What has your experience been with Prozac (or other SSRIs?)?!


Question:

What has your experience been with Prozac (or other SSRIs?)?

Talk about it as much as you like. I'll read every word.


Answers:

I've been using Zoloft since December of '05. I'm told it's a somewhat milder SSRI than Prozac. I'm gradually tapering off of it and will be done using it in two weeks.

Zoloft was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was suffering from long-term anxiety, and by the time I got myself to a therapist and started taking medication, I was starting to suffer from depression. Zoloft (and therapy) helped me change all that.

My problem was that I would make mountains out of mole hills. Any problem I had to deal with in life seemed ten times bigger just because I was going through it, even though other people had dealt with the same problems without it being a big deal. My therapist helped me change my thinking patterns, but Zoloft lifted the weight of anxiety off my shoulders. I don't worry as much about problems, and I'm convinced that I will get through them and it won't be a big deal.

You have to take the drug for a while before it kicks in, usually about six weeks. I'm particularly sensitive to it, so I only had to use 50mg. If you don't respond to it after six to eight weeks, your doctor might have you ramp up to 100mg, or (not sure about this) maybe as high as 200mg.

You can go to any pharmaceutical website and find a laundry list of side effects for all of the SSRI's. I have been on a fairly low dose, and have experienced little if any side effects, but your experience may vary. I'm not aware of any effects that outlast your use of these drugs, so if you have any serious problems, you can talk to your doctor and see about gradually getting off of it and trying something different. Don't just stop taking an SSRI suddenly though. That can cause side effects of its own.

The main side effects for Zoloft and probably Prozac are that they can make you drowsy and they don't mix well with alcohol. I've never been much of a drinker, so abstaining from alcohol was no big deal for me. I never had any drowsiness. I had a headache the first day, which might have been a coincidence, and that was it.

In case you're asking about this on behalf of a man your life, it has been said that Zoloft and other SSRI's can cause sexual dysfunction in males. I can't really confirm or deny that. Before I started taking the drug, I was too anxious to ask women out. Now I'm casually dating, and things haven't gotten that serious yet. I have noticed that I have less sexual drive than I used to, but in a good way. To put it bluntly, I feel less horny.

I think SSRI's are the best thing since sliced bread, but I think they work best in combination with therapy. The drugs help you feel better, but the therapy helps you live better, and helps you change your negative thought patterns so you can (hopefully) feel good even without medication.

Best of luck!




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