Prozac side effects

[lexi3309]

I have been taking prozac since the beginning of January with the exception of 2 missed days because I felt they were actually making me worse. When I first started taking them, I wasn't taking them at the same time every day because I wasn't told that this was the best way to take the medicine. Anyways, I recently skipped a couple of days because I felt it was increasing my anxiety (again did not realize it was a side effect) but when I once again did research and read you shouldn't start and stop taking prozac out of the blue, it scared me so I immediately started taking them again, this time at the same time every day. So far, the side effects have been 10x worse this go around. I have extreme dizziness, I have almost completely lost my appetite and a good amount of weight since starting them at the beginning of January. I have severe insomnia. Some nights I can't even get to sleep until 5 or 6 in the morning. I wake up feeling like I am wasting away. If this is the medicine making me feel this way and it won't subside, I dont' think I can handle this prozac. My primary care physician prescribed them to me but I have my first appointment with a psychologist on Friday. I am hoping she will want to take me off of them but I also feel I should stick it out. I just feel like my anxiety centers around the side effects. I am constantly worried about what it is doing to me. I feel like maybe I don't need medicine at all but maybe something like a xanax just for when I have actual panic attacks. Since taking prozac, I have developed constant anxiety which I never had before taking any kind of anti depressant. I am considering switching doctors and finding someone who has more experience with this stuff. My question is, is there a safe way to stop taking prozac on my own or should I do it under the instructions of my doctor? My prozac is 20 MG I should also clarify.

[gypsylee]

All of these medications (SSRIs) take a while to work - I've been on and off them for over 20 years and they can take a couple of months. So if you started the Prozac at start of Jan, you have a way to go. Don't give up on it just yet but perhaps get something like Xanax to take WITH it. They do make you feel quite horrible at first.

It's because they increase the level of serotonin but at first your brain thinks there will be too much.. So it sort of over-compensates for that and you end up with even less serotonin than you started with. Gradually the brain gets used to the medication and you end up with more serotonin (and feel a lot better than when you started).

Seriously, give it another couple of weeks and see how you feel. I've usually had to take some kind of sedative (Valium, Xanax etc) to get through that initial stage. But once the SSRIs kick in they're quite effective.

Good luck :)
Gypsy x