Prozac for anxiety? Help!

[VioletAntigone]

I recently switched from Zoloft to Prozac, and have been taking the Prozac for about twenty days; I started out at 10 mg, and have gradually increased the dosage to 40 mg per day, as prescribed by my psychiatrist....

However, I feel a little freaked out since I started it. I am just full of nervousness, and I go back and forth being irritable and somewhat combative to feeling almost giddy. Initially, I started taking it before bed, but now I take it when I wake up.

I experience moderate but CONSTANT anxiety all day every day, particularly if I have to be around other people. My psychiatrist suggested that I bring it back down to 20 mg over the next week, and see if it improves over the next couple of weeks.

Does anyone here have experience with Prozac and anxiety disorders? Or with OCD, which comes up for me a little now and again?

Any help/suggestions/experience is tremendously appreciated!!

[jcade]

I personally couldn't take prozac the anxiety attacks I had were so bad that I couldn't stand it. I thought I was going to die from it. I could feel my heart beating and I couldnt stand it.

The best combination is the one I am on now. I take 225 mg. of effexor and 10 mg. of klonipkin twice a day (5mg. each dose) klonipkin is a longer acting xanax but it works wonderful.

I wish you all the best and I see good days ahead for you!

Keep your chin up I know your going to make it!

Your friend,
John

[VioletAntigone]

Thank you so much John! I so appreciate the good energy you sent towards me! Have a wonderful weekend!

[jcade]

Originally Posted by VioletAntigone

Thank you so much John! I so appreciate the good energy you sent towards me! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember we are all here for you!
Your friend,
John

[ranae1221]

medication, especially psychotropic medications like Prozac and Zoloft reacts differently for everyone. I personally never took Prozac, but I have taken Zoloft and had bad side effects. It can be a guessing game while they try to find the right combo of meds.

That's good you are staying in contact with your doctor about the side effects...hopefully going back down to the 20mg will help decrease the anxiety.

Hang in there!!

[Live]

I have been on Prozac and so many other meds that I didn't want to comment because we are each different chemically and what works for one is a disaster for another. It really is a trial and error process. Exasperating, but when you finally find the right mix....WOW....

[Bozo]

Originally Posted by VioletAntigone

I experience moderate but CONSTANT anxiety all day every day, particularly if I have to be around other people.

Yes! Yes! That describes me exactly! I have tried to put it into words and you have done it for me. Thank you.

Now I took Prozac for almost 8 or 9 years, but it was for depression. When suicidal thoughts started to creep in I told the doctor and I changed over to Zoloft and have been on that for about 5 years.

Zoloft helped with the OCD. I suffer from both depression and anxiety on a moderate but CONSTANT basis especially around other people.

They say there is no Magic Pill, so what does that mean? That I always have to go around sad and nervous? BS, I need help and especially relief from this friggin anxiety.

[VioletAntigone]

Thanks everyone for your responses! Bozo, I'm glad I could help you articulate what we go through daily....I am wondering, for the first, say, five years that you were on prozac, did it help with the anxiety at all? I am debating as to whether it's even worth the effort to continue with this drug; zoloft was okay, but it really did not relieve my anxiety. Feedback?

[Bozo]

Prozac helped with depression for awhile. Zoloft helped with OCD. Zoloft has never really worked for depression. And Zoloft definitely has never helped with anxiety.

Prozac or Zoloft has never helped my anxiety.

[InvisibleNobody]

Hi -

I'm also on Prozac for depression and anxiety. I started out on 20mg/day. I also was very jittery all day (or most of the day), especially around others. I did some research on it and talked with my doctor. Since I was also going through therapy (and still am going through it), my doctor decreased my meds to 10mg/day, with the understanding that if it didn't work, we'd try something else. Luckily, this decrease has worked. I'm not so jittery all the time. And when I'm with others, it isn't as intense. I know I have a long way to go, but with continued therapy, I believe that I will get better.

Guess what I'm trying to say here (in a round about way) is the same as everyone else.......everyone is different. And it just takes the right mix of things to work.

So, I wish you good luck in finding your right mix.

[VioletAntigone]

Urgghh. I just have to share that this is the WORST experience I have had so far with antidepressants. I am barely capable of doing anything, and I feel like I'm coming down from speed or acid. I have brought my dosage back down to 20 mg, but the constant fluctuation of chemicals in my brain doesn't seem to be doing me any favors. I am in recovery from drugs/alcohol, but I don't really have very many people to talk to about medication issues, so please excuse me if I'm just rambling a little bit; this feels absolutely horrible; I'm twitchy, shaky, and I can't stand to be around people right now because I just feel weird.

Thanks for listening!

[BSPGirl]

So taper the Prozac I'd say and go back to your dr telling him/her it's not working.

[FriendInNeed]

They say there is no Magic Pill, so what does that mean? That I always have to go around sad and nervous? BS, I need help and especially relief from this friggin anxiety.

I dont want to say too much about myself just now, but the comment above is EXACTLY what i have been saying!! Unfortunately however, i cant seem to get that across to people. Thanks for what u said, i am starting to realise i am not alone! I've only just started reading some the "mental health" forum and already its proved its worth to me!

[melissaealy]

I suffer from a anxiety disorder and so does my father.prozac dident help me much but it seems to really work well for my dad.Maybe with a little time your system will get used to it.Good luck.

[the_undertow]

in college i woke up 'nervous' one day and it lasted 24 hours for about 2 months. when i got to the doctor, barely, he gave me klonopin 2x and effexor. it took 6 weeks, but it worked and after a year of both medicines i was cool.

i know people think that anxiety is something we should tough out. being stressed out at work is completely different than having your body anxious 24 hours a day. i know exactly what you are going through, because i had to throw up each morning, just to calm down for an hour. i was only taking 3 classes, had $, and not a care in the world. i finally realized that depression/anxiety were real chemical imbalances because a) i had nothing to be nervous/depressed about and b) it happend to me

i agree, each SSRI produces different results in different people. but i promise, you WILL find the right one. lexapro for some, prozac for others - but in the interim, get that klonopin in your system so you can feel better sooner.

there may be no magic pill, but if you are overproducing adrenaline, lacking dopemine, etc...an SSRI will fix it - and make you your old self. to me, that was as good as any magic i had ever seen.

[wandergrrl777]

I just HAVE to respond to this post!!

I was once perscribed 50mg of Prozac a day for anxiety. This was a coupla' years ago and I didn't have insurance. The hospital provided my meds and prozac is one of the cheapest so that's what I got.

I mentioned this 50mg thing to my current Doc, and she thought that was VERY high and she was NOT suprised that I went into a self-mutilating freak out!

IMHO...Prozac is the WRONG drug for anxiety/panic disorders!!
Also, to go from 10 to 40mg in 20 days is OUTRAGOUS!!! That is NOT gradual at all. I would reccomend asking about lexapro, it's generally very well tolerated. It helped me a lot. (glad to be off the meds now but at the time it was needed)

If I were you, I would get a second opinion from a dif doctor. You have to be your own advocate. People make a lot of money off of these drugs, and the system is corrupt.

One last point for EVERYONE......If your doctor is ignoring your complaints about side effects, or saying it's all in your head, or rationalizing away your concerns....GO SEE A DIF DOCTOR!!! Now days their are plenty of open minded doctors who read the NEW studies on these drugs, who will listen to you, and actually HELP you.

Messing with brain chemistry is a very serious thing...we know more about outerspace than the bottom of the ocean, and we know more about the bottom of the ocean, than we do about the human mind. These drugs are a work in progress and can be EXTREMELY dangerous if perscribed irresponsibly. You deserve to be treated like a human being, not an experiment.

-Monica

[Bozo]

Originally Posted by wandergrrl777

I just HAVE to respond to this post!!

I was once perscribed 50mg of Prozac a day for anxiety. This was a coupla' years ago and I didn't have insurance. The hospital provided my meds and prozac is one of the cheapest so that's what I got.

I mentioned this 50mg thing to my current Doc, and she thought that was VERY high and she was NOT suprised that I went into a self-mutilating freak out!

IMHO...Prozac is the WRONG drug for anxiety/panic disorders!!
Also, to go from 10 to 40mg in 20 days is OUTRAGOUS!!! That is NOT gradual at all. I would reccomend asking about lexapro, it's generally very well tolerated. It helped me a lot. (glad to be off the meds now but at the time it was needed)

If I were you, I would get a second opinion from a dif doctor. You have to be your own advocate. People make a lot of money off of these drugs, and the system is corrupt.

One last point for EVERYONE......If your doctor is ignoring your complaints about side effects, or saying it's all in your head, or rationalizing away your concerns....GO SEE A DIF DOCTOR!!! Now days their are plenty of open minded doctors who read the NEW studies on these drugs, who will listen to you, and actually HELP you.

Messing with brain chemistry is a very serious thing...we know more about outerspace than the bottom of the ocean, and we know more about the bottom of the ocean, than we do about the human mind. These drugs are a work in progress and can be EXTREMELY dangerous if perscribed irresponsibly. You deserve to be treated like a human being, not an experiment.

-Monica

I agree 100%.

[BSPGirl]

Originally Posted by wandergrrl777

I just HAVE to respond to this post!!

I was once perscribed 50mg of Prozac a day for anxiety. This was a coupla' years ago and I didn't have insurance. The hospital provided my meds and prozac is one of the cheapest so that's what I got.

I mentioned this 50mg thing to my current Doc, and she thought that was VERY high and she was NOT suprised that I went into a self-mutilating freak out!

IMHO...Prozac is the WRONG drug for anxiety/panic disorders!!
Also, to go from 10 to 40mg in 20 days is OUTRAGOUS!!! That is NOT gradual at all. I would reccomend asking about lexapro, it's generally very well tolerated. It helped me a lot. (glad to be off the meds now but at the time it was needed)

If I were you, I would get a second opinion from a dif doctor. You have to be your own advocate. People make a lot of money off of these drugs, and the system is corrupt.

One last point for EVERYONE......If your doctor is ignoring your complaints about side effects, or saying it's all in your head, or rationalizing away your concerns....GO SEE A DIF DOCTOR!!! Now days their are plenty of open minded doctors who read the NEW studies on these drugs, who will listen to you, and actually HELP you.

Messing with brain chemistry is a very serious thing...we know more about outerspace than the bottom of the ocean, and we know more about the bottom of the ocean, than we do about the human mind. These drugs are a work in progress and can be EXTREMELY dangerous if perscribed irresponsibly. You deserve to be treated like a human being, not an experiment.

-Monica

Great post. That's what I been trying to tell my gf, too, not that she'll ever believe it. She thinks pills cure all.

[trancedeviate]

Originally Posted by jcade

The best combination is the one I am on now. I take 225 mg. of effexor and 10 mg. of klonipkin twice a day (5mg. each dose) klonipkin is a longer acting xanax but it works wonderful.
Your friend,
John

Hey John, I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but Klonopin and Xanax are both addictive. Especially for people who have already had other addictions... so be careful with them!

[RJwantstolive]

It has taken 10 years to find a combination that puts me in neutral. I'm bipolar and have depression and anxiety and Effexor and Serquel seem to be the best bet for myself.

Since I was a late teen up to now I have had dreams or nightmares every night. With or without meds I have them but with the meds that are helping me when I am awake, my dreams and nightmares increase with the meds. It is a compromise I have come to accept. There is a part of my mind that just doesn't get rest, I believe. I have not had a refreshing nights rest since I was 18. I always wake up supercharged, tense, or uneasy. Without Seroquel I will not sleep unless my body is to the point to where I have no choice and then I will fall asleep.

I was on Prozac but it drew me out, sluggish all the time. Effexor for me is like prozac without the sluggishness.

Wander makes good points. I have had doctors that wouldn't listen to me and I had to find new doctors. You know yourself better and finding a doctor that will work with you is important. The right type of meds will come over time and you will realize the ones that work.

[bushleaguer]

The (often frustrating) thing about the SSRIs is that it can take 4-6 weeks at the theraputic dose to see positive results. In other words, we need to be patient with these meds before moving on to something else.

As already mentioned, what works for one person will not work for another, so it is a trial-and-error process. Sometimes people will get lucky with the first med.....sometimes a person will be on the med-go-round for months before finding the right medication/dosage.

Going from 10mgs to 40 does sound like a bit much. I would stick with the Prozac at 20mgs for a few weeks and see how it goes. Of course we can have an adverse effect with these meds (increased anxiety with a medication that is supposed to reduce anxiety), so if it isn't helping after a solid 4-6 week trial, then it is time to give another medication a try.

For what it is worth, Prozac has the longest half-life of all the SSRIs and is therefore the easiest to discontinue. Many doctors are getting in tune with cross-tapering with Prozac to discontinue some of the anti-depressants with frequently harsh discontinuation symptoms (such as Paxil).

Work with your doctor and if he/she isn't responsive to your concerns, then lay it on the line that you will find someone else who is.
There are a lot of websites that proclaim these meds as the work of the devil.....it is best to avoid these as they take a magnifying glass to a small amount of bad outcomes and ignore the millions who have been helped greatly with their use. There are a number of SSRIs that are FDA approved for the treatment of anxiety......if the Prozac fails you, you have other options. Keep your head up and try to be patient.

Best of luck.

[desharnais18]

ive been taking prozac for a year or more now, n i feel anxiety every day. its almost like im going crazy. i dont like being arround ppl, n i over think things alot, like all the what ifs and how comes.

[desharnais18]

Originally Posted by VioletAntigone

I recently switched from Zoloft to Prozac, and have been taking the Prozac for about twenty days; I started out at 10 mg, and have gradually increased the dosage to 40 mg per day, as prescribed by my psychiatrist....

However, I feel a little freaked out since I started it. I am just full of nervousness, and I go back and forth being irritable and somewhat combative to feeling almost giddy. Initially, I started taking it before bed, but now I take it when I wake up.

I experience moderate but CONSTANT anxiety all day every day, particularly if I have to be around other people. My psychiatrist suggested that I bring it back down to 20 mg over the next week, and see if it improves over the next couple of weeks.

Does anyone here have experience with Prozac and anxiety disorders? Or with OCD, which comes up for me a little now and again?

Any help/suggestions/experience is tremendously appreciated!!

i would love to talk to you about this, but im new and im trying to figure this thing out. please email me cuz thats easier for now. (PM member for email address)

[RJwantstolive]

Effexor seems to be the one that is rough to taper down from. In my case I had to reduce my schedule from 300mg per day to 150MG per day because something has changed with the medicine. I started getting hallucinations and feelings of doom and not being able to escape. As I tapered down this medicine gradually those symptoms subsided. I have been on Effexor for years and then a week or so after getting a new refill I start getting side effects.

How I did the tapering: I went for the first 3 weeks every 18 hours instead of 12 then the next 2 weeks every 24 hours then 1 week every 36 hours until I felt as if the pills were leaving me then I went back to every 24 hours and now I'm stabilized. These pills are red so I was originally taking half of what I was before which is the same exact dose as the pinks ones so this wasn't an issue of overdosing with the new pill refills, same dosage and schedule. A new mandate from the Gov says that nobody can have more than 60 pills per month.

All of this leads me to believe something has changed with the medication and I notified the doctor and nurses about this and it looks like my therapist and doctor are sort of confused about the situation themselves. They aren't sure why the effects I had experienced just started happening. I've been on Effexor for years.

Pills are a balancing act.

[ARIES]

Don't know if the prozac over there is the same as here in Belgium..(I don't even think they still give it here)But what I know is that everyone reacts different on prozac..My grandma took it to and had to stop it becos of the bad effect..Another girlfriend became so abnormal horny of it that she had to stop it too..I myself have never tried it and I never will..Love from Stefanie