Prozac--effective? What's your experience been?

So, I've been feeling depressed recently, and can't seem to find the will to do anything about it. I'm going to be graduating from college in a couple of months, and after that I have a job lined up out of the country for the coming year. But I just don't know how I am going to make it until then. I can't find the will to step out of my apartment, not even to go to class or hang out with friends, or anything. I'm not really in danger of failing out--I only have to pass one class to be certain to graduate, and I'm doing fine in that class, but the fact that I can't bring myself to do anything is bothering me. I started Prozac last week, the first time I've been on any sort of medication.

My question is, does anyone else who's been on prozac have anything to say about it? Good, bad, ugly? Or, in general, any other advice?

 

I only have one horror story to give you.

They gave my sister-in-law prozac for post-natal depression; she started having suicidal thoughts and quit taking it.

I was prescribed prozac once, for anxiety, but never took it.

 

My mum used to take them, she had to stop as they made her aggressive

 

Prozac was the first drug in it's class (SSRI's or Selective Serotonine Reuptake Inhibitors). I never took it myself, but I know that since then there have been lots of newer, cleaner SSRI's to hit the market. I've been on celexa myself for a bit. I dont know if it worked because I was on zyprexa at the same time. I did feel better though, but I don't know which drug did it.

SSRI's have a pretty nasty reputation, especially in the new age naturalist crowd, but they do work for some people. Just be mindful that you are on a drug. If you start acting or feeling weird - don't go crazy asking yourself what is wrong with you and all. Just remember you are on a drug, and if you dont like what it's doing, talk to your doctor and find something else.

Try to take a good look at your life however. There's a reason why you are feeling like this. I'm not talking about some kind of chemical imbalance. I'm talking about something making you feel this way.

 

Different drugs work different for different brains, so don't discount a drug based on what other people experienced.

Personally, prozac pulled me out of a deep depression but then in "pooped out" after 9 months. I tried taking again this time around and I've apparently developed some sort of resistance to it and it made me suicidal.

But again, it works differently for everyone, but make sure you arn't JUST taking prozac, but that you're also in therapy

 

I never took Prozac persay, but i was on zoloft (sertraline), which is pretty similar (being an SSRI and whatnot).

Zoloft stole 3 years from my life. I was a different person on zoloft, it fucked with my head bad. I was depressed when they put me on it, but the reason they put me on it was for OCD (was recently diagnosed at the time), and it definitely didnt help with that. Psilocybin mushrooms on the other hand, did wonders for it.

They put me on it in grade 8, and it gave me delusions; i forced myself off of it and didnt tell my parents. Withdrawl was terrible too, my teachers said i looked like death. My rents found out i was off it a few months later, and put me on it again.

By grade 10, i was doing lsd, lsa, shrooms, and alot of pot, so i think that combined with the zoloft was terrible for my mind, and i started losing empathy and started developing shizophrenic symtoms. My parents, being the reactionary type; almost forced me into drug rehab (when they took me there, the lady asked me some questions, laughed, and then said this is for people who are addicted to meth, not the 15 year old acid head types.

So, halfway through the summer of '08, after several run aways from home (and getting detained by the cops) my psychologist suggested i get off the zoloft. I was weaned off it over the course of 4 weeks-- when those 4 weeks were done i was completely normal and had no symptoms of insanity anymore. (Still got Hppd, but im pretty sure thats here to stay lol)

here i am, 3 years later. I think the zoloft affected me way more than the acid or other psychedelics because ive been doing psychedelics ever since and ive always been fine. the zoloft started making me paranoid and uncaring way before i started experimenting with drugs, and i have no wish to ever return to zoloft. ever. People who i knew when i came back to school said i was a way more relaxed person now, and id definitely have to agree. cant even really express how i felt when i was on it, but i really enjoy not being batshit crazy. It also helps that im not smoking weed 3 times a day anymore or eating shrooms every weekend and acid every 3rd weekend tho lol

One of my friends became suicidal on both zoloft and prozac, he is now off them but is unfortunately still battleing a deep ongoing depression.

 

All that Prozac has done for me - at all - is contribute to sexual impotence.
However, just two days ago, my doctor prescribed me Wellbutrin, which I've yet to begin taking.
I'll just have to wait and see how the two work together.