Prozac ?

[Moonchild]

Regarding the suicide comments on this--according to my doctor, increased thoughts of suicide seem to most often occur in teenagers and people who were misdiagnosed with depression. I don't remember what I was on, but the doctor I had until I was sixteen spent five minutes in the room with me and gave me a perscription for anti-depressants--I was simply emotionally fragile, and had never considered suicide or injuring myself. After three days on the medication, I came into school asking people to kill me. Needless to say, they took me off that fairly quickly. My mom's been on an anti-depressant for years, though, and has stories about how she used to feel. She's a lot better now, and very in control of her life. I think she went on it before she met my dad, though, so I can't really ask him about changes. XD; But by what you're describing, I'm sure the medication will work wonders for you. =) Good luck with all this. It'll feel a lot better when you're not so anxious about everything.

[DoesntMatter]

Other tid bits about prozac that I left out...

After being on it for a while, you become more impulsive. Like when I said it becomes more difficult to concentrate and do work... Well, that's one way the compulsiveness shows. In other ways, I'd be more likely to just go and buy something on the fly (I used to and still rarely spend money unless it needs to be spent). Also more apt to get drunk or high without giving much thought, and just in general not caring that much about consequences.

At the end of the day it is so worth it though...

[IndiReloaded]

DM, are you saying you are *for* ppl taking Prozac? Longterm?

Soma.... anyone??

[DoesntMatter]

For me, prozac was a godsend. Depression runs in my family, my grandpa has been depressed for as long as anyone can remember, a good share of my cousins are depressed as well. All on my dads side though.

And my depression wasn't a result of anything, I was depressed late in elementary school and middle school for no reason.

And you have no idea how crushing some phases can be. During a crash I might sleep for like 14 hours per day for a few days straight. This was before I started taking prozac though

Oh yeah Lin, prozac changed my sense of smell a little, but for the better. People just smell better in general... It's so hard to explain

[lin]

I've been taking it for six days now . The first day I just felt a bit fuzzy headed as if I'd had a couple of glasses of wine . The next couple of days I had a really tense jaw and freaky dreams . I've slept less but I haven't been awake all night . Also I heard music when there was none ( like someone playing a toy piano with one finger ) . My pupils are big all the time too . I look like I'm stoned lol.

Yesterday I woke up and I knew that it was starting to work . I just felt different . I spent the whole day on a bit of a buzz . I chatted , laughed and made eye contact with people . I just felt good !
Today I've felt a bit more on edge but still ok . I've just felt more sociable and friendly than I have for a long time . Because of that , people have been more friendly to me .

I've had a few times when the panicky feelings have come but they have gone away quickly .

I know it's early days but hopefully it is going to suit me .

I still feel a bit headachey and tense jawed but I think that a lot of people put up with a lot worse side effects than that and wait a lot longer than a week before they see any improvement . The only really weird side effect that I am having is that I don't feel hungry at all . I just eat at meal times as usual . I enjoy the food but I don't actually feel hungry . Weird .

[DoesntMatter]

A good dosage of prozac is like a very light "wave" of MDMA on the coming up. Yeah, it's good

[gartlas]

what is it with everyone,u have all had depression.well in my family its suicide that runs,my mum is suicidal a lot now,and my second cousins and great aunt on my mums side have all committed suicide.funnily enough one of the side effects of antidepression pills is deppression,wtf?anyways I only had depression once about a year ago and I've had insomnia ever since,y does everyone else sleep more.I just didnt stop thinking about everything that was wrong

[lin]

A good dosage of prozac is like a very light "wave" of MDMA on the coming up. Yeah, it's good

Yesterday I felt like I had to keep turning my volume down a bit . I think I was a bit loud and excitable , not too bad though . I managed to do my job ok lol . I've got a couple of friends who have promised to let me know if I start being " weird "

You say that things smell different .. I've found that things sound different . I can't explain it but music seems to sound different . Perhaps it'll just be a temporary thing .

Anyway , time for bed ( hopefully to sleep !! ).

[DoesntMatter]

DM, are you saying you are *for* ppl taking Prozac? Longterm?

I'm quite confident I'm going to be on prozac my whole life, unless something else comes along. Which makes me feel a little constricted in how I can manipulate my brain chemistry if I'm already on a program to correct it... I guess it helps keep me in check

[lin]

I used to be very wary of drugs for depression I've completely changed my mind . I've done years of therapy in the past which helped for a short time but I always seem to drift back into old ways of thinking and acting . I think sometimes if things have been put into your mind at an early age no amount of trying to make you think differently will help on a permanent basis .

I've found that Prozac seems to be working for me . I feel different . Now that it's settled down and started to work I feel more "normal" . I don't think that I've felt this relaxed and ok about things for years . I feel more sociable and friendly and less stressed and worried .

I've read things where people have said that they were like zombies with no feelings or that they didn't care about other people's feelings any more or had such extreme side effects that they couldn't carry on . I've been taking it for a week .. I've had a couple of days where I felt a bit ill and edgy and one where I felt actually high but other than that no problems at all . I'm even sleeping ok now . I've read about the sexual side effects ( low libido , lack of orgasm ) I've tested the orgasm thing ... I can still have them *cough*.

I feel like this is how I should have been feeling and I wish that I'd taken it when I was offered it years ago . I think it actually might be a life changer for me . Before I started taking it I wouldn't have believed that I would say that . The truth is that I was depressed ( not ever suicidal , a sort of functioning sort of depressed ) for so many years that I thought it was normal . When I woke up on Thursday morning I knew it was working . I just felt different , lighter .. I don't know how to explain it .

Sorry if i sound like some kind of evangelist !

[DoesntMatter]

Another thing... Be wary of drug interactions. Whatever you do don't try tripping off of DXM or taking certain amphetamines like MDMA while you are on prozac. I'm pretty sure I had a mild case of serotonin syndrome not too long ago from some other factors. So be mindful of that

[Kiechi]

Pretty much my whole family is on prozac. Depression "runs" through the family, not quite sure how truthful that statement is but I'm pretty sure I've got it. But if doubt I would want to take the medication. I see em' as invisible chains, it changes you. Plus, I find it pointless taking em' without some sort of cousnelling. Drugs aren't a soloution, just a temp patch up til' you find the root of the problem. But eh, my opinion.

[lin]

Pretty much my whole family is on prozac. Depression "runs" through the family, not quite sure how truthful that statement is but I'm pretty sure I've got it. But if doubt I would want to take the medication. I see em' as invisible chains, it changes you. Plus, I find it pointless taking em' without some sort of cousnelling. Drugs aren't a soloution, just a temp patch up til' you find the root of the problem. But eh, my opinion.

I wish I'd taken it years ago , seriously . I've done the counselling thing without drugs . It only worked temporarily for me . I always drift back into the old ways of thinking about things .

I know it's early days for me but I don't think that Prozac seems to be changing my personality . I just feel like I normally feel on one of my rare good days . I feel more cheerful and calm . I can walk into a crowded room without panicking or feeling like people are staring at me .
This is a massive improvement for me and to be honest it's something that I couldn't have said about several years of therapy . I will be having therapy again so maybe the two combined will be even more helpful .

I'm interested to see if the effects of taking Prozac carry on changing . If it stays as it is at the moment I'll be happy . I don't seem to be having any side effects from it at all at the moment . I feel like I have more energy and I seem to be able to concentrate more . I'm sleeping ok aswell .

DM , I've never been much of a drug taker so I should be ok in that department . I haven't even had alcohol while I've been taking it . I've been so impressed with the change it's made to me in such a short time that I feel like I should treat it with a bit of respect . I've been cutting down on alcohol anyway . It's a depressant and it certainly seems to have affected me a lot more that way lately .

[DoesntMatter]

It can have (like many many drugs) very different effects in each person. It definitely didn't make me calmer, lol. What's also nice is that you can forget to take your prozac one day and not notice it. I haven't taken any in about 5 days, but not because I've forgotten

[lin]

I was talking to a friend at work today . She said that she was prescribed Prozac once . She had to be taken off it because she couldn't relax at all . She couldn't sit down for more than a few minutes and she couldn't sleep . She said that she was talking really fast and taking her dog for a walk at 2am . Sounds horrible lol .

I've had a letter to make an appointment to see a " member of the mental health team " , so I'll do that and see what happens next .