u/Glittering-Bus3767

Relapse after 3.5 years

I've been sober from benzos, alcohol, and cocaine for 3.5 years (completed a php program 5 months). I came off prozac 8 months ago.

Started having panic attacks again in november due to work related stress. I reinstated prozac about 8 weeks ago. Increased prozac dose 4 weeks ago. Well I went into a manic state for a two weeks. The week after I was hypomanic and never been so depressed in my life. Haven't worked in three weeks.

Finally got in with a expensive psych who knows his stuff and he says when ssri cause mania I could be bipolar. I told him my father and grandmother may be undiagnosed bipolar, further pointing to evidence of bipolar 2 or cyclothymia. The prozac was making me feel like i was rolling on MDMA, def not normal.

Anyways, while in hypomania, i went to the er +/- two weeks ago with high blood pressure and panic attack. Administered 2mg ativan and immediately started feeling better. Prescribed 20 1mg ativan pills at ER. Took 2 a day for 10 days while cold turkey prozac (effectively stopping the mania). My psych added daily 25mg lamictal, letting that build in my system and I believe it is making me feel stable. I start an IOP wednesday.

Upon my request, my psych has prescribed a taper of clonazepam 0.5mg 20 pills while I'll be in IOP (saving me thousands of having to do a detox facility, very greatful). He kind of mumbled a taper schedule and said figure it out, said it should be tapered over two weeks considering I was only on ativan for 10 days. Does anyone have a good taper protocol given my situation? Should it be two weeks? Three weeks? I have a strong foundation of sobriety and am confident I will not abuse or overuse the medication. Looking for a good taper plan to move forward tomorrow.

I am pretty emotional because I feel like im looking back at my life and seeing the times my symptoms of bpd2 pop up and how I was trying to control it with drugs and alcohol. I am looking forward to working through that trauma and processing the eventual official diagnosis i anticipate getting while in the 8 week IOP program.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to hear my story.

I've been sober from benzos, alcohol, and cocaine for 3.5 years (completed a php program 5 months). I came off prozac 8 months ago.

Started having panic attacks again in november due to work related stress. I reinstated prozac about 8 weeks ago. Increased prozac dose 4 weeks ago. Well I went into a manic state for a two weeks. The week after I was hypomanic and never been so depressed in my life. Haven't worked in three weeks.

Finally got in with a expensive psych who knows his stuff and he says when ssri cause mania I could be bipolar. I told him my father and grandmother may be undiagnosed bipolar, further pointing to evidence of bipolar 2 or cyclothymia. The prozac was making me feel like i was rolling on MDMA, def not normal.

Anyways, while in hypomania, i went to the er +/- two weeks ago with high blood pressure and panic attack. Administered 2mg ativan and immediately started feeling better. Prescribed 20 1mg ativan pills at ER. Took 2 a day for 10 days while cold turkey prozac (effectively stopping the mania). My psych added daily 25mg lamictal, letting that build in my system and I believe it is making me feel stable. I start an IOP wednesday.

Upon my request, my psych has prescribed a taper of clonazepam 0.5mg 20 pills while I'll be in IOP (saving me thousands of having to do a detox facility, very greatful). He kind of mumbled a taper schedule and said figure it out, said it should be tapered over two weeks considering I was only on ativan for 10 days. Does anyone have a good taper protocol given my situation? Should it be two weeks? Three weeks? I have a strong foundation of sobriety and am confident I will not abuse or overuse the medication. Looking for a good taper plan to move forward tomorrow.

I am pretty emotional because I feel like im looking back at my life and seeing the times my symptoms of bpd2 pop up and how I was trying to control it with drugs and alcohol. I am looking forward to working through that trauma and processing the eventual official diagnosis i anticipate getting while in the 8 week IOP program.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to hear my story.