Is it time to give up on the Prozac?

[LolaS]

I've been on Prozac for many months, gradually increasing the dose every 2-4 weeks. I am now up to 60mg. I still don't feel like it's working for me and my anxiety feels worse than before I began Prozac. However, I don't know if the worsening anxiety is a result of some anxiety-provoking changes in my life over the past 6 months or Prozac is making it worse. My pdoc thinks my increasing anxiety is a sign I need more of the Prozac (hence we have been increasing it).

I went up from 50mg to 60mg about a month ago and in a few days started to experience shaking in my arms and legs. Despite the anxiety, I never experienced this before. I have tried to wait it out, but it hasn't gotten better after a month so I went to the pdoc.

My pdoc is convinced I am still not on enough Prozac to help my anxiety and should go to 70mg. He agrees the shaking might be a side effect and feels I should taper back down to 50mg and increase more slowly to 60mg and then 70mg.

My concern is whether I should follow this plan or if it might be time to give up on the Prozac. I have not felt even an ounce better in the months I have been taking it. I do agree that life circumstances could be to blame for worsening anxiety, but should I feel even a little better by now if it's going to work? Should I push for a medication switch?

[AnxiousSince1998]

Hey Lola,
How many months since you started prozac? I still get tremor type shakes come and go, so annoying and scary, but convince myself that its just my anxiety playing up. its usually before an event or during a stressful time.
Im still not 100% sure if prozac is right for me either, and i guess it has helped to some extent, time will tell i guess, with a possible dosage increase for me down the road....
Its so hard to decide when you don't see a drastic change, but it might just mean you haven't hit the right dosage for the right period of time yet, or that the drug might not be the right one for you.... only you and your pdoc can work that out. Good luck.

[panic_down_under]

My pdoc is convinced I am still not on enough Prozac to help my anxiety and should go to 70mg. He agrees the shaking might be a side effect and feels I should taper back down to 50mg and increase more slowly to 60mg and then 70mg.

Your psychiatrist may be right about you needing a higher dose to get a good outcome, but the complete lack of response is troubling. There is almost always some indication an effective med is capable of working even if it doesn't completely control anxiety at lower doses.

I don't see the point in going back to 50mg and then up again by a smaller dose increase. I doubt the severity of any side-effects would be much lower with a 5mg increase instead of 10mg.

Is this the first antidepressant you've taken?

[GlassPinata]

60 seems like a lot. I think I only took 20 mgs.

[Peachypips]

I have found that each increase of dose has taken at least 12 weeks to start working. I'd stick at 60mg for three months, then see how you are then.