Fluoxetine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• FrankA
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2019

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I've been on prozac medication for going on a week for anxiety and depression. So far the side effects are really kicking me. I’ve been going thru nightmare these past of couple of days but like all meds I know you have to experiment with yourself and go thru it for a bit to finally understand. I used to take Effexor for depression and it was the same the 1st few weeks until I finally felt some benefits. After I year break from meds I decided to get back on meds since my depression was coming back. But this time my doctor recommended prozac. Due to experience I knew the 1st few weeks I was going to suffer until my mind and body adjust to the meds. It’s always like this for SSRIs meds and it sucks. But everybody is different with each med. I will try to push my way to at least 2 weeks and see if I can manage. I’ll keep updating to see if I made it, if not then I’ll discontinue this med. Hopefully this gives great benefits soon."

• Stars...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 25, 2018

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Currently on lovan/prozac 40mg per day, after trying effexor, cymbalta, then zoloft. Took 20mg per day for about 1 month & as I had few side effects but felt it wasn't really helping with my depression, my dose was up to 40mg per day. Now I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm unbelievably unmotivated, I don't want to leave the house, in fact I don't really want to do anything except sleep. I'm not crying all the time, like I was but I don't seem to be able too, so I'm not sure that's such a positive. I feel kind of numb I guess. Not sure it's the right antidepressant for me......after trying several without any real relief, I'm not sure what is & would just like a break from the depression. I've dealt with it for so long & I need some motivation to actually live life.....back to the drawing board I guess"

• Edie
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2020

"Hi , I've been on fluoxetine for 1-2 weeks.so far so good. I was put on 20mg as I was currently taking 150mg of sertraline. I have felt better on fluoxetine. My GP recommended it, as it is longer lasting. No thoughts of hopelessness or suicide have come up, if it does go there instantly dismissed. I'm trying fluoxetine at night as it makes me drowsy. I would recommend this med if other meds aren't working. All the best in your journey to recovery."

• Brezie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "My doctor switched me from Cymbalta to Prozac after the Cymbalta didn't seem to be working for me any longer. I started out taking 10mg per day, now I am taking 20mg per day. I had been taking the Prozac at night before going to bed but noticed I was having a lot more trouble getting to sleep. After reading the dosing information, I realized that I needed to be taking this medication in the morning. So I will start that in the morning by holding off my dose tonight. For the time that I've been taking this medication, I have not had depressive episodes that I was unable to handle and taking the depression test, it was not as high as it had been in the past. So for now, I will continue this med but just change to taking it in the morn."

• Gabe
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2022

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I took Prozac for Major Depressive Disorder. I would definitely say I was severely depressed and had suicidal ideation. Also some nights could not sleep and the nights I could sleep would only sleep a couple of hours. I went to see a psychiatrist (something I always recommend for mental disorders. I do not recommend a General Practitioner) and he prescribed Prozac for depression and Seroquel for my insomnia. I’m not gonna lie nothing changed much for about 3 1/2 weeks but on day 24 of taking those meds it’s as if there was a complete and total change for the good. I say all of that because you gotta hang in there as it takes a while for meds to “kick in”. I have been on these meds for over 5 months and I will follow my psychiatrist’s instructions. I feel great. I am thankful to God for my psychiatrist and these meds. Oh and I take 40mg of Prozac and 200 mg of seroquel per day."

• FedUp
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2019

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I have generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. From 14-22 years old I tried so many different medications and none of them worked so for several years I didn't take anything at all. Prozac is the first medication I've been on in 5 years. I started at 10mg. For the first three weeks I was amazed at how good I felt, not anxious at all and really no obsessive/intrusive thoughts, and then the scales started to tip. I've spent a month feeling like I'm going absolutely out of my mind, the depression and anxiety and obsessive behaviors have been ramped up times 1000%. I can't remember the last time I've been this suicidal. I went to the doctor and she immediately took me off of it. Let's hope the withdrawal isn't too bad. I really wanted this to be the thing that worked for me."

• EL Do...
• September 16, 2020

"I was against medication, specially for my daughter that is 13 years old, she was getting worse with suicidal thoughts and depression. She has therapy, I did help her but wasn't enough. Finally I listen to the psyche starting with Fluoxetine. She started with a very low doses, within the first week she got better. She is getting better and better, two weeks and I can see a huge difference, of course and therapy."

• Nadethi
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2019

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I tried Prozac for 5 weeks, it made me feel awful. Shaky, brain felt wired, nauseous, made it difficult to sleep, and the last 4 days on this I was severely depressed and feeling suicidal which is what led me to stop taking it. At that point I felt like I was on it long enough to be getting some benefits, but I felt worse than before. I had success for many years on Paxil (paroxetine), unfortunately it stopped working for me and I was at the highest dose. I also suffer from anxiety. Fluoxetine actually felt like poison to my body, even though it was supposed to be okay according to my Genesight test results. Very dissapointed."

• Angel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 1, 2023

Prozac (fluoxetine) "As far as depression and suicidal ideation goes, Prozac along with therapy, community and setting boundaries have helped to change my life. I've been on just about SSRI/SNRI/other med on the market just about (give or take a few) and I just have a different, more positive outlook on life since I started taking it. The only drawbacks are it does seem to mess with my sleep (more so in the beginning), not that I can't sleep on it it just makes me feel like I require less of it whereas my body knows otherwise...& gave me some tics when I first started on it and still every now and then (worth it), and it doesn't always work for major anxiety (however I have panic attacks and despite what doctors tell people because of the benzo stigma in the US, these meds are for anxiety they are NOT for panic disorder), but if you're looking for a medication to ease your depression/suicidal ideation, this may be the one for you too."

• Light...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 20, 2017

"I have had severe depression accompanied with suicidal thoughts, since I was about 12. I'm 22 now, and sought treatment when I was 17. I tried Zoloft, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Remeron, and even tried to self-medicate with Heroin. Prozac/Fluoxetine, 20mg a day, was a game changer for me. It came with no side effects, and a month into it life seemed so much brighter, and I was given my life back. If it weren't for Fluoxetine I would be dead by now. I've been taking it for 3+ years and no plan on stopping. Please, if you suffer from depression, give Prozac/Fluoxetine a try. It has literally saved my life. Good luck to you all."

• Anonymous
• March 6, 2019

"I started taking Prozac in October 2017 after trying Wellbutrin and Vistaril. The Prozac though has been the first and only antidepressant to remove the “heaviness” I feel weighing me down when depressed. I took Prozac for a year at 20mg, and when I was functioning the best I had ever done so in life, I decided to try life without it. I went 6 months with no medicine and relying only on meditation, but I found myself going back down into that dark place. I “lost it” at every agitation, got angry a lot, had suicidal thoughts without the Prozac. Now, I’m getting back on at a 10 mg dosage. It’s been 2 days and I already feel calmer and able to handle life again. Plus, there seem to be no weight gain or sexual side-effects at 10mg. I honestly feel like I can’t function like the “other half” do without an antidepressant. So, needless to say I highly recommend Prozac. It adds a calm to my life I wouldn’t have otherwise which allows me to live my best life."

• Tierna
• October 8, 2016

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I know this is a process, but it sucks. I'm now taking 40 mg of Prozac and it literally does nothing for me. I started with Zoloft, and at least that was an appetite suppressant Both Zoloft and Prozac just make me tired, which is the opposite of what I'm looking for. My goal is to gain energy and be able to do...anything...other than sleep."

• Haley...
• January 12, 2016

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I started Prozac as one of my first anti depressants for MDD It made me horribly sick. I was nauseous all day, and wouldn't eat for days at a time. I stayed on it to try and get thorough the side effects but they wouldn't stop, I was throwing up every other day One day I woke up and I started to violently shake, This lasted for over 12 hours until I ended up in the hospital with Tachycardia. This was a horrible experience and months later I still have stomach and heart issues, I'm on new medications now, But because of my bad experience I get very anxious when I take them"

• gibb
• December 6, 2015

Prozac (fluoxetine) "For the first time I've been on Prozac. I talked to my provider and we decided it was the best this is my second week. I didn't realized I suffered from OCD intrusive thoughts Now those are gone, I feel tired and sleepy which is rare on me, I am taking other meds as well so I do not know if I should attribute this to Prozac or not. So far seems like it was a good idea. I am monitoring my behaviours being mindful about what I am doing not in a OCD way though."

• San...
• March 26, 2015

Prozac (fluoxetine) "It's a good antidepressant, for mild depression, and food related issues. Took it long ago, was not enough by itlself, so I needed to combine it with other antidepressants. Sexual effects, sense of nothing really matters, mild happiness, long time, 3 weeks to kick in, and tends to pop out in about 2-3 months."

• Mer...
• June 21, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Been on this medication for a few years now. I've tried Viibryd, Lexapro, Prozac, and Paxil and Prozac has worked the most efficiently. It doesn't seem to me like I'll ever find an antidepressant that makes me feel like sunshine and rainbows. It just numbs the pain really. I have major depression and while I do wonder if there are any "happy" pills that up your mood significantly, I'm too afraid to try any other antidepressant. especially after switching to Paxil. I became very depressed on Paxil"

• Proza...
• June 19, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I have struggled with anxiety and depression for about 25 years. After almost dying from meningitis in 1993, post traumatic stress disorder became an issue as well. My general physician recently diagnosed me with major depression disorder as well. She is an amazing Doctor who took extra schooling for psychology and pain management. She suggested I try Prozac. I had heard so many bad and controversial things about Prozac, but decided to ignore the naysayers and try it. I've been on it about 2 weeks. Not noticing too much yet, but I am going to hang in there as I know it can take 6 to 8 weeks for full benefits. I realize I can't expect something to work right when I want it to work. it takes time. Giving it a chance. Will update."

• taylo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2022

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I’ve suffered from depression for a long time and was taking 20mg generic Lexapro for years which seemed to work and kept my mood even with no side effects. Recently a health scare gave me brand new illness anxiety, panic attacks and worsened depression. Lexapro wasn’t working anymore. I was started on 10mg Prozac 4 days ago by my psych, to go up to 20 after a week. So far side effects have just been some drowsiness and feeling jittery/slightly anxious after taking. I will come back in a couple of weeks with an update. The reviews here give me hope! It’s been a hard 3 months. I will also note I’m seeing a psychiatrist and doing bibliotherapy/CBT. We can do this!"

• Kieres
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2024

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I got on Prozac after trying Lexapro. Prozac does wonders for my depression! I was no longer tired during the day; I was sleeping well at night. But I had one major side effect that completely put a wrench in my day-to-day life. I had the worst vertigo you can imagine! It was constant, all day and night, I couldn't move my head to look at someone without feeling like the world and my vision was spinning. I told my doctor, and she said it couldn't be Prozac giving me vertigo. I stood my ground with her and demanded to be taken off of it. After weaning off, I no longer felt that vertigo. Of course, my depressive symptoms all started to return. I would recommend Prozac if you're looking for something that keeps you mentally active during the day and uplifted. But be warned! Vertigo might not be a symptom for everyone, but it sure was for me. So don't let anyone tell you otherwise if you're feeling a side effect."

• CatNav
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 25, 2018

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I started on prozac in 1990 and went off just over a year ago. So it was a total of about 28yrs. I was on 80mg a day but at one time they had me on 160mg!!! This is a great life saving medication. When I first started my family called it my "chill pill". It made things not seem so bad sort of like, oh no, you cut your arm off. Let's just pick it up and go to the doctor's so they can sew it back on. You have to work at finding the time of day to take it so that it works best for you. The side effects that affected me the most was the headaches. They triggered my migraines in numbers and strength. At times I would forget and/or put off taking it and I could definitely feel myself hitting below rock bottom. The original doctor prescribed Prozac and Phentermine at the same time. He wouldn't do anything unless I went through therapy too."

• Nicolas
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2019

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I've been on this fluoxetine for 5 months,I don't think it did a lot for my depression but it definitely gave me more energy and improved my concentration. I am taking 40mg fluoxetine along with 150mg Efexor."

• Dd33e...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 17, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I started taking Prozac January 19th 2016. I ended Prozac April 19th 2017. It did nothing but horrible things for me ! I had major behavioral issues I could not control myself or my actions or thoughts . I was feeling down constantly always had issues. When I was taken off of it my behavior changed! I'm a complete different person . No suicidal thoughts nothing. Yeah I have depression here and there but I just have to get thru this on my own. I suggest you don't take this medication ."

• 29FCA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2021

"I wish I asked for prozac sooner. I've been suffering with negative emotions since I was 13 and I was just too embarrassed to discuss them. Virtual care has given me courage as I don't have to show my face. I was started on fluoxetine 20 mg on month 1 and titrated up to 40 mg for month 2. I will be on 60 mg for the next 2 weeks, 80 for another month, and then I will go on the 80 mg once a week prozac. Most of my bad days have been eradicated. It didn't work the first month but by the second month I began feeling not sad. Be patient and trust the process. I am grateful for mental health research. Stay happy and healthy everyone."

• Grate...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 25, 2017

"My story is very long. But to get to the point, Fluoxetine is the ONLY antidepressant that helped me. Brain injury caused my problems with anxiety and depression. I was born highly sensitive to medications. I’m VERY thankful for Fluoxetine. I had some side effects in the beginning, and had to work up from 10mg to 60 over a period of a few months. That was very difficult. But, the side effects eventually did go away. I went from the deepest form of depression possible, to a very satisfactory quality of life within a few years. I still struggle with issues related to a brain injured person, but, the Fluoxetine was one of the tools that saved my life. And I’m very thankful for this medication. "

• Livin...
• March 29, 2018

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I have been on this medication almost a year taking 60mg once a day. These are the side effects I have noticed. It seems to cause memory loss (I had a photo graphic memory) and insomnia. This may be what is causing the fatigue. I have gotten so fatigued since starting this medication that it interferes with my ability to function normally. I feel like it has also taken away my ability to truly feel my emotions. NOTHING bothers me anymore and if it does, it is for a very short time then I seem to forget it bothered me at all. This is good in someways and not in others. I now have to take other medications to counteract the side effects of this medication. Not sure what I’m going to do as far as staying on it. It has not caused weight gain for me and the side effects I listed are really the only I have noticed but they are severe and effect me on a daily basis."