Fluoxetine and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Eat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2024

Fluoxetine for Panic Disorder "I was started on generic Prozac or fluoxetine 2 weeks ago at 20 mg for panic disorder, generalized anxiety, and depression. It’s still early in my treatment, but I am more energetic, experiencing fewer panic and anxiety attacks, and also feel less stressed and less worried about the future. The only major side effects I have are nausea and diarrhea, and sleeping less than normal since starting, but apparently these side effects resolve over time. This is a good med with fewer side effects than other antidepressants I took in the past."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 19, 2018

Fluoxetine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "So happy this was invented. I feel like I am the person I was supposed to be my whole life but was too afraid/mentally ill to become. Was bumped up over time to 40 mg, and my OCD has been kept at bay. I've been going to therapy for years, but after starting Prozac, it was like I was finally capable of following my therapist's advice. She has since told me to stop coming so often because I am doing so well. Awesome. Prozac saved my life. Everyone around me has noticed. Some cons: I was a little nauseous whenever my dosage was upped and had sleep issues for a while, but they went away. In fact, I actually have an irrational fear of vomiting and was very nervous about starting because of this, but it was negligible at worst and, if I haven't said enough already, worth the brief amount of time I experienced it. The most noticeable issue was that it's significantly harder for me to achieve orgasm, but thankfully not altogether impossible. Please don't be afraid to try it out."

• Soc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2019

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Started off at 20 mg Fluoxetine (Prozac), once daily capsules. Side effects the first few weeks are not fun at all. Shaking, jaw rattling, insomnia, the works. However, after those few weeks it gets 10x easier. About two months in, you notice a significant change. Anxiety is way down. Panic attacks are easier to manage. After 3 months, I moved to 40 mg capsules. Slight side effects again, but I know I’ll survive it. You’ll feel a little groggy from time to time, but it is changing your brain chemistry, so bear with it! As someone who has suffered panic attacks for years and ended up in the emergency room from a few of them, I highly recommend this medication for depression and anxiety. Just make sure to follow up with a counselor or a journal log!"

• BSt...
• May 27, 2011

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "This is my second day on Prozac to treat my post-traumatic stress disorder. I've had a little trouble sleeping, some dry mouth, and a definite drop in libido. But you know what? I will take these any day over screaming at my family like a lunatic and feeling completely out of control. These 2 days have been uneventful in that regard, and I give my thanks to Prozac."

• Get...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2019

Fluoxetine for Depression "Started this medication on Thursday last week, it is now Tuesday. Have been feeling myself again, really happy, and actually laughing at little things that I hadn’t been weeks ago. Also suffer from anxiety and have felt that I have felt really calm over the past few days and haven’t been worried. Have been finding it a little hard to switch off at night, but the pharmacist said it could interfere with sleep, that will pass. Also, today (day 5) I have been feeling quite nauseous and that I don’t have much of an appetite when usually I eat a lot and always feel hungry. I can only put it down to the tablets. I was warned these could be some symptoms, so I will push through and hopefully, they stay working well for me and the sickness and sleeping improves."

• Anonymous
• February 23, 2010

Fluoxetine for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "I take 10 mg for just 14 days before I get my period. It definitely helps with my mood and uncontrollable anger. Before taking this, the silliest things would make me want to scream! When my husband asked me why I take it, I tell him that I take it in order to extend HIS life expectancy :-) Enough Said? Only downside: Insomnia. Worth it though."

• ama...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 27, 2014

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I've been on Prozac for a little over a year for depression and anxiety. I'm on 20 mg since I was 14. Personally, I think it was too much for my system when I first started taking it. I was like an ADHD child. Couldn't calm down, jumping around everywhere and could barely sleep at night. With me being a 100 lb, 14-year-old, my mother thought so too. Now that I'm 16, I think this medication isn't working for me anymore. I'm becoming more and more depressed, and my anxiety level is at its highest. I keep having panic attacks also. Prozac was amazing for me up until now, but I do believe that my body has gotten used to this medication. I'm talking to my doctor as soon as possible to maybe raise my dosage."

• Anonymous
• April 1, 2012

Fluoxetine for Panic Disorder "I've been hesitant to try Prozac as I didn't want to be a zombie or overly sedated. But after 5 years of dealing with Panic Disorder/Generalized Anxiety and countless antidepressants not working, I decided to give it a try. The first month was pretty rough. I was always tired, my brain was foggy, and I continued to have anxiety. But I stuck with it and after increasing to 30 mg, I felt absolutely NORMAL. I could feel emotions and even a normal amount of anxiety without freaking out. It has also helped with social anxiety. DOWNSIDE - I find it almost impossible to get any deep sleep on this medicine, and no sleep medicine seems to work (I've tried them all)."

• Lay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2019

Fluoxetine for Bulimia "I was very hesitant to start on this medication as I have been really active in a recovery program and do what I can to alleviate depression and anxiety through practicing mindfulness and reaching out for help within my social network. But I also suffer from a severe case of bulimia which has persisted for over a decade. First couple of days, side effects were a little intense, no appetite and trouble sleeping for a night or two. But I have to say that this medication is truly helpful for my obsessive preoccupations with weight and food, as well as social anxiety (definitely see why people who have general anxiety would NOT do well on this need, it makes me a bit more uppity) and mood stability. Side effects subsided, and I still work a program of recovery every day. I highly recommend therapy and healthy living practices in conjunction with this medication, it can work!"

• mus...
• March 26, 2013

Fluoxetine for Depression "I was on Prozac for 6 weeks, and it made me gain weight and feel numb and apathetic about every aspect of my life. I stopped caring about my work performance, stopped wanting to see friends, had low energy yet trouble falling asleep, and had no sex drive whatsoever. The side effects were more depressing than my life was before."

• Pro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2023

Fluoxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "I had a great Prozac experience. Before taking it, I was severely depressed and very anxious, underweight, and had a lot of trouble sleeping, with suicidal ideation and very little will to live or do the things I usually like to do. I almost gave up on Prozac in the first few weeks, as it seemed to make my anxiety and insomnia worse and made me need to pee all the time. However, after 4.5 weeks of 20 mg, my nervous system started to calm down, and slowly I felt happy and well again, and I could sleep again - what a relief! The anxiety all but disappeared. I didn't experience any kind of numbing or negative effect on my sex drive. After 6 months, I decided to taper off, and I'm happy to say that I didn't really have any side effects, and after a month, I am still feeling happy and well, have a healthy weight, and sleep soundly. Everyone's experience is unique, but Prozac, along with the support of people around me and a healthy lifestyle, saved me. Don't give up."

• Mis...
• July 26, 2017

For Hot Flashes "I totally agree with using this drug. I am going through menopause and have had blood taken to make sure I am. After talking to the doctor, she upped my dose from 20 to 40 mg, as every third week I was very anxious and totally forgetting things, not sleeping, overthinking, and just feeling down and less confident-a horrible feeling. I had sweats, but not too bad, as I was already on fluoxetine, but once a month, things got worse. It's saved me and my relationship and leveled things out for me. Don't leave it, us women shouldn't suffer from menopause... go ask for help."

• Mar...
• January 26, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "After a month of debilitating anxiety that was interrupting my daily life severely, I got back on Prozac with a side of Lorazepam to help during attacks. The first week was awful, worsening anxiety, little sleep, waking up to panic attacks. I called my therapist and told her I couldn’t go on like this, but I knew my kids needed me. She let me know the side effects (which I must have not experienced when I was younger or forgotten about), so I hung on for a couple more days and went for a very hard run, and all of a sudden, it felt like a massive weight lifted off me. I figured I was just getting some endorphins and knew my anxiety would come back in a couple of hours, but it never did. I’m on day 3 of being 97% anxiety-free. I say 97 because I can still feel it creep mostly in the morning, but it just kinda passes now. It’s very liberating, and I can enjoy my family and children again. Very effective if you can make it through the initial storm. Hang in there, you can do it."

• ocd...
• July 14, 2017

Fluoxetine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was reluctant to begin fluoxetine because I'd had a terrible experience when my GP started me on 50 mg of sertraline. Eventually, I ended up going private, and the psych prescribed me Prozac, starting on a really low dose of 10 mg for a week, then 20 mg for 4 weeks, and now 40 mg for the last month. It's been great. Really cut down my intrusive thoughts to basically nothing, concentration is better, I'm enjoying life again! This is also due to a good therapist, but the medication has definitely helped. The main side effect was sleepiness, but having suffered with insomnia on and off for years, it's been great not dreading bedtime anymore. In the first couple of weeks of a new dose, I'd have a bit of brain fog, but other than that, it's been great!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2022

Fluoxetine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I am taking Prozac to treat OCD and the anxiety that results from it. A little background: I took 50 mg Sertraline (Zoloft) five years ago for anxiety. It was a difficult ramp-up period. I had dry heaves, drenching night sweats, and no appetite. After about a month, they subsided, and I went up to 75 mg. Zoloft did fix my anxiety, but it left me 'flat.' I wasn’t anxious or sad, but I also never had any joy. It turned me into Mr. Spock. Oddly though, and contrary to so many reviews, my libido went through the roof. I came off Zoloft after about a year and was fine for about 4 years. Now, I’ve been diagnosed with OCD that the prior doc didn’t recognize. Prozac this time. I was nervous for the side effects, but they’ve been minor. Very mild nausea and some insomnia. And, just like Zoloft, increased libido. My OCD and anxiety are lessening. Don’t let negative reviews dissuade you from trying Prozac. Everyone reacts differently."

• Pan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2021

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I finally gave in to using Prozac after years of anxiety, but most recently a good 6 months of panic attacks and super intense anxiety with no true reason. My poor kids, they’re young, so they get sick, and I would go into anxious mode as soon as they said something hurt. Head hurt? I was done for… couldn’t eat, couldn’t do anything. Checking in on them every 5 minutes. Then the health anxiety hit me personally, where I googled every different type of cancer for whatever odd thing I found or felt on my body. It took me a good 20 minutes to talk myself out of whatever it was I thought I had. My blood pressure was sky high, I wasn’t sleeping. I gave in… the first two weeks of use weren’t bad except for insomnia. Around week 3, anxiety doubled, but I stuck with it because I had read reviews, and they had stated that. Week 8 and I was back to a normal human. No more constant fear, chest pain, tummy issues. It’s amazing. No bad side effects other than jaw clenching."

• Low...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2019

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Maybe your dose started too high? I was started on 10 mg about a month ago. I had some minor side effects the first week (trouble falling asleep, some neck/shoulder tension, pins and needles in my lower left leg), all have gone away and I am sleeping well and feeling good. The improvement is subtle. I don’t have that continuous on-edge anxious feeling, nor the pit of my stomach feeling, and things sort of roll off my back, which is great. My quality of life has improved. I know this can take 2 months or more to feel full effects, and in that time, people increase dosage instead of practicing patience. Maybe try a lower dose and give it some time. I also take a B complex. Good luck."

• Amb...
• December 11, 2019

Fluoxetine for Panic Disorder "I started taking Prozac 9 days ago. I had my first ever panic attack 2 days ago in which I thought I wasn't going to live. Since the panic attack, I haven’t been able to sleep, eat, or drink. I haven't stopped thinking about dying once. So for these 2 days, I have been throwing up, nervous feeling in my tummy, dizziness, feeling scared and panic, and it hasn’t stopped. It’s been here constantly. I’ve spoken to my doctor and my counselors, and they said to ride it out. But I’m not going to do that. I had a suicidal thought last night, which has never happened for me. I’ve had to move in with my mom for the next couple of days so I’m not alone because I’m that scared of dying. I hope that after the tablets leave my system, I’m back to my old ways. I just don’t know what to do or say to anyone anymore. Doctors have even had to give me diazepams so I can stay calm, and half the time, they only work for around 15-20 minutes, all of this is torture. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS."

• Nig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 5, 2017

Fluoxetine for Depression "I was first put on Wellbutrin at 300 mg, then 450 mg, but that kept me up and I really wasn't feeling much of a difference. The doctor added Prozac 20 mg. For the first 3 days, I could sleep. After that, it feels like I'm coming off a caffeine high as I get very tired, but I never experience a high in energy. I get hot flashes and sweat about 25-30 minutes after taking it, but then it goes away. I yawn all the time. Another thing I've noticed since I've been on it is decreased sexual mood, and ejaculation feels weird, just weird. I'm not emotionless, but sadness, depression, and anger seem to not be present. Decreased appetite and lost a little weight. No other side effects experienced."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2022

Fluoxetine for Depression "I was very hopeful for Prozac as it helped my friend. But this hope was quickly squashed in a few weeks. Here’s why: turned my insomnia into extreme insomnia—being wide awake at 3 am. Impossible to sleep. Months later, still have issues with sleep. Turned my anxiety into extreme anxiety. I didn’t have panic attacks. Now I did all the time. It made me very sensitive to light. Now, six months later, I see halos around light. Gave me tinnitus. This is a constant ringing in the ears, from the moment I wake to the moment I sleep. I still have this! Gave me very bad brain fog. I would go into the kitchen, have no clue why or what I needed. If these things sound good to you, take it. But if you value your eyes, ears, your sleep, and don’t want non-stop anxiety, I wouldn’t give this poison to my worst enemy!!"

• MRN...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2019

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Has its ups and downs like all medications. Causes some insomnia, more than normal but still bearable. Only been on it for a week and I’m noticing a slight difference in mood. First few days I was shaking, small tremors. Still pushing on because it’ll help in the long run. And on an added note: decreased sex drive is not happening for me. It’s almost an out-of-body experience! Might change soon, who knows. Stick with the meds with me, we’ll beat this illness together!"

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "I am now 5 weeks and 3 days into Prozac. The first 2 weeks were fine. I actually started feeling a little happier by the end of week 2. Now weeks 3-4 were absolutely terrible. I went to the ER thrice. Headaches, horrible night sweats, shaking, weakness, nausea, bloating, insomnia, obsessive thoughts, ruminating, and feeling unwell. Excruciating anxiety, and I'm used to having anxiety on a daily basis. I would have panic attacks repeatedly. I called my doctor many times. She reassured me it would get better and to take hydroxyzine HCl. I had to take at least 25 mg every 4 hours, otherwise, I would start to get chest tightness, hot, sweating, pounding heart, etc. As soon as week 5 began, I feel better every day. Today was the first day I didn't stay on hydroxyzine HCl. I feel happier, motivated, not as irritable, loving, patient. I still have random headaches, shaking, weird dreams. From someone who had ALL the crappy side effects, keeeeep goinggg! Best of luck!"

• Lad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2018

Fluoxetine for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "I have been on 20 mg of Prozac for about 3 months now. It has really worked for me. I don't have suicidal thoughts anymore and overall feel more functional. I was very anti-psychiatric drugs before taking them myself, but it has really worked in a way that nothing else has. I took 5-HTP, GABA, and tryptophan before the Prozac, and these all helped a lot, but I still felt extremely depressed around my menstrual cycle. Prozac has stopped that. Side effects are that I get hot more easily, sometimes have nausea, and trouble staying asleep through the whole night, but they are completely worth it to me."

• Anonymous
• November 27, 2010

Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Prozac is not for everyone. I was prescribed 10 mg for my anxiety. I felt awesome for about two days on this medicine, then the insomnia, mood swings, and rage set in. It helped my anxiety, but the effects on my mood were absolutely intolerable. I started feeling dizzy and my eyes hurt like I was staring in the sun too long. I think it totally flooded my brain with serotonin and it was like system overload. This is way too strong of a medication for someone with moderate anxiety and not much depression. For someone who is severely depressed, it might help--it definitely boosts energy."

• LSa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2018

For Binge Eating Disorder "I started taking fluoxetine a few months ago. I noticed I gained about 10 pounds, but I am dropping off now, and wow, the binge eating is gone! I take 20 mg every morning. I first started taking it at night and slept like a baby, but once it kicked in, I was up all night for 3 nights (which it did say it would do that). I am starting to feel a little crabby and on edge, and not sure if I should increase it a bit. I will check with the doctor. Definitely taking it during the day right after some breakfast works best for me."