1. What was your experience like taking Prozac? 2. How long did it take until it "worked" for you? 3. What improvements did you notice? 4. What were the side effects if any? 5. If you quit taking this drug what was the reason? And did you suffer from any withdrawals? I took Prozac for a few days about 20 years ago. It acted like a stimulant to me. I was prescribed a generic form of prozac (fluoxetine) last spring. I was on about 3 weeks before I had a sort of claustrophobic sensation that required me to be sent by ambulance to the emergency room at a hospital. I was given ativan to sooth me, till the doctor changed me back to venlafaxine (effexor). Prozac is not a good mix for my chemistry!
i can't remember when i started taking prozac,it was when zoloft quit working perhaps a year a go.i am still using prozac but it or 1 of the other meds isn't working too well.i'm getting more tearfull just like when zoloft no longer worked for me. i have trouble getting to sleep & don't want to wake up.moods go down then sometimes up a little then really low.idon't notice side effects. a lot of meds either knock me out or make me shaky.
I was on Prozac for 12 years. When I had to get a new GP doc he kept wanting me to get off Prozac not sure why. So, he decided to put me on Wellbutrin and when he did that he asked that I stop Prozac.
When I was introduced to Prozac I did not know that it had serious side affects for some. I had no problem with it. No s/e except for feeling better.
By feeling better it put my mind in better prospective. I enjoyed life more. It took probably 6 months to really take full affect.
So, 12 years later and I am not handling the winter months very well at all and I could tell something wasn't right about me. So, the switch came along with the addition of Cymbalta. I really blamed the increase of my depression on Topamax. I was on that med for 8 plus years. It did help in the frequency and intensity of my migraines but the s/e were pretty challenging for me.
I have talked with my husband about going back on Prozac but I guess it really would be up to my doc.
I find it very difficult to allow a new doctor to immediately take me off of a medication because it is not something he typically prescribes. This is wrong, for a doctor to take you off a medication that works for you, especially an antidepressant. It is difficult enough to find the one that is right for you, much less to have to convince a new Dr. When my doctor put me on Zoloft, it was a nightmare for a couple years. I personally think you should go to your doctor and tell him how much the Prozac worked and how this med is not. If he/she does not "listen", to you then I would find a new doctor!!! It is imperative for those of use with chronic depression or bipolar, to have a doctor that listens! And will be a doctor for you not their investments! I often feel like many doctors prescribe according to how they have invested or can profit from it. I feel fortunate that my doctor listens closely, he asks questions and gives advice I need. He is to me the best doctor I have ever had and if I lost him it would turn my world upside down. I can't imagine my life without him.
I take Prozac today and it works great! The first time however; was a completely different experience. In 1998, I began taking Prozac the first time. It made me numb, it did stop depression, but I had no sexual desire and no ability to 'feel' emotion. My father had moved in with me in March of 2001, due to a diagnosis of fatal cancer. I cared for him and he died May 10, 2001 (60 days after diagnosis). I could not cry or feel anything. I was numb. My family could not understand how I could hold up so well. In June 2001, I abrubtly stopped taking Prozac, and began having spiking sharp pain in my brain. I restarted the Prozac and weaned myself off. After about 2 years not taking any anitdepressant I realized I needed to return to some type of antidepressant. I was loosing my mind and on the verge of loosing my job. My doctor and I discussed different medications and we decided to start out with something different I beleive it was Lexapro, which had absolutely no effect on me what so ever.. After 6 months I began taking Zoloft. What a ride that was! I took Zoloft for a little over a year, until I realized it was the Zoloft making me worse! Much worse, I would contemplate suicide daily. I would pray to God to please take me. I cried all the time and slept way too much. I overdosed on my anti-anxiety medication, thinking if I could go to sleep and never wake up it would be over. Finally I weaned myself off Zoloft, never telling my doctor about any of the problems I was having, mainly because I became introverted and did not like to talk with anyone. I was hateful and sad 90% of the time while taking Zoloft. As I weaned myself off, I felt myself returning. Although the depression was still there it was not as severe. I think it was in 2004 and I went to my doctor and told him I needed something, but not Zoloft, I told him how it made me crazy and many of the symptoms it exacerbated. So we decided to try me on Prozac again, as this was the only medication which I could recall actually stopped depression; although I was numb, . So we decided to start me out on a smaller dose 10mg, we moved to 20mg twice a day within 18 months. Currently I am taking 2-40mg everyday. And I have a new job and better outlook onlife and for the first time in a long time I do NOT feel depressed! I do not cry everyday or hardly ever, but for some reason, this time on Prozac, I can feel emotions. I don't know why it had the effect on me of numbness before but now it works great!!!!!!!
This was a real miracle drug for me-after 14 years of real hell for me and my family-my dr. gave me this drug and in 8 days the lights came on. No more depression for me-and it worked for 14 years before it ran out. Then I went on to another- no side effects but a little nausea for 2 weeks and no withdrawal. Sandy
sandy, are you the same sandy that i spoke with some time ago . i've been trying to get in touch with you . i'm on prozac for about a yr. now . but, for months it hasn't been helping me . it helped at first but, now i'm suffering with the panic disorder . all the stuff i had before are back . i was thinking about weltburtion as i've gained 30 lbs in a yr. & it' adding to my deppression .silverfox46
Hi- well-I am on wellbutrinxl 130 mg and 60 of cymbalta-which works for me- you may want to try either or both-I have treatment depression and my Dr. feels that working with 2 ia a better solution for that. So I say give something else a try- I went back on prozac but it failed after working for 14 years-but dr. said that is a common problem. Keep in touch and good luck to you!!
thanks for your reply i'm very confused at this point .as to what i should do i used to take cymbalta & it stopped working for me the withdrawal was hell . i also take xanax for panic disorder .wondering if prozac & welbuttin could work for me . i was told once that welbutrin makes your real nervous .so i'm at a lost .thanks silverfox46
1. What was your experience like taking Prozac?
I was only taking 20 mg. but it DEFINITELY made a difference! Although it has been a year since I started taking it, I remember that feeling when I KNEW it was working! :) I was thrilled and could see the light at the end of the tunnel!
2. How long did it take until it "worked" for you?
Not very long! I would say within a couple of days I started feeling happier. However, my doctor said it would take more like 6 weeks to get the full effect. My Vitamin D level was also DEFICIENT (11)! Yikes, so my doc prescribed lots of Vit. D for a few months, which also helped. Gotta LOVE Vit. D!
3. What improvements did you notice?
Happier, improved sense of well-being, motivated, a greater feeling of being in control, not so weepy and sad!
4. What were the side effects if any? I can't be sure, but hindsite....I think I was a little lazier in the evening! I work full-time, but the minute I would get home I just wanted to sit! I had a ton of things to do, but just kept putting them off. Alcohol was another HUGE NO NO!! I don't drink much, so I wasn't aware that you shouldn't drink with this med. But, I learned after a couple of occasions over the course of a year, that mixing is scary! I experienced almost like a "black out." I can't be sure, but I know for sure that I was out "like a light" when my head hit the pillow! My pharmacist was the one that clued me into this bad side effect. He said that it can cause INCREASED drowsiness! Hah, that was an understatement for me!
If you quit taking this drug what was the reason? And did you suffer from any withdrawals?
I recently quit taking it! I didn't want to be addicted to an antidepressent as many people are. I take a daily dose of Vit. D 2000 IU, which has helped maintain my happiness.....many women call it the "HAPPY" pill! I also try to get some sun much more often! I basically went cold turkey off of the Prozac because I was ready. I felt confident with my exercise routine, which is also a huge helper! In the three weeks I have been off of the Prozac, I am not aware of any side effects from withdrawal. In fact, I was just telling my husband that I think I am actually a little more motivated!
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I was off the wall.I was very anger.I only took it 2 months