Mental Health How to taper off prozac??

[lacedup420]

I was wondering would it be best to taper off prozac or just stop it all together? I am on 10mg a day for just over a month now and the only reason i am taking it is an excuse so i dont get expelled from school (I used depression as an excuse)
I am thinking of going 'cold turkey' on it as i do not need it and it will likely kill my roll when i take ecstasy in about a months time.
Its doing no good for me so i would say the best thing to do is just stop taking it?
Thanks in advance

 

[Mycophile]

I don't know with a dosage as low as 10mgs whether or not stopping cold turkey would be the worst thing in the world but I wouldn't do it if there's any lower dosage such as 5mgs you could taper down to, but I am not sure there is.

I'd probably ask your docs opinion and maybe start taking it once every 2 days, then once every 3, then once ever 4 etc until you are off it completely.

How long have you been taking it?

One thing most people don't know (or I didn't know it) is that Prozac has very real withdrawal symptoms.

About 10 years ago (I'd already been on it for 10 years) I was taking 50mgs and my stupid doctor decreased my dose to 20mgs...and just that change brought on 4 months of HELLISH insomnia.

I couldn't sleep more than 4 hours a night and even then only on ambien and this was before time release Ambien so I'd just take it and the SECOND it would wear off 4 hours later I'd IMMEDIATELY wake up.

Finally after getting back on my old dosage after 4 months I could sleep normally again.

But being that you are on such a low dosage I am not sure anything would happen to you but this was my experience.

 

[lacedup420]

Thanks for your quick reply, how long a halflife would you say it will have considering i have been taking it for just over a month?

 

[Mycophile]

Thanks for your quick reply, how long a halflife would you say it will have considering i have been taking it for just over a month?

I don't know but you should look it up.

That's not very long to have been taking it and I THINK Prozac usually takes 2-3 weeks to get fully into your system.

My guess is that it hasn't been fully in your system and doing anything real significant to you for more than 3 weeks.

I don't know much, but yeah, I'm gonna guess that while on such little for such a short period of time you might not even need to taper, but to be smart I still would think taking it every 2 days for a while and then every 3 etc would be smart, but better to ask your doctor if you are concerned.

 

[herbavore]

here is a link for you: http://www.theicarusproject.net/advocacy-rights-politics/coming-off-medications-guide-second-edition

 

[lacedup420]

I havnt taken it in 3 days and i feel ok, ive had to switch the actual prozac liquid itself with some homemade syrup so that my mam thinks im still taking it...
Would you say it will be out of my system by this time next month?(providing my mam doesnt figure out that it is syrup)

 

[herbavore]

The most important thing for you right now is to keep yourself healthy mentally and physically. That should be your concern whether you are starting a medication or stopping one. If your whole goal is to get off of it simply so that it won't interfere with a future plan to get high you may not be looking at the big picture. Figuring out what is really going on with school and focusing on goals while creating strong relationships with friends and family and being honest with yourself are going to make your life easier in the long run. Lying to your mom about depression and about the medication doesn't seem like a good idea.