Have you ever had withdrawals from Prozac or any other SSRI or antidepressant? How long did it last, how long did you take it before stopping. Tell me what you know. Thanks.
2006-07-26 04:49:23 · 5 answers · asked by Bistro 7 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Most antidepressants should not be stopped suddenly, especially without a doctor's approval. The reason for this is because your body very much depends on the medication, and without it, it sort of flounders. If it's a medication your body still needs to function, then the "withdrawal" symptoms are usually the same things that were wrong in the first place, only made much more pronounced.
Irritability is one, being overly tired, not feeling well, having suicidal thoughts, feeling rather down, crying for no reason, wanting to sleep all the time, having manic episodes- extreme up's & extreme downs.
One way to wean yourself would be to lower the dosage- split the pills in half and take half a dose for a few days, then take half a dose every other day for a few days, then just stop taking it.
Discuss this with your doctor, though! If the withdrawal symptoms persist, you need to discuss it with your Dr. immediatly! They shouldn't last more than a few days.
2006-07-26 04:56:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Suddenly discontinuing ANY psychoactive medication - particularly SSRI's and Prozac - can produce very serious effects. Usually this is done only under a doctor's supervision, and should absolutely not be done by yourself. From what I have heard people may experience extreme anxiety, depressive episodes, or psychosis.
2006-07-26 04:55:12 · answer #2 · answered by B77KMJ3321Z 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Anytime you take a med like this there can be serious side effects from stopping suddenly. Always taper down off the medication. You can have seizures, passing out, rapid heartbeat, sweats, etc if you stop suddenly and even if you taper you will fell lousy for about two to three weeks before it gets completely out of your system.
2006-07-26 04:54:12 · answer #3 · answered by nighttimewkr 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stopping any antidepressant suddenly is very risky indeed, depending upon the dose and the length of time used, one can expect to suffer withdrawal type symptoms for up to a week, but there is also the risk of seizures, when you least expect them, severe suicidal ideation, and in extreme cases coma and death.
2006-07-26 04:54:53 · answer #4 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
night is right.. You should never stop taking a prolonged meds. and then just stop.. Many side effects.. DT"S can occur and put tremendous stress on the physical body.. And will usually last 72hours
2006-07-26 05:24:14 · answer #5 · answered by tracienmark 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋