• BASIC DRUG
    DISCUSSION
    Welcome to Bluelight!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Benzo Chart Opioids Chart
    Drug Terms Need Help??
    Drugs 101 Brain & Addiction
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums
  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Tapering off Prozac - necessary?

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

sxeandpure

Greenlighter
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
36
I've been on 20mg of Prozac since February (technically less than that, I worked up to 20mg from 5mg a day). I'd like to stop and am wondering what the proper way of doing that would be? Should I cut down to 15mg a day, then 10, etc? Can I stop cold turkey? Thanks.
 
Fluoxetine is one of the easier AD's to withdraw; abeit, you will still experience some form of SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome. It has a long half-life which works to your advantage. You can quit cold turkey, sure, but I wouldn't advise that at all. I'd taper something like:

20
none
none
20
none
none
15
none
15
none
none
10
none
10
5
5
5
none
5
3
3
2
2
0
 
I think Geaux Tigers! post and advice is great!
Tapering is so smart when it comes to an anti-depressant..
It's amazing what going cold turkey from any anti-depressant can do.
You don't wanna go there if you can avoid it. It's misery.
When it comes to opiates..I don't generally taper..even though I know I'll feel horrible for a couple weeks..
Still, I don't take any anti-depressants now..
but I've discontinued a few..and I'd never go CT from one again.
Ever. Ever. Ever.

Good luck!
<3token
 
Tapering is smart, but by no means necessary. I stopped 100mg of zoloft cold turkey and didn't experience any significantly unpleasant side effects. I just felt a little "off" for a couple days. And I'm not sure but I hear zoloft withdrawals are harder than prozac.
 
^ Im surprised that you didnt feel anything more then a little "off." My paxil W/d was hell, tapered to around 5-10mg(cut pills in pieces so not 100% sure) from 30mg, worse then 30mg oxy c/t, IME
 
silentcowboy said:
^ Im surprised that you didnt feel anything more then a little "off." My paxil W/d was hell, tapered to around 5-10mg(cut pills in pieces so not 100% sure) from 30mg, worse then 30mg oxy c/t, IME
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you.
I went cold turkey from effexor...worse w/d of my life.
Honestly, I used to think the worst part of w/d from anything..was the anticipation of it..
I didn't anticipate any more than feeling a little down when I stopped.
It was horrible for me.
It felt like my brain was just short-circuiting.
I don't know how else to describe it.
Physically..I don't remember if I had any symptoms..

I'd w/d from ANY opiate or benzo any day..
before I'd go through that again.

At least they're worth it.
Anti depressants don't even work for most of us.

<3token
 
You do not 'need' to taper. In that there is no grave risk from abrupt discontinuation of an SSRI. It can still be very unpleasant and cause a variety of sensations that are dysphoric. Prozac, due its extremely long elimination half life, is one of the milder and less prone SSRIs in that regard.A study on fluoxetine discontinuation in 395 patients on 20mg/day showed only a small percentage reported mild vertigo following abrupt withdrawal of the drug. So, you are probably fine to quit it cold turkey.
 
^ Yeah spot on, fluoxetine has one of the lowest rates of SSRI discontinuation syndrome and sometimes patients are switched onto it from a different SSRI before stopping to reduce the risk of any unpleasant symptoms. 20mg is not a big dose either. I like that study info eukaryote, thank you :)

Tokenname, sorry you had such a hard time coming off Effexor/venlafaxine, it has a really short half life and is well known for causing a discontinuation syndrome if stopped abruptly..

OP, it's always a good idea to speak to your doctor before discontinuing any psychiatric medication - there is a risk of rebound depression and in general it is best to keep your doctor informed about medication changes - if fluoxetine isn't working for you then it might be good to discuss your alternatives. Good luck :)
 
tokenname said:
I totally agree with you.
I went cold turkey from effexor...worse w/d of my life.
Honestly, I used to think the worst part of w/d from anything..was the anticipation of it..
I didn't anticipate any more than feeling a little down when I stopped.
It was horrible for me.
It felt like my brain was just short-circuiting.
I don't know how else to describe it.
Physically..I don't remember if I had any symptoms..

I'd w/d from ANY opiate or benzo any day..
before I'd go through that again.

At least they're worth it.
Anti depressants don't even work for most of us.

<3token
Click to expand...


I'm not suprised at all, I'm on 150mgs a day XR and forgot to take a tablet one morning a month or so back, usually I have a couple on me just in case but because I'd been traveling I'd removed all meds from everything apart from my luggage and not replened my wallet emergency pills etc. I thought I'd be OK but by 3PM I was in a right state I got home but only just. There is no way I would try and CT that stuff, if all is still well my doctor is happy for me to try and drop to 75Mgs about August time.

I understand Effexor is one of the worst to come off, I've CT'ed straight SSRI's more than once with little to no problems, not that I'm advising it, I had good reason to do so.
 
I took fluoxetine 40mg for 6 months and stopped cold turkey with no issues. It has been about 6 weeks now.

Admittedly I seem pretty resistant to drug-withdrawal reactions from previous experiences with chronic drug use.
 
atm23 said:
I'm not suprised at all, I'm on 150mgs a day XR and forgot to take a tablet one morning a month or so back, usually I have a couple on me just in case but because I'd been traveling I'd removed all meds from everything apart from my luggage and not replened my wallet emergency pills etc. I thought I'd be OK but by 3PM I was in a right state I got home but only just. There is no way I would try and CT that stuff, if all is still well my doctor is happy for me to try and drop to 75Mgs about August time.

I understand Effexor is one of the worst to come off, I've CT'ed straight SSRI's more than once with little to no problems, not that I'm advising it, I had good reason to do so.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that at the time.
It was a lesson..and I sure as hell learned it.

I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now...
..today is a cold, windy, depressing day...
But..who needs an anti-depressant..when I've got Dylan...
<3token
 
Well, I tried to kick cold turkey and now, on day four or so, I was overwhelmed with what I guess are called brain zaps and could barely focus. Some nausea and dizziness too. So I took 10mg about an hour ago and feel a lot better but I'm wondering...should I take another 10mg (I was on 20mg), or just wait until tomorrow and take my full dose?

What a bad idea.
 
To speak in generalities, what works for one person, may not work for another. A taper program is always going to be the better of the two options, unless there is a specific reason not to do so.
 
i came off prozac 60mg > 40mg > 20mg then stopped. it was nasty! you definitely wanna taper it off and the regime suggested by geaux tigers sounds best. its not the worst withdrawal i've had by far but it is still pretty nasty, i got dizzy, nauseous and lost all balance control.

it sucks really, cos they put me on zoloft 6 months later :(
 
You've had a range of views in this thread. Really, I still feel there is no clinical need to taper but then again tapering is not going to do you any harm. What is important though is that you tell your doctor - as you can see, people on an internet forum have different views and are no substitute for getting medical advice and doing this properly.

Please see your doctor and discuss wanting to make this change.

Closed, pm me with any queries :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top