Anyone have experience of taking Fluoxetine/Prozac

[xx emma xx]

As the title says really. Went to the doc at hospital today and he is sending a letter to my gp to have it prescribed to me so that I can take it into hospital with me and start it as soon as I have the baby. It's to treat my anxiety.
Been reading up on it and there's a lot about how it reduces sex drive and can make you gain weight. Just wondering if anybody has taken it and what your experiences of it was. I know treating my anxiety is more important than side effects but i don't want to gain weight straight after having baby, especially when I'm getting married next year.

Xx

 

[PinkPanther]

I've only taken this for a little while but it didn't suit me so my dr changed it and prescribed me citalopram. I was on this for 3 years. I was also prescribed beta blockers for anxiety, which helped a great deal more than the Anti depressant. Maybe that's an option first if you're only treating the anxiety and not depression?

Whichever tablet you are prescribed I think a little weight gain is natural. I think in the grand scheme of things getting your mental health healthy again is paramount to losing the weight,if taking the tablets is maybe a short term thing then maybe you wouldn't have that much weight to lose anyway and it's worth remembering that sometimes people don't put weight on with tablets anyway, just that I did.

Good luck with it all and be proud of yourself for looking after your mental health, sometimes it's the last thing we look at and get treated.

 

[pinkymum]

I was on prozac for 8 years and came off it 2 years ago. Was on 60mg because it can help with symptoms of bulimia. Tbh I didn't gain weight with it, infact I didn't have any awful side effects with it. But it effects everyone differently. Sometimes you have to try a few anti depressants before you fins the right one for you.
In my case medication wasn't really the answer.
I know a few people who've been on it during pregnancy and their baby's have grown up to be healthy kids

Good luck with it Emma x

 

[Sunnyb]

I also took fluoxetine/Prozac without any side effects or weight gain. But as Pinky said it sometimes takes more than medication. You need to get to the route of the problem & I got counselling & therapy for panic attacks & when I was at my lowest received cognitive behavioural therapy. It was looking back to what started my feelings & triggered the panic & emotions. It's almost retraining your brain to overcome your issues. Has counselling been mentioned? Waiting lists are usually long, but it was worth it.

Sunnyb xxx

 

[xx emma xx]

My anxiety is kind of bringing on depression as its really getting me down. I was on citalopram a few years ago but don't think it really worked for me.
I have tried therapy and stuff in the past and it hasn't really helped. There is a team of nurses that I think will be coming out too to see how I am. I didn't like the first lady though as when I was telling her about my irrational worries she almost agreed that it was ok to worry about those things which made me feel worse so I ended up ignoring her when she came round again.
I know my mental health is much more important than weight, just don't want my good work of not putting too much on in this pregnancy to go to waste x

 

[scottishlassie]

I've been on fluoxetine and citalopram, neither helped me though. It was to treat my depression and anxiety. I didn't put any weight on with the tablets but i did notice it affected my sex drive (i think it was more citalopram that did this though). I was referred to a psychiatrist and he then put me on a different type of tablet, anti-depressants weren't what i needed, i needed something to help slow down my thoughts and make me think clearly and try to deal with my depression, I was all over the place - really wasn't a good time for me! I've known people to be on fluoxetine and it to work really well for their anxiety though. It's good you're looking after your mental health hun , all the best xx

 

[Constantstar]

I'm sure I had fluoxetine prescribed before I was preg and it made me loose my saliva randomly !my mouth was dry all the time. I got it as I get panic attacks u see but I've been so much better since preg and stopped taking the fluoxetine straight away as u couldn't handle the dry mouth all the time!! I'm just dealing through pure will power at the mo as I've had these since I was about 12. Xx

 

[xshauna_bazx]

I have been on Fluoxetine twice. Never made me gain weight or i never had any side effects (that i can remember now) Only thing is i just stopped taking them the first time instead of weaning myself off them and used to shake...they aren't meant to be addictive though. The second time i stopped taking them it never happend. xxx

 

[ruthiestar]

I was prescribed Prozac during a very difficult time about 4 years ago ( I didn't feel like I had any other options at the time)..due to losing my nan, who was like my 2nd mum, and having to go through a termination in the same week ( after being in a distructive, bad relationship).. I couldn't cope any other way..

Let's just say, for me, the best thing was taking myself off them after a year, I didn't feel myself at all, it didn't suit me personally, but you might be different, I really now believe in dealing with problems as they are.. and as long as you have a strong , supportive family behind you, u will be better off x

 

[Miss]

Christ I have lost count of how many different tablets I have been on over the years! I was 13 when diagnosed with anxienty and depression and like Pinky medication really is not for me.

Everyone reacts differently to them hun - The ones that slow you down made me feel like I lived in a bubble the ones that picked me up made me feel a little manic (But I oddly liked it lol) thing is what picked me up might put you down and vice versa.

As for weight gain sounds to me like you are looking for something to worry about if what you are currently worrying about gets sorted by the meds lol CBT is brilliant by the way if you can get it go for it!

It worries me a little that you reacted so badly to being told it's OK to worry? It really is OK to worry!!! It's how you worry or worry about worrying that is bad. If anything I would be more concerned if they were telling you not to worry and that your worrys do not matter - this can cause a build up of feelings which can be very dangerous.

lol Wow....reading that back it's like a little tongue twister come riddle haha

Accept the help that is given hun - but make sure if it's not right for you that you go back and tell them that xx

 

[xx emma xx]

Thanks ladies.

Yeah I suppose I did react badly about the worrying thing. I probably wanted them to tell me that my worries were silly and to not worry at all. The techniques she was giving me to deal with the anxiety wasnt for me, she wanted me to write down every time I worried and look at it to see how irrational it was. Which I can understand how it helps for some people but I don't think its me.
I probably am looking for something to worry about with the weight gain thing as any of you with anxiety will know I don't think your head feel right if you have nothing to worry about. I go to my bed every night with this horrible unsettled feeling and it's just horrible. I just think just now the medication may help me.
When I was on medication a few years ago I tried two different types of medication and the second lot I took for a few days and decided just to go it alone without them. The anxiety did clear up but it's came back with avengance with this pregnancy. X

 

[purplehippy]

Fluoxetine is a preferred antidepressant for pregnancy and breastfeeding because there is no adverse affect that they know of, to the baby.

I have been on it twice. Last time I was on it, I ended up getting much, much worse. I was moved on to venlafaxine and am happy with this tablet. Have been on many types.

Different pills work differently for different people and no one can tell you you're not as ill as them for whatever you take at whatever level. Thought I should mention this, as I've encountered so many 'elitist mentally ill' people who see it as a badge.

And different pills will have different effects too. I didn't put on weight on fluoxetine, I stopped eating.........

And it didn't help my anxiety disorder or depression. But like I said, we're all different.

Sedative-based pills have always been best for my illnesses but they mess with my fibromyalgia, and they DO tend to make you eat!

Don't panic about the weight - they can affect how much you want to eat, so you are still in control of what you eat, be strict with yourself

 

[tinselcat]

Hi Emma

I've been on fluoxetine and I don't remember any particular side-effects from it. It was easy to stop taking it. It did coincide with a period of my life where I put on weight but I think that was due to other reasons.

If you had said paroxetine (seroxat) however I would have said steer well clear!

Personally I have never found that the medicine particularly helps, however counselling has been highly beneficial. I guess it varies from person to person

Good luck

 

[cosmicgirl]

I took Prozac but it made me vomit so swapped to sertraline which I loved, everyone has different reactions, feel better soon hunnie xx

 

[KellyHook]

My mum has been on both, as she suffers really badly with her PMT, I can't remember what its actially called, she is now off them as she didn't get on with them, she found that the tablets made her hair fall out, she never ended up with bold patches but her hair went very thin. X

 

[HeppiBean]

I was on fluoxetine for 2 years before i was moved onto something stronger but I honestly had no side effects. No lack of sex drive, no weight gain... Nothing Just the good bits. Hope everything goes well for you, suffering with dep/anx is not nice xx