Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: moonbeam121167 on August 08, 2013, 12:46:38 PM
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Can Prozac cause stomach issues, I never thought it could be the prozac but I took mine this morning and GOD my stomach is burning, I have an irritated stomach and I am on pills for it but never thought it could be the prozac making it worse, I have been on them for years , I sometimes dont swallow them properly and they get stuck and burn bad and thats what my stomach feels like, I thought I would start tapering off them, I know they stay in your system for a long time and so can take a while to come off them and if they are making my stomach worse I want to come off them anyone have any advice or answers, except to tell me to stop coming on here and moaning :(
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I would go to your GP and tell him/her - I'm not on Prozac but if they can get stuck and burn on the way down then they can burn once they are in there. Also, your stomach changes as you get older, I now have GERD which I never used to usffer from. Get it checked out - better safe than sorry eh?
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I have a GP appointment on the 27th August but I am going to wean off them slowly, as I have been on them long enough and if it helps stop my stomach probs then I think it could be worth it.
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Indigestion is down as one of the common side effects http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineSideEffects.aspx?condition=Depression&medicine=Prozac Do you take them with food?
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Always take tablets with cold liquid too.
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Hi yes and after food, I am on Lanszoparzole and Climival 2mg but my stomach is causing me jip big time, burning and nausea and the only thing I have taken for years is Prozac, I thought its time to come off them and hopefully it will help with my stomach and its heeling if I do, less chemicals the better.............
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Didn't your endoscopy result show an inflamed stomach some time ago? If you were prescribed the lansoprazole and it isn't working then you need to go back to your GP. It's no use just thinking it might be the prozac, stopping taking it, becoming depressed again and still having stomach problems which would make you feel even worse. Far better to explain to your doc that you still have this problem and need to be referred for another endoscopy.
Taz
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I would have thought it would have been causing symptoms before today, if you have been on them for years.
Some drugs cannot be taken with fruit juices for instance.
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I have asked before but have you looked at your diet. Stomach issues are caused or aggravated by something and sometimes you have to go back to basics and start again.
If you have been taking Prozac for years it's highly unlikely that it's this that's causing your problems. It's more likely to be the HRT. Think back to when the problems started and the think what medication you were taking at the time.
You are going round in circles with this.
Honeyb
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Hi yes I know I am going round in circles but I need to get this sorted and the GP just says it cant be the HRT,I have been on and off these stomach pills for months and they are not helping, had been on Omperazole before I had the Hysterectomy and it still is causing me problems and the only thing that I have been on continuously is the Prozac, I will ask my GP when I see her next but till then I am going to try very slowly wean myself off the Prozac. I eat healthly, dont smoke or drink, dont eat chocolate, stopped eating curries, drink 2 cups of tea a day, drink Chamomile tea, I have tried not drinking cows milk but to no avail, stopped eating butter but still my stomach is burning, feels like well like my stomach is pushing up against my ribs, my head is foggy and I am miserable and feel the Prozac is not helping anyway, I am sorry for going over old ground and I seem to bore you but it is affecting my life, went to the pictures yesterday and ate popcorn god I felt awfully during the film , just need help..............
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No you are not boring anyone.
Can you not get an emergency appointment. Waiting to the end of the month is not helping.
Why don't you phone in the morning and insist.
Honeyb
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They will fob me off with a locum, last one I saw was not helpful at all, there is only 2 doctors worth any salt in my surgery and to get to see them you have to wait, I will see if I can see one of them tomorrow as I need something for down below ie Vagifem and to maybe ask about HRT in the gel form but will not hold my breath, I have tried everything to help and maybe I am not helping but quitting the Prozac after all these years is not such a bad thing anyway and once I have come off it then I may try something like St Johns Wort or something natural if I need something, thanks for listening, all I want is to feel good again thats all :)
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moombeam, you're not boring anyone, don't think that, everyone is trying to help.
I know how you feel, at the minute i am in awful pain when i walk or stand and i can't get to the bottom of what is causing it and i think that's an awful place to be, as you don't know which way to turn, what to take and what not.
I think you should ring your surgery and tell them that you really need to be seen and that you can't wait, they always have emergency appointments and can fit you in if they have to.
Sometimes you have to be a bit pushy, i know that's easy to say because i myself can be a bit of a push over but i have in the past stood my ground with gp receptionist and insisted that i get an appointment, call them in the morning and let us know. kerrie
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Thanks both of you, I will try the GP again tomorrow and I will let you know thankssssssssssss............
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Phone them first thing and say you need to one of the regular doctors as you need continuity.
Let us know how you get on.
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Listen! hiatus hernia is 'common' at our age >:( ::) and we are advised to eat little and often.
DO NOT stop the Prozac however good you feel right now. DO NOT take it then lay down; leave at least one hour before bedtime.
You may need a different antacid. Some people have to try a few before they find one which suits their gut. Good old milk of magnesia or Rennies is enough for me, though I may need to take more than recommended in order to stop the heartburn.
Sitting up at night can help if the burning is bad.
Do not eat acidic food stuffs.
Acitmel can be soothing as can LIVE yoghurt.
Eat bland food stuffs for a while, i.e. grilled chicken with the skin r emoved, no butter/fats, green veg., bananas ............
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I agree CLKD. When I first started coming off all my stomach medication I went on the white diet for at least a month. Rice, chicken, fish, potatoes, plain yogurt. Nothing with any colour and then added in other things slowly.
It gave my stomach a complete rest and got me off medication completely.
Honeyb
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Thanks for your advice, if I felt the Prozac was helping I would struggle on with them but they dont , I am always snapping at my kids and hubby, miserable and they suppose to help but they dont, wanted to come off them ages ago and now I think is a could time, less crap for my poor stomach to put up with, they more than probs not causing my stomach to burn but I think after about 10 yrs ish it is time to come off them anyway. I do take double action Gavasion if and when need , eat properly and as I said I dont drink or smoke no more, I am going back on Omperazole as the Lanszopazole are not helping and when I see my GP I am going to tell her I want to change to a different HRT and want some Vagferm , I watched a Chris Steele interview and I am convinced I have VA and hopefully I can get things sorted once and for all :)
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You may need a higher doseage of Prozac rather than less. DO NOT stop them without advice. This is a very difficult drug to go cold turkey with and will need a suipervised weaning programme - it can take 3/4 months! If your brain then retaliates you might be another 3/4 months finding another AD to suit :-\ (been there, done that :-\ )
Get the VA sorted. Taking a list of symptoms to the GP/Practice Nurse might be a starting point.
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Hi thanks again for your words of advice xx
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You are very welcome. Sometimes when we take a lot of meds we wonder which: if any: are causing symptoms. Speak to or get a visit with your prescribing GP. Then let us know!
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Hi well today all I want to do is cry, I feel so miserable my head feels empty, all I want to do is sleep, I snap at everyone, I have no energy nothing, I have been feeling like this for a few days but today its bad, thats why I want to come off the Prozac they suppose to help this , its like bad PMT over again, is HRT also suppose to help with hormones, scared to ring GP as this last yr I spent more time in GP than home and I think they think I am a Hypochondriac, I really cant deal with no more, I am holding back the tears at the moment, dont know what to do :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
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HORMONES! that crashing fatigue is quite common. I remember it well. Be kind to yourself. If you are able to, have a good cry. It will clear your head. PMT is helped by eating properly every day all month through. Little and often.
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What do are do about this Hormones crashing, is it cause but HRT is not right or what, do I need to change them please helpx
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It's not crashing hormones. It's exhaustion caused at this time of our lives. Even those of us who have settled on HRT can still have this.
Are you sure that it's not the withdrawal from Prozac that's causing your tiredness. You have been on it for a long time.
Perhaps you should wait until you see your GP before you stop or start anything else.
Hope you get an answer to your problems soon.
Honeyb
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Hi no cause I took a Prozac on Thursday, so it cant be them, and since I have not had one my stomach has not burned as much, I think I will have to ring GP as I cant go on feeling like this it isn't fair on my family or me, but when I saw her last and mentioned VA she didnt say much, said o its thrush gave me Canasteen and thats it and when I saw the Locom GP he said o its an infection and give me more pills and that was that, so you can see why I am afraid to go back cause they dont take me serious, its been just over 7 months since my op but still I dont see the light at the end of this tunnel ....................... x
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You won't feel you are making progress if you are being fobbed off >:(. Go along and tell the GP or Practice Nurse that you have vaginal atrophy and would like treatment for it. Tell them to read the threads on here ;)
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Hi moonbeam
Sorry to hear you are suffering like this, I had the same problems some time ago before I was menopausal, I was on omeprazole for 7 years and has several endoscopies, I was treated for reflux and ibs. In the end I demanded a scan as I had never had one, it revealed I had gall stones, fairly severe as I kept getting bouts of inflamed pancreas, once this was sorted I was fine. However it flailed up again when I started on hrt, the evorel was worse I am now on femseven and it seams to have settled, my gp agrees that the hrt can cause this.
Good luck
Shellb
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Hi all I have been off Prozac since Wednesday and my stomach feels not so bad and so far touch wood I am feeling only a little bit jittery, I know it is still only early days but I feel coming off the Prozac is the right thing to do and as long as I do go off the rails to much I am hoping I can keep off them , I think if tweaking my HRT or changing the route I hope I will come out OK , I have the GP in 2 weeks whether I can last till then is another matter but we will see :-\
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I'm not sure it's a good idea to just stop them - tapering off is a better idea if you don't want to suffer withdrawal symptoms. However it does have the longest half-life of any of the SSRI's so you will probably still be feeling ok by the time you see the GP and can get advice then. It seems to take around a month if you have been on them long term before the effects of withdrawal begin to be felt.
Taz
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I know I should do it gradually but not sure whats the best way to do it, have one a week then one a fortnight, I have been off them for 5 days, so any advice on how to do it properly
thanks
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I would have thought. 3/4 of your daily amount for a couple of weeks, then half and then a quarter.
I am sure if you look online there will be advice there. I think having been on them for so long to stop so abruptly could be dangerous. You need to get advice about this.
Honeyb
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Hi. I always get terrible acid reflux if I don't take Prozac with food. So make sure you have an adequate amount to eat immediately after swallowing the stuff. Hope this helps. x
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Hi all, its been a week since I took the last 1/2 a Capulet , stomach feels good but I have noticed I am feeling miserable and snapping at everyone, GP what I am doing is ok and thinks after 10 yrs its about time I came off them. Not sure what to do for the best, any advice or help please. :)
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What did your GP say about your HRT and your stomach problems ? I thought that was what you wanted to get sorted out.
I hope you are a bit further forward with those two issues. Good to hear your stomach is a bit better though.
Honeyb
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Hi my GP said its about time I came off the Prozac, and my stomach has not caused me much problems and the withdrawal symptoms have been ok but yesterday and today I have noticed that I have been feeling very moody short tempered and all I seem to do is snap at everyone, I am not going back on Prozac as I feel they were not helping, all I take on a daily basis is my HRT and my stomach pills but I think I need something or could it still be the withdrawal symptoms of the Prozac and I should give it more time dunno what to do ???
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It may sound daft but what is it that you don't know what to do? :-\
Taz
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Are you thinking of another AD perhaps.
Maybe your HRT is not suiting perhaps and that's what is causing your mood swings. Perhaps it's the progesterone that's causing the mood swings. What did your GP say about the HRT that you are on. I thought that's what you wanted to sort out.
Bit confused
Honeyb
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Abrupt withdrawal does seem to be something that isn't thought to be good http://www.livestrong.com/article/29521-prozac-withdrawal-symptoms/
Taz
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I had heard that before Taz. It can take a long long while to withdraw from this kind of thing.
Doctors fail to mention that kind of thing when they write the prescription.
It really sounds as if what you are experiencing is withdrawal symptoms. Perhaps you should have come off slower.
Hope you feel much better soon.
Honeyb
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It took me 9 weeks to reduce and stop one AD. Prozac is 'known' for being difficult to withdraw from :-\
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Hi thanks for your replys, just need to take to someone to talk too, I have not suddenly stopped the Prozac I have been weaning off slowly. The GP said nothing about the HRT, all she said its good that I am coming off the Prozac. I felt OK when I saw her, it has only been yesterday and today that I have been feeling moody , snappy, its been 8 days since I took 1/2 a Prozac and I have now taken another half and I will wait around 14 days till I have then next half and then 3 weeks for the next and then a month for the last one and hope it will help. I do not want to take AD's , hoping once the Prozac has finally out of my system, I will feel ok and all I will need is my HRT and stomach pills, sorry to be a moaner again, just need to hang on in there x
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You will feel moody and snappy, your brain is adjusting to lack of support. How is your diet in the meantime?
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Hi my diet is ok, I eat properly, only eat maybe a banana or pear a day, eat veg most days, eat cereal but with skimmed milk, drink tea and chamomile tea, do not drink or smoke, was wondering if taking Omega 3 will help or just a good quality vit and minerals will do, been on the Prozac for so long and I have felt it has never really helped me, GP at one stage upped them to 40mg but it never helped so went down to 20mg , I am a stressy person, my son has ADHD and he is hard work, my hubby is great but has to work, my other 3 children work and when they are about just mother him or boss him about which dont help, have had a bad few years either health or work have gone wrong or problems with kids and has not helped but things are slowly getting better, thats why I felt giving up the Prozac was the right time now and I know ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY and need to give it timexx
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It was just that in your previous post you said that you had been off prozac for five days so I am no sure how this is weaning off. You need to taper the daily amount i.e. if you are on 20mg a day you need to cut to 10mg a day if you want to avoid side effects.
Taz
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Hi , I went from 20mg every day to every other day for a week then 10mg every few days and then every week and thought I would now leave it for 2 weeks till I have another 10mg, or do you have any advice on the tapering off
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What did your GP say.
I have to say I am really confused. I know you have had heartburn issues but I thought you wanted to get your HRT type and amount sorted.
Your symptoms could be withdrawal from Prozac or from not having addressed the HRT that you are on.
Sorry if I am being a bit dense but I am really not sure what the problem is or what is causing it.
Honeyb
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Hi my GP insists my stomach problems have nothing to do with my HRT as I had the problems before my OP, it could all be down to my peri menopause and now menopause, the Omperazole is helping and since I have not taken the Prozac every day my stomach as be a little better and cause it has been around 10 years since I have been on them its time to come off them and the GP thinks it is a good idea too. She never said how to come off them and so I have been google searching and tapering off them is the best way, so I started with 20mg every few days then I went down to 10mg every few days and I had a 10mg today and it has been 8 days since the last one and I maybe it is just the signs of the withdrawal symptoms and I just needed a ear to bash, sorry to be confusing , I had a good couple of weeks but yesterday and today has been hard but I think I need to give my self time and just thought someone can help on the tapering off Prozac and was told that a good Omega 3 can help :)
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You need to reduce the daily dose so that you are still having some every day. http://www.livestrong.com/article/29521-prozac-withdrawal-symptoms/
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Hi just look at that link and it does not tell how to do it but it also has other links saying that Omega 3 can help so I think a I will try some Omega 3 and hopefully things will gets better :)
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Hi moonbeam
I understand from talking to other people that the only way to come off prozac or similar without side effects is through micro-tapering and this can take several months, but could be shorter depending on how your body reacts. You need to get a prescription for the medication as a liquid and then you carefully measure the dose and take each dose for a while before a very small reduction. There are forums for this. It depends on how quickly you want to come off and whether you can put up with certain side effects.
Here is a link which gives details of tapering off Fluoxetine using the syrup:
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/759-tips-for-tapering-off-prozac-fluoxetine/
Hurdity x
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Hi just looked and thanks I will have to get hold of the liquid , the GP never mentioned anything about how to taper off, thanks for you help x :)
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Your GP is lacking in providing information. If you discussed thoroughly that you were considering stopping medication he should have given you coping skills in order to prevent as less trauma as possible. Particularly with the World Wide reporting of how difficult this drug is to stop. When I was confused I contacted the Company who made the particular drug I wanted to stop and was given good advice which I took to my GP and we worked on a withdrawal strategy.