Mental Health Could it ever be possible for someone like me to get off Prozac and Klonopin?

[Mycophile]

So, I'm 42, and I've been on Prozac or some other SSRI (Lexapro for a few years) since age 14, and Klonopin since age 23, for OCD, generalized anxiety and some depression, especially most of all for a sort of "eye contact anxiety" where I worry about how much I'm looking at people or how much they are looking at me.

It first struck at age 14, and I sometimes wonder whether or not (even though I DEFINITELY have OCD as an underlying condition) the Ritalin I was basically forced to take cause they thought I had ADD might have worsened my condition and led to me needing an SSRI I may have never needed.

The reason I consider this a possibility is that I JUST CAN'T DO STIMULANTS, and it was because I drank so much coffee at age 23 that I had a horrible eye-contact related panic attack in public that led to me needing Klonopin, as Prozac was no longer sufficient for that with all the caffeine in my system.

Now I live in a cycle between caffeine and Klonopin, because Klonopin makes me tired and I want to drink caffeine to counteract it, but caffeine makes me anxious and keeps me up, so I need Klonopin to counteract that and help me feel less anxious get to sleep.

My new psychiatrist is on board with helping me quit caffeine and Klonopin, though I havent really started to try yet for reasons I don't want to get into, but I'm still determined to do it eventually cause both caffeine and Klonopin mess with how I feel on a regular basis, and FOR ME caffeine is just terrible. But he's ALL about me being on the highest dose of Prozac (well, at least 60mg rather than 80.)

But you see, I have a HUGE curiosity when it comes to psychedelics and natural anti-anxiety agents and natural anti-depressant herbs, and I do believe some of these could possibly be better for me than Prozac and Klonopin AND also allow for me to take certain psychedelics I want to take that I can't take while on Prozac.

I'm fascinated by psychedelics and herbs like: Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, DMT, 5-Meo DMT, Black Seed Oil, Kanna, Ketamine therapy, and many many others NOT because they are fun (though sometimes they are) but because I believe they could work better for me than prozac. Prozac and Klonopin just keep this OCD shit at bay, but they don't bring me the transformational experiences that people report on Ibogaine or Ayahuasca for instance.

But for me to even MAYBE be able to get off Prozac I'd first have to COMPLETELY get off both Klonopin and caffeine, and indeed, during those rare times I was totally off of caffeine and exercising regularly I only needed like 0.5mgs of Klonopin and probably could have tapered off, but I'd STILL have needed Prozac.

Now after 28 years of my 42 on either prozac or lexapro, I wonder IS THERE ANY WAY MY BRAIN COULD LEARN TO FUNCTION WITHOUT A TRADITIONAL SSRI??

Is there ANY kind of NATURAL replacement for people with the kind of ocd and social anxiety and generalized anxiety I have other than SSRIs/SNRIs??

I have heard people rave about black seed oil and I bought some, but I am not 100% sure I can take just however much I want safely on my prozac. I'm going to try some CAREFULLY, but I think too much could be bad. Some warn of serotonin syndrome with the interaction, others say it's not that big a threat.

Kanna is another that people rave about, and then there's shrooms which I love and plan to start growing soon, one of the very few psychedelics that work for me that I can safely take.


1) I mean believe me I know that anyone answering this thread is just speculating...BUT...does anyone know of anyone with OCD and anxiety totally getting off their SSRIS, benzos and meds and replacing them with natural herbs or other treatments AFTER THIRTY YEARS OF TAKING THIS SHIT??

2) I mean, from those who know about the brain, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES MY BRAIN COULD EVER EVEN FUNCTION WITHOUT AN SSRI AFTER MORE THAN HALF A LIFETIME ON IT??

3) And for the sake of argument, if I COULD taper off my Prozac, HOW MANY YEARS WOULD IT TAKE BEFORE I COULD SAFELY TAKE PSYCHEDELICS LIKE IBOGAINE, AYAHUASCA OR 5-MEO DMT??

4) Wouldn't it take YEARS for the risk of serotonin syndrome to go away??

Maybe i just romanticize these psychedelics and other drugs, and I will admit to being VERY jealous of all the people on here who get to use these substances when I can't, and yes, SOME of it would be for fun...but really, more than fun, I believe there are herbs out there that would actually probably work FAR better than prozac or klonopin and with less risk of adverse reactions with other substances, but doctors simply don't prescribe them or know about them, and GOD FORBID you should ever ask them about such things....

I don't know, I'm just rambling now, but I just wonder, can a brain like mine ever learn to function, if not without ANY substance, without a traditional SSRI or benzo??

Do any of you think that maybe some of the herbs and psychedelics I've mentioned could be superior to the SSRIS and benzos our doctors throw at us?

Because without what Klonopin and prozac have done for me, I'd be incapable of living and anxious of every human interaction most likely, and yet....I envy the massive transformational power that people get to experience when they take things like Ibogaine, Ayahuasca and DMT.

Prozac and klonopin JUST TREAT SYMPTOMS, they don't make me happy, and they don't make me feel powerful or capable like I've heard Ibogaine or Ayahuasca experiences can make you feel. I think they are just like temporarily patching up a flat tire that's going to go out eventually rather than actually changing the tire.

I want transformational experiences, not just symptom control, but I think that this might just never be possible.

Oh well, should be interesting to hear some responses...

 

[Robi]

I thought I could never made to where i am, road to go for sure, appreciate your posts and this question, but this its not about me and my experiences, IMO yes a person like you could.

 

[Mycophile]

I thought I could never made to where i am, road to go for sure, appreciate your posts and this question, but this its not about me and my experiences, IMO yes a person like you could.

Thanks man. I'm gonna go to bed soon so I'll have to read any responses tomorrow, but I wouldn't mind at all hearing any of your story if it is at all similar to mine.

I mean, where would someone like me begin?

As mentioned, I'd FIRST have to quit all caffeine because it's horrible for me, and all Klonopin, and only THEN VERY VERY slowly taper off Prozac.

But I'm sure I'd need SOMETHING. Kratom works, but is too short acting and makes it hard to fall asleep and i don't want to dose kratom every 4 hours the rest of my life.

Shrooms are MAGICAL, and microdosing could be an answer, but I'm not sure it's something to do EVERY DAY and I don't know about driving on shrooms...

I'd like to hear any stories anyone has ever heard of anyone replacing traditional pharmaceutical anti-depressant and anti-anxiety aids with natural herbs.

It's also ok if anyone thinks anything else works. I mean for me the Wim Hof Method, intermittent fasting and lots of exercise help a lot, but not enough.

There's never ever going to be a doctor who helps you to do this shit. They want you only on tried and true SSRIs and benzos, and in my experience I have badly needed them, so yeah....hard to know.

Plus...how many years must a person who's taken an SSRI for TWENTY EIGHT YEARS be off it before it could be safe to even try alternative treatments like those I mentioned with the risk of serotonin syndrome??

Wouldn't I have to be off prozac like 5 years or more to be able to safely take Ayahuasca, 5-Meo DMT or Ibogaine??

 

[Robi]

Thanks man. I'm gonna go to bed soon so I'll have to read any responses tomorrow, but I wouldn't mind at all hearing any of your story if it is at all similar to mine.

I mean, where would someone like me begin?

As mentioned, I'd FIRST have to quit all caffeine because it's horrible for me, and all Klonopin, and only THEN VERY VERY slowly taper off Prozac.

But I'm sure I'd need SOMETHING. Kratom works, but is too short acting and makes it hard to fall asleep and i don't want to dose kratom every 4 hours the rest of my life.

Shrooms are MAGICAL, and microdosing could be an answer, but I'm not sure it's something to do EVERY DAY and I don't know about driving on shrooms...

I'd like to hear any stories anyone has ever heard of anyone replacing traditional pharmaceutical anti-depressant and anti-anxiety aids with natural herbs.

It's also ok if anyone thinks anything else works. I mean for me the Wim Hof Method, intermittent fasting and lots of exercise help a lot, but not enough.

There's never ever going to be a doctor who helps you to do this shit. They want you only on tried and true SSRIs and benzos, and in my experience I have badly needed them, so yeah....hard to know.

Plus...how many years must a person who's taken an SSRI for TWENTY EIGHT YEARS be off it before it could be safe to even try alternative treatments like those I mentioned with the risk of serotonin syndrome??

Wouldn't I have to be off prozac like 5 years or more to be able to safely take Ayahuasca, 5-Meo DMT or Ibogaine??

boa noite

 

[Opi_Kid_Rock]

Thanks man. I'm gonna go to bed soon so I'll have to read any responses tomorrow, but I wouldn't mind at all hearing any of your story if it is at all similar to mine.

I mean, where would someone like me begin?

As mentioned, I'd FIRST have to quit all caffeine because it's horrible for me, and all Klonopin, and only THEN VERY VERY slowly taper off Prozac.

But I'm sure I'd need SOMETHING. Kratom works, but is too short acting and makes it hard to fall asleep and i don't want to dose kratom every 4 hours the rest of my life.

Shrooms are MAGICAL, and microdosing could be an answer, but I'm not sure it's something to do EVERY DAY and I don't know about driving on shrooms...

I'd like to hear any stories anyone has ever heard of anyone replacing traditional pharmaceutical anti-depressant and anti-anxiety aids with natural herbs.

It's also ok if anyone thinks anything else works. I mean for me the Wim Hof Method, intermittent fasting and lots of exercise help a lot, but not enough.

There's never ever going to be a doctor who helps you to do this shit. They want you only on tried and true SSRIs and benzos, and in my experience I have badly needed them, so yeah....hard to know.

Plus...how many years must a person who's taken an SSRI for TWENTY EIGHT YEARS be off it before it could be safe to even try alternative treatments like those I mentioned with the risk of serotonin syndrome??

Wouldn't I have to be off prozac like 5 years or more to be able to safely take Ayahuasca, 5-Meo DMT or Ibogaine??

I don’t have the answers that you ask but I really feel for you. Being dependent on SSRIs and Benzos for that long of a time…
What do reputable online sources say about how big of a risk in actual percentage is Serotonin Syndrome for someone like you.
For the benzos, I’m thinking a person using those for that long would need to make the disciplined effort to tapper down to close to nothing-for your own sake, for the sake of your long-term wellbeing. But then, I’m not the one suffering with your level of anxiety.
Have you seen that episode of Joe Rogan where he interviews Paul Stamets the Mushroom Man? That story where he took a heroic dose of mushrooms where it cured his early life studdering? Yes, the field is in its infancy but sometimes we might just ask ourselves if we’re even living at all sometimes.

Sorry I don’t have personal experience to help you. But I’m hoping someone on this forum will. I’m praying for it.

Peace.

 

[nznity]

Tbh, it's gonna be a bit hard to quit klonopin since it downregulates the GABA receptors when you use it for prolonged times(not impossible though)everybody Is different. Look, first of all if you wanna quit klonopin you should ask your shrink to swap the clonazepam for diazepam then start a slow taper until you're ready to jump off from benzos. I could tell you to come to south america where I live, to perú and take ayahuasca but tbh they don't let you take it when you're on medications. You gotta be super clean, thry even make u detox for a week before the event. But it could actually help you tbh. Anyway, get rid of your benzo dependance first(which might take 6 months to a year tbh bcs you're a very seasoned user). You got alot of work to do but hey, motivate urself. U still got a long road ahead
Stay safe and cheers ✌

 

[Mycophile]

Tbh, it's gonna be a bit hard to quit klonopin since it downregulates the GABA receptors when you use it for prolonged times(not impossible though)everybody Is different. Look, first of all if you wanna quit klonopin you should ask your shrink to swap the clonazepam for diazepam then start a slow taper until you're ready to jump off from benzos. I could tell you to come to south america where I live, to perú and take ayahuasca but tbh they don't let you take it when you're on medications. You gotta be super clean, thry even make u detox for a week before the event. But it could actually help you tbh. Anyway, get rid of your benzo dependance first(which might take 6 months to a year tbh bcs you're a very seasoned user). You got alot of work to do but hey, motivate urself. U still got a long road ahead
Stay safe and cheers ✌

Yeah, I wish i could go to Peru and trip on Ayahuasca, but it's definitely a risk with prozac for serotonin syndrome.

My doctor is well aware that I want off Klonopin and we are soon going to discuss a possible taper for BOTH Klonopin and caffeine at the same time, because i know from experience that if I drink more than maybe 1-2 cups a day MAX I will need Klonopin as it makes my anxiety so much worse.

I know traditionally many psychs do taper Klonopin to Valium, but I'm not sure if that is what my doc has in mind. We at first just discussed slowly going from 2.5 to 1.5 mgs, and he says that shouldn't be hard, but for me so far it has been because of the caffeine which I just don't quite feel ready to kick.

I'm about to probably get a new job, so I want to be stable there before I try to taper off Klonopin and caffeine VERY VERY SLOWLY.

I once did manage to get off Klonopin for 9 months and it's a MIRACLE I didn't get WD because the doctors totally fucked up and basically took me off cold turkey and how i didn't get a seizure is beyond me, but had i only realized that was the PERFECT time to quit caffeine and done so, I believe I would still be off my Klonopin now. THAT'S how bad caffeine is for me, cause when I kept drinking too much coffee my anxiety came back and I had to get back on it.

But, I do think it will eventually be possible to get off Klonopin and caffeine or at least down to very low doses of both, and that would MAJORLY improve my quality of life I know for sure.

Prozac honestly doesn't negatively affect my life in any way that I'm aware of, with the exception of not being able to use all kinds of drugs I'd like to if i was off it, but quality of life and not having anxiety be nearly as bad as it was is more important than being able to use psychdelics.

 

[nznity]

Yeah, I wish i could go to Peru and trip on Ayahuasca, but it's definitely a risk with prozac for serotonin syndrome.

My doctor is well aware that I want off Klonopin and we are soon going to discuss a possible taper for BOTH Klonopin and caffeine at the same time, because i know from experience that if I drink more than maybe 1-2 cups a day MAX I will need Klonopin as it makes my anxiety so much worse.

I know traditionally many psychs do taper Klonopin to Valium, but I'm not sure if that is what my doc has in mind. We at first just discussed slowly going from 2.5 to 1.5 mgs, and he says that shouldn't be hard, but for me so far it has been because of the caffeine which I just don't quite feel ready to kick.

I'm about to probably get a new job, so I want to be stable there before I try to taper off Klonopin and caffeine VERY VERY SLOWLY.

I once did manage to get off Klonopin for 9 months and it's a MIRACLE I didn't get WD because the doctors totally fucked up and basically took me off cold turkey and how i didn't get a seizure is beyond me, but had i only realized that was the PERFECT time to quit caffeine and done so, I believe I would still be off my Klonopin now. THAT'S how bad caffeine is for me, cause when I kept drinking too much coffee my anxiety came back and I had to get back on it.

But, I do think it will eventually be possible to get off Klonopin and caffeine or at least down to very low doses of both, and that would MAJORLY improve my quality of life I know for sure.

Prozac honestly doesn't negatively affect my life in any way that I'm aware of, with the exception of not being able to use all kinds of drugs I'd like to if i was off it, but quality of life and not having anxiety be nearly as bad as it was is more important than being able to use psychdelics.

Exactly, that's y I said you can't do Ayahuasca while on meds, it interacts with a lot of pharmaceuticals. Lots of ppl have died of serotonin syndrome from it, that's y most shamans wouldn't accept ya.
Anyway, regarding the klonopin issue...Idk if you have heard about the Ashton manual which is the the best guide to quit benzodiazepines.
Idk if you know but Valium is used for weaning off cause it has a half-life of 200 hrs(the time it takes your body to get rid of half of the meds) so the comedown is much more subtle. U could also use klonopin once again to quit but you can ask anyone around here, valium is the best option
Like I said, check out the Ashton Manual it has lots of information and tips about benzos and its practically the best way to treat benzo dependency.
Stay safe ❤

 

[paranoid android]

How much klonopin are you on? Are you having any problems from it? Ive been on klonopin about 15 years and i can't say ive had any problems with it besides the time i went cold turkey off it in the psych ward that is.