Submitted by [deleted] in MentalWellbeing
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CoryImmediatism wrote
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications/Types-of-Medication/Fluoxetine-(Prozac) This is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. You may have some withdrawal side effects like possibly nightmares, headache, and the rest listed here.
Best luck! Take good care of yourself!
[deleted] wrote
CoryImmediatism wrote
your insurance won't pay for you to be hospitalized without a medical or psychiatric reason
[deleted] wrote
CoryImmediatism wrote
No. for the same reason the hospital doesn't want you for a broken leg when the broken leg happened in your past. Remember that hospital beds are limited and there is competition for them, often. But, you seem very keen to engage in convo about this. Maybe you should just phone your prescribing physician's office and talk with them about stopping your medication. They can change the dose or offer alternative medications if you didn't like that one. And of course, they can answer your questions that you are asking me.
CoryImmediatism wrote
You're quite welcome. Read the whole list of withdrawal symptoms at the link I shared and ask yourself if you could be hospitalized for any of those symptoms.
[deleted] wrote
CoryImmediatism wrote
your insurance wouldn't pay for anyone to do it
zephyr wrote
fluoxetine is very slowly cleared from the body (over a week to reduce the body concentration by half) so stopping it quickly isn't a problem. no physiological withdrawal. i've been on and off it several times.
you can only be committed if you say you are thinking about killing yourself or you threaten violence to someone else. even if you are a minor, no one can commit you because you stopped taking a prescribed drug.
celebratedrecluse wrote
you can only be committed if you say you are thinking about killing yourself or you threaten violence to someone else. even if you are a minor, no one can commit you because you stopped taking a prescribed drug.
This varies by country! Please clarify which country you mean.
OP: verify the laws for your country!
zephyr wrote
i'm referring to the u.s. and more specifically to new york and to information i have read about other states.
celebratedrecluse wrote
Thank you for the information, I am sure it will help others
[deleted] wrote
zephyr wrote
that's my understanding which unfortunately doesn't qualify for 100% sure. i just spent over an hour searching for some documentation for new york state laws/regulations without success. but i can't imagine any hospital that would admit a minor whose parent was committing them because they stopped taking an antidepressant.
NoPotatoes wrote (edited )
Fluoxetine's longer half-life makes it less common to develop discontinuation syndrome following cessation of therapy, especially when compared to antidepressants with shorter half-lives such as paroxetine. Although gradual dose reductions are recommended with antidepressants with shorter half-lives, tapering may not be necessary with fluoxetine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxetine#Discontinuation_syndrome
To be extra safe, you can take one pill tomorrow, then another 5 days after that, then 8 days after that, then 13 days, and so on. That might be overkill, though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant_discontinuation_syndrome
[deleted] wrote
NoPotatoes wrote
can they "hospitalize" me if i'm otherwise totally functioning and happy?
No idea. Likely depends on jurisdiction. Might depend on if you had been institutionalized before, and what the terms of your release were. Also I think you are a minor, so your parents might be able to hospitalize you against your will.
Typically you would only get hospitalized if you were determined to be "a danger to yourself or others", from what I understand.
[deleted] wrote
NoPotatoes wrote
I really do not know. Wish I could help.
zoom_zip wrote
wean yourself off just to be safe
reduce it gradually over like 2 weeks
whether you can be sectioned into hospital is dependent on your country
all we can say is that it’s “unlikely” just for stopping a medication, but i know how these doctors think and they often talk about things like “risk factors”, which is their code word for “i’m scared of this person” and will use that to hospitalise them
also if you are a minor and your parents aren’t supportive, they could collude with and influence the doctor
if your therapist supports it, then speak about it more assertively with them. say “i am stopping” and see what advice they give
take advice from internet weirdos with a grain of salt
MHC wrote
The meds are meant to be weaned off slowly.
CoryImmediatism wrote
don't be sorry. I'm googling right now to find out if you can stop it abruptly and will share you the most reliable link I find.