Paxil, Ativan, Zopiclone and Prozac

Hi Buddies, Please I hope you could help me. Thx

 

When I was 11 years old I started to smoke cigarettes, about 1 to 2 packs a day plus I smoked  marijuana too. I got my first panic attack from smoking marijuana at 18 years old, so I quit smoking both all together.  I went to see a doctor who gave me clonazepam 1mg.  I took it for a week which made me depressed and I was ******** so I quit cold turkey. I decided to see another doctor who gave me my first anti-depressant (1995 - 1997). I ended up taking it for a year than quitting cold turkey which made me relapse.

 

I was put on paxil 20mg to 30mg for 15 years (1998 - aug 2013). I first started to tapper from 20mg on aug 2013 for 15 months down to 0mg. I was feeling ok, no anxiety or depression. No pill for 2 weeks. After that I relapsed so I went back on to 20mg mid nov 2014.

 

I started my second round of tapering May 2015. I took 1mg less every month, 20mg to 10mg May 2015 to Apr 2016 and that was when i started to feel the anxiety/depression symptoms come back. I went to the hospital May 13 2016 for withdrawal (crying and insomnia)

They put me back on Paxil 20mg to 30mg and then to 40mg For six weeks didn't work (May 13 - June 24 2016)

 

The doctor gave me zopiclone 15mg which made me start to have bad thoughts (May 13 to July 5 2016). I ended up quitting cold turkey.

I was also given Ativan 1 to 2mg (May 13 to Sep 15 2016). I tapered down to 0mg in 6 weeks. At the same time, I switched to Prozac 20mg for 8 weeks (June 25 - aug 20 2016). Got a new doctor which brought me down to Prozac 10mg (Sep 2016 to Jun 2017).  He wasn't happy that i wanted to quit so i found another doctor who i have been working with ever since. Currently tapering Prozac 10mg to 2mg (jul 2017 to apr 2018)

 

Currently I'm only taking prozac 2.01mg and this is how I'm feeling.

- Insomnia is getting better I sleep around 5 - 7 hours of broken sleep (after my last Paxil crash I didn't sleep for 6- 8 days that when I was put on Ativan and zopiclone for 3 month and I only sleep for 1 to 3 hour a day)

- Panic Attack it is getting weake, but I still have anxiety

- bad thoughts come and go

-crying spells (after my last Paxil crash I cried for 3 mths, I cried 2- 5 times a day at 2-25mins at a time) but when I was on Prozac and tapper down to 2mg I cried only 5 times only last 30 seconds.

 

Since I've been tapering my prozac from10mg to 2mg (tapper 10% every 2 weeks), I am feeling depressed and I have  Brain fog, blurry vision, anxiety and feeling of rage. Today I am feeling bad.  I started to cry again for a minute.  I am having anxiety and am shaking.  I think I am having withdrawals.  I have jump off of prozac 1.67mg

 

I also take supplements like omega 3- 900mg, vitamin d -2000iu, vitamin c -1000mg.  I also do Light therapy , cold showers and exercise daily.

 

-Came of off paxil 2 years ago, depression,  insomnia, very bad thought, panic attack, and a lot of symptoms and crying was the worst, I cry for 3 months Straight. In one month I cry around 400mins.

 

-My second depression episode and my crying started in April this year (April 1 to May 20) I cry around 8 minuets total. Prozac 1.85mg to 1.67mg.

 

-stop the Prozac  (may 20 to June 30) I cry total of 4mins.

 

-I have my first window lasted for 2 to 3 weeks

 

-July 10 to August 5 I cry for around 2 mins i think.

 

-I have my second window lasted for 2 to 3 weeks.

 

-right now I think I in a wave again for 3 days now, depression feel like crying. But not that intense.

 

I think my widow are closing, I having depression agian for a couple of days, feel like crying but this wave is not as intense. Maybe I have this wave because my wife and kids went on vacation for the whole week and I am home alone. They went on vacation today.

 

Here is my symptoms from May 13, 2016 to Aug 20, 2018

(stop prozac 1.67mg and take no meds on May 20, 2018)

Insomnia - 1yr and 3 months, now I sleep around 6 to 8 hrs (11 months)

Panic attack - 3 months. I don't have it now

Mourning anxiety - 1yr. I don't have it now

General  anxiety - come and go

Crying - 3 months. Didn't cry for 15 months but now I start to cry off and on

intrusive thoughts - come and go

Nausea - first 6 month bad, come and go now

Dizzy spells -  come and go

Blurry vision - come and go

Headache - come and go

Body twitching - Gone

Body shaking - Gone

Memory problems - Gone

Brain fog - come and go

lots of sweat  - 3 months. Gone

**impulsive suicidal behavior** first time happened in may 14, 2018 it last 3mins. Second time on July 19, 2018 last 30 seconds. I don't have it now.

 

And every time I use any electronic I get depressed, anxiety, anger, very bad nausea and blurry vision. I don't know when this is going away.

 

I'm not sure what your question is, but it sounds like you are doing relatively well considering all the drugs you've been on. I would just stay the course and not use the drugs again and continue to taper at a rate comfortable to you.

 

The electrical sensitivity will ease up over time as well. This all takes time, as I know you've now realized.

 

The fact that your sleep has improved signifies a good deal of healing. The depression will ease up as time goes on.

 

Congratulations on tapering down from the drugs!!

Thanks you, I am off Prozac for 3 months now. I hope I will improve too.

Hi a little update, I am 3.5 years no Paxil, 3.7 years no zopiclone or Ativan quit cold turkey and 22 months no Prozac. I was doing ok from September 2019 to March 15 2020, just some up and down feeling, But on March 15 I think I got a cold not a flu. I think I am in a wave right now. My symptoms is depression I rate my depression 2 out 10 (10 is bad) and anxiety 3 out of 10. Crying  is 1 out 10. My panic attacks is like 2 out of 10, I don’t know I getting better because I have window like for 5 to 6 month but do have some bad days in between. In the beginning my window last around 2-3 weeks only And the depression, anxiety, crying spell and panic attacks was like a 7-9 out of 10. But now my symptoms is like 2 to 3 out of 10. Do think is my cold that cause my to have a wave. This is my longest window I have 5 to 6 months.