Hi, I'm AndyP

Hi I'm Andy been on fluoxetine for round about 11 or 12 years mostly at 40mg. Never really needed it went on for some very minor reactive depression then just didn't come off despite in retrospect it making me manic changing my personality (in a bad way) and giving me awful dreams. Finally thought "why am I taking this stuff?" and tried to get off according to my GP's guidelines and had awful withdrawals starting 6 weeks after my last dose. That heralded the worst 6 months of my life - couldn't work, or even leave the house at the worst point. Went back on up till 30mg. Then started slower taper once stabilised. Going great till I got to 4mg - was going down by 1mg every 6 weeks (so not as slow as recommended!) as I intended to start the recommended hyperbolic 10% schedule at 3mg. Never made it as crashed after 6 weeks on 4mg. Increased back to 6mg where I stabilised after 7 or 8 weeks. Now I am engaged in a strict 10% hyperbolic reduction programme. Just made reduction to 4.86mg which I intend to hold for 6 weeks. Going on these meds was the worst thing I ever did and I cringe at my behaviour over the years I was taking 40mg, and resent the last 4 years as I've tried to get off them. The personality changes and manic behaviour went once I got down to 10 maybe 20mg only then did I even gave the capacity to realise just how weird and occasionally unhinged my behaviour had been while on them. I'm now just fighting the withdrawal symptoms that threaten to engulf me if I dont get this taper just right. As I see it at this low dose all the therapeutic effects and thank goodness the personality changing effects of the meds have gone but the tiny amount I'm now taking is necessary to keep the brain receptors occupied to stave off any withdrawals while I get used to living without the drug.