Hello, I was put on Prozac 3 months ago for depression. I'm bipolar and on other meds as well. My pdoc asked me if Prozac made me manic in the past. I said no. All I remember is that it made me feel good. Well, it made me feel good this time. Really good. Noticeably good, but not so noticabebly good that others may notice. My husband at one point mentioned I was manic however. I just was feeling so good about myself and so much more confident and less shy. I felt sexy.

My grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago. I have been depressed and going downhill since then, but I don't see how it can be related to her death. I was not very close to her, only when I was a child. This is the first family death I have ever experienced. Is this part of my depression?

Did the Prozac make me manic (yes, probably) and now I'm paying for it with this downswing?

Is drinking excessively on weekends playing a part on this depression? Even though I've always drank?

Do you think that if Prozac made me manic one time that it still can again? Or at least make me happy again?

I'm just trying to figure out what triggered this depression. Usually after a brief (2 days) period of hypomania, I get mild depression for 2 days or so, but nothing like this.

I have had thoughts of how I can hurt myself, but I don't want to. I know that my life is great. But I am miserable right now. I hurt.
I see my therapist next Wednesday and my pdoc that following Friday.
I'm not in that bad of shape that I can't wait to see her. I don't like playing around with my meds.

Anyway, any suggestions on the Prozac thing?

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read and/or reply to this.

I remember a thread somewhere on this. Anyway, I took prozac once when I was depressed and having issues. It was not the drug for me. I felt good - way toooo good. I spent a ton of money (like thousands) and it felt great. I resented my husband everytime he said I was manic or "not right".
"I am so right, what is he talking about?" that's what I thought at the time. I thought he was just jellous of my happiness - whatever! Poor guy puts up with so much, too much.
Well, I finally started to consider what he was saying. I sat down one day and looked at my checkbook/credit card bills (that I was hiding from him, eek) and realized I was in full blown mania. Thank God I was already on Prozac, cause that made me very depressed. I called the dr. and took my cc bills and bank statements as proof. This was not the med for me. My pdoc (at the time) was very stubboen and didn't listen to me. I couldn't just tell this guy what worked or what didn't, I had to have proof. jeesh! Anyway - a different thread I suppose.

I guess the point to all of my rambling is that if you feel something isn't right, then it isn't. I am not like some people on this board, I am still learning triggers and whatnots. Some people on this board see signs before their family members do. All I know, is that I have learned to listen to my husband when he notices certain behaviors. They know us better than we think.

I know that feeling confident and sexy is an amazing feeling, and one you don't want to give up. Who would?! But with BP you have to be careful of what will follow. I have learned - the higher the high, the lower the low.

I wish you well on your endevor,
Naturemomma

Another thing that's been going on that people have been commenting on for the last several weeks is a change brought on by the shortening of the hours of sunlight. Lots of people are affected by this, some even starting toward the end of August...but definitely getting worse as Halloween approaches. In your case, it sounds like a number of things happened around the same time that could lead you into depression.

Are you on at least one mood stabilizer? If it is doing its job, you shouldn't be so affected by the prozac. I gather you are still taking it?

I'm sure you know alcohol is never a good idea when you're taking meds for bipolar disorder. It changes the way the body metabolizes the medications, and can intensify a particular mood.

One thing I think important to remember is that the episodes of BP change in nature and intensity as one ages. Because you reacted one way earlier does not mean you will react the same way in the future. Generally speaking, taking an antidepressant when mood swings are not adequately controlled can push one into mania or hypomania.

Hopefully your docs can sort all of this out when you meet with them.

xx Tsohl

Hi,

I took Prozac for years; it was the designer drug of choice, and they kept raising the dosage. I would feel good for maybe two weeks, such energy, smiles, plans, then go down again. Sometimes, it made me feel very speeding, insomnia. But my depressions were not effected (wasn't on a stabilizer then).

I think Tsohl is right: this time of year is very rough. And I also believe that a death in the family, even though you weren't close, will cause a depression.

Have you tried Lamictal? That has been a great help for my depressions.
And try to get in touch with any feelings you have about the death, too.

I'm sorry you're having sucha rough time.

I just wanted to thank you girls for your replies. I'm still feeling low. I think the weather is also a factor. I am on Lamicatal, too. Also Topamax and Abilify.
I am looking forward to therapy in 4 days.
I just hope to get my old self back soon. Another thing is I have an eating disorder and I promised my tdoc and hubby I'd try to eat normal. I've been trying. I haven't weighed myself but I feel so fat. I feel insecure.
Hopefully talking to my T will help me to sort things out.
Thanks again for the input.

I was also on Prozac = for 7 years and had to keep increasing the doseage. The first year or two it worked wonderful for me. After that I experienced mania and depression cycles. I needed a mood stabilizer and didn't know it. I've experienced a huge difference since adding lamictal. I also switched to effexor Xr and it worked much better for me as an antidepressant.

Smiles,
Daisey

Oh, I just noticed you were from Hagerstown, MD. I lived there for years. I didn't much care for Hagerstown, but loved the area.... heeheh

Hi, Always Smiling,

Just read your last post here, and wanted to wish you all the best. I'm glad you're going to see a T; I also have an ED and a couple of other conditions, and and the ED alone can interfere with our ability to metabolize meds.
And BP is enough already, isn't it? (grin)

I hope to hear that you're feeling better soon,

Seaturtle

always,

are you taking prozac for the eating disorder, or depression? It is actually prescribed for both. I was just curious.

to everyone, what is effexor? I think I may have taken this once, but I can't remember.

Seaturtle,

I've been struggling with the fact that I have a ED disorder for years now.. My pdoc wants to put me on Wellbutrin but refuses to do so unless I gain some weight... Did you ever hear anything like that? This has been going on for about a year now and I'm still not on it... I try but I can't keep the weight on.

Effexor is another type of antidepressant - it works in a different way and it is extremely helpful to me. There are two types. Effexor Extended Release XR and Effexor. It is one that you have to work up to the thereputic dose, and can not stop cold turkey.

I've never had side effects with it, unless I went 3 days without it. I got dizzy..

It has never caused me to go into mania.
Here is some information that I have done regarding the types of medication and the listed FDA side effect information.

+++This is not advice or endorsement by Tony72++++ just info.


Medications Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Depression


Medication class Medication Brand names How it
works in
the brain Some possible side effects May
interact
with
Selective
serotonin
reuptake
inhibitors
(SSRI)
Citalopram
Escitalopram
Fluvoxamine
Paroxetine
Fluoxetine
Sertraline

Brand Names
Celexa®
Lexapro®
Luvox®
Paxil®
Prozac®
Zoloft®


Norepin-
ephrine
and
dopamine
reuptake
inhibitors
(NDRI)


Bupropion Wellbutrin®
Wellbutrin- SR®


+norepin-
ephrine
+dopamine


Serotonin
and norepin-
ephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI)

Venlafaxine
Duloxetine
Brand Names
Effexor®
Effexor XR®
Cymbalta®


+serotonin
+norepin-
ephrine

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Seaturtle,

I've been struggling with the fact that I have a ED disorder for years now.. My pdoc wants to put me on Wellbutrin but refuses to do so unless I gain some weight... Did you ever hear anything like that? This has been going on for about a year now and I'm still not on it... I try but I can't keep the weight on.

Dee-nah,
He's probably hesitant to put you on it because Wellbutrin has a tendancy to help you lose weight, at least it did for me when I took it years ago.
I take Prozac for depression. I also take Topamax as a mood stabalizer which helped me to lose alot of weight. My pdoc has almost taken it away from me because my therapist tells her I'm anorexic. She seems to beleive the Topamax did it to me. Anyway, my pdoc now monitors my weight, which sucks because I want to lose more, but I can't. Otherwise she'll change my meds and I don't want that to happen.