Need advice on antidepressants

[gayld]

I have been taking 20 mg Prozac for 3 weeks now and the side effects are awful; I feel very anxious and churning inside. I saw my gp today and he said to stop taking them and that I didn't have to wean off them because I haven't been on them for very long. He also suggested I try going without any antidepressants until the new year but if I crash to go back and see him! By the time I got home this arvo I was a nervous wreck and went looking through some of my older meds and found a script for Effexor XR 150mg that I was taking a while back. I'm in 2 minds as to start taking it because I know I will crash and don't want to wait until that happens!! I have read where you can take both Prozac and Effexor XR together while weaning off one of them.

I could sure use some advice and opinions from someone PLEASE!!!!!

Gayl

 

[Retired]

Re: Need advice on antidepressants!!

I have been taking 20 mg Prozac for 3 weeks now and the side effects are awful; I feel very anxious and churning inside. I saw my gp today and he said to stop taking them and that I didn't have to wean off them because I haven't been on them for very long.

Yes that could be one option, but what about the more sensible option of switching to a different medication that you might tolerate better?

He also suggested I try going without any antidepressants until the new year

What is the doctor's reasoning for this suggestion?

It is known that if a person does not tolerate one particular antidepressant medication, the usual strategy is to switch to another. Most people go through a trial and error with two or three and sometimes more choices before finding the right match.

I have read where you can take both Prozac and Effexor xr together while weaning off one of them

This is something that is used by some physicians under very specific circumstances and should not be attempted alone, especially in this case. This technique requires an understanding of the chemistry of the compounds involved, the patient's medical history and the overall circumstances of their condition and other medications that might be involved.

Do not attempt anything like this and safely discard any old medications you might have, because old medications can be dangerous. Old medications should not be flushed down the toilet, but rather returned to a pharmacy, or diluted in a sealed plastic container and disposed of in a landfill.

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: Need advice on antidepressants!!

what about the more sensible option of switching to a different medication that you might tolerate better?

Similarly, maybe you can call the doctor's office and ask him for a prescription for one of the newer SSRIs like Lexapro (escitalopram).

BTW: Drug holiday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: Need advice on antidepressants!!

Hun don't play around with those meds okay it will only screw your mind up more YOU TALK to your doctor okay Tell him or her that you need to try newer antidepressants out there hun okay be good to you do things right through your gp

 

[gayld]

Re: Need advice on antidepressants!!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I rang my pharmicist this morning and he said that because I had only been on Prozac for a short time it would be ok to just stop taking it but he also said that if I was worried to cut it down to 10mg for a few days; which is what I'm going to do. He also said that there was about a week waiting period before I started a new antidepressant so I'm going to try to get back into my dr to talk about a new antidepressant.

 

[Retired]

Re: Need advice on antidepressants!!

Your pharmacist has given you good advice, including the suggestion to taper the dosage on withdrawal. Although the half life of Prozac is long, to be double sure about not having any kind of discontinuation effects, use the taper schedule suggested by your pharmacist.

Sounds like you have a good pharmacist. Use his knowledge in the future, especially to confirm any of your future prescriptions do not have the potential for interaction.

 

[gayld]

Re: Need advice on antidepressants!!

Thanks Steve, I'm glad I spoke to him this morning before I decided to do anything!!

 

[Retired]

Ya' done good, Gay!...:2thumbs: