First Medication Ever

[Anrish]

Hello,
I got my first medication ever today. And I'm still not sure if I shall take the medicine.

The doctor gave me a receipt for Fluoxetin. Has anyone experiences with this stuff and might share them?

I'm afraid of the side effects concerning my work or my sport...and my mood.

I'll be glad about every advice or answer at all.

 

[joeylittle]

Hey - I've never taken fluoxetine (prozac) - but what were the reasons your doctor prescribed it?

There are always trade-offs with any medication. Some are so negligible that we barely notice the side effects and only enjoy the benefits. Can you share what you are trying to treat?

 

[Anrish]

We are trying to treat the following problems:

- feeling under pressure a lot (not being able to calm down)
- "Ping Pong" in my head, so I can't thing straight and concentrate
- not feeling my body at all

These are the main problems so far.

 

[Kefira]

I'd suggest discussing possible side effects with your doctor and if you're concerned, making sure to keep a really good eye on whether or not you're having mood or behavioral changes. Maybe asking your doctor how they would suggest you could monitor that.

The problem is most medications are going to effect different people differently. I haven't found any medications that work well without effecting my behavior negatively, so I decided to pursue other options because I'm fairly anti-med anyway. My friend has similar presenting symptoms and she swears by her medication and I witnessed how much of a positive change it has made for her.

It's a long road sometimes to find the right solution.

 

[therisa]

@Anrish , I had the misfortune of having fluoxetine (Prozac) interact negatively, with other meds that I taking. But, like @Kefira says, everyone is different, in how their bodies react to SSRI or SNRI. Myself, am taking my 8th anti-depressant, in the past 7 years, and don't plan on taking another one, given how my body reacts to them. I hope fluoxetine (Prozac) works for you, @Anrish .

 

[sun seeker]

I took it many years ago for depression. It didn't help the depression at all but gave me horrible bloody nightmares, dry mouth and constipation. Everyone's different. Hopefully your reaction will be better.
Someone posted recently on a study where taking fish oil capsules along with SSRIs made the SSRIs work better. You might want to ask your doctor about that.

 

[Chava]

I haven't personally had good luck with any SSRIs or SNRIs, Prozac included. But I tried, knowing they help others, and like others have said here it's really an individual thing. It's important to be aware of the potential serious side effects. As for the minor ones, it helps to wait it out and see what goes away...and notice over time if there is any positive trade-off for you. I don't remember having serious side effects on Prozac, just didn't help and made me a little more out-of-touch. For me, the SNRIs (Effexor) were very bad. Be in touch with your doctor especially if mood stuff gets worse or you feel even more disconnected (unable to feel your body, etc). These meds simply effect us all differently.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I think that perhaps you should give it a try.

Having said that, this is my experience, as you have asked for it.

It flipped me hypomanic within just a few days of taking it. The doctor stopped it immediately. Years later when I went to an anxiety specialist, he told me he never gives Prozac to those with anxiety because it has a tendency to cause anxiety rather than cure it. (He was the head of psychiatry at a top US hospital/med school.) He told me that my reaction was not all that unusual.

But, everyone is different. My brother and mother have taken it in the past with no issues besides med burn out. Then again, their anxiety is nothing compared to mine.

 

[Anrish]

Thank you all for sharing with me and supporting me. I will get the medicine next week and then I'll start trying it.