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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JGm on January 12, 2003, at 6:48:17
Hi,
could you share your experience with prozac in treatment of dep and Ocd?
In particular most common Side effects, the effectiveness of the drug on you and the time that it takes to improve mood and energy?
Thanks very much, I need your help?
JGeo
Posted by Arthurgibson on January 12, 2003, at 7:05:29
In reply to PROZAC: effects and side effects?, posted by JGm on January 12, 2003, at 6:48:17
I found that PROZAC took ages to work on me, about six weeks for "good effect" and ten/twelve for "full effect", but it WAS a life saver.
I felt nausia for the first week. I felt VERY suicidal for five weeks, but this MAY have been the depression, nit the PROZAC.
I felt a "blocking" effect on my anxiety after about five weeks, which brought welcome relief.
I had no sexula problems or toher side effects. I started on fish oil when the PROZAC took effect, (pity I didn't do it before) and stopped the PRZAC three months before the doctor told me to and I have been fine since.
My depression was caused by very severe business and personal problems. I am now going through a second set of severe problems and I am bouncing the problems away like water off a duck's back, with no medication other than the fish oil. So you know where my money is!!
I stopped PROZAC "cold turkey" and just got better every day with no withdrawal problems whatsoever. There seems no need to taper PROZAC.
Great drug, too slow by half. Next time I will try something quicker and accept more side effects as the price for a speedy recovery.
What am I talking about? There WON'T be a "next time."
Posted by Kat26 on January 12, 2003, at 14:52:54
In reply to Re: PROZAC: effects and side effects?, posted by Arthurgibson on January 12, 2003, at 7:05:29
Hello,
I started Prozac for OCD a little over 2 years ago, and it worked within a week or so, but I have heard such a fast response is not the norm? I'm not the only one though.
As for side effects, very very minor... maybe a bit more headaches? I may bruise more easily, which I ahve read may happen. A little nervousness in the beginning.Kathrin
Posted by JGm on January 12, 2003, at 17:18:32
In reply to Re: PROZAC: effects and side effects?, posted by Arthurgibson on January 12, 2003, at 7:05:29
Hi,
I know it could take a lot for working, but can you tell me HOW it worked?
It gave you a brighter mood? more energy? You saw daily things in better way? Gave you more wish to act?......
Thanx for your help!
Jgeo
Posted by ArthurGibson on January 13, 2003, at 6:16:40
In reply to One more question for you! » Arthurgibson, posted by JGm on January 12, 2003, at 17:18:32
It works slowly, but it works to put a "floor" under your depression and anxiety, so it only drops down to a certain point and no more.
It helps your mood to a limited extent, but this varies and sometimes you can get a bit manic.
It sort of "blocks" your anxiety without "fogging" your brain like Valium.
At least this is how it worked for me. Its a great drug, just works too slow, but when it works, it sure does work well.
Posted by HIBA on January 14, 2003, at 0:29:37
In reply to Effect of PROZAC, posted by ArthurGibson on January 13, 2003, at 6:16:40
Dear Arthur,Great, you are being helped tremendously by prozac. But I am on it for a couple of years and it only adds insult to my injuries. It was helpful for the first couple of months and those good effects vanished for good and why I still want to take it is, I can't get it off. Not depression that comes back when I try to quit but some new symptoms like hollow-feeling and a sense of nothingness in my mind. This is exactly not the symptoms of depression, because I have become much familiar with the symptoms of depression. I have suffered more than five episodes of major depression in my life, and still experiencing mild to moderate depression even on being on prozac 40 mg daily. I had to surrender my sexual desire and activeness to prozac in order to keep a sense of well being, but now I am paying those prizes in exchange of nothing. True, valium will fogg human minds in large doses, but prozac freezes human brain. (This is my experience). There was a time in my life when I was on klonopin monotherapy and sun appeared brighter than ever at that time. The betterment klonopin monotherapy brought in my life have still no comparisons. But my life is never the same after my doc disturbed that pattern and put me on prozac.
Anyway each and every patient is different, and if you are doing well with a drug that almost ruined my life, I wish you all the best with the same drug.
HIBA
Posted by ArthurGibson on January 14, 2003, at 3:28:49
In reply to Re: Effect of PROZAC » ArthurGibson, posted by HIBA on January 14, 2003, at 0:29:37
I'm not BEING helped by PROZAC, I'm off it now. It worked for about four months and then I stopped it and took fish oil instead.
I stopped the PROZAC against my doctor's advice and mostly because you told me that it was best to get off it as fast as possible. You were right, I did OK dropping it. I didn't even get withdrawal. Thanks for the advice.
Maybe you should switch to Zispin or something different? Don't you live in the Gulf or somewhere? Do they have a range of ADs available there?
Sounds to me like PROZAC is doing you no good. have you tried the fish oil yet?
Posted by JohnL on January 14, 2003, at 4:42:59
In reply to PROZAC: effects and side effects?, posted by JGm on January 12, 2003, at 6:48:17
It's just my personal opinion, but in general I do not believe any of the SSRIs provide enough action to completely heal someone. Combos with multiple actions are often needed if one wants a full recovery instead of just partial recovery.
That being said, I favor Prozac over the SSRIs. But to really make it work super, it needs a little Zyprexa in the mix. Prozac by itself is nothing incredible, same with all the SSRIS, but when combined with Zyprexa, wow.
Prozac for me seemed to work slowly, if at all, but began working big-time within 24 hours of taking Zyprexa.
Prozac side effects, for me, are minimal. Insomnia is the only one. But Zyprexa wipes that out completely and I sleep great. I have no sexual side effects, and sometimes feel like Prozac actually increases my desire.
JohnL
> Hi,
> could you share your experience with prozac in treatment of dep and Ocd?
> In particular most common Side effects, the effectiveness of the drug on you and the time that it takes to improve mood and energy?
> Thanks very much, I need your help?
> JGeo
Posted by ArthurGibson on January 14, 2003, at 4:58:25
In reply to Re: PROZAC: effects and side effects?, posted by JohnL on January 14, 2003, at 4:42:59
Thanks for the tip JohnL. I hope I never need to follow your advice, but if I do, I shall think of you!
Posted by HIBA on January 15, 2003, at 1:39:29
In reply to I'm off PROZAC ..., posted by ArthurGibson on January 14, 2003, at 3:28:49
Dear Arthur,
Thank you for your post. There is no scarcity of antidepressants in the world. I myself have experimented with ten different brands and if there ever was an antidepressant which helped me to overcome depression without causing much sexual difficulties, my vote will go to that old ELAVIL.(But unfortunately elavil has got some other seious side effects which prompted me to stop it).
I don't believe SSRIs work for everyone. Again I willl never discourage anyone who is being helped with them. Major depression is a true hell and if a drug works, it may not be fun enough to come off that stuff. Let it be an antidepressant or a benzodiazepine what is to be valued is the patient's response. I know there are thousands still enjoy the antidepressant effects of prozac and similar SSRIs. But when prozac first hit the market in the late 80s, some scientists expressed their concern over the long-term effects of the same drug, because long-term effects will only be revealed after an extended period of time. Now almost fourteen years later, SSRIs are no more being considered as innocuous by many psychiatrists. Tolerance to their good effects often occur and unfortunately their bad effects remain and survive. Some seious effects are also being noticed like Inner ear damage, parkinsonism, persistent sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction was noticed earlier, but the persistence is being discovered now, that even after stopping the drug, some patients do not retain their normal sexual function. Even after months of taking the last dose, some testify their sexual function is nowhere near to pre-ssri level. Yes, it could be right. I myself tried a five month prozac free period and my diminished libido remained the same.
I haven't yet tried the newcomer (Fish oil). I don't know whether it is available here. But at first I must know how to come off prozac without experiencing that nothingness in my mind. True, prozac is the easiest SSRI to come off, but my case is quite exceptional.
But still I am not alone in this universe. When I go through the posts in this great board, I realize the fact of human sufferings. I recognize the hardness of finding a match to our problems. The knowledge I am not alone with the sufferings doesn't relieve me, but gives me enormous courage to fight. Yes, I will fight.
HIBA
This is the end of the thread.
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