Coming off Prozac?

[Dako]

I've stopped Prozac and started Wellbutrin, with a month of overlap between them.

Last night I was restless and itched all over. Has anyone here had odd sensations when ending Prozac, or could this be the new med at work on my tiny brain? My doc told me Wellbutrin might make me a bit more active, a welcome thing for this sluggard.

 

I feel slightly edgy lately.

[annie24]

that's pretty common. i've never taken prozac but heard it has quite a few odd reactions.

 

when I was coming off of lexapro, I was very edgy and kind of witchy.

[Blured]

There are side effects from coming off prozac?!

[nottoogreen]

I've stopped Prozac and started Wellbutrin, with a month of overlap between them.

Last night I was restless and itched all over. Has anyone here had odd sensations when ending Prozac, or could this be the new med at work on my tiny brain? My doc told me Wellbutrin might make me a bit more active, a welcome thing for this sluggard.

 

I feel slightly edgy lately.

 

I googled for Wellbutrin versus prozac

 

Wellbutrin is also believed to cause fewer sexual side effects than its SSRI predecessors, but it can also cause uncomfortable nervousness, especially early in the treatment cycle.

From: link removed

I Suppose the later is what you feel.

 

Also here is another paper: link removed

[jabele]

This is for Annie24: what did you think of Lexapro...and, if you don't mind my asking, what did you take it for?

 

I'm currently weening off of Zoloft and probably switching to that...and its for anxiety.

[lunatic]

I have been on welbutrin for about two years now. I have to say that I have not had any side affects from the med at all. I haven't felt any side effects from welbutrin except for the antzy feelings and the in ability to sit still sometimes.

[Dako]

Thanks all.

I suppose a bit of antsiness would improve my personality, so I'll try to channel it.

Hubman, did you have stomach upset at first? I was nauseous and thought I had the flu. Normally, drugs don't faze me but this one must have my number.

[nottoogreen]

I have used perhaps 200 capsules of prozac in the early 90s. I did not like it.

 

Change is cure. My change was to throw away a business I loved but which overloaded me and to get rid of a bunch of useless women who just used me and whom I used as my antidepressant.

 

Pills are no cure. Women are no cure.

 

Change is.

 

Change is what it takes, no matter how much it hurts.

[cmd]

I'm currently on Celexa, which has worked for me in the past. I did not know there were any side effects from coming off of Prozac. I did not feel any effects of coming off Celexa the first time I was on it. I have not been on any other SSRI.

[lunatic]

Thanks all.

I suppose a bit of antsiness would improve my personality, so I'll try to channel it.

Hubman, did you have stomach upset at first? I was nauseous and thought I had the flu. Normally, drugs don't faze me but this one must have my number.

 

You know what the first few weeks I was on it I did have minor stomach irritation. I do have to say it does go away and that may also be a side effect of coming off the prozac.

[chemica]

I was on both prozac and wellbutrin, but I recently quit wellbutrin. Not long after a friend of the family died from a seizure two weeks after starting wellbutrin. The autopsy was not able to find any other cause of death. Apparently, these seizures are fairly common problem with wellbutrin (estimated 1:1000 which is quite high).

 

I would recommend a different medication tbh. I noticed no positive effects from wellbutrin and switched. Most medications will give you problems like you stated early on, but they should wear off.

[Daddy Bear]

I noticed no positive effects from wellbutrin and switched.

 

my doctor gave me some samples of Zyban (same as Wellbutrin, but marketed for smoking cessation use) and in the few weeks i popped them, i noticed no real effects, good or bad. my smoking stayed about the same.

 

i'm not making any recommendations to anyone, just sharing my experience.

[Dako]

I still enjoy the pleasure of the leaf after a month of W.

I feel buzzed though, but I like it.

[annie24]

This is for Annie24: what did you think of Lexapro...and, if you don't mind my asking, what did you take it for?

 

I'm currently weening off of Zoloft and probably switching to that...and its for anxiety.

 

I was studying for a major exam in grad school. oral exam, given by 5 profs, if I didn't pass, I'd get the boot out of school! YIKES!!!

 

I was given lexapro for generalized anxiety disorder and mild depression. I'm a bit of an anxious/depressive person, normally under control, but with that much stress, I just kind of needed it. I was constantly dizzy and nervous because of the upcoming exam.

 

the lexapro helped, it helped make me less nervous and anxious and when my boyfriend and I broke up, I think it helped make the breakup go easier for me.

 

yet, it had a lot of undesireable side effects, including inability to have orgasms for a while (that came back though), weight gain (still on!), EXTREME sleepiness (I'd be a zombie if I didn't get at least 10 hours of sleep), edginess (my coworkers talked to me and were like, 'uh, we noticed you're very adjitated lately' - I yelled at them about stuff I shouldn't have). the list goes on.

 

In the end, I passed my exam, and I started weaning myself off of it, over the course of a month. no withdrawl symptoms, just a headache for the first 2 weeks.

 

I guess, lexapro helped me at a time I really needed help, but it has too many side effects that now that life has calmed down, I don't want it anymore.

 

whew! sorry dako, didn't want to hijack your thread!

[darkblue]

Hey Dako,

Good that you are coming off it if it's not working.

 

Prozac can have the most bizarre side-effects, and coming off it onto another medicaiton can complicate matters.

 

Most side-effects from ATDMs subside within a few weeks.

If they don't - it's time to get off them!

 

Take care buddy.

[Dako]

Hi darkblue!

 

So far, I've done well on 150mg Wellbutrin, and plan to taper down to 75mg to see if I get the blues. I hope to get off meds entirely, but that's easy to say when I feel stable.

I have plenty of cognitive methods that also help, so no, I'm not just popping pills to solve my problems. Oh, and cigars...

 

One thing about the change, I get a lot more done. I suspect Prozac made me more sedentary. I feel more active and the intial jitters are fading.

[Seko]

I find that it's hard for people to reccomend meds to one another - everyone's body reacts differently to them.

 

That said, I had no side effects coming off prozack whatsoever. I came off it all wrong - going cold turkey - and started Wellbutrin about a month later.

 

I liked Wellbutrin. When I first started it, I was pretty jittery. I noticed that often, for a month or two, I would look at my hands and they would be shaking. I also had really bad dry-mouth during that time. These side-effects all wore off in time though.

 

 

I hope all goes well for you with these meds, Dako! I was able to come off Wellbutrin after about a year and a half, and I'm doing well now. Others have pointed out some of the scarier aspects of the drug - siezures for example - but for me, and many others, the drug is great. No sexual side-effects, no weight gain, no constant sleeping, as I had on prozack. It's really much easier to get your life back together when you don't have to worry about those things

I, for one, used other, er, *substances* while on Wellbutrin as well, and found that it caused no problems - although I wouldn't reccomend drinking, as there is a specific warning about that one (I noticed you mentioned enjoying 'the leaf', so if you have any questions about things of that nature, you can PM me ...but like I said, everyone's body is different, so you probably shouldn't trust things I say either hehe)

[annie24]

I find that it's hard for people to reccomend meds to one another - everyone's body reacts differently to them.

 

true - I try to tell people the pros and cons of taking the drugs, and encouraging them to discuss it further with their doctor to figure out if drugs are right for them. after all, they have to go to the doctor anyways to get the prescription.

[Dako]

Thanks, Seko

 

I have been jittery and sometimes a strange sensation in my neck, but overall things are fine. I was sleeping a LOT on Prozac. Since switching, I sleep less, get up earlier and feel more energetic. I'm feeling a bit more....vigorous, but it's all for naught these days.

My leaf is only my faithful cigar.

 

No seizures yet.

[darkblue]

No seizures yet.

Always a good sign!

 

When I was coming off escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex - whatever you want to call it) - I had the joy of receiving electric shock sensations as a side-effect.

That was... dramatic.

 

I was fine on prozac, though.

The mind numbing drug.