There are 603 ratings for the drug: PROZAC in the Askapatient database.

The average rating for prozac is 3.4.
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Key to ratings for prozac:
5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.
4-Satisfied: this medicine helped.
3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat.
2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction.
1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

                
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 4  Anxiety and depression/ADD/insomnia Initial side effects were increased anxiety and insomnia, but those abated within days and an improved mood replaced them. I have gained weight, but I also have hypothyroidism, so not sure what's to blame. I also feel pretty drowsy and foggy sometimes, so added Wellbutrin and that seems to help. Recently, heartburn has become an issue, which I have only experienced in pregancy before. My libido and orgasmic ability are probably a little decreased, but not absent. The most obvious and immediate benefit of taking Prozac for me was the ability to sleep without sleeping pills. I am very sensitive to drugs and had to start taking it like 1 mg at a time. Side effects were short and relief was worth it. I stayed on 10 mg for a while, but needed to raise it to 20 mg at some point. That made me tired. Also, the Prozac did not improve my ability to concentrate, so Wellbutrin was added slowly and the combo seems to keep me pretty functional as a mom of two little kids through a marital separation, possile loss of our home, and financial stress. The side effects are worth the ability to care for my children. F 40 3 years 11/6/2009
 4  pms/exstream anger. feeling sick,yawning episodes,loss of appetite,drowsey. was really worried about taking this after reading reviews.my moods where out of control i needed something to help.All my side affects passed within a couple of weeks.feel like i can cope now,i no longer get wound up by the silliest of things.much joy to my husband and young children,oh and me. F 36 26 days 11/6/2009
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 1  Depression Hospitalized with diagnosis of probable acute heart attack. Interestingly it turned out to be the "panic attack from hell." Hallucinations, nightmares, intense anxiety, fainting. On the first day of taking Prozac the trees seemed prettier. On the second day songs on the radio brought tears to my eyes. Later that day abruptly it felt like someone had hit me across the chest with a baseball bat. I went to the ED who diagnosed me with a probable heart attack and spent then night in the ICU. The next day a lack of cardiac enzymes said: "no heart attack." What happened is this: Prozac and most SSRI's are metabolized by the Cytochrome P-450 liver enzymatic systems. Some people have very inactive systems. This is not a problem (usually) but in the case of Prozac, perhaps I could metabolize 1mg/day where for a normal person they might metabolize 10-20mg. So what happened is that I rapidly built up a toxic level. I found out later that my sister and neice had the same thing happen. In short, if Prozac works for you, great. But if you rapidly get increased anxiety or experience a major anxious response it is likely that you too have a less active Cytochrome P450 system and if so avoid all SSRI's. Try an antidepressant that does not use this system like Remaron, Serzone or Imipramine. M 52 3 days 11/4/2009
 1  Depression, panic attacks 24 hr suicidal thoughts, I had a panic attack that lasted a week. Two years ago when I was 14 i was on prozac to try and help with my depression and panic attacks, but this only lasted about a week.. I had a panic attack for a week straight, nothing helped, and i layed in bed all day feeling like i was going to die. Sleeping helped, but as soon as I woke up, i was back into a panic attack. I had to go to the hospital, and they said for me to stop taking it, and told me about Ativan. It was the worst week of my life and I was ready to die. I am scarred for life. F 14 1 weeks 10/31/2009
 2   None noticed for first few weeks, but developed full-body red and itchy hives after 3.5 weeks and then discontinued I took 20mg for roughly 3.5 weeks without any noticeable changes in mood and no noticeable side effects. I was told it would take about 3 - 4 weeks to kick in and was waiting for that, but developed red and itchy hives all over my body (head to toe!) that lasted a week after discontinuing Prozac. Doctors told me it was not an allergic reaction as those should happen within 24 or 48 hours, but Prozac definitely contributed to it as it only appeared after I started taking it and left when I stopped taking it. No particular withdrawal effects. I would've liked it to work as I had no particularly bad side effects, but unfortunately I could not continue with full body hives! F 18 3.5 weeks 10/26/2009
 2  PMDD / Depression None noticed for first few weeks, but developed full-body red and itchy hives after 3.5 weeks and then discontinued I took 20mg for roughly 3.5 weeks without any noticeable changes in mood and no noticeable side effects. I was told it would take about 3 - 4 weeks to kick in and was waiting for that, but developed red and itchy hives all over my body (head to toe!) that lasted a week after discontinuing Prozac. Doctors told me it was not an allergic reaction as those should happen within 24 or 48 hours, but Prozac definitely contributed to it as it only appeared after I started taking it and left when I stopped taking it. No particular withdrawal effects. I would've liked it to work as I had no particularly bad side effects, but unfortunately I could not continue with full body hives! F 18 3.5 weeks 10/26/2009
 4  Depression, Bipolar II minor abdominal pain, some dizziness which wore off after time,nothing serious or severe that I noted. Worked great for 12 years then stopped working. Be sure to taper off. Follow doctors/pharmacists instructions. Thankfully, there are other antidepressants out there that can work just as well if Prozac doesn't work for you or stops working. Recommended that you get a (CMP,etc) every couple months. F 39 12 years 10/22/2009
 5  Depression/anxiety Slight weight gain (10 lbs or so). Didn't have a sex drive to start with so that didn't change :-) I've been taking Prozac off and on for 13 yrs (50 yr old female). I've tried all the others and keep going back to Prozac. It just WORKS. No side effects for me and doesn't 'make me happy' but it certainly takes away all the sad. Enables me to cope when otherwise I'd be a crying sobbing mess. I used to cry off and on all day every day before Prozac. For no reason I could see. This stuff has enabled me to live my life. For that I'm thankful. F 50 13 years 10/21/2009
 2  Bipolar depression I had minimal side effects, felt a little sickly at first...nothing too bad though. I took it seperately, and also combined with zyprexa. Both times I used it, I had fairly bad results. It made me way too manic, almost to the point of being hostile. And gave me a hair trigger temper. It also made me feel isolated and emotionally distant from life. Plus it wrecked my sleep, and gave me crazy, exhausting dreams. My wife hated what it did to me....and so did I. I really wanted it to work....but you can't win them all I guess lol. M 46 6 months 10/21/2009
 5  Anxiety, PTSD Some drowsiness at first This drug has been great in helping me with my afflictions. I now feel that I can continue my life normally and handle situations that just a year ago would have sent me into a tail-spin for no good reason. I can deal withs lifes little problems and even the big ones without falling to pieces. One thing about this drug, most people either love it or hate it. Good luck. M 43 1 years 10/20/2009
 2  BiPolar Disorder I experienced sleeplessness with this medication. With Bipolar disorder this is not a good side effect. F 30 30 days 10/15/2009
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 4  Depression NO SEX DRIVE- NONE! Loss of appetitie- slight. Taking this drug on & off for almost 10 years. Very beneficial to me & my sanity. Prozac is the ONLY antidepressant that works work me. The only BAD thing about this drug is my NON EXSISTENT sex drive. F 32 10 years 10/8/2009
 5  Depression, anxiety Vivid, surreal dreams for first several months. Very slight drop in libido. Benefits far outweigh any negative side effects! I've been taking this "miracle drug" for about 15 years. Though very resistant at first, due in no small part to the stigma antidepressants carried in the early 90's, within a month I felt like a new person. Gone were the black days when I couldn't get out of bed. Gone was the anxiety, perseveration, paranoia and "feedback loops" that drove my crazy. I felt NORMAL. Little things did not get under my skin. I feel upbeat, productive, confident. This drug saved my life, my well-being, and I plan to stay on it until the day I die. I have only had to increase my dosage once in 15 years. I cannot say enough positive things about this anti-depressant. F 39 15 years 10/2/2009
 1  anxiety and migraines suicidal thoughts, palpatations, intense agitation, disassoiciation. I had a major meltdown and went bananas about 18 days after starting prozac - which is about the time it kicks in. Started with a giant panic attack, - so bad I went to ER - followed by 36 hours of being completly crazy, intense agitation, more panic attacks, rocking back and forth, pacing, disassoication and suicide thoughts along the lines of 'I will simply have to kill myself - this cannot go on'. It was the most terrifying experience of my life, especially the suicide thoughts - yes, I'm an anxious person but generally enjoy my life! It was terribly upsetting for my husband and friends to see me like this. After another visit to ER I was given valium which started calming me down, and I finally stopped the pacing and rocking etc and slept. Took five days to come back to myself. F 40 18 days 9/25/2009
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 5  ocd/anxiety hardly any. The only thing I noticed is takes longer to orgasim. Possible sleep disturbances leading to day time sleepiness but nothing that inhibits my life. This drug changed my life. It eliminated almost all of my symptoms with almost no side effects. I am a little more tired now but I am tired and happy verses tired and depressed. F 33 4 months 9/18/2009
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 1  Depression Feelings of intense anxiety---which also gave rise to wanting to commit suicide by cutting my wrists. I also collapsed one morning in the lounge and my partner had to call the ambulance to take me to hospital, and i had a low blood pressure. The suicidal side effects of Prozac are very dangerous. Doctors are not advising you that this can happen when they prescibe the drug. I have since read the results of a large trial (12,000 people) in the UK, where they found that there were no benefits to Prozac at all. In my opinion this drug is now a major embarrassment to the Drug and Medical profession as they appear to have been duped into believing that it was a cure for depression when now it has been proven not to work at all. F 59 3 years 9/15/2009
 2  Terrible PMS - Anxiety Mania - terrible hallucinations and negativity, feeling more anxious and racy, could not think straight or write a complex sentence, woke up sweating, dry lips, boils (I never get these), itchy skin but no rash Apparently my negative reaction to Prozac is an indication of some level of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder - which I did not know I had. I started at an extremely low dose - 5 mg (.5 of the 10 mg capsules) and had immediate very adverse reactions. Inability to think straight and "seeing things" is definitely bad and I was told to discontinue use - which I was happy to do. High anxiety and racing thoughts-mania or hallucinating is an indication to stop using Prozac. I would not try to continue taking it and wait it out. The negative feelings can lead to doing something dangerous. F 40 2 days 9/6/2009
 3  depression migraines & constipation at first; lack of focus; fatigue; weight gain; insomnia It was a lifesaver at first - my body had been through a ton of stress physically and emotionally, and I "snapped" with increasing frequency. However, over 5 years the weight gain, daytime fatigue and nighttime insomnia started to make my life more difficult (try taking 3 medications that ALL cause weight gain). I tapered off the drug 6 weeks ago and am experiencing visual disturbances (hallucinations - my peripheral vision constantly plays tricks on me), plus I'm just not thirsty, and I feel emotionally like I could fall off a cliff at any moment (ie never sure if a mood is normal or part of the depression returning). I don't like thinking that I could be "hooked" on a drug. F 39 5 years 9/2/2009
 5  Postpartum OCD and depression No side effect at all. This was a lifesaver for me!After taking an ocd medication which did not help, I swiched to Prozac.It took about three months to get better, it was very slow, but I never went back to the complete nightmare I experienced after giving birth.After almost two years all my symptoms gone, the "thoughts" are very rare and dont bother me anymore.For a year or so I took 20 mg, then go down for 10mg, I tried it first, was not good, and after a few months I cold do it, then 5 mg, twice again.Since june I am off and in complete remission.Long journey, but I thought it will never end.And here I am healthy and out of the woods. F 31 1.5 years 8/25/2009
 1  Depression Weight gain, CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME During 12 years on Prozac I went from 140 lbs to 180 lbs, even though my diet did not change. My exercise pattern did, though, because I was exhausted all the time. Diagnosis was chronic fatigue syndrome, and they gave me drugs for it, but I made my own prescription: get off prozac! Withdrawal was nasty, but CFS is 90% gone and my weight is going back down. I take St. John's wort and 5HTP instead now. F 44 12 years 8/25/2009
 5  depression/bipolar first 2 weeks were horrible, I was more suicidal than ever but I stuck it out and I got better and I felt the depression lifting, couldn't have an orgasm if my life depended on it had to stop it for that reason this was a great drug for my depression, if I didn't have a husband with sexual needs I would have stayed on it, it really worked for my suicidal ideation and kept me from killing myself F 31 3 months 8/17/2009
 5  Social anxiety None I took Luvox and Celexa before trying Prozac. This is the first SSRI that I have taken that has not caused extreme fatigue. While they helped with anxiety, Celexa and Luvox made me so tired that I had to nap at least four hours a day to function. Prozac has helped me with my anxiety without causing extreme fatigue. F 22 1.5 years 8/13/2009
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 3  Depression Sexual dysfunction, lack of appetite, memory problems, all of which resolved after about a month. F 37 10 months 7/31/2009
 5  Depression No side effects that I can recall. I took Prozac for 7 years without any problems at all. Relieved my symptons well. F 50 365 days 7/11/2009
 5  OCD sleepiness I have been taking Prozac for over 15 years and it controls my OCD very well, which I'm thankful for. I still have some obsessive behaviors, but at least i'm not taking 4 hours showers anymore. I can function normally with a few quirks. I do feel very sleepy during the day, which i can't really attribute to anything else. I have some depression with the OCD, but don't want to change or add medications because I think Prozac is one of the safest drugs in this category. I would definitely recommend it to someone that needs medication. F 38 15 years 7/11/2009
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 2  GAD; Dysthymia w/ Asperger's The minor ones were all well and good, but it was the Tardive Dyskinesia and the heightened depression that really got to me. My involuntary movements weren't helped by Valium, which usually helps. I would never take this medication again. However, I've seen it work for people on many occasions, and I would not slam it. It was not the medication for me though. M 16 1 weeks 7/7/2009
 3  Depression/Anxiety/Bipolar After day 2 I took 60 Ativan to try to kill my self. Then went in the hospital for a week. After 4 weeks I feel much better but I sweat my a$$ off doing little things. Also nausea all the time but its only mild. Seems to work pretty good. Hard to keep an erection at times but when you get one you can go for ever. Can be a good thing for the ladies who like jack rabbits but I would hate for a female to be on this and ruin her orgasm. Tried many things and this is the best so far. Klonipin has to be used to control the panic attacks I have because the Prozac alone won't touch it. Good luck. M 26 5 weeks 7/6/2009
 3  Clinical Depression inability to really feel emotions, brain fog, insomnia, sexual side effects I was on up to 60mg of prozac for a period of about two years. This drug helped with my depression, but at the cost of all of my other emotions. I was unable to really feel anything- no pain, no joy. I could tell they were there, but I was disconnected from them, and just felt like a robot more than anything else. Difficulty concentrating and communicating. Lower libido, dryness, and inability to climax. In the end I got off of this drug found something better. F 20 2 years 7/2/2009
 5  severe car wreck/abusive husband None- it has been a life saver for me! Was enduring severe anxiety from wreck and ex who attempted to kill me. It gave my life back to me. On 50 mgs daily. F 42 4 months 6/21/2009
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 4  Depression/Anxiety Around two weeks in my daugher (13) had horrible initial side effects. Moods where all over the place, sleep patterns very off, couldn't sleep, scuicidal thoughts. But after these past life is getting clearer for my daughter. I am feeling hopeful about her future. She is now into week 4. F 13 4 weeks 6/8/2009
 3  Depressed, ADD I am always up and awake now. It helped with my depression. I have had one fight with my mom since I have been on it. We used to get in fights everyday and now I'm able to walk away from the situation without arguement. I started taking 10mg now I take 20mg. The docter would up it cause i still cry a lot but i also take 18mg of concerta and that effects my weight loss majorly and it makes me more shakey so he keeps it the same. F 15 3 months 6/8/2009
 4  Anxiety, Depression, Bulimia Weight Gain, Sort of Floating feeling for the first few days, sensitivity to sugar First of all, this medication takes a long time to enter and exit your system, so it takes awhile to work. It took me a full 3 months. Second, this worked well. My anxiety was greatly reduced and I had no depression. I'm off it now because after a year, it hit me that I gained a lot of weight. It's made me really sugar sensitive. Like, I'll experience sugar crashes and headaches after having sugar (which I craved all the time) As diabetes is in my family, this freaked me out. It did do what it was supposed to, however. F 1 years 5/27/2009
 3  panic disorder mild depression weight gain, inability to climax, I loved that the prozac took away my need to "snap" at my kids, or anyone else for that matter. However, the weight gain is bothering more than the slight depression did and I didn't even realize it was from the Prozac. I've never taken anything like this and my doctor didn't even tell me when I asked her why I was gaining all the weight - fool! Anyway, I did like the way it took the edge off. I was taking 20 mg but am not going to switch to Wellbutin XL as they say that won't promote weight gain. Stay tuned F 44 180 days 5/10/2009
 5  Anxiety, Depression switched from paxil so did not have any side effects, took til 40mg to feel a difference I tried lexapro, paxil, and am satisfied with prozac. anything works WITH therapy. just taking a drug won't help your progression. if you do not like this drug, there is one out there that will help. F 23 4 months 5/5/2009
 2  anxiety feeling faint redness face&neck dizziness fatigue dry mouth constant fuzzy headache muscle& joint pain F 57 38 days 4/27/2009
 4  bad P.M.S depression At first zero side effects. I no longer suffered from P.M.S which was lovely. I now take Yasmin which is great stuff as well. After awhile, with the prozac I felt sort of "blah" and emotionless. F 37 3 years 4/20/2009
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 4  bummed out worked good F 55 6 months 4/12/2009
 5   Insomnia for the first month only. Sexual problems. I've been on it for fifteen years, after a lifetime of chronic depression. Very helpful - it saved my sanity! F 51 15 years 4/6/2009
 5  OCD None I think it is the best!!!! F 71 16 years 3/29/2009
 4  Anxiety/Mild ocd none It has helped me. Been on it for at least five years or longer. Do not try to get off of this medicine without going slowly under the supervision of your doctor or you'll think you are losing it!!! F 50 3/29/2009
 1  mislabeling Where do I begin? initially, giddiness, slight euphoria, weird notions, aversion to nonsense phrases (I'm not joking and I still have that!), constipation along with excruciating upset stomachs, heartburn, insomnia, letting people walk all over me, not seeing the significance of things, short episodes of depression, being too liberal morally, poor judgment and foolish risk-taking, confusion, looking uptight for no apparent reason, weight gain, even more aversion to grossness than was normal for me, short attention span, difficulty touching my toes, insomnia, menstrual cramps, suggestibility, trouble articulating. . . during the last stretch, becoming obsessive-compulsive and depressed; fear of merging cars (when I was a passenger), fire (actually it had started before the last stretch), needles (a fear which I retained for some years after quitting), and maybe some other things; some lactose intolerance; inability to eat fruit and dairy together; implantation bleeding; miscarriage pos This drug messed me up spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, etc. Be careful about quitting because you'll be sensitive. Get out of the toxic environment and talk to someone trustworthy if you feel unloved or something. It's normal for your confidence to plummet when you first quit. (Do taper off, though.) I'm tired of having to deal with drug damage. Drugs are not the answer! They are dangerous in the ways I mentioned. Don't ever take them! You're NOT genetically sick! F 29 8 years 3/27/2009
 4  Anxiety/Insomnia I had really bad anxiety and sleeping problems and Prozac helped immediately. I sleep well and can control my worries. My libido is up, but my orgasms are weak and not as strong as they used to be. M 28 2 weeks 3/26/2009
 5  Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) None. If you suffer from BDD, or body dysmorphic disorder, please consider giving Prozac a try, it might change your life for the better! It has decreased my obsessive thoughts and other symptoms significantly. F 22 3/20/2009
 2  Depression and Mood swings Insomnia, but extreme fatigue through the days, bad nausea, extremely bad headaches, thirst, irregular heartrate,bloating, dizzy spells, It did help with my moods, but the side effects were terrible. So i stopped. not something i'd recommend in a hurry. F 29 14 days 3/19/2009
 1  Premenstrual Tension Disorder At first none really, then I started to feel emotionaly numb, I lost intrest in everything, my friends, my career, my life, my family, I felt like a zombie. Bruised easy, periods got longer and heavier, vision got blurry, ears became sensitive, didn't care about anything or anyone. It's not for me! F 33 2 months 3/17/2009
 4  Depression, anxiety, panic attacks Uncontrollable yawning episodes during the first 7 days on the drug (even if not tired). Also drowsiness during first 10 days. These symptoms then disappear. No other side effects except for indigestion sometimes. Have been taking Prozac on and off for 10 years with periods of a few months off. It stops the really bad thoughts from getting out of hand, like a safety net. Makes socialising much easier, doing simple things are no longer a huge effort, controls negative gloomy thoughts and makes sleeping pattern more normal. Effect on depression is stronger than on anxiety. One odd thing: the time it takes to kick in varies a lot. sometimes you feel better after 10 days, other times it can take 4 weeks. Average is about 2 and half weeks before you feel any better. So my advice is give it at least 4 weeks. F 49 10 years 3/12/2009
 3  Anxiety, Depression, Panic attacks I've been taking Prozac for about a month now, and I feel better mood-wise, BUT I stay sleepy a lot, but don't really rest well (if that makes sense). Also, I have gained about 5 lbs. in a month.. :( I'm starting to wonder if there is an anti-depressant out there that helps without the weight gain..? Overall, my mood has improved quite a bit, but the side effects are making me question whether it's worth it or not. F 27 4 weeks 3/10/2009
 2  Asperger Syndrome/ anxiety Life became really dull. Music didn't sound good. I had one panic attack, which I have never had before, they are stupid and I don't want another one. Oh, and loss of appetite I'm giving this a 2 just because I don't want to say I don't recommend it. It just really did not work for me, but i know that it has worked for people that I know. I actually don't even really have anxiety, I was just too hyperactive and this was mistaken for anxiety. F 26 14 days 3/5/2009
 1  GAD insomnia at first, headaches, stiffness in neck and shoulders, weight gain, constipation, blurry vision My Dr. rx'd it for anxiety, palpitations and stress. The first week I couldn't sleep despite being so tired. Started getting daily headaches. Prozac had no impact on my mood and palpitations. After 8 weeks I gained 11 lbs despite eating less and working out everyday. My Dr. took my off and switched me to Buspar and my life changed! No more anxiety or palpitations, lost the weight and then some. Headaches are gone too. I feel great now. I am so over the whole Prozac hype! F 29 2 months 2/28/2009
 3  DEPRESSION AND OCD SLEEPLESSNESS, DREAM CRAZY DREAMS AND EXTREME HOT FLASHES I FEEL LIKE I CRY MORE BUT IN THE SAME TOKEN I ALSO FEEL NUMB,I HAVE THIS DON'T CARE FEELING EXCEPT FOR MY COMPULSIVNESS, I DON'T THINK ITS HELP TO MUCH THERE F 38 6 months 2/26/2009
 4  Depression No side effects - however I did have a seizure when I combined with alcohol. This was the first antidepressant I was prescribed at 16yo. Worked really well up until the point I drunk too much and had a seizure. More my fault than the drugs as the label clearly says to limit alcohol! F 23 1 years 2/17/2009
 1  depression and anxiety the most severe insomnia I ever experienced in my life; lost 10 pounds in a few weeks; left me with 1 month of insomnia; I couldn't get my regular sleep pattern back and after that long of not sleeping I checked myself into a hospital for one week where I was put on remeron and was able to get my sleep back. if you are sensitive to stimulants, STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG! F 39 7 days 2/6/2009
 5  depression/dysthymia nothing really it helped me a lot. when I go off of it it sucks, but generally a good feeling! F 16 8 years 2/3/2009
 2  depression, anxiety, ocd slight headache i've been depressed/anxious for most of my life and have been on many drugs. i had a few minor breakdowns over christmas and decided to start taking something again. my doctor chose to give me prozac (20mg) because he said it increases energy and i was feeling very tired and lethargic. anyway, the day i took it i also had a reiki treatment. i felt great for a week. i felt excited for no reason. after one week, i suddenly became emotionally numb. i didn't care about anything. after about two weeks on the drug i had a freakout and became hysterical and had to miss work. i had thoughts about jumping off my balcony. i eventually calmed down, but to that numb state where i didn't feel anything. my friend came over that day and did another reiki treatment on me. i immediately felt better and started acting like my old, silly self. so now i'm wondering if that first initial week was the reiki that made me feel good or the prozac? i'm thinking it was the reiki. anyway, i haven't taken a prozac F 29 2 weeks 1/24/2009
 1  major depression, anxiety Insomnia, hypersomnia, anxiety, mania, diarrhea, pain at base of skull, loss of concentration, mental fatigue, anxiety, I had symptoms of excessive crying every day, negative thoughts, sad mood, emotional overeating, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, envy of everyone around me, oversleeping and taking at least one nap a day, inability to wake up in the morning for about 9 months. I had high hopes for this medicine at first. I was taking 10mg for 10 days and by day 6 and felt great-- I had more energy and ability to focus enough to write papers for school. Whereas my depression made me sleep all the time, I had insomnia for 5 days straight. By day 11, I crashed and the medicine pooped out. I slept so much (most of the time 16 hours on end, missed classes, and slipped into a worst state of depression). The worst thing that can happen to a depressed person is to be given hope one day and have it snatched the next day. Needless to say that after many dose increases--up to 60 mg for 2 1/2 months, I went from being a B+ student pre-depression to flunking out of school. I blame the prozac because I w F 26 2.5 months 1/23/2009
 1  mild depression/anxiety insomnia, mentally numb, delayed motor skills, not feeling like myself Well, sure it works for anxiety, cause it numbs you. My life turned slow motion on this drug, at only 5mg daily. I quit after a few weeks, now I am taking high grade Omega 3 fish oil. Look up user ratings on fish oil at www.revolutionhealth.com. It's working for me and no side effects. I do believe Prozac works for major depression, but not for minor conditions. Examine what fuel you are putting into your body. Omega 3 is largely missing from our Western diet and the brain needs it. Good luck to all! F 39 1/19/2009
 5  General Anxiety, Tension Headaches some trouble sleeping at first, adjusted dose and it went away Have been suffering from GAD for many years. Was on Prozac 10 years ago after divorce, 20 mg daily. Started having some anxiety issues again lately and started on 20 mg daily - wow - way too much this time around. I finally found my perfect dose at only 2.5 mg daily! Keeps my anxiety well controlled and no more daily headaches. I am much more even tempered as well, yet I don't have any side effects like weight gain or insomnia due to the low maintenance dose. Please don't give up to quick, talk to your Dr. You may just need a much small dose if side effects are bad. F 40 4 months 1/18/2009
 5  Panic disorder Complete lack of sex drive. Emotionally numb: no ups, no downs, just an emotional flatline. I honestly think Prozac made it possible for me to stay in an unsatisfying marriage for about a decade longer than I should have. Prozac cured my panic disorder, which started in my early 20's. I went off Prozac after a few years and the panic attacks returned. So, back on the Prozac I went. I went off again a few years later and the panic attacks did not come back, yay. However, I became significantly dysthymic off Prozac. My doc then put me on Wellbutrin, as the negative side effects of Prozac had become intolerable. F 46 15 years 1/17/2009
 4  Mild Depresion Not many side effects. i had some problems sleeping for the first 3-4 weeks but it has improved. I think my libido is little bit lower but its still fine! No other side effects (yet..?:) ) I take 20mg a day. It really helped me with my motivation! im more efficient at work, i clean my house regulary and do house work. I just do things without thinking "oh i cant be bothered" or "i'll do it later". I enjoy talking to people again- im more social now. Some things seem to be less annoying (like commuting to work on London Tube!). i could say im more "stress-proof". My thinking and memmory has IMPROVED! Im happy i have tried it!!! it really helped me!!! F 29 3 months 1/17/2009
 1  Depression (was really Bipolar II) deeper depression, complete loss of interest in anything, no longer cared about anything, severe mania(not the fun kind, the dysphoric irritable i hate everything and can't sit still kind), more suicidal thoughts Prozac was the first psychiatric drug I ever took. It was prescribed to me by a well known and reputable psychiatrist who I believe was more interested in where he was going to speak next than in treating me. He made up his mind right away about what was wrong with me and if I tried to tell him I felt differently he told me (And my mom) that I was lying. Prozac pushed me into a deeper depression and very severe manic states. It led to a month long hospitalization. Prozac may work for depression but make absolutely sure you aren't bipolar first or it will have horrible side effects. F 20 4 months 1/10/2009
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 3  anxiety/ocd In the beginning, vivid dreams, anxiety, headaches. Stopped taking it because it made me lose my appetite and made me nauseous. I was thin to begin with so the weight loss was not good. Helped with anxiety/ocd. Had to stop due to lose of appetite. F 27 4 weeks 12/30/2008
 1  I know others that have had Do yourself a huge favor. Google the connection with Nazi's and fluoride. Now do a google on what Prozac is made of. That's right. Prozac is 94% FLUORIDE. A POISON. The way it works, is it dumbs people down, and they no longer care. This is the same for all SSRI's. Pfizer is nothing more than modern nazis. Get off this drug. F 39 0 days 12/29/2008
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 4  Depression Disturbed sleep and insomnia I was on it for over ten years and it was a life saver. 6 years in it pooped out so the doctor doubled the dose to 40mg which gave me insomnia so I came off this Summer. Horrible withdrawal effects despite tapering at 4 weeks. Felt fine for a month then depression/anxiety returned and I decided to go back on 3 days ago at 20mg dose. Sleep not great already. Too early to tell if the dose is theraputic M 44 10 years 12/27/2008
 4  anxiety/derealization mild upset stomach other than that none. im on day 10 of prozac i started on 10mg for 1 week and now i am on 20mg was doing fine but today i am feeling numb and emotionless. sorta out of it. I usually feel like this because of my derealization but today is just different because i usually feel weird but not emotionless. I am giving it a couple of weeks to see if it gets better. I hope it is just my body adjusting to the prozac. any advice is welcome email me at flow209@yahoo.com M 28 10 days 12/23/2008
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 1  depression Jittery, frequently needed to urinate, excessive thirst, I was prescribed this for depression and it did absolutely nothing to improve my mood, even though I ended up taking 60mg a day (which made me violently sick to begin with). Horrible side effects when I stopped taking it even though I reduced it gradually - vivid nightmares, more jittery that when I was on it, trembling, severe anxiety and depression (more than before I was taking it). I am sorry I ever took it, it might suit some people but did not help me. F 29 3 years 12/22/2008
 2  PTSD, anxiety and depression insomnia, restless legs, when I took it in the morning, I slept all day I was so tired and then I was wide awake all night long. Now that I take it at night, I do sleep better in general, when I can actually get to sleep. The restless legs is awful. It helped with the anxiety attacks and the overwhelming depression I had with the PTSD, but now that I'm regaining control over things, I want off of this medicine. The restless legs and being up and down for hours before I can actually fall asleep is just insane. and then I'm tired during the day. I crave sugar something awful, I'm constipated, I have horrible heartburn and every since I started taking this, my hair has gotten dramatically thinner. I used to have gorgeous thick hair, now it's thin and lifeless and I'm buying products hoping to thicken it up. It worked for what I needed it for, it really helped me with the anxiety attacks, but the side effects only seem to increase the more I take it. F 36 1.5 years 12/16/2008
 3  anxiety depression just started two weeks ago, on and off extreme anxiety during the day. Finally I may get like and hr or two of feeling relaxed mixed in with the extreme jitteryness from prozac. INSOMNIA ALERT. Appetite on an off.... F 22 14 days 12/12/2008
 1  Depression/OCD First I was sleepy all of the time, then I started to suffer from incontinence (I went to the bathroom at least once an hour), weight gain, and to top it all off I got really really really REALLY BAD heartburn. After I stopped taking prozac (even though my doctor wanted me to keep taking it), all of the symptoms I was having went away (except for the sleep problem... it took me a year to get over the sleepiness). I do not recommend Prozac to anyone. F 16 3 months 12/12/2008
 2  depression, anxiety, anger extreme lethargy and sleepiness, yawning, constipation, foggy brain, muted emotions (helped my anger), zero libido, slow reaction time. I could no longer perform daily functions but my anger was in control. yawning, sleeping 12 hours day plus 1-3 hour naps. Muted my highs and lows (worked great for anger) but then I became a zombie and let the kids run around and scream -- didn't bother me and I didn't bother them. I had to quit taking it to visit the relatives and help with making the thanksgiving meal. It wouldn't do to sit around on the couch all day. F 50 3 months 12/10/2008
 5  Severe depresssion and anxiety At 1st mood swings fuzzy headed sleepy..these symptoms have gone mostly, much more focused and back to the real world, takes time but stuck with it. a little weight gain, but need to get more busy.so thats my fault. will stick with it. just switched to generic now and seems to be working the same as brand to me and much cheaper. I have been on prozac 20mg 1 month then 40mg2 weeks then 60mg3 weeks now 80 1month,seems to do the trick.started in sept08. so very satisfied with this drug will take for life..as doctor think will suffer a relaspe. and I agree. Hope to keep feeling this way forever. F 48 3 months 12/9/2008
 1  Depression maintenance therapy Severe insomnia! I switched back to prozac but intead took 40 milligrams because last time i had a depressive psychotic episode i was only on 20. It gave me the worst insomnia since my last breakdown and effectively scared the crap out of me and my doctor. But luckily i caught it in time 19 13 days 12/5/2008
 5  Severe depression In September of 2000, I was given Zyprexa and Lithium to treat Bi-polar disorder which didn't help. By January, 2001, I was put in the hospital for a two week stay where I was introduced to Prozac. I was so ill that I went from 140 lbs. down to 114 lbs. Eventually I couldn't walk or stand for any length of time. I had no strength to do simplest of tasks such as lifting a gallon of milk or bending over to pick up objects. I developed several autoimmune disorders such as fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism and obsessive compulsive thoughts ruled my life. The doctor's diagnosis... I was dying. They contemplated putting me into a nursing home but decided to increase my Zyprexia and Lithium dosages, add Prozac to the mix and send me home. During this time, I would cry uncontrollably. One day, after approximately 4 weeks of Prozac therapy, something clicked in my brain. Instantly, to my surprise, I no longer felt the need to cry. Four months later, I was healthy and strong enough I've lived with depression most of my life but it usually followed a major event. Then in February of 2000, out of nowhere, I was hit hard by depression. I couldn't sleep for days at a stretch. If I closed my eyes, I would see a light show of flashing colors and certain smells made me very dizzy. My depression aggravated my fibromyalgia to the point of screaming pain and I developed debilitating migraines. There were 2 components that contributed to my depression - hypothyroidism and abrupt menopause. Did you know that hypothyroidism can cause psychosis? When I went from regular periods directly into menopause, I was thrown into a hellish hormonal storm. I took numerous antidepressants - trycyclics 1st, then older SSRI's but none worked. The newer generation of SSRI's like Celexa and Remeron put me in outer-space parking spaceships. I was always too afraid of Prozac's suicidal side effects to try it and only agreed to take it because I hoped it would give me the coura F 52 8 years 12/3/2008
 1  depression way too many ssri,s bad news 11/26/2008
 2  Anxiety increased anxiety, increased heart rate, Brutal insomnia, decreased appetite, memory loss, loss of feeling in my cock n' balls. heard only good things about this drug , so i wouldnt shit on it, but i guess it simply wasn't the drug for me. tried it for 2 weeks but i was in a constant state of panic so i had to give it up a few days ago. Still cant feel my cock M 27 14 days 11/20/2008
 5  OCD none I have taken Prozac for Postpartum intrusive horrible toughts(obsessions) for almost a year now.It helped me very slowly, but steadily decreasing the toughts.Now, I have only the anxiety a few times a day, and just an occasional bad tought.It helped me tremediously, I believed I will die, or go crazy because I was suffering so badly form the toughts.Though, I could not lose my babyweight so far, I dont know,is this Prozas s.e, or I am just lazy and eat sweets all the time...:D I take 20mg per day, I tried to decrease the level for 10 mg, but after a month or so the toughts came back to me. F 30 1 years 11/19/2008
 4  Major Depression None really. Possibly some initial weight gain and possibly mild loss of libido. This drug probably saved my life. It was the third SSRI I was prescribed and the only one which I didn't notice any side effects from. I took 40mg for a number of years and wouldn't hesitate to take it again if I needed to. F 35 13 years 11/17/2008
 2  anxiety, mild depression headache, gas, diarrhea, lethargy, insomnia, increased anxiety, menstrual changes, sexual effects at first, total lack of appetite, moodiness This drug does not seem to be working well for me. I have felt very up and down, and physically have not felt well. We just upped the dose from 20mg to 30mg and I feel worse than before. I have stopped this medication as of today. Not sure if I want to try any others, all anti-depressants seem to make me fat or cause sexual problems, or make me sick. :-( F 28 2 months 11/11/2008
 4  Depression Constant yawning, headaches, sore jore in the morning (assuming this is from grinding in my sleep?) insomnia at night but very drowsy all day, short-term memory loss, lack of sex drive totally (and I have an over-active sex drive which is a shame!)lack of focus (Ill sometimes just doze off into space like daydreaming) BUT it stopped me from feeling suicidal, crying and getting over-emotional, I noticed almost 5 weeks from taking it that the depression had started to subside significantly. The side effects were almost identical the 3 times I have taken it in my lifetime but I realised that I need to sort it out properly this time and everytime I think ARGH I need to get off this I realise that It is helping. F 24 5 weeks 11/5/2008
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 2  insomnia / depression Lost all emotions for sex. NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL CAN'T HAVE AN ORGASM now depressed because my husband thinks I am cheating on him because I never want sex. I do like the way prozac has leveled me but I can't stay awake during the day at all. It has helped me get sleepy which I never could before I would be up all night crying because I could not sleep now I can't stay awake and don't know the meaning to sex. DON"T HAVE ANY NOW>don't want it either. WOW what do you do stay calm and never have sex or have sex and never sleep????? F 43 6 months 11/1/2008
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 4  depression shaking hands, feeling dazy Made me feel calm without my downs but also stopped my highs. Levelled my mood completely. I prefer not to have the lows so it was worth it. F 1 years 10/29/2008
 4  depression and anxiety nervousness I'm highly sensitive to psychiatric drugs and at one point thought I couldn't be on antidepressants since they made my anxiety and agitation worse. My initial dose of Prozac was 5 mg which has helped quite a bit with depression and helps me from falling off the deep end emotionally -- but it also made me too hyper. Doses of 3.75 mg and 3.3 mg (achieved by alternating 2.5 and 5 mg on different days) still made me nervous. Now I'm on 2.5. I'm more emotional on this dose but I still consider it effective. I also tried Remeron and Lexapro which made me feel like I was having a nervous breakdown; Prozac in contrast for me has no side effects. At this dose, my sexual response is still normal. I am still searching for relief for the anxiety side of my problem however. I hear Prozac helps some people with anxiety but not me -- I take Xanax as needed and also some nutritional supplements my psychiatrist recommended. F 49 2.5 months 10/25/2008
 3  ocd, depression, anxiety the dreams for me, at least, are bad, out of character, this worries me, physically a bit weak, perhaps emotionally distant it's worked well for my ocd, and part of me wants to keep taking it b/c of this, but the dreams are bothersome, unlike in character and intensity to any dreams i've had previously. I guess the point is there's always a trade-off with drugs like this. Perhaps in general i feel better, but i'm less creative, less motivated, and it seems less me. Taking 20 mg/daily initially, now taking 20 mg once a week so i can fend off ocd, may ween myself off and try something new. M 35 1 months 10/18/2008
 4  dysthymia, anxiety slight tendency to gain weight and ZERO sex drive after having a had a high sex drive all my life Really hate the sexual side effects but am happier and stronger than I ever was before prozac. Tried other antidepressants; this has by far been the best. F 54 5 years 10/17/2008
 5  depression,not the 1st time.. This is an update from a few weeks ago I was at 40 mg. and had not worked at that point . Now 3 weeks at 60 mgs works so far. Headachs, fatique, depresssion seemed worse at first for quite a while, really horrrible . But seems to be leveling off. Alot of the side affects are starting to go away, stick with it it will change your life. Can't wait to hit the 3 month point..Stick with it and when it starts to kick in you will notice..It was very rough at 1st, but I sruck it out. I was on 20 mg for 1 month did not work 40 mg for 2 weeks still not,then switched to 60 mg. 3 weeks now seems to be really making a difference.. would reccommend prozac,, takes a while to kick in, but everyones different. works great for me. will take forever if I can. F 48 3 weeks 10/16/2008
 4  premenstral dysphoric syndrome drowsiness, lowered sex drive, uninary frequency It really has helped. F 45 45 days 10/8/2008
 3  depression and anxiety tired at first, then insomnia, weight loss, vivid dreams The first day I took Prozac, I was a zombie. I had to go home from work. The evened out pretty quickly, but I haven't slept through the night since I started it. It definitely helped my mood - I used to cry a lot, and haven't since I started, but I can't wake up every night. I'm slowly decreasing my dosage now and trying something else. The weight loss was nice. F 28 9 weeks 10/6/2008
 5  depression/bulimia nightmares, slightly decreased sex drive, dry mouth absolutely worth it. sleeping better, eating better, feeling happier. F 17 1 months 10/2/2008
 3  insomnia constipation, weight gain, muscle aches, no sex drive It took 6 weeks of taking Prozac before I started sleeping naturally. Oh how good sleep feels when you are ambien/xanax free! You people who take it for 5 days didn't even give it a chance. I need 40 mg/day. It takes the edge off, saved my marriage. But I used to be a runner, and I don't feel like running any more. Also, I think it is causing some muscle aches in my neck and shoulders. F 37 4 years 10/2/2008
 3  emotional disorder anxiety attacks, sweating, shaking, restless legs, random suiidal thoughts I was finally prescribed prozac because of my severe moods swings. one minute im manic, the next im ready to jump in front of a train. So far i have not seen any beneficial effects from it and am currently feeling worse because of the anxiety issues. Went back to the psychiatrist who said to carry on and give it a chance. F 20 30 days 9/30/2008
 4  Depression/ Anxiety disorder cottonmouth, extreme elation or feeling of happiness that switches back and forth with a depressed or sad mood, faster heart rate, weakness, yawning, sweating, drowsiness I will say that despite all of the side effects, my depression has definatly improved, and I am able to have motivation. and the strive to set my goals. F 17 7 months 9/22/2008
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 2  anxiety Nausea, increased anxiety, blurry vision, easily agitated and could be more prone to aggressive behavior if i was less self aware, a weird feeling of restlessness that was very uncomfortable and reminded me of coming down off of bad acid or ecstasy. It did not have any beneficial effects for me. I gave up on it because the side effects though diminished were still very negative and i felt worse than not taking anything. Simply was not the right medication for me. It has put me off SSRI's and has made me resistant to try other medications. M 47 27 days 9/21/2008
 4  Dysthymia I started taking prozac about 7 years ago for about 1.5 years. Although it was awhile ago, I distinctly *do not* remember any day-to-day side effects like nausea or headaches. I had no weight gain. It started working about week 3 or 4. I'm not sure exactly when, but somewhere around week 2 or three I basically lost my ability to orgasm. I could never have an orgasm during sex and only occasionally could I get myself off with a very powerful vibrator. That was totally unsatisfying. It's like everything went numb. At the time I was willing to make the sacrifice because of how bad off I was. When I started healing and feeling better (about 11 mos), this side effect got annoying and I worked to get off prozac. I went down to lower and lower doses, but this did not help. Even one molecule of prozac in my system affected my orgasm completely. Finally I went off, and it took some time (maybe a year) to regain normal orgasmic capability. I never had a single sexual "hang-up" mentall Even with the side effects, prozac helped me immensely. I have no regrets about taking it, and I am eternally grateful I had that option. I would not be who I am today or as happy and healthy if I hadn't had prozac. I had been in individual therapy for a year and group therapy (Al-Anon) for 3-4. They helped me gain perspective, but I just couldn't stop the thoughts in my head. I had no separation from me and my negative thoughts and feelings. I was in a horrible cycle of self-recrimination and it was affecting my graduate work and all my relationships. I still remember when the prozac kicked in and, although all my problems were still there, I finally felt a distance between them and me. It was truly a miracle for me, and I absolutely needed it (in conjuntion with other means). I've been off of it for 4+ years and doing well. F 28 1.5 years 9/17/2008
 4  Depression, Excessive Crying I have had no side effects from Prozac F 41 2 years 9/5/2008
 5  PMS Nausea (which is better when I take Prozac at night with ALOT of water), yawning, quivering lips, vivid dreams Prozac keeps me even. I don't fly off the handle anymore. Little things don't eat at me like they used too and I don't feel so hopeless. Other antidepressants like Zoloft made me feel numb emotionally but not Prozac. I don't have any sexual side affects where other antidepressants completely removed it. F 37 2 years 9/4/2008
 3  Depression, Anxiety, Anorexia, OCD The only real side effect of prozac that I experienced was the lowered libido. I stopped taking it because the no-libido became such an issue with me. I want to enjoy my sex life- thank you very much! F 19 5 months 9/4/2008
 1  back pain made me nuts I had no mental problems before taking it was not aware it was prozac as it was labled under it "F" formal name. Was not told it could do anything to my thinking thought I just went nuts. Freak show all the way went to a store acused a girl of sleeping with my boyfreind I have no idea why I did that broke things had temper/crying fits/rages then became suicidal when I quit taking it. I was given another ad for depression which I know believer was simply a side affect of the prozac I lost years messed up on antidepressants thanks to the first off lable perscribing of that first doctor. Don't be stupid like I was look up every drug when the side effect says rare dont' believe it. Don't take this one for a sore back that is my advice. will make you nuts M 33 6 months 9/3/2008
 4  depresssion and anxiety nausua and shaky was on 20 milligams for 3 week but had to up tp 40mg..hopefully will kick in willtke 4 to six weeks now before I'm hoping it will kick in..myb need a higher does..Ihave had depression beore but this is the hardest one yet..recent abuse victim an ptsd from years ago I do think it will kick in and i'll be back to myelf last time on itIi don't think was high enough does I was one it one year and I did have a great year that year...and the doctor thought it would cure it that time but it came back shortly after..I think i have imbalnce and will need this medicine for quite a while and therapy. F 48 5 weeks 8/30/2008
 5  depression and OCD I remember some heartburn (which was alleviated by eating a little before I took my dose). I started with OCD and depression symptoms early in my first pregnancy (fall 1996). So I took prozac during my pregnancy (that baby boy is now 11 and a principal's honor roll student, perfectly healthy) and within 3.5 weeks, the OCD and depression was gone! I continued to take it for 5 years but went off of it, on purpose, with the second pregnancy. Did not experience the OCD and depression as with the first pregnancy. But as soon as I delivered my daughter (May 2001), I went back on the prozac and had no problems. Continued to take it until spring of 2006 when I switched to Zoloft (still kicking myself for that). I have had 2 depressive episodes and ebbing and flowing OCD symptoms since that (the latest episode began June 2008 and is still on and off). I go back to the psychiatrist in a few weeks, and will insist on switching back to the prozac. No offense to the Zoloft folks, but Prozac just worked wonderfully for me. F 40 10 years 8/21/2008
 1  Depression Numbness in penis (you read that correctly). Besides the numbness I mentioned, my presbyopia started while I was on Fluoxetine. Although I cannot say for sure that the onset of presbyopia was due to Fluoxetine, I was 33 at the time, and that is quite a young age for presbyopia to start (not to mention quite a coincidence). I discontinued the drug, and while the numbness subsided, the presbyopia has never gone away (it has been several years as I write this). Oh--the Fluoxetine did nothing to ease my depressive symptoms. If anything, the awful side-effects made it worse. M 33 6 weeks 8/20/2008

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