Prozac and Panic Attacks: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Bli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2018

For Panic Disorder "I started to get terrible panic attacks at night about 5 months ago. It was very scary and heartbreaking. I am a mother of 3 boys, and I was losing my mind. I am on a low dose of Ativan, but it wasn't keeping the panic away, and I started to have episodes during the day. I can handle my anxiety and depression, but I cannot handle panic attacks. Worst thing ever. So I decided to try Prozac. 10 mg was making me sick and was too strong. I felt funny. So now I cut it in half and put the powder in a full glass of water every morning. So I am on 5 mg daily and Ativan when needed. I haven't had a panic attack since. If the blue pill gives you heartburn... try cutting it open and putting the medicine in water. When I started doing that, my heartburn went away. I feel so much better, and I don't feel drugged up or strange. I still have issues, but I don't panic from the stress anymore."

• Kot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I started taking Prozac 10 mg because of my extreme anxiety/brain fog. My first few days on it, I felt good. A bit jittery and some insomnia, but still good, and then after those few days, I started getting insane panic attacks, and I've never had them before. I only took the meds for a week due to the increased anxiety and panic attacks. They say the first two weeks are the hardest, but I couldn't get past the first week. Maybe it'll work for you, but it didn't for me. It made my mind race and made me speak fast. I had insomnia, the shakes, and increased anxiety and panic attacks. Maybe if I would have stuck with it, it would have worked out for me, but getting through the beginning stages just wasn't possible for me."

• Gue...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2019

For Panic Disorder "Prozac made me crazy, 13 days on it, and landed in A&E with seizure-like panic attacks where I couldn’t move my arms or face. After 5 days off, I’m still in the highest anxiety crisis I’ve ever been in. I was prescribed it for panic attacks, but the panic attacks before were nothing as bad as when I started taking Prozac. I ended up with depersonalization mixed with severe panic attacks and insomnia. It gave me problems I never had before. My doctor had to put me on diazepam just to counteract the side effects! This drug may work for some people, but it can cause massive suffering for others, and with its long half-life, it’s not easy to come off."

• Gwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I took 10 mg of Prozac for 12 days. Days 1-9 were pretty good. I was nauseous and threw up a few times, but I expected that. Day 10, the first of the panic attacks hit. It lasted for 6 hours. 6 hours of uncontrollable crying, shaking, and vomiting. My doctor took me off the Prozac 2 days later. Today is 1 week without the Prozac, and I am still having intense panic attacks and vomiting almost all day, every day. I have no idea how long this will last, but it's ruining my life. I can't drive or take care of my children. My husband has had to take time off of work, and I've lost almost 10 pounds. Worst thing I ever did."

• Eli...
• July 1, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "My daughter took 5 mg of Prozac for four days before deciding to stop using it due to horrific side effects. Day 1 was wonderful, no anxiety with just a slight headache. Day 2 brought on severe nausea so bad it was painful and the dark feelings of depression and crying uncontrollably (she previously had zero depression), along with a “static” feeling in her brain. The morning of Day 3, she woke feeling as if she was on fire, nausea, and nightmares (again, she had never previously had nightmares). Day 4 included all of the above topped with a panic attack. She stopped taking it. The last 5 mg dose she took was a Saturday night at 6 pm. We ended up in the ER on Monday due to waking up Monday morning with such an extreme panic attack that she was inconsolable and almost passing out. After 5 hours straight of this, we ended in the ER where they gave her a shot of Ativan to calm her. We were told the half-life is 1-3 days since she had only taken 4, so praying tomorrow is better."

• Juv...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2017

For Anxiety and Stress "So I'm on 20 mg taken in the morning. To treat PTSD and OCD intrusive thoughts. I'm on 20 mg taken in the morning. I'm on my 11th day. Today I woke up feeling extremely anxious, bordering on a panic attack, so I took half of a 0.5 lorazepam to take the edge off. I do notice that at times my intrusive thoughts and normal ones just race, going back and forth. But physically, I am calm. I'm not breaking down as easily, which I have noticed improvement. This is why I'm hanging in there and giving this a chance. I do notice something that has heightened, and that would be my urge to run and be outside. It's all fed by my anxiety, that's why I don't let it bother me much. I have noticed that I am walking outdoors more often."

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2021

For Depression "It took a full 7 weeks to have any tangible result. In fact, the first few weeks were tormented, but my GP told me to carry on with it, come hell or high water. I did actually quit taking it initially but tried again through desperation. It made me feel extremely anxious and panicky in the beginning, but I found the tool of mindful meditation to be an excellent antidote to panic. I didn't believe Prozac would have any effect, but I now find it very helpful indeed. I also got rid of the stressors in my life (poor job fit and bad relationship) and learned how not to ruminate. I had a small amount of alcohol once after the 3 weeks, and it made me feel very ill on Prozac, so I have stopped drinking beer. I have tried other ADs before but couldn't stomach the side effects, and I have to admit that I had to swallow my pride before swallowing Prozac, as I used to think depression was for weaklings when, in fact, it is rather the opposite kind of people who suffer from it."

• Mad...
• May 17, 2016

For Anxiety and Stress "It didn't work, I was up to 40 mg daily and felt literally nothing. Ever since I had my son, I have had panic attacks and bad anxiety, so I went to the doctor and was prescribed Prozac. I was so disappointed. I almost feel more depressed now."

• Ama...
• December 15, 2015

For Depression "About 2 years ago, I took 20 mg of Prozac for suspected depression for approx. 4 months. I experienced the slightest lift in my mood for about 3 days during the course of treatment. Otherwise, I experienced severe anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, random bouts of euphoria, and, worst of all, incredibly gruesome nightmares. I have no military experience, and I am not in a medical/emergency field. I have never been exposed to blood/gore through anything except basic cable and an occasional scary movie. But I just want to warn as many people as I can that this drug can cause the most brutal, disgusting nightmares a person can experience. I woke up sweating and crying, trying to scream hysterically. I stopped taking it and never looked back."

• Luc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2018

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Prozac is the only medication that has worked for my OCD, especially with my intrusive thoughts, repetitive behavior, and homicidal thoughts; I'm a high-functioning sociopath with manic depressive bipolar disorder and extreme anxiety. Unfortunately, the Prozac doesn't completely take care of my anxiety and panic attacks, so I was put back on Xanax [PRN]. I also take Seroquel and Lamictal (I do have seizures), and diazepam when seizure activities are present."

• GGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I've been on Prozac for 8 days now. I took it back in 2015 for the same reason, and it worked for me, but now that I'm back on it, I keep thinking to myself, when is the medicine going to kick in? I've been having a weak stomach, anxiety, can't sleep due to the anxiety, having lots of panic attacks, my chest feels heavy. I just wish this medicine would hurry up and start working, I'm tired of feeling like this."

• Mic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I took Prozac in my 30s for what was thought to be panic disorder. Years later, I was diagnosed with Asperger's and weaned off the Prozac. Now, 10 years after that, I am in perimenopause, and my GP prescribed the Prozac again to help with mood swings, IBS, and insomnia. And it does, but for the last couple of periods, and only during the period week, I have had several panic attacks every night, even when 'Aunt Flow' did not show up. They are worse than when I was younger. I have been to the ER by ambulance several times with heart attack-like symptoms. The panic attacks wake me up every couple of hours, and on my Sleep Cycle app, it looks like it happens on the upswing of the REM cycle. But one day I did not drink coffee, that night I did still wake up a couple of times with a racing heartbeat, but it subsided quickly with deep breathing, and there were no other symptoms. If quitting coffee doesn't help, then I will have to get back with my psychiatrist on what to try next."

• Kok...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "My GP switched me from Lexapro 10 mg to Prozac 20 mg as I was trying to get pregnant, and this has studies done around pregnancy, etc. Anyway, I found this medication made me hyper, manic, and over-energized. I had racing thoughts, couldn’t settle, my panic attacks were back as bad as ever, and I was starting to dread public situations like shopping, having lunch at work, etc. I knew in my head it was the medication, so I tried it for 9 weeks. I felt awful for the 9 weeks, manic and hyper, and adrenaline pumping constantly. It was a horrible drug for me. It didn’t suit me, so I switched back to Lexapro. Side effects coming off it weren’t easy, even though it has a long half-life. I struggled with this in general. I’m sure it just didn’t suit my chemistry, whereas I know it works for so many!"

• sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I was on Zoloft 250 mg/sertraline for 3 months, and it didn't help my anxiety and panic attacks. I'm on day 4 of Prozac 20 mg, and I have had severe anxiety and had one massive panic attack on day 3. Just want to know what other sufferers experienced on Prozac."

• Aan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2021

For Panic Disorder "My MD put me on Prozac for OCD thoughts and anxiety/panic disorder (I have OCD related to medical illness, and every pain in my body may be cancer, which led to severe anxiety/panic). He started me on 20mg. Two days in, I was waking up in the middle of the night sweating, racing heart, had to take a Xanax to just relax. Then I started with jitters/tremors, which did not help my anxiety related to medical issues (a Google search on tremors took me to all sorts of illnesses, which fueled my anxiety). I had a full-blown panic attack at work by day 5. People say to ride this out, there is no way I can do this for another 2-4 weeks. Felt like it was the end of me yesterday and briefly thought it would be better if I did, because I can't live like this. Last night I was up at 2 AM again with racing thoughts/heart, sweating, shaking, had to take 0.25 mg of Xanax to go back to bed. Did not take my Prozac today. I haven't had panicky thoughts, just feeling some jitteriness."

• Ind...
• October 23, 2016

For Depression "This medication was awful. Despite only being 17 at the time, the doctor decided that I would be put on this medication for my depression. I knew that there was a chance that this may cause my condition to deteriorate. I saw no improvements with the 10 mg, so my doctor increased this to 20 mg. This is where it all went downhill. I developed full-blown panic disorder as I was having several panic attacks a day, so I was unable to go to school. The medication increased my suicidal thoughts to the point where I was not sleeping at night due to constantly thinking of ways to kill myself. One day I nearly did attempt suicide, so I had to be assessed by a psychiatrist who put me on tranquilizers for a week, then admitted me to a psychiatric unit."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2017

For Anxiety and Stress "I had the worst reaction to this medicine. I was on 20 mg, and my body rejected it terribly. The first few days were fine, and then after the 4th day or so, I became very glazed over and out of it. It was as if I was a walking zombie. I then started waking up in the middle of the night, having severe panic attacks. I had never had one before, so I was very scared. My doctor told me to come off of it, and the withdrawal from this was even worse. I woke up in the middle of the night and had to go to the hospital. Overall, I had a very negative experience, but my mom takes this medicine and she loves it. Could just depend on the person, I guess."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2012

For Depression "I have had anxiety/depression since giving birth to my son in 2001. Panic attacks were really bad, I was put on Buspar, Xanax, and Paxil. They did not work for me. Then I was put on Zoloft. It worked for approximately 10 years. Then it stopped. The panic attacks came back, and the depression was terrible. I went to a therapist and a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist took me off of Zoloft and put me on Prozac and Xanax. I would say that it took about 4-5 weeks for 20 mg of Prozac to kick in and help with the depression. Then at week 9, the depression came back with more anxiety. The psychiatrist upped my Prozac to 40 mg 1x daily. I feel that I am getting better. The depression is lifting, although I still have panic attacks once in a while."

• Soo...
• July 13, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "I took Lexapro for a little over a year, and it worked beautifully. The only reason I weaned off was because of weight gain. My doctor prescribed 10 mg of Prozac and said it should not cause any weight gain. I am on it 17 days now, and my only side effect is slight anxiety and a few panic attacks. I had none of this on Lexapro. My question is, should I hang in there, and when will I feel good?"

• Ska...
• April 10, 2018

For Panic Disorder "This med is very good. I went from almost quitting my job to enjoying life again. This is my fourth week on it. 20 mg a day. The first two weeks were difficult, but right now my panic attacks are mild, as well as my anxiety. I hope it stays that way. My doctor told me I would have to take it for at least 6 months, which worries me a bit. Does anyone know any natural remedies for panic attacks and anxiety? I want to be free from meds. Plus, meds may stop working anytime. Please help!"

• Dip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2017

For Panic Disorder "Took Paxil for the past 5 years for anxiety/depression/panic. Stopped it 1 year ago to pursue pregnancy. I did well for the 1st 6-8 months but then began to fall apart. Anxiety, panic attacks, depression all returned. I was put on Prozac because it's pregnancy-friendly about 1 week ago. I've had the worst reflux/heartburn I've ever had in my life. I take the pill at night because it made me sleepy the 1st day when I took it in the morning. I'm currently on day 8, the reflux is slightly better, but I have increased anxiety/panic. I hadn't had this the 1st week. Does anyone have similar stories? I appreciate feedback. I'm not sure whether to stick it out on Prozac or switch to a different med."

• Aut...
• February 11, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "Well, it’s interesting because I took Prozac over a year ago, and aside from having low libido, it worked very well for me. I stopped taking it and then recently started taking it in December with Wellbutrin, and suddenly had my very first panic attack. I thought I was legit the end of me and went to the ER. I got off of it thinking it had to be Wellbutrin, so I stopped taking it for weeks and then retried Prozac for a few days, then bam, started having nighttime panic attacks. I’ll wake up feeling like I can’t breathe and that I’m dying. I definitely think it works for others, but I have no idea why it can’t work for me anymore. Sadly, I will have the side effects for a while after I stop taking it, and it’s just awful."

• Ree...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 28, 2021

For Panic Disorder "Started Prozac for PMDD and panic disorder. Stopped after two weeks of bad side effects. Usually felt the medication side effects kick in about 1 hour after taking it. Felt weighed down, slow breathing, fuzzy-headed, heavy eyes—sedated. It was awful. Triggered three panic attacks on day 13. Side effects occur randomly throughout the day. Feeling drowsy to the point where I’d need to sink down and close my eyes for a minute during conversation. Felt like narcolepsy. Out and then awake in two minutes. Drowsiness, diarrhea, increased anxiety, emotionally detached during the first week. Pros: I felt good around 5 pm and slept fine. Felt good in the morning up until an hour after taking my prescribed dose. Cons: Side effects randomly appearing throughout the day. Severe drowsiness, zoned out, panic attacks, flat moods."

• SN1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2023

For Anxiety and Stress "This drug did nothing for me. It gave me more anxiety, gut issues, and the worst panic attacks I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been on Zoloft and Trintellix before, and this one has been by far the WORST drug out of the three. Now completely off of it, and the withdrawal symptoms are horrendous."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Do not take this if you have anxiety. I only took it for 3 days, and it made me have panic attacks (which I never experienced before) and made me feel 10x more anxious than before. I’d rather live with my anxiety than have to deal with the ugly side effects."