Fluoxetine for Anxiety and Stress User Reviews (Page 4)

• Liv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2013

"I suffer from chronic anxiety with periodic bouts of mild depression for 20 years. I tried everything...acupuncture, diet, exercise, and 5-HTP. Had a horrible experience with Zoloft and Paxil when I developed depression in college. I tried antidepressants for 2 months but with horrible side effects. As a result, I avoided medications to address my anxiety and/or mild depression through the years. Unfortunately, my anxiety level became unbearable this past year. I tried the following: Lexapro...5-10 mg, absolutely horrible. Made me extremely tired, depressed, and never reduced my anxiety level. Xanax: extremely helpful but still experienced agitation, stress, irritability, and anxiousness. Prozac: 10-20 mg, a life changer. I feel relaxed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2012

"I wanted to share my experience with Prozac for those that are perhaps just starting out, letting them know that it does, in fact, get much better. I have had pretty bad anxiety since childhood and also the symptoms of PMDD for a few years now. To the point that I would schedule events around when I was going to have PMS because it made me so unable to deal with anything at all. I was snapping at people, got easily frustrated with my children, and would feel very down on myself in general. Since going on Prozac approximately 7 weeks ago, I went through a very anxious phase, but the last two weeks have been amazing. I have never felt this happy or calm. I am on 30mg with no plans to stop."

• par...
• August 28, 2010

"I started taking 20mg daily after losing my job, moving to a new house and town, and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. It has been about 20 days, and I am feeling better already. Placebo effect or not, I am handling the stresses of life much better. I mainly chose to seek help because I was wrecking my relationship with my true love. I lost my appetite for the first 2 weeks, but it is coming back slowly. I have not experienced any side effects. I recommend this medicine, and I have never taken a prescription medicine for stress/anxiety or depression before. For those of you looking for some relief and calm - I say Do It. It is definitely worth trying."

• Wic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 10, 2014

"I posted my initial experience with Prozac a few months back, and it still is working great! I have lost a few pounds, still eat much less than before, and my anxiety is all but gone. I no longer need Klonopin, I was taking about 5 of those a week prior to Prozac. I am on a low dosage and have not needed to adjust up or down. Bottom line: my anxiety is under control, and I feel great, without any side effects."

• dda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2015

"Prozac has been a miracle for my anxiety. My anxiety was always like a constant static in my head. This 'static' has caused me to have social anxiety as well. On Prozac, I feel my anxiety (the static in my head) isn't holding me back anymore, I talk to people, and I can finally be happy and free."

• Rai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2024

"Writing my second review now that it’s been 5 full weeks (on day 35). I can’t believe how much better I feel. 5 weeks ago I was having the worst anxiety of my entire life. Horrible obsessive thoughts I couldn’t get out of. I felt like I was losing my grip on my life. I started EMDR therapy and Prozac 20mg. As many on here said, the anxiety got worse before it got better. This forum was my lifeline throughout it. I now feel happy, calm, and free. I am so thankful I got through the side effects. Now at this point the only remaining side effect is sleepiness and fatigue. Some days it’s worse than others - I hope this fades with time. I hope everyone can give this a solid chance and wait out the initial weeks. I know it’s horrible. But whether it’s this med or another, it will get better. Keep fighting."

• Pot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 18, 2019

"Dr. tried me with Prozac. First 8 days were bad. Severe nausea, no appetite, and worsened anxiety. After reading everything I could on the net, I stuck to reading just the positives. Made my mind up to stick with it as I think so many give up too soon. Now day 11, and the fog is definitely lifting. My last 3 days have been so much better. Think of it as a journey and rate each day out of 10. Write it down. Day 1 I scored 3, so pretty low. Day 2-5 scored 2!! Today I’m a 6.2, so please don’t give up on this med. I may score 5 tomorrow, but I WILL NOT stop taking it. I believe in it and that gives me a positive attitude towards my recovery. Even if it is a placebo effect, I’ll take that any day over depression and anxiety. I’ll never be a 10, but the high 7’s will do just fine."

• che...
• August 8, 2011

"I didn't realize how stressed I was until I'd been taking Prozac for 6 weeks and compared myself to what I was like the previous month. I'd been stressed for a really long time. Now, less stressed, I'm more focused and productive at work! I didn't think that was possible. I'm also creative again. I feel I have a chemical imbalance that needed redressed. I always thought having to take antidepressants was a sign of failure, but now I realize it's just a chemical imbalance. Good luck!"

• CBE...
• December 2, 2015

"I've been on and off Prozac for the last few years. I didn't think it was working, but after I started taking mental notes, I realized that I was doing much better on it. I have been dealing with chronic anxiety and PTSD which has, in turn, led me into depression. Based on my experience, I think it's important to note that depression lifting is not like flipping a switch. It takes time for the medicine to work. Now that I've been taking it routinely and not missing a dose, I've noticed that my 'baseline' mood is MUCH better. It happens subtly like a thick fog slowly lifting. I understand that it doesn't work for everyone, but if you're not having side effects and you've only been on it for a short time, be patient and give it a chance."

• 40m...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2024

"It's been a month since I took 40 mg for anxiety and OCD. I already feel the effects. This calms my anxiety and constant obsessive thoughts. There were no side effects. This med is also helping me lose weight."

• Eun...
• August 5, 2013

"I started Prozac 20 mg 11 days ago. The first week, I was feeling very anxious, had a dry mouth, and numbness in my face, but that was only the first week! Now I feel so much better. I can say on the 9th day, I started to feel more focused, my fears went away, and today is my 11th day, and I feel great. Thanks to God and Prozac."

• Opt...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 12, 2019

"I am on day 4. I decided to take this after being antidepressant free for 12 months. The last 6-8 months I have suffered work stress, relationship stress, hormonal PMT up & down as 48 yrs. I felt increasingly irritable and angry at myself - was wanting to be alone as every issue triggered my irritable mood and I didn’t want to affect others. I avoided any help, and tried self-help but just got so hard. Negative thoughts, self-doubt. Day 1 - very bad stomach. Day 2 - nightmares, stomach cramps. But calmer! Felt relief. Day 3 - same stomach issues & self-doubt but still a calmness that I haven't felt for ages and patience. Day 4 - extreme migraine but also a feeling of control over my feelings. I’ll stick with it for the month and hope it helps. I feel like I have failed by taking this but that irritability and anxiety were causing me to feel like I was a nasty person. Fingers crossed."

• Jak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2023

"When I first started taking Prozac, I was extremely nervous. I’ve always had anxiety but decided enough was enough when I started getting terrifying intrusive thoughts. I felt like my mind was stuck in a loop, and it was extremely scary. To anyone like me who has been plagued with anxiety and intrusive thoughts, I urge you to not be afraid of trying Prozac. During the first 3 weeks of Prozac, I would say I felt worse but then began noticing an improvement. After almost 8 weeks, I feel great. I feel like my old self again, and my anxiety is still improving every day. My advice for anyone starting this drug is to be patient, your anxiety might get worse temporarily, but it’s worth it in the end."

• Pog...
• July 1, 2021

"I've had anxiety problems my whole life-my hands have always shook. Once we all started wearing masks, I realized how much I hyperventilate. Sleep evaded me for hours while obsessive and nightmarish thoughts ran on a loop in my head. I have ALWAYS been plagued by guilt and the sense I'm never doing enough. It's made me a heck of an overachiever, and I was used to surviving it, but when my doctor recommended it, I decided to try it. I barely noticed any difference on 10 mg, so I thought I could try 20 mg. Holy smoke. I can sleep. Now I sleep too much! My mind is not a Catherine wheel, and I don't toss and turn. I don't get those constant stabs of adrenaline all day, like I'm constantly on the verge of total failure. The only concern I have is that in decades of anxiety, I got used to resting when it let up for a day or so. The urge to rest that I associate with this feeling of relief is making me lazy! I need to learn how to stay on track for reasons other than fear and guilt."

• Anonymous
• April 8, 2012

"Was always stressed and depressed and blew up on people I love, gave Prozac 6 weeks, it changed my life. I've been on Lexapro and Cymbalta. On 40mg Prozac, couldn't imagine life without it, everything just goes my way now and I'm super happy, and can think clearly, but somehow am still myself, and with no side effects. It's amazing."

• pro...
• August 26, 2014

"Prozac took my worries away. That is all I wanted. I wasn't depressed. I used to wake up at night having bad dreams and worries that went over and over in my head. I couldn't sleep. After starting Prozac, all of that stopped. It did, unfortunately, give me an 'I don't care' attitude about what other people thought of me. My sister complained about that and said I was difficult to talk to. So, I stopped taking it (gradually). Now, I wake up every night again with terrible anxiety thoughts and dreams (mostly about things happening in my life). I haven't heard anyone else talking about this. Any comments?"

• Vic...
• January 19, 2016

"I started taking Prozac 4 weeks ago. For symptoms of menopause... I can't take HRT as I've had cancerous cells in my cervix, which is why I had a hysterectomy. Anyway, I was having palpitations, panic attacks, stress, and anxiety, forgetting words, very emotionally up and down. I also suffer from PTSD from a violent childhood. I have to say I've been so much happier and settled in my mind, this is definitely working for me."

• OCD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2017

"This medication was a game-changer for me. I've suffered from anxiety/OCD/depression my whole life, and for the first time, it feels like I can handle what life throws at me. My anxious/intrusive thoughts still come, but they no longer ruin days/weeks/months. I was very nervous to start this medication because of reviews about side effects, but I honestly believe that most people who come on these sites to write reviews are the exceptions who have bad reactions. The worst side effect I had was losing a little weight, while the best thing it did for me was probably saving my life."

• Sli...
• November 6, 2013

"I'm a teenager and I have had pretty severe anxiety for about 3 to 4 years. It stopped me from doing normal high school things, like going to dances, making friends, and going to parties because those kinds of things terrify me. I went to a psychiatrist, and since my anxiety has been negatively affecting my life, she prescribed me 20 ml of Prozac once a day. This has seriously changed my life. I've tried all the natural medications and techniques that claim to work, but nothing had worked for me. It took a while to kick in, but once it did, I became a whole new person. I've been so happy and can do things without worrying!"

• Pro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2023

"This is my 7th week on Prozac. I decided to finally give it a try as my anxiety and low mood can get the best of me sometimes, and I'm tired of just hoping for better days, living through the misery, and knowing better days aren't coming. This med will affect people in too many different ways, and I've heavily researched all the cons and side effects that come with it. The only negative side effect I've experienced is some mild shaking in the first 3 weeks, like some sort of constant restlessness. I've had insomnia prior to taking this, and it has made it harder to go to sleep in the first 4 weeks, but after that, it did certainly get easier for me. I can't say it has transformed me entirely, but what I can confirm is that I feel relaxed and at peace in situations where I never would before. I care less about certain things and don't ruminate over silly things like before, and it's definitely liberating. I also feel less hungry than usual and fill up quicker on meals, which is a bonus for me."

• Lol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2015

"Third week on Prozac, and I feel great. My mind is clear. I am able to focus on today and not obsess over the future. It's amazing. The first week I started on 10mg, and then the second at 20mg. Only side effects I had were insomnia and nausea for the first week. Still, definitely worth it for me :) I am finally present and not stuck in my mind."

• kne...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2016

"I am 25 years old and I have been dealing with anxiety and depression for most of my life. My GP prescribed me Fluoxetine 20mg and I have been taking it for 2 months now. I could see results within the first 2 weeks - things that bothered me every day were slowly diminishing. It's not like they weren't in the back of my mind, but it's almost like a wall was keeping me from thinking about those issues excessively. Essentially, I don't care about petty things anymore, and I am genuinely happy now! I still have anxiety/panic attacks, but they are not as extreme as they once were. I did have side effects initially: indigestion, headache, fatigue, weakness, yawning, loss of appetite, and nausea. Those have diminished greatly now."

• Spe...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2021

"The first few weeks were awful. My anxiety increased, my sleep was non-existent. However, because I knew to expect these common side effects, it made them easier. I have been on it for 2 years and have been stable, feeling like I am living life."

• ber...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 2, 2015

"I went on Prozac about a year ago after I saw how well it helped my boyfriend. We met two years ago, and I knew he was suffering, but didn't know from what. He and I were soon diagnosed with OCD. I was so wary of taking any meds, especially any that said 'weight gain' as a side effect because of my obsessive-compulsive behavior with my appearance. One day, my boyfriend said, 'It's okay if you gain a couple, if anything, you need to,' said in the nicest way. So I finally gave in and started at 10 mg. I later went up to 20 mg, and I noticed I didn't seem to be beating myself up every day, maybe only every few days. I didn't gain any weight, and it even helped with my binge eating disorder. It also helped my more 'intense' feelings to 'normal'."

• Tam...
• April 9, 2017

"I should have been on this sooner. I'm a 26-year-old recent law school graduate enduring the bar exam - unfortunately twice. My first round of studying, I was crying daily, couldn't sleep, was irritable, extremely depressed, and anxious - I am normally these things, but it was heightened by the bar exam. My first time taking the exam, I didn't come close to finishing the exam on the second day. I was crying and couldn't control my panic attacks. Second round of studying for the test, I decided to see a psychiatrist who gave me Prozac. I love it. I feel like a normal person. A better version of who I was. I feel even, I don't have panic attacks, don't cry, I feel great."