Feedback on Prozac Side Effects and Usage, page 2

Prozac Feedback

This forum is for those who have used Prozac. If you’ve used Prozac, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history. You can use the form below to add your comments, feedback or Prozac review.

Subj: prozac
Date: 8/26/2003
I would like to know the pros and cons of prozac. What are the side effects – how does it work and how long does it have to be taken to control mood swings. Thanks,

Stuckoi

Subj: No withdrawl
Date: 5/6/2004
I recently took sarafem, which is prozac under another name, for about a year. I felt it definetly helped me to deal with an extremely stressful time in my life but I am not sure the side affects were worth it. While I was on sarafem I felt very calm but I also had serious lack of motivation. I took it at night because it made me so tired, if I took it in the morning it literally took me until 2 or 3pm to get moving. I gained 50lbs in that year because I just could not get motivated to do anything, I mean ANYTHING. I eventually made the choice to go off this on my own, I went down to a lower dose and then to every other day until eventually I quit with no withdrawl. I am currently working very hard to loose the weight, exercising every day and eating a healthy well balanced diet but I have to say that it is coming off soooo slow. I dont know if it was worth taking but I am definetly paying the price now.

Jennifer

Subj: Greatly helped
Date: 6/15/2004
I am a 52 year old woman who has been taking sarafem (prozac) for about 3 years. After suffering with severe pms. .(mood swings and depression) my husband convinced me to see a dr. I have been greatly helped by the drug. I did have problems with some sexual side effects but was able to solve them by lowering the dosage. I only take 1 tablet (10 mg.) every other day. Having struggled for years with the depression etc. I am grateful for the help I have found through this drug. Perhaps after I get through menopause I will be able to do without it. My husband can certainly tell a difference as well.

Terry

Subj: Depressed
Date: 6/24/2004
I was put on Prozac to help with my depression. I was also suffering from Anorexia at the time. The prozac did nothing for the depression but I ended up losing all the motivation I had and put on all the weight I had lost. Now I’m as depressed as I was when I started taking the drug.

Stacey

Subj: Prozac for deppression
Date: 10/27/2004
I was put on prozac for deppression. I think it takes too long to kick in. I mean you need something that works faster and does not have to build up in your blood. I’ve had suicideal thoughts and while the prozac is not working I could kill myself (not that I will).

Steven

Subj: Gained weight on Prozac
Date: 11/20/2004
Gained 25 pounds in one year and lost motivation. Do not take this drug!!!

Colleen

Subj: HGH took away my depression
Date: 5/5/2005
I was on Prozac for 3 years for depression and it made me crazy in the head and made me gain about 50 pounds. Being obese makes me more depressed than ever. I am now on HGH(human growth hormone) which took away my depression and helped me lose the weight and feel like myself again. A friend told me about this and best of all you can order it online. Make sure the one you order really is HGH and not a scam.

Linda

Subj: Another name for Prozac
Date: 3/29/2007
I took Sarafem, which is another name for Prozac a couple years ago when I was going through a very stressful time and I actually lost weight and I felt really good while I was taking it, although I did lose a little sexual desire and I wasn’t as emotional as I was before. You know those Hallmark commercials that make everyone cry? Well, I didn’t cry anymore when I saw those.

Beth

Subj: Headaches and lightheaded
Date: 11/16/2007
I was put on Prozac this past week to treat PMS. I’ve only taken 2 doses, 10 mg each, every other day. Each time I’ve taken it, I’ve gotten a headache. I am supposed to increase my dosage to 10mg every day for 4 days and then to 20mg a day each day after that. I’m nervous about increasing my dosage since I am already getting headaches and occasionally feel lightheaded or not quite there. I am not experiencing any other side effects. Will these side effects subside as I build up the medication in my system and take it for a longer period of time? Anyone else experience these side effects?

Tiffany

AskDocWeb: It is possible that they could subside but if not you may have to consult with your physician about changing to another medication.

Subj: Nice to feel better mentally
Date: 11/19/2007
I recently started taking Sarafem (Prozac) and it has helped incredibly with my depression, sadness, being overly emotional. Drawback is, I am very sleepy all day. I plan to switch to taking it nights & will let everyone know if that helps me. It’s so nice to feel better mentally I want to stay with if for a while.

Cindy

Subj: Drained and unmotivated
Date: 1/16/2008
I recently started on 25 mg of prozac for OCD and anxiety and by the end of the first week I felt sooo drained and unmotivated. I have no appetite either. I’m continuing this until the first month is over before I decide if I’m going to feel better or not. Right now I can say I don’t like its effects on me.

Jen

Subj: VERY pleased with Prozac
Date: 2/6/2008
Hi! I am on day 5 of 20mg a day. I am noticing I am tired…I also POP up at 6am…kind of annoying. Overall though, I am VERY pleased with Prozac and hope that over time it pulls me out of the house and closer to others. Does any know if POT and PROZAC conflict?

Stephanie

Subj: My trip to hell and back
Date: 8/24/2008
I took prozac and got more depressed, wept daily, lost a huge amount of weight, I started wanting more and more and was prescribed only one a day but ended up taking 4 and at that stage did not realise that the prozac was making me more depressed. I started to feel as if I was loosing my mind. I felt hyper and if I was stoned. When I found out that people have killed themselves because of prozac, I just flushed them all down the toilet and went cold turkey. I had reached a point to where I was loosing my mind and had no control over my thoughts and actions and I was planning to kill myself and my dog. I nearly got locked up in a mental institution. I WAS NOT SUICIDAL before I started taking prozac whatsoever. I DO NOT recommend this drug whatsoever, it can make you want to kill yourself. If you do take it and find you are getting more depressed I suggest you speak to your doctor URGENTLY!! I lost a lot of weight, I still have short term memory loss, feel very hyper and like I am a robot and that my brain is not part of me. It made me feel like I was possessed by the devil. My experience on prozac was my trip to hell and back.

Barry

Subj: De-motivated
Date: 12/28/2008
Prozac saved me from OCD and obsessive thoughts and depression. Its wonderful for me but I’m feeling rather demotivated for the last few months and needing to do something about it. Everyone is different and for some people I’m sure this can be a horrible drug. I’m very sensitive so I take only 5mg per day and its very effective.

A

Subj: Sometimes I think I suffer from schizophrenia
Date: 2/2/2009
To whom it may concern… I do not recommend this drug whatsoever… it has literally messed me up mentally… Sometimes I think I suffer from schizophrenia and I’ve never been diagnosed with that… I was never like that before the med… I use to take my riddilin everyday since I was like 6… and I was also prescribed prozack at age 14… I’m now 19… the ridilin has taken its toll on me. and with the prozac I wanted to kill myself… since then I just don’t feel right. They thought I had bi-polar disorder… I was just really hyper with my ADHD.. + I was on concerta and strattera at the same time as the riddilin and prozac… I’m 19 now and off all pills… I think different, act different, and I’m completely disgusted with myself…still depressed. Some times maniacally… but I live to fight another day with these complications.

Jeremy

Subj: Prozac side effects
Date: 2/19/2009
Prozac did really help me through a difficult time at first. I was on 20mg and it quickly got me out of a tough time, coupled with counselling. However, after a couple of months, I started noticing side effects, one minute I’d be very active, hyper almost, excitable full of big ideas and the next minute I couldn’t be bothered, didn’t want to finish my work, generally lacked motivation, which wasn’t good for my job. I came off the drug after about 6 months by reducing the dose but the depression returned, not as severe but the doctor put me back on it. The side effects seemed to return quicker this time, I reduced the dose again but it didn’t seem so effective on the depression as the first time. I think it was a good short term fix to lift the heavy depression, but does very little for light depression and can make things worse. It’s also not very conducive to working as a teacher, because I just couldn’t be bothered to meet my deadlines one minute or spouted hot air the next. I began to feel on the edge of bipolar as well, even though I have never had symptoms of this before or since taking Prozac and thankfully now feel normal again. Take this drug with lots of caution!

Nicola

Subj: More depressed
Date: 5/6/2009
I have just been told to come off my prozac because it’s making me feel like I’m going insane and I don’t know what harm I could do to myself …(I’ve only been taking it for 3 weeks and its made me ten times more depressed).

Ashleigh

Subj: Suicidal thoughts, nightmares, loss of appetite
Date: 6/14/2009
Tried Prozac a few years and am lucky to still be here today. Seriously didn’t agree with me. Took for 2.5 months as my Dr prescribed. Would lie wide awake at night, angry, in tears, up and down walking around the house with seriously disturbed thoughts in my head, restless and frustrated and wanted to ‘end it all’ – whereas previously I had no suicidal thoughts. Nightmares, loss of appetite, seriously disturbed thoughts and glad my Mother was there for me, we went to the GP together and I was taken off Prozac. GP confirmed the drug wasn’t for me. Zoloft, I’ve taken for 2 years now and feel great. Stabilised and with counselling combined am doing much better. Some drugs just don’t agree with some people.

Zoe

Subj: Can’t think straight
Date: 6/29/2009
I have been taking 20mg Prozac for one week now for postpartum depression and I am suffering from anxiety, loss of appetite, and nausea. Does anyone know if lowering this dose might be a solution for me? I cant take the anxiety, its like I’m overwhelmed and can’t really think straight or get things done, some racing thoughts and just not feeling connected. It’s also made me somewhat agoraphobic?

Katie

AskDocWeb: If you think your dosage may need to be adjusted then talk to your doctor.

Subj: Increased appetite
Date: 8/25/2009
Hi, I have been on Prozac for 3 1/2 years now, up until about 2-3 weeks ago…I have been feeling great, my self, but all of a sudden, I’m going back to what I call, “pre prozac me” and I’m not liking the feeling, so I have a dr.s appt tomorrow (8-26-09) to see about increasing my does, I am taking 20mg caps. Other than this, prozac has been the best thing for me. 3 days after I started taking it, it felt like all the big dark thunder clouds just parted, and I could see clearly again, and I had NO side effects, except, in the beginning, increased appetite, and that didn’t last. So I want to continue to stay on my prozac.

Carol

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