Taking Prozac

WomanInWhite

Hi

yesterday I went to the doctor to get a sick note to cover abscence from some exams I was due to sit this week and next. I had been suffering from anxiety, sleep disturbance, feeling low among other things. I was shocked when he diagnosed me with clinical depression and advised me to attend a counsellor and prescribed a course of Prozac.

I have mixed feelings about this. I did some research on it through google and while I had reservations about taking something which would alter the chemical balance of my brain I decided to go ahead with it. Depression runs in my family, its not spoken about and for a long time I have ignored my own symptoms, not wanting to make a fuss.

My question in relation to this is to anyone who has taken this particular drug. What are your experiences on it, did it help improve your mood and outlook on life? Did you have long term negative effects?

I'm a bit paranoid about it and think that I might be imagining things are happening to me that aren't!

Thank you for your help!

alias06

Hi,
This is not a medical board so we are not allowed to advise you on medication.

However to inform yourself on the effectiveness and implications of taking medication you should look at some research that has not been carried out in-house in the pharmaceutical companies. Here are a number of books written by medical doctors working in the area of mental health;
1) Dr. Terry Lynch - Beyond Prozac, Healing Mental Distress
2) Dr. Peter Breggin - Toxic Psychiatry
3) Dr. William Glasser - Warning: Psychiatry can be harmful to your mental health.

womaninwhite wrote:

I had reservations about taking something which would alter the chemical balance of my brain I decided to go ahead with it.

There is no evidence to say that depression is caused by a lack of seretonin or any other chemical/biological imbalance. People who are put on medication for depression are never tested for such imbalances, nor are they tested after they take medication to see if the medication is actually working. No such tests exist. The causal link which is often glibly made between depression and seretonin/chemical imbalances is with any scientific basis.

It is enough to say here that the scientific case for medication remains unproven and one should be cautious about choosing this option.

There was a big write up in the health section of the Irish Times this week (Tuesday 03/10/06) on medication for depression. It is worth reading, you might be able to look it up on the Irish Times archive.

The best option is to talk to a counsellor. It can be frustrating and it takes time but as I said IMO it is still by far the best option. Best of luck.

Moojuice

As the above said its not a medical board but in my opinon the Doctor (from your account) seemed a bit over eager to prescribe prozac. I have seen people on this drug and from what I have seen and read, a change of lifestyle and seeing a counsellor are usually a better and healthier option.

neuro-praxis

In my experience, while drugs may be helpful in dealing with anxiety and/or psychosis, they should only be used in very short bursts for depression and otherwise a holistic approach should be taken.

What I mean by this is, get yourself to a counsellor and get to the bottom of your problems as well as taking the medication. And always work with a view to coming off them. Too many people get hooked on them for life, and never actually resolve the issues that cause the depression in the first place.

You will also need to eat right, implement order in your life, and take some excercise.

Good luck.

PS A second opinion never hurt either. See another GP if you're not happy with your diagnosis.

Odysseus

Firstly, this is not medical advise, its is merely something for you to think on and maybe speak to your doctor or therapist about. You don't really say how the "depression" is affecting your life, i.e.
Is your mood low?
Do you wake early in the morning?
Have you withdrawn from social activites?
Have you withdrawn from personal realationships?
Have you experienced a drop in libido?
Do you feel like you have experience a drop in energy?
Have you experienced a reduction in your self-esttem?
Have you experienced a a reduction in concentration?
Have you experienced thoughts of death?
Do you find youself focusing on negative thoughts?

There is no classification for so called clinical depression, it is often used to describe what is believed to be a form of depression caused by a imbalence in the brain as opposed to the mind. Ask yourself the question and be honest with yourself, do you think you need meds? Clearely you are unsure, so take some time, SSRI's which prozac is, take at least a month to start working. GPs over here do often prescribe SSRI's too quickly, but a prescription pad is all they have. I can't say whether this is the case for you, why not think on the above, if it is of any use to you, then go back and have another talk with your GP. Best of luck with it.

Wishbone Ash

Odysseus wrote:

There is no classification for so called clinical depression, it is often used to describe what is believed to be a form of depression caused by a imbalence in the brain as opposed to the mind

????? What is the difference between the brain and the mind????

AFAIK Clinical Depression is used to describe depression which is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain as opposed to depression which is caused by external factors like bereavement, seperation, unemployment, illness etc.

Esel

WomanInWhite wrote:

My question in relation to this is to anyone who has taken this particular drug. What are your experiences on it, did it help improve your mood and outlook on life? Did you have long term negative effects?

Did it help improve your mood and outlook on life? Yes, after five weeks.

Did you have long term negative effects? No.

If you trust your doctor, follow his/her advice. Keep in touch with your doctor. Do not stop taking your medication just because you feel you don't need it anymore.

Be wary of random internet advice.

IMO, antidepressant medication will not 'cure' you, but it should help you to balance your thought processes so that you are in a position to address your life situation.

Counselling can be very helpful, provided that your counsellor is professionally trained and accredited. I hope your doctor has recommended some counsellors to you. If not, be careful who you pick.

The HSE have a counselling service which is free of charge. Talk to your doctor about this.

Believe that your situation will improve. Exercise is very beneficial. Look at your diet. Foods rich in tryptophan (which is used to make serotonin) include turkey, tuna, nuts, and bananas. Avoid alcohol (which is a depressant) and other drugs.

I hope things work out for you.

Talliesin

I took anti-depressants at a time in my life when I really couldn't function due to depression.

They gave me the space to get my life together and deal with the causes of that depression.

They're often dismissed as "a crutch", but no one says that to someone with a broken leg using actual crutches.

I'd be a bit suspicious of a doctor that lept on the idea of prescribing them, but they have their place.

im_invisible

saw the thread up yesterday but was waiting for a few positive answers before i gave mine..

been suffering from depression for a while, was put on some anti-depressants for a month or two (i was over in scotland at the time, moved around a bit, so i saw a few different gp's, was on a few different kinds of tablets, never really stayed on them long enough..). one doc prescribed prozac, the couple of months i was on it were the worst of my life, (i suppose i was drinking and smoking weed at the time, so...)

just be carefull, give it a few weeks to see how you feel,because these things usually make you feel worse for a week or two, untill they start to get the chemicals right in the brain, but if its making you feel twice as bad after a month, dont do what i did, and say 'im feeling like crap, and this is meant to make me feel better, so ill keep taking it'

good luck

Nightwish

I was prescribed Prozac for about 9 months, a few years back, and it certainly helped me get back to myself. Its not the cure, but a way to help you have the strength and energy to deal with the causes of your anxiety/depression. I was incredibly skeptical about taking the pills. I didnt start taking them for a week after I had got them. I was afraid that they might change who I am, or my personality would change so noticably that people around me would know. Of course that wasnt the case. They improved the "down" spells I had. A simple things like getting out of bed in the morning wasnt an arduous task anymore. The slightest thing wouldnt get me breaking down in tears anymore.

I had no side effects with taking the drug, but everybody is completely different, as to who their bodies react to chemicals. I had no withdrawal symptoms coming off them either.

OP speak to your GP if you have concerns about Prozac. I'm sure they have your best interests at heart, especially if they have referred you for counselling along with the medical treatment. Good luck in getting treatment, and just remember people do get through depression and come out the other side, stronger than ever.

Black Swan

Prozac? Clinical depression? Have you gone for a second opinion?

WunderFull

If you had been suffering from anxiety, sleep disturbance etc then the doctor may not have been jumping the gun in prescribing you Prozac. In fact, maybe you should have been on it before.

Prozac is not addictive and has no withdrawal sypmtoms. I take Prozac and have had no negative effects. It lifts my mood and makes me less anxious. Medication for depression etc is like any other medication. Prozac works medium-long term rather than short term so the main benefit comes from the actual build-up in the system (which is why you should give it 4-6 weeks). Counselling is long-term treatment.

Stay on the medication and use the counselling, depression/anxiety is normally a mixture of biological and environmental issues.

Also consider going to an Aware support group, which deals with mental illness issues http://www.aware.ie/support.htm.

Depression is incredibly common, most people suffer from it at one point or another.

WomanInWhite

Thank you for all your replies, they have been really, really helpful.

I am thirty years old and have had depression since I was eighteen, sometimes it has been quite bad to the degree that life seemed entirely hopeless and I could not function socially. I have never taken a prescribed drug before.

Coupled with counselling I hope it will be useful in improving things long term. While I was afraid of taking Prozac and the effect it might have on my mind and personality I was more afraid of going back to that dark place. I can really relate to esel, Talliesin, Nightwish and Wunderfull and your comments have helped put my mind at ease.

I'll try it for five weeks as prescribed and see how I feel after that. I feel hopeful that it will help put things in perspective and life won't seem like an unending string of disasters.

Thanks again!

Esel

WomanInWhite wrote:

I'll try it for five weeks as prescribed and see how I feel after that.

It may take longer than that to 'kick in'. When I was prescribed it, I asked my doctor how long it would be before it took effect. He said two weeks. When filling the prescription, I spoke to the pharmacist, gave him a brief description of my situation, told him of my doctor's time estimate and asked his opinion. He said "Oh no, in your case it could take eight to twelve weeks". I was very glad to have that knowledge.

Even when you start to feel better, you should continue to take your medication. As I said, keep in touch with your doctor. If Prozac does not work for you, there are other anti-depressants you can try.

Again, good luck.