Fluoxetine and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2012

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I wanted to share my experience with Prozac for those that are perhaps just starting out, letting them know that it does, in fact, get much better. I have had pretty bad anxiety since childhood and also the symptoms of PMDD for a few years now. To the point that I would schedule events around when I was going to have PMS because it made me so unable to deal with anything at all. I was snapping at people, got easily frustrated with my children, and would feel very down on myself in general. Since going on Prozac approximately 7 weeks ago, I went through a very anxious phase, but the last two weeks have been amazing. I have never felt this happy or calm. I am on 30mg with no plans to stop."

• lig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2020

For Depression "I started a low dose of fluoxetine about 6 weeks ago for depression & anxiety. I had no side effects except loss of appetite (still do) and the first few weeks (3-4) were a little bit of a rollercoaster of anxiety, but I started having some good days for the first time in years and could tell my depressive lows were “losing their grip” so I stuck with it. 6 weeks in and I’m feeling so much better. More energy, better concentration, more motivation, less foggy, less depressed, less fatigue (I was EXTREMELY fatigued before the meds). My PMS symptoms have also lessened. Overall I feel more present in my life and I feel more like myself and more at ease. I refused to try meds for a long time. I hadn’t realized how much stigma I had unconsciously internalized. It’s not for everyone but I wish I had tried earlier. If you’re thinking about it, at least have a convo with your doctor. You don’t deserve to suffer."

• Pot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 18, 2019

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Dr. tried me with Prozac. First 8 days were bad. Severe nausea, no appetite, and worsened anxiety. After reading everything I could on the net, I stuck to reading just the positives. Made my mind up to stick with it as I think so many give up too soon. Now day 11, and the fog is definitely lifting. My last 3 days have been so much better. Think of it as a journey and rate each day out of 10. Write it down. Day 1 I scored 3, so pretty low. Day 2-5 scored 2!! Today I’m a 6.2, so please don’t give up on this med. I may score 5 tomorrow, but I WILL NOT stop taking it. I believe in it and that gives me a positive attitude towards my recovery. Even if it is a placebo effect, I’ll take that any day over depression and anxiety. I’ll never be a 10, but the high 7’s will do just fine."

• jac...
• January 16, 2009

Fluoxetine for Panic Disorder "It's a miracle drug. I took this for anxiety and panic attacks and slight depression. It has changed my life. I am happier. I have made more friends in the past month. It has helped with everything: school, stress, anxiety, and self-confidence. I can't recommend it enough."

• jac...
• January 16, 2009

Fluoxetine for Panic Disorder "It's a miracle drug. I took this for anxiety and panic attacks and slight depression. It has changed my life. I am happier. I have made more friends in the past month. It has helped with everything: school, stress, anxiety, and self-confidence. I can't recommend it enough."

• Eun...
• August 5, 2013

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I started Prozac 20 mg 11 days ago. The first week, I was feeling very anxious, had a dry mouth, and numbness in my face, but that was only the first week! Now I feel so much better. I can say on the 9th day, I started to feel more focused, my fears went away, and today is my 11th day, and I feel great. Thanks to God and Prozac."

• Jak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2023

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "When I first started taking Prozac, I was extremely nervous. I’ve always had anxiety but decided enough was enough when I started getting terrifying intrusive thoughts. I felt like my mind was stuck in a loop, and it was extremely scary. To anyone like me who has been plagued with anxiety and intrusive thoughts, I urge you to not be afraid of trying Prozac. During the first 3 weeks of Prozac, I would say I felt worse but then began noticing an improvement. After almost 8 weeks, I feel great. I feel like my old self again, and my anxiety is still improving every day. My advice for anyone starting this drug is to be patient, your anxiety might get worse temporarily, but it’s worth it in the end."

• Vic...
• January 19, 2016

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I started taking Prozac 4 weeks ago. For symptoms of menopause... I can't take HRT as I've had cancerous cells in my cervix, which is why I had a hysterectomy. Anyway, I was having palpitations, panic attacks, stress, and anxiety, forgetting words, very emotionally up and down. I also suffer from PTSD from a violent childhood. I have to say I've been so much happier and settled in my mind, this is definitely working for me."

• Vic...
• January 19, 2016

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I started taking Prozac 4 weeks ago. For symptoms of menopause... I can't take HRT as I've had cancerous cells in my cervix, which is why I had a hysterectomy. Anyway, I was having palpitations, panic attacks, stress, and anxiety, forgetting words, very emotionally up and down. I also suffer from PTSD from a violent childhood. I have to say I've been so much happier and settled in my mind, this is definitely working for me."

• Sum...
• January 26, 2021

Fluoxetine for Depression "I have been on fluoxetine for a week now for bipolar and borderline personality disorder. I was prescribed 20 mg. I took my first 20 mg pill in the morning, and that entire day I felt awful. I was so exhausted, felt 'high', couldn't think, felt sedated, and my anxiety was through the roof. The next day, I decided to reduce my dosage in half. I split the pill and took just 10 mg that morning. I felt so much better. I had energy throughout the day without overwhelming tiredness or sedation. I have been taking 10 mg since then and continuously feel better and better. I was extremely scared of starting a medication like this, but I do not regret it now. I have started feeling real things again. I'm feeling emotions instead of mimicking them when I am supposed to. I have snapped a lot less. I am much calmer and a lot more patient. I have more energy. I just expect to keep getting better from here! Highly recommend 10 mg if you are struggling with the 20 mg (especially if you have any sort of anxiety/panic issues)."

• Ceb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2021

Fluoxetine for Depression "I’ve finally found the right antidepressant. At first, Prozac made my anxiety worse, just for a few weeks. I bared with it, and I’m so glad I did. I literally feel like my depression is cured, and I’m so much calmer. I’d say this drug works better for depression than anxiety. The side effects are much less severe than sertraline. I feel like I’m out of the black hole."

• Spe...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2021

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "The first few weeks were awful. My anxiety increased, my sleep was non-existent. However, because I knew to expect these common side effects, it made them easier. I have been on it for 2 years and have been stable, feeling like I am living life."

• wic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2013

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I had been on Celexa for 2 years, which caused weight gain, low motivation, sleepiness, and my anxiety came back full strength. Now, 1 week on Prozac and I feel like myself again. High energy, good appetite, alert, no anxiety - basically I feel great! I was drinking 5 alcoholic beverages a day, now I am not interested in drinking more than 2 a day. I am over 45, and my vision was beginning to slip when reading items close up. Ever since I started Prozac, my vision has improved and I can see things less than 6 inches from my face. Not sure why that happened, but it did. Give it a try - you will get your life back."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2019

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I have suffered with anxiety my entire life. After having 2 kids, my anxiety got so bad I stopped going to work, stopped eating, couldn't get out of bed. I was afraid of my own thoughts. I was hospitalized for a week. When I was prescribed Prozac, I had anxiety about taking it, and the first 3.5 weeks of being on it were HARD. Diarrhea, insomnia, heightened anxiety, and depression. But I took Klonopin as needed to help me get through. By week 5, I literally felt like my old self again. I can't believe the difference. I'm so grateful I stuck with it. I'm on 40mg, and it's been the best choice I have made for myself and my family."

• Gga...
• December 16, 2018

Fluoxetine for Depression "I've been taking Prozac for three months. Initially, I felt better, my family and partner agreed that this is the best medicine for me, and that I was doing great. I felt hopeful but not certain. I have now changed to a new antidepressant as I had side effects: very sore eyes, muscle pains, shaking hands, no interest nor motivation to do anything I usually would. I even had anxiety seeing my closest friends, and I would lay in bed all day up to 6 pm. I stopped cleaning, cooking, and taking care of myself and didn't want to eat. The only time I would force myself to get up is to go to work as I did not want to lose my job. Has anyone else had this experience? I truly feel worried that my mood is down a lot and that my motivation is gone, especially not feeling like moving out of bed. If anyone has any tips for me, I honestly would appreciate it because I want to push forward in my life. I'm only 26 and would like to get far in life. Thank you in advance."

• dar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 15, 2016

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I have been on fluoxetine 20mg for six months. It took about 8 weeks to notice any positive mood changes. After a few weeks of starting it, I began to feel like I was living in a fog and had a difficult time concentrating, but that eventually went away and turned into optimism and feeling great. Please give it a couple of months to work. It takes time to kick in. After 8 weeks, I felt good and happy for a while, but recently have relapsed into anxiety and depression again. My MD has now upped my dosage to 40mg. I am hopeful I will get the happiness and optimism back again soon from the higher dose."

• Tom...
• April 19, 2017

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Personal experience: 1. Put up with the initial uncomfortable feelings of dizziness, increased anxiety, insomnia, lethargy (the anxiety is usually your fears related to taking medicine and the 'what ifs'. Medicine alone cannot make you think bad things). 2. After 2 weeks (yes, I was one of the unlucky few who had very bad side effects for all that time, but I stuck with it), the therapeutic effects start coming through eventually. 3. Don't just assume medicine will make you completely happy, you still need to actively change your life to fix the root causes of anxiety or depression, i.e., do meditation, quit drinking, do CBT, take up exercise, see a therapist, be around people more."

• kd3...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2014

Fluoxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on every antidepressant known to mankind and they were awful to me. Either the side effects were too bad or it turned me into a complete zombie to the point work was out of the question, and then my doctor said we would try one more called Prozac. The reason he had not prescribed it before was because it took 6-8 weeks to reach full effect, whereas the others took less than half that time. I started out taking 10mg because I have always been very sensitive to antidepressants and their side effects. For about the first 2 or 3 weeks I experienced light anxiety. Then finally, the 6 weeks passed and still nothing, but then about 8 weeks into the medication, I feel like Santa Claus on steroids! It has saved my life!"

• pur...
• June 2, 2015

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Prozac helped a lot with my depression and anxiety. It helped me be more calm. The only thing I don't really like is the loss of appetite, and recently I have been drowsy. I sometimes feel jittery. I've been taking it for less than a month but have seen a difference."

• Har...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2015

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Started with 20mg then after around 45 days increased to 40. Dry mouth, fatigue, lightheadedness, increased anxiety, headaches, were common at first, however in time slowly decreased. I now have good daytime energy, I'm sleeping well at night. Confidence level is becoming stronger. I pray the next few weeks at 40 mg takes me to where I want to be. So far, so good!"

• Ann...
• March 8, 2015

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I have always had anxiety, however, about 7 months ago, I began to have panic attacks when walking to the shops by myself or walking to work. I thought I was going to pass out, it was awful. Then one day, I just couldn't walk to work. I got halfway, then I was convinced I was going to faint, so I walked home. I then realized how out of control my anxiety had become. My partner went with me to the doctor who prescribed me 20mg tablets (once a day). The first 2 weeks, my anxiety was definitely heightened, it felt like I was losing the plot. However, within a month, I found myself walking to the shops and work feeling fine. I haven't had a panic attack for over 2 months, I wish I had started this medication sooner. I now feel normal again."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 15, 2017

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder with some panic. It was a miserable situation, and although I gutted it out for many years, I finally decided to try meds. My doctor prescribed Prozac, 10 mg initially. I'm not going to lie, those first couple of weeks were rough. It actually made me MORE anxious and pretty jittery. Sleep was not restful. But then just about the time I was going to give up (2-3 weeks into it) and try something else, I started feeling better. Eventually, I felt a LOT better. I now take 20 mg daily, and I feel like I got my life back. I don't think I realized how small my life had become until the anxiety abated. For someone who can gut out the initial few weeks, it is so worth it."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 15, 2017

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder with some panic. It was a miserable situation, and although I gutted it out for many years, I finally decided to try meds. My doctor prescribed Prozac, 10 mg initially. I'm not going to lie, those first couple of weeks were rough. It actually made me MORE anxious and pretty jittery. Sleep was not restful. But then just about the time I was going to give up (2-3 weeks into it) and try something else, I started feeling better. Eventually, I felt a LOT better. I now take 20 mg daily, and I feel like I got my life back. I don't think I realized how small my life had become until the anxiety abated. For someone who can gut out the initial few weeks, it is so worth it."

• Pos...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 20, 2020

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I've taken Prozac since my 7th grade year, and I am now becoming a freshman in college. I did really well on it, especially for a child going through puberty. I didn't get any symptoms until I was put on 40 mg. Somethings I've experienced are nightmares, struggling to sleep, night sweats, and mild depression. My body started being an alarm clock and waking me up at 5 AM, even if I was tired and wanted to sleep, my body wouldn't let me. If you cannot handle nightmares, I wouldn't take this medication because it occurred 90% of my week, and they were realistic, but that symptom didn't occur until I was on 40 mg. It may be different for you. Also, some mild depression and little motivation to do anything or get anything done. I didn't have withdrawal symptoms except getting some anxiety when I forgot to take it a few times. I recommend not moving past 20 mg, if you feel as if 20 mg isn't doing enough, then get on another medication. In my opinion, 40 mg was too strong for me. But overall, good experience!"

• Ris...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2020

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I started a 10 mg dose of Prozac, then was increased to a 20 mg dose. I was on it for irritability for two months before it started inducing severe panic attacks, racing heart, and the inability to think. I had constant headaches and no feelings, I couldn’t even feel pain. I’ve been off it for two months now, and the withdrawal has just started. It has been horrendous: racing heart, anxious feelings, severe anxiety, loss of appetite, memory loss, foggy brain, feeling off, panic attacks every night. So far, two weeks of this. I don’t recommend this, it’s been the worst five months of my life."