Quote:
Originally Posted by
Conelrad
Hi All,
:welcome: to NMP,
Quote:
I was on Prozac for about 10 years. Due to my own stupid fault, I missed 2 weeks worth of doses (I was staying at 2 different locations due to a family emergency). Anyway, went through bad withdrawal and realized why it was happening.
Fluoxetine has a half-life of about 6 days so withdrawal symptoms typically come on more gradually than with other SSRIs, but they can be just as severe once plasma levels drop.
Quote:
Started back on my dose, but It's like starting all over again. My anxiety was bad, starting to settle, by insomnia came back with a vengeance. It's been 2 weeks since I've started up again, but it's a tough ride for me at this point.
The downside of that long half-life is that it takes weeks for plasma levels to restabilize to a steady-state and side-effects can be worse while levels are fluctuating. All you can do is treat the symptoms. Either a benzodiazepine such as lorazepam (Ativan), or diazepam (Valium), or small doses of the prescription antihistamine *hydroxyzine which is also a fairly potent anxiolytic and mild sedative, would make life easier, both with the anxiety and insomnia.
*Hydroxyzine comes in two forms, hydroxyzine pamoate (Vistaril) and hydroxyzine hydrochloride (Atarax). Anecdotally, the pamoate form is claimed to be the more potent anxiolytic, but just how true this is remains a matter of debate in forums.
Quote:
my insomnia, which I dont think is caused my the medication, because it's one of the reasons I went on the medication in the first place
The most common initial SSRI side-effect is insomnia. They are not usually good sleeping pills, though some do have the paradoxical reaction. Side-effects can also be different after a discontinuation.