Posted by elise on April 15, 2000, at 10:28:34
In reply to Re: Prozac...Elise, posted by JohnL on April 15, 2000, at 3:45:49
>
> > john,
> > thanks for your answer to my questions! I have been on prozac for probably 6 years....and never realized how much i really was affected negatively until you mentioned your problems with it! I thought it was just me. I never really thought that maybe the anxiety i felt was compounded by the prozac ---that's why i was put on neurontin! I think i will decrease my prozac to 20 mg. tomorrow and go to 100 mg. modafinal also and give it a few days. Will let you guys know how it goes. thanks again. elise
>
> Elise,
> It's strange how the negative effects of Prozac were so subtle that I didn't realize it was the Prozac. One day I figured oh what the heck, and did 80mg Prozac. There is a strategy with Prozac where large doses can be taken every few days instead of smaller doses daily. So I thought I would play with it. A few hours after dosing the 80mg, I became agitated, withdrawn, numb, and even more depressed. I spent the rest of the day curled up on a couch totally withdrawn. It was only then that I recognized the anxiety created by Prozac. I had read in literature about the common side effects of anxiety with Prozac, but I figured I must be immune because it didn't seem to have any side effects at all...other than lousy sleep quality. But after that 80mg, I came to know the negative side effects, and realized I had them all along...just more subtle at lower doses. I thought it was just me. But it wasn't. It was the drug.
>
> Since then I have experimented more, and discovered that 5mg is helpful...better than none at all. At 10mg I think I'm on the borderline where that anxiety stuff starts to kick in. So for me, 5mg to 10mg a day is about the limit. More is not always better.
>
> Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, stopping or lowering Prozac abruptly is no problem, if you want to try experimenting with doses. You might find 20mg every other day, or once every three days, is better than any dose taken on a daily basis. Even if you skip a day or two, it's still in your system doing its job. It takes 9 days to be half gone. But of course, the possibility always exists that you may need a higher dose taken daily. In that case, another med to reduce the anxiety side effects would be warranted. My favorite for such a remedy is 2.5mg to 5mg Zyprexa. Not the benzos or anticonvulsants. But as we discussed earlier, one thing at a time...so we know what each modification's results are. Don't want to confuse things too much. I'm wishing you the best. JohnLa few weeks ago i had been depressed and increased my dosage (per doc's ok) to 60 mg. day. A week later, i was sooo manic and that i painted my whole living and dining room myself and was so agitated that i was didn't know what hit me. I guess i know now. Thanks for the tip---I will try the 20 mg. tomorrow (of course i already forgot and took 30 mg. today --- but I only took 100 mg. provigil) . thanks again, elise
poster:elise
thread:29957
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/30074.html