A lot of the reviews say it takes 4 to 6 weeks to kick in. Im trying to stick it out because i heard this is the "miracle " drug. Is it normal for the first month to feel worse before you get better?
Today, is 3 weeks I have been on Prozac. I am more depressed and anxious than ever?
Question posted by Stickinthemud on 3 Sep 2015
Last updated on 25 January 2019 by TeganG96
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
8 Answers
TeganG96
25 Jan 2019
It’s my 3rd week taking Prozac today. I take it for severe social anxiety, ever since been on Prozac it’s made it a lot worse where I really struggle to leave my house and do normal day to day things. The last few weeks I’ve acrually lost almost a stone from not eating from been so anxious all the time, I feel a lot worse than I did before taking them for sure. My headaches and sickness has died down abit, but recently been getting a tight chest and dizziness the last few days. My sleeping is fine as I take my 20mg tablet right before I fall asleep so I try and sleep through the side effects, I’ve been reading that by the 3rd week these horrible side effects should be going but it doesn’t feel like it at all, I’m glad I’ve found someone in the same boat as me. Please let me know if your side effects go any time soon as I’m struggling bad and wanting to change meds but I feel like I’m half way there to a “normal” head
Charness1
20 Jan 2018
I've been taking Fluoxintine for 2 weeks. The 1st week was the worst, but tolerable. My 2nd week, I do feel a whole lot calmer and not as stressed. This is my first time taking an antidepressant, and truly feel its working.
findthelight33
8 Nov 2017
I'm curious if there is an update on how the medication helped and what your result was being on Prozac. I'm currently in a similar situation and while I understand meds are different for each individual I'd love to hear your experience since it has been a couple of years later. Thanks!
coloresue
8 Sep 2015
You already have some good advice here that I agree with. I would just like to add that it's possible to still have anxiety after the 40 mg of Prozac helps with your depression. It's not a sure thing, just a possibility. I've been through years of no depression on 40 mgs of Prozac. It's still the gold standard for depression, the no.1 successful antidepressant . I have a separate anxiety disorder, though. I needed a separate anxiety medicine. If you have a separate anxiety diagnosis, you may need an anxiety medicine along with the antidepressant Prozac.
I mention this only so that you will judge the Prozac on how it helps with your depression and not be concerned if it can't completely cover your anxiety. Best of luck to you!
Stickinthemud
8 Sep 2015
Thanks very much!
tall tree
7 Sep 2015
keep taking your prozac your almost their,,, I'm in my sixth week and I;m feeling a lot better..Four days ago I was in the black hole, major depression, ocd issues, racy mind with weird off the wall thoughts..today I can feel a major difference, glad I kept taking my prozac..
Stickinthemud
8 Sep 2015
thank you, thank you, thank you! thats all ive wanted to hear!!
Stickinthemud
8 Sep 2015
thank you, thank you, thank you! thats all ive wanted to hear!!
MeggieGirl
4 Sep 2015
Effexor is an SNRI and Prozac is an SSRI; they're both antidepressants, but work on different neurochemicals in your brain (there are three total).
Effexor works on norepinephrine while Prozac works on serotonin (the third one is dopamine). What led to stopping Effexor?
Because you're likely at a lower dose starting out, your neurons haven't had enough time to function properly & give you serotonin - which may be the one you need over norepinephrine; it takes experimentation, sadly.
The most important thing right now is to gauge the depth of your deepened depression, and decide whether you are darker in a way that your thoughts scare you. Some meds can make this happen in people & it's SO important to get this info to the psych immediately so they can get you off that and onto something different. :)
Stickinthemud
4 Sep 2015
thank you so much. Im actually in the lobby at my psych appt now. I really wanna stick out the prozac .. i feel like i havent given it enough time. We will see what the doc says
MeggieGirl
5 Sep 2015
I really hope that appointment went well. Switching from one "class" of antidepressant to another can cause a variety of symptoms, including feeling like you have the flu, getting diarrhea, etc. As the weeks progress, I don't think it will be like a light switch where you're like "Wow! It's working now!" I say it's more like a dimmer switch that gradually turns up until one day it dawns on you that you've been feeling better lately. Unless your Doc tells you otherwise, and unless you have suicidal ideation (which can be CAUSED by a medication), as long as your symptoms are manageable, I'd stick it out for 6-8 weeks before looking for a gauge of change. There are some free printables online like "mood disorder tracker" or something like that, and you track your anger, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, etc. so you can see whether the lines go up or down as you look at the weeks progress in each category.
It's hard to gauge this when all the days kind of blend together, but a mood chart shows historical data as well as correlations (such as how having a period can throw everything out of whack). I hope you keep in touch and let us know how you're doing. :) Meg
Stickinthemud
5 Sep 2015
thank you so much. They actually doubled my dose to 40 mg so fingers crossed it works !!
MeggieGirl
5 Sep 2015
Yahoo! That's GREAT! The closer you get to a medication's maintenance doses, if this med is the right one for you, I think you will begin to feel balanced in life (the lows won't feel so low, and the anxiety may still come up, but you will process it in an entirely different way). You will likely realize one day that the surroundings you live in have been cleaner than before, and you'll possibly see a correlation between motivation and feeling happier and less stress. Try to be observant about any changes around you, and maybe write them down; the idea is to look for patterns of improvement or decline. Plus, if you switched to a new doctor, it would never helpful for him/her to see the history of what life was like for you at other doses. I am SO HAPPY FOR YOU!
Meg
Stickinthemud
6 Sep 2015
Thank you very much meggie. Are you a doctor or pharmacist? You seem very knowledgeable. I appreciate the feedback very much!
MeggieGirl
8 Sep 2015
Hi! Gosh, *feeling bashful* I really appreciate the compliment! No, I'm neither a doctor, nor a pharmacist. I recently obtained a degree in Psychology, though, because I was desperate to learn more about what goes on inside our brain/minds, in a search to find something that would help me, while helping other people (I'm hoping to become a Victim Advocate). In order to earn the degree, I had to take so many electives, and instead of taking things like Human S3xuality, Growth of Child to Teenager, etc., I took classes like Abnormal Psychology and things along that line , so I could get into depth about depression, bipolar, schizophrenia (etc.) their spectrums, why they happen, and the medications that are used (or a combination of them) to treat them.
I think, the reason I paid such careful attention to everything is because I was searching for my own answers to decades of Major Depressive Disorder and mood swings (I got angry at the drop of a hat, making relationships SO difficult, even though I loved the person so very much - it just didn't make any sense), Anxiety, and PTSD following abuse as well as a traumatic car accident involving brain injury where I was hit by a car going 100mph sitting at a stoplight (the depression and everything started before then, so I knew it wasn't caused by the accident, but it certainly didn't make it better, especially when I became more and more disabled as I aged from the spinal injury). Well, that's more than you asked for. HA! Psychology Degree is the simple answer. :p
Stickinthemud
8 Sep 2015
Wow. Youre interested in the same things as me. I dont have a degree but i am absolutely fascinated by the brain and different peoples brain chemistry.. you are amazing. Thanks for the support and feedback.. it means the world to me
MeggieGirl
8 Sep 2015
I love finding things in common! And I'm so glad to have you as a friend. :) we are here for each other, and I appreciate that!!!
Stickinthemud
8 Sep 2015
Me too, thanks for everything!!
LaurieShay
3 Sep 2015
It can take upwards of a month or so to reach peak effectiveness. Don't know what dosage you are on, but if you are still feeling depression and anxiety over the next couple of weeks, you may need to discuss increasing the dosage. It isn't particularly unusual to experience some heightened anxiety in the beginning, but at this point you should be adjusting. If the depression/anxiety continues or worsens, don't hesitate to contact the doctor.
Stickinthemud
3 Sep 2015
Thank you. I was put on 20 mg capsules. I wasnt told to increase the dose or anything. My next appt isnt for 2 weeks from today. Im hoping in the next week or two, i will feel normal again and have good news to report back to my psychiatrist. Also, another side effect i am experiencing pretty badly is nausea and almost like a heart burn. From what i read, that seems to be normal. Does that go away after sometime or does that just come with the medication.
Stickinthemud
3 Sep 2015
Thank you. I was put on 20 mg capsules. I wasnt told to increase the dose or anything. My next appt isnt for 2 weeks from today. Im hoping in the next week or two, i will feel normal again and have good news to report back to my psychiatrist. Also, another side effect i am experiencing pretty badly is nausea and almost like a heart burn. From what i read, that seems to be normal. Does that go away after sometime or does that just come with the medication.
LaurieShay
3 Sep 2015
Your doctor may increase the dosage at your next appointment if your symptoms haven't improved significantly. The nausea is not unusual, and should go away. If not, let the doctor know.
kaismama
3 Sep 2015
If prozac doesn't do it, and maybe its just that you'll need an increase in dose, there are quite a few other newer anti depressants.
Stickinthemud
3 Sep 2015
i have tried almost all of them. Im wondering if im partially withdrawaling from the effexor i was taking before this. I was taking effexor 225 mg and it took me a month to wene off and it was brutal. im hoping that the prozac will work and im just feeling this way because i switched. My side effects are under the.uncommon side effects of Prozac though and that worries me. Does anybody know if its normal to be more anxious, irritable & depressed in the process of switching medication? Is this something i need to be concerned about or is this normal for early stages of prozac? help me!!!
Related topics
prozac, depression, anxiety, anxiety and stress, drug
Further information
- Prozac uses and safety info
- Prozac prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Prozac (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.