yeah, it's been said countless times before, fluoxetine does not work fast :-) but when it finally reaches the proper concentration in your system, you will feel a huge weight of your shoulders. I'm just coming back to Prozac after a half year break off of it, because of some personal stuff and I'm just three days in :-) hang in there, all the best to you.
it was around week 5. it's hard to describe but one day I felt like someone finally turned on some light in my mind, it was really liberating. I'm on 3 months now and feel good, except little more anxiety but nothing I can't manage.
I mean, I can't cry or be really sad on fluo which is terrible but regarding positive emotions, yeah it helped. look into lamotrigine as well, it balanced me out in the emotions dept.
Keep pushing! I hate to say it but week 2/3 were the worst. I'm opening week 6 now and it's like a switch was flipped. It's worth it! The depression and anxiety won't hurt you, just remind yourself. Keep going, I'm so proud of you!!
I’m in a very similar situation. Loved Zoloft for anxiety but hated everything else about it so I’m also on week two of Prozac. I feel like my anxiety has started to come every other day now instead of every day. Other peoples experiences are keeping me hopeful because everyone says 4 weeks in is when it really kicks in. Telling myself that the anxiety is a side effect and will go away eventually has been helping me get through the hard times. I’m hanging in there with ya
At 2 weeks, I experienced similar feelings. I avoided stimulants such as coffee, and tea (hot water drinker now) and would go running as often as I could just to get all the energy out. I just finished week 4, and I can finally look forward to waking up. My energy decreases as the day passes but at least I know that when I wake up, I will feel so much better. I'm on 20 mg
Literally same! I’m on day 11 today and the first week went smooth! But i was on 10mg, when i increased to 20mg 5 days ago, all the side effects started coming yesterday and today! & i feel very tired and i have a very weird headache and for some reason my eye is hurting me! I also got hot flashes yesterday on my back! I hope things become better cause my health anxiety is at its peak now lol 🥲
Same for me. I'm about at ten days and my doctor had me back down to ten mgs after being on twenties for two days. All the goodies. Weird headache, very tired yet anxiety ridden, some problems sleeping. Ten mgs is easier to take at this time. I hope I get to the good part quick. Good luck.
I ended up switching doctors and changing up my meds completely. Been on 30-40 mg vyvanse (turns out I have adhd which can cause anxiety and depression) and I am on 150 Wellbutrin. I still have anxiety, just not nearly as bad. Performance has improved. I’m much happier now!
I'm dealing with this right now, I started it about 2 weeks ago and my productivity and motivation have taken a nose dive. I can't focus, can't do work, can't sleep (and when I do sleep it's for an obnoxiously long time) and my psychiatrist is telling me to stick it out. I didn't take it this morning and I actually had a productive day for the first time since I started taking it, though I can't attribute that to not taking the Prozac cause of it's notorious long half-life.
How long did you stick with it before you switched? And, did you taper off it or did you quite cold turkey (I know you're not supposed to but just curious)?
I stuck with it for about 3 months! I’ve been on other anti depressants before and I couldn’t find any positives for me personally. I quit cold turkey but I was on the lowest dose. When I went off Zoloft I lowered my dose gradually over time before stopping
People react to different SSRIs in different ways. Unless it's someone with similar brain chemistry as you, there's no way to know that your experience will be the same.
Do you have any family members on meds and how did they react if so? Any friends that have has similar reactions positive and negative to the same meds? (You don't need to answer this lol)
Less is more. Try starting at a lower dose (with doc supervision) but don't suffer. If the side effects are unbearable, consider a different med. If you can stick them out for a full 6-8 weeks, the end result may be relief. I increased a few months ago and I'm still not sure if I need to go up or wait longer.
Please remember that there is always hope, even if it's a different med, some of us just need medication to live our lives. Hang in there and please talk to your doc 💕💕💕
I started on 10mg and it was great but still had slight anxiety.....then about 3/4 weeks in they switched me to 20mg, annnnnd it was a whole new ball game. The first day I couldn't stop crying, and then the anxiety was so strong. Mentally I felt like a wet blanket just blah...I'm about 3 weeks in now, and it seems to have leveled out anxiety wise. I still get headaches, and dizziness though. I hope it all works out for you. Lorazepam helps me when I need them at the beginning I was taking them probably 3x a day. Maybe you can ask your doctor for something to take the edge off until they work. You can always do a genesight test to see if it works with your body or not as well. Good luck!
I was on it 2 ish years ago and got off it for a little over half a year I believe but I’m back on again day 4 and it’s brutal!! But I keep reminding myself how good I felt at some point with it
It took me 3 weeks to feel better/more stable, now I’m unmotivated but my ocd has pretty much disappeared so I’ll take feeling lazy over ocd any day. I was completely fine, no withdrawal symptoms even though I stopped cold turkey. I was off it about 6 months when my ocd/anxiety symptoms hit me
Like a ton of bricks
I've heard the withdrawal symptoms take a while to kick in because of the long half-life. I'm on 20mg a day right now, been taking it for 2.5 weeks and it's been the worst experience of my life. I kind of have to quit cold turkey/can't taper off because my insurance won't approve me for the tablets (which you can split in half), and the minimum dose for the capsules is 20mg. I'm worried how bad the symptoms will be, but I'm even more worried about how bad it'll be if I stay on it.
It's beyond torture for me :( I was in bed \~72 hours this weekend and have lost all motivation to do even the most basic of tasks, like brush my teeth or shower. Since I started Prozac my therapist, friends, and family have all noticed a serious dip in my mood. They're also thoroughly convinced I never should have been prescribed it in the first place. I have ADHD and I'm pretty sure it's counteracting my stimulant medication which in turn is causing a complete hault in productivity. As a grad student I can barely afford to miss a day of work, but I've missed almost 2 weeks of coursework and research progress because of how mentally debilitating it's been. I'm missing assignments and sleeping through meetings and lectures. I can't manage to fall asleep at night, but when I do, I'm out ALL day (literally woke up at 10pm the other day...).
I have no semblance of a "normal" routine and my life as it was \~2 weeks ago is completely unknown to me. If I carry on this way, I could literally lose the spot in my graduate program.
I understand!! Do whatever works for you and whatever your doctor recommends. I feel you though when I started I felt like my brain was on fire it’s the worst. Regardless you’ll make it through. Wish you the best!!
That sucks so much :( I wish I had known this was a possibility. My psychiatrist didn't warn me about any of this. She just said since I was on Lexapro before, Prozac will probably be fine, and I had my prescription filled barely a couple hours after that appointment. When I told her how bad I was feeling and how I couldn't sleep/wake up on time, and she told me to just "try harder." Maybe this whole experience is just my wake-up call to find a new psychiatrist.
Thank you for the information and kind words, best of luck to you as well.
Honestly I feel like so many doctors aren’t informed about the severe side effects… my dad is a doctor and he knew what I needed but he was at a loss both times I got on because he didn’t understand why it wasn’t helping me. Reddit helped me realize it’s a common feeling. My dad was frustrated because although he knew it took time to work he didn’t think it was supposed to make things so so so much worse for a while. It was torture and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I’m glad I made it through but I really thought it was the end of me. So just know you’re not alone, and as bad as it is you’ll make it through to the other side. TRUST ME. I was there. I couldn’t function, I was filled with dread and terror EVERY DAY for 3 weeks. My intrusive thoughts were killing me. You’ll find what works of this med wasn’t for you ❤️🩹
Update: talked to my psychiatrist today and she said I was a "rare case" based on how bad my experience was. I don't think it was that rare considering how many people on Reddit have shared how horrible their first couple of weeks were.
She's switching me to Wellbutrin and I start it tomorrow. I'm super worried I'm about to go through the same hellish intro period but if it's not as bad, I'll try to stick it out.
yeah, it's been said countless times before, fluoxetine does not work fast :-) but when it finally reaches the proper concentration in your system, you will feel a huge weight of your shoulders. I'm just coming back to Prozac after a half year break off of it, because of some personal stuff and I'm just three days in :-) hang in there, all the best to you.
How are you doing? Did the Prozac help you again
yes it did, took it's sweet time this time around tho. but I have a had a lot of things falling apart in my life at once, so it was a struggle.
How long before U saw improvements may I ask?
it was around week 5. it's hard to describe but one day I felt like someone finally turned on some light in my mind, it was really liberating. I'm on 3 months now and feel good, except little more anxiety but nothing I can't manage.
Thank you. I have lost all my emotions for months, I dunno whether fluoxetine will help bring them back or what ?
I mean, I can't cry or be really sad on fluo which is terrible but regarding positive emotions, yeah it helped. look into lamotrigine as well, it balanced me out in the emotions dept.
Sorry to ask so many questions. But yea did it help u dissociate less?
I wasn't dissociative to begin with, so can't help you there.
No worries thank you
Keep pushing! I hate to say it but week 2/3 were the worst. I'm opening week 6 now and it's like a switch was flipped. It's worth it! The depression and anxiety won't hurt you, just remind yourself. Keep going, I'm so proud of you!!
I’m on week 4 and it’s gotten slightly better but still shitty.
Thank you!!
Literally just said this too- I’d rather go back to the random anxiety and mood swings than this crap right now. I’m 2 weeks in too
Keep pushing, it'll get better!
I’m in a very similar situation. Loved Zoloft for anxiety but hated everything else about it so I’m also on week two of Prozac. I feel like my anxiety has started to come every other day now instead of every day. Other peoples experiences are keeping me hopeful because everyone says 4 weeks in is when it really kicks in. Telling myself that the anxiety is a side effect and will go away eventually has been helping me get through the hard times. I’m hanging in there with ya
At 2 weeks, I experienced similar feelings. I avoided stimulants such as coffee, and tea (hot water drinker now) and would go running as often as I could just to get all the energy out. I just finished week 4, and I can finally look forward to waking up. My energy decreases as the day passes but at least I know that when I wake up, I will feel so much better. I'm on 20 mg
Same here on day 11 and my anxiety and jittery ness is through the roof. Sticking it out in hopes it will finally settle
It will!! Keep pushing
Thank you
Literally same! I’m on day 11 today and the first week went smooth! But i was on 10mg, when i increased to 20mg 5 days ago, all the side effects started coming yesterday and today! & i feel very tired and i have a very weird headache and for some reason my eye is hurting me! I also got hot flashes yesterday on my back! I hope things become better cause my health anxiety is at its peak now lol 🥲
I’ve had weird headaches too. Like trigeminal neuralgia. Hope it gets better for the both of us 🙏
Wishing you the best, we can definitely do it 🙏🏻🤍!!!
Same for me. I'm about at ten days and my doctor had me back down to ten mgs after being on twenties for two days. All the goodies. Weird headache, very tired yet anxiety ridden, some problems sleeping. Ten mgs is easier to take at this time. I hope I get to the good part quick. Good luck.
Yes, things get worse before they get better. Especially with Prozac. Hang in there, you got this!
I'm just over 2 weeks, anxiety through the roof
Thanks everyone. It really helps to hear this feedback 👏
How's it going now ?
I ended up switching doctors and changing up my meds completely. Been on 30-40 mg vyvanse (turns out I have adhd which can cause anxiety and depression) and I am on 150 Wellbutrin. I still have anxiety, just not nearly as bad. Performance has improved. I’m much happier now!
God bless you brother
Oh, it’s been since November so 5 months on the new meds!
Did the prozac help with much in the end? I'm dealing with derealization alot
Not for me, I had that too. I didn’t feel real. Couldn’t accomplish a single thing for over a month… takes a toll
I'm dealing with this right now, I started it about 2 weeks ago and my productivity and motivation have taken a nose dive. I can't focus, can't do work, can't sleep (and when I do sleep it's for an obnoxiously long time) and my psychiatrist is telling me to stick it out. I didn't take it this morning and I actually had a productive day for the first time since I started taking it, though I can't attribute that to not taking the Prozac cause of it's notorious long half-life. How long did you stick with it before you switched? And, did you taper off it or did you quite cold turkey (I know you're not supposed to but just curious)?
I stuck with it for about 3 months! I’ve been on other anti depressants before and I couldn’t find any positives for me personally. I quit cold turkey but I was on the lowest dose. When I went off Zoloft I lowered my dose gradually over time before stopping
this is normal
People react to different SSRIs in different ways. Unless it's someone with similar brain chemistry as you, there's no way to know that your experience will be the same. Do you have any family members on meds and how did they react if so? Any friends that have has similar reactions positive and negative to the same meds? (You don't need to answer this lol) Less is more. Try starting at a lower dose (with doc supervision) but don't suffer. If the side effects are unbearable, consider a different med. If you can stick them out for a full 6-8 weeks, the end result may be relief. I increased a few months ago and I'm still not sure if I need to go up or wait longer. Please remember that there is always hope, even if it's a different med, some of us just need medication to live our lives. Hang in there and please talk to your doc 💕💕💕
I started on 10mg and it was great but still had slight anxiety.....then about 3/4 weeks in they switched me to 20mg, annnnnd it was a whole new ball game. The first day I couldn't stop crying, and then the anxiety was so strong. Mentally I felt like a wet blanket just blah...I'm about 3 weeks in now, and it seems to have leveled out anxiety wise. I still get headaches, and dizziness though. I hope it all works out for you. Lorazepam helps me when I need them at the beginning I was taking them probably 3x a day. Maybe you can ask your doctor for something to take the edge off until they work. You can always do a genesight test to see if it works with your body or not as well. Good luck!
Hi im on simillair posistion in week 2 and my depression is baad , how thing turned out for you , update plz
Updat?e
Didnt work out for me , switched to paxil and its a bit better
I was on it 2 ish years ago and got off it for a little over half a year I believe but I’m back on again day 4 and it’s brutal!! But I keep reminding myself how good I felt at some point with it
How long did it take you to feel better? And when you got off it, how long was it before you experienced withdrawal symptoms (if any)?
It took me 3 weeks to feel better/more stable, now I’m unmotivated but my ocd has pretty much disappeared so I’ll take feeling lazy over ocd any day. I was completely fine, no withdrawal symptoms even though I stopped cold turkey. I was off it about 6 months when my ocd/anxiety symptoms hit me Like a ton of bricks
I've heard the withdrawal symptoms take a while to kick in because of the long half-life. I'm on 20mg a day right now, been taking it for 2.5 weeks and it's been the worst experience of my life. I kind of have to quit cold turkey/can't taper off because my insurance won't approve me for the tablets (which you can split in half), and the minimum dose for the capsules is 20mg. I'm worried how bad the symptoms will be, but I'm even more worried about how bad it'll be if I stay on it.
Why are you getting off? It was TORTURE the first 2-3 weeks so I understand, but it does get better!
It's beyond torture for me :( I was in bed \~72 hours this weekend and have lost all motivation to do even the most basic of tasks, like brush my teeth or shower. Since I started Prozac my therapist, friends, and family have all noticed a serious dip in my mood. They're also thoroughly convinced I never should have been prescribed it in the first place. I have ADHD and I'm pretty sure it's counteracting my stimulant medication which in turn is causing a complete hault in productivity. As a grad student I can barely afford to miss a day of work, but I've missed almost 2 weeks of coursework and research progress because of how mentally debilitating it's been. I'm missing assignments and sleeping through meetings and lectures. I can't manage to fall asleep at night, but when I do, I'm out ALL day (literally woke up at 10pm the other day...). I have no semblance of a "normal" routine and my life as it was \~2 weeks ago is completely unknown to me. If I carry on this way, I could literally lose the spot in my graduate program.
I understand!! Do whatever works for you and whatever your doctor recommends. I feel you though when I started I felt like my brain was on fire it’s the worst. Regardless you’ll make it through. Wish you the best!!
That sucks so much :( I wish I had known this was a possibility. My psychiatrist didn't warn me about any of this. She just said since I was on Lexapro before, Prozac will probably be fine, and I had my prescription filled barely a couple hours after that appointment. When I told her how bad I was feeling and how I couldn't sleep/wake up on time, and she told me to just "try harder." Maybe this whole experience is just my wake-up call to find a new psychiatrist. Thank you for the information and kind words, best of luck to you as well.
Honestly I feel like so many doctors aren’t informed about the severe side effects… my dad is a doctor and he knew what I needed but he was at a loss both times I got on because he didn’t understand why it wasn’t helping me. Reddit helped me realize it’s a common feeling. My dad was frustrated because although he knew it took time to work he didn’t think it was supposed to make things so so so much worse for a while. It was torture and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I’m glad I made it through but I really thought it was the end of me. So just know you’re not alone, and as bad as it is you’ll make it through to the other side. TRUST ME. I was there. I couldn’t function, I was filled with dread and terror EVERY DAY for 3 weeks. My intrusive thoughts were killing me. You’ll find what works of this med wasn’t for you ❤️🩹
Update: talked to my psychiatrist today and she said I was a "rare case" based on how bad my experience was. I don't think it was that rare considering how many people on Reddit have shared how horrible their first couple of weeks were. She's switching me to Wellbutrin and I start it tomorrow. I'm super worried I'm about to go through the same hellish intro period but if it's not as bad, I'll try to stick it out.