Worst Scare Yet...

[stuart88]

I'm absolutely positive there's something wrong with me this time.
I started Prozac last monday and noticed a few days after starting it that my pupils were enormous. I also noticed a bunch of other symptoms such as decreased gag reflex, some tongue fasciculations. Added to the fact I am already twitching religously, these have made me adamant there is in fact something wrong with me. Also, my left calf has been more of a hotspot for twitching in the last week or so, and in my panicked state I measured both my legs and my left calf is slightly smaller than my right. This has made me positive I've got muscle atrophy.
I had thought the Prozac was the cause of the dilated pupils, so I stopped taking it 2 days ago. I've still got dilated pupils though. Shouldn't the Prozac be out of my system by now?

I'm so positive I've got either ALS or a Brain Stem Tumour of some sort right now.

I know this seems unlikely for someone my age(21) but I just can't convinced myself otherwise.

[looking4answers]

Im not sure of should it be out of your system but I can say some good things about it. My wife has been taking it for 17 years. She had terminal cancer at one time and then they found out that she didn't have it anymore and then she had a serotonin problem
which it corrected but she can't say enough good about the drug. I hope you feel better soon. Michael

[KK77]

No, that's very unlikely. If you're right-handed it's common for the muscles on that side to be a little bigger - it doesn't mean muscular "atrophy" or ALS etc.

You have an anxiety disorder so it's very common to notice things like this and jump to conclusions (sounds like you've been on Google).

As for Prozac, it takes a long time to be out of your system - usually weeks - and your dilated pupils are mostly likely a side effect. But you should go back to your GP as Prozac hasn't agreed with you and talk about other options because you sound very distressed by all this.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Kirsty-Jayne]

My pupils were enormous on prozac! Looked like i was high as a kite lol. I used to get really twitchy after the first couple of days :) I can assure you, you are perfectly normal :) It wont be out of you're system yet, But with time.. you'll notice a difference, could you not stick it out ? Its good to, but if you're even more anxious about these symptoms then its entirely up to you. You do feel a hell of a lot worse on them before you get better. I didnt stick it out, i wish i did. And i felt like there was something wrong with me.. but it was just the prozac :) Hope that helps xxx:hugs:

[RLR]

Well, first of all let me begin by asking why you were prescribed Prozac. Secondly, Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis whether bulbar or limb onset, does not demonstrate the presentation you are describing in the very least. I'm a retired neurologist and I can safely say that I've seen my share of ALS patients. The fasciculations related to ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases is directly related to the loss of neuronal conductivity and has a chracteristic appearance, quite different from the extrapyramidal signs which often appear in the presence of drugs like prozac. Muscular assymetry is fairly universal and it's only when a person becomes concerned that they see what they wish in terms of distinguishing something pathological from a normal physiological presentation.

You have to realize that there are unsolicited effects of taking drugs like Prozac and some folks respond more positively than others. There are alternatives in the event that the medication has too high of a benefit to risk ratio for you. Abrupt cessation of the drug is not wise and you should always consult the prescribing physician. In addtion, effects from drugs like this can carry forward or persist for several weeks beyond discontinuation in some cases.

In general, your apprehension and expectations seem quite disparate from the actual circumstances and it's my opinion that you are letting your irrational beliefs take you on a runaway train. My suggestion here is to take a breath and relax. I see absolutely nothing of your desctiption that would suggest an underlying neurological disorder. Again, if you can briefly cite the reason for which the Prozac was prescribed, I may be able to offer better insight.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)