To what extent will my problems return now that I have stopped taking Prozac?

Question

I took Prozac for about a year and a half for general anxiety and OCD. I hated feeling that the new psychological changes I was experiencing were dependent on medication. Also, although it was nice to not have so many panic attacks, I felt lost without my OCD as the medication was finally starting to decrease those symptoms. I pretty much quit cold turkey in May and haven't taken any since. The OCD has certainly seemed to come back, but I hadn't really noticed any return in anxiety until recently. Will the anxiety return to the level it was at before I began taking the medicine? Could it just be a one time thing (because I would have thought that if the anxiety was going to return on a regular basis it would have done six weeks after I stopped taking the medicine- when it completely leaves my system)? Thanks...

Answer 1

Quitting cold turkey is not the way to do it...you must wean yourself off this type of medication.. take it as per normal, then slowly start skipping a pill every 3 days or so.. then skip another .. your anxiety may very well return, but if you wean yourself off them slowly, you stand a better chance of not throwing everything out of whack.. Best thing to do is ask a Dr really.. but a slow wean is always better than cold turkey with this type of drug.

Cheers and good luck

Answer 2

I was severely depressed years ago and just stopped taking the medication without consulting the psychiatrist. What contributed to this was I have a OCD, anxiety and perfectionist and always driving myself relentlessly. I got through the 1st semester of college OK. In the beginning of the 2ND semester I switched from being depressed to being manic and had to be hospitalized.

Anxiety can cripple me and I don't want my life harder than it has to be.

Why risk it ? I don't know if stopping the medication caused it but it sure contributed to it.

Answer 3

try wellbutrin! it is better than prozac and you wont have ot take forever, i have taken every single antidepressent out there and wellbutrin is the best, prozac comes in second.
but if you feel like its coming back start it again and ween yourself agin after so much time, you could have other things that are effecting u, like SADD or whatever as i fuound out i hae and stopped all meds, to which i know it will all pass in time, and good luck!