What side effects did you get and hat did you find helpful?

[uk23]

I have trued 9 antidepressants over the years, I tried them all for min 6 months and found none helpful but I am thinking about Prozac.

What are your advantages and disadvantageous (inc side effects) of taking it?

[JaneC]

Advantages: has stopped my panic attacks and made a big difference to my depression. I'm a lot more confident and outgoing and less paranoid that people at work don't like me and stuff like that. I'm gradually retraining myself to remember I don't need to feel anxious in certain situations (if that makes sense).

Disadvantages: it took a few weeks to work and I did have a couple of nasty panic attacks in the early stages this time (although not the first time I took it). I also sweat a lot, which a doc put down to me being on a 40mg dose.

One quick bit of advice - it's available in liquid form, allowing you to start on 10mg instead of a 20mg capsule, if you felt you wanted to do that. x

[Snowshadow]

Prozac stopped my panic attacks too and definitely helped with the depression. It did take about 5 weeks to really start working and I also had a couple of nasty panic attacks in the beginning, but I am so glad I stuck it out!! I've been on Prozac now for over 2 years and I've been doing really well.

[Mitch]

I've been on it for 6 days now (20mg). I have noticed no side effects and I feel absolutely the same as I did before I started on them. I was on citalopram before and 'felt' like I was on medication, if that makes sense? They worked great on anxiety/depression but I stopped them due to sexual side effects.

I'd heard a lot of mixed things about prozac, so far none of them are true lol. I remember my flat mate starting on them and spending the better part of 2 weeks in bed so I'd braced myself for some side effects but...nothing, not even a headache. I've hardly slept since I've been on them but my insomnia was bad before I started so if anything they've made it a bit worse. So far they've done nothing, either way, for anxiety and it's too early to tell about depression. I started on them when I was between depressive cycles this time so maybe that's something to do with feeling absolutely no effect.

I guess they will effect everyone in a different way

[Snowshadow]

Hi Mitch, How are you doing on the Prozac? I was also on citalopram (before the prozac) and I too "felt" like I was on medication, so that definitely makes sense to me. I've found Prozac to be the least medicating (as in feeling "medicated") of any meds I've been on. I definitely didn't feel any difference until I had been taking it for about five weeks though, as far is it actually working, so hang in there. I really hope it works as well for you as it is for me

[Mitch]

Hi snowshadow

Well I've been on them 18 days now. Having lots of problems sleeping. Last weekend I was awake for three days with only an average of an hours sleep a night (if that). I tried everything, walking for miles, clearing out the kitchen, relaxing, I even tried having a couple of drinks on them, something I would never normally do but I was hoping it would help me sleep (it didn't!). In the end I got prescription sleeping pills from a friend to tide me over until I could talk to my DR and now I've been put on a weeks supply of tamazepam (haven't tried them yet). Made the mistake of trying a natural sleep last night and have had no sleep whatsoever.

On the plus side I feel my heart rate has settled into more of a steady rhythm whereas before it was all over the place most of the time with anxiety. I haven't seen a massive improvement in my mood except that maybe instead of feeling neurotically depressed and anxious I'm now just kind of quietly excepting that everything's rubbish lol.

I still feel quite down and the lack of sleep is making me quite agitated and stressed. Thanks for the encouragement, it really helps to know that they do take a while to kick in. I'll certainly give them another couple of weeks. I hope things pick up soon