The following information is intended to supplement, not substitute, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or other healthcare professional. It should not be construed to indicate that using Prozac is safe or appropriate for you.

Prozac withdrawal symptoms can occur at any dosage. Prozac withdrawal symptoms can begin within eight hours of a missed dose and can last from one to eight weeks. The particularly nasty Prozac withdrawal symptoms can easily last beyond eight weeks.

Obviously, the best way to avoid Prozac withdrawal is to avoid Prozac. Consider using Deprex, the natural alternative, for depression symptoms. Deprex quickly, safely, effectively and gently eases depression symptoms without the side effects or withdrawal symptoms typically associated with Prozac and other antidepressants.

If already using Prozac, the best advice is to taper off slowly instead of going “cold turkey.” It is important to develop a specific tapering schedule with your health care provider to minimize Prozac withdrawl symptoms. Anyone discontinuing Prozac runs the risk of suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

Over 50 different symptoms have been reported with antidepressant withdrawal, with dizziness nausea, fatigue, headache, gait instability and insomnia the most common.

Withdrawal is most common with antidepressants that have a short half-life. A half-life is the amount of time it takes for half the drug to clear from your body. Effexor, tricyclics, MAOIs and most SSRIs all have the potential to cause withdrawal symptoms.

Of the SSRIs, Prozac generally causes the least amount of withdrawal symptoms because of its long half-life of two to four days. In comparison, Effexor has a half-life of about five hours. Effexor withdrawal symptoms can begin after missing a single dose.

Effexor, Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro top the “Worst Offenders” list of withdrawal symptoms. Almost 80 percent of people experience withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing Effexor. At least half the people who stop using Paxil experience withdrawal symptoms. The newer medications Serzone, Wellbutrin and Remeron rarely produce withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal Symptoms:
Anxiety
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headache
Insomnia
Nausea
Vomiting
Restlessness
Tremors
Visual hallucinations
Diarrhea
Blurred vision
Muscle and joint pain
Jolting electric "zaps”
Tingling sensations
Vertigo
Gait disturbances
Sweating
Fever
Abdominal discomfort
Flu symptoms and general malaise
Anorexia, agitation
Irritability
Aggression
Sleep disturbance and insomnia
Nightmares
Vivid dreams
Confusion
Memory and concentration difficulties
Lethargy
Weakness
Myalgia
Chills and hot flashes
Crying spells
Suicidal thoughts

One particularly disturbing antidepressant withdrawal symptom is hallucinations. While working through the physical and emotional effects of Prozac withdrawl symptoms, hallucinations can make the sufferer feel as if they are going crazy. You are not going crazy. You unwittingly became hooked on a drug that your doctor, by prescribing it, told you was okay.

Like Celex, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft and other SSRI antidepressants, Deprex aids in the production, increase and release of serotonin. Unlike prescriptive antidepressant medications, Deprex is a non-prescriptive, all-natural “antidepressant” that provides the necessary dietary precursors to complement the body's own ability to produce and release Serotonin. Deprex also affects Norepinephrine activity while reducing Cortisol secretion. This natural rebalancing of brain biochemistry calms anxiety while easing depression - all without side effects.

 

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