[sharky]

just on prozac for under 2 weeks . Need to know what I can expect. Any info will be gratefully recieved
Cheers u lot
Sharky

[dexter]

Is this your first anti-depressant?

Some people have some side effects but everyone reacts differently. Usually the side effects present themselves pretty quickly. Sometimes the side effects go away after some time, so if the med might help it can be worth it to stick it out even if there are some side effects in the beginning. Prozac gave me a very mild nausea, so mild that it wasn't a problem except that it effected my appetite negatively. The nausea went away after a few weeks. It also made my hands tremble a little bit but nothing really concerning. It might also effect your sleep. Most important thing is to keep your doctor informed of everything. And remember that no matter what someone tells you about side effects, each individual reacts totally differently to all of these meds. So what might be described as a nightmare by one person can be a miracle to another. So don't worry about any stories that you hear from other people.

As to effectiveness, while the side effects usually come on pretty fast, the positive effects of all the antidepressants take quite a long time to be noticible. It may take 4 to 6 weeks until you notice a difference, and longer than that to get the full benefit. Sometimes the people around you may notice an improvement before you do. Make sure you keep taking it as prescribed and stay in touch with your doctor if you have problems or questions.

So you do have to give it a good period of time to give it a fair chance to work. If it doesn't work, however, do not be discouraged. If you have to stop taking it because of side effects or because it is not working, there are a lot of meds available today to try. Each one works a little differently so it is just a matter of finding the right medication, the right dosage, sometimes the right combination of meds, that will be effective for you. The sucky part is that for each change you have to give it some time, several weeks, to see if it is doing any good. So the process can take awhile. You might also hit a home run with the first med you try. You just need to have patience, which is hard because in the meantime the depression makes you feel so hopeless that there doesn't seem to be any reason to keep trying. That is why it is important to regularly see your T, keep your pdoc informed, and find ways to cope with the depression until you find something that works well. Support groups can be very helpful, you can see if there are any available in your area, and keep posting here, as this place can be an excellent source of support and understanding.

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