, in response to your questions..

[Guest guest]

Hi Cathrine, june 5, 2008

In response to your questions about my current " supplements " :

I began taking Prozac for severe depression after a mental breakdown

at work from job reorganization stress, and a narcissistic boss for 5

years. the bullying brought out PTSD from my abusive father. And

Chronic Anxiety Disorder. I have therapy every 2 weeks for 10 years.

and a homeopath. and a medical Dr put me on Prozac and doesn't get

the withdrawal problem. depression and ptsd and anxiety much better.

also learning meditation, hike when i can and play piano. retired

since the nervous breakdown.

Which homeopathic remedies are you taking?

I have been treated with Causticum 12c (boiron brand)2tabs once a day

plus single stronger doses once every 6 months, and for 13 years for

asthma and other autoimmune symptoms.

How many milligrams of EPA? Is there any DHA included in the EPA

product? I take Throne Super EPA One gelcap daily with 425 mg EPA

and 270 mg of DHA each. i have problems taking more than one a day,

namely diarrhea.

I also take Complementary prescriptions Co enzyme Q10 2 caps daily of

30 mg. each cap.

For ligaments and tendons i take Ligaplex II by Standard Process Inc.

(SP) 2 caps a day. Among a lot of things in 2 caps it has 35 mg

manganese, and magnesium in the proprietary blend.

Are you taking the products from The Road Back? No, i just was

reading it.

I take SP Multizyme 2 caps per day, with 337 mg, in a blend of fig,

almond, procreatin, fatty acids, bromalin, papian, amylase, lipase.

Ive taken Prozac for 3 years 20 mg per day (2 10mg. caps daily) and

decreased a 10 mg cap every two weeks since Feb 23, 2008. till i was

down to one cap a day, then i decreased a 10 mg tab once every three

weeks. when i was on 4 caps a week, i began to have symptoms. I

returned to 7 caps a week at one a day on May 24. and continue that

now.

Symptoms while taking Prozac: I had to begin very slowly because of

nausea. Stomach pains in upper l. quadrant, off and on, and

palpitations, acid reflux,(treated with Rolaids) one episode so

severe i choked and could not breath, spent the night in the ER. Dry

throat. lots of abdominal gas, burping that cause chest pain.

Ligament and tendon injuries (treated with ibuprofen and therapy).

Symptoms while discontinuing Prozac: I was OK until 2 weeks ago when

i got the severe Upper L quadrant pain, dry mouth, abdominal

cramping, and loose stools, bloating and gas, dizzy about 1 time a

day, 1 panic attack-couldn't breath (but not choking this time)with

fear of death. irritability, anxiety increased the stomach pains

which lasted 10 days after i went back to 10 mg per day. I wrote in

my first message treatment for this..but I'm off it since Sunday.

I also read that tagamet can cause depression.

I figured that 4-6 weeks before the severe symptoms began i was on

one capsule of 10mg a day. Considering the half life, i was probably

experiencing symptoms from that that cut in dose. Also, if i went

back that far i would quit skipping days of Prozac.

I also fell 2x during this period, walking the dog, Feb. 28 once for

a severe sprained ankle(in a brace for 3 weeks) and I fell again and

broke the same ankle on may 23.treated with ibuprofen, 600mg 3x a

day. the dog is frisky but maybe i was off balance too, cutting the

Prozac.

I read that women taking ibuprofen and Prozac had more problems with

gastric bleeding, so no ibuprofen for about a week.

Now i have been better today, and i just have the dizziness once a

day or so. i have the acid indigestion, As the severe stomach pain

finally tapered off, i had flu symptoms(yesterday)relieved by a long

nap..

I do feel very hungry when i wake up in the morning and every couple

or three hours during the day. Ive always eaten chocolate in the

afternoons for energy, i don't do caffeine. but during this period

of discontinuing the Prozac, i have really been eating a lot of ice

cream and cookies. Ive given them up after reading your articles,

but slipped 2 times. craving sweets i guess would say. adding lots

of vegis though, and increased protein each meal. dropped all other

white carbs..

I grew up in San Diego and now live in L.A. Had a bad episode of mono

in 1986 and was diagnosed with chemical sensitivities at that time.

i worked in a hospital for 28 years, with all its chemicals and they

paint all around you constantly. after 1986, i refused to work in

the paint fumes, but there are all the other chemicals there, too. i

would get achy all over and verrrry tired and headaches. i couldn't

go in a store. i eliminated all the chemicals i could find from my

house, and food and clothes. It seams a lot better now, but I'm

careful not to shop too much. I'm dyslexic too. and allergic to

Penicillin. Ive been watching my thyroid levels since a thyroid storm

i had in 1998, they are OK..

Thanks a lot for your interest in helping people like me. I'm very

much helped by all your articles. i hope i have given you the

details you need, and sorry this is so long.

Particiamargaret

>

> > Hi, I've come here because I've been told there is a connection

> > between seritonin and the stomach. I've been having really bad

pains

> > in my stomach, so I'm looking for a remedy. Have any of you had

this

> > experience??? Upper Left belly pain??

> >

> > I've been on Prozac for 2 or 3 years, 20 mg QD. Ive been working

very

> > hard with a therapist and psychologically much different now.

> > Feb 23, 2008 I tapered my dose by 10mg a week decrease every 2

weeks.

> > ex: i took one less pill of 10 mg every 2 weeks.

> > About this time I severely sprained my ankle and was in a cast.

> > I began eating more milk products.

> > When i got down to 6 tablets of 10 mg a week i waited 3 weeks to

> > taper it again.

> > and then after 3 weeks at 6 I tapered to 5 for three weeks.

> > About this time I broke my ankle and I am in a cast for 8 weeks,

> > Dr said x rays indicate my bone density is fine, but we'll check

June

> > 2, 2008.

> > About a week ago when i tapered to 4 pills a week (by skipping

every

> > other day and 2 days)

> >

> > I began having severe stomach pains,

> > similar to an ulcer I experienced years ago.

> > Ive been treating it with tagamet 200hb q 12hr. and today i will

> > begin to take Zymex (for IBS) supplements 2 per meal again.

> >

> > I understand the serotonin affects the stomach too, so I'm

returning

> > to 7 tabs a week until this is resolved.

> > Ive been reading web sites about Prozac withdrawal,

> > One called " THE ROAD BACK " (is about natural healing and uses

amino

> > acids, fish oil, vit e, barley, super barley, passion flowers).

> > This company says to avoid other big changes in exercise, diet,

> > treatment time of day, etc.

> > I figure the broken leg has created such a stress-or, and put me

in

> > withdrawals.

> >

> > So that's how Ive decided to proceed right now.

> > I'm just taking the 10mg Prozac a day and I'm taking my

homeopathic

> > remedy 2tabs q AM. and the EPA 1 qday.

> > Other wise, I'm not taking the enzymes (4), the Q10 (2), the

ligaplex

> > (2), choeleast(4), the calcium(1), the vitamins(1), the ibuprofen

> > (2prn), Rolaids (4-6prn), because my stomach is soooo up set.

> >

> > I'm also having trouble understanding the messages on this board,

how

> > are they arrainged, and related??

> >

> > I have the most respect for your endevours to treat this

naturally, i

> > see no other way out. and need some help...

> >

> >

> >

> > Dear ,

>

>

>

> The serotonin connection to the stomach is because the vast

majority of

> serotonin receptors are in the gut (over 90%). You are

experiencing this

> because you are withdrawing *MUCH* too quickly. While stress does

odd

> things, it is not responsible for your withdrawal. The aggressive

> withdrawal schedule is the culprit Also, the skipping of days only

serves

> to yank your body all over the place and making the withdrawal

worse.

>

>

>

>

>

> Which homeopathic remedies are you taking? How many milligrams

of EPA?

> Is there any DHA included in the EPA product? Are you taking the

products

> from The Road Back?

>

>

> The trick now is to figure out the last dose that had you

stabilized.

> Because Prozac has such a long half-life (16 days or more), most of

the time

> you were into the next reduction before your body had the time to

adjust to

> the first. Who told you to do this in this way?

>

>

> You haven't said how you felt each step of the way on the

withdrawal. I

> can help you with this. More detailed info on how you were feeling

will

> help. I'll also need a list of everything you are taking. Please

include

> substance, brand, dose, and frequency. Here is an example:

>

>

> Carlson's Liquid Fish Oil, 1 Tablespoon 2x a day

> Solaray Gingo Biloba, 60 mg, 2 capsules two times a day for a

total of

> 240 mg.

> Prozac, 10mg, 1 cap 1x a day

>

>

> The things you are taking for your stomach are not necessary.

In

> fact, this is one of your symptoms (the stomach symptom) to use to

gauge

> whether you should are titrating your Prozac dose too quickly or by

too

> much.

>

>

> On a positive note, Prozac is actually simpler to discontinue

than many

> other psychotropic drugs. The symptoms (some are avoidable while

others

> aren't) are gentler than they are from other drugs.

>

>

> As far as reading the messages, click on " MESSAGES " in the left

hand

> column on the home page, then, after the messages open up, right

above them

> you will see an option to " EXPAND " . Click on this. The first

message you

> will see is the most recent. Decide where you want to read from

(the week?)

> then decide if you want to sort by date (on the right top before the

> messages) or just go to the bottom of the page and click " OLDER " a

few times

> until you go back as far as you want to. You can also use the

search box

> though it is pretty general. If you are still having difficulty

after

> reading this, try the HELP section on Yahoo Groups.

>

>

> I look forward to hearing from you.

>

> Regards,

>

>