Posted by jd on February 25, 2000, at 18:06:47
In reply to Re: Can I just quit?-Yes, no weaning..but..., posted by JohnL on February 25, 2000, at 5:02:41
While JohnL's totally right in saying that Prozac *can* be stopped abruptly due it's rather long half-life (unlike say Zoloft or Paxil), I'm still not sure this is advisable for most people on 20mg or more a day. Studies have varied, but there are reports of mild discontinuation syndromes--even if these can often be dealt with by re-taking a single dose, some sort of gradual taper is generally a safer bet to prevent relapse. I agree wholeheartedly with everything else JohnL has to say, however!
--jd
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> Prozac has a very long half life and can be stopped abruptly vs weaning. The Prozac in your system will slowly wean down by itself over a period of 5 to 9 days. It takes up to 5 weeks for it to be completely washed out. If any withdrawals are encountered, a single dose as needed might be considered at some point following discontinuation.
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> If someone has done well on an antidepressant however, I must say I cringe at the idea of stopping treatment. Too often we see the depression return in days to months, and too often we find the same antidepressant does not work as well the second time around. Some people do perfectly fine after recovering from a depressive bout, but a significant percentage of people experience a return of their symptoms.
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> Dysthymia in my opinion is more serious than a straight forward depressive bout. It is harder to treat generally and has more profound enduring negative effects in all areas of one's life. And it often progresses over time into a more serious and a more resistant condition. Antidepressant treatment is the best prophylactic and can be viewed as good insurance. I base my views on my own personal experience as well as feedback from others' experiences and reviews in literature. I've been burned and learned, and I can't help but feel nervous when someone considers quitting their treatment. But regardless, if Prozac is to be discontinued, it can be stopped abruptly due to its long halflife.
poster:jd
thread:22929
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000220/msgs/23840.html