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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
My next med combination is going to be Klonopin (just until Xanax XR is released), Mirapex (for anhedonia and motivation), and Prozac. Just looking for ANY and ALL experiences y'all have had with Prozac. I've tried it before at 20mg, for two months. No side effects. But I know the dose needs to be raised higher.
How does the Prozac make you feel? Is there a high incidence of sexual dysfunction in men? I ask because I've heard the worst sexual s/efx happen in women. Is the drug stimulating? Has anyone lost weight on it? Please, just tell me anything you know!
Posted by fallsfall on May 9, 2003, at 6:07:42
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
I've been on 60mg Prozac since September. It took 9 months to find an antidepressant that would work for me (I even tried Parnate) - and Prozac was it!
Prozac gives me insomnia (I proved it one night by not taking my Sonata and staying up all night with a friend in the hospital. So I guess the insomnia does have some uses.). As long as I take my Sonata, I am fine.
It also gives me restless legs at night. I take Neurontin (300mg) at night and it takes care of the restless legs.
I haven't lost weight, but I haven't gained any, either.
I don't know if it contributes to the dry mouth - it may, but I take so many meds it is hard to isolate which causes what sometimes.
Overall, I'm just so happy to find something that does anything for the depression. These side effects are really minor for me.
Good Luck!
Posted by lynn3 on May 9, 2003, at 8:02:09
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
I have been on Prozac for four years, it keeps me calm. No I never lost weight with it. I take it with other meds for depression/anxiety.
Posted by colin wallace on May 9, 2003, at 8:22:15
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
>
> How does the Prozac make you feel? Is there a high incidence of sexual dysfunction in men? I ask because I've heard the worst sexual s/efx happen in women. Is the drug stimulating? Has anyone lost weight on it? Please, just tell me anything you know!Hi Ame,
I take 10 mg brand Prozac daily, and I find that it gives me an almost instant uplift in mood-it literally makes me smile(even when I really don't want to!)No weight gain/loss.
It follows that it is of course quite activating;
great if you're suffering from lethargy etc., but often counterproductive(short term) if you're suffering with anxiety too.
One cautionary thing - it can cause restlessness and agitation in some, and it did that to me,untill I discovered I became hypomanic on all AD's without first having a mood stabilizer in place.(BP 11).
It has however, turned me into 'Floppy Boy', so if you want to pull out of our date, I'll understand.... *_-
Ps. Lots of info on ssri induced sexual dysfunction on PB tips.
Posted by Snoozy on May 9, 2003, at 11:14:35
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
I've been on Prozac many times over the years. But I've never taken Paxil or Effexor again - that probably says something. I never had any weight change on it - possibly 1 or 2 pounds less. It does tend to be activating. I usually have some insomnia when first starting (but I like that).
If you didn't have any side effects at 20mg for 2 months, that's very encouraging.
It's also available in 10mg tabs now, so you can adjust the dose more easily. It can be kind of rough to go from 20 to 40. And there's no terrible withdrawl like there is with Paxil and Effexor, Zoloft too.
I'm thinking about going on it again. Good luck to you!
> My next med combination is going to be Klonopin (just until Xanax XR is released), Mirapex (for anhedonia and motivation), and Prozac. Just looking for ANY and ALL experiences y'all have had with Prozac. I've tried it before at 20mg, for two months. No side effects. But I know the dose needs to be raised higher.
>
> How does the Prozac make you feel? Is there a high incidence of sexual dysfunction in men? I ask because I've heard the worst sexual s/efx happen in women. Is the drug stimulating? Has anyone lost weight on it? Please, just tell me anything you know!
Posted by dave40252 on May 9, 2003, at 11:37:30
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
Been good for me at 40 - 60 mg. Works well for depression, without the "i don't care about anything" feelings i found with celexa. I find it more activating than the other ssri's i have tried. Makes me a little restless, but nothing serious. Only major side effects for me are sexual, and the same ones i get from ANY ssri and/or effexor.
tried effexor, wellbutrin, remeron, serzone, alone - no sexual side effects, but they didn't work for me either. Tried various combos of all of the above to no avail. Tried adding ginkgo, yohimbe, ritalin, - no help.
saw a post on here about claritin - and i actually think that helps a little. That and low dose viagra together have worked pretty well. I would say things are 90%
ymmv
Good luck to you
Posted by colin wallace on May 9, 2003, at 12:14:16
In reply to Re: Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by dave40252 on May 9, 2003, at 11:37:30
> saw a post on here about claritin - and i actually think that helps a little. That and low dose viagra together have worked pretty well. I would say things are 90%
>
> ymmv
> Good luck to you>>I liked viagra too.I tried it a while back(before I had any sexual dysfunction)and I was flinging myself around the bedroom like a ninja on glue.
Just thought I'd share that.Col.
Posted by Edgefield on May 9, 2003, at 14:10:43
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
I'm taking the generic form of Prozac (Fluoxetine). I've heard that the generic isn't as effective as Prozac, but I'm pleased with Fluoxetine.
I know that many posted about it being activating, but it makes me sleepy so I take my 10mg. at night. All SSRI have made me sleepy with the exception of Zoloft.
When I was taking 20-40 mg. I did not have an appetite. Which was good because I had put on weight from taking Lexapro.
It was very easy for me to decrease from 40mg. to 5mg. and now back up to 10mg.
I've just recently combined Wellbutrin along with Fluoxetine in hopes of improving my mood and ridding myself of this derealization.
God Bless
Faith
> My next med combination is going to be Klonopin (just until Xanax XR is released), Mirapex (for anhedonia and motivation), and Prozac. Just looking for ANY and ALL experiences y'all have had with Prozac. I've tried it before at 20mg, for two months. No side effects. But I know the dose needs to be raised higher.
>
> How does the Prozac make you feel? Is there a high incidence of sexual dysfunction in men? I ask because I've heard the worst sexual s/efx happen in women. Is the drug stimulating? Has anyone lost weight on it? Please, just tell me anything you know!
Posted by jack smith on May 9, 2003, at 16:03:32
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
I thought it was working well for you? You may be giving up on meds way too fast.
Posted by jrbecker on May 10, 2003, at 10:48:27
In reply to Re: Please, need info from Prozac users/former users! » Ame Sans Vie, posted by Edgefield on May 9, 2003, at 14:10:43
Prozac is by far my favorite of the SSRIs. I am quite sensitive to most ADs, so my optimum dosage was probably 10mg. At this level, the sedation was minimal.
In my opinion, the "feeling" you get from Prozac is much less numbing than you get from the other SSRIs. It acts on GABA too, so perhaps this is why it's great for anxiety for some people -- I really never found prozac all that activating since I took it at such low doses.
ANnother thing to note about prozac is that it is an antagonist at the 5HT2C site, which is quite the opposite effect from all the other SSRIs. As a result, there is an increase in dopaminergic/NE activity in the prefrontal cortex. It's my belief that this is the reason prozac is a better drug for treating anhedonia than the rest of the SSRIs.
http://biopsychiatry.com/fluox5ht2c.htm
The two biggest complaints from taking prozac were sleep disrution (usually only at higher doses) and sexual dysfunction. Both of these are probably exacerbated by its long half-life. In the end, they seemed worth the sacrifice considering the other options in the class.
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 10, 2003, at 11:36:39
In reply to Re: Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by jrbecker on May 10, 2003, at 10:48:27
Thanks a lot for the input guys, it really helps! Now just one last question if you don't mind... for you, does Prozac seem to be weight neutral? Or am I going to balloon up like I did on this Lexapro, lol?
Posted by Jack Smith on May 12, 2003, at 16:23:19
In reply to Re: Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by jrbecker on May 10, 2003, at 10:48:27
JR, you are a wealth of information!
> Prozac is by far my favorite of the SSRIs. I am quite sensitive to most ADs, so my optimum dosage was probably 10mg. At this level, the sedation was minimal.
I thought you preferred Celexa, my favorite SSRI that pooped out. Hmm, I wonder if Prozac would be good for me. What is your opinion of Prozac-zyprexa combo or would you say too many risks?
>
>It acts on GABA too, so perhaps this is why it's great for anxiety for some people -- I really never found prozac all that activating since I took it at such low doses.I've never found ANY drug activating, including Wellbutrin and adrafinil (those did not sedate me though). Never tried stimulants. Do you think a stimulant would do well with Effexor? What about a stimulant to counter the beginning sedation of Remeron?
>
> ANnother thing to note about prozac is that it is an antagonist at the 5HT2C site, which is quite the opposite effect from all the other SSRIs. As a result, there is an increase in dopaminergic/NE activity in the prefrontal cortex. It's my belief that this is the reason prozac is a better drug for treating anhedonia than the rest of the SSRIs.
>That's interesting but don't you think Prozac would have less sexual side effects than the rest of the ssri's because of its 5ht2c antagonism?? I always thought it was one of the worst ssri's in this regard.
Thanks,
JACK
Posted by jrbecker on May 12, 2003, at 23:18:46
In reply to Re: Please, need info from Prozac users/former use » jrbecker, posted by Jack Smith on May 12, 2003, at 16:23:19
overall, I prefer prozac over celexa, but in combo with other meds, I've found that celexa is a better base med. B/c of Prozac's long half-life, it can exacerbate my sleep issues when in combo with other drugs.
There is nothing wrong in considering a prozac/zyprexa combo. In fact, Lilly is manufacturing both compounds in one pill now. Or did you mean by "risks," just increased risks of side effects. I don't have any experience with APs so I'm probably not the best one to ask, especially about comboing it with an AD. Maybe some of the other posters with that experience, such as Ritch or Scott can help answer that.
Stims are great if you can handle the rebound- depression frequently reported. It sounds like you might, considering your tolerance of wellbutrin. perhaps you should try a long-acting version to try it out to see if it balances the daytime sedation with effexor. if you like the feeling of the stimulant effect (I don't) then it's a matter of finding the right one and the proper dosing schedule. If this fails, I would suggest looking into a few more options 1) nicotine patches, 2) light box therapy, 3) very low doses of pregnenolone or DHEA (be careful). I would also experiment taking the effexor at different times. Can you get away with taking it in the ealry afternoon without causing sleep disrup? Or what about at bedtime, any luck there? How about taking it divided doses throughout the day. And by the way, how are you sleeping? If you're getting uneven sleep, then that's part of your problem.I would try out these options before you go for the remeron. Once you buy into the remeron, you're gonna have to sit tight and adapt to the sedation for a while. Make sure that effexor is really not worth it before you ditch it.
As for prozac and sexual dysfunction... It's mostly the 5HT2A antagonism that helps with the sexual dysfunction more than 5HT2C. And, unlike other SSRIs, Prozac's half-life is so long that there's really no waning of the effect by night-time (presuming you're taking it in the morning). Other factors are also likely at play.
JB> JR, you are a wealth of information!
>
> > Prozac is by far my favorite of the SSRIs. I am quite sensitive to most ADs, so my optimum dosage was probably 10mg. At this level, the sedation was minimal.
>
> I thought you preferred Celexa, my favorite SSRI that pooped out. Hmm, I wonder if Prozac would be good for me. What is your opinion of Prozac-zyprexa combo or would you say too many risks?
>
> >
> >It acts on GABA too, so perhaps this is why it's great for anxiety for some people -- I really never found prozac all that activating since I took it at such low doses.
>
> I've never found ANY drug activating, including Wellbutrin and adrafinil (those did not sedate me though). Never tried stimulants. Do you think a stimulant would do well with Effexor? What about a stimulant to counter the beginning sedation of Remeron?
>
> >
> > ANnother thing to note about prozac is that it is an antagonist at the 5HT2C site, which is quite the opposite effect from all the other SSRIs. As a result, there is an increase in dopaminergic/NE activity in the prefrontal cortex. It's my belief that this is the reason prozac is a better drug for treating anhedonia than the rest of the SSRIs.
> >
>
> That's interesting but don't you think Prozac would have less sexual side effects than the rest of the ssri's because of its 5ht2c antagonism?? I always thought it was one of the worst ssri's in this regard.
>
> Thanks,
>
> JACK
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 13, 2003, at 1:58:40
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
Me on prozac. (Took it 9 years ago for 6 months)
Emotions: better than depressed, but with a limited range. not as happy or as sad as normal.
Motivation: Low. I felt so good about everything, I wouldn't have cared if I flunked out of school or got evicted or anything negative. I would have blown it off.
Creativity: gone.
Intellect: Lower. Any thought that would give me an unpleasant feeling -- and analyzing almost anything could create this -- would disappear down a rabbit hole.
Relationships: They improved while I was on the drug.
Weight: I definitely lost weight and had less appetite.
Withdrawal: Fairly mild. Quit cold turkey and felt exhausted for about a week.
p.s. I hope you can find something better.
Posted by Ritch on May 13, 2003, at 8:13:02
In reply to Please, need info from Prozac users/former users!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on May 9, 2003, at 3:15:13
> My next med combination is going to be Klonopin (just until Xanax XR is released), Mirapex (for anhedonia and motivation), and Prozac. Just looking for ANY and ALL experiences y'all have had with Prozac. I've tried it before at 20mg, for two months. No side effects. But I know the dose needs to be raised higher.
>
> How does the Prozac make you feel? Is there a high incidence of sexual dysfunction in men? I ask because I've heard the worst sexual s/efx happen in women. Is the drug stimulating? Has anyone lost weight on it? Please, just tell me anything you know!
I took a microdose (range 2-5mg/day) for about seven years with lithium. It was less sleep disruptive than Zoloft, more efficacious (for depression) than Celexa, less *numbing* than Zoloft,Paxil,Luvox, or Celexa. If it wasn't for the buzzsaw effect it has on my GI tract (IBS), I would probably still be taking it.
This is the end of the thread.
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