Prozac side effects - When will they go away?! - Depression Message Board

kittywitty · 03-24-2007, 11:06 PM

I was on Prozac for eight years. I went off of it two months ago due to unpleasant side effects: hair loss, no sex drive, twitching, short-term memory problems, etc. Even though I'm off of it I still have a nonexistent sex drive, and it's creating problems in my marriage. Any idea when I can expect it to return? Will it ever? Also, I'm still having the twitching, very annoying. I HATE meds!!

Christina8 · 03-25-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittywitty

I was on Prozac for eight years. I went off of it two months ago due to unpleasant side effects: hair loss, no sex drive, twitching, short-term memory problems, etc. Even though I'm off of it I still have a nonexistent sex drive, and it's creating problems in my marriage. Any idea when I can expect it to return? Will it ever? Also, I'm still having the twitching, very annoying. I HATE meds!!

Eight years??? Wow, why were you on it for so long..if you don't mind me asking. I've been on it for 6 months. My sex drive has decreased but not diminished. Other than that, no other side-effects. I've never felt beetter.

qingche · 03-25-2007, 09:56 AM

Hi Kitty, what dose were you on, and were you on name brand or generic Prozac?

I have been on name brand Prozac 20mg for a month. So far I haven't noticed any decreased sex drive. Don't know if it will happen in the future, but I intend to be on Prozac only for a short time.

I heard usually it takes months for the meds to leave our system. For every year you were on meds, it takes a month to be rid of it---so if you were on it for 8 years, it probably will take 6-8 months to completely get rid of it. But I am sure things will get better and better as time goes on. Just be patient, and don't pay too much attention to it. As for sex drive, maybe you could have sex and try to enjoy it, even though you don't think you "want" it? And in time maybe it will help increase your sex drive...

Hope you will feel better soon!

einseidle · 03-25-2007, 11:21 AM

I've been on Prozac for several years. Went to it after trying almost everything else there was with no effect. However, I need to take from 80 to 100 mg daily, and I'm pretty sure I'll have to take it for the rest of my life. I'm only just now getting around to accepting that. Don't have any real side-effects other than my appetite has increased many fold, and this bothers me. Especially since the message about most anti-depressants is that they tend to take appetite away. I've gained more than twenty pounds. Has anyone else experienced weight gain on Prozac?

kittywitty · 03-25-2007, 12:33 PM

Thanks for the replies, guys. I appreciate it

Christina8 - I was on it for so long because I was suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from being abused (sexually, physically, and emotionally) as a child. It was pretty bad. I've had severe depression, ocd, anxiety, social phobia, low self-esteem, and a very poor body image most of my life, since way before puberty. Also, I began suffering from eating disorders around age 12 or 13. I'm 36 now. In addition to the meds, I've also been in therapy for the past ten years. Currently, I'm dealing with the eating disorders, primarily anorexia. You're lucky that you don't really have the side effects. I'm extremely sensitive to the side effects of all meds, not just antidepressants.

Qingche - After the first four years, I was up to 80 mgs. I then went off of it because I thought I was pregnant (negative). I stayed off it for a couple months, then I went back on and was on it up until two months ago. This time I was only on 40 mgs. I took the brand name both times. You would do well to take it only for a short time. IMO, the longer you're on it, the worse the side effects, that's been my experience anyway. I'm really sensitive to side effects, though. I've read somewhere else on the net (maybe on these boards?) that it doesn't fully leave your system for six months. I really hope that's not true. I can't take this anymore. My husband is driving me crazy. Sex isn't even on my 'to do' list, it's the furthest thing from my mind, I don't even like to kiss him. That part could be because he's a typical man: you give him a few kisses and he's ready to go and women are just not like that, at least I'm not. Sex has to be at least on my mind before he can touch me at all 'downstairs'. I just started taking an herb called Damiana about a week ago to try and help me increase my interest. I took saw palmetto extract for years and it worked great, but it just doesn't work anymore, so I started taking the Damiana. I've heard good things about it. Wish me luck.

Einseidle - I tried many, many meds before going on Prozac, as well. Nothing else worked for me either, at least not long term. My first psychiatrist told me that I'd have be on meds for the rest my life. I used to believe that, but not anymore. For the most part, I'm doing fine off the meds. If anything, I'm depressed because the meds have slaughtered my sex drive. Are you in therapy at all? I've found that that's where I've made most of my progress. The meds just stabilized me so that I could work on my issues from my childhood. I didn't experience weight gain on the Prozac, but a couple of my friends did. Everybody's body reacts differently to a given med. Maybe try a different one and see if that helps? Have you tried Wellbutrin? I know, trying all these meds is frustrating until you find the right one, believe me. Good luck.