Effect of prozac

[secretspirit]

Can anyone tell me what prozac does? I understand it's not like a tranquiliser and isn't habit forming but does it remove negative feelings? I don't really understand how anti-depressants work and I'm curious.

[twiglet4frog]

My wife is on it and it is addictive and a patient on it has to be weened off carefully, it isnt so much as u need a fix of it more the fact that u become very anxious if u come off it, and also increase your dosage in some people.

It takes about 2 weeks to get into your system and the first two weeks u can become a lot more anxious and irritable before the effects work.

What she finds being on it that she is more tired, not physically drained but can easily fall asleep if she sits still for half an hour, even after little or no exercise and a good 8 hours rest. and that she feels a lot calmer within her self and the anxiety she was suffering and the feeling of being fed up and low were eased. It isnt a miracle cure to make u into a grinning cheshire cat with no worries, but it makes getting through the day easier and the bouts of feeling down significantly less frequent. She swears by the stuff but does think that because of the effects it causes coming off it she may be on it a long time.

[Kay]

Prozac is an anti depressant and like SSRI's can do more harm than good! Enter Prozac into Google and read up on it.

[twiglet4frog]

Oh and as for how it works, i am not hundred percent sure on the scientific explanation but it is all to do with the chemicals in prozac working with the chemicals in the brain, increasing or decreasing levels of endorphines or something like that, which effect how we react to things

[cherrybomb]

Very important advice about comming off prozac.

A friend of mine was on it and she didn't like the way it made her emotionless. She went from worrying too much about everything and everybody to feeling nothing.  She just stopped taking it and she couldn't even be bothered to get out of bed for a week. Her mum had to move in and take care of her kids. It was so unlike her we were all very worried for a while.

[missmooncat]

i was prescribed prozac about 2 years ago,it did more harm than good.It made me feel really suicidal and awful.                                 but i know people who had it and its been great.i think its very good if it agrees with you for short time use,but wouldnt recommend taking it for long periods of time.

[andy hughes]

Not much to add to the previous posts - Prozac is like any anti-depressant, it suits some, not others. I was prescribed, and it really did me some damage, so it's obviously not for me. That said, some people really benefit from it, it does depend on the individual, so it needs careful monitoring by experts, and is not to be taken except under strict supervision.

[Mistopheles]

I've been on and off prozac for a couple of years now. It's helped a lot. It works by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. It doesn't make you happier, it just sort of levels you out, so you don't have such low spells. It's not addidctive as such, but the above info is correct - you have to come off it very gradually.

The first couple of weeks of taking it, you have to be careful, as some people commit suicide! It doesn't cause suicidal feelings - what it is, people who are depressed with suicidal thoughts often do not have the energy to actually kill themselves. Prozac gives them a bit more energy before it levels their mood. So you are supposed to be carefully monitored to start with.

There can be some side effects sure, not least suppressing your sex drive, but overall it's a great help for some of us.

[cymruambyth1]

I am on prozac at the moment and have been for about two months now. I was off work for 5 months and just went back last week. The prozac seems to work for me really well, it doesnt make me feel emotionless, sometimes you may feel low or different, but i dont know whether that is the prozac or my hormones from time of the month. The doctor reassures me that they arent addictive but reccommends i stay on them for at least 6 months.

[goldfish1]

Try this link. It's been written by the manufacturers of Prozac.

http://www.prozac.com/how_prozac/faqs.jsp?reqNavId=2.3.3

[Kay]

Another link for you secret. [email protected]