Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 574060

Shown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

my pdoc says prozac has........

Posted by woolav on November 1, 2005, at 7:03:29

Hi, he told me that prozac has some anti anxiety effects. Is this true?
I stopped taking it bc i felt my depression had gotten better, but I feel more anxiety now, even though i still take my klonopin. Could it just be that there are extra stress's in my life, or is it the prozac?
Thanks

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has........

Posted by med_empowered on November 1, 2005, at 8:53:28

In reply to my pdoc says prozac has........, posted by woolav on November 1, 2005, at 7:03:29

SSRIs in general are supposedly sometimes good for anxiety. In truth, though...they aren't all that great for depression, and the anti-anxiety effects are about as unimpressive. How much Klonopin are you taking? If you're having panic attacks or the stress is intense, your doc could up the Klonopin, or possibly add BuSpar. That would probably help more than re-instating the Prozac.

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has........ » woolav

Posted by Nickengland on November 1, 2005, at 9:16:33

In reply to my pdoc says prozac has........, posted by woolav on November 1, 2005, at 7:03:29

Hello woolav,

I found when I took Prozac that it greatly induced anxiety in me rather than relief it, although at the same time I remember my psychiatrist saying that it was good for it...

Another person I know though back when I was taking prozac afew years ago who was also prescibed prozac by a different psychiatrist had the same problem ~ their psychiiatrist told them that although it can be good for reducing anxiety in some people along with depression, in others it can actually increase and make it slightly worse ~ I think its listed as a side effect as well.

They had the anxiety for a period of about 8 months until they finally came of the drug.

Hope thats helpful, its worth considering, also if you're bipolar even more so I would have thought as that was my personal experience with it..

Kind regards

Nick

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has........

Posted by SLS on November 1, 2005, at 9:55:05

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has........ » woolav, posted by Nickengland on November 1, 2005, at 9:16:33

Hi Woolav.

I would have to agree that Prozac is not the ideal drug to combat anxiety in the absence of depression. It is probably the worst choice among the SSRIs for an anxiety disorder. However, if the anxiety is a component of the depression, they both tend resolve simultaneously. I imagine this is also true of OCD.

You might want to consider going with Effexor if an anxiety disorder is manifest.

How is your depression at the moment?


- Scott

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has........

Posted by Meri-Tuuli on November 1, 2005, at 11:50:24

In reply to my pdoc says prozac has........, posted by woolav on November 1, 2005, at 7:03:29

Hey I was diagosed with anxiety and depression and prescribed prozac -- and it made it far worse. The prozac made it much much worse! So much for GPs. I think I switched to effexor (venlafaxine) and that wasn't as bad, but it wasn't great either!!

Kind regards

Meri

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all

Posted by woolav on November 1, 2005, at 15:24:34

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has........, posted by Meri-Tuuli on November 1, 2005, at 11:50:24

Hi, thanks for responding everyone..
I take 3mg daily of klonopin. And when i was taking 20mg of prozac daily and told my pdoc that i was having extra anxiety, he doubled my dose to 40mg. When i asked for an increase in the klonopin, he said no, that the prozac has anti anxiety properties, so i shouldnt need more klonopin....My depression is not bad right now, I have days, but nothing real bad.
I just wanted to know if I should start back on prozac or not, but from everyone's response, i dont think its worth it.
thanks all..
S

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all

Posted by ed_uk on November 1, 2005, at 16:12:41

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all, posted by woolav on November 1, 2005, at 15:24:34

Hi

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is consistently effective for OCD. It can also be effective for other types of anxiety.

As is the case with other SSRIs, anxiety is a very common start-up side effect.

Ed

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all

Posted by Iansf on November 4, 2005, at 12:21:39

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all, posted by ed_uk on November 1, 2005, at 16:12:41

I took Prozac for three years and had no problem at all with anxiety from it. And it definitely reduced my social anxiety. It's very possible to react differently from the majority of users. A lot of people on Prozac are troubled by insomnia. But I was troubled by just the opposite - I couldn't keep my eyes open after about 10 pm, then slept for 10 hours and still had trouble waking up. Anomalous responses are par for the course with antidepressants. What you need to judge by are your experiences on Prozac. If you feel you are more anxious now that you've stopped taking it, then it quite possibly had anti-anxiety effects. Since it apparently worked for your depression, I'd be inclined to give it another try, paying close attention to your anxiety level - is it less than now, the same, or more? Good luck.

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has---iansf

Posted by woolav on November 4, 2005, at 17:16:33

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all, posted by Iansf on November 4, 2005, at 12:21:39

It does seem like my anxiety has increased. I never really believed my pdoc when he said prozac should have anti anxiety effects, but maybe he was right.
I guess I might start back on it at 20mg. I guess it did help.

thanks
S

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has---iansf

Posted by paulbwell on November 4, 2005, at 18:25:12

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has---iansf, posted by woolav on November 4, 2005, at 17:16:33

> It does seem like my anxiety has increased. I never really believed my pdoc when he said prozac should have anti anxiety effects, but maybe he was right.
> I guess I might start back on it at 20mg. I guess it did help.
>

I was given Prozac 20mgs, this week. i don't REALLY wannna take-due to extensive SE. I'v taken it b4 and kow alla bout them, agatation, sedation, weight gain.

the Ritalins not really completly treating the depression

thanks
> S

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has---paulbwell

Posted by woolav on November 5, 2005, at 7:43:37

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has---iansf, posted by paulbwell on November 4, 2005, at 18:25:12

why are you starting back on it if you dont like it? i had the least side effect (beside the usual sexual ones) but i didnt have the weight gain like the others, and ive tried most all ad's...

i am just confused about it, i was proud of myself for not needed it (at first) but maybe i will always need it..
S

 

woolav

Posted by paulbwell on November 8, 2005, at 15:46:53

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has---paulbwell, posted by woolav on November 5, 2005, at 7:43:37

> why are you starting back on it if you dont like it? i had the least side effect (beside the usual sexual ones) but i didnt have the weight gain like the others, and ive tried most all ad's...
>
> i am just confused about it, i was proud of myself for not needed it (at first) but maybe i will always need it..
> S

I'v taken 5 Ads and it seems to have worked the best. I don't have the sleepiness this time round, so we'll see. I need something for the Alcohol desire, and OCD tendencies+depression, so gotta go with it, i guess?

Cheers

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all

Posted by haddsl on November 18, 2005, at 16:02:07

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all, posted by Iansf on November 4, 2005, at 12:21:39

> I took Prozac for three years and had no problem at all with anxiety from it. And it definitely reduced my social anxiety. It's very possible to react differently from the majority of users. A lot of people on Prozac are troubled by insomnia. But I was troubled by just the opposite - I couldn't keep my eyes open after about 10 pm, then slept for 10 hours and still had trouble waking up. Anomalous responses are par for the course with antidepressants. What you need to judge by are your experiences on Prozac. If you feel you are more anxious now that you've stopped taking it, then it quite possibly had anti-anxiety effects. Since it apparently worked for your depression, I'd be inclined to give it another try, paying close attention to your anxiety level - is it less than now, the same, or more? Good luck.


Prozac seems to work fine for my anxiety.
The only thing is I feel like I can't think anymore. I can't remember anything (very unlike me)and I can't think straight. Like I went to put some plastic bags with the rest of the plastic bad stash, and I threw them in the trash instead... little things that make me feel crazy. Anyone had that? I am also taking my Prozac around 4pm, and I have been falling asleep by 8pm, and then waking up around 4am, then I am yawning all day! Do you think switching to taking it in the morning would work better?

 

Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all

Posted by gibber on November 19, 2005, at 0:29:49

In reply to Re: my pdoc says prozac has.......all, posted by Iansf on November 4, 2005, at 12:21:39

> I took Prozac for three years and had no problem at all with anxiety from it. And it definitely reduced my social anxiety. It's very possible to react differently from the majority of users. A lot of people on Prozac are troubled by insomnia. But I was troubled by just the opposite - I couldn't keep my eyes open after about 10 pm, then slept for 10 hours and still had trouble waking up. Anomalous responses are par for the course with antidepressants. What you need to judge by are your experiences on Prozac. If you feel you are more anxious now that you've stopped taking it, then it quite possibly had anti-anxiety effects. Since it apparently worked for your depression, I'd be inclined to give it another try, paying close attention to your anxiety level - is it less than now, the same, or more? Good luck.


I stopped prozac about three weeks ago. It has been the best med to get off of, really no withdrawal symptoms. I was taking it with strattera for a time and it did not do much at all for my depression. I feel like my anxiety has kind of resolved on its own and the depression/dysthymia is really what I'm dealing with. Since stopping it I have felt better in a lot of ways. I have been experiencing anhedonia for years but somehow I feel like the SSRIs increase this. I can essentially 'feel more' when I'm not on SSRIs. I can feel the 'bad' too now that I'm off but I'm not hurrying to get back on prozac. I have essentially found that the SSRIs make me feel numb. Its been theorized that some psychotropic drugs reduce REM sleep and this is a possibility why we can get tired on them. I have certainly felt tired on SSRIs and now feel a bit more energy now that I'm off them. I think I'm sleeping better too. People really do react differently to meds, but I've never felt that prozac increased my anxiety. I'd diagnose myself as having atypical depression with some severe cognitive and memory impairment. I'm looking in to MAOIs. Hope that helps someone.


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