Started to reduce my Prozac. Is it safe?
Posted , 5 users are following.
I've started to reduce my 60 mg Prozac down to 40. Now I've reduceded to 20mg. Is this safe to do so.. I've been on it 2yrs since a bereavement. But I just want to see will I feel better off it totally.. I'm doing this myself. I feel I can think clearer.. but wondering how long it takes to leave my system. Just to see will it make a difference. I'm 42 and don't want to be on it for rest of my life. Any advice?
0 likes, 8 replies
katecogs bronwyn_77340
Posted
Hi Bronwyn
I've just come off Citalopram, a similar medicine to Prozac, and I came off by reducing by 5mg at a time going from 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25. Doing it this slow I didn't have any withdrawal symtoms, unlike a previous time when I came off.
I also did mine on my own. I first reduced my meds to a lower dose and stayed on that for a long time before going further down. My thoughts were to test the waters and see how I coped on each lower dose, and if I started feeling anxious I could increase a little if needed. I didn't need to.
I spent a year withdrawing, but that was my choice to take this long. I don't know how long it takes to leave your system, but you can still have withdrawal effects long after if you do it too quick.
Hope it goes ok.
K x
Seems like you've been doing well to get down to 20mg. It might be wise to let your doctor know anyway just to keep him in the loop.
bronwyn_77340 katecogs
Posted
Thanks for helpful info.. maybe I'm doing it too quickly.. so far I don't seem to have withdrawal.. I just reduced dosage every too weeks. Maybe I should go back to 40 mg. instead of my 20.. just hate going to gp.. I guess if I feel anxious I could just up it again. Thanks for replying.
katecogs bronwyn_77340
Posted
If you've had no withdrawal then it should be fine. If you're down to 20mg already and are ok then stick with that, wait a while and continue reducing. Yes if you start to feel anxious stay on the dose and see if it settles, or if not increase back to the previous dose.
Hope it goes well. x
smorse84 bronwyn_77340
Posted
Hi Bronwyn - I used Prozac before and when I tapered off I went from 20mg daily to 10mg daily to 10mg every other day. That worked well for me but I understand that if you try to do it too fast the withdrawal symptoms can be similar to the side effects when you first take it, i.e.- headache, nausea, anxiety etc. So I would say just be prepared and trust your body - no one knows you better than you.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out for you.
dan35356969 bronwyn_77340
Posted
I did the same thing today...60 to 40 (see my other post). This drug is not working for my anxiety, period, and that's my issue. I am going to 40 for a week and then to 20 and then to zero, at which time I will being seeing a new psychiatrist that will hopefully listen to me when I say I have an anxiety issue 2 - 2.5 days a week and that it's not 7 days, and I am not depressed. My experience with the psychiatric field has been a joke so far. 45 minutes of talking to you on the first meetingand throw some pills down your throat and come back for a 15 minute meeting in 5 weeks to see how you are doing. Laughable. The prozac is the fourth medication I have tried with some noticeable results about 5 - 6 weeks in but they diminished shortly thereafter. Upping the dosage to 60mg didn't help. Done with this drug I would rather have anxiety.
katecogs dan35356969
Posted
Hi again Dan
Sorry to come in on your post here.
If you're withdrawing from these meds, don't do over a period of a few weeks - withdrawl needs to be done over many, many months. You need to lower each dose by the minimal dose and stay on each dose for a good month at a time or you'll be very ill - much worse than you're probably feeling now.
My son took these meds and it took him 9 months to recover completely from his melt down. These meds really do take a looooooong time, though some people recover quicker than others.
Also recovery often comes in waves, so you will be up and down for many months. You described seeing results around 5-6 weeks and then they diminished - this is perfectly normal and happens all the way through recovery, with each time it becoming easier until the bad feelings stop coming.
Increasing meds doesn't ward off these waves - you will still get them. Doesn't matter what dose you're on. The only way to recovery on these meds is to go through these waves each time they happen, and there'll be many.
If you're coming off them because you feel they're not working, it might be because you have to give them much more time - and I really mean time. Recovery doesn't happen in weeks - its months and months. It happens so slowly you hardly notice it, but perseverance and patience will bring you a result.
Its hard waiting ...... but its worth it.
K xx
dan35356969 katecogs
Posted
thanks again....I have only been on the drug for 3 months or so I can't imagine taking months to come off it is necessary, but I will talk to my primary care physician about it next Monday as I am due for the oh-so-fun full blown physical. Seeing the new psychiatrist on the 27th and will certainly address then.
Dan
katecogs dan35356969
Posted
Might be worth finding another SSRI instead of this one then, as when I changed mine the anger issues stopped. Just don't come off it too quick - it really isn't nice. I'm glad I persevered with the (right) meds though, as it ended years and years of anxiety for me.
I do hope you find the right ones, or something similar. Keep in touch and let us know how its all going.
K x