Prozac

I started on 20 mg Prozac (every other day) last Thurs. OMG, I feel HORRIBLE. Especially today. So dizzy, naseaus, extremely weak, very tired (but not sleeping very much @ all).....it's awful. I also have hot flashes, wake up in a cold sweat (ugh) & a very clenched jaw.

I'm interested in anyone else's experiences on Prozac. Positive experiences? Negative? What were your side effects (if any)? Did they go away? Did you find Prozac helpful? How long did it take to kick in? I was on it in '98 or '99 for a bit, but only remember feeling really tired on it.

I'm very hopeless b/c I've had severe depression for 24 yrs now (since I was a child); I've tried over a dozen different meds and nothing really seems to help. I'm really ready to give up.

d

i was on it in the past and am on it again. i take 40mg a day. i don't know why you are taking it every other day......did the doctor explain the reason for that?

i've never had any problem adjusting to it. i don't have much of an appetite when i take it. but it really helps my depression more than any other AD....

good luck and keep me posted......pat

Thanks for your reply, Pat.

I'm taking it every other day (to start) until Thurs b/c either it's not available in 10mg capsules, or they aren't covered by my drug plan (the 10 mg capsules, that is)....I can't remember the dr's reason.

You're lucky re: no side effects. Although, I'm going through a very emotionally stressful time right now & my body is so physically run-down too, so this probably doesn't help.

I'm glad to hear it helps you more than any other AD.

I'll try to keep you posted. (My memory is so bad)!

d

I took Prozac for several months way back when I first started on this journey. It did zippo for me at 20 and 40 mg, so we went up to 60, at which point I started having auditory hallucinations. That was the end of Prozac! I don't really remember other side effects, but it definitely didn't help me at all.

Good luck to you!

Candy

please be sure and eat correctly. it's really important when we take ADs to eat properly. being run down makes it much harder for the AD to help us......xoxox pat

That is a rather high dose to start and is likely your main problem. You can go to taking 20 mg every-other day, and that will be the same as 10 mg every day. If that is too much you can actually do 20 mg every 3rd day to start, and those adjustments should help.

she is taking 20mg every other day now.

talk to your doctor about your problems.....get feedback also from him/her.......pat

Hi Desparado

I was on Prozac last year. I started off on 20mg/day which worked for about a month and then nothing so I was put up to 40mg/day)

I did have problems with a severe headache for the first week and really bad night sweats the whole time I was on it (about 7 months)

I felt like it kicked in almost immediatley but didn't last for long so that was the reason I was put up to 40mg/day (I didn't realise 20mg/day was a high dose to start at before Dr S just said)

At this dose it worked really well for me and the only long term side effects were I didn't sleep very well, the night sweats and I lost about 10lb's but the improvement in my mood was great, I got through a really rough time in my life whilst I was on Prozac (not the reason why I was on it) that I don't think I'd have dealt with so well without it

I would definately say to give it a go if you can stand the first week or so of nasty side effects, they do fade and you might find it helps you better than the other meds you've tried so far, you never know, don't give up!

polkadotpixie

Thanks for letting me know, Candy. Jeez, that is pretty scary about the hallucinations. I hope you are doing better now.

Take care.

d

Thanks, Pat. I'm actually eating quite a lot lately (unfortunately - all though the Prozac has curbed my appetite somewhat, which is good), so that's not a problem. But thanks for the fact you care.

d

Hi Polka,

Thanks for sharing your exper w/ Prozac.

Yikes, I hope the insomnia & night sweats don't continue for me....I cannot function like this (only going on ~ 3-4 hrs of broken sleep/day).

I also appreciate the encouragement...ty

d

Thanks, but I'm actually on 20 mg every other day.

Can you speculate that the insomnia will disapate? I'm going nuts not sleeping. (I realize everybody reacts differently to meds, but just wondering what the general trend is out there w/ respect to insomnia & prozac).

d

I've just gotten back onto Prozac this past November. I have had both good and bad effects. I started off taking 10 and bumped up to 20 each day.

On the good side:
I feel wonderful. No more mood swings, suicidial thoughts, anxiety.

On the bad side:

I have been experiencing horrible night sweats that are driving me crazy.

Dry mouth all the time

Vivid nightmares and dreams

I think that if you are feeling as uncomfortable as you are you might want to try something different.

Take care,
Jessica

Hi Jessica

Thanks for your post. Glad Prozac has helped you.

I totally here you on the night sweats - they are really nasty. The worst.

I also have really weird dreams. But I can deal with them vs. the bad headaches, horrible feelings of fatigue/lethargy/weekness and insomnia.

Take care.

d

I am on 80mg a day and it seems to be helping me a little. I hope the side effects for you will decrease and it will help you. Those side effects sound really uncomfortable.

Hi there,
I am sorry that you are experiencing these symptoms.
a couple of questions for you:
ARe you possibly reaching menopause?
they say we can start having symptoms for 10 years prior.
ARe you bipolar 1 or 2.
Insomnia will trigger mania faster than stress will,
you do need to call your pdoc to get something to make you sleep.
Have you had a good physical lately to rule out any possible thyroid involvement?

I once started taking prozac for obcessive compulsive skin picking. Sent me full blown manic...I bought 2 cars in 3 weeks...$5K mistake...awful.
WElbutrin is a safe antidepressant...
have you tried this before? how about provigil?
I am sorry this is so hard...
((((HUGS)))
bizi

i had a not so good reaction to prozac.

have you tried therapy?

Thanks for your post. Glad to hear it's working for you, but @ 80 mg? I hope I don't have to go up that high.

Do you not have any side effects @ that dosage?

Hi Bizi

Thanks for your post.

Nope, no where near menopause. Not Bipolar either. And yep, had CBC done last week & thyroid is fine (could have fooled me).

Unfortunately, I cannot take Wellbutrin. Otherwise, I would try it.

Yeah, I was on Prozac before in '98 or '99 - can't remember exactly - & remembered feeling really tired, dry mouth, constipation, yawning a lot, etc......then it stopped working (not that it did a hell of a lot). No, never tried provigil.

I am monitoring my sleep. I am sleeping somewhat better; however, still not great. I really don't want to go on another med for sleep unless I really, really need to...so I'm going to try to wait & see if my sleep improves gradually the longer I'm on Prozac.

Hugs to you as well & thanks again for your help.

d

Hi Alex

Oh no....that's not good news.

Oh yes, I've tried therapy. Some helped, some didn't. The last psychiatrist I had changed his focus from general psych to forensics - which is not me - so I had to find another dr. I still haven't found a psychiatrist yet - but had a number of sessions w/ a psychotherapist. She actually was pretty good, but knows a member of my family & has unfortunately gone against code of ethics & talked to my family member about me & my sessions. NOT cool. Needless to say, I don't trust her & don't see her anymore.

There aren't enough dr's in Canada & the search is very frustrating........

i'm sorry it is hard to find someone :-(
that really sucks that that therapist broke your confidentiality like that :-(

i guess i'd have more hope of therapy for meaningful changes than medication...

but that is mostly because if you have been having depression for the last 24 years it is more likely to be a depressive personality disorder kind of a thing than a depressive episode (where the latter is typically the most responsive to meds).

I know, I'm pretty pi$$ed @ my old therapist for doing that.

I have no idea why I haven't found the right med, but I'll tell you, it's frustrating as hell....

Anyway, thx for your post.

> I have no idea why I haven't found the right med

Maybe because it hasn't been invented yet.

Would you be willing to look into therapy again?

What your last therapist did was unprofessional. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience like that. Therapists can be a bit erratic (like medications) you never know when one will help you and when one will just have negative side effects ;-)

Yes, I'm looking into therapy......just so hard to find a therapist whom I trust & with whom I feel comfortable AND is covered by my very basic drug plan.

I like your analogy re: t's & meds. I had a good T, but unfortunately he changed his focus to forensic psych & therefore it was buh-bye to me. But I'll tell ya, I've had two very, very bad experiences w/ t's. One I cannot even go into presently; it's way too upsetting. I realize nobody's perfect, but this guy was a complete wack-job. I should have reported him. One day, I'll spew my stories.