especially hard
time and was able to come off of it cold turkey without any problems.
You should check with your doc before doing that though.  Apparently
lots of people suffer withdrawal effects.  Med changes are hard so
hang in there!  

Best wishes,
starr28