Can Prozac make you feel emotionally numb?

I've only been on Prozac for about 2 weeks, but I feel numb and depressed. Before I started, I would never cry unless there was something major to cry about or if I was extremely upset. I wasn't depressed. I don't think I am now. But I feel depressed - the same feelings; numb, empty, crying for no reason, feeling just emtionally numb.

I don't know how to describe it well, I'm hoping that some of you will understand.

I've also been feeling very sick and very tired as well as getting headaches and just feeling exhausted.

For instance, I'm currently playing a game with a person who usually makes me laugh. They made me laugh like 20 minutes ago, I did laugh but immediately after I started crying for no reason what so ever.

I'm planning on telling my psychiatrist when she rings next Wednesday. I'm seeing her the Wednesday after that too, so I will talk to her about it when I get the chance.

Also, before I started Prozac I wasn't on any medication what so ever. I was attending college (after a rough patch my attendence dropped to 50% but I got it back up to around 70-80% recently), now in this last week I've been taking Prozac, I've missed 3 out of 5 days of college. Not because of Anxiety, which is why I was prescribed Prozac, but more of lack of energy/not seeing the point in getting up and getting a shower etc.

I don't know what to do. It's helping my anxiety. But it feels like it's stripped away my emotions at the same time.

Hi khione

If you were prescribed Prozac to alleviate anxiety; I would recommend that you speak to the person who prescribed this medication about the side effect that is happening with your mood.

Hope this helps.

Sometimes we get side effects other than that which was intended.

Yours sounds like something worth discussing further.

Yes I have experienced the same with Prozac as well as other SSRIs. I've been on SSRIs much of my adolescent and adult life. Most of that time I apathetic and had little interest in anything - conversation, socializing, hobbies, pursuing goals.

Prozac is similar but not as extreme in my experience. I take 20mg and it still helps with anxiety, albeit not as much. exercise, coping skills and klonopin all help take the edge off when necessary. For me, the flattening effect of Prozac gets more significant at higher doses (40-60mg). I don't know how much you take but perhaps lowering the dose is some thing you can bring up wih your doctor.

Prozac tends to have very different effects on people. It was (I believe) the first antidepressant developed. It is generally the first medication that pdocs prescribe, and (I think) the only one of it's kind FDA approved for kids.
For me it took about three weeks to take any effect. When it did it helped a little bit for a while and then slowly...not so well at all.
But like I said before, I've never seen this med effect two people the same way. I hope that you figure out something that works well for you. And if you get tired of meds not working, try googling the link between nutrition and mental health. It's fascinating.

The sun will shine again, darling.

It took me about a month to adjust properly to Prozac- it does develop a tolerance pretty quick though, I would wait it out for another week or two and see if anything changes; then maybe request a change to Zoloft or Trazodone at night… those both were smooth transitions for me..
As far as the numbness goes, I think that might just be how they all make you feel; I have yet to find one single pill that helps and doesn't make me lose myself.
Right now I take Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Trileptal to adjust and control emotion. It's working out nicely..

Hopefully you start feeling better soon!

I've heard it described as patients sometime still feel depressed but "don't care" maybe apathetic. Is that what u r calling numb?

Yes, many SSRIs do. Although prozac never did a thing for me.

Yes! Prozac made me completely emotionally numb. I didn't feel good, I didn't feel bad, I didn't feel anything. It did help some of my other depressive symptoms though (lack of motivation, difficulty completing tasks, problems sleeping), so I stayed on it for a long time.
Sometimes people are so depressed once they start an anti-depressant it's only then they realize how depressed they really are. Being really tired, physically sick and exhausted can be signs of depression.
I would definitely bring it up with your psychiatrist. I don't know how disabling your symptoms are. Are they something you think you can handle for a week or so more to see if they improve, or are they so bad you need to do something else as soon as possible? Maybe something to bring up with your psychiatrist when you speak with her.

Prozac can definitely have negative emotional side effects.

I have found most psych meds can make you feel emotionally numb. Well that is with me anyways.

For psych meds, it takes 4-6 weeks for them to really get adjusted in your system. I would hang in there if you can for a little longer, but you can call your doctor and let them know what's going on if it would make you feel better. It's all trial and error unfortunately.

Maybe you should talk to your prescriber about putting you on an anxiety specific med instead of an SSRI. That would be less likely to have the numbness side effect.

There's Buspar (which I don't think is very good, but that's just my opinion), Propranolol (a blood pressure med) can be prescribed for anxiety, klonopin and other benzodiazepines tend to be highly effective and fast acting (but also have addiction potential). I take Perphenazine for anxiety, which is an oldschool typical antipsychotic in very small doses, and it helps. There are probably others out there. Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

I tried prozac, zoloft and a few others and they all make me very ill. My symptoms were just as you described. My psych doc told me that the drugs had no side effects and that what I was expierencing was not from the drugs despite the fact that it clearly was. Hopefully your doc will be more knowledgeable and not give you the run around. What you are describing can very well be coming from the prozac. If you try something like lorazapam for anxiety it will probably not effect you emotionally like the ssris. At least that's my experience. take care of yourself :-)

Benzodiazepines can exacerbate and maybe cause (I can't remember what I read exactly) depression in some people. But I think a benzo would be much more effective than an SSRI especially if you're not tolerating the SSRI well.

Many anti depressants make you feel worse rather than better at first. Give it more time.