Anyone know anything bout Prozac?

[LittleGoldfish]

SIL has been prescribed this for Depression but refuses to take it as she is scared of the side effects.

Any positive stories? She is on her way around my place so if any of you have info on Prozac I will pass it on to her.

Thanks.

[Dior]

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[LittleGoldfish]

Thanks Dior - Are they stronger than Citalopram? She had these first but didn't get on with them so GP has switched to Prozac said it was the next best one.

[fluffyanimal]

Prozac really helped me overcome severe depression and anxiety. I didn't suffer any side effects, although some people do, one of the most common being loss of libido. I know that people are often afraid that ADs will make them feel numb or emotionless - this can sometimes happen but there are a wide variety of drugs on the market and if she finds that Prozac doesn't suit her there are other drugs to try.

It can take a while to kick in - typically 2-3 weeks but in my case it was more like a month. But once it was working, I felt great. I felt positive and able to cope. I didn't stop feeling sad or anxious at times, but it seemed to put things back into perspective for me, so that I felt there were ways I could deal with my depression or anxiety. It also helped with the physical symptoms of my illness - it stopped the shakes, sleep problems, stomach upsets, adrenalin burn etc.

ADs of the type like Prozac work to return the chemical levels in your brain to normal, they are not a "chemical cosh".

If your SIL is afraid of the stigma of being on ADs, you could try telling her this: I always think of it like taking anti-inflammatories for a physical injury - they help to return the abnormal situation to normal.

Wish her the best of luck from me.

[Dior]

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[saythatagain]

I can thoroughly recommend them; like Dior, I'm on 40mg. Slight sicky feeling to begin with and took a couple of weeks to start working but believe me, it was worth it. I only wish I'd done it years ago and not just the middle of this year...I'm me again and I bloody love it!!!

[LittleGoldfish]

Thanks - I have got her to read this & she is thinking about it. I told her if she won't take them then I will I could do with something for my raging PMT.

[lucyellensmum]

she should really give them a go, im on citalopram, its wonderful seriously though, i know a friend who took prozac for PND, she took them for 4 months and was fine. The side effect list is scary, but if you read the data sheet in the paracetemol packet, that can be scary too

[TotalChaos]

Prozac saved my life when I was PG. Had a mildly dodgy tummy for a fortnight on and off when starting them, but was fine other than that. Was 50% better within 2 months, 80% better within 6 months. My depression was complicated by OCD though, so that's probably why it took so long, others may find quicker improvement.

[Dior]

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[TotalChaos]

Hi Dior - have had a few wobbles about DS and his speech problems recently, but also I have been terribly lame - have been regularly looking in on your thread, but not feeling able to contribute as I don't have relevant experience of this stage of a relationship. Lame excuse I know

[Dior]

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[Dior]

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[TotalChaos]

as a recent nursery obs put it, S learns at his own pace. [hmmm].

[PirateoftheScarybeing]

prozac works for me, i refused it for yrs, after beingona very unhelpful ad. then i gave in, and havent looked back.

it works, and i don't care if my 'levels' need boosting for the rest of my life. They keep me alive, i swear.

[Dior]

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[TotalChaos]

I'll put this on a separate thread Dior, feel bad to hijack OP.

[Dior]

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[blushingm]

hi tc - sorry for the hijack littlegoldfish....i've been told i have ocd and depression. i'm on venlafaxine at the moment (had citalopram last year) and my consultant has suggested switching to prozac..........how have you found it helps with the ocd?

[LOVEMYMUM]

I was prescribed Prozac seven years ago following a relationship breakup and family bereavement, stress at work and illness in the family. I also had counselling at the same time as being on Prozac. Prozac helped me beyond words. I still got upset but the lows weren't so low and i recovered my equilibrium more quickly. It helped me to function again.

Fluffyanimal is right - it's like taking antinflammatories. If i had a bad headache, i would take paracetamol (but not now cos i'm pregnant - and got insomnia.).