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Mental health

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Original poster

Just been prescribed Fluoxetine (Prozac) - Anyone else taken this?

67 replies

tid · 02/03/2005 21:11

I was prescribed Fluoxetine today after 10 months of ups and downs (mostly downs). Counselling helped a bit, but lately I'm just not making any progress and have actually reversed a bit.

I had been thinking about trying medication anyway, but now that I have them and have read the potential side-effects, I'm a bit scared.

Has anyone taken this drug recently and willing to share experiences?

OP posts:

jasper · 05/03/2005 00:18

Yes. It saved my life.
I took it for severe depression for a couple of years , about ten years ago.

I can only describe the effect as if a black cloud was lifted and I no longer wanted to be
dead. I experienced no unpleasant side effects.

I also went for counselling (cognitive behavioural therapy) at a different time in my life - I was pregnant and could not take drugs. the therapy did help a bit, and I really enjoyed doing it in an intellectual way but the prozac won hands down.

Best of luck. Depression is a killer and should always be addressed by some means or other.

SofiaAmes · 05/03/2005 01:46

My best friend took it for years (had to stop when she got pregnant) and it was absolutely brilliant for her. She found that it just took the edge of the lows enough so that she could cope. As her best friend, the only changes I found were positive ones. She no longer holed herself off from the world for weeks at a time because she was depressed and couldn't cope. At least with the prozac she had enough control to be able to say "I'm a little down" and let me in enough to give her some emotional support.

jasper · 05/03/2005 01:51

Sofia you have reminded me of an interesting point. I was always still a little down when on prozac, and that was ok.

So far removed from the overwhelming urge to be dead when I was depressed.

Original poster

tid · 05/03/2005 08:32

I have been taking them at night because I know I'll forget in the morning. Too much to do with getting dd's breakfast and keeping her entertained.

Haven't noticed it affect my sleep TOO much, although I have been waking a bit more often.

Gwenick - I have been comfort eating too. I'm glad to hear that it's helping you with this!

Jasper - I rather enjoyed the counselling too! Unfortunately it just wasn't doing enough. Although I want to continue, I'm just not making enough progress. I feel like I'm missing out on dd's "babyhood" as despite spending all day with her, I'm not really there, if that makes sense.

OP posts:

trinityrocks · 06/03/2005 08:05

Hi, I have been taking fluoxetine now for 6 months with no side effects. I was also taking it after the birth of my DD for 2 years and I never had any side effects and I would say that they saved my sanity and my marraige without a doubt. If you are feeling bad go for it and take them!!!!
Oh and remeber they aren't like Prozac as we think of prozac, they are not addictive or sedative in any way and I think they are great!!!!

helsi · 08/03/2005 21:52

I have been on Fluoxetine since June 04 and feel so much better. Had counselling too. I think its great. I feel more like the old me than I have done in that past 12 years.

flamesparrow · 08/03/2005 21:56

I was on it for a few months, after being sort of medium depressed for abou 5 years (never suicidal, but always there).

It didn't make me happy and bouncy, but it lifted the cloud enough so I could remember how it felt to not be unhappy. I could breathe again, and the pit in my stomach started to fill itself in.

I don't recall any side effects, and they were amazing for me - I was only on them a few months, and for the nearly 3 years since then I have never managed to get back so low as to need to go back on them, thankfully - I seem to be able to remember happy better now, rather than it being completely lost!

I would take them again if I had to.

xxx

sansouci · 12/03/2005 23:22

Yes, tid. I've been on Fluoxetine on and off since 1986, about when it first came out. I was on 20mg/day through 2 pgs (!!) I feel like I'm quite the "expert" now... this drug has literally changed my life but not without some side-effects, none of them too bad!

helsi · 12/03/2005 23:33

my dr calls it more of a mood regulator - yes I know the leaflet calls it an anti depressant but I think mood regulator is nicer.

mummytosteven · 12/03/2005 23:34

it's also used to treat anxiety disorders, anorexia as well, not just depression

WestCountryLass · 13/03/2005 00:00

I was prescrived it many moons ago when I had depression, was an absolute lifesaver. I know the contraindications sound scarey but if you read the leaflet with yoru paracetamol it would say similar. Hope they are the help you need

sansouci · 13/03/2005 00:17

Mine is definitely prescribed as an anti-depressant. I was diagnosed at 16 with depression but it was there long before I was 16. I will probably be on Prozac or some other SSRI for the rest of my life. Prozac is NOT a "happy pill"... contrary to popular belief, you can't pop a couple from time to time to lift your mood. It makes me when I read this type of nonsense re Fluoxetine in the press.

fostermum · 13/03/2005 09:08

ive been o n prozac for more years then i can remember,manic depression runs in the family,but i just get the depression,ive tried to do with out it every now and then but with in months the depression comes back,so i will be taking it for ever lol,no side affects just keeps that big black cloud away

reflection · 14/03/2005 13:06

Reading this tread has nearly made me cry. I am so relieved. My dh suffers with depression and has several episodes in the last couple of years. Every time he starts to feel better he forgets to take them and stops. This was always after a couple of months. He is extreemly hard to live with when he is down. This is the third time that he has gone back on them. before reading these posts I had almost given up hope thinking that prozac could not helphim but now I realise that he must take them properly for longer. Today I feel better. I have hope that our relationship might last. Trying to support and live with someone who is suicidal is the hardest thing and a real test of my love for him. Thank you for sharing your experiences it means a lot to me x

purpleturtle · 14/03/2005 13:17

Reflection - we didn't mean to make you cry .
My GP has told me each time I've seen him that studies have shown that taking them for a period of less than 6 months makes you much more likely to end up back on the ads. (He must be worried I feel so much better I'll take it on myself to stop ).

Maybe you should show your dh this thread to convince him to stay on them.

dropinthe · 14/03/2005 13:35

Well,Tid,what alot of people are in your club,eh?
I too have taken them and they work great but will take a good few weeks to work and then when they do you'll think "I dont need these" but you will-I probably agree with no less than six months to see a permanent improvement.
Good Luck-don't be scared!!

ZoeB · 14/03/2005 13:41

Been on same for 3 months and they are great using them for PMT doc suggested them as they have shown fantastic results for PMT. They have really taken the edge off things. The only side effect was odd sleep knew i had slepted but the dreams were of being awake in bed !!! strange but it is common they said during the first few weeks, so did feel totally shattered for awhile. Hope you get on ok with them.

laneydaye · 14/03/2005 13:41

was prescribed it (easily i might add) after being down for so long after having my 1st child, Took it for 5 days, on day 3 i drove the van full of equipment to work about 20 miles ish
When i got there i was in a right staTE, didnt know how id managed to get there....
Thats why i stopped taking it on day 5 (i wqas off my head) there was never any back up from gp i have never even been asked about it (SAD)
I just decided i would deal with my depression rather than be out of my face on pills.....
(doing fine too) xxxxx

reflection · 14/03/2005 15:59

I phoned him this lunch time to tell him about this thread. He needs hope too. He just feels that its all such a struggle and that it will never get better. I am so glad to be able to give him reasurrence that has come from other people in similar situations. He deserves to be happy just as we all do. I just want to help him as much as I can but I don't always know what the right thing is to do....

reflection · 14/03/2005 16:00

That was in reponse to purpleturtle. Thank you. Sorry to highjack the thread...will stop now

redsky · 14/03/2005 16:05

I took them on and off for about 5 years. Trouble was I kept stopping taking them when I felt better - and have since learned that is typical depressive behaviour. I'm now on Escitalopram (SSRI) which I'm finding much better and I'm not at all tempted to stop taking them.

Original poster

tid · 15/03/2005 14:08

Thanks to all of these posts I have been taking them and feeling much more positive about it. So far so good. Thank you all!

Yes, there are one or two in this club, dropinthe. HV told me more people than I would think are taking them...looks like she was right!

I'm determined to take them for at least 6 months - another tip from the HV. She confirmed that stopping them when you start to feel better is the most common mistake.

OP posts:

Gobbledigook · 15/03/2005 14:25

I took them for a short while when I was in my late teens - had no problems and they really helped

kt75 · 21/03/2005 13:47

Ive been taking the drug now for 2 months i feel like the old me again,found i could'nt cope with every day life since having my second child, i sometimes worry now about when the time comes to stop taking them.

jasper · 06/04/2005 22:50

ARE YOU THERE TID?
How are you feeing?

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