I need some advice please! - Anxiety Message Board

dragonballwizard · 05-01-2003, 10:01 PM

Hi,
I have been on prozac for about 3 or 4 weeks. I thought it was working great for anxiety, But today when I was crossing the street and there was alot of cars, I started thinking people are staring at me! that kept going over and over in my head. It got to the point to where I could barely finish crossing the street because my legs felt like a ton of bricks. I have not had the racing heart with my anxiety sense being on prozac. So it is helping to some degree but I am at a loss as to what it is that happened today. Can someone please help me out?

hry33 · 05-03-2003, 01:34 PM

has this sort of thing happened before starting the prozac?
the prozac dose range is about 20 to 80mg daily, perhaps your dose needs to be upped, ask doc.

feeling that everyone is staring at you and judging you badly is common with social anxiety

Janik · 05-03-2003, 04:15 PM

Anxiety is actually an occasional side effect of Prozac. If the medication is worsening your anxiety, you should take something else, not increase the dose.

dragonballwizard · 05-04-2003, 04:04 PM

Hi you 2!
Thanks so much for your replies. I did have anxiety before taking the prozac. I was put on prozac for depression and anxiety.

My Symptoms before prozac were as follows:
fight to take a breath
fast hart beat.
trimbling
flushed face

My symtoms with prozac are as follows:
over whelming fear in some situations.
Hard to move if walking.
trimbling
flushed face

So as you can see the prozac has helped some. But it has increased my fear to the point of almost not being able to move.
That is really the only draw back. should I still wait it out? have my dose increased? or ask to try something else.
thanks for your time
dragonballwizard

Janik · 05-04-2003, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dragonballwizard:
over whelming fear in some situations...
... prozac has helped some. But it has increased my fear to the point of almost not being able to move.
... should I still wait it out? have my dose increased? or ask to try something else.

I believe you should stop the Prozac and try something else. I got panic attacks (overwhelming fear) while taking Zoloft, which is also an SSRI like Prozac.

I've never heard of a case like mine an neither have my doctors. But if you had never experienced a panic attack before the Prozac, there seems to be a connection. I don't think "waiting it out" is a good idea.

There are other medications for anxiety that are not SSRI's. Ask your doctor to switch you to another medication.

According to SSRI's clinical trials, 60% of the people get better, but you could belong to the other 40%, or worse, to the 5% or so who experience unpleasant side effects.