[apollo555]

hi all. i was on prozac for 4 years. it was given to me in the hospital as i went through benzo withdrawal. after years of weight gain and lacking motivation, i made a plan to taper off prozac. over a 10 month period i reduced my dose from 40mg to 10mg. tapering wasn't easy but comfotable enough until i stopped the drug completely in November. i was ignorant not to taper the last 10mg further. went through a few weeks of heart palpitations and severe agitation for 2 months and i thought the worst was over. right around 4 months (1 week ago) i felt more unstable by the day and nearly collapsed from anxiety and weakness on Thursday at work. over the next couple of days i felt EXTREME depression building. i did not suffer from depression prior to prozac. they are the darkest and most hopeless thoughts imagineable and so unlike me...such an emptiness and lack of joy. most troubling are recurring suicidal thoughts i have no want or intention to carry out...but they aren't letting up. i have a slew of physical symptoms from withdrawal i'm coping with and anxiety is tolerable for now but this depression almost too much. if i knew it would get better that would help. is this going to be me forever or until i give in and go back on meds? i don't want to go back on prozac or any other antidepressant ever.

[Deejay14]

That's terrible! Why did they put you on Prozac when they could have done a very slow taper with the benzos. I have done the slow taper twice and had no withdrawal issues. I am very sorry someone didn't have the patience to do that with you. It's pretty painless. If you're curious look up benzo.UK.org., or look up Dame Heather Ashton. They have style also done work getting people off anti depressants successfully.

[apollo555]

Originally Posted by Deejay14

That's terrible! Why did they put you on Prozac when they could have done a very slow taper with the benzos. I have done the slow taper twice and had no withdrawal issues. I am very sorry someone didn't have the patience to do that with you. It's pretty painless. If you're curious look up benzo.UK.org., or look up Dame Heather Ashton. They have style also done work getting people off anti depressants successfully.

i wish that could have been the case too. unfortunately i reached tolerance withdrawal and shortly after had paradoxical reactions to all benzos which made me exponentially worse. right after they gave me a bit of Ativan in the ER before being trasported to the mental hospital, i went CRAZY.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by apollo555

hi all. i was on prozac for 4 years. it was given to me in the hospital as i went through benzo withdrawal. after years of weight gain and lacking motivation, i made a plan to taper off prozac. over a 10 month period i reduced my dose from 40mg to 10mg. tapering wasn't easy but comfotable enough until i stopped the drug completely in November. i was ignorant not to taper the last 10mg further. went through a few weeks of heart palpitations and severe agitation for 2 months and i thought the worst was over. right around 4 months (1 week ago) i felt more unstable by the day and nearly collapsed from anxiety and weakness on Thursday at work. over the next couple of days i felt EXTREME depression building. i did not suffer from depression prior to prozac. they are the darkest and most hopeless thoughts imagineable and so unlike me...such an emptiness and lack of joy. most troubling are recurring suicidal thoughts i have no want or intention to carry out...but they aren't letting up. i have a slew of physical symptoms from withdrawal i'm coping with and anxiety is tolerable for now but this depression almost too much. if i knew it would get better that would help. is this going to be me forever or until i give in and go back on meds? i don't want to go back on prozac or any other antidepressant ever.

I'll be frank with you. No one wants to be on meds, with all their side-effects. No one wants to have a mental illness.

Considering the depression you've described, I believe it would be wise for you to consult a psychiatrist before the depression gets completely out of control.

Perhaps Prozac was not the ideal medication for you. There are many other options when it comes to anti-depressants.

[apollo555]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

I'll be frank with you. No one wants to be on meds, with all their side-effects. No one wants to have a mental illness.

Considering the depression you've described, I believe it would be wise for you to consult a psychiatrist before the depression gets completely out of control.

Perhaps Prozac was not the ideal medication for you. There are many other options when it comes to anti-depressants.

i appreciate the frankness and honesty. every word of yours is true. i have prozac at home so i could re- start myself but i prefer to wait until my appointment next week or if i can get in sooner in case my doc wants to try something else. how i'm feeling now ain't working and most likely no miracles will happen between now and my appointment. i have counseling tomorrow and acupuncture to relax. i'm going to the gym and trying to stay busy when i can get out of bed. but nothing is really deflecting how i feel mentally and physically.

[*Laurie*]

I agree; I think it's a good idea to wait until your appointment next week rather than re-starting the Prozac.