A timetable for recovery on Fluoxetine / prozac

[velia]

Hi, I hope you're Okay .
I understand better. it's true that it's hard to go back to 5mg. but I read that I shouldn't increase the dose because I could damage the brain . change from 2mg to 5mg . so I added 0.1 mg . I'm within five weeks. do you think I can stabilize myself with a small dose so I can't go back to five milligrams ? Have a nice day

[panic_down_under]

I read that I shouldn't increase the dose because I could damage the brain

Nonsense. Where did you read this? ADs don't damage the brain, just the opposite, they repair parts of it damaged by high brain stress hormone levels by encouraging the growth of new brain cells. It is the new brain cells which produce the antidepressant therapeutic response, not the medications directly. However, remaining on low sub therapeutic doses for long periods of time can increase the risk of tolerance developing to the med.

so I added 0.1 mg . I'm within five weeks. do you think I can stabilize myself with a small dose so I can't go back to five milligrams ? Have a nice day

Are you aiming to stop taking fluoxetine completely in the near future, or do you want to remain on a minimum, non therapeutic dose for some reason?

How are you able to add just 0.1 mg? I doubt your brain would notice the increase.

[velia]

Hello,
for the first question I read on the forum SA surviving antidepressant . they say that "It is more dangerous to updose to a high dose than to up dose to a low dose and up the dose again if necessary."
and for the second question I want to wean myself off I don't want to stay on medication thank you

[Summerdaze]

Hi Sazflux, I’m at 6 weeks and finally seeing improvements. Having the odd patch of anxiety but eating & sleeping better. Have a look at Conelrad thread on fluox restarting. He has been really good at updating his progress. You are probably thru the worst of it now. Hang in there. I know each day seems to last forever. I only got thru each day by looking at this timetable.

[panic_down_under]

they say that "It is more dangerous to updose to a high dose than to up dose to a low dose and up the dose again if necessary."

Dangerous, no. But many find it easier to wean onto SSRIs from a lower dose than the minimum therapeutic dose. But this means starting at 10mg fluoxetine instead of 20mg, not from 0.1mg. The difference between 2mg and 5mg is so small that it won't make any difference. You do not need to increase/decrease in 0.1mg steps.

Not all withdrawal symptoms are necessarily caused by the drug. If you believe you will suffer greatly from withdrawal then an anxious mind is quite capable of generating your worst nightmare for you.

I've checked the site you mentioned and found much misleading information. People do not need to wean off antidepressants by micro amounts. What almost certainly drives any symptoms following such tiny dose decreases is anxiety, not chemistry and biology. IME, such sites often do far more harm than good. They reinforce and perpetuate the very thing they are supposedly trying to prevent. Enter at your own risk.

and for the second question I want to wean myself off I don't want to stay on medication thank you

So how long do you plan to be on fluoxetine before quitting, and how do you plan to taper off? Also how do you plan to treat anxiety if it should return in the future? Anxiety and depression can be chronic disorders which wax and wane, but never completely go away.

[velia]

Hi, I don't know your name.
that's why I came to your site a friend told me about it. I'll stay on 2 milligrams because I'm in Week 5 and I'll see. When do you think ?
because yesterday, when I went to 2.1 mg, I had a terrible day. but I don't think it's the addition of 0.1 mg that does that. Maybe the rest of paxil?
basically, I took paxil for panic attacks and not for depression.
I intend to stabilize myself with this 2 mg and then wean with a 2.5% percentage every 4 weeks and stay another 2 weeks. it is the method used on the site (method brassmonkey). or stop completely because I'm sick of it, I haven't been out of my house for three months, but if you have anything else to offer, I'll take it.
one last question I find prozac very anxious nothing to do with paxil. the doctor gave me lysanxia. I don't know what you call it in the States, but I don't take it. because I'm afraid to add another medication thank you for your support

[panic_down_under]

Hi, I don't know your name.

Ian

that's why I came to your site a friend told me about it. I'll stay on 2 milligrams because I'm in Week 5 and I'll see. When do you think ?

Personally, I would just stop. I don't think weaning off according to the SA rules would be any easier, even if it worked as they claim which I don't believe it will. However, I think you've been convinced that you will suffer greatly unless you follow the, imho crazy, rules of the SA site and your mind may well make sure you do.

because yesterday, when I went to 2.1 mg, I had a terrible day. but I don't think it's the addition of 0.1 mg that does that. Maybe the rest of paxil?

Rest of Paxil (paroxetine)? I though you stopped taking it weeks ago. The last of the paroxetine would have been out of your system 5 days after the last dose.

I intend to stabilize myself with this 2 mg and then wean with a 2.5% percentage every 4 weeks and stay another 2 weeks. it is the method used on the site (method brassmonkey).

Well I regard that as all nonsense promoted by people who don't seem to know how ADs actually work.

or stop completely because I'm sick of it, I haven't been out of my house for three months, but if you have anything else to offer, I'll take it.

Have you considered that maybe the problem isn't withdrawal, but a resurgence of your panic disorder (PD). While many who develop PD are able to stop medication after a year or so and go onto lead mostly anxiety free lives, some of us have to deal with it as a chronic condition. The longest I've been able to go unmedicated was 18 months, so after the third relapse I decide life would be easiest if i just continued taking an AD permanently. That was about 30 years ago.

one last question I find prozac very anxious nothing to do with paxil. the doctor gave me lysanxia. I don't know what you call it in the States, but I don't take it. because I'm afraid to add another medication thank you for your support

Fluoxetine can be very stimulating. Lysanxia (prazepam) is a benzodiazepine. It isn't an active drug, but is metabolised to desmethyldiazepam which is the active compound. Diazepam (Valium) is also metabolised to desmethyldiazepam. It would help, but there could be dependency issues if you take it daily for more than 3-4 weeks.

[velia]

salut ian
I didn't understand this sentence personally," I just want to stop".
you think I can't stabilize at two milligrams ?
what do you recommend about stopping them all at once ? or decrease slowly ? Thanks

[panic_down_under]

I didn't understand this sentence personally," I just want to stop".
you think I can't stabilize at two milligrams ?

You may be able to stabilize at 2mg, but I'm not sure that tapering off from it will be any easier than simply quitting from 2mg. The real problem, imho, isn't the medication, but your belief about what will happen if you quit quickly. You seem convinced that you must taper of by very small amounts over months and that will affect how you react if you quit immediately. Maybe take some time to think about it.

[velia]

salut ian
thanks you have well identified the problem . I wanted to ask you I'm not well every time around 6: 00 pm ;I have to eat because I feel like I'm feeling sick yet I eat well during the day . what are you thinking ? is the medicine no longer working ? I'm impressed with all the things you know . Thanks