My side effects to Prozac:

A  bit manic. Had trouble relaxing and concentrating.
Insomnia

What really made me quit is that it didn't do diddely for my anxiety. I never really felt upbeat, cheerful and happy on the stuff.

Hi Sammy, how long were you on it for? I have found it pretty good for anxiety :) I still have some anxious moments, especially lately, but nothing at all like i used to have..

Josephine, I was on it for about 6-8 weeks. I'm glad it worked for you. It's interesting to see the unpredictability of all the antidepressants...even when they have the same mechanism of action, as do the SSRIs, one may not work at all and another may work great.

SSRI stands for "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor." There are currently 6: Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, and Luvox. All of them act to boost the presence of serotonin in the brain by preventing their reuptake. The SSRIs are said to act selectively, because they boost serotonin to a much greater degree than other important neurotransmitters that may affect depression, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. It was discovered, by accident, that boosting sertonin can help the symptoms of depression and anxiety, but exactly how and why this occurs is not very well understand (there are lots of theories).

Despite their classification as SSRIs, they all have significant differences in their actions and their side effects. Even if one SSRI doesn't help at all, trying a second one often works--usually for reasons that are not well understood.

At least this is what I've read and understood as best I can, but I'n no expert so correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah I was on zoloft and paxil before prozac and neither of them suited me . .especially the former, which made me feel unbelievably ill. And some SSRIs are licensed for specific conditions which the others aren't so good at treating (ie Luvox is specifically for OCD).

I just started on prozac 2 weeks and 4 days ago. I've had aquite a bit of trouble with the side effects, but I'm doing my best to hang on. At first, it was increased anxiety, had my first panic attack in some time, but it may have simply been due to the fact that I was really freaked out about taking meds.

Now I just have bad fatigue for the 5 or so hours after taking it as well as a bit of dizzyness and general zoning out. Makes it hard to concentrate at work, though it has been getting better.

I also noticed the jaw clenching, which is getting better, but the tension headaches are a pain. They seem to come at random, and can last an hour or the whole day.

I also have a bit of twitchy-ness, mainly on the left side of my face which I kind of chalk up to residual effects from the bells palsy( temp. facial paralysis) I had a few years ago.

*edit*
Forgot this one: Nightmares. I noticed them as soon as I started prozac, when I stayed at my parents house for the weekend. They woke me up several times, but once I was home and in my own bed, I was fine again...

Then I stayed at my parents house again last weekend... and in a very vidid dream I had a confrontation with my mother, rolled over in my sleep and punched my husband twice in the shoulder! Freaked us both out of course, since I didnt' have control of myself in my sleep. I got up, wrote down the dream and tried to deal with it so I could go back to sleep. I was able to sleep again, but in a few more hours I woke us both up by yelling 'f*** You!' in my sleep, and vaguely remember it beind directed at my mother.

I was wondering if this sounds like too many side effects to be worth struggling through, or if anyone has any advice to help with the fatigue and tension headaches.

Probably the main ones have to be:

- Getting to sleep. I feel like my legs are on fire sometimes, like pins and needles but feels like its in my blood. Also to do with the fact i cannot relax so might not be a result of the meds, just the depression!

- An unsureness of everything. Hard to explain this one but you know when you feel hungover you feel clumbsy, well just like that!

Paradox, I had that unsure sort of feeling, too, but it has subsided, thankfully!

I am in my 5th week of taking 20 mg and I am still experiencing extreme sleepiness.  Sex is also suffering - but not from lack of drive, more from lack of staying awake at night to do it!

Increased anxiety.

Although it went away after the first weeks of taking Prozac, 20mg daily. Been taking it for almost 4 weeks now. Besides the increased anxiety I've felt nausea, but it also went away after the first weeks. I've been experience som dry mouth though since of today.

Dont know if its me thinking so much about it (I am kind of a hypochondriac by the way) or if I am really experiencing dry mouth. Its not that serious though, just a bit of dryness on my lips. Been a bit sore on my throat too, but dont know if its the Prozac or the singing I've done lately.

Besides all this it has been fine actually. Still waiting for that full effect though. My doctor told me to wait for 6 weeks so I still have the hopes. Was on Paxil for 2 years before and it did wonders for me. Just hope that Prozac does it too.

I've been kind of nervous to experience some sexual disfunctioning problems though. Not that my libido has decreased (it wasnt decreased when depressed either anyways) but I am scared that it will be with Prozac. I read that the sexual side effects usually appear after 4 weeks of use. Thats why I'm a bit nervous.

Anyways, thanks for listening.

/ Andrew

Hey all,

I'm new here and have been reading these posts like crazy 'cause it's comforting....

After a bout of anxiety (most likely related to the new job I'm not liking much), I self-upped my meds from 10mg of Prozac (which I had been on for over a year) to 30mg.  That was for 10 days, and stupid on my part.  Now, at the advice of my pdoc, I'm back to 20mg for the past 4 days....

I never had any side effects (other than sluggishness and weight gain) on Paxil when I first took it for 4 and a half years.  I transitioned slowly from Paxil to Prozac, and everything seemed great-- which is why I went down from 30mg to 10mg.  At that time, my life was stable and not much was changin.

About 6 days into taking 30mg, I started to get headaches, dizziness, and now nausea.  I hate the dizziness and nausea the worst.  I'm not even worried about decreased libido (didn't happen when I was on Paxil or more Prozac before).  I'm not thrilled about possible weight gain, but I can handle that as long as I feel better in general.

Today marks two weeks of "increased" Prozac (10 days on 30mg, 4 days on 20mg).  All I want is for the side effects to go away..that's making me feel the worst.  And it's hard to be at a new job and feel like crap while trying to downplay the effects for new coworkers who don't need to know my business....sigh.

Going suddenly from 10 mg. to 30 mg. was a big hike, and probably the reason for your sudden increase in side-effects. Hopefully, they'll diminish soon as your body adjusts to 20 mg. It's always a good idea to check with your doctor before making any changes in your meds.
I hope you're feeling better soon, and that things at work look up also. Take care...

Thanks, lizard!  It's amazing how this forum can be so much more of a comfort than anything my doctor has told me.....at the same time, I don't plan to make any adjustments on my own from now on...I'll stick to what the doctor says....

I had sort of an interesting reaction. The drug made me feel completely devoid of all natural emotion. I felt neither sadness nor happiness, pleasure nor anger.  It was a strange, insentient state...It was as if I was emotionally paralyzed; just numb.

Heh, don't think I'll be trying that again. It was worse than depression.

Too bad we could only check one. I needed to check most of them! :(

to Sacred Journey!!!

That's an uncomfortable response called flat affect, Sacred Journey. Sorry you experienced it.

I think I know what you mean. At times I've felt almost indifferent when I know I should be feeling some kind of emotion. It did bother me to begin with.

The only other thing I noticed was my enormous capacity for sleeping!

Thankfully now both effects have pretty much subsided.

I'm glad the SEs have eased for you, and you seem to be doing better.

I had headache about 3 days and I thought that was an effect but it wasnt. I have only been on Fluoxetine 2 or 3 weeks.

Yet I have experienced no effects for better or for worse.

What makes you sure that the headaches weren't a side-effect?
It's time to talk to your doctor, and discuss how you want to proceed. Let us know what you decide and how you're doing...

It has gone away now, Im pretty sure its not a side-effect

Doffy90 - glad to hear the headache has gone away. It is also great that you have not had any obvious side effects to deal with. Keep in mind that most any antidepressant can take up to 6 weeks, even 2 months to become fully effective. That is because it takes some time for the med to help the seratonin in your brain to build up. Please be patient and give it some time, but if you begin to have any problems or feel like you need better help sooner, call your doctor right away.

Hello I'm new to the forum. I have been taking prozac for about a year now and have had weight gain and excessive perspiration as the most bothersome side effects. I didn't know that jaw clenching was one of them but when I first started I experienced quite a bit of that as well. I'm also very lethargic which doesn't help me lose the weight. I consider all these side effects bearable except the sweating which I'd really like to curb somehow, so if anyone has any ideas please share.

well im back on prozac again (i last had it 3 years ago) im back on it as i suffer really badly from SAD.
only been back on for 3 weeks now, my side effects are my libdo has passed away lol seriously i have no disere in sex at all
jaw clenching (ouch it really hurts! and is very very sore)
consent yawning!

other than that im happy, and feel like normal again. prozac did supress my appaite for a while, but im eating normanally now. and for the first few days i was very hyperactive but again thats calmed down now.

Welcome to DF, raverbaby! I'm glad the Prozac is helping your mood, and I hope all the remaining side-effects lessen soon.

I've experienced: weight gain (though this may be due to my lack of activity while depressed), loss of libido and excessive perspiration (which makes me paranoid all the time).

I've just been upped to 80mg a day and I'm experiencing the whole jaw-clenching thing at the moment.

Blah - sometimes it's hard to tell the side-effects of the medication from the symptoms of the illness though.

I'm sorry if that sounds incoherent - I'm very fluffy-headed today.

This post has been edited by Clare: Dec 13 2005, 08:26 AM

I hope the higher dose helps you, and the side-effects ease. Let us know how you're doing...

Thanks lizard.

My side effects were a sudden ffeeling of being high than after a few weeks of it being in my system a sort of withdrawl which almost resulted in my suicide, the symptoms were hopelessness sorrow when there was nothing to be sorry for worthlessness and as previously stated double suicidal behavior. Prozac needs a kick to teh face that they arent jsut playing with money here they are playing with peoples lives and so far ive heard only one or two success stories on prozac.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with Prozac. But it's also helped a great many people, myself among them. It's a very individual response.
I hope you're doing better now...

When I first started taking Prozac, I was 15 or so and noticed no real side effects. Well, I did notice some slight weight gain, but I was pretty 'curvy' anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. I wasn't sexually active at that time, but I am now - however, in the first year or so of our relationship, my sex drive matched my boyfriend's so I had no reason to think the medication was causing me to lose libido.

Of late, though, my libido has waned somewhat. I've been with my partner for nearly three years, so I wondered was it just a comfort zone thing, but I don't love or fancy him any less than I did, so I'm wondering if perhaps such long-term use of Prozac is catching up with me (it's been seven years since I first started taking it). Does anyone know if using it for an extended period of time can have greater effects than using it for only, say, a year or something?

I'm not aware of side-effects building up over time like that, but anything's possible - it's a very individual response. I hope it's not causing you too much trouble.

The worst side effect for me is probably being tired all the time. However, I've also developed what seems to be a strange case of Tendonitis in both of my elbows...? Has this happened to anyone else?

i got really hyperactive at night during the first week or so, then started to calm down a little towards the end of the second week. I also felt panicky and adgitated

I've come off Fluoexitine about two months ago. While I was taking it I used to be sleepy all the time, which was the main side effect. I also used to feel emotionless about everything, a bit numb to it all. Its weird because I miss that feeling of not caring about anything and just keeping going - I got a lot more done that way :tounge:

I've been on Fluoxetine for the last week and I take that now in addition to the Dothiepin/Dosulepin that I've been on for the last 6 months. Since starting the Fluoxetine I've been feeling really quite tense and sort of shake or tremble a lot. I'm hoping thats just a side effect of the new tablet and need to go back to my GP in three weeks time for a check-up and more meds by which time I hope its stopped or I'll ask to switch to something else.

Has anyone else suffered with the shakes? Its quite disturbing if only because I worry it looks like withdrawl type symptoms and that my employers will think I'm taking (or stopped taking) something more suspect.

Tremor is a possible side-effect of Prozac. Often, these start-up SEs ease off over time - I hope that's the case for you. But if it doesn't, or it worsens, give your doc a call, even if it's just for your own peace of mind.
I was kind of jittery when I first started Prozac, but it subsided pretty quickly - probably within 2 or 3 weeks.

Thanks Lizard, thats reassuring to know. I'll give it another week or so and then see how I'm feeling

Himner are you using generic prozac or brand name? One of the side effects I had when using generic prozac was a jittery nervous feeling. The solution for me was to switch to brand name. Don't know if that might be a consideration inyour case.

Thanks Starbeam - thats interesting to know. I'm on generic atm and so if I still feel a bit strange at next appointment I'll see about switching.

I didn't seem quite so jittery today so hopefully its just start up SEs and they are easing.