Posted by Lucy_B on September 1, 2015, at 12:30:56
Hi, folks. I apologize in advance for the length of this post! I'm new here and struggling. I was on 20 mg. of generic Prozac (pretty successfully) for about 10 years before tapering off of it about a year ago. I had begun feeling really foggy and thought not being on it might help. Had almost no withdrawal effects and started to feel quite a bit clearer after a month or so. Then, about 6 months later, I started having a myriad of different health issues and have since been diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder. After that, my mental state began to plummet (along with my weight). Finally, my GP recommended that I start on SSRI's again, as I was feeling anxious/depressed more often than not. I began with Celexa, a drug that worked very well for me in my teens/early 20's but which "pooped out" after about 5 years. I started with 10 mg, then went to 15 with plans to achieve 20 eventually, but the side effects were so unbearable (nausea, horrible fear/anxiety, worse diarrhea, insomnia, etc.) that I got spooked and weaned myself back off of it. I was only on it for about 10 days before tapering back down. A few weeks of severe depression/anxiety ensued, then I finally got in to see a psychiatric NP who recommended that I give Prozac another shot. I started with 10 mg. for 3 days, then went up to 20. Getting on the Prozac was easier than the Celexa (except that it completely destroyed my ability to sleep so I had to start taking Trazodone for that). Around 6 weeks or so, there was a point where I thought I might be turning a corner. But now at 8 weeks, I am struggling with extreme anxiety/obsessiveness (mostly about my health), depression/crying on most days, mental fog (i.e. horrible memory, trouble concentrating, feeling like I'm not even there, etc.), no interest in doing anything except scour the internet for health-related stuff, shakiness/night sweats, a few episodes of suicidal ideation, and feeling absolutely terrified of never feeling good again or being able to live a healthy, functional life. I am very worried that both my marriage and job are going to fall apart if I cannot get this under control. I should also add that I've been seeing a fantastic therapist for about 9 months. And I started a round of antibiotics for a recurrent UTI (Cipro) along with probiotics and natural antifungals (oil of oregano) right around the time things started to go downhill again. So that may or may not be having an impact, who knows.
My doc has recommended going up to 40 mg. of the Prozac (along with .5 mg. of Ativan morning and night for anxiety, temporarily). I am concerned that a higher dose might end up being a disaster, as I've read accounts of worsening depression/anxiety when folks jump from 20 to 40. But I've also read about people who didn't have any trouble increasing, which gives me some hope. I would love to hear from those of you who have taken fluoxetine, especially folks who have increased their dose from 20 to 40 mg. I've only ever used 20, and it worked really well for me for a number of years (especially in the beginning). Should I give it a bit more time? I know Prozac is one that can take ages to kick in (I honestly have no recollection of how long it took the first time for me- it's all a blur). My main issue is debilitating worry/anxiety/rumination that feeds into depression, which is perhaps why my doc recommended the increase (apparently Prozac isn't as effective for anxiety at lower doses or something?). In addition to the stuff listed above, I am also severely underweight and concerned that the increase will cause me to lose even more lbs. Can anyone share your thoughts and/or reassurances? I am very grateful for any information I can get!
poster:Lucy_B
thread:1082005
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150901/msgs/1082005.html