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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by theo on June 9, 2003, at 17:07:54
Was wondering if good old Prozac might be worth trying for anxiety and mild depression??
Posted by Lasagne on June 9, 2003, at 19:12:20
In reply to Anyone have good results taking Prozac for anxiety, posted by theo on June 9, 2003, at 17:07:54
I actually take Prozac and Buspar together. They have worked as a good combination for my depression and anxiety for years now.
If your anxiety is more obsessive compulsive in nature, then just Prozac might work for you.
Although, if you are having stess related anxiety with panic attacks, I would recommend trying the Buspar first.
Maybe you will need both, but doctors like to try one thing at a time to see how things go.
I had actually taken Prozac for 8 years for depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It wasn't until I started to have panic attacks a couple of years ago from extreme anxiety that I started the Buspar. It did wonders for me.
Good luck. Finding the right medication sometimes takes a while.
Posted by Chris O on June 10, 2003, at 11:37:26
In reply to Anyone have good results taking Prozac for anxiety, posted by theo on June 9, 2003, at 17:07:54
> Was wondering if good old Prozac might be worth trying for anxiety and mild depression??
I suffer from constant generalized anxiety, obsessive thinking. I have taken Prozac alone and in combination with Wellbutrin for anxiety. Like all of the SSRIs, I experienced some relief from my anxiety with Prozac, but it was not complete. The psychiatrist I was seeing at the time wanted to up the dosage substantially (I was on 20mg/day; he was telling me to try 40,60,80mgs, etc.), but I was not comfortable with that. On the other hand, Celexa and Luvox also have the same effect on my anxiety as Prozac, so I don't know if there is really any difference among them.
Posted by Lasagne on June 10, 2003, at 13:32:48
In reply to Re: Anyone have good results taking Prozac for anx » theo, posted by Chris O on June 10, 2003, at 11:37:26
> > Was wondering if good old Prozac might be worth trying for anxiety and mild depression??
>
> I suffer from constant generalized anxiety, obsessive thinking. I have taken Prozac alone and in combination with Wellbutrin for anxiety. Like all of the SSRIs, I experienced some relief from my anxiety with Prozac, but it was not complete. The psychiatrist I was seeing at the time wanted to up the dosage substantially (I was on 20mg/day; he was telling me to try 40,60,80mgs, etc.), but I was not comfortable with that. On the other hand, Celexa and Luvox also have the same effect on my anxiety as Prozac, so I don't know if there is really any difference among them.***For years I took just 20 mgs. of Prozac, when I changed doctors my new doctor suggested that I be on a higher dose of Prozac in order to get maximum results for helping with my obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. Increasing the dose to 60 mgs. made a huge difference in how I felt. For me it was the beginning of feeling better than I ever had. I wished I would have made this increase years before. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to your doctor about increasing your Prozac dose. Several months after the Prozac increase I was going through some stressful life changes and began to have daily panic attacks in the morning. That is when my doctor put me on Buspar 30 mgs. It knocked the anxiety in the butt and I felt even more freedom from the cloud that was covering my life. A year and half after this I decided to try reducing my Prozac down to 40 mgs. from 60 mgs. and continued taking the Buspar at the same 30 mgs. This is where I started to go downhill over a six month period. I became depressed again and the anxiety symptoms and irritability came back real strong. Now I am back on 60 mgs. of Prozac and still taking 30 mgs. of Buspar and I feel like I am getting grip on life again. So don't be afraid to try a combination like Prozac and Buspar together and when you find something that really works, don't be dumb like me and try reducing your doses down. If it works, stick with it! I feel like I lost several months of my life when I was on my downturn. I had to accept once and for all that I will be on Prozac for life, that is if I want a productive meaningful life.
Posted by pseudonym on June 11, 2003, at 1:37:48
In reply to Anyone have good results taking Prozac for anxiety, posted by theo on June 9, 2003, at 17:07:54
Prozac did seem to help my anxiety initially, but I suffer from powerful anxiety in social interaction situations, and it was not that effective against my fear of evaluation/criticism. Prozac made me feel more mellow, but it did not cure or curb my extreme sensitivity to other's perception and my self-awareness was as strong as ever.
Posted by Viridis on June 11, 2003, at 8:12:25
In reply to Re: Anyone have good results taking Prozac for anxiety, posted by pseudonym on June 11, 2003, at 1:37:48
Clearly the effects vary -- Prozac increased my anxiety greatly, even after months of use at various doses. I would never touch it again. My current pdoc considers it the most anxiogenic of SSRIs and says he generally avoids it for anxiety-prone individuals. But obviously it's helpful for some people. Just be careful and go slowly with dosing.
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 13, 2003, at 8:06:56
In reply to Anyone have good results taking Prozac for anxiety, posted by theo on June 9, 2003, at 17:07:54
Prozac was not so great for anxiety for me. I felt very 'activated' and agitated on it.'
Also, it gave me a very 'who cares?' attitude towards my responsibilities. This led to greater anxiety due to not getting things done!
This is the end of the thread.
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