Posted by Paul on Long Island on May 12, 2006, at 7:05:05
In reply to Prozac not my friend anymore., posted by blueberry on May 12, 2006, at 5:11:36
> 8 years of prozac with decent results. Weaned off in Sept 2005 due to other complications such as anxiety or akathisia (still not sure what it was).
>
> In the last couple weeks I have been trying to restart it. I swear, on each day I take it, it takes about 6 hours to really get into the system, I start feeling really a lot worse...more depressed, actually considerably more depressed. This is weird because in the past, what I liked about prozac was that it had me feeling better already in just 2 days. But now it has me feeling a lot worse in just hours, and then because of its long halflife I stay feeling a lot worse for several days after.
>
> Weird. I wonder why one med that worked so well in the past now does the opposite.Hey Blueberry, I'm really sorry you're having problems getting back on the prozac. I've heard of this kinda situation in rare cases. Definitely talk to your doctor. Maybe it's your body just trying to re-adjust. Your posting certainly came at the most likely time to make me very nervous. I'm about to start back on prozac on Monday, and like you, I'd always had (and hope to continue to have) a really quick, good response to it. I had been on the emsam patch recently, which is why I was off ssri's in the first place. The description you gave of how you're feeling now is prtty much how I felt on the emsam: Profound depression, Severe anxiety, I'd wake up (and still do) at 4 in the morning in terror. Needless to say, I didn't last very long on the emsam.
When you went off prozac back in September, if you don't mind me asking, what were the reasons? Had you ever gone off prozac before that? My experience is that I've been off prozac multiple times, all for stupid reasons like wanting to lose weight, to ease the sexual side effects, etc. It was never because of an unusual or new side effect. Every time I've ever gone back on, it's clicked in pretty darned quickly, more quickly than the doctor ever says to expect results.
Were you taking any other medications while you were on the prozac back in September? Have you taken anything between September and now? And are you taking anything else aside from the prozac now?
I'm sorry to ask so many questions. I'm just afraid of having the same result that you're experiencing.
Have you spoken to your doctor about possibly taking something along with the prozac or instead of the prozac? When I was on the emsam patch, and going through that hell, the doctor gave me lithium to kinda boost me up, along with xanax (switched to ativan). They've helped me a lot. Possibly the doctor might be able to help with that kind of thing.
One thing that's very important, Blueberry....you're gonna get through this. If you responded to ssri's in the past, even if for whatever reason your body chemistry has changed enough that the prozac might not do it, one of the others will work. And we're all here for you. Hope you feel better really soon, and please respond back regarding my questions soon, so I can put my mind to rest. Thanks, feel good and I'm praying for you. Paul
poster:Paul on Long Island
thread:642910
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060510/msgs/642922.html