So did I. Until it nearly killed me.

We all know that reactions to medications vary from person to person. But there is also a lot that is common for most people, including both therapeutic effects and side effects. Some people cannot tolerate the initial side effects, while others barely notice them. And there is a subset of people who stop using meds because they are terrified that they are experiencing side effects due to the reality that they've never truly known what it is not to be depressed all the time, when in reality they're experiencing the intended effects.

Such was the dilemma around the advent of atypical antipsychotics. That if we medicate people who carry a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and their more florid symptoms subside, they'll suffer severe trauma, realizing that they've been living a crazy life for most of their lives, and not having a clue as to how to adjust to what, for them, was an alternate reality.

I'm neither an advocate nor an opponent. But I do believe that if quality of life is compromised to the extent that it becomes difficult to function, something else needs to be tried. We only get one shot at this.

I think working with and listening to your Dr is absolutely the right way to go...only your doctor knows your history and you clinical condition...far better than any of us here ever could.

in a few weeks you'll have enough time to reevaluate things :)

D

I totally agree with you as far as medication being the last resort, but sometimes it's necessary. I do believe like you do that a person has to do other things though to deal with their anxiety and depression issues. Too many people think a pill will solve all their problems, but I don't think that's true for most people. For me, the medication helps me to do other things that helps to deal with my issues such as going to the gym, trying new things, just being around people. A pill won't cure my issues. it only helps me to deal with them. Gotta do the work. It's kinda like therapy, AA or any other recovery program. These things won't cure my problems, but helps a lot when dealing with them. John

I have taken meds for anxiety in the past as well. My doctor currently has me taking nortriptalin at night to prevent migraines, but is also antidepressant. I also have a prescription for xanax which I take as needed. I think as long as you are working with your doctor and monitoring how you are feeling you are good.

Do you have a plan in place to help you with sobriety?

I have been making several attempts this year to stay sober. I feel that I am making progress in that fact that each relapse offers a new lesson to be learned. I am trying to focus on the positives. I absolutely realize at this point that alcohol has no place in my life anymore. I completely go off the rails as soon as i start and now even with relatively small amounts of alcohol consumption my anxiety and panic go off the charts to the point where i end up going into the ER. Once i start i just cant stop. So out of control! All of this happened in Seattle and getting treatment for the withdrawal was very hard due to my insurance.

When I have gone to the ER my heart rate and blood pressure are crazy high.

I finally was able to make it back to Denver which is where i live. I got a primary care doctor with Kaiser and let him know my struggles this past 13 months. I had blood work and was called back in the next day as he was super concerned about my liver. This is what came back i was like 10 times normal levels. Not sure exactly what this means but its not good. I was prescribed Prozac that day.

ALT 657 IU/L 5 - 50 IU/L
AST 403 IU/L 5 - 40 IU/L

They retested my liver a day later and said its still high but trending down.

At this point I have no idea how much I have run up in medical bills. I have insurance but they do not seem to be covering hardly any of the cost and my first ER visit back in August has run up 3,000 in costs after what my insurance covered. Crazy! I was there for 3 hours got an iv and two prescriptions.

I was attending AA meetings for months probably 4 to 6 per week. Because I travel for work 95% of the time i just found meeting wherever i was working. I starting working the steps but did not get very far. I have taken a medical leave from work and told them that i would let them know as soon as i got back into condition to resume new contracts.

Medication just seems like a last resort for me at this point. If i continue these relapses It is no doubt going cause me major medical issues. I am staying in Denver so I guess that going back and starting over in AA is an option. Maybe someone there can help me find resources.

As others have recommended seeing a Psychologist or seek some sort of counseling is something that I am open to. I just do not know where to start? How do I find someone that will not cost me a fortune and help me work through the underlying issues that I have? Again I'm in Denver so anybody that can point me in the right direction i would appreciate. There is not doubt that alcohol is something that i have been using to self medicate some kind of underlying issue.

You can call your insurance company or look on their website. Most will show a list of providers that accept your insurance. AA is also a solid bet in the meantime as they are everywhere and free.
Did you doc suggest getting an ultrasound done? Your liver levels are extremely high. If anything else, that alone should be solid motivation to never pick up the bottle again.

Yes he did ask for the ultrasound but again I am running up crazy amounts of medical bills so I have not done it yet.

So I am on day 9 of taking fluoxetine. I feel like I am getting every side effect in the book. When I first started taking it I could not sleep at all I was getting maybe 4 hours per day and it was from like 7 in the morning to 11 am. I would try to go to bed at night but just lay there for hours. Now for the last few days all I have been doing is sleeping. I would say In the neighborhood of 18 hours a day. My energy is so gone that I have had a hard time getting out of bed at all. I am taking 20 mg and totally second guessing whether this is the right direction for me. I have read a lot that says that the side effects go away and it can take up to 6 weeks to become effective. As soon as I take it I get diarrhea and there goes any of the food it had I'm loosing weight probably around 10 pounds so far. Again just reaching out to if this is common. I just do not react good to certain medications like things for cold and flu. I am wondering if my body is just rejecting this stuff.

If suggest following up with your prescribing doctor if you are feeling a lot of side effects. All of the symtoms you mention could be "common" but could also be completely unrelated.

Thanks for the reply. It looks like a lot of people have the most trouble in the first two weeks. I just do not feel like me being this tired all the time. I am going to follow up with my doctor in a few days if things get worse. One day at a time.

Serotonin is released from the gut, so stomach problems are common at first. Personally I'd give it a full month's run and then take it from there with your doc to see how things are going.

It is true that these meds often take a few weeks to adjust to but I would definitely call the doctor and let him know what you are experiencing. It might be, for example, that taking your dose at a different time of day or splitting it up might make it more comfortable. Can't hurt to ask.

I was told by the nurse that I could take them anytime of day with or without food but to take them (2 10mg) at the same time. I have been taking them in the morning with breakfast. I think I may switch it around and try taking them at night. I have also been drinking like 2 gallons/day of water for the past 4 days or so to cleanse my system out. I'm only on day 11 and my last binge was a big one. Hard to differentiate what could be withdrawal and what could be side effects from the meds. I'll keep you guys posted and I appreciate the support.

On a brighter note I made myself go to an AA meeting today and it felt great to get back into that room. I got some numbers from a few people to call for support. I'm gonna get this thing one way or another.

Oh I did not realize that you are only on day 11 after quitting drinking. So yeah in that case it's a bit hard to say what might be lingering withdrawal and the Prozac.

If you already have issues sleeping while taking the med in the morning, perhaps it's not the best idea to switch to taking it at night... also if it gives you diarrhea. Might disrupt your rest even more.

I took an SSRI together with another (clinical trial) mood stabilizer drug after a relapse. I did experience some GI upset and agitation initially but otherwise slept well and starting at about a week I felt unusually calm and yet energetic. I had to discontinue the trial drug a few months later and stopped the SSRI as well. I had the feeling that I experienced less alcohol cravings while on the drugs compared with my first quit 2 years prior during the time when I was taking the meds.

Good luck to you! :)

Just a quick follow up here. I have started to feel improvements over the past few days. My appetite has come back and the diarrhea has gone away. Hard to say exactly what was going on due to the withdrawals and starting the Medication the same day I quit drinking. I'm now on day 13. I am sleeping like a sack of potatoes and when I wake up I am anxious and depressed but once I get rolling I feel like my mood is elevated and stable.
I have also been hitting AA meetings and that is a ton of help. I'll keep this updated. My main goal at this point is to journal and hopefully if someone else is having issues with Prozac maybe this will help. This is my first time on any medication for anxiety/depression.