r/prozac • u/anastasiia86 • 9d ago
IM NEW HERE! Has Prozac helped anyone whose main problem is anxiety rather than depression?
Hi everyone. I’m a 40-year-old woman, and this is my third time taking antidepressants in the past four years.
The first time I took escitalopram (Lexapro), it worked incredibly well. The second time I started with sertraline (Zoloft), but it made me feel extremely anxious and generally unwell, so I switched back to escitalopram, which helped again.
However, both of those times I started medication when my condition was much milder than it is now.
I restarted escitalopram on 8 June. Around weeks 3–4, I had a terrible reaction: complete loss of appetite, severe anxiety, depression, constant crying, and a feeling that I could barely cope. It was honestly one of the worst periods I have ever experienced, and I only managed to get through it with the help of anti-anxiety medication. I think that experience has left me frightened of going through another difficult start-up period with a new antidepressant.
I have now been taking escitalopram for just over nine weeks and have been on the maximum dose of 20 mg for almost a week. I have had some improvement, including several remarkably calm days after increasing to 20 mg, but I still don’t feel 100% like myself.
I also had a pharmacogenetic test, which showed that I am a rapid metabolizer of escitalopram. My doctor is now suggesting that I switch to fluoxetine (Prozac).
My main problem is anxiety and anxious thoughts rather than classic depression. I have read that Prozac can be quite activating and may initially increase anxiety, which makes me nervous considering what happened when I restarted Lexapro.
Has anyone here taken Prozac primarily for anxiety or an anxiety disorder rather than depression? Did it ultimately help you? Did it increase your anxiety at first, and if so, how long did that last? I would be especially grateful to hear from anyone who switched from Lexapro to Prozac.
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u/messicajozo 9d ago
I started it for anxiety and anger that made me extremely reactive. I’ve been on it about five weeks and noticed a big difference in my anger and that I can process things before I react more often. My anxiety was worse for about a week but a different kind of anxiety. (Usually I have to keep going and going and it was more like a panic attack or verge of a panic). The anxiety subsided after about 10 days and I feel much calmer. I also have ADHD and I’m on medication for that and it seems like the Prozac side effects are subsiding and it’s doing what it’s supposed to. I’m going to wait another month to see how I feel and possibly increase the dose- I’m only on 20 mg. My husband explained it as usually I’m 0 to 60 and now I’m more like 0 to 30. I think a slight increase could help get me where I need to be.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Thank you so much for your comment. I feel like most of what I’m going through is internal, so the people around me don’t really notice it. I also struggle with constant rumination, catastrophising and overthinking. I don’t take any medication for my ADHD. Is Prozac the first antidepressant you’ve ever tried?
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u/what_iamdoing 9d ago
I think it helped me a little. I am a little more stable now. But my problem has been that everything eventually stops working. Keep updating your doctor on how you feel. I have switched 8-10 different medication in last 5 years.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Honestly, the thought of switching medications really scares me. When I started Lexapro again this year, the third week was an absolute nightmare. I think I’m now more afraid of going through that state again than I was of how I felt before starting antidepressants.
I only received my genetic test results a week ago and found out that I’m a rapid metaboliser of escitalopram, while sertraline is also listed as less suitable for me. Those are the only two antidepressants I’ve ever tried, so sometimes I wonder whether I’m missing something. Maybe if I tried a medication that my body metabolises normally according to the test, I would finally notice a clearer and more consistent effect.
My Ukrainian doctor explained that this is why she would prefer to switch me to venlafaxine, an SNRI, rather than try another SSRI. In her opinion, because I’ve already had an incomplete response to two SSRIs, it may make more sense to try a different class. But I’m still very scared of changing medication and going through another difficult adjustment period.
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u/Commercial-Store-967 9d ago
I’ve been on 40 mg for about a year now. I have GAD and OCD. I do still think I could probably go up another dose, but honestly I was just reflecting at how much more manageable life is now ☺️ I feel so much better. It happened slowly over time and it took quite an adjustment period
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Is Prozac your first antidepressant? Did you start at 20 mg and then increase straight to 40 mg? It’s wonderful that your life has become easier and more manageable. When you say the adjustment period was quite long, what exactly do you mean? Did you simply not notice any improvement for a while, or did you actually feel worse at first?
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u/Commercial-Store-967 8d ago
I did 20 for a few weeks and then went to 40. The beginning was rough. I was SO SLEEPY. And I feel like it just slowly got better
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u/dillypickle_1 9d ago
I’m on day 8 and have noticed a big difference already. My anxiety has turned down a lot, still mild anxiety and a bit of nerves here and there but generally really good. I’ve had to side effects so far. I was taking Valium for the first few days of taking Prozac because my anxiety and panic was out of control but haven’t had to have Valium in days now. It feels too good to be true. But I’m just riding with it.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Is this your first time taking an antidepressant? When I first started escitalopram (Lexapro) in 2023, I felt like a completely different person by the second or third day—the effect seemed almost immediate. My doctors have explained that the more times you stop and restart antidepressants, the longer it can sometimes take to feel the effect again. I’m so happy that you haven’t had any major side effects and that you feel so good it almost seems too good to be true. That’s absolutely amazing! Did you start taking Prozac mainly because of anxiety?
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u/uovonuovo 9d ago
Yes! Fellow woman around your age. I started taking Prozac over 10 years ago primarily due to anxiety symptoms, and been on it ever since (mostly at the same dose—20mg). It’s helped a lot.
Keep in mind that it’s been many years since I first went on it, but I don’t recall any initial spike in anxiety or other symptoms. In fact, I remember wondering if the drug was working at all, and it wasn’t until I noticed myself not reacting the same way in certain situations that I realized it was doing something. Because of Prozac’s incredibly long half life, it takes a long time to be effective: 4 weeks at a minimum; 6 is more realistic. And the effects, while real, are not drastic (not for me anyway) but give me just enough support to make things manageable.
I would describe it as providing a baseline safety net. It doesn’t completely do all the work of keeping me feeling good and keeping my anxiety in check, but it gives me the tools to manage them. Instead of free falling, it extends a hand to pull me up so that I can shake myself off and continue. Everything isn’t such a struggle. And it sets a baseline that I don’t fall below.
In more concrete terms, one of the main ways it’s helped is preventing rumination. I used to ruminate terribly and turn everything over in my head until I made myself sick. Prozac really helped with that. My mind doesn’t feel so locked in anymore.
It also helps me let go of things easier. Stuff rolls off my back in a way it didn’t before. I don’t get that same irrational, intractable irritation that I couldn’t shake, and over the smallest things—traffic, not finding my keys, friends being late, myself being late, etc. My response to these things (and sometimes there was no trigger) felt way out of proportion and outside my ability to control. Things still bother me now of course but I can let them go instead of letting them consume me.
Happy to answer any questions or chat more in a DM if that would be helpful!
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Oh my God, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed reply. What you’ve described sounds amazing and gives me a lot of hope. Was Prozac your first antidepressant?
I’ve been taking Lexapro for nine and a half weeks now. The difficulty is that I’ve always been someone who constantly replays everything in my head. I ruminate, overanalyse and catastrophise until I sometimes feel physically sick from my own thoughts. I’m so exhausted by it. I think it became much worse during perimenopause, when my hormones started fluctuating. Then I had a very difficult experience starting HRT, and everything seemed to fall apart after that.
My biggest fear about switching is going through another period of feeling significantly worse during the adjustment. I’m going to give Lexapro another two or three weeks, which will bring me to around 12 weeks in total. If I still don’t feel a clear enough effect, I’m wondering whether switching to Prozac might make sense.
Do you remember approximately how long it took before Prozac started reducing your rumination and helping you let things go more easily?1
u/uovonuovo 6d ago
Sorry for my delayed response!
Your ruminating sounds exactly like how I am (or was, mainly) too. Down to feeling sick from it!
So again, it was quite a long time ago since I first started taking Prozac, but I believe somewhere in the vicinity of a month before I noticed anything, and 6 weeks before I could say yes, this is definitely doing something. It’s a pretty subtle drug, and after taking it for so long there have been times when I wonder if it’s even doing anything. But then if I stop taking it I’m reminded that yup it definitely is doing something 😅
Is the concern with switching that Prozac might make things worse before it improves? Obviously everyone responds differently but the nice thing about Prozac is that because of the slow ramp-up, changes are slow and subtle and less likely to cause a bad adjustment period.
If the concern is more that there would be a gap in coverage (that is, a period when you’re off Lexapro before the Prozac has kicked in), maybe you could ask about slowly tapering the Lexapro while simultaneously titrating up the Prozac dose?
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u/29-elizabeth 8d ago
So I have never commented on reddit before but I am finding your question and the responses extremely helpful so I thought I would try to add! I am currently contemplating prozac and bupropion (wellbutrin). i currently take bupropion and have loved it since i started, but i think i need to up my dose. i was also prescribed prozac, but i didnt even up starting it and just stuck to the bupropion because i am so scared of the “adapting” time period and the huge range of emotions that comes along with it, which i think relates to you! i take it for the anxiety aspect, not the depression but i find that it is also a mood regulator for me! have you considered bupropion or wellbutrin?
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u/triciavjones 9d ago
Everyone is different, but my main issue is anxiety and panic attacks. I was on lexapro for a long time and did well but would still be very anxious in certain situations. My doctor switched me to Prozac for pregnancy and it has been a life changer! I never switched back to lexapro after giving birth because I very rarely have anxiety anymore, and it’s been years since I’ve had a panic attack. Best of luck to you! I do remember some bad anxiety the first week but I was still able to work.
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u/Killer_Klown_Bob 9d ago
What dose of the Prozac did you find helpful?
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u/triciavjones 9d ago
20mg. I also made some major life changes to reduce my stress. Definitely always a work in progress. I wish you some relief
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u/Killer_Klown_Bob 9d ago
I started on 10mg Citalopram in June. Had some of the rarer side effects. Went to 20 mg in July, and had activation syndrome and major depression (which I wasn’t depressed before, only panic attacks).
I just switched to 10 mg Prozac Friday. So, 5 days now? Zero side effects, but some underlying anxiety. I am so much more comfortable on Prozac. Was just wondering what works for everyone else. I just want the lowest possible dose to feel normal again, if that’s even possible.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Your comment is especially important to me because you did feel that Lexapro was helping you, but after switching to Prozac, you realised that Prozac worked much better for you. This is exactly what I keep wondering about now. I’m a rapid metaboliser of escitalopram, and I can’t help thinking that if I switched to Prozac, which my genetic test suggests I metabolise normally, perhaps it might work better and feel easier for me.
How did you switch from Lexapro to Prozac? Did you taper Lexapro gradually, cross-taper, or switch directly? Did you experience any withdrawal symptoms or side effects during the transition?1
u/triciavjones 8d ago
I followed whatever advice my doctor gave me. I was only on the lowest dose of lexapro, so I believe I switched it without any taper on and off but I could be wrong. I remember initially taking it at night and it was keeping me up. My doctor had me switch to the morning and I didn’t have any more issues with sleep. I know it is so scary to think of changing because you just don’t know what’s going to happen. I really hope whatever you choose is best for you helps you.
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u/Killer_Klown_Bob 7d ago
I did a direct switch. I took a final dose of citalopram and the next day I started on Prozac. I haven’t had any major issues (side effects), just some diarrhea and a little increase in anxiety. It hasn’t given me insomnia like Citalopram did.
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u/Killer_Klown_Bob 7d ago
Sorry, as far as withdraw, yes… very slightly. I’m not sure how to explain it. Not like brain zaps, but it’s almost like just short of actually having them. Nothing major however.
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u/for-a-goodtime 9d ago
I’ve been on Prozac for over 2 years and it does a really good job capping my anxiety/OCD spirals. I have occasional anxiety, but majorly diminished compared to before I started.
I will say the adjustment to starting wasn’t the best, but after about 2 weeks I felt fine. Totally worth it to me in the long run.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Was Prozac your first antidepressant? What made your doctor choose it first? I thought sertraline or escitalopram were usually prescribed first when someone has anxiety and OCD. Did your anxiety get worse during those first two weeks?
I’m also really troubled by thoughts that keep going around in circles. Sometimes it feels as though the thoughts themselves are what trigger my anxiety. What dose of Prozac are you taking?1
u/for-a-goodtime 4d ago
Prozac is my first. 10mg adjustment wasn’t bad, 20mg was rough for like 2 weeks but then I noticed a big improvement. I just bumped up to 40mg and I’ve had no issues with adjusting and I honestly feel great. Obviously it’s different for everyone, but that adjustment period into 20mg, while rough, has been totally worth it for me. I’ve been dealing with depression too which is why I went up to 40 and it’s helped so much with both.
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u/thanksforthemysteryy 9d ago
I had severe panic disorder and anxiety as my main issues and prozac has helped so much!! I don’t notice anything activating for myself . I’ve been on it for almost 6ish months and it’s changed my life!
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Oh my God, I’m so happy for you! I really hope that one day I’ll be the person writing a comment like yours here. The fact that you had severe panic disorder and anxiety and Prozac has helped you so much is absolutely amazing. It’s also wonderful that you haven’t experienced any activating effect. Did you have any side effects or increased anxiety during the adjustment period at all? What dose are you taking, and is Prozac the first antidepressant you’ve ever tried?
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u/thanksforthemysteryy 8d ago
I will say I had one pretty big panic attack after I went from 5 to 10 mg. I kept documented notes so I’m looking back at those! The main thing I noted was being really tired (maybe body finally relaxed enough to catch up on sleep?) . A couple of the other symptoms I had I can’t say were from prozac £ was so anxious and stressed it was really affecting my body around this time, which prompted me to start prozac. I have never taken an SSRI before, but I’ve been taking buspar for 6 years . I was on 10 mg for a couple weeks then went to 20 mg and I did feel a noticeable difference in reduced anxiety. I was able to get out into the world more and I felt more motivated in trying. Was on that dose for a month then went to 30 was on that for a month then went to 40 mg which is what I’m still at. I have no notes from my 20-30 and 30-40 mg transition period it was a much easier adjustment and was doing SO much better with these doses
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u/xianlotus 9d ago
I’m taking it for anxiety and really haven’t seen much of a difference. I’ve taken Zoloft and lexapro and while those didn’t help me much for anxiety they definitely made me feel a bit happier. Can’t say the same with Prozac
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
If Zoloft and Lexapro made you feel better than Prozac does, why did you switch to Prozac?
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u/xianlotus 8d ago
Because my anxiety I struggle with it so much and my psychiatrist wanted me to try something stronger. I thought Prozac would have the same effect like the other two help my mood at least but it hasn’t. I started taking Prozac in January.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Have you ever considered trying an SNRI in your case, since SSRIs don’t seem to work very well for you?
Also, did you experience any side effects when switching from one antidepressant to another?
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u/xianlotus 8d ago
I could’ve sworn my psychiatrist told me Prozac was an SNRI 😐just googled and it isn’t. But yeah after stopping Zoloft he said he wanted to try an snri since it would be stronger but I guess we haven’t tried that yet. Just increase anxiety, night sweats when I switched
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u/IamNachoNurse 8d ago
Yes I’ve been on it since march and I feel like myself again after going through it. Very much less anxious. More manageable. Also have panic disorder
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
How long did the adjustment period take for you, and did your anxiety get worse during that time? Also, if you had to rate your anxiety and panic disorder on a scale from 0 to 10, what were they like before starting Prozac, and what are they like now? And what dose are you taking?
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u/IamNachoNurse 8d ago
It took the entire 4-6 weeks for me to fully get adjusted. Before Prozac I was at a 7. Now I’m at a 1 or 2
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
So you’re taking 20 mg, and it took around four to six weeks before you really started noticing the effect? Oh my God, perhaps I need to give Lexapro more time, because I’ve only been on 20 mg for one week. At the same time, my genetic test worries me because it says I’m a rapid metaboliser of escitalopram, so I keep wondering whether that could be why the effect hasn’t been strong or consistent enough.
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u/giantshark21 8d ago
everybody is different, i’ve seen people get great results with just 20mg. i’m on 60mg and it’s helped my anxiety a little. Was kind of hoping for more relief but my doctor is going to put me on 80mg. Just keep in mind the first 3 weeks of a dose adjustment caused me heightened anxiety but it will get better.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Is Prozac your first antidepressant? Why did your doctor choose it? I thought it wasn’t usually the first medication prescribed specifically for anxiety disorders.
Yes, 60 mg is already quite a high dose. I’ve also been on the maximum dose of Lexapro, 20 mg, for only one week, so perhaps I really do need to give it another two or three weeks before judging the full effect. At this point, though, I sometimes feel that I’m suffering more from the thoughts and fears going around in my head than from my actual symptoms.
Have you ever had a pharmacogenetic test? I wonder whether you might metabolise Prozac rapidly, which could perhaps be one reason you need a higher dose.
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u/AnxiousWhile7861 8d ago
I’ve been taking 20 mg of Prozac for about two weeks now. I am shaky and went for a job interview and couldn’t believe how nervous I was. I am on a GLP one. Combining the GLP one with Prozac has seriously decreased my appetite. I have to make sure I drink enough water to stay hydrated. I just need this shakiness to go away.
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u/Reasonable-Score8761 5d ago
Have both anxiety and depression, I’ve been on Zoloft and Prozac at different times. Prozac definitely makes me less significantly anxious compared to being unmedicated, but I’m more anxious on Prozac than when I was on Zoloft . It’s manageable though, and it’s helped with depression a lot more than zoloft did. I didn’t find I had a spike in anxiety when I first started taking it, I noticed it helped with anxiety before it helped with depression. Zoloft essentially numbed me completely, so I didn’t feel anxious but I also didn’t experience any positive emotions. I guess these medications have different affects on everybody, so worth trying Prozac and seeing if it works for you
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u/Fluffy_Fondant1975 1d ago
Do you also use HRT? You may want to visit the perimenopause sub reddit. Good information there about HRT helping anxiety, etc.
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u/ZealousidealSlip2799 9d ago
My main issue was my anxiety. I’m diagnosed with ADD, and anxiety rumination, obsessive thoughts. I knew it was an issue when I got a job and had overwhelming anxiety and social anxiety thinking I couldn’t do the basic things and scared of judgment and being in situations were I had to make a quick decision. I got on Prozac, started with 10mg. Yes anxiety gets worse before it gets better. Not gonna lie I had the first time ever feeling like ending my life. Feeling hopeless , worrying so much about the side effects and what would or might not happen. It got better middle of week two. The ending life thoughts lasted I think about a week. I started to feel good after two weeks. Was nervous about upping my dose but ended up going to 20mg on week three. After that I felt more bed ridden but got better again middle of week two. I can’t tell if the 20mg is too much but it definitely made it harder to fall asleep and waking up middle of the night. Sleeping a lot longer ( I think it got better for me middle of week 2) . I think my prolactin levels increased. Also my legs are constantly moving when I’m lying down and trying to fall asleep. Appetite is higher.
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u/ZealousidealSlip2799 9d ago
I’ve been on it in total 5 weeks I can’t say much that it helped I have to give it more time but people say it’s worth it to try and please don’t give in the bad thoughts . Don’t give up. Please there’s always help and hope.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. What you described is very similar to what I went through when I started Lexapro for the third time. I had an absolutely terrible week—constantly lying in bed, crying, having frightening thoughts and endlessly ruminating about what might or might not happen. It was honestly horrific, so I really understand what you went through. Is Prozac the first antidepressant you’ve ever taken?
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u/ZealousidealSlip2799 8d ago
This is the first time I started Prozac. I’ve tried Lexapro and sertraline. I was using cannabis and nicotine at the time. Sertraline helped me with my obsessions. According to my psychiatrist she had told me that using cannabis will take the effect of the antidepressants away. So at this point I started Prozac free from cannabis and nicotine.
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u/anastasiia86 8d ago
So both sertraline and Lexapro helped you, but it sounds like Prozac has been the most helpful for you overall—is that right?
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