Have been taking Prozac for about 3 months now and due to the fact that I want to become pregnant, my LPN has decided to take me off my medications. She told me to just stop cold turkey taking the Prozac but I dont really feel this is the right thing to do. Months ago I was taking Cymbalta and Xanax and became pregnant and due to stopping the medication I had severe withdrawl symptoms that I never want to experience again. What is the best way to wean yourself off Prozac. I am really scared about going off any medication considering ive been on some sort of panic.anxiety medication for 15 years. Has anyone become pregnant while one these or any type of medication for panic disorder and did you stop meds or continue to take them. Im so scared of relapsing worse then I am now !
Need help weaning off Generic Prozac?
Question posted by jenn82766 on 8 April 2011
Last updated on 18 March 2012 by stacey2012
4 Answers
Jenn, I am just now reading your post from almost a year ago. What did you decide to do, and how are you doing?
Thank you. I am on 20mg of the Prozac like i said for only about 3 months. Half the problem is that my OB or General Prac doesnt want to say stop or keep definitly because they dont want to be held liable i guess. All ive ever asked for was an "opinion" because I have no idea since Ive been on some sort of medication for so long. It really is such a hard decision because even the Prozac wasnt providing me with any relief. Ive never had relief on any medications Ive been on. Always have that "panic" feeling, day in and day out. I also see a phycologist regularly. Im honeslty just getting so frustrated with the lack of change.
The drug we take is the same, yet we are all so different. There are other options as far as anti-anxiety medication out there. However, since you are planning a pregnancy I would say that no drug is good. You are right in saying that docs don't want to be liable for anything. So you have to decide for yourself. Do you want to take a med that could harm the baby, make her go through withdrawal after she is born and possibly affect her development in the womb or throughout childhood? OR something safer that might be harder on you, but after the baby is born could make you a stronger person, help you manage things while raising the child and get more out of life?
It is something you have to commit to even though you might think it is "quack alternative medicine" like so many people do. That line of thinking has changed in us humans recently though. Yes we do need medication for some things (mental health is high up on my list) - but it really doesn't help when faced with a choice like yours. It's just easier to take a pill than to actually do something we haven't been conditioned to do. You will need to write down your "Battleplan" of what to do when you start having a panic or anxiety attack. List things and come up with various situations - at the mall and what to do, at work and what to do, wake up in the middle of the night and what to do.
You can't depend on doctors to get you through life - they are well educated on the human body, drugs, testing, etc... but they don't know it all. You can do this - you can make a baby and be strong while doing it. The very first thing to remember is that stress, anxiety, panic and depression all makes your body (blood cells, organs, lymphatic system, etc... ) more susceptible to illness, disease and even cancer! It could affect the development of the baby, too. Breathe deep 5 x, have a cup of tea, close your eyes and tell yourself that whatever the panic is, it is NOT more important than your baby. Kinda like meditation.
Your "Battleplan" will be important and customized by you and for you. Some other ideas are a stress ball or something to squeeze when you get panicked (with deep breathing), taking a walk, doing puzzles, coloring (hey why not?), pregnancy yoga/exercise, massage (pay someone if you have to!), stretching, anything you have in your battleplan book to get your mind re-focused on what your body is doing - making a baby
I hope this helps a little - don't forget a support person in your life who knows what you are doing and can commit to helping you through your pregnancy - neighbor, pastor (you don't have to go to church) or church counselor, a mentor of some kind, friend, family, husband, bingo group, well you get the idea! Good luck.
My advice to you is to wean slow, watch for cycle changes (ex - missed period) and then stop soon thereafter. You will be making a baby. You have to find another way to manage your anxiety through the pregnancy besides the harmful chemicals put into any prescription med.
It is good that you have some time to plan it out now. Some suggestions are: Basic yoga for relaxation, massage, soft music, deep breathing, stretching, herbal teas, feel-good foods (not McDonald's!), a quiet stressfree area, reading or watching something that makes you laugh (South Park movie, Stepbrothers, something you pre-taped from the comedy channel), your own "zen" method. The idea here is to get your mind focused away from the anxiety you will certainly face while off medication. Find a good supporter who can help you through it. And remember that it is only temporary and much, much safer for your baby. Good luck.
Hey jenn,
It will be difficult to wean off the Prozac (fluoxetine) by halving the pills as it is a capsule if you are on a dose higher than 10mgs. What dose Prozac (fluoxetine) were you on?
As far as harm to the baby, this is what the literature says:
Fluoxetine may cause harm to the fetus if it is used during the last 3 months of pregnancy. If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Fluoxetine while you are pregnant. Fluoxetine is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while you are taking Fluoxetine.
If you feel you want to try to discontinue this med you will need to get the doctor to cooperate on providing you with the appropriate dosage pills so to taper by halving the dose for a couple of weeks, then halving it again for a couple of weeks, then stopping. It is hard to say what milligram pills you will need since I don't know what dose you were on. I too would want to taper rather than stop cold turkey.
You may find that the benefits out weigh the risks of this medication at least until the last trimester. I would discuss this further with the OB doctor not the LPN.
Good luck and keep in touch,
Laurie
Related topics
prozac, depression, pregnancy, anxiety and stress, medication
Further information
- Prozac uses and safety info
- Prozac prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Prozac (detailed)
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