Depression Blog.com

I started out on Prozac fifteen years ago and it took the edge off my depression. However I had to increase the doseage until I was up to sixty Mg a day. I was taken off the drug three years ago for Lexapro. I had more trouble with it and my life unraveled without my knowing it. It felt like I was in a fog and it cost me relationships and a job. I went off all medications six months ago and I struggle every day to maintaine myself. I'm totaly anti social and spend most of my time at home alone. I finally found satisfiying work but it's alot of work to maintaine my mood so I don't make the mistakes that caused me to leave my last job. I wish I knew what I could do to improve my situation.

I took prozac for about 2 1/2 months. At first it was great. I could think more clearly, concentrate on multiple projects at work, and I had energy! The problem was after a while I had so much engery I couldn't handle it all. I went and saw my doctor b/c I felt like I was bipolar (which is not my diagnosis. I could talk for 2 hrs staight and run on the treadmill at the same time and then I would be exhasted the 3rd hour. My friends & family couldn't handle me after a while. To make a long story short. I am currently taking Lexapro which is helping but I'm very tired and often unmotivated...

My doctor had me on Prozac for depression. 20 mg. for about 7 months and then my doctor rasied it to 40 mg. for about 2 more months. During this time I experienced sucidal thoughts, thoughts of wanting to hurt myself, muscle spasms, weight gain, violent nightmares and much more.. I got off the Prozac gradually and I've now been off the Prozac completely for 3 weeks. The depression while on the Prozac was worse than before I was on it. But the withdrawal for me is worse than being on the Prozac. Getting off of Prozac appears to be a hard battle for me. But there is NO way I will go back on Prozac. If your doctor wants to prescribe you Prozac, I say run the other way!

This drug is absolutely awful in terms of side-effects. I know several people now, aswell as myself that are experiencing panic attacks, upset stomach, and tiredness. I felt BETTER before I was on the drug, and this is supposed to make me FEEL BETTER not WORSE. Doctors, psychiatrists should inform you well of these side-effects in a serious manner because they are serious and they are disabling to people that have to work or go to college.

I thought Tom Cruise was wrong, well in my case and many others he is right, "there's a higher and better quality of life" - that's not to say it doesn't work. But believe me if I knew this would happen I would've so not taken them.

I am wondering how prozac works. I don't feel as angry as I used to. I am not depressed then up. I am very even toned now. How does it work. I do feel extremely tired all the time now. Any suggestions?

I've been on Prozac for about six months. I don't think I exaggerate if I say it kept me from being admitted to hospital for depression. I have now switched to a tricyclic antidepressant, because it offers some anti-anxiety benefits as well. I have nothing bad to say about Prozac.

I JUST STARTED TAKING PROZAC.I WAS ON LEXAPRO BUT
IT DID NOT HELP.TODAY IS MY SIXTH DAY.I HAVE NOT
EXPERIENCED ANY SIDE EFFECTS YET.I HAVE A LOT OF
HOPE FOR THIS MEDICINE.

I just started taking Prozac.I have not had any side effects but today is only the sixth day.I was taking Lexapro for six weeks and it did nothing for me.I have a lot of faith in Prozac.

I am one of those people that does a lot of research.I do understand that everyone reacts differently to these drugs.However there seems to be many more negative comments rather than positive about this drug Prozac.I encourage all people who look at these sites to have an open mind.And i do hope that more people who like Prozac post positive feedback.If i have a positive
experience with this drug i will let everyone know.People who are depressed need hope.They don't
need discouragement.

That is true Amy, people who are depressed do need HOPE! In fact, hope/faith is what keeps many people from just giving up their life at once, it revives people's spirits even when they become depressed.
-I'd day that when you claim to have all the symptoms of a depression, but go searching for an altenative other than suicide, you have hope for a cure....YOU REALLY DO VALUE YOUR LIFE! Often though, people take the Path of a quick chemical fix. Relying on major Business or Marketing Researchers( i.e. SSRI makers) to aid you with temperamental problems is what has become extensively popular. EVEN after the high percentages of negative feedback, risky side-effects and deaths caused by SSRI's, have been shoved in your face people continue to have hopes for their use, YOu MIGHT wonder WHY people Still resort to these type of drugs?

Gained 11 pounds on prozac, just before my wedding. Had to stay on it, just couldn't deal with the pressure. On it, I feel numb, emotionless, but balanced. No mood swings, crying spells, temper tantrums. I think my fiance likes me better on Prozac than without. Pretty sure he never would have given me a second glance if I wasn't on it when we met.

I started Prozac about 1 month ago. At first I had no side effects. then the dirarea kicked in and I am averaging around 5 hours of sleep a night. I fall asleep fine but awake really early in the 3 to 5 am range(to late to take anything). I have tried lexapro with HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS AND PAXIL WITH THE SAME. Prozac was and is tolerable for the most part. It did give me impulsive thoughts and weird thoughts and dreams that I would never have, which kind of scared me. Now after a month it makes me feel spacey and tired. I do take xanax for the anxiety when it gets real bad. My hopes are to stop the xanax and use only the prozac. I am taking it for anxiety problems.

sooooooooo so far I like prozac better than lexapro and paxil

i am taking 20mg in the morning
i was taking 10 mg then down to 5mg then back to 10 mg then back down to 5 mg of lexapro a day
i was taking 25mg of paxil for two days--- made me insane

ps use caution drinking with prozac, if you do drink with it make sure you eat before drinking and drink plenty of water when finished. If you dont you could suffer a multi day anxiety and depression binge that is hard to come off of.

I am suffering from LACK OF EMOTIONS. I dont cry, I dont feel nervous, I dont feel angry, I dont fall in love. I dont feel anything in my heart. I hate myself so much. I isolate myself from ppl bcoz of this problem. I feel so embarassed if an emotion is expected from me like when someone yells at me bad words like FUCK YOU YOU SON OF A BITCH! I cant even react. I give no reactions or emotions. and I look stupid bcoz I dont even show any emotions even in intense situations like this. When my grandmother died I did not even cry. When everyone else around me is bursting into tears, even the men, and even the non-relatives cried, except for me. I was just so emotionless as if it was an everyday situation that was occuring. Nothing in my heart that I felt. I felt no pain, no nervousness, nothing. Something is terribly wrong with me and it affects my personal life. It depresses me so much. Even now that im writing this. I want to cry so bad. I want to burst into tears. But nothing comes out of my emotions. Im like a robot. Nothing. Whenever I need to cry and I do not cry, it manifests all over my body. I get dehydrated, headaches. Its all physical pain. I get taken advantage of every situation bcoz ppl think that im numb and insensitive. When my bf left me for another girl, I did not even cry. But I was so affected, mentally and psychologically that it affected my whole body. I got really dehydrated and depressed (but i did not cry). I was just so empty. I dont know what to do. I searched all over the net but i did not find any treatment for this condition. There is no such thing as "drug to boost emotions". I feel that my heart is paralyzed. My emotions are paralyzed. I always pray to god to give me emotions. Please doctors, please do something about this kind of disorder. It is really hell. If only you could imagine.

As a child, I was the shy introverted type without any friends at the corner of a classroom. I did not join any clubs, any groups. Whenever there'd be a field trip or a program id make an alibi to my mom that there's no school that day or that that day is not important so that I wont have to go to school on events like those. I was ultra quiet. My words were very limited and soft. But that was in school. At home I was the happy, family-oriented child. I was the youngest of 4 and I was the baby. I was very sensitive to my emotions. When someone raises a voice, Id burst into tears in a snap. My emotions were very high. Id feel intense jealousy if my mom sleeps beside my other sister. I was very emotional at that time. As I was growing up, still I had no friends. No bestfriends, no shallow friends, nothing. I was alone. During lunch time Id wait inside the classroom for the bell to ring while everyone else is enjoying outside. My classmates were trying to befriend me but I was just too introverted that I felt like I had no stories to share. I felt like I was always left out. So what would happen is that Id just isolate myself again. People had the impression of me as the most quiet student. Whenever Id speak out even a little everyone wld simply pay attention to me and it wld thus make me feel the more awkward. So the time came when my family became different. We were not the same old sweet and happy people. For whatever reason, it simply changed. Maybe bcoz we were growing up. We did not give as much respect to our parents as before. And of cors I was not anymore a baby but just one of my siblings (we only have an age gap of 1 or 2 years apart from each other) so basically, our maturity levels are just the same. My sisters had their own group of friends from school. And me, in school, I was still the same. School was hell for me. I had no one to talk to for the whole day. And break time was even worse bcoz Id look stupid on one corner of the classroom, eating alone, while everyone had their own groups. I wld just pretend to be taking a nap on the table so that I wld have an excuse why I was alone. It was very embarassing for me especially that I was already in high school at that time. Still, I was still in denial. I was still hopeful that by next year, Id be more talkative and have friends. By next year I'll get a makeover, a new me. When I get to college, Id be popular and stuffs like those. But nothing ever changed. All my life I never had friends. My only friends are my siblings. (Im already 24). Whenver I'd go out, it would be with my siblings or with my mom. Id also join my siblings and their friends in going out. Even if I felt a little "out of place" still, I hang out with them coz I have no choice. I have no friends. I got used to the feeling of being "out of the circle" and it was normal for me. I couldnt form relationships. I was always a shool dropout bcoz I didnt go to school. Now I just finished my course bcoz my brother is my classmate so we go to school together. I hate it that Im always with my siblings specially with my brother but again I have no choice.

There was a time when I was still in high school my sisters were yelling at my mom and I was very pitiful to her. My mom loaned money from the bank, to invest in a million worth business but the business was a racket. My mom stuck herself up on the room just so to shut herself from any blames but my sisters still went up to her to shout at her, to kick her, and my mom was just crying and begging them to stop and saying she just wants to die. I did not see the scenario but I was hearing them from the first floor of the house. It was too mentally torturing. But then I knew that I could not do anything to stop them coz my opinions wld not matter to them. Im just me. So what I did was just to shut myself and pretend as if nothing's happening. Things like those always happened. I was shocked to myself when a scenario happened, my child cousin was throwing tantrums and he got a knife from the kitchen. He ran towards his mom and so they were running around. I was taking a bath all those times but I could hear what was happening. I could hear there was panic in the voices of the people outside. And I knew that my cousin was catching his mom with a knife. But me, I just continued taking a bath and was like very cool and calm as if nothing was going on. When I got out my brother told me that our cousin was about to stab my aunt and I was like "ya I heard" and went to my room like nothing. At first I found it cool. I thought I was just too calm and cool. But later on I realized Its more than just that. Im not anymore human. I dont have emotions anymore. I dont get angry, I dont feel nervous, I dont cry. As in... nothing. I dont feel anything in my chest or in my heart. I dont fall in love anymore like normal people.

I had a boyfriend bcoz I wanted to.. not bcoz I fell in love. I had him at age 21. I isolated myself from him. I put a barrier between us. We were together for slightly more than a year but evrything only seemed like 3 weeks, or even less. We'd only seen each other once a month. We would only text each other. He wanted to meet my family but I was always afraid. I was afraid for him to find out the real me, an emotionless me. I was afraid that he'll be with me during a situation that I need to react but id still have flat affect, expressionless. I was even afraid that when anyone of my family dies right in front of me and everyone, even the maids cry, and me, as still as a stone. I was afraid to let him know that I had no emotions. I would accept to myself if im depressed, which i am. i wake up each day feeling very very empty. but i can accept that. What i cant accept is this emotionless state of mine. Sometimes when a sad situation happens and my heart would not feel anything, Id self-mutilate to feel some pain. Not too much self-mutilation. Im not suicidal. Just to prick myself. Sometimes Id even punch my chest as if triggering my emotions but nothing happens. Im afraid that what a psychiatrist might offer me is just an antidepressant bcoz Ive tried that. I was feeling happy with prozac, but the emotional numbness was still there. I searched all over the net but I found no drug that triggers the emotions. It's just so unfair. There's a drug that stops the depression but there's no drug that triggers the emotions. Everyday I practice crying or triggering my emotions but then a tear doesnt even drop. I am so depressed, very very depressed, yet I cant even express the depression. As much as I want to burst out, as in burst out into tears, but my emotions dont respond. I feel like my chest is paralyzed. Im so helpless. I dont know if I should go to a neurologist or a psychiatrist.

wow! the above post fits exactly how I have been feeling...I have searched for someone that felt similiar but have found that people can't even grasp....now I have had a lot on my plate the last 6 years, divorce, cancer diagnosis, loss of job, moving...etc. But even after my divorce I didn't feel so empty.....it wasn't until 2/3 years later..OH and the cancer, loss of job were all within 1 year of my divorce. Is this just extreme depression or could it be something else? Will prozac resolve this? I mean I am 38 and have no sex drive, I do not look at woman as sexual objects anymore....This was so not like me..and it has nothing to do with maturity and age (I don't think)..

Any comments would be appreciated...
thanks

Reading these comments is very hard for me. As a 36-year-old mother of 2, I come from a long line of clinically depressed people on both sides of my family. Lots of suicides, lots of hospitalizations. I am personally familiar with the affects of Prozac. I've used it off and on for the past 10 years. And it's all true, the numbness, the lack of emotions, the stability you feel after being on it, but let me tell you about TRUE clinical depression. No I am not a doctor but as I said before it runs amuck in my family on both sides and as a sufferer of it myself, I think I can shed some light on the subject.
True clinical depression affects you regardless of what is going on in your life. Many people think that if they have a series of unfortunate events happen in their lives that they're clinically depressed. Not true. You can have a great paying job, perfect kids, best friends and the perfect husband and be plagued by clinical depression. It's the overwhelming sense of being overwhelmed even when you're not. That impending cloud of doom that looms over your head when there’s nothing but blue sky. And Clinical depression gets worse as we age. That's the dangerous part of it. You think "I can handle it, I can handle it!" and the next thing you know, you're curled up on the floor in fetal position.
That was my last major depression attack. My husband and children gone one sunny afternoon to give me time to rest and thoughts of suicide running through my head. You learn from your mistakes but the pain of the memories never truly goes away.
Anyway I picked up the phone instead of the knife, don’t know why but I did, and called my parents house for help. They live 45 minutes away from me. My dad picked up the phone and I lost it, Crying, Crying, Crying! No sooner did my dad pick up the phone then there came a nock at my door; My sister -in - law comes through the door. My dad had me on the phone for 20 minutes before I realized it, told my mother to call my brother’s wife and her family, my husband’s family and about 100 of their friends and family. My phone didn't stop ringing until my husband got home. My doorbell didn't stop ringing either.
I know it might sound corny, but I did learn something in that first moment that my sister came through the door that day. I learned that alone I am insignificant. Worth nothing more or less than what I am. But my place in the grander scheme of things is very important. I have a place among all these other lives. The Prozac just allows me to get up and get through the days I need it to. It doesn't make me the person I am, I do. Don't be ashamed of what's happening to you on Prozac. Be grateful that it's allowed you to be here for one more day. Yes sometimes day’s turn into weeks, Months and you're in this fog, but TRUST me when I say that your family would rather deal with the fog than greave at your funeral!

I've been on Prozac for eight days now. This is my first experience with depression and I don't like it. I don't feel better. When does it start?

I've been in Prozac for just a few days, I'm taking it to help deal with Fibromyalgia which has been really disabilating and has also left me feeling depressed. So far so good, I've felt a bit shaky in the morning for a couple of hours after I've taken it, but my pains have gone. I feel normal again and motivated, back to my old self.
I know it takes 4-6 weeks for this stuff to really start working but I've been on it a few days and I feel on top of the world.
I know there are a lot of negative comments and experiences out there, i think different people react in different ways and as far as I have discovered from research Prozac is taken to help with many different ailments.
I like it so far and hope this continues.

My mom is taking prozac. she has recently had est 'Electric Shock Therepy' at Harborveiw Medical Center. I believe prozac is making her more depressed and suicidal. Doctors are feeding her prozac like f*cking skittles! Down With Prozac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello,

I'm a 31 yoa female. I have been taking prozac ( 40 mg, once a day) since I was about 18 yoa. I suffer from Panic Attacks,
and if you've ever had one, you know now scary they can be.
The Prozac has COMPLETLY taken them away. And not to sound
like a Prozac addict, but I'm pretty sure I counld not live with out it. i was having 5 to 20 attacks a day. To me it it's a 'wonder drug'. I'm so thankfull for it. everybody is differnt, but I don't
see any harm in trying it ( if your Doctor recomends it for you)
It's important for you to find out personally if it will work for
you or not and just base your opinion of it on others peoples
experinces. Thanks and have a good day!

I have been on prozac for a few weeks already.I lost 5 pounds and it helped me control my appetite plus bring down my anxiety.I feel relaxed and I can sleep normally like I once did when I was a child.I love prozac.20 mg a day

I was put on Prozac (40mg aday) for Depression but after 5 months i had only felt light effects,then suddenly i feel great feelings of joy (an actual buzz) then extreme depression then next day.My doctor changed me to Deanxit (Flupenthixol and Melitracen) this taken twice aday (morning,noon) along with 20mg of Prozac is working wonders for me.The only down side is the Weight Gain!

When I was 23, I realized that I was suffering from depression. I realized that it's not normal to want to sleep all day, be antisocial, and go to bed crying for no good reason. My doctor prescribed 10mg of Prozac (a very low dose). I really didn't want to take it, because there is a certain stigma attached with antidepressants (maybe people think you are crazy?). But I took it anyways. And within a month I was happy - for probably the first time in my life! After about a year, I figured that I was healthy, so I weaned myself off of the Prozac.

2 years later, I suffered a relapse. The worst thing about depression is that it's sometimes difficult to tell that you're suffering from it. To a person who has true clinical depression, the depression feels normal. Over the course of a year, I broke up with my longtime girlfriend, suffered from panic attacks, became socially withdrawn, began crying nightly and having thoughts about suicide. When the thoughts about suicide came, I figured out that I was depressed again, and sought help. This time, my doctor prescribed 20mg of Prozac. After taking it, the first 2 weeks were great. I had tons of energy and felt good. But then my brain chemicals started to adjust for the Prozac, and I went back to depression for another 2 months. Now, a month later, everything has adjusted properly, and I'm feeling pretty good every day. I'm still 'me' but I can deal with stress without having panic attacks, I don't cry at night anymore, and I'm able to go out and be social again. For me, Prozac is wonderful.

Here are some things that I just wanted to point out, from my experiences with Prozac:

1) Give it time to work. You will feel great at first, but the brain scales back its chemicals to account for the Prozac and you'll get depressed again for a while. It might take 2+ months for chemicals to normalize and to start feeling better on a daily basis.
2) My doctor told me that if I choose to wean myself off of Prozac in the future and suffer a third bout of depression, then I will probably have to take medication for life. This used to bug me, but if I can live a normal, happy life with just one pill a day... why not?
3) Prozac might not work for everyone. There are a ton of different choices out there. But if you are thinking that it's not working for you, make sure that you give it time to do its thing (3 months?). Just about everyone on both sides of my family are taking antidepressants - but they all take different types/brands. I guess you just have to find out what works for you.
4) The only negative side effect that I've personally experienced with Prozac is an upset stomach - if I don't eat enough before taking the pill, my stomach will burn for about a 1/2 hour. Still, 20mg is a relatively low dose, so maybe higher doses will cause other side effects.

I NEED TO KNOW THE SIDEEFFECT'S OF THIS MEDICATION, AND WANT IT WOULD DO. THIS MEDICATION
IS ANTIDEPRESION WITH PROZAC. I WOULD LIKE A REPLY TO THE ANSWER.

I have been using DEANXIT for more than 4 years.I take 2 tablets for a day,one in the morning and one in the night.When i reduce it to one pill ,i am not happy. IS IT OKAY TO USE DEANXIT FOR LONG YEARS>

Hey there,
I have been on prozac for a little over a year now and LOVE it. It has really helped me with my anxiety. Well my insurance is now expired and I do not know what I am going to do. Does anyone know how to wean off of Prozac. Would it be like an every other day thing? Right now I take one pill dailry at 20 mg. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide!

I have a love-hate relationbship with Prozac. When I was first officially diagnosed with severe clinical (or chronic) depression(in 1991), my doctor in Honolulu started me on Prozac -- 40 mgs a day. After three weeks or a month I began to feel better. After two months I was a different person. I don't know when or how, but eventually a doctor had me on the highest recommended dosage of 80 mgs a day. I can truly say that Prozac changed my life...and probably saved it too. BUT there is a down side--siginificant weight gain, and a kind of numbness (which can be a welcome relief from the psychological pain caused by depression). After about eight years of an 80 mg dose the depression slowly came creeping back. Doctors in Northern Ca and LA put me on various doses of Wellbutrin, Celexa and Effexor. The relief I recieved was minimal. With the combination of the depression and medication I was often suicidal and gained a lot of weight. (I have since dropped 150 lbs.)Also, along the way I was prescribed the "wonder" diet drug called Phen-Fen. I loved that stuff. It was like taking uppers for a year. But then I came crashing down and ended up in a mental hospital in Pasadena on suicide watch. It's been about nine years since that incident. Doctors kept trying out various combinations of anti-depressants. And I decided to play doctor and began to self medicate with morphine, amphetamines and alcohol. All that did was give me several good highs and landed me in a rehab hospital In Las Vegas. In 2002 I had a begnin brain tumor removed and lots of resulting surgery. I began taking a new "wonder drug" for depression called Cymbalta.. I was on the yhighest allowable dose of 60 mgs a day. I got some slight relief from my debilitating depression, but found that the only thing that helped my get motivated was a white power made from white-crosses (uppers). That was not the answer. I began going to 12-step meetings and cleaning up and began to feel fairly well-- but not the way I really want to feel. About a month ago I was suicidal and had yo see new doctors becuse of a change in my medical plan. I told several of them that the only thing that really relieved my depression was Prozac. So now my primary doc has me on a combination of Prozac in the a-m and Cymbalta at night. I still don't feel a lot better. I have been researching Sam-e, HGH and Siberian Ginseng to add to the concotion. Exercise helps some but I recently broke my hip. Wow! Now that I read this over I sound like a maniac. But I assure you, I am a very loving, happily married 59-year-old grandmother living in an upper middle-class area of Las Vegas. I am a retired broadcast journalist -- and before my brain tumor had a successful career in radio and television, politics and the arts. My odyessy with depression began when I was a child. Then when I was pregnant at age 18 some "brilliant doc" put me on diet pills. I gained a total of 18 pounds when I was pregnant, gave birth to a bi-polar child and was crazed most of the time. It's very easy for me to trigger manic episodes (although I have not been diagnosed as bi-polar)and even easier for me to get into a suicidal funk. This is no kind of life and no fun. . .and especially annoying when people think you can just "snap out of it." My family puts up with me, but often I isolate and stay away from family functions because I am feeling so down. I just don't want to continue my life being so unproductive, un-loving and unhappy. I am not giving up. If I can find an answer maybe that will help someone else. Depression runs wild in my family. I have a bi-polar daughter and did have a bi-polar drug addicted father. If any of this sounds familiar to you, or if you would like to give me your input, please post here or e-mail me at Huria@cox.net. Aloha...

I've been having a few questions about prozac that I would hope someone could awnser for me. I've been suffering from extreme depression ever since I was forced to move in the middle of my highschool career if you want to call it that. All my life I've been anti-social with the exception of one friend who killed herself a year ago, but because of some weird luck (I'm really really shy) related things I made friends had relationships, etc. there for the last half of the year I was lived there. I moved here and my exgirlfriend moved away somewhere else at the same time. Long story short, my ex and I did the whole long distance thing for two-three years, and it was the closest thing I had to a real relationship or friendship I've had other then my friend who killed herself. It turns out my ex has anti-social personality disorder. The 2-3 years I was with her I was really with a person she created, almost everything was a lie. So other then my friend who killed herself the only other person I had a real meaningful relationship was with a imagionary person.

I tried to go into therapy, but it seems that the guy just treated prozac as a magical pill that would solve all my problems. I stopped looking for help when I realized that, but lately it has gotten much worse. I just want to sit down in a corner and just wait for the end, ontop of random outbursts physical pain. My question, sort of gone off topic, is how can prozac help. It just seems like it's covering up the underlining problem. I don't understand how it can help me be social, when I don't even know how to be social I guess. If anyone has any imput about prozac or whatever please email me: hopeoneless@gmail.com

I was depressed for years but never took Prozac or any other antidepressant. I made a film instead. I think your visitors might be interested in it, as it challenges the notion that depression is a biological disorder. Please feel free to take a look at my website: www.aperiofilms.com
The film is called "we don't live under NORMAL CONDITIONS"
Thanks to you for creating this blog

I was depressed for years but never took Prozac or any other antidepressant. I made a film instead. I think your visitors might be interested in it, as it challenges the notion that depression is a biological disorder. Please feel free to take a look at my website: www.aperiofilms.com
The film is called "we don't live under NORMAL CONDITIONS"
Thanks to you for creating this blog

I was depressed for years but never took Prozac or any other antidepressant. I made a film instead. I think your visitors might be interested in it, as it challenges the notion that depression is a biological disorder. Please feel free to take a look at my website: www.aperiofilms.com
The film is called "we don't live under NORMAL CONDITIONS"
Thanks to you for creating this blog

I recently started taking Prozac, I was trying to stay away from stress meds for ever because I was so scared of the side effects. My cardiologist recently put me on this for post traumatic stress syndrome, I have neuro cardiogenic syncope and am always deathly afraid of passing out. I am completing my last year in school for pre med so I think I know a little to much about medical problems and that freaked me out. So finally we decided that most of my recurrent syncope was because I would take every little dizziness or lightheadedness and freak that I was going to pass out. It got so bad that this whole summer I barely moved because I was so afraid to pass out. I know it sounds silly but that is the scariest thing to ever happen to me, and after I had the tilt table test I was even more scared. But with the Prozac I have been able to get my life back, slowly but surely. I noticed my attacks have gone down significantly and that I really am able to control my anxiety better when I do feel dizziness or lightheadedness. If you are suffering from post traumatic stress and have been, don't be afraid like I was to try meds, I just kept having a snowball effect and now I really have to dig myself out. Prozac really helped me, and since I take the dose at night, I really don't notice any side effects! Also, my dose started at 25mg just in case anyone wants to know! Good Luck!

hi ive been on prozac for about 9 months, and it has helped me loads. At first it made me feel very weird, but i got over that and now i feel great. Being 16 years old i didnt really want to go on it neither did doctors, but we decided it was best for me at the time.
I take 20mg a day and my doctor is on aout taking me off it next summer. Which really scares me because if i miss my tablet for a day now i do back to being really sad so i cant thik about coming off it forever :(. Does anybody know if u are allowed to drink on prozac???

I'm sorry to see some people have had bad experiences with Prozac. I, for one, am very happy with it. I have been taking it for a year now and it has really helped with social anxiety and general mood. I've also had psychotherapy sessions for a while and that has helped, too, but without the prozac, I doubt I would be so happy and stable now.

Naturally, not everything is rosy, and I still have trouble concentrating many times, plus I find it very hard to motivate myself to do housework, but as concerns my work and social activities, I'm much more motivated, active and involved than ever before. Plus, I feel more. My life is more intense emotionally - albeit somewhat manic at times...

As to negative side effects, I would have to mention a 'dry and smelly mouth'. But I think all the good things I've mentioned are worth the trouble of chewing minty gum all day long...

I've been on Prozac for over 7 months now and side-effects for me include: loss of appetite, CRAZY dreams, numbness, and if I drink while on it, Blackouts.

The loss of appetite: I NO longer have ANY appetite at all. I have to force myself to eat.

CRAZY dreams: wild, vivid dreams....They're interesting though. Not to worried about the dreaming part, I LOVE TO DREAM!!!

Numbness: EVERY MORNING when I wake up my hands are numb, my face is numb, and sometimes when I get up out of bed I stumble a little...vertigo. This is what I'm worried about. The numbness has been getting worse. At first it was 1-2 times a week. Now it's daily, and days it DOESN'T go away. My hands are numb ALL DAY LONG!!! Weird???

Blackouts with alcohol: Great advice for anyone reading....DO NOT DRINK WHILE ON PROZAC!!!!
I'm only 5'2" and 115 lbs and I had a few glasses of wine one night at a wedding and ended up collapsing out on the dance floor. My body, my mind, and my emotions blacked-out.

Overall: Prozac has Helped, A LOT!!! Especially with working full time at the hospital, finishing up my RN degree full time at college, planning a wedding, and trying to maintain a home that my fiancee and I just purchased.

I feel more carefree and less stressed about the little things in life. Oh, and my coworkers and family have ALL said that I laugh more. Laughter afterall is the BEST medicine.

I have been on Prozac for 8 months now. After the first month I feel just like my old self. Except that I am not always angry or anxious at the drop of a hat. I am 50 years old and spent too many of those years suffering just because I would not accept the fact that I could not do it on my own. All the soul searching, prayer, you name it, never helped.
Life is so much better now, i still have all my old emotions but I can control them so much better. I still get angry but not just out of the blue anymore.
All I can say is that at least for this guy, Prozac has given me a chance to enjoy life.

My first experience with antidepressants began in 1999 with 20mg of Paxil. That did wonders for me, but eventually the weight gain and sluggishness started to bum me out. I eventually transitioned to 20mg of Prozac, and everything seemed fine. My life was stable for the most part. I still didn't feel as happy as I would've liked, but at least I wasn't depressed. At some point, I went from 20mg of Prozac down to 10mg. I was hoping to offset some of the weight gain I had experienced, starting with the Paxil. 10mg was fine for a while, until I started a new job and sort of freaked out. I self-upped my dose to 30mg of Prozac-- NOT a good idea! Eventually my doc told me to resume taking 20mg. Again, I took 20mg for about 5 months, then went down to 10mg. I'm in another new job and I've been feeling like crap for the past two months-- anxious, sick all the time, no energy. I would like to resume taking 20mg of Prozac and stay there-- no more self-adjusting my dose whenever I feel good. My fear is that the 20mg won't do anything anymore, and I'm terrified of taking more because of the weight gain-- which essentially just leads to more depression anyway. Has anyone gone from 10mg to 20mg and noticed a positive difference? I hope this does the trick for me.....

Made me feel shaky all the time. Wired. Couldn't concentrate - reading a book or even watching a movie seemed like impossible tasks. Completely lost my libido, which i'm still struggling to regain. And worsened my insomnia, which caused me to be prescribed ambien, which i eventually developed a tolerance for. I wouldn't recommend prozac. Now on lexapro and so far side effects much milder, but not yet ideal. Prozac gave me LOTS of energy though. But more like unfocused, "nervous" energy. Still think st john's better.

well what can I say I love the drug now my doctor put me on phentermine with it and it's wonderful I crave water though all the time and I also get alot of things accomplished now . I am on symbyax for bipolor disorder. It's a mixture of prozac 50 mil. I love the way it makes me feel alot of people don't know that the combination of phentamine works very well with prozac. email me for more information.

i've been depressed for about 11 years now, i was one of those people who denied it or tried to hide it. told myself that docks and phys were a waste of time. sometimes if someone looked at me wrong i would explode. other times i would shy away from everyone freinds & family included. then there were the real bad times when the thoughts about suicide came. now that i'm on prozac i can control myself better. the only side effects i've have is the buzz feeling and sometimes a little trouble sleeping through the night.

i don't know how my wife and kids put up with me before. i'm glad prozac is out there for people like us. i take 20mg once a day and it works...

doug

I just started on prozac just five days ago and I have been reading many of the comments and I am scared! I can feel an anxiety attack coming on right now but for some reason it is suppressed (by the prozac maybe?)

Anyways I don't know if it is gonna help me because this feeling of numbness I already have. I already suppress my emotions with bulimia and cutting. I haven't cut in over four weeks and when I was put on prozac I started.

The first two days I didn't purge but i sure did binge and I didn't really have the nasty full feeling that I normally have. The next day I binged and I purged only because it was scary to me that I was binging and didn't care.

I was reading the paper that came with my pills and it says its for depression, anxiety, ocd, and bulimia ... all the things I have but if i gain weight because of it I KNOW I will get worse because the feeling of being fat is part of the problem.

I don't know what to do.
I don't want to suffer the side effect of gaining but I want to be better.
but I can't be better if prozac is causing the problems.

gah! this disorder is complicated.

I started taking Prozac 4 weeks ago and have recently had my dose increased to 20mg per day. I did not have any SEs while on the lower dose but I am feeling very strange right now, not myself. My MD told me that in the beginning that I would have good days and a few bad days and that if I would just hang in there the bad days would go away and the medication would work. My problem is that I do not feel right. I am not as depressed as I was but I also am experiencing mild anxiety and people are starting to get on my nerves really bad. I am normally a person who does not cause confrontations with others but I could very easily do this now. I do not know if this is part of the SEs of Prozac or if it is just "me".....I want so badly to feel better and wand to give this med a chance to work...Can anyone tell me if the early days of taking this medication was as strange as I am finding it now? Thanks for any insight into my problem and question.

Hello I have been taking Prozac for about 5 years before that I took xanex (that is nasty stuff) I don't even remember most of the time I was on xanex.... talk about a fog. anyway thats when I started Prozac it saved my life I was crying all the time and so unhappy I could'nt live my own life. I am now 44 and I when off the prozac for about a month and a half and I just started it back up again I take 40 mils a day and watch what I eat so I don't have to deal with the weight gain. life is good when prozac atleast I am here to live it. nothing wrong with help. good luck to all take care and enjoy life. and if you need help get help it's cool.

I have been taking Prozac for about 2 weeks now...I have had mostly bad days since taking the med...but want to try taking it longer to see if it wouuld actually work ...I still get depressed a bit but mostly I am not feeling myself and have seemed to lost any interest in talking with others and cant seem to get my personality back ..I have a 420 card here in Cali and use 420 also ..I am wondering if this is affecting the prozac 20mg I am taking daily ...the other day I drank vodka and had a blackout and didnt remember hitting the bathroom floor ..I wasnt even drunk and only had 2 shots ..was really weird and scary ..I hope the prozac changes things ..really

I went to see my doctor after suffering for nine weeks with a terribly debilitating virus.My life had reached a stage where it was completely out of control.Drinking to relax.Working seven days a week.Absolutely exhausted and trying to deal with loads of family problems.My doctor prescribed Prozac and I have never looked back.After the slight anxieties of the first few weeks I began to clear away all the dross out of my life and I now find myself far more relaxed than I probably have ever been.I hear all of these negative stories about Prozac but for me the experience has been a complete liberation.I have become much more positive and outward looking and far less uptight about the lunacy that I see around me.I am still who I've always been but I am able,in my own way,to be more effective then ever before.Prozac?Yes....certainly worth a try.

Lawrence.15th April 2007

Just an additional note for Russell.
Yeah ...what you describe is exactly how I felt in the first few weeks.I had an occasional and overwhelming desire to tell a few really irritating people exactly what I thought of them and on a few occasions that is precisely what I did.Although I would urge caution I would have to say thet I found these episodes very liberating.However you must tread your own path but as for the feelings that you describe I know exactly how you feel.Hang in there because they go fairly quickly and what comes next is as close to peace of mind as I've ever been.Believe me it all gets better.
Lawrence 15th April 2007

prozac seems to let me get through my day. I can focus better on it. Or at least it has given me a level of numbness that allows me not to get unfocused. I think that it is a very good drug so far, but because it just numbs me I cant help but thinking " this is really only taking the edge off, im not dealing or getting better"
After i have been to my therapy i feel really good most of the time, so i think that this is key to recovery.I think that this drug numbs me enough to be able to deal with my self and think rationally. I was put on this drug to combat depression, eating disorder and ocd. One thing i have noticed is that within just a few weeks the stream of pesimistic and self loathing thoughts have almost all gone. I still think I am fat it has not helped here but im sure with time therapy will deal with this.

Hope in the middle of numbness

My 18 year old son was prescribed Prozac 3 weeks ago, why does he have no energy or cares about nothing

I am a 36 year old woman who has suffered from depression and obsessive compulsive disorder for really as long as I can remember. I hate the idea of taking medication, always have. I thought that I should be stronger emotionally and shouldn't rely on drugs to get me through life. Then I realized it is a DISEASE. I believe that it takes strength and courage to realize that chemically things may just be out of order, and it is ok to get help.

For me, the side effects have been minimal and really only noticeble in the first few weeks. I can still love, cry, get mad, feel symapathy and be creative. It actually enhances my creativity because I'm not so inhibited and scared of what others will think of me.

The only side effect that is tough is the decreased libido, but my husband of 5 years and I talk about it, and I know he supports and loves me. No,sex isn't as exciting, but the intimacy is still there, and isn't that really the most important thing about sex?

Because I believe true clinical depression is a chemical imbalance, I don't think one drug is necessarily going to work for everyone. For me, fluoxetine (generic form of Prozac) has been a lifesaver, and I'm thankful that there is something out there that can help.

One thing I would warn about is stopping an anti-depressant abruptly without being under a doctor's care. I did this recently, and although I felt great for 3-4 months,almost like I was on a high, I eventually ended up in a downward spriral of depression, anxiety, and compulsive behaviors. My psychiatrist has said that I am one of those people that might have to stay on it forever. I still don't like it, but maybe I'm finally coming to a point of acceptance.

If you are suffering, get help. Love yourself enough to do this.

started prozac about a month ago. at first 20mgs then 2 weeks into doc ups it to 40mgs. the first couple of days i felt great, a little energy for a change. then i noticed being extremley sleepy, even before i went up to the 40mgs. so now i take it a couple of hours before bed......still sleepy all day long! well this go away or is sleepy a trade off for depression?

Hi, just looking for some answers.. i recently started prozac 20 mg a day, i take it everyday around noon. ive been on it for about 2 weeks now.. and i feel worse than before i started. my doc put me on it b/c of anxiety, panic attacks and eating problems. i feel more tired, ive been laying around all day and it takes more than before to get myself motivated to do ANYTHING, even take showers and do laundry. im confused... i feel like crap and i dont like this constantly being tired thing or the un motivation thing. ive also noticed i dont care about anything at all, i.e. the way i look. ive been sitting aroudn the house more than ever. does this go away?? i hope it does but im scared. anyone else feel like this??

to lyn
essentially there are two cells, one giving and one receiving messages in your brain for activities or feelings ect. exactly like ocd. sometimes the messages aren't sent properly from one cell to the next and it keeps going back to the first cell. in those instances, prozac puts a barrier up in front of that first cell causing the message to return back to the second cell to carry out its mission. it's pretty interesting, particularly the correlation between ocd and depression. good luck to you all and God bless

I think i may have just taken two 20mg fluxotine caps by mistake instead of one was distracted. Will I be okay if I have done so?

currently taking generic P and it has helped me tremendously.

Increased libido.
Less dread.
Less or non-existence of suicidal thoughts.
No crying.
No drama
More wild dreams.
More sleeping (too much)

I have found a big difference in generic prozac. The name brand gives me good results at 10mg twice a day, I have energy and very social. I've tried two brands of generic and it makes me tired, unmotivated and I want to sleep too much.

Hello,
I'm not on prozac myself but I have met a girl who is. She and I talk a lot and I feel like she's a great person who I could call a friend and really believe that she is.
Now her father is really controlling of her and treats her like a kid (she's 29). He says I don't know her and that when I'm not around she gets really tired and starts behaving really weird, so I should be carefull and not want to go and do all kinds of things that are fun (like taking trips somewhere) with her because of this. I have read here that the tiredness is a side-effect of the prozac so that part I believe. But when I ask her about her behaviour with her father she says he sees her as the difficult person she used to be (she went to rehab for a drug problem)and that all she does is sleep but not throw tantrems like he says. My mother and her father are good friends and my mother has known many people on prozac and tells me to watch out because she could lie, use me for attention and as soon as it would be of convenience to her, she could turn on me and tell her dad I wouldn't believe him and jeopardize the friendship my mom has with her dad.
I don't know if the story is clear or not (incoherent I think), but my question is: who is right? Is it true what my mom says that she manipulates and lies because of the prozac or does my friend tell me the truth? Is she at all capable of having a friendship in her life or should I protect myself and my mother and maybe keep my distance? I really like her, want to be a good friend for her even in hard times and I don't often meet people I can talk with like I can with her. I hope someone can give me an answer.

does taking fluxotine for a couple of years be the cause of me being tired all the time.

I am currently being called in a prescription for Prozac as I type this. I have bounced from Wellbutrin to Lexapro to Effexor. I am hoping that Prozac will be the last stop for me on the depression train. Nothing has worked for me so far...hopefully this will.