Prozac taper

Posted , 7 users are following.

What are some of the best ways to taper off Prozac? I have been on 10mg for a little under a year, I tried to stop 2x cold turkey but the agitated dizziness and head fog was too much to cope with and never went away after a couple weeks I just started to take the medicine again. I have tablets now and was wondering the best way to tape off...to try and avoid that dizziness again. My dr seems clueless...he is befuddled how I have any withdraws- some of these drs are ridiculous.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    The taper I plan on doing is 3-5% each 4-6 weeks. My pharmacist has said start by missing 1 dose a week and after a month miss 2 etc. Super slow is my plan. Added more magnesium to my suppliments. Seems to make a big difference for me

  • Posted

    Hi Melissa,

    I tappered off my 20mg daily prozac by dropping down to 10mg (advice from my doctor), I kept taking daily (10mg) for approx 6 months then stopped.  I had taken 20mg for about 9 months prior to reducing to 10mg.  For me personally I was ok physically (no real side effects). 

    The key thing for me was exercising (getting that heart rate up), eating healthy and getting a good nights rest each day.  My doctor was quite adamant about this being a part of the recovery.

    • Posted

      Interesting, in the past I always been able to stop but was like 15 lbs less and in better shape...wondering if that's the key. I been on 10 already maybe I should cut to 5 then. Thanka

    • Posted

      Yeah my doc (who is great) was very big on the exercise thing.  I think a lot of people forget this.....it really does help.  I might attract some criticism for this....but the drugs are NOT entirely the answer!  They are a part of the recovery, not all of it.

      Good luck with the recovery, you will get there! smile

  • Posted

    Hello. I was on fluoxetine for 25 years and thought I would never be able to get off it, for the reasons you state, and also the fact that when I did manage to taper, I would eventually get my depressive symptoms back to a point that I wondered how life felt before I ever went on the damn stuff.  Personally, I think Prozac creates a problem that was not there in the first place.  It ups your serotonin levels to a point where coming off it, i.e. normal brain function, is compromised.  I wasn't lucky to have a GP who understood  the hell that is withdrawal, and prescribed me a short course of an opiate pain killer which is structurally similar to fluoxetine and therefore stops the brain zaps and brain shifts.  This forum will not allow me to name it, but the first syllable rhymes with 'cram'!  I only ever took it when the brain shifts were at their worst, but it did help.  The BEST thing i have discovered however, is that there is a simply over the counter health supplement that works better for depression and anxiety than anything else, and I discovered this due to losing some hair during menopause.  It's plain Biotin,plus MGM  and you can get it from chemists or online.  Try the incite brand from Amazon.  It genuinely works, google it for depression. 

     

    • Posted

      ...above should read, I was lucky enough to have a GP that understood...
    • Posted

      Hi! Well it sounds like your GP was trying to help with the pain killers...but I think you're absolutely right about it creating a problem that wasn't there...serious stuff messing with someone's brain 😳 Glad you are off and got through it!

  • Posted

    Melissa

    How are you doing? Its been 6 months but i read your post and wondered if they figured anything out for you or if you found relief yet?

    How can the doctor NOT know that when you are messing with brain chemistry ofcourse there will be side effects..

    hope all is well with you

    kauaiblue

  • Posted

    Hi, I'm just starting to taper. Got my doctor to write a script for a compounding pharmacy to make capsules at a specific dose. For example I can drop 1mg every 4 weeks or so. Hope it goes well for you. 

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