First dose of antidepressant today

[Springtimeholly]

Fairly new to posting here but I appreciate all of you so much already. I have been having health issues (that I posted a few days ago) and because I thought anxiety might be a contributing factor, plus lots of depression over feeling so ill everyday, I decided to try Prozac. First time taking anything like this, but my history with medication makes me afraid of side effects to anything now. I’m just hoping so much that I tolerate it, and it helps. It’s only been a day, so still having waves of anxiety, hoping it gets better.

[alfreddy7]

Hello Springtimeholly

I’m no expert but your meds should feel just fine after a while. Even though I’m not on meds myself I’ve read from many people here that it takes some time to adjust.

If you are really struggling with them you can contact your doctor and see if you can try another type of medication. These are just trials until you find the correct one.

[Springtimeholly in reply to alfreddy7]

Thank you. I keep trying to remind myself that a lot of what I feel is just “sensations,” and I’m okay. Being alone makes it worse, though, so thank you for responding.

[alfreddy7 in reply to Springtimeholly]

You are definitely not alone. You always have this community. You are more than welcome to reach out to me and I’ll try my best to help. 😊

[Hidden]

Hello

I have resisted meds for years same reason afraid of side effects but now I am been told I have to start some for health reasons to and I feel the fear

It can take a good few weeks though before you start to see any difference and they do say even if you get side effects they settle down when your body starts to get used to them

Well done taking this first step I am sure you will soon see the benefits even if you have to have a few weeks anxiety while they work , I should be telling myself this to !

Hope they son help you to feel better x

[Springtimeholly in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! I hope you do well on whichever one you decide to try.

[designguy]

As someone with a family history of depression I was pretty sure that medication might be beneficial for me. Like you, I had some anxiety about it and even tried going the natural supplement route first but wasn't seeing any improvement. I tried a number of different meds on and off including antidepressants and even benzos and found one that has definitely helped me. I've found that it usually takes a week and sometimes two weeks or more for the medication to take effect and make a difference, it depends on the medication. The only side affect I had was a mild sexual issue when I was on zoloft which I no longer take. Hopefully the Prozac will work for you.

[Springtimeholly in reply to designguy]

Thank you! I am still hopeful but day 3 has been... unpleasant. Trying to have patience.

[Springtimeholly]

I’m on day 3 of the Prozac today, and I am feeling worse. Day 1 and 2 were better. In fact day 2 was a decent day, the first one I’ve had in a long time. But today I woke up struggling with my asthma, more depressed and anxious, no appetite again, and just feeling very weak and tired. I had tried lexapro a few years ago, took a tiny dose and didn’t like it. So this is really my first time taking an antidepressant consistently, and while it’s only day 3, the way I feel today is making me skeptical. Does this sound like a typical course? I was so hopeful I’d wake up and magically feel better... I have family who have taken antidepressants, and they said the third day for them was when they knew it was working. Unfortunately I’m not having that experience.

[hr1962 in reply to Springtimeholly]

HI!! i started lexapro 11-1-20 for health anxiety and some depression as i became an empty nester as my last two kids went off to college and i am a widow. wife died 11 years ago, and my youngest was 6. really didn't feel i would have a problem with them leaving, but i did!!! fast forward, as of today i feel SO much better and calm. i did have some side effects and had some anxiety starting out, but please, please, please ride these side effects out! i almost stopped several times, but kept reading others comments to ride the wave! soooo glad i did. now it took me 8 weeks to realize, hey, you aren't worrying about anything!! 😀 side effects gone and i keep busy working out{very important}, reading and can finally sit down and watch a series of movies on netflex, which prior to meds, would have been impossible! this is my 2 cents, and hope you can find some peace! reach out if you need to, because we are all in the same boat! just gotta keep it floating!! 😅

[Springtimeholly in reply to hr1962]

I’m glad you found something to help! I had a few hours of doing okay but then got a wave of nausea, chills, and a headache that I can only attribute to the Prozac. Ugh. It’s one step forward, one step back. It is encouraging to hear from others, though, as this forum is one of the main things helping me through this right now. Everyone else I know has said they had no side effects to any antidepressants. Hard to believe, and it leaves me out on my own with my friends and family not really understanding what this is like.

[hr1962 in reply to Springtimeholly]

understand! what i did, if i felt those side effects coming on, i instantly went out for a jog, and worked it out!! it worked for me. just a suggestion! good luck!!

[designguy]

Unfortunately we all react differently to meds and it's usually trial and error. I don't have asthma so i've never had to deal with how the meds affected it. Like I said earlier, I tried a number of different meds over the years including prozac, zoloft, cymbalta, buspar and klonopin. None of them made a difference except for the klonopin but it's a benzo and supposedly is not good for extended use.

I ended up taking a genetic psychopharmacological dna test that determines what meds and types of meds are best suited for you personally. Mine was from Genesight but there are other brands available and it was paid for by my insurance. It turned out that none of the meds I had taken before were effective for me except for the klonopin. I started on one of the recommended antidepressants called Pristiq and it has really helped. it took about 7 - 10 days before it really kicked in but I could tell it was helping after about a week. The good thing about a test like this is the ability to greatly narrow down what meds will be most effective for you personally and eliminate the long-term trial and error that so many of us have gone through.

One of the things I have found and I think is quite common is that the med does not eliminate my anxiety it just makes it more manageable and lowers the mental rumination and helps with my energy. Therapy was also required.

I hope the prozac works for you and saves you a lot of aggravation.

[Springtimeholly in reply to designguy]

I did the genesight test, too! Since I’m so sensitive to medication, I wanted the results before starting anything. Funny thing... Pristiq is one of only 4 antidepressants in the green for me. I considered it, but decided to try what my family has had good luck with, since their results were similar. I metabolize Prozac more slowly, so I know I will need to stay on the lower dose of it. If I end up switching, I may very well ask for pristiq next.

[designguy in reply to Springtimeholly]

Good, it sounds like you are taking a thoughtful approach to it. I had two of my aunts who were on welbuturin but it showed up in the red zone on my genesight test so I didn't try it. I also worked with a psych med nurse who helped me with the test and determine which to choose and she is my prescriber.