Prozac withdrawal Is this normal?

[SaraKate]

I was on Prozac for post natal depression, for 3 years , after several unsuccessful attempts to stop I have now not taken Prozac for 2 months. I felt completely better and had felt brilliant for the required period ( 6 months) before my GP stopped my medication. I was 20 mg a day.
However I feel as is I am heading back (albeit slowly) to where I was mentally before. I am feeling short tempered, hard down by, over sensitive, tearful, over emotional, paranoid, insecure. I remember something vaguley that the withdrawal of Prozac can bring on orginal symptoms and that they will pass with the withdrawal process. Or am I feeling like this because I need prozac and I should never have come off and never will come off??????
I also have the physical symptons of bloating , stomach cramps insomnia, vivd dreams etc but accept that these will go away in time. But the question is am I a chronicly unhappy person or is it just the withdrawal and it will pass?
Thanks

[Oceanblue]

Hi,

Sorry to hear you're feeling unwell. I thought that recent studies showed that patients who have moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety etc need to now take anti d's for a minimum of 12 months now rather than just 6. I guess it depends on your GP and from what they believe in.

If you've stopped taken them for 2 months, I would have thought that all the withdrawal symtoms have far gone by now, and that maybe you didn't take the medication for long enough.

If you're starting to feel so bad and finding everyday living a struggle I would advise going back to your GP. If he/she does decide that you need to go back on the med's, don't feel like your a failure, because that's far from the truth, you just need alittle help right now and theres nothing wrong in that.

I've been taking meds for 14yrs now and believe I have to take them for the rest of my life. It's ok for me now, I accepted this along time ago. So long as they work for me, they suit me fine.

Good luck x

[lennons_mammy]

If you stopped taking them two months ago you would have had withdrawl symptoms by now. When I came off them I got withdrawl a couple of days after stopping. My symptoms were Nausea, shaking, sweating, visual disturbances and anxiety.

[jonesyclan1]

i agree i think you need to go back to your GP this is no longer withdrawl you just need to still be on them for now good luck

[Purple Fish]

Hi There,

I am taking Prozac (20 mg a day) and have been since May. Before that I was on the same dose and tried weaning myself off them by taking one every other day for about two months then stopping altogether. A month later I felt awful again and so went back to my doc who put me straight back on them.
I saw my doctor about a month ago and he wants me to continue on 20 mg a day until January just to make sure I will be OK for christmas. I really want to come off them now just to see if I am back to `normal`. I will take his advice though and not do it myself without him knowing!
I`m not sure what to expect though with coming off them. I daren`t Google anything as I don`t do that anymore (I`ve learnt doing that one!) and I worry about going back to square one again with all my anxiety symptoms!
Does anyone have any advice who`s been through the same? I also suffer quite bad PMS which varies from month to month but I do take Norethisterone (mini-pill) for that. I`m not sure if the Prozac helps with my PMS too, so i`m worried about that aswell!
Ho hum!

Tanya
xx

[didit]

well i have been taking 60 m for around 3 months however i stoped taking them 2 weeks ago and have had no side effects as off yet hopefully i wont

so far so good