Prozac (Fluoxetine), Zoloft (Sertraline), Celexa, Paxil? Prozac

Stared on Prozac 20mg a day. It made me hostile, aggressive, mean and angry. Kept with it for 2 months and mellowed out some. I could not stop eating though.

So, changed to Zoloft 50mg a day. Now my insomnia is back plus dizziness, faintness, forgetfulness and still can't stop eating.

Family had suggested the Zoloft, maybe it was too high a dose? Anyway I
switched myself back to the Prozac and will see how it goes.

My PA had suggested Citalopram, which my husband has taken for a long time, from the VA, and has never shown any improvement.

A friend thinks I should try Paxil, because I also have anxiety.

I am going to wait awhile before any more changes. Besides I can't afford to go see the PA for awhile. I skipped last month, but am in contact through their internet correspondence.

I am not sure what to try next. The depression got better on Prozac and now I seem to like everything. Isn't that strange? My hubbs thinks I am manic now and I have been buying a lot (things I/We need). Sometimes I forget I even ordered something until it comes. If I read my email more often maybe I could keep up. I am also talking a lot and have reached out to maybe too many friends at once.

Not liking this and want to go back in my hole.

Maybe something other than an SSRI? I didn't have success with them. It is just an idea. I hope you find something that works for you soon.

I just started Prozac and it has brought me out of a year long depression. I've only been on it a week, but it seems to be working with few side effects. I'm a little worried about being manic myself though. I went shopping today too. ;-)

I've been on all the others you mentioned, too but none of them worked.

Good luck finding some that works. At least, Prozac is cheap compared to some.

You are going manic my friend. Don't worry you have seroquel

Maybe I need seroquel too! My husband had to quit seroquel because of night time twitches. I remember taking it with serzone about 12 yrs ago. Will message my PA about it and hope I don't have to go in and see him (another $50).

Dont keep swapping so much, Prozac took 12 weeks to work on me, PAXIL will make your fat , and sertraline starts in England at 100mg

Sounds like you may be a bit hypomanic to me. I would inform your pdoc. JMHO.

Six to eight weeks is generally enough time to figure out if you will be positively responsive to an ssri. Depending on the response, your provider can go from there. Individuals may need a longer period or may stay on it longer if there is reason to think that a dosage adjustment will make a difference. But if there is a negative response or no response at all after eight weeks, it doesn't really make sense to keep on the med unless there are particular circumstances indicating that action should be taken.

PAXIL is an excellent anti-anxiety / depression med. I would love to go back on Paxil. However one large drawback is you will completely lose your sex drive! Gone, zilch, none! My PDoc says antidepressants can cause manic episodes so she discontinued my antidepressant. I was on Paxil several years ago, the latest one was Wellbutrin SR @300mg

No, they took me off the seroquel because I couldn't afford it. And I did think I was headed for mania but it seems to have leveled off. Thanks for asking.

Nothing is an excellent med. It has to suit you. I can't recommend what I'm on because it works different for everyone.

Citalopram might not be a bad choice because sometimes it has mild side effects. It didn't do me any good but I've seen others having success with it.

That's interesting, prozac did nothing for me, tried Zoloft and absolutely hated it at first! My doc started me on 50 too. I could not make it past 3 days had to stop, kept feeling tired and shaky. Then I looked up average starting dose for Zoloft and most common is 25mg. So I began splitting the half in half making it approx 25mg. Big difference, was much easier to deal with. I stayed on 25 until all the side effects were gone, took me 2 weeks, then started taking a half = 50mg. No difference, no side effects either. But I stayed on 50 for 7 days, tonite I took the whole pill 100mg, will see how it goes. After I started getting use to the zoloft I actually starting liking it. The first thing I noticed was it removed 90% of my mild constant anxiety that was always there, I use to call it background noise. And it started to help a little on the moderate anxiety a little but did nothing for severe anxiety. Does help a little on the depression. I still get mood swings, not as bad. It was better with Wellbutrin but for the 5 months I took wellbutrin I always had trouble falling asleep. It became even worse when I started the Zoloft, that's too bad because together I felt the best. I Stopped the Wellbutrin the other day to see if I could fall asleep better and I did. So I don't know what to do now. But yea, you need to start off smaller doses of Zoloft and give it a chance! It does take up to 2 weeks to start feeling the benefits. Good Luck!

Like some one said, nothing is going to be perfection. I still get mild depression, paranoia, elevated, anxiety, delusional, BUT not as bad and fewer! Worth it for me.

Celexa made my brain shut off. Prozac was one long crazy trip. Zoloft was about the same but with less energy. Wellbutrin makes it difficult to sleep even when adding a sleeping pill so I've got a low dosage of Seroquel at night to knock me out and keep me out. Kind of gives me a buzz and more energy.

I'm not entirely convinced that antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs help everyone with depression. There are some of us who spend months and months experimenting with different drugs and dosages... The average episode of major depression isn't even a year long and it's even shorter if you're like me and have the bipolar. It can take much longer to find the drugs and the process itself? Well, you know.

Yikes. I just started Prozac....a little shopping for me today too :P But no side effects at all.

PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS! DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THESE MEDICATIONS!
ALL THE POSTED MEDS ARE BASICALLY THE EXACT SAME DRUGS. JUST A DIFFERENT NAME!!!!!!!
First thing you MUST REALIZE is that all the meds you listed work practicality the EXACT SAME WAY!!!! They are all SSRIs, meaning that they ONLY affect SEROTONIN.
There are 3 hormones in our brain chemistry and depending on how they travel through neurotransmitters is what affects our moods and stuff.
You may have messed up levels of 1, 2 or a combo .SERATONIN is pretty much all people know about. And all your listed meds are SERATONIN re-uptakers.
Now the 2 other substances in our brain also affecting our frame of mind sre DOPAMINE AND NOREPINEPHRINE. And there are meds for both.
CYMBALTA is a SNRI , seratonin norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor, affecting the 2 levels thst rule are mind. EFFEXOR, only at HIGH DOSES act as SNRI, otherwise its just a plain ole SSRI. This is what works for me.
Now, if you throw in ABILIFY , which works on your DOPAMINE levels, and THAT WORKS FOR YOU then you have been adjusting 2 other substances that affect our moods exactly as SERATONIN does. Now, myself, after the ABILIFY was added, turned me into a not-so-nice person, therefore my DOPAMINE levels are NOT TO BE MESSED WITH! !
Hope this makes a little bit of sense to you.
If not, DO NOT FRET!! THERE ARE OTHER MEDS THAT MAY NEED TO BE THROWN INTO YOUR COCTAIL! You must have a shrink that is patient, and willing to try different meds cause all the prozacs, zoloft, celexas, etc ARE ONLY AFFECTING THE SERATONIN! Thats like putting different brands of a bandaid on the same wound. Maybe it needs some neosporin first, then put a bandaid on it.
My shrink and I almost exhausted all avenues but finally got the RIGHT KIND, AND THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF DIFFERENT MEDS THAT HAS MADE ME FEEL THE BEST SINCE BEGINNING PROZAC BACK IN 1992ish. It can take a while however, and several appointments usually monthly to let meds reach their threshold.

gaylegg, I started with St. Johns, Relora and 5-HTP. Then I quit smoking and was was coughing and had to use an inhaler for breathing. For about 4 mths I had nausea, weakness, faintness and collapsed. So I had to go to a MD and found out my sodium level was dangerously low. I had to go to the ER and get a saline IV.

My Md thinks the pills I was taking contributed to the problem.. The ER doc said I should drink less water, drink sports drinks and use more salt.

I am still struggling with bouts of severe tiredness, (can't stay awake sometimes), faintness and weakness. Their is a problem with ssri's causing this condition too.

Glad to hear it, movieloverinstl. I liked prozac after I adjusted to it. I am having a lot of brain fog while being back on it. I am 58 yo though. It is just that my moodiness, (mania?),and anxiety are still a problem.

cocoabeans, I am considering stopping all the mood meds. I worry about my anxiety and irritablity affecting my marriage though.

Sorry to hear!! I love Welbutrin and Cymbalta. I find they work better then the SSRI's and don't have sexual side effects or weigt gain problems. You can even take them together. I hated Seroquel for the fatigue and weight gain! I love Latuda and Lamictal at high doses for mood stability and they're weight neutral. I didn't find much use for a PA but love my psychiatrist! Best of luck!!!

Sixxchik, I took too long to finish my reply, and lost it because I had to log in again. They told me to refresh page and login again Maybe if I hadn't refreshed the page, my reply wouldn't have been lost.
The gist of it was thanks for the great info.
I want to try Cymbalta.

I am learning.
My untreated depression, kept me in the house, isolated and off the phone, for over 6 yrs.
I just learned it has been 8 yrs since seeing my husband's niece. I started skipping celebrations, reunions a long time ago.

Hey Iamwho, the only SSRI I like is Lexapro. Otherwise I love Aplenzin or Welburtin SR! All the best!!

PA said there is no generic yet for cymbalta. so thats a no go.

Aplenzin is ZYBAN , used in England on short course for stopping smoking, its really WELBURTIN but generic WELLBUTRIN banned in England because of seizure scare . Aplenzin or zyban used by clubbers has a high acts like amfet when mixed with a few beers .

WHOA!