[LonelyTree]

I've heard some really bad things about taking medicine for depression, and truthfully I'm pretty scared. I started taking flouxetine 20 mg capsules about a week ago. Other then some Sexual dysfunction (which is really annoying and embarrassing) I don't feel much different yet. I know I still have about a week until it is supposed to be working all the way.

I'm afraid of what could happen to me on this medicine. I don't want to become addicted or feel emotionless. But at the same time I know I can't deal with this depression by myself. and I can't get therapy until/unless I get medical, which I'm not even sure I can get.

I'm hoping for some advise.

Also If anyone knows if the Sexual dysfunction will go away or if I need to tell my doc and have the meds changed. All advise is welcomed and appreciated.

[cocoabeans]

SSRIs are absolutely non-addictive. You've got better luck with becoming addicted to breast implants or moth balls! Hey, I saw it on TLC. Prozac takes a long time to clear from your body and compared to other antidepressants, it doesn't have the same "discontinuation syndrome" that say, Paxil has.

I'd give it time with the sexual dysfunction. If this is your first depression, you should be off the Prozac in about a year anyway. It has only been a week so, might start to be less of a problem. If you're freaking out about side effects, it is probably at least partially psychological. You think you'll have sexual problems so, you do.

Prozac side effects kicked in within a day or two for me, the ones that are so much worse than being emotionless, the kind that drives people to "prozac murder" but, I'm not that type of person so, didn't even rage out on anyone other than myself hahaha!

In the long run, if you actually need them, like you're so depressed you can't go to work, feed your family or give an arse about jumping into traffic and not because you had a nasty childhood, made poor decisions in life, had abusive relationships, lack education etc but, real disordered depression, they're so worth it.

[elliemay]

Look, I've been on prozac now for about 10 years. Sometimes, for absolutely no reason at all (and I don't even understand it) I will just stop taking it. It drives my pdoc (and me) nuts, but whatever.

I've never experienced a single withdrawal symptom during one of my little hiatus or anything like that. Prozac has a very very long half life. It takes a long time to build up and leave your system. It simply does not fit the profile of a classic addictive substance.

What I will say is that start up on the therapy can be a little rough. About two weeks into it, I got rather anxious. So, about now, I would advise you to lay off caffeine. That anxiety lasted about a week. Then I leveled off into an entirely different world. Colors were more vivid. Food tasted better. One day, about 2 months into prozac, I found myself whistling while cleaning the house. Whistling!

Some people say they experience numbing on the SSRIs. Perhaps, but I suspect that this is actually a normalization of the wide range of emotion that can come from the fall into bouts of depression and/or agitated depression.

Again, though, at first, things may seem amplified. I would stick it out. Give it a couple of months. The sexual dysfunction may also level out, but ask your pdoc.

I never had that, but, well, I'm a female.

Good luck.

[LonelyTree]

Thank you both so much! I feel so much better. You explained a lot of things I was worrying about away. I had been planning to go with it for a while and hope things leveled out, but now I'm much more confident in that decision.

I don't think the problem is at least partially psychological however because I had no idea it could affect me in that way until I started taking it. The Sexual dysfunction started the very first day I took the meds and I didn't start to worry and look up what it was called and if it could be the meds until the 3rd day.

Also I'm female as well.

But again thank you both so much for the help!

[Immaculata]

[ALERT: sex related language in this post]



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I dealt with the sexual dysfunction with, um, practice. I had to relearn (i am female) how to become aroused and orgasm on SSRIs (I have taken lots through the years). I did this through self-stimulation and mental fantasies. My religion prohibits masturbation and I had to really consider the implications of my actions, but the relearning allowed me to eventually (within a couple of months) be more sexually engaged with my husband while still taking the SSRIs. I will say that the orgasms on SSRIs pale in comparison to those without SSRIs, but they were still better than nothing.

[BuckVet09]

First time I took Prozac, I was stoned like a zombie and went off it. With all the stuff going on now, I asked to go back on it because I thought being a zombie was better than what was going on now. I am back on it now. I haven't had much interference with my sexual drive but then I am a male. And with other issues, my drive was never what it was. Good luck.