Just changed from Zoloft back to Prozac

[Crazy Cat]

Hey all,
About 25 years ago when I was first diagnosed with major depression, I took Prozac for a short period of time. It worked like a miracle at first but very quickly got "old". Since then I've been on several other antidepressants. Until last Wednesday, I had been taking Zoloft, 250 mg per day, for the last 5 years or so.

The meds really weren't working so my doc put me back on Prozac - to see if there is any difference. I'm taking 60mg daily. Is this comparable to the 250mg Zoloft? Also, the doctor and pharmacist both agreed that Prozac and Zoloft are very similar and I didn't need to taper down on one to take the other. They both said just go from the Zoloft to the Prozac and I shouldn't have any problems. So far, so good, but since withdrawal symptoms seem to hit me hard, I'm worried.

Has anyone else gone from Zoloft to Prozac? I realize everyone's results are different with each med, but just wondering how you guys feel about both drugs. In the past I've been on Wellbutrin (for a very short time), Effexor (for a very long time), and a few others I can't remember. The Effexor and Zoloft have been the ones I've taken for the most time.

(sorry if I repeat myself - I'm tired & my thoughts are cloudy)

Adriane

 

[Andy]

Hi Crazy Cat,

I'm not sure you can really compare the doses of the two medications and you know, I'm not even going to suggest otherwise. I'm sure your Dr. knows what he or she is doing. I have been on both but never switched from one to the other and wasn't aware that they were so similar (learn something new every day). Again though, your Dr. wouldn't have you go from one to the other without tapering off one if it wasn't safe to do so, it's to dangerous, so i'm sure it is fine. I get some serious withdrawal with some medications too, so I can understand your concern. I'm sure it's fine and if your still really worried about it then get back to your Dr.s and talk with him until he/she has you convinced it's ok.

As you said everyone has a different experience on any given drug. For me prozac didn't work but zoloft I loved, lol a little to much actually, now I am not allowed to go on it. Makes sense right? lol Anyway, that's why I was shocked to read that they are similar.

I don't think you have to worry about the switch. Obviously if you are getting some bad withdrawal you should call up your Dr. but I'm sure he/she knows what they are doing. I hope the prozac starts working well for you again.:2thumbs:

 

[David Baxter PhD]

They are "similar" in that they are both SSRIs. Typically people can switch from one SSRI to another with going through a protracted period of tapering.

 

[Andy]

lol Similar as in they are both SSRI's. That didn't even cross my mind lol I was thinking similar in a different way. :fool:

 

[Crazy Cat]

Thanks for the responses.

Unfortunately, like I had said, my doctor is, for lack of a better word, an airhead. The good thing about him is that he is willing to try different medications on my request and listens to my concerns. The bad part is that if he forgets to write stuff down, he'll never remember and he does not do a check-up when I see him. Doesn't listen to my heart/lungs, doesn't do blood pressure, etc. Once in a while his nurse will do it, but he isn't consistent either.

But I go to him because he's so open with the meds. My old doctor was afraid to prescribe ANYTHING. And he was so egotistical. Matter of fact, the doc I'm seeing now was the first doctor to diagnose my depression many moons ago. Then he left the practice - I ran into him and he told me he was doing accounting work, strangely enough. Now that I'm seeing him again I am thinking that he took a leave-of-absence for depression or some other form of mental illness. He is the ONLY doctor who seems to totally understand depression. Even the psychiatrists & psychologists weren't as in-touch, if you will, with depression.

Anyway, I tend to question some things with him because he really IS such an airhead.

Adriane

 

[Andy]

My Psychiatrist is the same way. Nothing is written down. Basically the only thing I have ever seen him consistently write down is when he writes me new refills for my Rx's and my mood and sleep. If he doesn 't write my mood down he guesses by saying last time I saw you, you were sleeping good and really chipper. Nice try doc, flip that around. lol

Anyway, I am still trying to stay on top of my own health so I'm not always great at reminding him of everything in my short appointments with him.

If you can't or are not interested in getting a new doctor then maybe you can start documenting things for yourself. After every appointment write down the date, your mood, why you were there, any concerns, anything that he said,medication changes or concerns medication dosage. Stuff like that. It's good to take charge of your own mental health and sometimes doing that little extra even though it is the doctors job, will keep you on top of your health. Hopefully that made some sense. I read it back and it sort of does...I shouldn't do that.

Anyway, I have this uncanny ability to remember all my drugs and dosages and just weird things in general that I should just have lost with the rest of my "knowledge". If I didn't know this stuff my Psychiatrist would have had me doing cocktail over and over again, and thankfully he knows I remember correctly (most of the time) and listens.

No harm in writing stuff down. If you don't need it then shred it afterward, if you do though it will help to have the documentation to look at or show your doctor. :2thumbs:

 

[Kathy R]

Hi
I have been going back and forth from Zoloft to Prozac for years. Sometimes I will get 2 years between switches and sometimes more. I go from 250mg Zoloft to 80mg Prozac. Never have gone through withdrawal from the switches. Fortunately way back when is when I had good doctors so I now just stick to what they did. Newer doctors have just screwed things up.