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Mental health

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Original poster

Stopping Prozac/Fluoxitine outright

22 replies

tiredvommachine · 09/05/2019 16:21

Posting this out of interest if anyone has stopped taking this med outright successfully?

I have been on a 20mg dose for about a year and a half, previously I was on setraline 100mg prescribed after having PND/Depression after the birth of my DS in 2015.

The tablets have done wonders for my MH but have always given me extremely vivid and intense dreams which leave me exhausted and drained from the emotions stirred up by the dreams, which can be incredibly traumatic in content (am being investigated by my OHU for PTSD).

I made the change from sertraline to fluoxitine to see if it'd make any difference with the sleep, but it hasn't.

I didn't take my meds Tuesday night as I had just returned from abroad and was nervous with the time difference that I'd take doses too close together and have now decided to see if I can stick it out without taking it again.

I am not daft, and would recognise if I was going into a decline, my DH knows I'm trying to stop taking them (he thinks is the wrong thing to do unsupervised without GP overseeing) so hopefully he'd also pick up signs if I couldn't myself.

So, massive ramble but wanted to explain my background and rationale.. has anyone done this successfully without GP intervention? 20mg is such a low dose, I think I'll be fine.
Anyone had experience please?

OP posts:

Amber0685 · 09/05/2019 16:30

No personal experience,, but you would be better stopping gradually ie go down to half a tablet for two weeks then stop. If you cant half them every second day. Why would you not discuss with your GP?

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 09/05/2019 16:37

Thank you for your reply

Nothing sinister as to why I wouldn't speak with the GP, with the circs as I outlined above re missing a dose, I just wondered if I could just carry on with this on my own now.
I know everyone is different but just after shared experience if there was any.

OP posts:

Woollycardi · 09/05/2019 17:10

When I stopped it was also with a nod from my doctor, I initially halved the dose for a couple of weeks and then I think I halved it again. We're all different though, and I hadn't taken mine for the same length of time as you and wasn't on the same type of antidepressants either so I would recommend just going to see the GP so they know your plan and you can discuss how you feel and that you are confident you would spot a decline if one showed up.

BreakfastAtLitanies · 09/05/2019 17:11

When I came off the issue wasn't mood wise, it was that I got incredibly dizzy and sick after a couple of days, so had to be done slowly

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 09/05/2019 17:16

Thank you very much for the replies.
Food for thought.

OP posts:

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 09/05/2019 22:35

Anyone understand what I mean about the vivid dreams?

OP posts:

TheOrigFV45 · 10/05/2019 09:11

I stopped cold turkey and I was on 80mg. It wasn't a wise decision, but I didn't have any adverse side effects, certainly fewer than when I started on them.

SRK16 · 10/05/2019 09:16

I had really vivid dreams on fluoxetine.
I think ideally you would taper off and take a dose every other day, or cut tablets in half. But as you say, 20 is a low dose so hopefully will be ok if that’s not what you’re doing.

le1la · 10/05/2019 11:09

I stopped outright when I was on 20mg - I asked my GP first and she said it was fine. I don't remember any adverse effects from quitting - but I had quite significant side effects when taking it anyway. And yes - I understand the dreams completely!

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 10/05/2019 12:53

Thank you ever so much for the replies, day 3 so far and a bit headachey and couldn't sleep last night but not sure how much of it is still Florida jet lag

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Original poster

tiredvommachine · 13/05/2019 01:16

Hello insomnia

OP posts:

NothingElse · 13/05/2019 02:29

I did it without tapering off or being particularly better... not my best decision.
Doctor took me off it without offering an alternative because they thought there was a link with another issue I had. I'm convinced there wasn't. I didn't feel listened too, was young and impulsive so did a bit of a flounce and didn't go back if I recall (it was a long time ago)
Nothing untoward happened. And nothing drastic with my mental health.
It was probably a good decision in a way, wasn't a good drug for me, just made me numb to everything and libido disappeared completely. Don't think I cried for about a year which can't be healthy.

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 20/05/2019 22:52

I would have hoped the dreams would have started to tail off by now as the AD goes out of my system but still as vivid as ever

OP posts:

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 22/05/2019 01:01

Feeling quite low at the moment, have also got a chest infection which may not be helping things. Shall sit back and wait to see what develops.

OP posts:

Sean137 · 24/05/2019 08:00

Personally I would not come off them suddenly but would gradually taper off. I had been taking them for a while (with weird, spaced-out side effects, and also the surprisingly vivid dreams!). Decided one day just to stop outright and had what I can only describe as a brief episode of hallucination; fortunately my GF of the time calmed me down and prevented me from freaking out.

If you want to stop taking them I’d strongly advise speaking to your doctor, so that together you can come up with a gradual reduction/tapering plan. Good luck whatever you decide to do though

LoafofSellotape · 24/05/2019 08:09

Iirc Prozac stays in your system for a while so initially you feel ok but then crash a week or so later. I would always taper off slowly.

LoafofSellotape · 24/05/2019 08:10

Missing doses of fluoxetine may increase your risk for relapse in your symptoms. Stopping fluoxetine abruptly may result in one or more of the following withdrawal symptoms: irritability, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, nightmares, headache, and/or paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation on the skin)

Doesn't sound a good idea

MrsChanningTatum · 24/05/2019 08:15

Definitely ween yourself off them if you can. I don’t know much about Fluoxetine because it’s not used that often in psychiatry anymore. I know people are weened off Sertraline, by reducing by 59mg per week.

SSRI’s are known to trigger dreams and nightmares.

justchecking1 · 24/05/2019 08:15

Of you're feeling low, it may be wise to TGI k about restarting (or another brand, duloxetine are good)

MrsChanningTatum · 24/05/2019 08:16

*50mg.... not 59mg

Original poster

tiredvommachine · 24/05/2019 08:41

Thank you for the replies, I appreciate it

OP posts:

MoobaaMoobaa · 24/05/2019 08:49

if it's just the dreams you want rid of maybe you should take them in the morning?

My GP made it clear they were to be taken in the morning not night time.

I went cold Turkey, but wouldn't recommend it. I moved area and just couldn't be bothered with going through the process of a new GP. I didn't get the above side affects but had rush of emotions returning, and went through a sort of middle life crisis, following the highs of impulsive extreme happiness. It was actually self destructive and after a 6 months my emotions took a massive nose dive, before stabilising again and I had start putting my life back together.

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