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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Prozac (Fluoxetine) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Prozac review by 30 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken once a day for the period of 2003-present day |
| Other conditions: | | 0cd, bipolor |
| Other drugs taken: | | multi vitamin only | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | checking myself considerably less, calm my mood swings, helped me think alot clearer, |
| Side effects: | | when I first started them I had stomach cramp, also insomnia for the first week or so, and also got mood swings! which was strange because they got worse for the first few weeks. |
| Comments: | | one tablet once a day administered oraly |
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| | Prozac review by 34 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 40 mg taken once daily for the period of 6 years |
| Other conditions: | | overweight, chronic back pain |
| Other drugs taken: | | buspar, ibuprofen | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Manageability of depression. |
| Side effects: | | Slight weight gain. |
| Comments: | | Take one pill daily until no longer needed. |
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| | Prozac review by 27 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg a day taken once daily for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | anxiety, big appetite |
| Other drugs taken: | | birth control pills | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Having had severe TPM symptoms for many years, I asked my doctor for Fluoxetine. The benefits were a total feeling of "well-being". Without the extreme "high" feeling of anfetamines (taken before as part of a supervised diet regimen). High decrease on anxiety. Appetite more controled. Clearness of my thoughts. Decrease on crisis of depression (specially during the days previous to my periods). More "energy" during the day to the daily things.. decrease on obsessive compulsive (mild) disorder |
| Side effects: | | The side effects with the intake of Fluoxetine for me included mild insomnia, headaches (specially in the beginning of the treatment). Loss of appetite. Mild change in the sense of taste. Little bit of nausea after a big meal. Or something very different from the usual food. Change in mood (varieting a lot specially in the beginning of treatment). |
| Comments: | | Fluoxetine 20mg. Taken once daily (variation: twice daily during week previous to period). For a period of 6 months (at least 3 months; possibly to be discontinued if great increase was noticed). Not to be taken with any other drug before consulting a doctor. Not to be taken with alcoolic drinks. Not to be taken with empty stomache. |
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| | Prozac review by 45 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | sleepiness |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken twice a day for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | addh and severe depression |
| Other drugs taken: | | ritalin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Ritalin made me get up. For the first time I wanted to work. It gave me the good sensation that I could do things. I worked and worked like a bee. Therefor, depression was a thing of the past when I take this medication. It help my mind to focus and stay sharp. I can concentrate better with this medication. |
| Side effects: | | Taking prozac made me more sleepy and I could not get up to do everyday thing. I just kept sleeping or yawning. I wanted my depresion to go away but it did the opposite. Instead of helping me keep me depresed I felted more depresed because I kept sleeping all the time. The medication Prozac with me did not help my depression but rather calm me to the extent that I did not want to do anything. Also I kept going to the bathroom constantly. It takes down my sexual mood and difficulty in getting aroused at all. Ritalin cause my mouth to dry up and kept drinking water like a camel. Jittery effect and when the medication wear off you feel it like large thump. |
| Comments: | | Doctor suggested to take Prozac at night time and Ritalin twice a day. So far it has worked for me a patient suffering depression for more than 15 years and it has helped me the Ritalin. Cannot say about Prozac but I notice that I do not get anxiety attack with it. |
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| | Prozac review by 48 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 10mg daily taken 2x a day for the period of 8 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | synthroid | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Depression was lifted. Anxiety lessened. General feeling of well-being for the first time in my entire life. |
| Side effects: | | decreased sexual function, horrific time trying to stop using it. I was told by many doctors there were no withdrawal symptoms so I thought I was crazy, but I was not. THe withdrawal was very hard and it took me several attempts before I could get off it. |
| Comments: | | I began taking 10 mg. in the morning and 10 mg. at night. THis was the best dose, but as I began to feel the need to get off the drug I eliminated the 10 mg at night. I felt a slight drop in well-being, but adjusted to it.
THe withdrawal rom only 10 mg took several months and required the substitution of wellbutrin on order to get through it.
I now take 150mg of wellbutrin which has a mood stabilizing effect, but not the feeling of "well-being" I had from prozac. |
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| | Prozac review by 27 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 40mg/day taken daily for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | Bulimia |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Lessening of suicidal ideation and an increased ability to complete daily life tasks. |
| Side effects: | | There was a decreased ability to have orgasms and a general numbing not quite stupor in which I existed. There was also a major decrese in appetite. |
| Comments: | | This drug resulted in an unanticipated weightloss of over 20lbs - I went from 128 to 108 lbs. The weight loss decresed the incidences of bulimia. The drug was effective in that I no longer felt depressed per se, but then I didn't feel much of anything. Any combination with alcohol should be avioded - majorly increases its effects! |
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| | Prozac review by 35 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg. taken once a day for the period of past 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | High cholesterol |
| Other drugs taken: | | Lovastatin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Within a few days, my mood, self-esteem, attitude and over-all well-being improved tremendously! I went from feeling suicidal and not being able to funtion properly in order to take care of myself or my family, to feeling better than I had since I was in my teens. I began to lose some of the weight I had gained from being depressed. I was in a wonderful mood and I had so much more energy than I had in years. My overall experience with Prozac has been perfect! |
| Side effects: | | I have had no known side effects to this date. I do watch out for muscle cramps that last more than a week and I have blood work done once a year to ensure that my kidneys are not being affected. |
| Comments: | | I started on 10 mgs. once a day and when that was tolerated well I went up to 40 mgs. This caused some insomnia and nervousness so my Dr. lowered it to 20 mgs. a day. There are still times I get depressed for a few days but that only happens once or twice a year and it is mild. I am looking at being on Prozac as long as my body toleates it, due to once being taken off I went into a fast downward spiral and had to begin again. |
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| | Prozac review by 48 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Anxiety, hopelessness |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg taken once daily for the period of For over 5 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Anxiety since childhood was relieved. Felt free to enjoy life and explore opportunities that once would have been declined due to over anxiety and fear of failure or rejection. Have a much more stable emotional balance. |
| Side effects: | | I think there is some detachement from emotions, even positive ones. There may be no real bottom out lows but there are also no wonderful bright highs. There may be some effects with sexual attachment on the negative side. |
| Comments: | | Only the medication is prescribed, no other forms of therapy are being used. Plan is to stay on medication at this time, due to the percieved stresses of life and fear of going back to what was. |
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| | Prozac review by care giver of 40 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | divided dosage (dosage frequency: twice /daily) for the period of 4 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | According to her & what I was able to observe there was not much benefits to this treatment . |
| Side effects: | | There was terrible side effects while on the treatment but even worst when she tried to stop the medication. While on the treatment the worst side effect was the suicidal thoughts . Also constant dry mouth , headaches .
when she discontinued the treatment the dizziness & the ringing in the ears were unbearable . |
| Comments: | | She had to take anti-nauseated pills for the nausea , dizziness plus other pills for the ringing in the ears .
She succeeded after two agonizing months & will never take prozac again.
I think every doctor should inform patients of the withdrawal side effects of this drug . |
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| | Prozac review by 50 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 60 mg. each morning taken every day for the period of 18 years |
| Other conditions: | | anxiety, mild psychosis |
| Other drugs taken: | | ativan | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | this anti-depressant has basically saved my life. i have suffered with severe depression and anxiety since childhood. whether these problems were caused by 'nature or nurture' can be difficult to ascertain, but in my particular case, i believe it was both. while i was a victim of severe sexual, physical and verbal abuse from a very young age through my teen years, i also seem to have been born with an unusually 'sensitive' disposition, and can get very emotionally and mentally disturbed at times with very little provocation. everyone who knows me well considers me a very emotional person. at any rate, it has been the prozac that has helped me in dealing with the stresses of even everyday life. i first started feeling suicidal in adolescence, and unfortunately, this is still a constant problem. the prozac, i am convinced, has helped me keep these feelings in check, and although i was just hospitalized for my depression late last year, i am still alive and kicking. i completely believe that it is the prozac that has saved my life. before the advent of these types of antidepressants, all that was available were the tricyclics. those never worked for me the way the ssri's have. although they did achieve in putting me into a stupor-like condition, they never seemed to alleviate my depression. the prozac does. while it doesn't rid me of the problem completely, it has been absolutely invaluable to me, and i believe it is the main reason i am alive to write these words to you today. i am fortunate in that i have never had a single side effect from the prozac. actually, there has been a complete loss of libido, which could be a major problem for alot of people; for me, however, this is not a problem, because i am celibate, and have been for 20 years. trust me, i had enough sex in my younger years to last me for the rest of my life. i feel i should mention that i have known many people who take prozac and who have not had any sexual problems at all. |
| Side effects: | | initial dosage was 20 mgs. each morning. this dosage was sufficient for about 5 years, at which point it was raised to 40 mgs. each day. ultimately, the dosage was raised again approximately 2-3 years after the first increase to my current dosage of 60 mgs. each day. this is apparently the maximum dosage. only side effect was loss of libido. |
| Comments: | | basically you need to see a psychiatrist as often as your condition requires. i also recommend concurrent visits with some type of therapist or counselor, as this will increase the benefits you receive by taking the medication. |
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| | Prozac review by 52 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | antidepressant |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20-60 (dosage frequency: 1) for the period of 7 yrs |
| Other conditions: | | fatigue, disassociation |
| Other drugs taken: | | Seroquel | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Initilly uplift in mood and sensory clarity |
| Side effects: | | the side effect is noticable when usage is stopped. An under-reaction to situations that needed more intensity. "Too Mellow" even at the least dose 20mg.After being off this med, my children informed me that they liked me better when I was " too easy" and would give in to them.
While taking this medication it stopped working, confused, burst into tears, then just "change my mind", hyper ventillation. this was very frightening as I was taking the medication, it was increased and I felt that I was "losing it", not knowing that the medication had failed |
| Comments: | | Initial weaning onto medication, then basically tweaking med as observed by practictioner with therapy. I decided to end the medication as it was not doing anything as a life benefit. this medication simply masks symptoms so that the patient "feels" functional.And most importantly, I no longer trusted it. I also now believe that DSM diagnois, as used in the general public (myself included) excuses inept doctors from forming medical diagnosis, doing the investigative work and testing to EXCLUDE biological conditions. Why do I think this? My 14 year old daughter "mentally crashed" and it was her thyroid, which affects among other organs THE BRAIN. My thyroid tests has been flucuating, but, since the medical doctor stated " I don't know if I should treat you for hyper or hypothyroid....I got dumped into DSM and prozac. A travesty. |
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| | Prozac review by 45 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken 1 per day for the period of 1 1/2 years |
| Other conditions: | | na |
| Other drugs taken: | | na | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Definite improvement in mood, particularly at the beginning of treatment. Much better stability with moods and PMS symptoms in particular. I do think that I don't feel it is as effective now as when I started but still feel better than without it and would not stop treatment. |
| Side effects: | | At the beginning of treatment, I had a tremendous difficulty sleeping and felt jittery. Passed after a fews weeks. Definite drop in libido since treatment started, rated the side effects as "moderate" above for this reason alone. |
| Comments: | | Take 20 mgs once per day. I have to speak with my Dr by phone every third refill and visit in office twice a year to discuss how treatment in working. |
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| | Prozac review by 58 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg/day taken once per day for the period of 10 years |
| Other conditions: | | lupus |
| Other drugs taken: | | imuran, lipitor, avapro | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Prozac helped in toning donwn my depression. Prozac was effective for the first 5 years then my depression slowly started to become worse. I then had to be placed on Wellbutrin for about 2 years, along with Prozac and yet my side effects from Prozac increassed to the point where I was taken off prozac. |
| Side effects: | | The main treatment side effect began as increased depression and slight shaking in my fingers and hands. Over time the shaking turned into tremors which I could not control. Then I was placed on Wellbutrin with Prozac and finally weined off of Prozac and the tremors subsided. |
| Comments: | | I took Prozac once a day in the morning with my other medications. At first my depression was under control but after about 5 years the depression began to become more intense. I was then placed on Wellbutrin with Prozac and my depression soon was improving. However, I started noticing hand shakes which progressively got worse. So after 2 years of Prozac and Wellbutrin I was told to stop Prozac. Within 6 months the shaking/tremors subsided and my depression is now fine by taking only Wellbutrin (150 mg/day) |
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| | Prozac review by 59 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | DEPRESSION |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken once a day for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | allergic rhinitis |
| Other drugs taken: | | aerius, nasonex spray | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Maintained a general feeling of well being and being able to cope with life. When I stopped the treatment (gradually) the depression returned after a couple of months. Having suffered from depression periodically over a number of years, I feel my quality of life has increased with Prozac. |
| Side effects: | | None |
| Comments: | | One 20 mg tablet once a day, in the morning. |
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| | Prozac review by 55 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 3 months |
| Other conditions: | | na |
| Other drugs taken: | | thyrozine 2mg | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | resolved the depression, but side effects where too troublesome to continue |
| Side effects: | | severe restless legs - especially at night. This made sleep difficult and I had to discontinue the drug.
My doctor was NOT aware of this as a side effect of Prosac, and sent me to another doctor for an additonal consultation before he would change the medication.
Now I believe the side effects are more well-known. |
| Comments: | | I suffered from depression after my mother committed suicide, and I sought treatment. I was given prozac, and no other treatment. I did research on treatment for depression and after suffering side effects from Prozac, I began using exercize to treat my depression. It works very well. |
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| | Prozac review by 45 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depressio |
| Dosage & duration: | | 40 mg. taken daily for the period of 10 years |
| Other conditions: | | hypothyroid |
| Other drugs taken: | | synthroid | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Relieved depression. |
| Side effects: | | Gastrointestinal. |
| Comments: | | I take one pill a day. |
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| | Prozac review by 34 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg daily taken daily for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | relief of depression, "floor" under worst moods, increased confidence, less sadness. Allowed patient to function normally in work and social situations |
| Side effects: | | Loss of libido, occasional fatigue. Jittery feeling when dosage was temporarily increased to 40mg |
| Comments: | | Was originally prescribed medication by psychiatrist, continued prescription from GP after cessation of psychiatric treatment |
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| | Prozac review by 45 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression with anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg taken daily for the period of currently |
| Other conditions: | | insomnia |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Within 3 weeks I noticed a "lifting " of mood and a general sense of being more energized and interested in everyday activities. I was far less concerned about things which had previously worried me and felt more enabled to engage in social activities again. |
| Side effects: | | The drug was somewhat over stimulating leading to mild feelings of panic. If not taken with food it caused stomach burning. It dramatically exacerbated my insomnia and suppressed my appetite and libido. |
| Comments: | | The dose was prescribed in capsule form at 20 mg to be taken daily, preferably in the morning. |
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| | Prozac review by 42 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken 1/day for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The drug seemed to effectively treat the symptoms of depression for a year or so. After the first year or so the depression seemed to come back now and then - although it did seem to be cyclical. |
| Side effects: | | Nausea if taken on an empty stomach, shakiness, dry mouth. |
| Comments: | | There were no other details of the treatment. I changed to another drug that worked more effectively and have been on that one for several years. |
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| | Prozac review by 57 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 10mg daily taken daily for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Within a week, I felt as if dark cloud of loneliness and unbearable sadness had drifted away. |
| Side effects: | | I had some GI issues, some bloating and intestinal gas, but this went away after a few weeks. |
| Comments: | | Initially I was a participant in a blind study, which lasted about six weeks. I suspected that I was not in the control group because of my dramatic results. Following the study, we were each given a consultation with the physician who was overseeing the test. He was the head of the Psychopharmacology Department at the University of Pennsylvania. He explained to me how the drug worked and suggested that I stay on it for a while. I remember he remarked how I walked the first few days of the test, and how different my demeanor became after the first week. I stayed on the drug for close to two years, then weaned myself off. |
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| | Prozac review by care giver of 32 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg taken daily for the period of 2years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | overal improvment in mood, cognitions and phyiscal symptoms. feelings of helplessness, worthlessness gradually subsided. Negative cognitions e.g. suicidal ideations were dimenshed, although it took a while for it to happen |
| Side effects: | | Initially, in the frist two weeks of being of the medication patient complained of drowziness, sleepiness and feeling even more tired. However, the severity of side effects had slowely wore off. |
| Comments: | | After being assessed by a psychiaterist using differnt scales for depression, the patient was diagnozed with moderate to severe deprssion. The patient was then commenced on Prozac 20mg daily which was then to go up to 20mg daily. some side effecteds were reported during the firt two weeks, but they gradually wore off to minimum. The patient was on the medication for 2 years. The results were an improved mood, changed( positive outlook to life) and improved motivation and apetite |
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| | Prozac review by 41 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg increased to 30mg taken 1 a day for the period of 10 years |
| Other conditions: | | sleepiness - extreme for at least 6 weeks |
| Other drugs taken: | | trazadone | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Reduced depression and feelings of hopelessness within 3 weeks. I like being able to increase dosage when things get a little rough and then back off to the original dosage when things settle down. |
| Side effects: | | Extreme sleepiness, feeling "out of it". It was really hard to work and be on this medication. I wanted to give it up as I literally could not stay awake but I made it though the first 6 weeks and things were better after that. I have been on it for 10 years now and do not notice any side effects. |
| Comments: | | Took pill once a day and visited therapist once a month. After awile, I didn't go to the therapist anymore and I was extremely even with just the medication. |
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| | Prozac review by 48 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken 1 x for the period of 12 years |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | Allegra | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My mood swings decreased, I was less irritable. When I would be blue, I would not go into a deeper depression. It just evened me out. I also had a head injury and it seemed to help in the recovery from that. |
| Side effects: | | In the beginning, I had loss of appetite, and become tired. But that ended after about two weeks. |
| Comments: | | I had one on one counseling with a therapist. I have taken 20 mg everyday for the past 12 years. I have tried other medications but they have not worked nearly as well for me. |
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| | Prozac review by 51 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg. per day taken once daily for the period of two years |
| Other conditions: | | migraines; rheumatoid arthritis |
| Other drugs taken: | | celebrex, enbrel, imitrex | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My mood was stablized, and I was able to take advantage of cognitive therapy. Without the medication, I was not able to benefit from CT. |
| Side effects: | | Mild sexual dysfunction; nothing else. |
| Comments: | | I took 20 mg. of Prozac once per day, in one tablet. It took about 6 weeks for the drug to reach its peak effectiveness, which is one of the drawbacks of this anti-depressant therapy. I tried others, but they didn't work nearly as well as Prozac. |
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| | Prozac review by 19 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Ineffective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken once daily for the period of 3.5 months |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | None |
| Side effects: | | None |
| Comments: | | Took for several months, told my doctor it was NOT making a difference so she doubled the dose to 40 mg. I couldn't stand the thought of putting more chemicals in my body if they weren't doing anything so I never filled the doubled prescription and focused on counseling, which made a difference. |
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| | Prozac review by 57 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken one a day for the period of currently and for over a year |
| Other conditions: | | pain |
| Other drugs taken: | | vicodin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The combination of the two drugs helped me cope with my pain and depression, which seem to be related. I'm able to cope with most of life's difficulties and am not sleeping as much. With the vicodin helping with the pain, when I do sleep I find it's much more restful and satisfying. I still have a long way to go and I believe that I will need to take these two drugs for a while as I tried quitting the prozac and immediately resumed the depression. |
| Side effects: | | A little more sleepy and lack energy. Also, it's obvious with the prozac that I'm at a point that I'm not able to go off of it without replacing it with something. The vicodin doesn't seem to be a problem with side effects as long as I don't take more than one tablet at a time (500/5). |
| Comments: | | I've had depression and pain for some time. They have both caused serious problems in my life. I found myself isolated and sleeping far too much. I did some research and found that lack of seritonin could cause an increse sensitivity to pain so I was hoping that my pain would subside with this treatment. So far, I can't tell the difference. My doctor seems to be concerned about taking the vicodin but I'm more concerned about the long term effects of the prozac. Only time will tell. |
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| | Prozac review by 17 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 80mg taken trice a day for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | anorexia |
| Other drugs taken: | | zyprexa, motilium, pharmaton, letter, etc. | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I felt better mood, optimism towards life in general, greater control of portion sizes. My recovery from anorexia was not easy, so I had a few months of moderate bulimia. It was then that my dosage grew bigger: 3 pills of 20 mg per day, though some days I would have 4 pills. |
| Side effects: | | don't recall |
| Comments: | | it takes very long, and requires a very large amount of patience. |
|
| | Prozac review by 52 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 40 mg taken once daily for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | thyroid disorder |
| Other drugs taken: | | Levothyroxine | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Before I began taking this, I had experienced a long time, chronic depression. After about one month of taking this I began feeling much better. Although things still are not perfect, and I have very blue periods, it has at least made life tolerable. |
| Side effects: | | Reduced sex drive. Had quite a normal sexual appetite before using this, and it has decreased dramatically. |
| Comments: | | Began taking 20 mg daily then increased it to 40 after 3 months. Might help more if I were to go to some type of counseling, which I have not. |
|
| | Prozac review by 55 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken once a day for the period of about 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | depression was alleviated to a functional degree.I wasn't in lala land but was able to get out of bed and care for my children. I was never suicidal or violent |
| Side effects: | | I had some sleep disturbancebut the worst was a 15 lb. weight gain that came off only after switching to another antidepressant |
| Comments: | | I took the prozac once daily and got regular exercize. |
|
| | Prozac review by 51 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken once daily for the period of 18 yrs |
| Other conditions: | | obesity |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I felt less anxiety and fewer down moods. |
| Side effects: | | none. I had hoped to have the side effect of weight loss but didn't. I didn't notice a reduction in libido as my husband did when he took Paxil. |
| Comments: | | I was depressed and had a lot of nightmares and prozac reduced both of these problems. I have been taking the same dosage for nearly 20 years now. |
|
| | Prozac review by 20 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg taken daily for the period of four months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Less depressed, I could consintrate on daily life better. I was happier, less anxious, stopped worrying so much. |
| Side effects: | | I felt manic at times, surreal. I was thirsty a lot, and forgot to eat. |
| Comments: | | I was suppose to take 20mg daily for treatment of depression, it helped my depression but i often felt manic and 'not myself' |
|
| | Prozac review by 45 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | Not sure (dosage frequency: 1 pill a day) for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | There really weren't any - I didn't feel any better as the stressors in my life were still there. I did not feel any relief from the depression, as a matter of fact, I felt worse. |
| Side effects: | | I couldn't sleep at night and would fall asleep during the day. It sometimes made me agitated too. |
| Comments: | | I really wasn't comfortable with taking Prozac in the first place - I had a crappy HMO doctor who thought giving me a pill would solve my problem. I really just needed a change in my life (job, living in DC) to reverse my depression. In other words, I think my depression was situational, not a chemical imbalance. I know that these do work for many people, but I think it's imperative that a person know WHY they are depressed before they hit the pharmacy. |
|
| | Prozac review by 50 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 40 mg, taken once a dag for the period of 21 years |
| Other conditions: | | asthma |
| Other drugs taken: | | Qvar, albuterol inhalers, birth control pills, claritin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Taking Prozac has helped me to live a normal life. I was having a serious bout of depression when I first started taking Prozac, and the drug lifted the symptoms of extreme hopelessness and racing negative thoughts. I've tried to go off the medication but whenever I do, negative thoughts and the resulting emotions return. When I resume taking Prozac, the symptoms subside. The medicine allows me to challenge thoughts rather than react to them. |
| Side effects: | | I have problems sleeping--not falling asleep but staying asleep. I sometimes feel nervous (that is, nervous energy, not anxiety). I'd also say that Prozac can make me feel numb, but it's better than being severely depressed. Overall, the side effects aren't bad enough for me to stop treatment or look for another medication. |
| Comments: | | I've been taking 40 mg. of Prozac once a day for about 20 years (I started taking it about the time it first became available.) |
|
| | Prozac review by 54 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Ineffective |
| Side effects: | | Extremely Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | PMS |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken 1 time a day for the period of 2 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | none, I felt worse. This is probably a drug that works for some people but didn't work at all for me in fact I felt much much worse. Unfortunately, I didn't review the contraindications. |
| Side effects: | | I got a rash on the back of my neck that lasted for 1 year even though I only took Prozac for 2 months. Also, I couldn't sleep as a result of taking Prozac. It seemed like after I stopped taking it I still had it in my body because I couldn't get rid of the rash on my neck and it was very annoying. Thhis is the first time that anything like this has ever happened to me. |
| Comments: | | i took it once a day for PMS |
|
| | Prozac review by 45 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 MG taken daily for the period of ongoing |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | helped my anxiety, and overall mood. I feel like I am less anxious and more calm. I feel that my moods are more even. I don't know what the long term effects are of taking this medication, though, and worry that I may get a stomach ulcer since I take over the counter pain relievers. |
| Side effects: | | none really, but I have noticed an increase in tiredness |
| Comments: | | I take one capsule in the morning, as prescribed by the doctor. |
|
| | Prozac review by 21 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Depression, A.D.D., Mood Instability |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg. capsule taken once a day, in the morning for the period of three weeks |
| Other conditions: | | Possible diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant / Conduct Disorder |
| Other drugs taken: | | Dextro/Amphetamine XR 20 mg. , Dextro/Amphetamine IR 10 mg., Starterra 25 mg, Trazadone 50 mg. | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | +Easier to get up and get going in the morning.
+Increased self esteem.
+Increased confidence.
+Some mood stabilization.
+Significant decrease in skin-picking.
+Increased overall energy.
+Reduction in feelings of guilt and avoidance.
+Enhanced social capacity: less inhibited, more likely to engage in conversation, more interested in others, less sensitive to surroundings, more open and increased assertiveness.
|
| Side effects: | | +Night-time energy surge.
+Reduction in taste sensitivity / food interest.
+Late morning / early afternoon fatigue.
+Occasional headaches.
+Less organized thoughts / less aware of "details".
+Hand tremors.
+A.D.D. actually made WORSE.
|
| Comments: | | I am a recovering alcohol and drug user, and have A.D.D. and severe Depression, as well as possible undiagnosed Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
I was taking Imipramine 100 mg. before bed and 20 mg. XR in the morning and 10 mg. in the afternoon before a hospitalization. I was switched to Prozac from the Imipramine, and given Trazadone to help sleep. I am also on an upward increase in dose of Strattera, because my A.D.D. has gotten very bad on the Prozac and off the Imipramine, but have a better mood and increased social ability. |
|
| | Prozac review by 46 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | 10 mg taken one time per day for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | high blood pressure |
| Other drugs taken: | | norvasc | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | After 6 weeks of taking 10 mg of Prozac, physical anxiety symptoms dramatically dimished. Now, 6 months after beginning treatment, my blood pressure has also fallen. With BP medication alone, my BP hovered around 135/85. Couple with Prozac, my blood pressure is consistantly in the 110-120 over 80-80 range. I also experience very little panic attacks ( I used to have several a day). When I do experience one, I have been able to self talk myself down from it. |
| Side effects: | | mild veryigo for 2-3 weeks |
| Comments: | | 10 mg Prozac every morning |
|
| | Prozac review by 57 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken 1 for the period of year |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | relieves depression, helps other things such as sleep, dieting, exercise, relationships, responses to stimulous. The cost is lower than other antidepressants which can be a help to those on a budget. |
| Side effects: | | Sleepy and lack of response to problems. Took too long to get started. I think anyone else would think it wasn't effective and stop taking it. |
| Comments: | | took a seemingly long period of time to become effective. Once started, however, it did what I expected. It is hard to be without now and think that it will be a problem stopping in the future. |
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