I thought I had it beaten

[timewarrior2001]

Where do I start?

I have been quite unwell recently, well for approx 9 months now (no i'm not pregnant lol). Finally after a blood test came back as inconclusive, I've been prescribed anti depressants!!!

10 years to the almost month since I voluntarily stopped them last time, In many ways it feels like a kick in the teeth, and to cap it all off I just found out they are Prozac (Fluoxetine Hydroxide).

I dont feel depressed, but I'm lethargic, feeling very very run down and i'm suffering mood swings, one moment I'm ready to rip someones head off with my teeth the next I wanna sit quiet and chill out. Not much good when you work in tech support and in a call centre environment. Perhaps I'm simply stressed, I dunno, hopefully whatever the final outcome may be, as long as I feel I have at least any energy then I shall be 100% better than now.


Anyone had prozac before? what are the side effects REALLY like?

[Tezcatlipoca]

Sorry to hear that, TW :(


I was on fluoxetine around 6 years ago. It's one of the better anti-depressants in the "SSRI" class. Certainly better than paroxetine ("Seroxat")!

I didn't really suffer from any side effects, from what I can remember.

[Bex]

I dont feel depressed, but I'm lethargic, feeling very very run down and i'm suffering mood swings, one moment I'm ready to rip someones head off with my teeth the next I wanna sit quiet and chill out. Not much good when you work in tech support and in a call centre environment. Perhaps I'm simply stressed, I dunno, hopefully whatever the final outcome may be, as long as I feel I have at least any energy then I shall be 100% better than now.
to me, that does sound like stress.... stress has a tendency to make you lethergic.....

dunno about prozac, i know a few people who have been on it, my flatmate was on it and it made her better (until she drunkanly took a whole packet, and ended up in hospital :( )

[Mick]

Anyone had prozac before? what are the side effects REALLY like?

Only side effect I had was that I burst into a fit of laughter for no reason. :disturbd:

[Shaun]

Sorry to hear that, TW :(


Ditto :(


I was on fluoxetine around 6 years ago. It's one of the better anti-depressants in the "SSRI" class. Certainly better than paroxetine ("Seroxat")!


You can say that again Seroxat made me worse, the only one I found that worked was Lofepramine.

Looks like were a right bunch between us ;)

[paulyoung666]

Where do I start?

snip

Anyone had prozac before? what are the side effects REALLY like?


i have just started taking it , have you seen the thread i started link (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=15736&highlight=depression) there might be something in there for you :)

[timewarrior2001]

Thanks for all your concerns guys :)

I'm hoping these are gonna work, last time I was on Anti depressants I stopped after I think it was 3 days. But this time I have more to lose, My health really has deteriorated over the last 3 weeks and some days I barely have the energy to get dressed yet alone go to work.

Still, I'm not actually grumbling, I feel fine atm, tired yes, but this is the time at night when I perk up.

I guess we are all just looneys in here, I never realised that so many people had been prescribed these powerfull drugs.

[paulyoung666]

Thanks for all your concerns guys :)

I'm hoping these are gonna work, last time I was on Anti depressants I stopped after I think it was 3 days. But this time I have more to lose, My health really has deteriorated over the last 3 weeks and some days I barely have the energy to get dressed yet alone go to work.

Still, I'm not actually grumbling, I feel fine atm, tired yes, but this is the time at night when I perk up.

I guess we are all just looneys in here, I never realised that so many people had been prescribed these powerfull drugs.


stick at it , i am something like 3 weeks into it and i am starting to feel the benefits, i am a lot less snappy , and am starting to feel as if i have more interest in things , keep it up :tu: :)

[martinell]

have a joint, natures way of chilling you out and alot less of the side effects that manufactured chemicals can give you. just look out for the short term memory loss it can give you :D
now wot was i doin...
*edit dont take that wrong please, im not taking the pi*s. i had suffered depression for 4 an a half years or so and tried a few of the solutions that "normal" medicine had to offer but found that none of them suitable for me, side effects,low esteem etc.. was gettin kinda desperate with the situation when i tried a combo of cannabis, physical and mental exercise and it has perked me up no end. cant say i'm cured but i feel one helluva lot better in myself

[orangebird]

have a joint, natures way of chilling you out and alot less of the side effects that manufactured chemicals can give you. just look out for the short term memory loss it can give you :D
now wot was i doin...

I'm with Martinell on this one.... The physically addictive qualities of medication like Prozac far outweigh the pros IMO..... Doctors do seem to prescribe pills as an excuse for not knowing the real reason behind peoples problems.... :shrug:

[SMHarman]

Have you tried getting more excercise too, I know it helps me sleep and boost my energy levels. My back has been a bit dodgy since lugging too many heavy suitcases back across the atlantic 2 weeks ago and I have not been running and am really feeling the effects.

[orangebird]

Have you tried getting more excercise too, I know it helps me sleep and boost my energy levels. My back has been a bit dodgy since lugging too many heavy suitcases back across the atlantic 2 weeks ago and I have not been running and am really feeling the effects.

very good point - even if it's just a 10 min walk round the block in the morning before work, exercise (especially in the morning), is so much more beneficial for not only your physical health, but also your mental health than people give it credit for :tu:

[gary_580]

Have you tried getting more excercise too, I know it helps me sleep and boost my energy levels. My back has been a bit dodgy since lugging too many heavy suitcases back across the atlantic 2 weeks ago and I have not been running and am really feeling the effects.

spot on, people feel lethargic and then think a rest will help, eventually it snowballs. To be blunt about it you just need to snap out of it and do something. Sitting at a screen all daty and night is not going to help either, you need to get outside and do something physical.

[Shaun]

have a joint, natures way of chilling you out and alot less of the side effects that manufactured chemicals can give you. just look out for the short term memory loss it can give you :D
now wot was i doin...
*edit dont take that wrong please, im not taking the pi*s. i had suffered depression for 4 an a half years or so and tried a few of the solutions that "normal" medicine had to offer but found that none of them suitable for me, side effects,low esteem etc.. was gettin kinda desperate with the situation when i tried a combo of cannabis, physical and mental exercise and it has perked me up no end. cant say i'm cured but i feel one helluva lot better in myself

If you have any form of mental illness (like depression) then that's one hell of a bad idea, the "natural" :rolleyes: chemicals increase the chances of suicide and self harm. I read a study about it somewhere, I'll have to dig a link out.

I'm with Martinell on this one.... The physically addictive qualities of medication like Prozac far outweigh the pros IMO..... Doctors do seem to prescribe pills as an excuse for not knowing the real reason behind peoples problems.... :shrug:


SSRI medications (of which prozac is one) are NOT addictive, however I do agree that some GPs are very good at dishing out pills to all and sundry but saying that they are a very useful tool in combating many forms of illness.

[Shaun]

spot on, people feel lethargic and then think a rest will help, eventually it snowballs. To be blunt about it you just need to snap out of it and do something. Sitting at a screen all daty and night is not going to help either, you need to get outside and do something physical.

Have you ever suffered depression Gary, I hope not but I'm afraid it's not as easy as you make out. Do you think people like feeling deprest, if it was that easy surely no one would be depressed! :erm:

[orangebird]

If you have any form of mental illness (like depression) then that's one hell of a bad idea, the "natural" :rolleyes: chemicals increase the chances of suicide and self harm. I read a study about it somewhere, I'll have to dig a link out.




SSRI medications (of which prozac is one) are NOT addictive, however I do agree that some GPs are very good at dishing out pills to all and sundry but saying that they are a very useful tool in combating many forms of illness.

They do not COMBAT illnesses, they just dull them. Pills are NOT the way to go.

[gary_580]

Have you ever suffered depression Gary, I hope not but I'm afraid it's not as easy as you make out. Do you think people like feeling deprest, if it was that easy surely no one would be depressed! :erm:

Im not saying its easy, forgive me if i gave that impression. However depression is a state of mind. Changes in lifestyle and activities are the only things that will change your mental process without side effects. The hardest thing for depressed people is often they dont actually know what they want out of life so its hard to make adjustments. The key is to make decisions on changes in your life and increasing your mental activity and then sticking to those decisions and following it through. If you fall back to an idle mind you will never get anywhere.

Many a time ive been at work and the day has dragged on so bad, why is that? Its because i have nothing mentally taxing to do. The days that go by fast are those that you enjoy and normally people enjoy them because they were active and challenging.

[Shaun]

I'm afraid you are both very ill informed, medications do combat illness, the main issue with people that have depression is that they have a problem producing serotonin in the brain SSRI medications allow the brain to start taking in serotonin again.

Depression is NOT a state of mind, it is a physical problem with the body like a broken leg or chicken pox.

[orangebird]

I'm afraid you are both very ill informed, medications do combat illness, the main issue with people that have depression is that they have a problem producing serotonin in the brain SSRI medications allow the brain to start taking in serotonin again.

Depression is NOT a state of mind, it is a physical problem with the body like a broken leg or chicken pox.

Sorry, but I'm not misinformed at all. Taking medication like Prozac sends your symptons into remission - it's not a cure, just a very poor quick fix.

[gary_580]

Sorry, but I'm not misinformed at all. Taking medication like Prozac sends your symptons into remission - it's not a cure, just a very poor quick fix.

agreed. Isnt the point that it stops the brain suffering temporarily so that you can retrain it?

A bit like painkillers. Pain killers dont actually fix the problem, they just releive the symptoms until the problem goes away

[Shaun]

Sorry, but I'm not misinformed at all. Taking medication like Prozac sends your symptons into remission - it's not a cure, just a very poor quick fix.

Then with all respect suggest you go and read about how these drugs work. They do not work like painkillers to dull the symptoms they actually work to fix the root of the problem, which is the uptake of serototonin in the brain.

agreed. Isnt the point that it stops the brain suffering temporarily so that you can retrain it?

No, this is not how they work, they act to help serotonin uptake in the synapses.

If you are intrested in how they work I'll dig out some links, they are a little high brow but good all the same.

[SMHarman]

Many a time ive been at work and the day has dragged on so bad, why is that? Its because i have nothing mentally taxing to do. The days that go by fast are those that you enjoy and normally people enjoy them because they were active and challenging.
That is boredom, not depression.

[gary_580]

Medications generally are not seen as substitutes for therapy, but work best together with therapy not only to relieve the depressive symptoms but to enhance the person's understanding of the depression and expand his or her coping strategies for dealing with the conditions that led to depression in the first place.

http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/depression/depress.html#anchor113847

[gary_580]

That is boredom, not depression.

boredom cant create low self esteem which can create depression

[Shaun]

boredom cant create low self esteem which can create depression

Depression isn't created, it just happens, from what I've read there is a genetic trait that can run through family's, similar to Parkinsons or Huntingdons.

[dr wadd]

http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/depression/depress.html#anchor113847

What a totally irresponsibe article. The article is completely mashing together clinical depression caused by an imbalance in neurotransmitters and "depression" because something bad has just happened in your life. I`ll concede that doctors do prescribe anti-depressants in the latter case as a "quick fix", but that is irresponsible on the part of the doctor. They are designed to redress chemical imbalances and should only be used under such circumstances, and under those circumstances they do fix a problem that has a physical cause. The scenarios that are primarily described on that page cover someone who is depressed in the general use of the word, but it has little to do with depression in the true, clinical sense.

[Escapee]

Depression isn't created, it just happens, from what I've read there is a genetic trait that can run through family's, similar to Parkinsons or Huntingdons.

I think you are right about it being generic, certainly fits in with myself and a few other sufferers I have known.

[timewarrior2001]

errrrr, I aint depressed, but for some reason I'm showing the symptoms, So in order to help me get on with my normal day to day life, I've been prescribed Prozac for the uplift it will give me.


Oh incidently, I also have other health issues that the prozac wont help, but in order for me to be able to go out an exrcise, I need a quick fix.
When you have no energy and I mean no energy, somedays I can barely get out of bed, and the days I force myself into work I am aching in every muscle from head to toe. Not only do I have to work as an important part of a team I work in a customer facing role. Feeling like **** and forcing yourself to go to work for 9 months whilst feeling like this takes some dedication and effort. No amount of rest or exercise so far has made any difference. Last chance is that the prozac will give me the kick I need to get my body functioning correctly again, which in turn may help the problems I am having with my liver.

Many people get these drugs for many reasons, its often said tyhose that are depressed are the ones that insist they arent, me I cant find any reasonsing in that, but I do admit I may a be a teeny bit stressed.


For those that take this drug lightly then I suggest you read up on some of the side effects it can have, Prozac isnt the most powerful anti depressant and it not used solely to treat depression. However these drugs are very powerfull in their own right and have the ability to alter a state of mind, pretty much like illegal substances can do. For whatever reason a person may find themselves on this family of drugs you can bet the doctors wont prescribe if its not needed. Over subscription is another matter completely

[paulyoung666]

excuse me if i am wrong , you are suffering from some other medical problem then ??????? , if the prozac is helping you then keep at it , at the end of the day it is for you to decide what to do , not your doctor or any of us here , we can only offer advice as we deal with the circumstances we are in , hope you are feeling better soon :)

[dr wadd]

To answer your original question about what the side effects are like, while I can`t be 100% certain that prozac was the cause personal experience suggests they were pretty damn bad. I was put on prozac about 2 and a half years ago and was on it for about a year. By the end of that time my attitude at work at gotten so bad I was on the verge of being sacked. In a nutshell I had I had become very blase about the job and wasn`t really much use to anyone.

At that point I approached the doctor about my concerns about possible side effects and she was totally dismissive, her attitude was basically if she hadn`t read about them then they didn`t exist. I decided to take myself off of prozac after that experience. Three months after that I had totally turned around at work enough to get a discretionary £500 Christmas bonus which I know for a fact not everyone got.

As I said, I can`t say that it was the prozac with 100% certainty, but the timing of all this is suspicous to say the least.

The effects of prozac are different for different people, and since the doctor has prescribed this then please don`t take this as an argument that you shouldn`t take your medication (not that I would think you would anyway). I am however a little concerned that the doctor has prescribed prozac under the conditions you have described. It may prop you up enough to be getting on with your life, which in and of itself cannot be a bad thing, but I fear that any underlying problems are not being properly addressed.

If you are having general energy problems then you may want to try taking something like a ginseng compound which can have a remarkable effect on your overall energy levels. You should be able to get something at your local health food store, or better still a local traditional Chinese doctor. I got some stuff from them recently for my insomnia problems, and while I wouldn't say that they ended up being a perfect solution, other than Zopiclone they've had the best effect of anything I've tried.

From the description you've given I would hazard a guess that the mood swings are a side effect of your generally low energy levels, having to force yourself to work under those circumstances can`t be good for your mood, so I can`t help but wonder if you would be better off tackling the emotional and stress problems indirectly by solving the problems with your energy level.

[timewarrior2001]

Thats probably very true matey.

However as I asked that something be done to help me in the short term whilst I try and help myself in the long term I dont see that the doctor would have had much choice. It took 3 appointments with her discussing how I felt and answering questions and after extensive blood tests before she prescribed these drugs. I'm confident in the fact she has prescribved them for the right reasons, but I dont think i'm depressed.

Friday was a good day for me, I actually enjoyed being at work, But perhaps its because I have made my TL aware of my health problems and he has been very supportive of me.

I do get ratty with people still, and I know that the drug wont work on the first intake and that I have a week or so before I'll feel the benefits, but its a huge relief to realise that you dont have anything wonrg with you as in diabetes or perhaps even leaukemia or even arthritis all I beleive could have been possibilities given my symptoms.
Whilkst I dont want to make light of the fact I speak my mind, recently on here I have gotten involved in some slanging matches that normally I would stear clear of. Is that an effect of my stress, am I looking at a way of venting my anger? who knowns, but I hope that this course of drugs helps me to become a more patient and calmer person.

And to all the people that are feeling unwell and maybe on prozac I'm sure we can all pull through, keep your chin up and if you feel down come here and bitch like I do lol. :D

[Damien]

One thing that never stops to amaze me is the effect of worrying, depression and stress has on health. It is unbelivible how many people sink into poor health because of stress and how this creates a cycle which can be hard to break.

When I was still at school i suffered from real painful stomach pains and relised (after doctor, who relised what it was really quickly) that it was worrying about school (i hated it) as soon as i relised what was happing i became a lot bbetter and haventfelt ill since then

Does anyone else notice this?

[basa]

TBH I would listen to Dr Wadd and OB on this issue. :erm:

Prozac is bad ! It can have a very real effect of causing the user to 'not give a monkeys', become lethargic and 'out of it'. (Aside from causing many to gain weight - it slows the metabolic rate !). Basically it dulls you into not caring about what was concerning you !!

Excercise and healthy eating (boring I know !!) is the way to go. I cycle 20mins to work each day (note my age ?). If I don't I feel sluggish and irritable all day. I also make a point of drinking 2 litres of water a day. It all keeps me trim, my digestive system healthy as well as overall happier. :D

[paulyoung666]

TBH I would listen to Dr Wadd and OB on this issue. :erm:

Prozac is bad ! It can have a very real effect of causing the user to 'not give a monkeys', become lethargic and 'out of it'. (Aside from causing many to gain weight - it slows the metabolic rate !). Basically it dulls you into not caring about what was concerning you !!

Excercise and healthy eating (boring I know !!) is the way to go. I cycle 20mins to work each day (note my age ?). If I don't I feel sluggish and irritable all day. I also make a point of drinking 2 litres of water a day. It all keeps me trim, my digestive system healthy as well as overall happier. :D


i assume that you are speaking from experience then ????????????

[basa]

i assume that you are speaking from experience then ????????????

Well yeh...TBH the first part experience is second hand (a very close family member ;) ), but the later part definitely 1st hand.

If I'm honest I'm not altogether convinced about 'depression'. I believe if someone is depressed there is very probably a good environmental reason. i.e. some physical event or situation affecting the sufferer. The only real solution being to remove, modify or correct that environment. (See Damien's last post).

I do believe some people are more pre-disposed to 'depression' in that they react badly to adverse environments, but I can't accept 'clinical depression' i.e. a chemical imbalance that can be corrected by SSRI's. If such a chemical is depleted then it should be replaced naturally by diet or excercise. Dependancy on prescribed chemicals can only bring unwanted side effects and with it probably a more depressing environment. :dozey:

[paulyoung666]

and in my case it is a physical event that caused me to be the way i am , a very nasty industrial accident , i cannot now do the job i used to love doing ( most of the time anyway ) and i cannot remove the physical pain side of the accident , not very easy to cope with at all , i will get better in time i suppose , i just felt i needed some help which is why i chose the tablets , it wasnt a snap decision , i mulled it over for months :erm:

[basa]

There do seem to be a lot of depressed people on these boards ! :erm:

I'm inclined to think a lot of it has to do with the general malaise of the UK these days .. taxes, high prices, poor employment conditions, crime etc, etc. :rolleyes:

[Ramrod]

A bit like painkillers. Pain killers dont actually fix the problem, they just releive the symptoms until the problem goes awayThe trouble with painkillers is that they can stop you feeling the pain and you then forget you have a problem and aggrivate it further ending up so injured that the painkillers don't touch the problem anymore 'cos it's worse than it was before.
'Course that doesn't apply if you are just taking them for a headache :D

[Damien]

TBH I would listen to Dr Wadd and OB on this issue. :erm:

Prozac is bad ! It can have a very real effect of causing the user to 'not give a monkeys', become lethargic and 'out of it'. (Aside from causing many to gain weight - it slows the metabolic rate !). Basically it dulls you into not caring about what was concerning you !!

Excercise and healthy eating (boring I know !!) is the way to go. I cycle 20mins to work each day (note my age ?). If I don't I feel sluggish and irritable all day. I also make a point of drinking 2 litres of water a day. It all keeps me trim, my digestive system healthy as well as overall happier. :D
cycling happens to be a great health benfit and also is effective against stress, i use my bike a llot and feel great after using it

[Damien]

There do seem to be a lot of depressed people on these boards ! :erm:

I'm inclined to think a lot of it has to do with the general malaise of the UK these days .. taxes, high prices, poor employment conditions, crime etc, etc. :rolleyes:
I thinks its more to do with

1) people feeling like they can talk a lot easyer when not face to face with someone

2) If a lot of people are staying at home because of stree/depression the internet is the best way to still have some form of social interaction

[dr wadd]

I do believe some people are more pre-disposed to 'depression' in that they react badly to adverse environments, but I can't accept 'clinical depression' i.e. a chemical imbalance that can be corrected by SSRI's. If such a chemical is depleted then it should be replaced naturally by diet or excercise. Dependancy on prescribed chemicals can only bring unwanted side effects and with it probably a more depressing environment. :dozey:

It isn`t necessarily that simple. For instance, if you have damage to the serotonergic pathways then your ability to release serotonin will be impaired, so you would want to use SSRIs to make sure that the serotonin that is released stays around longer before reuptake to help counterbalance the depleted levels. You are quite correct when you state that diet is an important factor, but if you are unable to use the molecules in your food efficiently then you need to look above and beyond that.

[dr wadd]

I'm inclined to think a lot of it has to do with the general malaise of the UK these days .. taxes, high prices, poor employment conditions, crime etc, etc. :rolleyes:

And what about people like me, for whom none of those factors have been a problem, and those factors certainly weren`t a problem when I was still 14 as I certainly didn`t care about taxes and employment conditions at that time.

That is a dangerously dismissive and simplistic attitude. You need to factor in other issues such as social pressures. Going back even as little as 20 or 30 years men were supposed be "strong and tough" and not show signs of weakness, if you felt like you were suffering then you kept a stiff upper lip and attempted to push on through. Now it is much more acceptable to seek help for these kinds of problems. I`m not necessarily stating that the explanation above is the correct answer, but you need to examine these things within a wider context.

[Damien]

I think depression in the young is increasing rapidly, social pressures could be a good explanation or parhaps the fact that it is been giving more attentiion means more people are coming forward etc etc

Is their the possiblity however that a constant nuturing of the issue, drugs being used and the acceptance factor makes it harder for people to break out of it?

[timewarrior2001]

As I said previously, getting exercise is a good suggestion, so then can you suggest how I find the energy to take up exercise when I literally some days cannot get out of bed from as my doc called it "severe fatigue", I'm permanently exhausted, I'm losing weight (just over half a stone in a week), I eat helathier now than I have ever done in my past and my blood tests were inconclusive but did reveal another health problem.

Depression is an illness, you need to understand the no matter how low you suppose you feel that people being treated for it can be even lower, some are suicidal. Its not normal to throw yourself in front of a train.

I'm not depressed, I'm receiving treatment for the symptoms, and the drugs I have been supplied with are to alleviate the fatigue/symptoms I am suffering.

So far I've had 5 days on prozac, I've noticed slight light headedness and some strange flutters in my chest, I wouldnt say I've had mood swings but I feel generally that I'm more pleasant to people.

To answer other questions about prozac, I can only assume people have been misprescribed the drug, Had prozac been so dangerous then it would have not been able to be supplied to anyone. All drugs can produce side effects, not everyone will get them, its a only "CAN" have sidee effects. I dont think yet I am showing any signs of them, and the few people I know that have had prozac think it helped them and had no side effects. I know in the wrong hands and in some people its not the right drug, some people can be intollerant of quite a lot of drugs, and they can make these people very ill.

[basa]

<snip>To answer other questions about prozac, I can only assume people have been misprescribed the drug, Had prozac been so dangerous then it would have not been able to be supplied to anyone. All drugs can produce side effects, not everyone will get them, its a only "CAN" have sidee effects. I dont think yet I am showing any signs of them, and the few people I know that have had prozac think it helped them and had no side effects. I know in the wrong hands and in some people its not the right drug, some people can be intollerant of quite a lot of drugs, and they can make these people very ill.

Maybe you should read
this (http://www.prozactruth.com/prozaceffects.htm) and this (http://www.prozac-side-effects.com/) !!

Try to find a natural alternative. :erm:

[etccarmageddon]

I wouldnt touch prozac.

http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-19.htm

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n441/a07.html?397


...Had prozac been so dangerous then it would have not been able to be supplied to anyone...

if that was the case then you wouldnt be able to buy tobacco or booze!

[paulyoung666]

snip


if that was the case then you wouldnt be able to buy tobacco or booze!


i dont believe you have just posted that :erm:

[SMHarman]

I wouldnt touch prozac.

http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-19.htm

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n441/a07.html?397

if that was the case then you wouldnt be able to buy tobacco or booze!
Whether Tobacco or booze would get past the FDA screening these days is certainly a topic worthy of another thread, my opinion is no to tobacco and booze on prescription.

[dr wadd]

It also appears that Prozac should never have been given FDA approval. In the inital submission the results of the clinical trials indicated that fluoxetine was no better than placebo. The FDA recommended that it be resubmitted with fewer outcome variables, so the manufacturers dropped two-thirds of the outcome variables from the analysis, resubmitted their findings and got approval. All signs indicate that fluoxetine should never have been approved for use in humans.

http://www.garynull.com/Documents/prozac2.htm

[etccarmageddon]

i dont believe you have just posted that :erm:

my point is - it's about big business and money. safety is not a priority.

look at how they supressed research that proved tobacco was addictive.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352

"...the tobacco industry was not only aware that cigarettes are addictive & harmful, but deliberately worked on increasing that addictiveness..."

so if that can happen with tobacco then I wouldnt trust the people who produce drugs like prozac.

[paulyoung666]

my point is - it's about big business and money. safety is not a priority.

look at how they supressed research that proved tobacco was addictive.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352

"...the tobacco industry was not only aware that cigarettes are addictive & harmful, but deliberately worked on increasing that addictiveness..."

so if that can happen with tobacco then I wouldnt trust the people who produce drugs like prozac.


fair play , no harm intended :erm: :)

[timewarrior2001]

Not much there that isnt already covered in the list that I got, it mentions suicidal thoughts, it mentions severe mood swings, it does inform you of possibility of alergic reactions (like all other medicine ((my mother is allergic to penicillan)) ).

Also not everyone on the drugs WILL get the side effects, so I'm sorry but I just dont buy into the fact that if I take prozac I'll throw myself under a train or go around kicking the living **** out of people. It simply will not happen, I have friends that have more severe mental health problems that take drugs such as lithium and even they say the side effects of prozac are hyped too much.
Prozac has even helped one friend who was suicidal until he took the drug.
The problem is that people think that if they take prozac all their problems willk be resolved, perhaps prozac is not the right drug for them, you wouldnt hear about many things un;ess it went wrong, and in my view if prozac is still on sale since 1988 then there cant be that much wrong with it.

[Shaun]

That is a dangerously dismissive and simplistic attitude.


:tu:

*goes off to unsubscribe :(

[etccarmageddon]

I dont feel depressed, but I'm lethargic, feeling very very run down and i'm suffering mood swings, one moment I'm ready to rip someones head off with my teeth the next I wanna sit quiet and chill out. Not much good when you work in tech support and in a call centre environment. Perhaps I'm simply stressed, I dunno, hopefully whatever the final outcome may be, as long as I feel I have at least any energy then I shall be 100% better than now.

it sounds like you're suffering from stress and perhaps (also) need a break.

when was the last time you had a decent holiday? how long was it for - where did you go - how did it make you feel?

have you considered councelling?

[basa]

It isn`t necessarily that simple. For instance, if you have damage to the serotonergic pathways then your ability to release serotonin will be impaired, so you would want to use SSRIs to make sure that the serotonin that is released stays around longer before reuptake to help counterbalance the depleted levels. You are quite correct when you state that diet is an important factor, but if you are unable to use the molecules in your food efficiently then you need to look above and beyond that.

I agree with your synopsis, but IMO not enough is known about the action of serotonin in this respect. There is evidence that the effect of SSRIs is somewhat non controlled in that it increases the level of serotonin in areas it may not be required and the results are not readily predictable.

There is no doubt it can have a positive therapeutic affect but allied with many non predictable negative effects which are well documented.

I count myself fortunate I never suffer from depression, lifes too short to worry too much. In the worst situations I look to the future and think of and plan ways to counteract the negativity in my life.

In the less stressful situations I look for the little things to do to improve my lot (even if that is only clearing out the garage or weeding the garden - I feel as though I have achieved something which makes me feel better !).

I still believe life style is the answer to 90% of depression. I could never agree that siting in front of the telly popping pills is the right therapy.

[timewarrior2001]

it sounds like you're suffering from stress and perhaps (also) need a break.

when was the last time you had a decent holiday? how long was it for - where did you go - how did it make you feel?

have you considered councelling?

I had councelling once, I walked out was a waste of time. I even had the councellor put on a disiplinary for what happened. But thats another story.

I'm probably stressed I agree, I was on holiday last week of june first week of July, i went to Crete for 14 nights all inclusive in a 4 * hotel. I dont feel like I've been away. I didnt look forward to going, I enjoyed it yeah, but then I also now dont feel like I've had a holiday. Generally I'm happy, I just havent felt well for 9 months, I ache all over, I feel sick, I'm so tired all the time, in fact its not tiredness, the doc advises its severe fatigue.

I dunno what wrong but today I started with the side effects of the prozac
Wow, the only wayh I can describe them is like being on "E" but not quite as intense. Spent most if the day grinding my teeth, sweating profusely and feeling dizzy and light headed.......how I enjoyed my 20 mile drive home. I do feel already like the drug is altering my perception of things and its helping me keep calm. I feel more confident, but I'm not certain that is the drug. However its slightly affecting my work, dealing in a customer facing role like I do it isnt good to feel drugged.

typical I felt cocky last night when I was ranting about side effects being for wimps lol now look at me, I do appear to be a physical wreck this evening.
Oh well felt worse and have been worse, perhaps mky day to day feelings etc should go in my blog.


....ahhh my blog now how the **** do i log into that?

[etccarmageddon]

here's a suggestion - how about joining a gym? get the blood and oxygen flowing instead of using prozac.

[timewarrior2001]

here's a suggestion - how about joining a gym? get the blood and oxygen flowing instead of using prozac.


Because as I have said before severe fatigue barely gives me the energy to get up on a morning, after a days work I'm in no fit state to go to the gym, when your suffering from aching muscles from the top of your head to the tips of your toes the last hting you feel like doing is exercising. Besides that I have been to a gym earlier this year and I felt no different, was a waste of the monthly fee's I get enough exercise walking the dog about a mile 3 times a day.

I know what you mean because generally exercise does make you feel better, but its still not certain in my case that there isnt an underlying mediccal reason for how I feel (blood tests showed a problem with my liver functions).

[etccarmageddon]

Because as I have said before severe fatigue barely gives me the energy to get up on a morning, after a days work I'm in no fit state to go to the gym, when your suffering from aching muscles from the top of your head to the tips of your toes the last hting you feel like doing is exercising. Besides that I have been to a gym earlier this year and I felt no different, was a waste of the monthly fee's I get enough exercise walking the dog about a mile 3 times a day.

I know what you mean because generally exercise does make you feel better, but its still not certain in my case that there isnt an underlying mediccal reason for how I feel (blood tests showed a problem with my liver functions).


how much red meat do you eat?

how much in the way of tea and coffee do you drink?

how much booze do you drink?

[timewarrior2001]

how much red meat do you eat?

how much in the way of tea and coffee do you drink?

how much booze do you drink?

Red meat? probably the odd steak here and there, Minced beef thats about it.
Tea and coffee? I dont drink more than 3 or 4 cups a day.
Booze? less than one night out a month.
I eat Pasta, rice, veg, I dont eat much chocolate, I grill all sausage and bacon etc. My one downfall is Pizza, I love it.

[etccarmageddon]

Red meat? probably the odd steak here and there, Minced beef thats about it.
Tea and coffee? I dont drink more than 3 or 4 cups a day.
Booze? less than one night out a month.
I eat Pasta, rice, veg, I dont eat much chocolate, I grill all sausage and bacon etc. My one downfall is Pizza, I love it.

her indoors was feeling very run down a couple of months back and I dont know where she got the advice from (I think it was a doctor)... she spent a couple of weeks on a diet of regular beef type meals - it appeared to make a big difference.

I used to work with a bloke who had crippling bone problems and his doctor suggested giving up tea which worked. I currently work with someone who told me recently that he doesnt drink tea cos it gives him bone problems.


Chocolate is supposed to have a 'feel good' chemical in it! I love pizza too!

I suggest you look at your diet and drinks and see if making changes does anything for you.

[Escapee]

her indoors was feeling very run down a couple of months back and I dont know where she got the advice from (I think it was a doctor)... she spent a couple of weeks on a diet of regular beef type meals - it appeared to make a big difference.

I used to work with a bloke who had crippling bone problems and his doctor suggested giving up tea which worked. I currently work with someone who told me recently that he doesnt drink tea cos it gives him bone problems.


Chocolate is supposed to have a 'feel good' chemical in it! I love pizza too!

I suggest you look at your diet and drinks and see if making changes does anything for you.

I find lots of Smirnoff Ice and WKD Blue does it for me :D

Just my little joke, I am very sensitive myself to the thread subject.