Just going out of my mind on this

[Deva]

Hi everyone I'm new to this forum. I've just started taking prozac after about 9mths on 45mgs mirtazipine. I came off the mirt really quickly last weekend and started on prozac on Monday. On Friday I started getting panic attacks but, like, one after the other - I had about 5 in one hour. I went straight back to GP who said that this was because prozac has this effect and also because I'm only taking 20mgs at the moment and this hasn't properly replaced the high dose of mirt that I was on. He prescribed propranolol (again) he seems really keen that I take this on top of the prozac but as I'm asthmatic I'm scared to. I have taken prop before but I'm so anxious now that I think it could have a bad effect.

Has anyone else had prozac make their anxiety and panic worse? How did you feel - sometimes I want to scream it gets so bad? When can I expect it to feel better?

Thanks

[JaneC]

Hi Deva and :welcome:. Sorry you are having a bad time :hugs:. I haven't got any answers but I'll tell you about my experience. Yes, fluoxetine can make panic and anxiety worse before it gets better but I also think you could be suffering withdrawal symptoms from the mirtazapine. I had a similar experience last year with a different drug, came off it over a few days (also on doc's advice) and started quickly on to the fluoxetine. After a few days I felt awful, wondered what the fluox was doing to me, having taken it before with no probs. Eventually began to suspect the prob was too fast withdrawal from the other drug - and proved it was by going back on to it and feeling fine within hours.

Can't advise you what to do - try to ride it out or go back on mirt and come off it slowly? I don't know, but just wanted you to know you're not on your on once you're on nmp. It was a huge help to me over that period last year when I seriously thought I was losing my mind. Wish you better x

[Gordon64]

Hi Deva

Can I just back up what Jane says here. Like you I came off 30mg Mirt (slightly smaller dose than you I know) and have since been trying to find another AD that will work for me so far without much success.

But since coming off the Mirt I feel horrendous-it had side effects for me but it did make me feel a whole lot better depression wise.

Guess what I'm saying is my experience backs up yours in this regard-don't blame it all on the fluoxetine-I suspect it may be w/drawl from the Mirt that's causing you to feel the way you do. I have been just about climbing the walls myself this past week so you are not alone-it will pass.

Good luck

Gordon

[Abs79]

I also had something similar earlier this year when I came off dosulepin really quickly and started mirtazapine. I felt worse than I've ever felt during the entire time I've had anxiety - worse even than I did right at the beginning when I wasn't taking anything for it.

I found it really upsetting not knowing what the cause was - stopping the dosulepin too quickly, or starting the mirt. Actually it was probably both. Unfortunately, all the SSRIs are capable of increasing anxiety when you first start taking them. I've been taking escitalopram now for about 3 weeks and have suffered with that although so far it hasn't been as bad as it was when I switched to the mirt.

For me, it was about a month of feeling horrible but very, very gradually feeling better. My main symptoms were: feeling horribly anxious and panicky pretty much constantly, to the point where I felt like I was going to go mad; horrible unsteady feelings so I didn't even want to stand up; feeling restless and unable to concentrate on anything e.g. books, tv; and feeling sick. But it DID all pass, at least to the point where I was back to where I was before the switch - and it will pass for you too.

One other thing - I don't know how your GP stands on this as in my experience some of them are really anti, but could you get a small amount of diazepam for short term use to get you through this? That's what I did, and it helped just knowing it was there if things got really bad. I also take propranolol and have mild asthma, but I find if I just take low doses (10mg) it takes the edge off without making me wheezy. I was prescribed 40mg but found that I didn't need anywhere near that much to have an effect.

[Catya]

Hello.... yes Prozac did this to me.
I am considering re-starting meds again as things pretty bad but don't know whether to go for Prozac or Citalopram.

[Deva]

Thanks so much for the advice. I just hadn't considered it was the mirt I really thought the main culprit was the fluxotine. This morning things have been really really bad and I thought I was going crazy. So with the advice on here about withdrawal in mind I contacted a pharmacist who couldn't believe my GP had stopped the mirt so rapidly, she contacted the manufacturer and got back to me to tell me it was withdrawal symptoms. I then contacted my GP by phone and she told me to stop the fluxotine and take half of the mirt. I am to see her in a week so we then talk about how to make the change less dramatically once things have stabilised.

Thanks for the advice on here - I really found your replies and advice really useful. I hope my time on here will be less fraught when things settled down.

[Catya]

Yes, it most certainly will have been your quick w/d that has caused the problem..... but also just be careful with Prozac, it does cause anxiety too...but is good for the depression.
Good luck to you.

[JaneC]

Good stuff Deva, I knew nothing about discontinuation symptoms until I found NMP. I'm sure you will be fine coming off the mirt when you are taking it more slowly. Good luck! x

[Deva]

Took half a 45mg tablet of mirt last night. I was really worried and anxious but OH was quite supportive and made me see the sense of taking it. I was worried that the fluoxetine was still in my system and that that would cause more problems (why do we over think every damn thing :shrug:) I think I'm ok. I certainly feel more human and grounded again this am so fingers crossed.