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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by janejj on January 19, 2003, at 17:52:19
Hi,
I stopped taking 30 mg Prozac about 21/2-3 weeks ago. So far I have no withdrawal symptoms, infact I feel clearer mentally.
I am aware though that Prozac takes a while to leave the system, 6 weeks ?
Anybody that has withdrawn from Prozac, what was it like ? Did you become depressed after 6 weeks.
I was originally prescribed Prozac beacuse my doctor considered me dysthymic. However I think I was suffering from regular depression due to the circumstances in my life. Since then things have improved dramatically and I do not want to take Prozac for life!!! No way !!! Not if I can help it.
Janejj
Posted by CindyLou on January 19, 2003, at 21:44:32
In reply to Anybody here experienced prozac withdrawal ?, posted by janejj on January 19, 2003, at 17:52:19
Hi Jane,
I've been on Prozac several times over the years, and have had to stop each time because of "poop out." In my case, I had no withdrawal symptoms at all, but my depression did recur after about 3 to 6 months. My doctors and I have reached the conclusion that I will have this "chemical imbalance" for life -- for me it's not situational, so that's why the depression keeps recurring when I'm off meds.I wish the very best for you! I'm glad to hear your depression may be due to environmental factors, rather than chemical ones! I think you are probably free and clear of Prozac withdrawal symptoms at this point.
Take care,
Cindy> Hi,
>
> I stopped taking 30 mg Prozac about 21/2-3 weeks ago. So far I have no withdrawal symptoms, infact I feel clearer mentally.
>
> I am aware though that Prozac takes a while to leave the system, 6 weeks ?
>
> Anybody that has withdrawn from Prozac, what was it like ? Did you become depressed after 6 weeks.
>
> I was originally prescribed Prozac beacuse my doctor considered me dysthymic. However I think I was suffering from regular depression due to the circumstances in my life. Since then things have improved dramatically and I do not want to take Prozac for life!!! No way !!! Not if I can help it.
>
> Janejj
Posted by HenryO on January 20, 2003, at 1:33:20
In reply to Re: Anybody here experienced prozac withdrawal ? » janejj, posted by CindyLou on January 19, 2003, at 21:44:32
Yes, my libido returned.
Posted by ArthurGibson on January 20, 2003, at 3:31:25
In reply to Re: Anybody here experienced prozac withdrawal ?, posted by HenryO on January 20, 2003, at 1:33:20
You are free of PROZAC, probably for the rest of your life.
The scare stories only relate to a small minority of patients. I stopped dead and just felt better every day. "Clearer" mind as you put it.
Try to sort out your life, so the "circumstances" don't come back again to make you depressed.
If you use this episode correctly, you will strengthen yourself against depression and it will never come back.
You have made a great recovery, don't be frightened, enjoy life. You did it!
Now try and write some encouraging stuff to the others on this board who are not getting better. They need us like we once needed them.
Posted by Rainee on January 20, 2003, at 5:34:51
In reply to Anybody here experienced prozac withdrawal ?, posted by janejj on January 19, 2003, at 17:52:19
I had come off prozac after 7 years about 5 months ago.
No withdrawl and I felt better than ever and people could see it too!
But I had some major stressors one on top of each other and before I knew it my anxiety was unmanageable. So I went on Lexapro.I wish you Luck!
Posted by ace on January 21, 2003, at 2:13:08
In reply to Anybody here experienced prozac withdrawal ?, posted by janejj on January 19, 2003, at 17:52:19
> Hi,
>
> I stopped taking 30 mg Prozac about 21/2-3 weeks ago. So far I have no withdrawal symptoms, infact I feel clearer mentally.
>
> I am aware though that Prozac takes a while to leave the system, 6 weeks ?
>
> Anybody that has withdrawn from Prozac, what was it like ? Did you become depressed after 6 weeks.
>
> I was originally prescribed Prozac beacuse my doctor considered me dysthymic. However I think I was suffering from regular depression due to the circumstances in my life. Since then things have improved dramatically and I do not want to take Prozac for life!!! No way !!! Not if I can help it.
>
> JanejjI experienced Zoloft withdrawal. It's half life (24hrs) is no where near as long as Prozac's but within a few weeks I had a severe thick black depression from the Zoloft, not from me. I feel the same way, Never again Zoloft, Never again SSRIs. I have finally found the lovely MAOI, Nardil.
Posted by Jack Smith on January 21, 2003, at 19:34:48
In reply to Re: Anybody here experienced prozac withdrawal ? » janejj, posted by CindyLou on January 19, 2003, at 21:44:32
If prozac pooped out, why did you go back to it?? Did it work again? What are you on now?
Posted by CindyLou on January 22, 2003, at 17:06:39
In reply to CindyLou, posted by Jack Smith on January 21, 2003, at 19:34:48
> If prozac pooped out, why did you go back to it?? Did it work again? What are you on now?
Hi Jack,
A loaded question! I'm not sure how brief I can make this, but I'll try.I first started Prozac when it first came out, about 12 years ago or so. When I first took it, I felt great for two months, but after that I didn't feel the positive effects anymore, and I started to get very fatigued. I was too naive to attribute these symptoms to the Prozac. I was drinking quite a bit at the time, so I thought it was hangover related, or due to something else -- I went to several doctors to get tested for Epstein Barr virus, Chronic Fatigue, anemia, etc. I stayed on the Prozac for about a year feeling that way! I stopped the Prozac after about a year, on my own, just thinking I didn't need it anymore, and all of a sudden I wasn't exhausted anymore.
That's my first experience with Prozac. When my depression recurred, I started on Zoloft, then added Wellbutrin, and stayed on that mix for a couple years.
When I got pregnant, I stopped meds, and then had severe postpartum depression. The best med for that, according to the pdoc I saw, was Prozac. Plus, it was relatively safe for breastfeeding. I decided to try it again, but this time could only tolerate about 2 mg.! I had to take it in a dropper. I worked up to 5 mg., and again I felt great for about 2 months, but after that it simply stopped working. I felt tired and depressed. Increasing the dose didn't help.
From that point on I've tried med after med after med, all with severe side effects (even the Zoloft and other SSRIs). The pregnancy really threw my body for a loop. I tried Prozac AGAIN after about a year because I was so down and out, and I knew it would at least help me for two months. Sure enough, poop-out after 2-3 months.
Basically it's a story of heartbreak!
Currently I am taking Lexapro (5 mg.) and Klonapin at night to help with sleep. I seem to be tolerating the Lexapro okay, but I think it is contributing to my fatigue. I take Adderall on occasion to help with the fatigue, but I have severe "stimulant burnout" and I recently pushed things too far with the Adderall (for most people it's nothing -- I just took 5 mg. for about 5 days, then it stopped working so I tried increasing it to 7.5, but that didn't work, and yesterday I took 15 mg. I have been extremely sick yesterday and today. Stomach upset, exhaustion, the works. But that's another thread!)
SO, there you have it. Long story!! Did you have Prozac "poop-out" too?
Take care, cindy
Posted by Jack Smith on January 22, 2003, at 17:47:15
In reply to Re: CindyLou » Jack Smith, posted by CindyLou on January 22, 2003, at 17:06:39
Not Prozac poop out. Celexa poop out but they are both ssris and I think the whole poopout thing is quite common with the ssris. Celexa for me didnt start working for two months and then pooped out about two years later.
This is the end of the thread.
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