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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by realnice on June 2, 2006, at 18:42:01
Hi - first time posting.
Went off prozac around middle of April after being on it for about 10 years. After a few weeks began experiencing withdrawl symptons - vivid dreams and those zapping sensations. These went away after about a week and I thought I was home free. Wrong! First the headache started - it was so bad even my eyeballs hurt. Then the zapping sensations came back as well as the vivid dreaming. I've had a few days here and there with dimenished symptoms but they always come back. My headache has now moved to the back of my head and the zapping is more frequent but not as intense.
Went to the doc and he pretty much could not believe it was related to coming off Prozac since so much time has gone by (about a month at that time). By the way, I went off the 20 mg dose I'd been on by taking 10 mg for 5 days (according to my doc this was the way to get off Prozac). The doc thinks it's seizures, brain tumor, etc. I'm resisting doing all the testing because of what I've read (mostly on the web) about other people's experiences. He gave me phenobarb and a muscle relaxer that haven't done a whole lot.
I guess I'm just looking for support, answers, information. Will the withdrawal symptoms ever go away? When???? Is my brain being damaged? Sould I contact Eli Lily? Find another doc? Any ideas about relieving the symptoms?
My house and life are kind of falling down around my ears and I just don't know what to do. Anything anyone has to say would be helpful.
Thank you.
Posted by SLS on June 3, 2006, at 10:54:01
In reply to prozac withdrawal, posted by realnice on June 2, 2006, at 18:42:01
> Hi - first time posting.
Hi.
> Went off prozac around middle of April after being on it for about 10 years. After a few weeks began experiencing withdrawl symptons - vivid dreams and those zapping sensations. These went away after about a week and I thought I was home free. Wrong! First the headache started - it was so bad even my eyeballs hurt. Then the zapping sensations came back as well as the vivid dreaming. I've had a few days here and there with dimenished symptoms but they always come back. My headache has now moved to the back of my head and the zapping is more frequent but not as intense.One would guess that you were still experiencing residual withdrawal effects. I'm not a doctor, so I couldn't discount the possibility that what you describe represents a syndrome of another medical condition. If it were me, though, I would wait a little longer before going through exhaustive testing.
> Went to the doc and he pretty much could not believe it was related to coming off Prozac since so much time has gone by (about a month at that time). By the way, I went off the 20 mg dose I'd been on by taking 10 mg for 5 days (according to my doc this was the way to get off Prozac).
I think that is too rapid a taper to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Although Prozac has a long half-life, the taper process might still take a few weeks, not a few days. Because of its long half-life, you can actually skip days between doses. 10mg every other day for a week; 10mg every third day for a week, etc. The other option is to use the liquid form and taper by reducing the dosage by a few milligrams at a time.
> The doc thinks it's seizures, brain tumor, etc. I'm resisting doing all the testing because of what I've read (mostly on the web) about other people's experiences.
Since you have been off of Prozac for a month, I doubt you would want to restart it. However, you could take a small test dose and see if your symptoms disappear. If they do, then you will know that what you have been experiencing is indeed withdrawal. You might try to treat the symptoms by taking Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an over the counter antihistamine/antcholinergic. If anxiety and nausea are present, you might even consider Phernergan (promethazine).
> He gave me phenobarb and a muscle relaxer that haven't done a whole lot.
He must really think you are experiencing seizures!
> I guess I'm just looking for support, answers, information. Will the withdrawal symptoms ever go away?
They will.
> When????
It might take several more weeks to a few months. Considering how long you had been taking Prozac, one would expect that it would be longer rather than shorter. It is difficult to predict. I think your doctor prescribed a taper schedule that was far too abrupt.
> Is my brain being damaged?
I believe these drugs do produce changes in the brain that persist for a long period of time. However, I don't think these changes usually translate into a change in overall function. There are people who report otherwise, though. I would not discount these reports, but I don't think they represent the majority. There has been some focus recently on the persistence of sexual side effects after discontinuation. I couldn't guess as to how common this is.
> Sould I contact Eli Lily?
It can't hurt. I am not sure how productive it would be, though.
> Find another doc?
Not just yet, perhaps. That's a big decision to make. You aren't yet sure whether he is right or wrong.
Speaking of decisions, what are your reasons for discontinuing Prozac?
> Any ideas about relieving the symptoms?
Most people who try Benadryl report that it is effective for mitigating withdrawal symptoms. Exactly which symptoms it addresses is still unclear to me.
Try to concentrate on what you can do to resolve the withdrawal syndrome. Stay positive. Dwelling on any theoretical possibility of having suffered brain damage serves no purpose and probably does not reflect reality in your case.
I hope things get easier for you soon.
You'll be ok.
Keep posting.
- Scott
Posted by realnice on June 3, 2006, at 20:40:47
In reply to Re: prozac withdrawal, posted by SLS on June 3, 2006, at 10:54:01
Thank you so much for the response, Scott. It really helped to read your words especially the "you'll be okay." I realize you can't possibly know that for sure but just reading them brought me out of my funk. I've had my share of health problems and this rates right up there. It's not so much the symptoms but how long they've lasted. I actually took my last prozac about 2 months ago and have been having these symptoms to various degrees for 5 or 6 weeks. It's felt like forever.
Anyway, I had a fairly good sleep last night and the headache had really faded this morning but still had a lot of zapping sensations. I went and bought some benadryl and danged if it doesn't seem to be helping! I can't say for sure because I've had respites before but the zapping has gone away with just a bit of a headache. Of course, the benadryl made me very sleepy and I slept most of the afternoon away but it beats laying on the couch with my head in my hands. Perhaps the benadryl has a calming affect on some part of the CNS or maybe it was just getting some really good sleep.
Why did I stop taking prozac? Mostly because I wanted to feel some passion again - not necessarily sexually but just about life in general and all those things that go into living. I was starting to feel very zombie-like. I began taking it back around 1992, '93 because of constant panic attacks (PTSS) which led to depression. Stopped taking it for a few years (no withdrawal symptoms) then went back on in 1998 after a spinal chord injury (a doctor 'oops' while attempting to perform a vertebroplasty - he sloppily stuck the lidocaine needle into my spinal chord at T3). Very small loss of function in right leg (I was lucky!?!) but lots of pain at T3 area for which I take a lot of oxycontin (160 mg/day).
I guess I was thinking of calling Eli Lily to report an adverse reaction. Am I having withdrawal symptoms because I didn't taper off, because of the length of time I was on prozac, because I take so much oxycontin, or is there some other reason? I guess it bothers me that there is no real literature. My doc was convinced that taking 10 mg for 5 days was the way to go and that I wouldn't be having withdrawal symptoms weeks after going off. Is he an idiot or is that what the drug company and others are saying? I don't know but I do know that I wouldn't wish what I've been going through on anybody.
Thanks again, Scott!
Linda
> > Hi - first time posting.
>
> Hi.
>
>
> > Went off prozac around middle of April after being on it for about 10 years. After a few weeks began experiencing withdrawl symptons - vivid dreams and those zapping sensations. These went away after about a week and I thought I was home free. Wrong! First the headache started - it was so bad even my eyeballs hurt. Then the zapping sensations came back as well as the vivid dreaming. I've had a few days here and there with dimenished symptoms but they always come back. My headache has now moved to the back of my head and the zapping is more frequent but not as intense.
>
> One would guess that you were still experiencing residual withdrawal effects. I'm not a doctor, so I couldn't discount the possibility that what you describe represents a syndrome of another medical condition. If it were me, though, I would wait a little longer before going through exhaustive testing.
>
> > Went to the doc and he pretty much could not believe it was related to coming off Prozac since so much time has gone by (about a month at that time). By the way, I went off the 20 mg dose I'd been on by taking 10 mg for 5 days (according to my doc this was the way to get off Prozac).
>
> I think that is too rapid a taper to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Although Prozac has a long half-life, the taper process might still take a few weeks, not a few days. Because of its long half-life, you can actually skip days between doses. 10mg every other day for a week; 10mg every third day for a week, etc. The other option is to use the liquid form and taper by reducing the dosage by a few milligrams at a time.
>
> > The doc thinks it's seizures, brain tumor, etc. I'm resisting doing all the testing because of what I've read (mostly on the web) about other people's experiences.
>
> Since you have been off of Prozac for a month, I doubt you would want to restart it. However, you could take a small test dose and see if your symptoms disappear. If they do, then you will know that what you have been experiencing is indeed withdrawal. You might try to treat the symptoms by taking Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an over the counter antihistamine/antcholinergic. If anxiety and nausea are present, you might even consider Phernergan (promethazine).
>
> > He gave me phenobarb and a muscle relaxer that haven't done a whole lot.
>
> He must really think you are experiencing seizures!
>
> > I guess I'm just looking for support, answers, information. Will the withdrawal symptoms ever go away?
>
> They will.
>
> > When????
>
> It might take several more weeks to a few months. Considering how long you had been taking Prozac, one would expect that it would be longer rather than shorter. It is difficult to predict. I think your doctor prescribed a taper schedule that was far too abrupt.
>
> > Is my brain being damaged?
>
> I believe these drugs do produce changes in the brain that persist for a long period of time. However, I don't think these changes usually translate into a change in overall function. There are people who report otherwise, though. I would not discount these reports, but I don't think they represent the majority. There has been some focus recently on the persistence of sexual side effects after discontinuation. I couldn't guess as to how common this is.
>
> > Sould I contact Eli Lily?
>
> It can't hurt. I am not sure how productive it would be, though.
>
> > Find another doc?
>
> Not just yet, perhaps. That's a big decision to make. You aren't yet sure whether he is right or wrong.
>
> Speaking of decisions, what are your reasons for discontinuing Prozac?
>
> > Any ideas about relieving the symptoms?
>
> Most people who try Benadryl report that it is effective for mitigating withdrawal symptoms. Exactly which symptoms it addresses is still unclear to me.
>
> Try to concentrate on what you can do to resolve the withdrawal syndrome. Stay positive. Dwelling on any theoretical possibility of having suffered brain damage serves no purpose and probably does not reflect reality in your case.
>
> I hope things get easier for you soon.
>
> You'll be ok.
>
> Keep posting.
>
>
> - Scott
>
Posted by SLS on June 4, 2006, at 8:33:05
In reply to Re: prozac withdrawal, posted by realnice on June 3, 2006, at 20:40:47
For some reason that remains bizarre to me, most doctors have very little appreciation for the ubiquity and severity of the withdrawal syndrome that accompanies the discontinuation of antidepressants. From the stories that people have told here, your doctor seems to be in the majority rather than the minority. They often refuse to believe the reports of their own patients.
I am not absolutely sure of this, but I see an association between the length of the withdrawal period and the manner in which one discontinues medication. Withdrawal symptoms seem to persist the longest for those people whom discontinue their medication the most abruptly. Furthermore, some researchers believe that the risk of relapse is greater for those people whom discontinue abruptly. I don't think there has been much scientific investigation into this issue, though. It might be pure conjecture, or perhaps the result of their observations in clinical experience.
It sounds like you are past the worst of it.
You might want to post some questions on the "Alternative" board. There are people there who might be able to recommend nutritional supplements that would ease your symptoms or accelerate the brain's adjustment process. I would think that omega-3 (fish oil), B vitamins, inositol, and zinc would be helpful. Perhaps taurine. I don't know. I am relatively ignorant in this area.
- Scott
Posted by realnice on June 5, 2006, at 11:41:50
In reply to Re: prozac withdrawal, posted by SLS on June 4, 2006, at 8:33:05
Okay, I contacted Eli Lilly to see what they had to offer me about prozac withdrawl. It wasn't a lot but what was interesting was what they had to say about how to stop taking it.
At first, I was told that because it takes so long for it to leave your system it shouldn't matter how it is discontinued. They don't tell doctors how it should be done - it's left up to their discretion. Then, after some searching in their database, I was told that yes, it should be discontinued gradually if at all possible but couldn't tell me why that was so or any specifics on how that should be done. Hmmm.
I was also told it would take 'weeks, weeks' for it to leave my systm. When pressed, this turned into maybe 5 weeks, say 35, 40 days. I read a post somewhere that said Eli Lilly had told them 80 days.
When I asked if there had been any other reports of problems like mine ... well, none had been reported. So, if you are having or have had problems with discontinuing prozac please, please call them.
Call The Lilly Answer Center at 1-800-545-5979. They can't really tell you what to do (practice medicine over the telephone) but at least there will be a record of it and if there's enough people reporting problems, perhaps more doctors will be aware of possible adverse reactions.
I feel that I've suffered needlessly for the past month and half (just a bit of a headache today with no dizziness or zapping sensations) so if my story helps even one person, I'm glad I posted.
Linda
Posted by KarenRB53 on June 26, 2006, at 9:53:50
In reply to Re: prozac withdrawal, posted by realnice on June 5, 2006, at 11:41:50
I'm considering tapering off Prozac and I was wondering how you're doing???
Karen
Posted by Michelle40 on December 29, 2008, at 1:45:45
In reply to Re: prozac withdrawal, posted by KarenRB53 on June 26, 2006, at 9:53:50
I have been on SSRI's for about 11 years.. I started on Paxil, switched to Zoloft, then to Prozac 20 mg. I just stopped taking Prozac last month and I am not having many withdrawls except for some minor brain zaps.. I was scared to taper off because I had a real hard time with tapering off Zoloft. But Prozac has a really long half- life so depending on the dose, you should be able to taper off without much problem.
Posted by KarenRB53 on December 29, 2008, at 10:02:56
In reply to Re: prozac withdrawal » KarenRB53, posted by Michelle40 on December 29, 2008, at 1:45:45
>
> I have been on SSRI's for about 11 years.. I started on Paxil, switched to Zoloft, then to Prozac 20 mg. I just stopped taking Prozac last month and I am not having many withdrawls except for some minor brain zaps.. I was scared to taper off because I had a real hard time with tapering off Zoloft. But Prozac has a really long half- life so depending on the dose, you should be able to taper off without much problem.
>
>Do you mind my asking how long you were on Prozac and why you are stopping? Did it just stop working for you? Thats what has happened to me, after over 10 yrs its slowly just stopped working for me. Now my pdoc wants me to try Lexapro. Have you started on something else?
Thanks, Karen
This is the end of the thread.
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