Is anybody else out there experiencing this? I have been sleeping 16+ hours and no it is NOT depression that is causing this. When off the meds I'm a live wire who can't sit still, just hopelessly depressed and anxious. Prozac has been GREAT for lifting my depression, however I always feel tired/sluggish. I haven't been to the gym for three months (since I've been on it) and I feel sleepy all day long, even after 10 hours of sleep. I have no energy or drive to do anything. I try to push myself, but feel so fatigued that I peter out very quickly. I really don't want to have to stop taking Prozac because of this but as it stands this situation is untenable. Any suggestions? Has anyone else been in a similar spot and found a way to combat it? Thanks so much in advance :)

Interesting, I said the same thing about Paxil but after awhile I became more energetic, coffee helped a bit. I became lethargic, kinda lazy and just didn't feel like doing anything, I just wanted to rest or lay down .. over time and eating better I became more energetic. Just remember anxiety and depression are very tiring in themselves and the med may have helped with that but now your body needs to catch up. I say give it another 2 weeks at the dosage you are at and see how that goes.

Thanks Guy,

I truly know this isn't the depression for me - when depressed/anxious I have a ton of energy. My "homeostatic" med-free state is very energised. I'm considering supplementing the P with some Reboxetine (of which I still have a pack left). It's a NARI, and so safe to use as an adjunct to the SSRI. This may provide some of the additional pep I seem to require.

I was on Paxil years back (gained so much weight) and had the same problems but didn't realise it at the time (wasn't associating the two). I think a lot of the SSRI weight gain reported is probably simply a side effect of lethargy/fatigue. I mean YES, if you're feeling tired and resultingly do not move around a lot your metabolism will naturally slow down as a consequence. It's not the med in itself that shuts the metabolic system down, but the side effects that it triggers. I really doubt you'd hear of someone super energised by prozac who was running around alertly gaining lots of weight (unless they were eating loads).

Cheers again :)

I am feeling the same way right now. I am so tired and just want to lay around all the time. I don't really have motivation to do much except sleep or just rest. I have recently stopped taking prozac for other annoying side effects and am just waiting for all of the side effects, including the fatigue, to go away. I am also very energetic and motivated to do everything when not on medication. I just can't wait to be back to my energetic self again! Good luck to you and I hope you find some energy soon!

I'm taking Prozac as well. My doc briefly raised my dosage to 60mg a day, which led to intolerable lethargy. I was unwilling to try to "wait it out" to see if my tiredness and other side effects would go away, so the dosage was lowered to 40 mg.

At 40 mg, I no longer have any significant tiredness, though other side effects are problematic.

CYMBALTA on the other hand, a supposedly "stimulating" antidepressant caused extreme daytime sleepiness in me during the year I was taking it. I would take naps lasting several hours every day. The dose was 60 mg and the tiredness would not go away, so I switched to Prozac (with Zyprexa).

Good luck.

Thanks everyone.

I'm going to wait it out for another couple of weeks at a 10 mg dosage (until my next psych appt). Then I might see if I can supplement it with something that works on norepinephrine and/or dopamine, which may provide some extra pep. Until I get this I'll just have to survive on lots of coffee and street speed (jk).

I have the same problem... I fall asleep while driving at times. I have absolutely no energy after lunch time. I'm going to try taking the 40mg prozac around 6pm instead of arounf 11am..... maybe that will help. I hope so!