It may take one person a few weeks to feel nearly 100% recovered from the symptoms, while it may take another person several months before they feel 75% recovered. There is no telling how long you are going to experience withdrawal symptoms. I personally barely experienced any withdrawal from Prozac, but it took me over a year to psychologically recover from Paxil withdrawal.

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It’s also worth noting that some people may benefit from taking other medications to help manage withdrawal symptoms. For example, your doctor may prescribe a short-term course of a benzodiazepine such as Ativan or Valium to help ease anxiety and other symptoms. However, it is always best to consult with your doctor before stopping any medication, especially if you have been taking it for an extended period. Fluoxetine withdrawal can be hard on your mental health, so you must seek support.

• Some common Prozac withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, and insomnia.
• Suddenly stopping Prozac will cause a chemical imbalance in your brain, leading to withdrawal symptoms.
• All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
• Serotonin is the chemical in your brain that stabilizes your mood and makes you feel happier.
• Furthermore, prolonged drug abuse can exacerbate withdrawal symptoms making it nearly impossible for an individual to quit using drugs on their own.

However, in general, people will experience symptoms within a couple days of drug cessation, which may last for up to 2 weeks. In a small number of cases, people may experience withdrawal symptoms for more than a year. A 2019 review of existing research reports that 56% of people experience withdrawal effects when stopping various antidepressants. A study published in the medical journal the Lancet found significant withdrawal symptoms only affect about 1 in 35 people who use antidepressants.

How long does fluoxetine withdrawal last?

“Off-label” means that the medication has not been approved by the FDA for the specific condition the doctor is prescribing it for. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a type of molecule used by your nervous system to carry messages between your brain and body. Approximately 280 million people around the world have depression, according to the World Health Organization. People should work with a doctor to come up with a plan that best meets their needs.

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There, you will be met with trained professionals in dealing with situations like yours who will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible during your time there. When people abruptly stop taking Prozac, they may not immediately feel the withdrawal symptoms. Unlike other SSRIs, Prozac withdrawal symptoms can last up to two months as opposed to other medications that only cause withdrawal symptoms for a couple of weeks. At Charlotte Detox Center, an affiliate of Carolina Center for Recovery, we aim to provide readers with the most accurate and updated healthcare information possible. We adhere to strict accuracy guidelines and only reference credible sources when providing information on our website.

Certain factors, such as the speed of a person’s metabolism, may also cause withdrawal symptoms to appear more quickly or gradually. Despite its efficacy, discontinuing Prozac may result in withdrawal symptoms. Read on to learn more about signs and symptoms withdrawal symptoms of prozac and what to do to avoid or reduce them. These side effects may include sexual dysfunction, nausea, a loss of appetite, and sleep issues. These issues may cause some people to want to stop treatment with fluoxetine. For some people, fluoxetine and other SSRIs are important treatments that they must continue during their pregnancy to prevent the return of depressive symptoms.

Prozac Withdrawal: Symptoms, Relief, and General Information

While some of these symptoms are similar to those experienced in cases of anxiety and depression, they do not necessarily signify a relapse. For individuals coming off Prozac, uncontrolled depression symptoms can develop again and even escalate to suicidal ideation or self harm, seen more often in children and adolescent populations. If you cannot manage Prozac’s side effects, your doctor will create a safe tapering plan to help you switch medications or discontinue antidepressants entirely. Prozac withdrawal refers to the symptoms experienced when someone stops taking the medication, especially after prolonged use. Prozac, an SSRI, affects serotonin levels in the brain, and stopping it suddenly can cause withdrawal-like symptoms.

What should we expect when coming off of fluoxetine?

• Prozac withdrawal can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, so you must seek help immediately if experiencing these symptoms.
• Avenues Recovery Center specializes in providing comprehensive assistance for individuals dealing with Prozac withdrawal and abuse.
• Withdrawal symptoms often reach their peak within the initial one to two weeks after stopping the medication, but may persist for several weeks or even months.
• The withdrawal symptoms that you will experience coming off of Prozac may not be the same as someone else.
• In this article, I’ll talk more about Prozac, and what withdrawal from the medication involves—including symptoms, side effects, and ways to cope.

Prozac withdrawal can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, with individual experiences varying. Prozac withdrawal can result in dizziness, where you might feel unsteady or light-headed. To manage this, it’s crucial to gradually reduce your Prozac dosage under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Prozac withdrawal is the experience of negative side effects when someone stops taking the medication Prozac (a commonly prescribed antidepressant).

People should call a doctor if the side effects are severe but call 911 if they feel life threatening. To help distinguish between withdrawal symptoms and a return of depressive symptoms, it is important to consider when the symptoms first occurred and how they developed. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning (the FDA’s most serious warning) that Prozac usage may increase the risk of suicidality. If you are experiencing Prozac withdrawal, talk to your doctor about remedies that might help. They can refer you to a therapist, prescribe medications that may help, or suggest other approaches that you may find helpful. The good news is that among the SSRIs, Prozac is the least likely to cause withdrawal symptoms.