Posted by roo on March 23, 2001, at 9:01:34
In reply to I totally relate..., posted by Christina on March 23, 2001, at 8:15:45
I totally relate as well. I'm 32, and have been
on prozac since I was 23--nearly 10 years. Whenever
I try to go off, the depression returns. But maybe
it's not "depression", but withdrawal, b/c my
symptoms are much like the first posters--and I can't
endure them b/c I'm normally such a nice person and very
relationship oriented, so it's just too disturbing
to be screaming at my loved ones and feeling so irritable
and paranoid and negative. All these symptoms seem
worse than the depression was. I don't know...going
off meds is scarey, but the thought of staying on
forever is even scarier (especially since they wreck
my sex life. I'm a very sexual person, and I've really
been grieving this loss.)
I don't know....I don't have the answers...I can just
tell you what i've been thinking about...
I've been doing a lot of cognitive type therapy lately,
which really helps, and I"m going to start a meditation
class--all of which I hope will help my depression.
I think withdrawal is less intense with prozac b/c
it dosen't leave your system so abruptly, and I know
they sometimes give it to folks trying to withdraw from
drugs with a shorter half life to ease their symptoms.
I would withdraw SLOWLY, not abruptly. I've also thought
of acupuncture to deal with the symptoms. I would try
and get as much support as possible. Tell friends and
family what you're doing and to try not to take you too
personally while you're trying to withdraw. Ohhhhhh...
good luck....and please stay in touch with this board
to let us know how you're doing b/c many of us want to
do the same thing, and are in the same boat. Just make sure
you don't just quit cold turkey without finding some way
to support yourself emotionally (friends, family, therapist),
and medically (natural medicine, herbs, going down on the drug
slowly, maybe taking lower and lower doses of liquid prozac
to get you through slowly...)Good Luck, Ruth
poster:roo
thread:56952
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/57253.html