Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 971356

Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating

Posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 12:52:42

My Daughter has been taking Prozac 20mg for six weeks for anxiety. It's so stimulating and we have the same personality. But it's six weeks and its working for her saw her yesterday she looks great and lost weight from the prozac. I don't get it? I was under the impression that it caused weight. And from my one time experience on it was in serious panic mode by day three. I also was on benzos and she's not. But she's on the other side now meaning better. Phillipa

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa

Posted by orbital on November 26, 2010, at 13:10:02

In reply to Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating, posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 12:52:42

Hey P :)

After a while, the Prozac startup anxiety disappears/diminishes for a lot of people (if they even get it in the first place).

You and I had similar reactions to Prozac, btw.

It took a LOT of coaxing to get me to try it again last year. My doc thought I'd really benefit from it, once I got over the initial anxiety and downright *panic*. She okayed increased benzos (+ gave me sublingual Xanax) for a while. She was right. Prozac worked great as an antidepressant. The additional anxiety disappeared, and Prozac actually helped my GAD.

My overall experience... after a while, fluoxetine stops being "stimulating" and becomes "activating" - big difference.

The only reason I stopped taking it (after about 6 months) was because it made my insomnia ridiculously worse - no sleep whatsoever.

Glad it's working for your daughter :)

> My Daughter has been taking Prozac 20mg for six weeks for anxiety. It's so stimulating and we have the same personality. But it's six weeks and its working for her saw her yesterday she looks great and lost weight from the prozac. I don't get it? I was under the impression that it caused weight. And from my one time experience on it was in serious panic mode by day three. I also was on benzos and she's not. But she's on the other side now meaning better. Phillipa

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital

Posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 19:29:31

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa, posted by orbital on November 26, 2010, at 13:10:02

Thanks Orbital for responding. What dose did you take? And what are you taking now as an ad? Does it allow you to sleep? That one time when prozac first out and only 20mg available I felt great first day, anxiety day two, panic day three. Flushed it and upped xanax for three days to get back to normal as felt great then with small dose of xanax. Interesting. And thanks again. I do have a bottle of it here somewhere. Phillipa

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa

Posted by orbital on November 26, 2010, at 21:17:35

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital, posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 19:29:31

P., your experience is identical to my own first go with Prozac. So my doc knew how nervous I was about trying Prozac again (after my panic-stricken trial ~5 years prior). She cooked up a very weird dosing strategy:

First, she had me take a single 20mg dose, and then wait for a few days - like testing the waters. I was fine.

After that, I took 40mg for 3 days, then dropped down to 20mg and stayed there for a month, taking a double (40mg dose) twice a week.

After that first month, we toyed with the doses, allowing at least 3 weeks before changing - I eventually levelled off at 30mg (any less didn't seem to cut it, any more made sleep impossible).

Fluoxetine levels take forever to reach a steady state; my doc has this theory that having "a little" Prozac hanging out in your system during the first few days is what tends to cause panic, so she used the loading doses to try to bypass the slow initial buildup. It all sounded very sketchy to me, she actually expected me to take 60mg /!!!/

So I'm not sure if her strategy worked, as I doubled my Klonopin for 2-3 weeks anyway. Whatever it was, I didn't feel any increase in anxiety, just very "activated" (but not jittery/panicky/hyper etc). Not unpleasant at all, it was actually a good change: motivated, no blunted emotions and for some reason, my libido rocketed. I'd still be on it, but I just couldn't adjust to the insomnia and poor sleep.

Sorry long-winded post, wanted to let you know what worked for me after my first nightmarish Prozac trial. Hope this helps :)

Currently on Paxil, Klonopin and restarting Valdoxan tonight - sleep is good.


> Thanks Orbital for responding. What dose did you take? And what are you taking now as an ad? Does it allow you to sleep? That one time when prozac first out and only 20mg available I felt great first day, anxiety day two, panic day three. Flushed it and upped xanax for three days to get back to normal as felt great then with small dose of xanax. Interesting. And thanks again. I do have a bottle of it here somewhere. Phillipa

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital

Posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 21:25:59

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa, posted by orbital on November 26, 2010, at 21:17:35

Kind of reminds me of what this pdoc wanted me to do. When I told him what happened he was excited and said you had an incredible response to it. So he wanted me to take it every three days. I said no. So now I wonder if say 5mg would work with the luvox tried again to get off it. It's been 11 years and my body won't let go. I did add up to 5mg of lexapro to luvox and xanax lmg and 5mg valium but it isn't working. Did the first three days. Did you find the prozac fattening as that thread I posted lists the ad's that add weight and those neutral and even none. Is yours a capsule? As I think have generic tablet of prozac probably a few years old but they say as long as sealed will work? Thanks Phillipa

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa

Posted by orbital on November 27, 2010, at 16:10:09

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital, posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 21:25:59

> Kind of reminds me of what this pdoc wanted me to do. When I told him what happened he was excited and said you had an incredible response to it. So he wanted me to take it every three days. I said no. So now I wonder if say 5mg would work with the luvox tried again to get off it. It's been 11 years and my body won't let go. I did add up to 5mg of lexapro to luvox and xanax lmg and 5mg valium but it isn't working. Did the first three days. Did you find the prozac fattening as that thread I posted lists the ad's that add weight and those neutral and even none. Is yours a capsule? As I think have generic tablet of prozac probably a few years old but they say as long as sealed will work? Thanks Phillipa

P., do you want to stop the Luvox? Or add Prozac to the mix? I don't think that adding Prozac is a good idea?

If you want to replace the Luvox, you'll probably need a higher dose of Prozac to make a smooth transition, at least at first.

I lost weight on Prozac, maybe because I was so active. Took generic tablets for a while, and brand too, which my doc supplied - the samples were dissoluble tablets.

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital

Posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2010, at 21:04:59

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa, posted by orbital on November 27, 2010, at 16:10:09

Why don't you feel the addition of low dose prozac to starter dose of luvox is a good idea? I was once put on paxil and luvox? And benzos which now tend to tire me. Phillipa

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating

Posted by merpmerp on November 27, 2010, at 21:45:11

In reply to Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating, posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 12:52:42

Prozac was my miracle drug the first time I went on it. I was an idiot ever to go off it because the second time around, it made me worse. (I do believe though that there was an issue with different generic brands, since I couldn't get my old generic brand the second time.)

It didn't make me anxious but it motivated me. So yes it was stimulating, but in a positive way, not at all a negative way. I wish, I wish I had that old brand back.

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa

Posted by orbital on November 28, 2010, at 10:59:35

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital, posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2010, at 21:04:59

> Why don't you feel the addition of low dose prozac to starter dose of luvox is a good idea? I was once put on paxil and luvox? And benzos which now tend to tire me. Phillipa

Mixing SSRIs is tricky, especially if Prozac is involved (due to it's long half life). Not sure about the liver cytochrome (and other) interactions between Luvox and Prozac.

I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea, though you should probably go slow and stay low.

FWIW I used Prozac (10 mg x3 week) to boost daily 20mg Lexapro and it worked really well.

 

To Phillipa » Phillipa

Posted by ed_uk2010 on November 28, 2010, at 12:31:17

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » orbital, posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2010, at 21:04:59

>Why don't you feel the addition of low dose prozac to starter dose of luvox is a good idea?

Hi PJ,

I don't think it's a good idea either. It seems to me that you are extremely uncomfortable about taking new medications, as shown by your reluctance to trial Lexapro at a therapeutic dose.

I suspect that initiating Prozac would cause you a lot of worry, and you would probably stop taking it after a few doses.

Do you think it's fair to say that you don't really want to try any new medications? Perhaps you don't think anything will help? Or maybe you believe that any changes will make you feel worse? On the other hand, perhaps you don't think that you actually need any changes to your medication?

Take care :)

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating

Posted by ed_uk2010 on November 28, 2010, at 12:55:02

In reply to Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating, posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 12:52:42

>My Daughter has been taking Prozac 20mg for six weeks for anxiety. It's so stimulating and we have the same personality. But it's six weeks and its working for her........

Just a few points:

1. Fluoxetine (Prozac) can cause initial agitation in some cases. For the majority of people, this goes away after a few weeks. In the long term, Prozac (like all SSRIs) tends to reduce anxiety.

2. 'Stimulating' is a bit of a confusing term. For example, just because someone is stimulated, does not necessarily mean that they feel more anxious. They could be stimulated in a good way. Similarly, drugs which cause sedation do not necessarily reduce anxiety. As an example, if I take Remeron it makes me feel very drowsy and sedated, but it does not make me feel calm.

3. Your daughter has done things 'by the book' and continued Prozac at the recommended dose for six weeks without interruption. This is a good trial. When you took Prozac, you stopped it so quickly that the long term outcome was unknown. SSRIs do not help overnight, they need to be given a chance. If you do decide to try Prozac again, you will need to take it for several weeks before you know whether it's going to be suitable. If 20mg was too much, you could try 10mg.

4. Unless you really want to try Prozac, I don't think you should experiment with it. Like I said in my previous post, I get the impression that you are very unhappy about trying new meds. It's fun to ask about them, but trying them is another thing altogether.

x

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » ed_uk2010

Posted by Phillipa on November 28, 2010, at 18:11:02

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating, posted by ed_uk2010 on November 28, 2010, at 12:55:02

Ed I am taking the lexapro with the luvox. The pdoc was pleased and said continue and am. Seems low doses work better for me. And as I age I Know that the tolerance goes down for meds and lower doses required. I've lowered the xanax now to .75mg and valium 5mg as don't need them. How wierd it that? PJx

 

Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » Phillipa

Posted by ed_uk2010 on November 29, 2010, at 14:38:44

In reply to Re: Prozac + Anxiety? How Can It Work When Stimulating » ed_uk2010, posted by Phillipa on November 28, 2010, at 18:11:02

>I've lowered the xanax now to .75mg and valium 5mg as don't need them. How weird is that?

Are you going to come off them then? If you don't need them, that would be a good idea.


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