Posted by Viridis on July 5, 2003, at 18:23:25
In reply to Thanks guys, posted by NikkiT2 on July 5, 2003, at 9:29:43
One good thing about getting off Prozac is that it has an extremely long half-life -- much longer than that of Paxil (Seroxat, I think) or Effexor. Since it leaves your system very gradually, you're much less likely to experience the kind of withdrawal you'd get with many other SSRIs etc. Some doctors even use Prozac temporarily to wean patients off other SSRIs that are more difficult to discontinue.
One thing I have noticed, though, is that each time I stopped Prozac (at least 8 or 10 times; in retrospect I can't believe I did that many trials with it!), I had what I assume is "rebound depression" about 10-14 days afterwards. You might ask your doctor about ways of avoiding that, or at least be prepared for the possibility. As I recall, it generally didn't last too long, but was quite pronounced. Of course, that's just me, and if you're lucky (as many are) the discontinuation should be mild and uneventful.
It's good to hear that more doctors are recognizing that SSRIs aren't for everyone, although they're extremely effective for some people. For a while there, Prozac etc. were pushed as the solution to just about every mental illness involving any sort of depression and/or anxiety. When I first saw my current pdoc, I told him about my reaction to Prozac and some other ADs, and he put me on a very low-dose trial of Zoloft, saying he found it a "gentler" SSRI and had used it himself after finding Prozac too intense (he did tell me it caused him some side effects, and was very direct about his experiences). It completely freaked me out, and when I called him he said to stop immediately.
When we discussed this, he didn't read much into it; he just said that some people aren't good candidates for SSRI therapy and should avoid them. So I do, and am much better with a different med combo (Klonopin, Adderall, a bit of Xanax occasionally, and now Strattera, all at low doses).
poster:Viridis
thread:239176
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030701/msgs/239568.html