Prozac and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• July 31, 2011

For Anxiety and Stress "I've taken Prozac before, and it helps with anxiety as long as I don't drink too much alcohol (which makes anxiety worse afterwards). The problem for me is getting used to the medication, so I start on 10 mg for a week, then slowly increase the dose to 20 mg. For a few weeks, though, I'm more anxious and at times suicidal and depressed, so I take Valium while that's happening. This whole cycle is hard, so to take Prozac is not an easy decision for me, but I'm keen to feel 'good' again, so I'll stick with it."

• Old...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2016

For Depression "I've been on 10 mg fluoxetine for just over one week - I did take it for a few days a little while ago, it made my IBS worse, so I stopped. My doctor persuaded me to give it another go. I know it's early days, but so far it's all bad! Before, I was tired, unmotivated, no concentration, barely able to wash or do the simplest things. Now - I'm like the walking dead! Even more tired, even less motivation, brain fog - you name it. And possibly more depressed! I also had terrible joint pains - I have arthritis anyway! The joint pains seem to be lessening, the others aren't - so far! I just hope it's a case of getting worse before it gets better, 'cause at the moment it's almost unbearable!"

• Old...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2016

For Depression "I've been on 10 mg fluoxetine for just over one week - I did take it for a few days a little while ago, it made my IBS worse, so I stopped. My doctor persuaded me to give it another go. I know it's early days, but so far it's all bad! Before, I was tired, unmotivated, no concentration, barely able to wash or do the simplest things. Now - I'm like the walking dead! Even more tired, even less motivation, brain fog - you name it. And possibly more depressed! I also had terrible joint pains - I have arthritis anyway! The joint pains seem to be lessening, the others aren't - so far! I just hope it's a case of getting worse before it gets better, 'cause at the moment it's almost unbearable!"

• mal...
• January 18, 2011

For Depression "After taking Prozac successfully for about 10 years, I talked with my doctor about switching to a different antidepressant because I missed having a sex drive. After a year on Citalopram, there was no change. So I switched to Bupropion. It caused me to feel very depressed and extremely anxious. I am well aware that antidepressants take several weeks to have positive effects and that the side effects also tend to go away. So I stuck with the Bupropion for 6 weeks. It just got worse and worse, and I started to feel suicidal for the first time in my life. I have been back on Prozac now for 2 weeks and am feeling a little better. Stopping Prozac just to try to get my sex drive back was a big mistake."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I struggle with severe anxiety and panic attacks, as well as depression. I was on Zoloft (sertraline) for about two years and found myself feeling pretty good, so I decided to stop taking it. After starting university, however, I found that my anxiety was getting to an unbearable state, and so I went to my doctor, and she prescribed me Prozac. At first, I had very, very adverse side effects. I had tremors and super bad anxiety. After a while, I noticed less frequency in my panic attacks, but unfortunately, my mood was absolutely brutal. I was constantly depressed, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, thought really dark thoughts very often, felt agitated and irritated constantly. I literally felt like I wanted to die, like I literally had no choice because the pain was so unbearable. I am now off the medication, and I feel as though a bag of bricks has been lifted from my shoulders. I wouldn’t recommend this medication if you are prone to depressive thoughts or if you are young like me (I’m 19)."

• Woo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 4, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on this drug for about three years. It initially helped me feel less anxious. I feel like it slowed down my racing, obsessive thoughts. It also helped me with some depression that I was dealing with at the time. But after a few years of being on it, I realized it was making me emotionally numb and cognitively slowed down. My memory got a lot worse, and it felt like the years were just whizzing on by. I had trouble remembering names and faces as well. Any time I would try to decrease my dose or stop taking it, I would get intense, debilitating anxiety. This is the first day I am off it fully. I am going to try taking St. John's Wort after about a week once the anxiety comes back into full swing. If the St. John's Wort doesn't work, I'll have to try something else. But I am never (and I repeat, never) going back to Prozac. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying Prozac. Ultimately, this drug can save lives. But one must understand the potential side effects!"

• sta...
• July 16, 2009

For Depression "I was on 30 mg of Prozac daily for stress, anxiety, and depression after having an eating disorder for 6 years and felt after 1 year I hit a plateau and weaned myself off of it. When I missed a dose, I definitely felt the anxiety creep back and depression set in, but got sick of feeling numb with no emotions and unable to cry even when I wanted to. I, however, after being off of it for a year, tried it again because I know I didn't gain weight on it, which was my biggest fear. I am afraid to try another medicine and frankly don't feel like going through the weeks you have to wait to see if they work. I know I liked Prozac overall when I was on it and just hope the plateau I felt is gone."

• sal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 16, 2017

For Depression "After about 3 weeks on Prozac, or as I like to call it CRAPZAC. I was more depressed than ever before. Before CRAPZAC, I had only considered suicide a few times, but after my 4th week, I actually attempted it. Thankfully, my sister found me and brought me to the hospital, where they asked if I had been on any medication and ordered me to stop taking it. And I was trapped at the hospital in the psych ward for 9 days, having 2 sessions with the counselor every day, strapped down to my bed for the first few days, and not allowed to use the bathroom for 2 days. This stuff made my life into a living hell. After being released, I have now started seeing a therapist and now I've been practicing yoga and meditation, with no meds, and I feel great."

• Mer...
• June 21, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2015

For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "A renowned medication to help PMDD, but it barely helped me. Helped with my anxiety and depression quite well (despite a lack of emotion), but I always got hormonal monthly, which was confusing. It actually made some symptoms worse. I'm on Lexapro now, so hopefully that helps!"

• sop...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 1, 2016

For Depression "My doctor started me on 20 mg once daily. After a few months with no improvement, he raised it to 40 mg. After about 2 weeks at this dose, the depression subsided some, and also my anxiety, as I found myself reaching for my Xanax less and less. However, after about 5-6 months, the depression and anxiety came back, and my doctor told me raising the dose would do no good. So, that being said, if you need an antidepressant to get you through a rough patch in your life (divorce, holidays, death of a loved one), this seemed to work very well. Just after about 6 months, I was right back where I started. Another benefit is it's generic (Fluoxetine), in many stores, it is only $4 for a month's supply. I've seen some antidepressants cost well over $100 for a month."

• Mal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2022

For Depression "Honestly, I was taking 80 mg of Prozac for years, felt so much better, then decided to wean off and stop after years of taking. Biggest mistake ever. If you're reading this, please ask your doctor before deciding you're okay and want to try life without medication. Since Prozac has a very long half-life, about 5 to 6 days, it took almost one year for my depression to turn into major depression. My life was in a crisis, and I couldn't stand everything and couldn't deal with life on life's terms. A shrink told me I was very depressed, which shocked me."

• LAa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I started taking 10 mg of Prozac on April 24, 2019. It has been the worst experience of my life! The first few weeks, I felt wonderful, but then my upper lip started getting red bumps, sores on my lips, a weird taste, and sensitivity to spicy food. My lips are still somewhat swollen. Lips horribly chapped, mouth dry. Anxiety attacks like I’ve never had before and now depressed. I need off of this rubbish now. Waiting till Thursday to see my doctor."

• Anonymous
• March 7, 2012

For Depression "I am 19 years old, and I was on liquid Prozac for about 3 months. During the 3 months of Prozac, I found that I was more tired and unable to concentrate. I found that I was even more anxious when on this medicine, more depressed, and I gained a considerable amount of weight. Before Prozac, I was 130 lbs, then I was around 155 lbs by the end of the 3 months. While on this, I had no energy, no motivation to move on with my life, or no desire to engage in social interaction. My sex drive had gone way down, and I was not very interested in having sex. Now, I have been off the Prozac for about 6-7 months, and I am slightly more motivated, my sex drive has gone way up, but my weight is still the same."

• My ...
• May 8, 2009

For Depression "I have depression. Prozac did not help me. After 4 weeks and several side effects, the only positive experience was the fact that I didn't feel anything 'bad' or 'good.' The worst was the major lack of motivation and loss of all interest in what I enjoyed in life. That was kind of the problem before the medicine. This is my second day off Prozac, and I feel better each day. Good luck, all."

• My ...
• May 8, 2009

For Depression "I have depression. Prozac did not help me. After 4 weeks and several side effects, the only positive experience was the fact that I didn't feel anything 'bad' or 'good.' The worst was the major lack of motivation and loss of all interest in what I enjoyed in life. That was kind of the problem before the medicine. This is my second day off Prozac, and I feel better each day. Good luck, all."

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2018

For Depression "Made my depression worse. I felt like I wasn’t able to enjoy life anymore, and I became much lazier. Two weeks of using the medicine, and I overdosed. This drug can be very dangerous since you're messing with your brain's chemicals. Eventually, your brain will try to reach equilibrium and make your depression worse."

• the...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 3, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "It is hard to say how effective Prozac was in my experience. There definitely were periods of time in which I had a higher mood than normal, but there was also a consistent feeling of numbness (which some refer to as emotional blunting). At least for me, since it didn't really help and just brought the feelings of numbness, I can't say that I don't like it, but I definitely don't love it."

• Mis...
• April 2, 2017

For Depression "I was prescribed 2-3 weeks ago... was so happy to finally have something I thought would help prescribed to me. I tried it for two days... felt my depression/scary scenarios get worse, so I stopped. Depression was still there but not as bad as it is when I am on the pill. I took it again to see if it will finally work this time... it's my 3rd day, still feeling worse but I'm trying to wait for it to work because I've read it works after 2-3 weeks. So I hope it helps... :/"

• Lan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 11, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "After 2 weeks, this crap called medication made my OCD worse. Then a few weeks later, I was so depressed that I couldn't even get out of bed. I went from being a healthy lady with moderate OCD to a majorly depressed obese pig in 2 months. Thanks, Prozac. Don't put this depression-causing pill down your throat. Talk to your doctor about other options. Also, I just want to let you all know something: 50% of psychiatrists will do anything to make their appointment with you quicker, even if that includes just opening their book of medications and picking a random one in your category (in my case, OCD). Always try medication-free solutions before popping a pill, e.g., OCD training, therapy, natural treatments, etc."

• Ker...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 2, 2020

For Depression "The first couple of weeks on Prozac went well. I felt happier than before. But after that, it feels like the medication makes me more depressed than normal. Overall, it’s an okay medication."

• Ria...
• September 30, 2011

For Depression "It works, but it makes me feel like I have no emotions. I'm not happy, nor sad, angry, nor upset. Like I'm just here."

• All...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 23, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "I have started Prozac about 2 weeks ago, but I have been feeling much worse with negative repetitive thoughts and sadness. I don’t want to go out or see anyone. Will I get over these feelings?"

• Ken...
• March 10, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "I was on this medicine for two weeks. I felt fine, even a little happier, but for 3 days straight, I went into a major depression. I have stopped taking it."