White cat512 Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 I have been subscribed prozac 20 mg for a cuple of weeks and just last week we upped the dose to 40 mg. I noticed a difference in the 3rd week, and was wondering if it takes an additional cuple of weeks to work( better) after upping the dose?
Chinook Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Hi, I was prescribed Prozac for clinical depression after being diagnosed with cancer. I initially started on 20mg and it didn't really help and increased to 40mg at week 4. I didn't really notice a marked improvement until around 6 weeks after increasing the dose. The only other things I would say are, ensure you take it in the morning and it needs a period of 6 months or more to be effective. I didn't take mine for 6 months and I regretted it for a long time afterwards because I could have recovered from depression a lot sooner if I had.
Author White cat512 Posted July 16, 2007 Author Posted July 16, 2007 Thanks for your reply. I all ssris take a cuple of weeks to kick in, but to get real long lasting improvement...I'm sure one must take them for a year or longer. Can you not go back on prozac?
laRubiaBonita Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 what is the prozac to treat specifically? when i was taking prozac the highest dose i was taking was 180mg. of course it was upped from my initial dosage of 40mg over the course of a year. i was battling my eating disorder, deppression, and anxiety. i had also gone thru some other ineffective (to me) anti-D's before switching to prozac. it really depends on the composition and chemistry of your body as to how much you, specifically will need. i always took mine at night though, otherwise i would get nasty "prozac burps" very acrid
Chinook Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 Thanks for your reply. I all ssris take a cuple of weeks to kick in, but to get real long lasting improvement...I'm sure one must take them for a year or longer. Can you not go back on prozac? Nah, this was 3 years ago now. I battled it out in the end. I'm probably prone to bouts of being down but nothing like I was. My Doc didn't tell me I needed to be on it so long see. But yes, I agree to be effective the therapeutic time period should have been at least 12 months. It took around 6 weeks for it to kick in though. Once it did things looked a whole lot better and that was half the problem - I thought I was cured. So at 6 months, I slowly stopped them.
Author White cat512 Posted July 16, 2007 Author Posted July 16, 2007 I have generalized anxiety disorder. I never thought anything would work until I tried this med and it has given me some sort of relief so far.
laRubiaBonita Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 I have generalized anxiety disorder. I never thought anything would work until I tried this med and it has given me some sort of relief so far. i totally agree! prozac saved my life, i honestly would have killed myself (i had almost tried to). this is just me talking- ask your doctor first! but i think a higher dosage of prozac helps more with the intrusive-obsessive thoughts. i do, sometimes, in the winter take prozac.... those winter months get to me.... but, in the winter, i only need 20mg one day and 40mg every other day. and that is more of a "straight up depressive" type of a state, not the obsessive- anxious state. again, my experience and opinion. but i am glad that things are stating to get there for you!
oppath Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 I've been on prozac, paxil, wellbutrin, zoloft, buspar, ativan, and at least another at some point...currently on zoloft. Yes, it takes 6-8 weeks for the effects to kick in, and it can take a couple weeks after any dose increase. As people have said, you want to stay on it for 4-6 months after you conclude "I don't need this anymore." And always taper under a doctor's supervision.
Lizzie60 Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 I have been subscribed prozac 20 mg for a cuple of weeks and just last week we upped the dose to 40 mg. I noticed a difference in the 3rd week, and was wondering if it takes an additional cuple of weeks to work( better) after upping the dose? I was on Prozac for a few years.. it helped me a lot... it's probably what helped me the most when I was severely depressed... I love it.. I still take it but not for depression anymore... It gives me so much energy... It's my 'happy pill' ... I don't eat as much so it helps me maintain my weight too. It takes a few weeks to kick in... you need to be closely monitored by a doctor though... you can't just stop taking it whenever you want... you got to talk to your doctor first.
Author White cat512 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Posted July 17, 2007 Well It's good to hear that prozac has worked for you guys ....did you have a decrease in sex drive? I haven't been as " horny " lately...man thats going to suck:) hahaha
laRubiaBonita Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 I was on Prozac for a few years.. it helped me a lot... it's probably what helped me the most when I was severely depressed... I love it.. I still take it but not for depression anymore... It gives me so much energy... It's my 'happy pill' ... I don't eat as much so it helps me maintain my weight too. It takes a few weeks to kick in... you need to be closely monitored by a doctor though... you can't just stop taking it whenever you want... you got to talk to your doctor first. and THAT is soooo very healthy. prozac Did give me awesome dreams though....
Lizzie60 Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 Well It's good to hear that prozac has worked for you guys ....did you have a decrease in sex drive? I haven't been as " horny " lately...man thats going to suck:) hahaha I think it gave me more sex drive... LOL... it gives me so much more energy so maybe that's why my sex drive in high gear...
laRubiaBonita Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 Well It's good to hear that prozac has worked for you guys ....did you have a decrease in sex drive? I haven't been as " horny " lately...man thats going to suck:) hahaha um.. no, but i am a chic, so mine is not quite as obvious as a guy. but then again, i was depressed and i could care less... but at the same time i craved someone- and did not want anyone.....
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