Prozac for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 22, 2017

"Amazing effective medication. Works like magic. Makes me relax and happier and enhanced my sexual drive. Very safe and I LOVE IT. Overall, this medication changed my life and enhanced everything and helped me function in a very short time that I stopped taking it."

• Gab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2022

"I took Prozac for Major Depressive Disorder. I would definitely say I was severely depressed and had suicidal ideation. Also, some nights I could not sleep, and the nights I could sleep would only sleep a couple of hours. I went to see a psychiatrist (something I always recommend for mental disorders, I do not recommend a general practitioner), and he prescribed Prozac for depression and Seroquel for my insomnia. I’m not gonna lie, nothing changed much for about 3 1/2 weeks, but on day 24 of taking those meds, it’s as if there was a complete and total change for the good. I say all of that because you gotta hang in there, as it takes a while for meds to “kick in.” I have been on these meds for over 5 months, and I will follow my psychiatrist’s instructions. I feel great. I am thankful to God for my psychiatrist and these meds. Oh, and I take 40 mg of Prozac and 200 mg of Seroquel per day."

• Myn...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 24, 2016

"I was put on fluoxetine 40 mg daily due to a particularly bad bout of depression that left me unable to work or even get out of bed. That was over a year ago and it was a godsend. I started on 10 mg and increased to 40 within a month, close to no side effects (some stomach pain), and the relief of my depression happened within the first week. After a month and a half on it, I was feeling great and alive again! It was amazing! After 8 months on the medication, I decided to wean off. That went well, however, anxiety started building up again. I believe my condition has now changed. I was put back on fluoxetine 40 mg but felt no relief of my anxiety whatsoever and had to add Ativan to my regimen. I am now exploring other options but it was great!"

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 1, 2023

"As far as depression and suicidal ideation goes, Prozac, along with therapy, community, and setting boundaries, have helped to change my life. I've been on just about every SSRI, SNRI, or other medication on the market (give or take a few), and I just have a different, more positive outlook on life since I started taking it. The only drawbacks are it does seem to mess with my sleep (more so in the beginning), not that I can't sleep on it, it just makes me feel like I require less of it, whereas my body knows otherwise... and it gave me some tics when I first started on it and still, every now and then (worth it), and it doesn't always work for major anxiety (however, I have panic attacks, and despite what doctors tell people because of the benzo stigma in the US, these meds are for anxiety, they are NOT for panic disorder), but if you're looking for a medication to ease your depression or suicidal ideation, this may be the one for you too."

• Cap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 12, 2018

"My dad was 'special ops' Korean War. I was training at 6 years old, I was a marksman, a black belt at 8, and by 24 years old I was a deep cover operative. SAP/SCI missions. Night terrors/PSTD episodes were 'every day/evening' most of my life. Now at 63, my kids have degrees and are 'engaged with the world'. I trained them. My son has ADHD/on Adderall, my daughter is fine. Hiding my past, I lived 2 lives. Severe increase in night terrors, rages, screaming. Lately as we have moved from Hawaii, my wife found old paper about my past, scared her ass, she grabbed $, a bag, and flew back to London. 'Dear John' text 4 days later. I am using Xanax, Zoloft, and Adderall for my 'suicidal thoughts'. My family is 'scared to death of me'. I am hollow, but looking to move on. Trying Prozac for the 1st time, hope it has the desired effect. What better test subject?"

• tay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2022

"I’ve suffered from depression for a long time and was taking 20 mg generic Lexapro for years, which seemed to work and kept my mood even with no side effects. Recently, a health scare gave me a brand new illness, anxiety, panic attacks, and worsened depression. Lexapro wasn’t working anymore. I was started on 10 mg Prozac 4 days ago by my psych, to go up to 20 after a week. So far, side effects have just been some drowsiness and feeling jittery/slightly anxious after taking. I will come back in a couple of weeks with an update. The reviews here give me hope! It’s been a hard 3 months. I will also note I’m seeing a psychiatrist and doing bibliotherapy/CBT. We can do this!"

• Lis...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 4, 2021

"If you are looking to completely numb yourself out, then this is the medication for you. But if you still want to feel your emotions and feel happy about things and a little sad about others, I do not suggest this. It only numbed me."

• Tie...
• October 8, 2016

"I know this is a process, but it sucks. I'm now taking 40 mg of Prozac, and it literally does nothing for me. I started with Zoloft, and at least that was an appetite suppressant. Both Zoloft and Prozac just make me tired, which is the opposite of what I'm looking for. My goal is to gain energy and be able to do...anything...other than sleep."

• Cat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 25, 2018

"I started on Prozac in 1990 and went off just over a year ago. So it was a total of about 28 years. I was on 80 mg a day, but at one time they had me on 160 mg! This is a great life-saving medication. When I first started, my family called it my 'chill pill.' It made things not seem so bad, sort of like, oh no, you cut your arm off. Let's just pick it up and go to the doctor's so they can sew it back on. You have to work at finding the time of day to take it so that it works best for you. The side effects that affected me the most were the headaches. They triggered my migraines in numbers and strength. At times I would forget and/or put off taking it, and I could definitely feel myself hitting below rock bottom. The original doctor prescribed Prozac and Phentermine at the same time. He wouldn't do anything unless I went through therapy too."

• Mer...
• June 21, 2017

"Been on this medication for a few years now. I've tried Viibryd, Lexapro, Prozac, and Paxil, and Prozac has worked the most efficiently. It doesn't seem to me like I'll ever find an antidepressant that makes me feel like sunshine and rainbows. It just numbs the pain really. I have major depression, and while I do wonder if there are any 'happy' pills that up your mood significantly, I'm too afraid to try any other antidepressant, especially after switching to Paxil. I became very depressed on Paxil."

• gib...
• December 6, 2015

"For the first time, I've been on Prozac. I talked to my provider, and we decided it was the best. This is my second week. I didn't realize I suffered from OCD intrusive thoughts. Now those are gone. I feel tired and sleepy, which is rare for me. I am taking other meds as well, so I do not know if I should attribute this to Prozac or not. So far, it seems like it was a good idea. I am monitoring my behaviors, being mindful about what I am doing, not in an OCD way, though."

• Hal...
• January 12, 2016

"I started Prozac as one of my first antidepressants for MDD. It made me horribly sick. I was nauseous all day and wouldn't eat for days at a time. I stayed on it to try and get through the side effects, but they wouldn't stop. I was throwing up every other day. One day I woke up and I started to violently shake. This lasted for over 12 hours until I ended up in the hospital with tachycardia. This was a horrible experience, and months later I still have stomach and heart issues. I'm on new medications now, but because of my bad experience, I get very anxious when I take them."

• Int...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 17, 2015

"I lost my sexuality from the first pill, overnight it went from 100% to 0%. Was told it was a common side effect, so I continued using Prozac (called Fontex here in Norway). After a while I didn't want those side effects, so I stopped using. But my loss of libido and ED continued. Now 3-4 years later my problems are still the same, doctors refuse to believe me, but I'm certain I had very high sex drive before my first Prozac/Fontex pill. Now I can't keep my erection more than 5 seconds, and my penis often feels numb. This pill should have been illegal. (Sorry for my poor English)"

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2019

"I've been on this fluoxetine for 5 months. I don't think it did a lot for my depression, but it definitely gave me more energy and improved my concentration. I am taking 40 mg fluoxetine along with 150 mg Efexor."

• Pro...
• June 19, 2017

"I have struggled with anxiety and depression for about 25 years. After almost dying from meningitis in 1993, post-traumatic stress disorder became an issue as well. My general physician recently diagnosed me with major depressive disorder as well. She is an amazing doctor who took extra schooling for psychology and pain management. She suggested I try Prozac. I had heard so many bad and controversial things about Prozac, but decided to ignore the naysayers and try it. I've been on it about 2 weeks. Not noticing too much yet, but I am going to hang in there as I know it can take 6 to 8 weeks for full benefits. I realize I can't expect something to work right when I want it to work. It takes time. Giving it a chance. Will update."

• San...
• March 26, 2015

"It's a good antidepressant for mild depression and food-related issues. Took it long ago, was not enough by itself, so I needed to combine it with other antidepressants. Sexual effects, sense of nothing really matters, mild happiness, long time, 3 weeks to kick in, and tends to pop out in about 2-3 months."

• ens...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2021

"I've only been taking Prozac for a week, but I'm really cautiously optimistic, and today I feel pretty good. I haven't been able to say that for a long time. I took it almost 20 years ago for a time, but didn't like it. I decided to try it again because I'm increasingly having treatment-resistant depression. I have tried MANY antidepressants. Some don't affect me at all, and some give me extreme muscle spasms. But this doesn't seem to have any bad side effects. Again, cautiously optimistic!"

• mee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2024

"Prozac cured my anxiety, depression, irritability, anger problems, lack of getting along with friends and family, and adult movie addiction (because of lower sex drive and unable to climax). Normally I can finish in 30 seconds. Prozac takes 30 minutes or longer. Not okay. But my biggest problem right now is fatigue. I'm often fatigued all day and not productive, but Prozac seems to make me more fatigued. It's been several weeks and I'm not getting better. I might have to switch my medicine soon. The fatigue isn't getting better."

• Mee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 18, 2021

"This has been a roller coaster of a year, and I’m glad I’m going to stop taking Prozac for multiple reasons. Prozac helped with my mood, but I still have bad days. The major reasons are fatigue/low energy, anti-social, and irritability. I can’t believe I’ve been taking it for a year because it has caused major problems in my life. Obviously, it works or it doesn’t. This medication was a nightmare for me."

• Jim...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 3, 2021

"Was going through a nasty divorce... insomnia hit, sleeping 5 hrs and slumped into bad depression. I think a breakdown followed. Went on Prozac due to the consensus it was the easiest drug to come off. Mindful of withdrawal and after a bad time with Paxil 20 years ago, took 15 mg/day in liquid form. Liquid would allow me to taper when ready. The first month was tough - severely stressed and offered a beta blocker by the doctor. Turned it down, which was the right thing - in time (2-3 months) and as the divorce progressed, started to recover. Was on 15 mg for 9 months before tapering very slowly - 1 mg at a time I would only take the next step when I felt ready. Then COVID came, making it more difficult, but 2 years on, I am off fully. I sleep well and feel pretty good. A few tips of my own: 1) try to avoid >20 mg/day (tougher to withdraw), 2) take liquid - easier to taper, 3) eat well, exercise, and do everything that will help withdrawal (don’t drink more than a small amount... stops it working), 4) with discipline and willpower, you can do it! Mood might waver at times though!"

• Mot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2018

"Prozac did relieve my symptoms of depression fairly quickly (within 2 weeks) upon beginning administration, and noticeable improvement of my overall mood and wellbeing occurred. However, I experienced a significant decrease in sexual desire, and also was completely unable to achieve sexual climax while taking the medication. I then experienced 3 episodes of 'esophagitis' or horrible pains in chest/throat/stomach that felt like a bolus of food trapped in my throat. The pain was so debilitating that I was forced to discontinue use. I would recommend this medication for the treatment of depression, however, the side effects are personally too painful for me."

• Liv...
• March 29, 2018

"I have been on this medication almost a year, taking 60 mg once a day. These are the side effects I have noticed. It seems to cause memory loss (I had a photographic memory) and insomnia. This may be what is causing the fatigue. I have gotten so fatigued since starting this medication that it interferes with my ability to function normally. I feel like it has also taken away my ability to truly feel my emotions. NOTHING bothers me anymore, and if it does, it is for a very short time, then I seem to forget it bothered me at all. This is good in some ways and not in others. I now have to take other medications to counteract the side effects of this medication. Not sure what I’m going to do as far as staying on it. It has not caused weight gain for me, and the side effects I listed are really the only ones I have noticed, but they are severe and affect me on a daily basis."

• Ray...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 31, 2018

"Similarly to big pharma's lies about drug efficacy, these reviews are the same, allowing only positive responses, almost like whitewashing... Well, after 8 months on Prozac 20 mg, I had some motivation, enough to stay in the house every day and do basic things. I suppose a numbed brain is a positive, and hypersensitivity, hypomania, impulsiveness, depersonalization. The list is endless... This medication was not for me. I tried 40 mg, it caused severe gastric reflux."

• t1m...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2021

"Took Prozac for MDD, OCD, and anxiety for a few months at about 20 mg (so maybe that’s why I didn’t really notice that much of a difference haha), but the upside is that I didn’t notice any cons either."

• Ins...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2017

"I'm 18 and have suffered from major anxiety and depression, causing frequent panic attacks for roughly two years. I've been on Prozac for four nights now, and whilst it is too early to tell if the drug will help me, I am experiencing some side effects. In the last four nights, I've had about eight hours of sleep and constant headaches. On my first day, I felt drowsy and unfocused, and after that, I think it was a combination of depression, Prozac, and lack of sleep. I'm hoping these will wear off in time, like I've been told, but don't know if they will come back again (if they go away at all) if my GP ups my dosage from 1/2 a tablet to 1 a night. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I plan to ask my GP at my next appointment."