Question:

YOUR DOCTOR SOUNDS LIKE AN ASSHOLE

Response:

>> > Please talk with your pdoc about this issue. > I called him and he said to take 20 mg of Prozac a day and also the > Wellbutrin, but to take Klonopin if I feel like climbing the walls….. >This would be for OCD I forgot to add.  He doesn’t want to eliminate the >Prozac completely. > Didn’t I post about my concern about you going off Prozac altogether > since it is not only effective for depression but also for OCD (and > bulimia)? But I don’t see my post. Maybe I’m losing it??? I guess it’s > time to up my Neurontin dose. <Sigh

You are not losing it at all.  That was what prompted me to question the pdoc’s decision.  I am not sure that he was aware of the OCD, but he is now.   Don’t up the Neurontin sweets, I am the one that is losing it. With Love, Julie

Response:

<Posted and Mailed to Julez> > >> > Please talk with your pdoc about this issue. > > I called him and he said to take 20 mg of Prozac a day and also the > > Wellbutrin, but to take Klonopin if I feel like climbing the walls….. > >This would be for OCD I forgot to add.  He doesn’t want to eliminate the > >Prozac completely. > Didn’t I post about my concern about you going off Prozac altogether > since it is not only effective for depression but also for OCD (and > bulimia)? But I don’t see my post. Maybe I’m losing it??? I guess it’s > time to up my Neurontin dose. <Sigh!> >You are not losing it at all.  That was what prompted me to question the >pdoc’s decision.  I am not sure that he was aware of the OCD, but he is >now.   >Don’t up the Neurontin sweets, I am the one that is losing it.

I figured out what happened. I use Agent (which is an integrated News reader and email program). I must have clicked upon the email only reply button. So that is why it didn’t get posted. DUH! You may find that the antidepressive effects of Neurontin will decrease after a few days and leave predominantly the mood stabilizing effect. >With Love, >Julie

Lots of love from, James

Response:

> What I have been told by my doctores is this:  Prozac is not a long lasting > pill, so going off it ‘cold turkey’ can’t hurt you at all….  we either

My doc said the same thing due to the long half life and the build-up in my system. > take it and feel the effects, or when we stop we just stop…..  This might > be wrong info, but I wanted to let you  know they did that with me and I > didn’t feel any differance…. it did however take a lot longer when they > put me on it again to get it into my system.  I hope you do ok, this ride > is hell sometimes. Angel

Thanks Angel – your name suits you perfectly! Julie

Response:

   (I wrote) My question is: when switching to a new SSRI, and going cold turkey off the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal effects?  I know, your body may vary : ) > The half life of Prozac is 2 – 3 days. Norfloxetine, the primary active > metabolite, has an elimination rate half life of 7 – 9 days. It is > excreted by the kidneys and metabolized primarily in the liver. > IMHO, stopping Prozac abruptly while starting Wellbutrin has the > potential of triggering a mania as Prozac is still in your system. The > half life of Wellbutrin is 8 – 24 hours. It is also excreted via the > kidneys and metabolized in the liver.

Right as usual kiddo, manic is the story of my life since OCTOBER, in varying degrees.  This brought it on pretty good. > Both drugs should be used with caution in peoplw who have impaired renal > or liver disease. > Please talk with your pdoc about this issue.

I called him and he said to take 20 mgs of prozac a day and also the wellbutrin, but to take klonopin if I feel like climbing the walls….. hmmmm Thanks Lynda, hope you are feeling better! Julie

Response:

> > Please talk with your pdoc about this issue.

 I called him and he said to take 20 mgs of prozac a day and also the  wellbutrin, but to take klonopin if I feel like climbing the walls….. This would be for OCD I forgot to add.  He doesn’t want to eliminate the prozac completely. Julie

Response:

<Posted and Mailed to Julez> > > Please talk with your pdoc about this issue. > I called him and he said to take 20 mg of Prozac a day and also the > Wellbutrin, but to take Klonopin if I feel like climbing the walls….. >This would be for OCD I forgot to add.  He doesn’t want to eliminate the >Prozac completely.

Didn’t I post about my concern about you going off Prozac altogether since it is not only effective for depression but also for OCD (and bulimia)? But I don’t see my post. Maybe I’m losing it??? I guess it’s time to up my Neurontin dose. <Sigh!> >Julie

James — the Puzzled

Response:

Tapering off is really just a formality with Prozac. It takes so long to leave your body that quitting abruptly shouldn’t be a problem. Still, if in doubt, taper. Keith – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hey There: >I haven’t been following the group for about a week…. I need to catch >up : ) >I took prozac successfully for six months. For some strange reason, it >has me smoking cigarette’s again, after quitting for 2 whole years!!! >Also on (Neurontin and Klonopin)…. >My Doctor stopped the Prozac cold turkey, (ouch,) and now has me on >wellbutrin instead. >My question is: when switching to a new SSRI, and going cold turkey off >the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal >effects?  I know, your body may vary : ) >Any experience out there – Please let me know. >Thanks. >Julie

Response:

>What I have been told by my doctores is this:  Prozac is not a long lasting >pill, so going off it ‘cold turkey’ can’t hurt you at all….  we either >take it and feel the effects, or when we stop we just stop…..  This might >be wrong info, but I wanted to let you  know they did that with me and I >didn’t feel any difference…. it did however take a lot longer when they >put me on it again to get it into my system.  I hope you do ok, this ride >is hell sometimes. Angel

Angel, I have to disagree with your doctors. The effects of Prozac do stay with a person for a considerable period of time. It is well known that when a person "rechallenges" any particular medication, it may not prove as effective as it originally did. Some tolerance or resistance may be built up. http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/fluoxetine_cp.htm Accumulation and Slow Elimination — The relatively slow elimination of fluoxetine (elimination half-life of 1 to 3 days after acute administration and 4 to 6 days after chronic administration) and its active metabolite, norfluoxetine (elimination half-life of 4 to 16 days after acute and chronic administration), leads to significant accumulation of these active species in chronic use and delayed attainment of steady state, even when a fixed dose is used. After 30 days of dosing at 40 mg/day, plasma concentrations of fluoxetine in the range of 91 to 302 ng/mL and norfluoxetine in the range of 72 to 258 ng/mL have been observed. Plasma concentrations of fluoxetine were higher than those predicted by single-dose studies, because fluoxetine’s metabolism is not proportional to dose. Norfluoxetine, however, appears to have linear pharmacokinetics. Its mean terminal half-life after a single dose was 8.6 days and after multiple dosing was 9.3 days. Steady state levels after prolonged dosing are similar to levels seen at 4-5 weeks. The long elimination half-lives of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine assure that, even when dosing is stopped, active drug substance will persist in the body for weeks (primarily depending on individual patient characteristics, previous dosing regimen, and length of previous therapy at discontinuation). This is of potential consequence when drug discontinuation is required or when drugs are prescribed that might interact with fluoxetine and norfluoxetine following the discontinuation of Prozac. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hey There: > I haven’t been following the group for about a week…. I need to catch > up : ) > I took Prozac successfully for six months. For some strange reason, it > has me smoking cigarette’s again, after quitting for 2 whole years!!! > Also on (Neurontin and Klonopin)…. > My Doctor stopped the Prozac cold turkey, (ouch,) and now has me on > Wellbutrin instead. > My question is: when switching to a new SSRI, and going cold turkey off > the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal > effects?  I know, your body may vary : ) > Any experience out there – Please let me know. > Thanks. > Julie

Response:

Hi Julez, > I took prozac successfully for six months. For some strange reason, it has > me smoking cigarette’s again, after quitting for 2 whole years!!!

Sorry about that. > Also on (Neurontin and Klonopin)…. > My Doctor stopped the Prozac cold turkey, (ouch,) and now has me on > wellbutrin instead. > My question is: when switching to a new SSRI, and going cold turkey off > the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal > effects?  I know, your body may vary : )

The half life of Prozac is 2 – 3 days. Norfloxetine, the primary active metabolite, has an elimination rate half life of 7 – 9 days. It is excreted by the kidneys and metabolized primarily in the liver. IMHO, stopping Prozac abruptly while starting Wellbutrin has the potential of triggering a mania as Prozac is still in your system. The half life of Wellbutrin is 8 – 24 hours. It is also excreted via the kidneys and metabolized in the liver. Both drugs should be used with caution in peoplw who have impaired renal or liver disease. Please talk with your pdoc about this issue. Peace, Reach beyond your grasp!

Response:

What I have been told by my doctores is this:  Prozac is not a long lasting pill, so going off it ‘cold turkey’ can’t hurt you at all….  we either take it and feel the effects, or when we stop we just stop…..  This might be wrong info, but I wanted to let you  know they did that with me and I didn’t feel any differance…. it did however take a lot longer when they put me on it again to get it into my system.  I hope you do ok, this ride is hell sometimes. Angel – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hey There: > I haven’t been following the group for about a week…. I need to catch > up : ) > I took prozac successfully for six months. For some strange reason, it > has me smoking cigarette’s again, after quitting for 2 whole years!!! > Also on (Neurontin and Klonopin)…. > My Doctor stopped the Prozac cold turkey, (ouch,) and now has me on > wellbutrin instead. > My question is: when switching to a new SSRI, and going cold turkey off > the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal > effects?  I know, your body may vary : ) > Any experience out there – Please let me know. > Thanks. > Julie

Response:

<Posted and Mailed to Julez> >Hey There: >I haven’t been following the group for about a week…. I need to catch >up : ) >I took Prozac successfully for six months. For some strange reason, it >has me smoking cigarette’s again, after quitting for 2 whole years!!! >Also on (Neurontin and Klonopin)….

Are you sure that you resuming smoking is due to Prozac rather than some additional stressor in your life? >My Doctor stopped the Prozac cold turkey, (ouch,) and now has me on >Wellbutrin instead.

You have been on Prozac long enough for it to have built up to a steady state in your system. It is NOT a good idea to go off it cold turkey!!! The effects will remain with you for quite a while I’m afraid. The reason for switching to Wellbutrin is sound IMO. It is the same as Zyban — the antismoking pill you see advertised. I hope it adds in reducing your cravings for nicotine. >My question is: when switching to a new SSRI,

Prozac is an SSRI but Wellbutrin is not — it affects dopamine. >and going cold turkey off >the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal >effects?  I know, your body may vary : )

Maybe? Also are you cutting back on smoking, wearing a nicotine patch, chewing nicotine gum, or what??? All of these will effect how you will feel. >Any experience out there – Please let me know.

I’ve never had problems with nicotine, alcohol, or illegal drugs so I’m afraid I can’t give any personal experiences in any of those areas. >Thanks. >Julie

Best wishes for success from, James

Response:

Hey There: I haven’t been following the group for about a week…. I need to catch up : ) I took prozac successfully for six months. For some strange reason, it has me smoking cigarette’s again, after quitting for 2 whole years!!! Also on (Neurontin and Klonopin)…. My Doctor stopped the Prozac cold turkey, (ouch,) and now has me on wellbutrin instead. My question is: when switching to a new SSRI, and going cold turkey off the Prozac at the same time, can I still expect some heavy withdrawal effects?  I know, your body may vary : ) Any experience out there – Please let me know. Thanks. Julie

Response: