Tapering from Prozac to 5-HTP

[Unicorn724]

Hello there!

I am new to the forum and would be extremely grateful if anyone could give me advice on this.
Due to generalised anxiety and depression since about the age of 18, I have been on SSRI’s for eleven years (Seroxat, Cipramil and now Fluoxetine ). Although I admit on a high dosage they calm my anxiety, I have never felt happy on them due to the severe side effects which have ruined my quality of life. Each of them caused me to be heavily sedated, apathetic, gained loads of weight and have no energy to do the sports I once enjoyed, in fact my whole body felt weighted down and heavy, the most I could do was some gentle walking.
When I discussed these problems with my doctor they said these effects are quite uncommon and I was just unlucky, and suggested lowering my dose. Unfortunately when I tried lowering the dosage I still had the side effects but was left with crippling anxiety and malaise.
I have attempted several times to come off these drugs very slowly using tapering, but unfortunately the withdrawal symptoms of anxiety and depression proved too much, and I was left with a lingering anxiety and agitation which were far worse than the original symptoms I had before ever going on medication.
In a last attempt to get off these medications I contacted a leading nutritionist in the UK after reading his book on nutritional therapy and depression.
After several blood and urine tests the results showed that I have low levels of serotonin and noradrenalin, and 5-HTP along with Tyrosine was recommended.
However as I am currently on 20mg Fluoxetine 5-HTP would be contraindicated so he suggested that I speak to my doctor/GP about tapering off the Fluoxetine whilst introducing the 5-HTP. I have spoken to my doctor and several other GPs however and none of them are willing to help me with this, mainly they have not heard of 5-HTP or believe it is unsafe or unreliable or do not believe in nutritional therapies for depression.
Does anyone have any advice experience of tapering off Prozac and onto 5-HTP? Do you have some sort of schedule/programme of doing this? Also I would love to hear from anyone who has had similar experiences.
Thanks for listening!

[LittleSongbird]

So sorry to hear that. You can purchase this book to following the program to withdraw and monitor on your AD

http://www.amazon.com/Antidepressant-Solution-Step---Step-Overcoming-ebook/dp/B000FCKRLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396239973&sr=8-1&keywords=glenmullen

http://www.amazon.com/Prozac-Backlash-Overcoming-Antidepressants-Alternatives/dp/0743200624/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396239973&sr=8-2&keywords=glenmullen



I am on Fluoxetine due to panic disorders for 22 days only, so I cannot comment here. But I think the AD somehow affects our bodies and our brains, whether it is good or bad we have to accept it. I think after withdrawing the body and brain will heal itself, but it takes time so don't worry.

[Unicorn724]

Many thanks for the info Little Song Bird and have a lovely day!

[Oosh]

You're not supposed to take them together due to serotonin syndrome. This is why no doctor would touch it with a barge pole.

I was on Prozac for four years. It was very uncomfortable for months coming off it. I'd make sure it was right out of your system before starting the 5-htp.

I've taken 5-htp, tyrosine (not whilst on Prozac !) and didn't notice any reactions either way unfortunately.

I read a book called Potatoes not Prozac.
It said take in some serotonin containing foods through the day (this could in theory be 5-htp IF it DOES cross the blood brain barrier).
It said serotonin struggles to compete with the other amino acids in the blood stream so in the evening have a light carb snack like a "potato" because the carb will carry the serotonin through the blood brain barrier on its own in the absence of the other competing amino acids. I think there is scientific evidence backing this up.
They have a website and a book. You might want to check on the procedure in case I've got anything wrong. It's been a while.

I had an evening carb for years. Maybe that's why 5-htp had no effect on me because I wasn't low anymore.
If you're low, who knows, these things may well do the trick.

Good luck

[Unicorn724]

Thanks Oosh, any new ideas are much appreciated.

[TweetyBird2]

Before i started the Fluoxetine, I was taking St. John's Wort in pill form for about a week or so. I didn't have any side effects from it, and it might have been just a placebo effect, but I felt better, not so moody on them.
When the doctor heard I was taking St. John's Wort, she said "that's good, but there's better stuff out there, like Prozac, that's more efficient". So i discontinuted the St. John's Wort and started taking the Prozac.
Well, the prozac has been giving me some really annoying jitters, so at one point, I decided to skip a day of taking them and try substituting a St. John's Wort instead.
Do you know, that one St. John's Wort pill made me VERY ill. Hard to explain, but I felt nauseous, headachy, and just "ill".
It wore off the next day, but the experiment was such a failure for me, that I won't try that again! Maybe one or the other, but not when both are in your system at the same time!
That's just my experience, mixing the two.