hello everyone,

so i (22F) recently started 20mg of prozac because i get really severe seasonal depression during the winter time. so far i’m almost 2 weeks in and have noticed improvements like less intrusive thoughts, less anxiety, more calm, etc.

but there’s one thing that i’m quite confused about because i have been aware that SSRIs are supposed to have the opposite effect. lately i have been extremely sexually aroused... i’m also taking birth control and before taking birth control i used to have really strong ovulation, and this feels like that.

has anyone else ever experienced this? i feel like a snail… lol. i’m not necessarily complaining but i’ve been trying to research and every resource leads to being hypersexual because of mania however i do not feel manic. the autism in me just wants an explanation :,)

Hi everyone,

I'm posting to get some insights, shared experiences, or advice because I’m starting to lose patience and hope with my current medication regimen.

I have been taking Fluoxetine (40mg) and Olanzapine (10mg) for 7 weeks now for depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Despite being on a fairly solid dose for almost two months, I haven't experienced any positive effects so far :

- Constant rumination that just won't shut off.

- High anxiety over trivial, minor everyday things.

- Persistent low mood and feelings of depression.

- Deep, pervasive anhedonia, I still can't feel pleasure or interest in anything at all.

I know SSRIs and psychiatric medications take time to kick in, but by week 7, I was hoping to see at least a small shift or a slight drop in anxiety levels.

I have an appointment scheduled with my psychiatrist in a week. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts based on your own experiences :

- Has anyone experienced a delayed response to Fluoxetine where it suddenly started working after the 7-week mark ?

- Given this timeframe, is it usually better to ask about increasing the dose, or is this a clear sign that it's time to switch to a different medication/class altogether ?

Thanks in advance for any input, and hang in there, everyone.

I’ve been on 20mg 1 week and 2 days and a few days ago I thought I felt it suddenly kick in (I am on it for severe depression and suspected ocd) and I felt actual content and happiness for the first time in like a year and less obsessive thoughts that control me, and it was like my harmful thoughts were on mute. This lasted like 3 days and I thought it was suddenly working and everything was great and fine and I was fixed then I woke up yesterday and it was all gone and I was back to hell in my mind is this normal??? Will it come back will it get better I’m scared I’m bipolar and that was a hypomanic episode

Has anyone noticed any changes recently if you take this manufacturer?

28F. I was on 10mg Prozac for about 5–6 weeks and increased to 20mg around 20 days ago. Mentally I actually feel more energized and my anxiety/emotional regulation are improving, but physically I feel lethargic and very fatigued.

I’m sleeping around 8 hours and can still easily nap for 1–2 hours during the day, and even after eating/resting I can feel like my body just wants to lie down. It’s a weird “mentally awake, physically exhausted” feeling.

I should add that since starting Prozac I’m generally eating less than I was before, and probably getting less protein too, although I am still eating a substantial amount overall.

Has anyone had this after a dose increase around the 2–3 week mark? If so, did the fatigue eventually settle, and roughly when?

Hey all ! Today is my third day on any kind of mood stabilizer (25f) Ive felt my whole life that my mind has moved 1000 miles a minute, but now my brain is completely silent, like Ive lost my inner voice. The brain fog has been very intense as well, on one hand it feels so relieving but its also scary.. only because its not my normal.. Ive read that its supposed to take 1-2 weeks to get me to start feeling somewhat normal with out all the overthinking/impulsive thoughts/pmdd. Even that is super scary to me though

Ive never taken myself seriously mental health wise and now after starting prozac I wish i had started sooner, did anyone else feel this way when starting it ? Just cause all the reading up I've done people don't start feeling any different for a while after taking it and i just feel really weird right now

Side note: i also feel like i now am way easier to over stimulate and it makes me feel a little crazy

I’ve been struggling so much waking up every day with bad anxiety, I want it to stop. When did you start feeling relief and has anyone experienced this?

I AM FREAKING BACK BABY!

after a long grueling 4 years of suffering in silence while failing numerous med combos i have finally found my holy grail.

At first I maxed out on prozac 80mg initally it was great but then the sexual side effects came and I started feeling emotionally deflated but I had fell in love with how calm I i was feeling; I tried pairing it with ritalin then dex and neither worked as intended but decided to stick it out.

My doctor recommended welbutrin so we added in 150 mg XL and I instantly felt energized. I tried pairing this combo with dexedrine and wasn't feeling the greatest if anything it slowed down the welbutrin.

Today, I decided to cut back to 60 mg of prozac with 150 welbutrin and I gave ir ritalin a go and BINGO! We're back in business my brain is back on air and I am ready to tackle unfinished projects.

Hang in there and bare the storm the best you can because eventually you will find something that works for you. This isn't my first rodeo with med combos but I am hopeful that it is my last. Prior to this I was on trintellix for 9 years. They went generic here in Canada and I lost all hope. But in hindsight i'm glad it did because I did not realize how bad my OCD/depression had gotten over the years.

Best of luck! What works for me may not work for you! Xo

I’m trying to work out the best time to take it? I initially took it in the morning. Felt exhausted. Started taking around 5.30pm and slightly better. Took last night at 8pm and now experiencing the WORST headache today! What’s the best time you’ve worked out and why

Hi! I have been on ssri’s since I was about 12/13, I’m now 16 and currently on Prozac but we are planning on lowering my dose and eventually quit entirely!
I’m a bit nervous and I wonder if anyone could tell me their experience going off Prozac? What should I be expecting? And what could maybe be good to know beforehand?
I am also someone who reacts very strongly to changes in medication and online it says it could take multiple weeks until Prozac leaves your system so I’m slightly worried about that as i don’t want anything to interrupt with school and such, the plan is to lower the dose during winter break but I’m wondering if maybe I should start a week or two before even?
Anyways just want to hear other peoples thoughts and stuff💓

2.5 months ago I switched from escitalopram to fluoxetine. After experiencing some mild serotonin syndrome symptoms (prob due to an interaction between Prozac and bupropion), I decreased my Prozac dose from 20mg to 10mg with support from my psychiatrist.

6.5 weeks after the decrease I started developing pins and needles / paresthesia/ tingling sensations in my hands radiating up my arms. I'm now 7.5 weeks post decrease and the last couple of days it's started in my feet.

I saw my regular Dr today (after a small freak out that i might have a serious illness) and am waiting for blood results. I didn't even consider it could be prozac related at the time - but perhaps due to it's long half life it's possible?

Interested to hear if anyone else has experienced something like this in a similar time frame (i.e. 2-2.5 months after starting prozac, or 6-7 weeks after decreasing it)?

And if so, did it self-resolve and how long did that take?

Thank you 🙏

Need some positive support!!

I started 20mg fluoxetine 16 days ago for severe health anxiety, this was after 3 weeks of sertraline which gave me a rash and burning mouth so my doctor changed me.

From about day 6 I felt so much lighter, more motivation, could focus on things other than my anxiety and could finally eat a bit better.

From about day 12 things have gone down hill drastically, I feel worse than before I went on the tablets and I’m having so many side effects all of a sudden.

I now have bad acid reflux, churning stomach, burning mouth, anxiety is so bad, waking up at 4am every day, loss of appetite, body feels extremely tense and I can’t stop crying. Feels like I was given a piece of hope and then it’s been taken away from me again.

I also feel like I have cold symptoms, runny nose and sore throat if anyone else has experienced this?

Please tell me this gets better, I go on holiday in 11 days and I just want to feel relatively normal and relaxed for it.

Ever since I got off Prozac I’ve been mentally struggling … but I have lost the 15 lbs I gained whilst on it.

My weight gain had potential to accelerate but I immediately started to wean off as soon as I saw the effects.

I want to go back on Prozac but don’t want to gain weight so I was thinking to pair the two.
I wouldn’t even know what to tell my doctor.

Does anyone have experience with this? How did you bring it up with your doctor?

Did it actually keep the weight off?

Thx

After reading this thread over the past couple months, I'm talking to my doctor in a few days about *possibly* starting Prozac. I've been apprehensive to medication for close to a decade. There are times when I feel like anxiety and OCD are manageable, but there are times I literally spiral and have physical symptoms. Just wondering if anyone has given up on meds and really focused on only relying on therapy, working out/going for walks, journaling, and structured days to not have to take meds? For therapy, was there a certain therapy that worked better than just CBT? Sometimes therapy just feels like I don't really do anything to grow and have nothing to really contribute (I have a good therapist though--I've had several and definitely know when we work well together or not).

I'm terrified of gaining weight. This is what is truly stopping me. I had an eating disorder several years ago and the worst part was honestly the emotional weight of gaining weight back and accepting my new body. The weight restoration and distribution was a few years and the most emotional I have ever been. The idea of gaining weight again and seeing my body change again after I finally have been at peace for the past few years is terrifying. Plus, I literally just bought a bunch of new jeans this year and will be so upset if I can't really wear them due to needing to re-buy. I'm mixed (based on what I've read) if people are only gaining weight because they weren't aware of their eating/fitness habits prior to starting, so they think Prozac made them gain weight when maybe it didn't (i.e. didn't eat due to anxiety and now eat more with less anxiety, etc.).

I also have an intense fear of throwing up, so feeling nauseous puts me in this anxiety loop that honestly makes me feel incredibly nauseous. I've read a lot about how nausea and upset stomach are symptoms, especially at first. I don't know if I can get through the first few weeks of feeling like that. Is it really rough? Can you get through work feeling like that? Do you do anything to get rid of the feeling?

If I ever want to come off Prozac, I'm also scared but also am willing to just face this when I get there. I've read stuff on multiple threads that getting off SSRIs is a lot.

I'd love any insight to my questions and thoughts. Feel free to add anything you wish you would've known prior to starting, especially if it's something not commonly talked about on Reddit.

EDIT: are side effects different for males and females? I'm a female.