![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by qwerty6400 on November 18, 2002, at 16:59:22
I have been on prozac 20mg for five weeks now. I am not feeling any response so I would like to stop. Would it be alright if I just stopped taking it one day, or is it necessary to taper?
Posted by JonW on November 18, 2002, at 18:23:36
In reply to Prozac: is it okay to stop cold turkey?, posted by qwerty6400 on November 18, 2002, at 16:59:22
Prozac has a long half-life and it should not be necessary to taper, but you should talk with your pdoc and follow his or her instructions. Five weeks can be a long time, but you might want to give it eight weeks and make the decision then. If you stop a drug too soon, the time you spent on it is nothing more than wasted time.
Jon
Posted by Bill L on November 19, 2002, at 10:33:31
In reply to Prozac: is it okay to stop cold turkey?, posted by qwerty6400 on November 18, 2002, at 16:59:22
Stopping Prozac after being on 20 mg for 5 weeks makes no sense at all. Oftentimes it takes 8 to 12 weeks to get an effect. Also, 20mg is the starting dose. Many people need 40mg or more. Don't quit! Give it more time and if that doesn't help, increase the dose. If that still does not help, then try a different antidepressant.
Posted by fairnymph on November 19, 2002, at 16:09:54
In reply to Re: Prozac: is it okay to stop cold turkey?, posted by Bill L on November 19, 2002, at 10:33:31
I agree.I would definitely try upping the dosage to 40 mg before stopping altogether. Otherwise you're not even giving it a chance to work.
-fairnymph
> Stopping Prozac after being on 20 mg for 5 weeks makes no sense at all. Oftentimes it takes 8 to 12 weeks to get an effect. Also, 20mg is the starting dose. Many people need 40mg or more. Don't quit! Give it more time and if that doesn't help, increase the dose. If that still does not help, then try a different antidepressant.
Posted by joy on November 21, 2002, at 21:09:45
In reply to Prozac: is it okay to stop cold turkey?, posted by qwerty6400 on November 18, 2002, at 16:59:22
Hi. I was on Prozac over a year. I would give it a couple more weeks..... Have you been on 20 mgs for five weeks? Did you start at 10 mgs first for a week? Also, is it Prozac or the generic? These things all make a difference. I went to 30 mgs Prozac, taking 20 mgs and then 40 mgs alternately, and then went to 40 mgs daily after a couple of weeks. My understanding is generic Prozac is disappointing...it does not work as well. It depends on the lab making it, and there are many. If you are on the real thing, give it a couple of weeks..you may need to go a little higher. Most people don't need to taper, but if you decide to stop it I would mildly taper. It's long half life is an advantage in that sense.
Joy
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.