Prozac, what are plp's experences???

joePC

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any experences with the drug, Good / Bad whatever, I have a friend who took it for a few months and it really took her out of a hole.

Thanks JoePC,

****We all know how to use Google so please no bull**** facts about the drug personal experences only..... Thanks*****

Zombrex

It has to be prescribed correctly, by a doctor who actually knows when it is useful, but in general I am against anti-depressents. I feel a lot of people who are on anti-depressents shouldn't be. I went out with a girl who was on a form of prozac and it didn't seem to help her at all. But she was convinced that she needed it, that she would be "a lot worse" without it, which isn't the way anti-depressents are supposed to work. If you are still getting upset and depressed on medication then the medication isn't working. Often giving counseling a serious go a lot is better, but it is easier for people to just take a pill and think they are getting help.

Corksham

I took lexapro but I will never take another SSRI or any other anti-depressant again. My own exprience was I was awful groggy and tired from it so I would imagine Prozac would have similar (but stronger) side affects.
I personally believe the only way to "cure" depression, anxiety etc.. is through cognition and learning to control your thoughts.
Doctors prescribe anti-depressants far too commonly and easily (much easier to do than sit down with someone and try to find the root causes).
Read Beyond Prozac by Limerick GP Terry Lynch, there are many fine books on the subject and I would personally avoid medication.
That being said from what I have read (which is quite extensively on the subject) medication may be necessary in some severe cases of depression to help the person through.

I am MAN

I've tried a few SSRI's and CIPRAMIL is the best out there and it works for most people more so than the other SSRI's as far as i've seen, one to avoid at all costs is seroxat regardless what your doctor tells you.

At the start SSRI's take a lot out of your body but after a few weeks your back to normal.

Captain Trips

Remember that 95% of people with psychiatric disorders are seen by GPs. Maybe see a psychiatrist.................

keu

Last year i was under a lot of pressure and started caving, was worried about my (mental) health. ( I used have a very stressful job on top of other things) I visited my GP, looking for a referral and asked about anti d's. After much consultation (and tears) he said no anti -d would help me, would make me feel worse and that I just needed a break.
Not sure if this is answer your looking for, but a year later (and after giving up job) he was right..I just needed a break. I just think some doctors prescribe medication too readily.

ykt0di9url7bc3

Captain Trips wrote:

Remember that 95% of people with psychiatric disorders are seen by GPs. Maybe see a psychiatrist.................

psychiatrists are hit and miss (from personal exp)..

if its clinical depression, Prozac can be perscribed to help...

most of the time it is a miracle drug that really helps the situation but it has to be monitored closely because it can give an adverse reaction and has lead to cases of bi-polar (one i know of personally) or it can lead to psychotic breakdown... its a drug and there are risks..

a GP or psychiatrist are the only people that should see a need to perscribe it, reflecting on other peoples expiernces is not the way to assess what a person needs*, in cases of depression and other psychiatric disorders it is recommended to seek an independant 2nd opinion to be safe, it helps a lot if both parties independantly agree on the same treatment needed...

*I dont think boards.ie/PI is the place for information on such treatments, if its a medical\psychiatric case, person X should not go to a doctor and seek Drug X based on posts here unless its "optional" or "not so serious" issues like Acne or dental information...

If its a serious issue for you JoePC then there are qualified people out there to give you the right information**

**not dissing any posters on this thread

keu

a GP or psychiatrist are the only people that should see a need to perscribe it, reflecting on other peoples expiernces is not the way to assess what a person needs*, in cases of depression and other psychiatric disorders it is recommended to seek an independant 2nd opinion to be safe, it helps a lot if both parties independantly agree on the same treatment needed...

true statement. I recall after visiting my GP, I requested counselling at the first, after his assurance that I could attend the local general psychologist (at local hospital) if i truley wanted (everyone is entitled to free assesment) he decided would be best to return to see him and so I did, after a few visits, regained my focus and knew what I needed to do.

kind of grateful.

dunno if that makes sense (my GP had trained in this particular area though)

manufan

Here are my experiences with Anti-Depressant/Anxiety meds.

Over 4 years i took 4 different meds mainly to help control my anxiety. They were Seroxat, Effexor, Cipramil and Buspar. Personally, i am strongly against meds having taken them for a long period. Yes, i got some mild benefit from these meds but my health suffered. Weight gain, Lucid dreams, regularly felt tired, loss of interest in sex, to name a few.

Each med i tried took weeks to have any kind of effect plus the withdrawals from seroxat was quiet scary for me. I basically decided to taper off my last med, effexor, about a year ago and try a natural herbal alternative due to the lack of any real progression from taking these meds. On the plus side, i did feel more motivated when on the meds but weighing things up i'm glad i quit them.

Now i take 5HTP twice a day. (no side effects). Mentally, I feel no worse than when i was on meds but i have more energy. I keep myself fit. In my opinion, regular exercise is vitally important in helping to ward off depression/anxiety. I lost the 3 stone i gained within 6 months of being off meds and i sleep better.

These Meds that doctors prescribe all to often are not wonder drugs and if taken long term can have a negative effect on your health. Also, alcohol and meds don't mix. I did some stupid things when drinking and taking meds, but i don't feel zonked after a few pints like i used to on the meds.

I still have bad days but overall i feel far healtier and less detached emotionally from people than when i was on these meds. Everbody reacts differently to medication and many people seem to get their life back on track when they take anti-depressants. But realistically, these meds are only a short term solution in my opinion. I value my overall health far more than a quick fix. Just my 2 cents.

LegacyUser

Hi Manufan,

I also had terrible side effects coming off seroxat and couldn't wait to be off it. Now that I'm off it a few months I'm starting to feel the depression creep back in.

I don't want to go back on an SSRI but I feel I need something more that exercise and positive thinking.

Would 5htp or St John's Wort be a good alternative?

Is 5htp a prescription medicine?

I am MAN

5HTP can be bought in your nearest healthstore but i have heard St Johns wort does work better then again different things work for different people.

manufan

Hi Feelin Blue, Sorry to hear that your depression is creeping back but to be honest any benefit i've ever gotten with anti-depressants were counter acted with the side effects. Its difficult to be feel positive and alive on medication when they sap your energy and make you feel lethargic all the time.

I often went to bed on a friday night after a weeks work and slept right through for 16 hours without waking up once. That ain't normal for someone in their 20's. Nowadays i get a maximum of 8 hours sleep a night and feel refreshed when i wake up.

But, my depression was reactive, caused mainly because of my anxiety problems but was mild compared to people with clinical depression. When i was first prescribed meds, the doctor told me i would feel much calmer, optimistic and happy within weeks. If that was the case nobody would have depression/anxiety when on these meds but sadly thats not the case.

Anybody who is feeling depressed etc. should explore every option available to them before going on meds in my opinion. Everything from proper diet to exercise, counselling, herbal remedies etc. should be looked at. People are too eager to believe that a pill can change their life. While it may alleviate the symptoms for some people, long term it will inevitably have adverse effects on your health.

The doctors know very well that these pills are only meant to be taken short term to get you through a bad patch while you get the appropriate help to deal with your depression. The problem is, Ireland has a chronic shortage of trained people in the field of mental health. Private treatment is expensive and funding in this area is not a Government priority so inevitably under resourced doctors will just keep on prescribing meds to patients because their hands are tied.

This is how my monthly meetings with my doctor went :

Doctor : Hi, How are u feeling.
Me : To be honest doc, these meds are not making any real difference and i've been on them for months. I feel tired a lot of the (interrupted by doctor).
Doctor : Ok, I'll up the dose, they take longer to work in some people.
Me : But Doctor, The meds aren't (interrupted again).
Doctor : And we'll see how you are getting on next month. Bye. Take Care. NEXT!

That says it all really.

chewy

but thing is how'd you between the period of coming of your anti-depressants and goign on a herbal rememdy...

im in the been on them too long but would feel worse off em too

manufan

Hi Chewy, I tapered off my last medication (effexor) slowly, over 3 months and during this time i began taking herbal alternatives so i didn't have have to deal with a strong negative reaction when giving up the meds.

More importantly i changed my daily habits. Because i wasn't as tired as usual having given up the meds i decided to exercise regularly as i had the energy for the first time in years. I go to the gym at least twice a week, i joined a cycling club. I walk almost everywhere or cycle rather than get the bus.

Having put on nearly 3 stone in the 4 years i was on meds, i changed my diet, don't drink alcohol every second day like i used to. I feel much healtier now at 27 than i did at 21. But, i did these things because the thought of relying on meds (barely coping) for the rest of my life scared the **** out of me. If i had felt great on the meds i'd probably still be on them today but there are other ways to feal happy and positive if you are willing to explore other options.

chewy

i thought you couldn't be on herbal and tablets at the same time, but its ok afauk if you taper off and on?

Blinda

The desired effects of prozac are not felt straight away, and for it to be effective it needs to be given and monitored at the recommended dose, but all too often this appears not always to be the case. Also like most PX medications there may be side effects, and certain medicines may suit one person and not another.

Current research (2004) finds that prozac combined with TALK therapy works best fof treating depressed adolescents. In addition evidence finds that people on prozac alone had more suicidal tendencies than those who received a combination of drugs and psychotherapy.

snickerpuss

I was on cipramil and i hated it. Rather then feeling bad etc... i just felt nothing.
I really didnt like it so i just took myself off them and never went back.
Possibly not overly wise but still.

Emboss

I'm of the beliief that depression is not an illness.

i'm not a doctor i have no PHD it's a personal opinion.
I'm sure there is some cases very few tho where there is actually a serious chemical imbalnce in the brain which causes issues that need to be treated with.

but all this willy nilly ****e about depression docs are handing out cipramil/prozac random anti D #124536 without even really looking into the persons life.

what are they doing socially/personally/work etc

I have firiends that are always happy 24/7 non stop TOO happy people might say, a front ? or naturally happy ? eithier way, do we feel the need to give these people drugs to bring them down to a "normal" level of happiness ? no way, why should we pump drugs into someone to bring them up to that "normal" level of happiness.

look at your life, your job your diet, your friends, your social life. what are u unhappy about ?

Your diet can be one of the leading causes of feeling down/depressed/bored yada yada.

i'd be suprised if really looked into if more than 1/1000 in ireland _really_ suffer from a chemical imbalance.

when one of these surveys are taken outside the dublin area depression is _almost_ non existant. why ?

LegacyUser

I think you made a good point Emboss but regardless of the cause, depression can be a vicious circle and lots of people benefit from medication (pharmaceutical or otherwise) to enable them to break the cycle of negative thinking and make those positive changes in their life.

There is some interesting reading here supporting the idea that depression is not simply a chemical imbalance, rather the chemical imbalance is actually a symptom of depression: http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/index.htm

LegacyUser

i was on prozac...then cipramil....now lexapro (which i've been told is an updated version of cipramil) i found i could really feel the effects of prozac but it made me feel numb, the second time around with prozac it did nothing for me. cipramil i found to be sh*te and i have to say lexapro is the same. totally fecks up your sex drive aswell

LegacyUser

Personal experience - doctors can be too fast to prescribe these things. I went through a bad patch due to break up of relationship and having to move home and suddenly my gp who had not seen me for years tried to prescribe these for me. I needed to take some time out and cry for a while - I was upset for less than a month...I can see that they are valid in some cases but read everything about them before you go near them as there may be long withdrawl times... The way I got over things was to get involved in spiritual issues and refusing to let my ex ruin my life.