Hi Catcat, welcome to the forums! Have you spoken to your doctor about this? I have heard, though am not positive, that it can take longer for a med to work the second time around. I wouldn't give up hope just yet though :).

It is too soon for me to tell - today was day three for me.  I can say that I felt pretty nauseous the first day but a bit better yesterday and today.  This is the first medication I have ever tried.  I was having some pretty bad anger episodes, negative thoughts about myself, general "blahs" about life in general.  I hope this makes me feel better - it seems to have a good effect already, but that cannot be since it takes longer than 3 days to kick in?

Hi Tricia,
Welcome here...yes, they tell me it takes 3-6 weeks for Prozac to do its thing. I'm at 2 1/2 weeks right now and really hoping that 3 weeks will start to see some help. I did feel a little better after the first week, but that tapered off a bit after the first few days. I, however, have been on meds for the last 4 years, so my experience may be a bit different than yours, since you are just getting started on meds. But I do relate to the waiting :)
And to being relatively new to this website. So welcome again!
Cat

Hiya Tricia welcome! How is everyone doing right now?

Hi everyone,

Ive just started taking prozac, on my 2nd week at 60mg. Im wondering if this is too high a dose as every other thread ive read is with people taking 20-40.

I know the max is 80mg, I was just wondering if anyone has any views on this??

that's a helluva dose to start with .. how are you doing with it? Max might be 80 in the US but here they don't prescribe above 60 and rarely that .. I was only on 60 very briefly and my doc would not allow it for longer. What are you being treated for?

I have been on 60mg of the generic for Prozac, Fluoxetine for several months now. I started off at 20mg, bottomed out 6 weeks after I started taking it. My doctor bumped it up to 40mg, but I bottomed out again after 8 weeks. Now, I've been on 60mg for almost 3 months and I'm getting that feeling again. I can feel it coming and I can't stop it. I sometimes wonder if I am ever going to feel any better. Zoloft didn't help much, Celexa made me sucidal and Effexor raised my blood pressure too high. I'm scared to death wondering if this doesn't work what will happen.

Try to have patience; it can take a lot of trial and error. But there are lots of different medications in different classifications that can be tried. Don't give up!
Please let us know how you're doing...

I'm sorry if i seem a little aggresive on my post but I am not happy with the distrubution of prozac.

ya it $@#$%ing helped me until i #$%#$%ing came down off the $^&*@ing high. Seriously waht are thjey giving us. I have heard so many failed attempts with prozac, the only good story i hheard is that its helping my mom with menopause seriously how is this legal? how is this the only medicine approved by the FDA to be used in children, this isnt safe it isnt worth the risk more studies need to be done or we are just going to end up going in the hole more and more.

Shazzam
post Nov 4 2004, 05:36 AM
Post #34

It doesn't seem that many people use these forums anymore. I remember when I was on a year or two ago there were so many responses. Or maybe no one take Prozac anymore?
*******

My quote function is not working by the way. You know, I think less and less people are using Prozac now. it's one of the "old ones" as I have heard from lots of people. I am also a medical transcriptionist working the hospital, and I can tell you from experience that the anti-D of choice now is Celexa first, Paxil second. Prozac is really down at the bottom of the list now for doctors.

As for the person taking 60 mg - WOW. If it works for you, good. But I remember I could only take 20 mg. When I upped my dose to 40 mg I experienced major anxiety.

I was on fluoxetine and I think it was 6 weeks before I was on an even keel. They gave me the leg up I needed to deal with things. I took it for 9 months and have been off it for a month - so far so good.

I'm glad it gave you the help you needed, and that you're doing well. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you...

I have been on for approx 2 weeks - feel nothing. serious mind racing when trying to sleep, insomnia. I had this before starting on this drug also, now it seems worse.

Sorry you're having this problem. Have you talked to your doc about it?

I talked to therapist today, have to call doc tomorrow. I guess the mind racing looks like a common problem, I dont know we'll see what happens. Thanks for the response, its nice to know someone reads & will answer.

Let us know what the doc says, and how you're doing...

Slept like a log last night compared to the last few years, woke up but no mind racing & fell right back asleep. Will still talk to doc today. Today is day 14 for me on prozac - I've been up for an hour and a half & no anxiety ! I think this is the first time in 10 years, I just hope it stays this way.

Thanks for listening !!

Congratulations on your good day! Wishing you many more of them...

I knew it was too good to last. Slept like crap again, anxiety back in the AM and is worse than before. If that is possible.

Maybe it is beginning to get better, though. Hopefully tonight will be good again. But if you continue to have trouble you might ask your doctor about a mild relaxer for bedtime. I have both depression and anxiety, and had the same trouble with racing thoughts at bedtime. It stinks to have poor sleep for a long time - just makes everything a viscious circle! I now take ativan, 1/2 or 1 mg at bedtime and it helps tremendously!

Doctor gave me .5 Klonopin to help sleep & cut back Prozac to 10 MG. starting this AM. I slept great with the Klon. last night, did wake up but was able to go right back to sleep. It is amazing how much better you feel with a goods night sleep ! I also quit smoking about 2 months ago ( 63 days ) the doc says this could be adding to anxiety. I guess I picked the wrong time to quit smoking.

I don't think there's ever a wrong time to quit smoking - congrats on taking this difficult step.
Hopefully, you'll get many more good nights' sleep - this can help depression considerably.

I've just joined and posted a 'hello' in the new members thread, but hi to all anyway! In relation to the topic, I must say Prozac worked pretty quickly for me - probably within a month. That is not to say that I suddenly thought everything was completely wonderful, but I did feel somewhat better. Of course, I still have good days and bad days, and if I miss a dose or two, I usually find myself plummeting back into deep depression.

I see from the poll that it doesn't seem to be working very well for everyone - I'm really sorry to hear that I hope that there are some pills/therapies/whatever that can help.

Hi.
I recently switched from Paxil to Prozac, and it´s been 8 days since. i haven´t felt anything (positive) yet, but i know it is a short time to tell.

Hello everyone,

Well, I finally gave in yesterday and started with prozac, after struggling with the thought of having to take an ad for a few weeks, I realized my depression was getting worse and worse and at times I scared myself with thoughts about death and stuff.
Anyway, my therapist told me I could expect nausea and feeling aggitated in the first 7-10 days.
Yesterday I seemed okay, very tired tough around 9 pm, so I went to bed thinking I might finally get a good nights sleep....I didn't I was wide awake 15 minutes after I went to bed (which is what usually happens) and was up for most of the night. This morning I wasn't able to get out of bed and feel very bad, I am experiencing severe nauseau and have a headache. Don't feel like I will be able to eat anything ( which in a way is a good thing because I also have an eating disorder), but the way I feel now, I don't think I will get anything done today.
I will see my doc this friday.....hope I will be able to take the prozac until then. I am afraid I will throw up soon, not being able to keep the medication down..then what?
I am on 20 mgr./day
Sarah-nicole

Hi,
I had problems when 1st starting. My Dr cut me back to 10mg to start then after 2 weeks up to the 20 mg with no problem. I would also ask for some sleep aid ambien or Klonopin worked well for me. Talk to your Dr & he or she will help you out.
Good Luck,
Tommy

I agree - usually, if you have trouble when going on or off an AD, it helps to increase or decrease more slowly.

I also take an benzo (ativan) at bedtime to help me relax enough to fall asleep, and on the rare times that isn't enough I take a sleep aid (lunesta).

Please try to get through the weekend, and call your doctor first thing Monday or whenever the office is open.

Oh, you really should check with your doc or at least your pharmacist first, but probably it would be okay to halve your prozac dose for now. If you are taking a capsule that can't be split, you might go to taking it every other day for now. My psychiatrist has me doing that, since he wanted me on a smaller dose and my capsule can't be split. Because prozac has a longer half-life than most other SSRIs, taking one every other day usually works fine.

Be sure to contact your doc ASAP, though, and if you get really ill, consider going to the ER.

Let us know how you are doing.

Karen

It didnt take very long for me, a couple of weeks and i started to feel much better.

I have some questions though, and i want to start a new topic but it says i am not allowed to? any idea's or help?

Welcome, lizkate,

You need to reply to 5 topics before you can start a new one here. Often you will find many of your questions answered in other threads, or find a discussion already in progress that you can jump in on to learn what you need. I see that now you've got your 5 posts, though, and have begun your own topic. That is great! I look forward to reading it and to getting to know you better.

Karen

Hey,
It's me again. Still feeling ill, nauseous, headache and also very tired. I have very little appetite and haven't eaten much over the last 2 days ( in a way I like not having an appetite but really don't like the naussea!)
I will see how it goes at work tomorrow and try to get hold of my shrink as well, I am not sure if she is in on mondays, guess I will have to wait and see. I like the idea of lowering the daily dosis....I also wonder if I would sleep better and feel better during the day if I took the medicine at night. Can i switch and wait until tomorrow night with the next dose??
I will keep you posted.
Sarah-nicole

That shouldn't be a problem at all. If you are unsure, though, give any pharmacist a call. They are usually happy to answer questions such as this.

Hi,
I found taking this at night kept me awake. I'm sure its different for everyone. Just so you know my appetite has not been the same since I started taking and have lost 15 pounds since mid Dec. ( 10 more and I will be happy ). Good Luck,
Tommy

Hi,

I tried to contact my psychiatrist today but she won't be in until friday...that really s....s But what can I do, the secretary did ask around but all the others are psychologists and not sure about medication and switching to taking them at night. I deciced to continue taking them in the morning even though I was very tired today at work. But that might be because I didn't sleep at all last night!!! I am also still nauseous and have no appetite. And tommy, I can understand that it could be a good thing to loose weight, but for me...not an option. I will get a hard time from my psychologist if she sees I have lost weight again ( I am anorexic and already underweight), I hope she understands that it is the prozac that makes me loose the extra weight, this time....I have lost 4 pounds since friday..oeps! Luckely I won't see her for 3 more weeks and the psychiatrist who I will see on friday doesn't know me that well and might not really notice the weight loss. What a mess, I am already so depressed and know I can't decide wheter or not I like the weight loss. It is a circle I can't break yet......but one thing is for sure, the side effects must go otherwise I will have more problems then without the pills...
Sarah-nicole

Hi there,

Here is a quick update....the nausea is finally gone! It got really bad on tuesday and I had to stay home from work for two days, but today I seem much better. Less headaches as well. I still sleep very bad/not, but that has been an issue for a long time. I will see my psychiatrist tomorrow. Don't feel any better yet as far as the depression goes, but I guess it is too soon to tell after 1 week.
Sarah-nicole

Hi Sarah,
Glad to hear that you feel somewhat better. I also had a problem with sleep and my PDoc gave me Klonopin .5 mg to take before bed and that worked great for awhile. Along with the Prozac 20 mg. My Dr has added Wellbutrin. I am having trouble sleeping again even with the Klonopin which I hear is Prob. from the Wellbutrin. I am now taking an Ambien which seems to be working better now, I know how hard it is to function without sleep.

Take Care
Tommy

I went to see the therapist yesterday and got so caught up in the conversation that I forgot to ask her for something to help me sleep....stupid me. But it was so confronting and emotional I didn't even think about it anymore.
The nausea is back but not as bad as before, it should go away soon though. The headaches are also gone. So so far so good, I will hang in there. I have noticed a change in taste of foods, I saw that can also be a side effect of the prozac. I guess we have to give in a little to hopefully get great results and finally feel better.
I hope to see some results in a few weeks, life is such a struggle now.....it is incredibly hard and don't know how much longer I can take this.....
Sarah-nicole

Hang on, Sarah-Nichole! It is good that you had such a great therapy session. You should start feeling the positive effects of prozac soon.... :)

Karen

Well, the nausea is definitely gone. I just have to be patient now and wait for my feelings to change and become more positive. But it is too soon, it hasn't even been two weeks since I started.
I wish I did ask for some sleep meds, it is hard to stay awake all day and be productive at work!! I also keep yawning all day, I red that also can be a side effect of the prozac.
Sarah-nicole

Since good sleep is so important for getting depression under control, why don't you give your doc a call and see if you can get some sleep meds?
I hope the Prozac kicks in for you soon...