Prozac 40mg

Treatment and medication
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Hi guys. This is my frist time using a thread to discuss medications etc. Finding people to talk about my anxiety, Obsessional thoughts its hard. My grandmother understands and has been so helpful through all of this but it's still very hard. I will try to make this as short as possible! I have struggled with anxiety, depression, and obsessional thoughts on and off since 2012. I intially was prescribed celexa (big mistake) HORRIBLE side effects. headaches, extreme mood swings, and increased anxiety. I lasted 4 days on 10mg but had to be taken off because I couldn't handle it anymore. The next med I tried was prozac. Started at 10mg and eventually increased to 20mg. Keep in mind, I was 17 at the time. After explaining to a GP that I felt it wasn't doing enough, I was referred to a PDoc who added lamictal. I started at 25 mg and slowly increased to 200mg. I felt better after awhile but like a dummy I quit taking them (cold turkey) Luckily I had no withdrawl symptoms. Eventually my symptoms returned and I was represcribed my medicine. This time however, I had to increase my prozac to 60mg. I felt better and like a dummy again I stopped them (cold turkey) again no withdrawl symptoms. I have recently started back up again. I am now on 100mg of lamictal (goal dose 200mg) and just upped my prozac from 20mg to 40mg. 20mg in morning and 20mg at night. I have been on the increase dose for 2 days now. I know its too soon to tell, but I was wondering if anyone has had success stopping and restarting medication and how long it took for the benefits of the meds to show. I have pure anxiety and obsessional thoughts. I have also been told I have depression, however I believe deep down that the anxiety and thoughts are whats causing the depression and not that im truly depressed. During periods of remission, I am rarely ever sad..

 

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Forgot to mention. When I first started prozac (2012) I suffered from minor side effects. I noticed a slight increase in my anxiety and sadness, which lessened over time but not really until after lamictal was added. I also experienced a rare side effect of prozac, Kanker sores. I developed 5 in my mouth about 4 days after increasing my dose from 10mg to 20mg. With lamictal, each increase in dose brought increased irritabilty which didn't last very long and wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I have also noticed that my anxiety and thoughts get worse around ovulation and about 3 days before my period starts and last through my period. After my period ends, the anxiety etc. lessens considerably but is still there and noticable. 

 

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Hi

Like you I suffered from obsessional thoughts and anxiety that plagued me for 16 years, both of which made me depressed.  Within 6 months of starting SSRI's though I recovered.

Why do you keep coming off your meds - and how long did you stay on each time?  I stayed on meds for many years, and only came off this year ... but you should stay on meds for at least a year to help prevent symptoms from returning - longer the better.

Stress often causes our serotonin levels to become low, and prolonged stress and low serotonin levels can then lead to anxiety and depression.  Obsessional thoughts can develop which cause anxiety.  Because your mind becomes tired with constant thinking, these obsessional thoughts stick to a tired mind, because they're accompanied with anxiety and you get stuck in a cycle of anxiety / depression / thoughts / anxiety etc.

Everone get weird thoughts, but because they're not accompanied with anxiety they're simply dismissed, put back into perspective and forgotten about.  Its the anxiety that makes me thoughts more powerful, and in turn the thoughts that cause the anxiety.  Calm the anxiety and the thoughts lose their importance.

The meds work on hanging onto your serotonin, making you feel happier and calmer helping to calm anxiety, lifting the depression, and so the obsessional thoughts become less scary, less annoying and eventually can be dismissed because there's no anxiety to accompany them anymore.

I've been on meds twice and they worked both times.  If they worked for you before, they'll work again.  I did have a differenct start up period the second time around, and it took a bit longer.   But they worked.

Once you've settled on your meds again and got past any side effects, stay on them, even when you're feeling well.  Give yourself a long period of feeling well before even considering of coming off.  Oh, and don't go cold turkey - it really can be quite dangerous, and it may not be such a smooth journey next time.

You'll get there.  Remember they worked before, so they will again.

K x

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Thank you for that response! I honestly thought no one would respond😂 Honestly, I stopped them because I felt better (so stupid because the medicine was the reason I felt better) both times I stopped, I was younger and didn't realize that stopping them was such a dumb idea. I'm now 21 and have realized how important these medicines are. I was so scared to make an app. And have to confess that I discontinued my medicine. (I honestly thought I wouldn't be represcribed them) luckily I have a doctor who is very patient and understanding about it. It's hard to wait for medicines to kick in but I also am thankful that I found a combo that worked, as soon as I did. I can only imagine how hard it can be to have to go through several trial and errors before finding what works best for each individual. I read so many good things about celexia, but for me it def. didn't work. I basically became a sloth on it because of the crippling anxiety and mood swings. I honestly think the headaches were the worst part though. Sorry for the long rant but it's good to talk to someone who actually understands what I'm going through! Thank you again!!

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When I was ill I thought I was the only one like it, and was surprised to learn that there's 1000's of people suffering exactly the same as you and I.  We all react differently to the different SSRI's on the market, and finding one that suits you can take time.  I recovered on the first medicine I was on, but I couldn't cope with some of the side effects so was changed after a year.  Seems you found the right mix ...... but yes, you should stay on them for quite a while.  I actually took them for 16 years - half of that time on a reduced dose just for maintenance.  I don't suggest you stay on them for that long, but you can stay on them for life if you wanted, or just a few years.

I also think going cold turkey doesn't allow your body to gradually get used to life without meds, but instead it can be a shock to the system.  When I decided to withdraw completely, I took a year to come off, reducing mine by miniscule amounts, doing it slowly and stayed on each reduced dose for a few months and waited to see how I felt each time, and as I felt fine I reduced them further and again waited to see how I was.  If at any stage I felt any sign of the illness returning, I could easily have increased again.  My body was gently lowered back down to the ground and I'm sure this helps.

It is hard waiting for the meds to kick in, but remind yourself often that they worked before so they'll work again.

K x

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