Prozac?

[Leanne]

Well, I've been on prozac for about three weeks now and I was wondering if anyone else here is on it to. The reason for this is because I want to know how long it took to kick in. Thanks x

[stargAzerkitty]

I'm on Sertraline which is apparently a better version of prozac.

[BCherry]

It's not about one depression med being better than the other, it's just how it affects you. I've been on both of those and neither one did any good. It took me quite a few tries to find the med combo that worked for me.

But usually those kinds of meds take about a month to really take effect

[stargAzerkitty]

It's not about one depression med being better than the other, it's just how it affects you. I've been on both of those and neither one did any good. It took me quite a few tries to find the med combo that worked for me.

But usually those kinds of meds take about a month to really take effect

Ah well I'm just going by what the doctor told me.

[Jacklinger]

I used to take prozac, paxil, zoloft, and something else. None of them worked for me. I hated the side effects and eventually just stopped asking for help with my depression because they just kep giving me pills.

I believe there are 2 kinds of depression. The first is depression where there should be none. A perfectly healthy person that's had a reasonalby good life suddenly feels like killing themselves. I think this kind of depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and can be helped by medication.

The second kind is depression caused by painful, traumatic, experiences. The brain is supposed to get depressed when this happens. And trying to fix this depression is like trying to fix something that's not broken. So I'm not so sure medicine helps much in those cases but we try anyway.

[BCherry]

The second kind is depression caused by painful, traumatic, experiences. The brain is supposed to get depressed when this happens. And trying to fix this depression is like trying to fix something that's not broken. So I'm not so sure medicine helps much in those cases but we try anyway.
It's sad that people are like that now. We can't be sad, we're depressed. A kid isnt just excited, they're hyperactive. Then there's the thought that when I am on meds, it's all taken care of, but a lot of people go wrong with that, there are no miracle pills, there is still work involved.

[Jacklinger]

It's sad that people are like that now. We can't be sad, we're depressed. A kid isnt just excited, they're hyperactive. Then there's the thought that when I am on meds, it's all taken care of, but a lot of people go wrong with that, there are no miracle pills, there is still work involved.

I like your observation. Maybe I'm not depressed after all, just sad all the time. I think that's how I will describe myself from now on. Thanks.

[anasdevil]

Does anyone find that anti-depressants cause weight gain?

[JSMarcus]

Does anyone find that anti-depressants cause weight gain?

Hi there, yes. I was given Cymbalta in the fall/winter of 2008. It was in combination with another antidepressant called Remeron and an anti-anxiety medication Lexapro. It was durring part of my stint of recovery treatment but I believe that the Cymbalta accelerated the weight gain despite a noted side effect stating in some cases a decreased appetite.

[gmacarroll]

Usually anti-depressants take about 3-4 weeks to start working (from what I've heard, and from personal experience). I took Prozac and hated it!!!! It literally made me insane :S I kept hearing voices whispering my name, I'd hear the phone ringing when it wasn't (I freaked out one night and unplugged all the phones and threw them around my house and they were still ringing. I broke down and wept/pulled out my hair until my parents came home), and i'd black out for minutes at a time (I'd get off the train to walk to school and the next thing I would know I was sitting at my desk in class). Apparently there are different types of anti-depressants and some effect people differently. Prozac was the WRONG type for me (Selectsa and Paxil were fine though). I'm not trying to scare you or anything, but if you start experiencing anything like this make sure you tell someone ASAP!!

[sadgirlsmiling]

I agree that it takes time for any anti-depressant to kick in. But gmacarroll and I had a similar experience. I became completely delusional and ended up attempting suicide. What I will tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt is that I felt weird after the first few days. Everyone told me that it was nothing because it was "too soon to feel anything." If you feel disconnected, surreal or anything like that, treat it seriously.

[Phantasmox]

I was prescribed Prozac and it took like 2 weeks to start working for me. It only made me feel a little better so the shrink gave me a higher dose and that made me suicidal so he put me back on a lower dose and it didn't do much so I gave up and swallowed the whole bottle lol. But it didn't do anything except give me a headache, so for future reference: you can't OD on Prozac.

[madeofstars]

I've been taking Prozac for about 3 months now and I can honestly say it has made such a difference in my life. I switched from another AD because my anxiety was just getting worse and worse, my moods were up and down and I was crying/throwing tantrums all the time, was scared to go out, ruled by an impossible set of self made "rules" which I just couldnt stick to and which were causing me massive anxiety....so my GP prescribed me Prozac (I did my own research and asked for it, it's supposed to be good for combatting obsessive thoughts- not technically OCD in my case, just obsessional thinking)

I was ill for two weeks or so, just dead tired and spacey and felt sick and terrible insomnia (so I got sleeping pills) but then once the side effects died down I realised I was so much more chilled out about stuff. Things which previously turned me into a nervous shaking wreck became so much more manageable and I can handle changes in my routine a lot better. Before Prozac I could barely handle a 2 hour a week voluntary job, now I am out every day doing different bits of voluntary work, about to start a new course, and looking for paid work as well. So it has really made a difference.

I have been on ADs since I was 17 (I'm now 26) and Prozac is the only one that I've actually noticed having such a positive change. I'm still quite mental haha but soooo much better than a couple of months ago.