To ask if anyone has ever been prescribed Prozac for an eating disorder?

[ladyofthelake83]

Hi all,

Unashamedly posting her for traffic. I have recently been diagnosed with binge eating disorder. I am receiving CBT with a therapist, but they have also suggested I try Prozac. I have a couple of concerns:

1. The starting dose is 60mg for an ED - tripe that for depression. That scares me.

1. We don't really know how it works, just that it does. That scares me.

I have never taken AD's before and wouldn't say I clinically depressed - my depression is limited to my eating only. The rest of my life is great.

Any experiences / advice much appreciated!

I've recently started on Prozac, though it was primarily for depression so I'm on the lowest dose (but this is due to be slowly increased to the 60mg). It's changed my life, I no longer binge which is making me less depressed, I feel much more able to cope in general. I wish I'd had it years ago to be honest!

I have but I had an anorexia type disorder and I believe it's more effective for bulimia and binge eating disorders like yours. I was started on 20mg but this was nearly 10 years ago so I guess guidelines have changed. Is the starting dose really 60mg? That seems quite a lot. The highest I've been on is 40mg and I was very shaky on it - but I already have bad anxiety. If you don't, it probably won't effect you.

One thing about prozac is that it killed my appetite (and unfortunately also my sex drive). I lost about 10lbs on it - this was this year where I was prescribed it again for depression by the way, not anorexia!

I took Prozac for depression and for stopping certain self harming behaviours. I had a ED earlier in life which was never treated, and I felt like the self harm was rather similar to the ED in my case. It helped me with the self harm and I think it would have helped with the ED if I'd taken it at that time. I didn't experience any side effects. Can't remember what my dose was. If it helps I believe it's only prescribed for depression that's on the milder end of the spectrum. But if you don't feel comfortable with it, don't take it. I have a doctor friend (not a psychiatrist) who reckons Prozac is little more than a placebo, and apparently this is not an unheard of view, so any effect may be psychological.

Thanks all - I guess I am going to have to be brave and go for it! A bit concerned about feeling muzzy headed - I can't really afford that with work.

Theycall - bingeing is definitely a form a self harm for me, so that is really interesting.

Yes- same dose for binge eating disorder. It worked really well. Spent years waiting on the list for CBT but never had any yet- I imagine they would work better in combination. I stopped the prozac thinking I didn't need it anymore, but I'm thinking of asking to start again as I'm struggling at the moment.

Interesting cantbelieve - how did it work? Did you simply have no desire to binge anymore? I am struggling to wrap my mind around that!

And also for your current struggle. It is just impossible, isn't it? My therapist pointed out the destructive cycle of thinking and behaving that I am in - and I felt so sorry for my poor little brain.

Yes, I was prescribed it once under duress by a psychiatrist I saw during my anorexic era, and I didn't want to take it and he knew that.

He was patronising and unpleasant.

I tried taking it. I took one tablet and it stuck in my throat and I felt like it stayed there all day. I was too nervous to take another one. Also I had read that it decreases appetite which was exactly what I didn't need at that time. And I hate the idea of ADs in any case, and like the PP said I had heard that it was little more than a placebo.

I had psychotherapy and that didn't help a lot either. Then I was referred to a proper unit as an outpatient and travelled there for a while once a week, for therapy or just counselling really. I made friends with a woman there who was really just friendly, and didn't seem to be trying to 'treat' me. She did help.

A year or so after this had ended, I started to eat again after getting to a point where I weighed so little I thought I would probably die. I made the choice.

This was about 12 years ago now and I am still stable, though my eating is still a bit messed up and may always be.

My advice would be continue with the CBT, get as much talking therapy as you can, and don't take ADs unless you actually want to. You are in control here. It's up to you. They can't make you take them.

I had CBT about 5 years ago for other reasons and found it incredibly useful after initially dismissing it as a concept. It was brilliant. There was no trickery or weirdness involved. It was common sense. So I recommend it, while I am highly dubious about ADs to this day, having had several friends who had terrible issues with them.

Good luck x

I was prescribed 60mg when I was a 19 year old self harmer. The doctor said it was used for compulsive behaviours as well as treating depression. I got a lot worse when taking it. Eventually they took me off Prozac and tried a few other ADs, the last one I took was almost miraculous in its effect. ADs are not all the same.

I was on it for few years for depression. Stopped me doing certain rituals.
You may not feel depressed however ( i also binged and threw up, just never admitted this) that made me feel worse as i was constantly thinking of doing it.
You may feel bad before things get better when you first start taking the tablets.
If they don't suit you, there are othees.
Hope you feel better.