prozac for IC?

[Bluheaven]

Does anyone know if prozac works for IC like elavil does? I took it for a few days and for those days and about a week after felt almost normal bladder wise but had to stop taking the prozac because of insomnia and it was making me feel like I'd taken massive doses of speed except my body was exhausted. A bit of research and I think it was because my dose was too high.

I dunno if my bladder was better because of the prozac helping, making me loopy or just because. :confused:

[Briza]

I take Prozac 40 mg, sometimes 20mg. 20 mg seems to be the usual starting and mainetnance dose for controlling despression.

No, I have not found it helpful for my IC symptoms, but it does help keep the depression at bay. No side effects for me. I have taken up to 60 mg without side effects. I went back down to 40 mg b/c 60 mg didn't seem to help more than 40 mg. Probably I will go back to 20 mg soon.

I also take Elavil 10mg. It helps me most for frequency, nocturia, and sleeping thru the night.

[Bluheaven]

wow.

Yeah the doc I saw really wanted to start me at 20mg but after a bad reaction to 25mg zoloft (that put me in the ER) I wanted a smaller starting dose and he reluctantly let me start at 10mg instead.

10mg in the morning put me over the edge... I was so jittery I couldn't sit and had to constantly tap my feet or do something with my hands. I'm thinking 5 or even 2.5mg would be better for me. Or maybe I just can't take it all!

[Goldfinch]

Elavil or Amitriptyline is one of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs that are used more for its side effects than it's original use as an antidepressant. Tofranil is another. Both these drugs help some ICers because they are sedative (help with nocturia) and have anticholinergic and antihistamine properties. Elavil was developed in the 50's and there are plenty of other antidepressants available now. Tricyclics are often used for high anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, but not so much for clinical depresson.

Prozac is considered neutral and non-sedative; you are clearly one of the people who get the jitters or insomnia from it. There are meds that are targeted more to anxiety and have calming side-effects such as Lexapro. I suggest you talk to your doctor about your symptoms and what you want from the drug.

[Briza]

I have not heard of anyone taking less than 10 mg Prozac...so at 10 mg if side effects were such as you had I would question whether it is a med that you can tolerate in a dose high enough to help for depression and/or anxiety. I really have not heard of Prozac helping for IC symptoms, tho in the past it has helped me for menstrual pain...the first two years I took Prozac for depression, I had the very unexpected but very welcome side effect of no menstrual pain...and sometimes Prozac is now prescribed for just that. Unfortunatley, it does not seem to relieve menstrual pain for me anymore, but it is the only med that has worked for my depression, and without side effects.

I took Zoloft for a couple of weeks, it made me a zombie, so I discontinued. This was pre-IC so don't know how it would affect my IC symptoms.

Are you looking for an SSRI or SNRI antidpressant to help with depression/anxiety...or are you looking for one to help more for your IC symptoms??

[vm]

Hey, Goldfinch? Do you know of other SSRIs that target the anxiety, too, besides Lexapro? I've been on that for about 6 years now, I think, and am wondering if it is losing effectiveness for me. I really need one that targets depression AND anxiety, but don't know if there are others that do...

[Briza]

Kim
When I was Rxd Zoloft (tho unsuccesful for me) it was for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which obviously comes with a a lot of anxiety! At the time, Zoloft was the one SSRI that was specified for PTSD, so that is what I was Rxd. Tho b/c of side effects like I mentioned, I had to discontinue, but I do know MANY people personally who have taken it and have gotten great relief for both depression AND anxiety without side effects. And it is a white tablet, no dyes, in case you are sensitive to that kinda stuff.

Celexa (I have tried snce I got IC) also comes in white tabs, and is very similar to Lexapro but comes in generic form (read cheap!;))...I did not find any depression or anxiety relief from Celexa, but it did not cause me any side effects of any kind, bladder or otherwise. Cymbalta I also tried at a low dose...no bladder side effects for me, but it put me to sleep for a week :cat: so discontinued. I always end up going back to Prozac, but have at times noticed that if I discontinue Prozac for a while (say a few months) then when I restart it I feel it works better for me after taking a little break.

I also tried Wellbutrin, I believe it comes in a capsule, color white I think with black script...it had no affect on me one way or another....I tried it alone and along with Prozac but felt no difference, but no side effects either. I am not one who seems to be sensitive to dyes in meds, and Prozac capsules always some color or another, never white.

Anyway, that has been my experience...:)

[vm]

I used Prozac in the past - but with an antianxiety med. I'd like to try one that would zap both things in the same pill. LOL Prozac did work well back when I used it.

Zoloft scares me. I'm not one to get bad side effects from meds, but I know several people who've had bad reactions to that one.

I wouldn't mind trying Wellbutrin, but I don't think it addresses anxiety...

The other issue is that Lexapro does help my IC. It was the med to unexpectedly take away my last symptom (urethral discomfort)...

I hate to change meds. *sigh* Weighing new side effects vs. no side effects now vs. helping the depression and anxiety more. Fun, fun! :)

Maybe I give in and take two separate pills. I think Prozac comes in generic now, right? I think maybe Buspar (antianxiety) does, too... Hmmmmm

**Sorry for the thread hijack - but this info. may be useful for you, too, Blueheaven. I used to take Elavil and it did help my IC a bit - but it has a different action than the SSRIs. That said, my SSRI did help my IC, too.**

[Briza]

Kim
Same for me...Prozac really has never helped for my anxiety but helps great for controlling my depressive moods and intrusive circular :loco:thoughts lol, which in turn I guess helps some for my anxiety. But, like you, I have had to take a benzo anxiety med along with most times to control my anxiety, but luckily since going back to work, my anxiety levels are GREATLY reduced (oxymoron I know lol, but I really LOVE my new job and am very comfortable and HAPPY working there) and I am 2 months into my new job and have been able to reduce, on my own, my benzo med by 50%...something I and my many drs NEVER thought would happen LOL! I'm pretty proud of myself hahahah for being able to control and reduce the amount of anxiety med I have to take because, yeah, it is so easy to reach for when even the the slightest thing gets me riled or anxious. So I have been doing good in that regard and hope to reduce my need for it further still as time goes by and body and mind get used to lower and lower daily dose.

But I'm with ya, I wish I had or could find SSRI or SNRI to help me with both controlling depressive thoughts AND anxiety but so far I haven't to the extent that I have needed...just Prozac.

I also tried Effexor, which I believe is an SNRI, and I know it does work very well for some, but like many others, I experienced the most extreme climbing the wall side effects from that one, which for some DO go away w/ continued use, but for me were intolerable. I tried that pre-IC so affect on bladder for me unknown.

I was given Rxs for Buspar in addition to Prozac and have to admit that I did not give Buspar a well-deserved shot for anxiety...namely b/c I was suffering from such severe anxiety at the time I needed something much faster acting. But I can say that it did not give me any side effects at all bladder or otherwise, even tho only took it for 2-3 weeks. So I am wondering if that is a med I may revisit in addition to Prozac once I reduce the anxiety med I am taking now to just as needed, rather than on daily basis. Buspar I believe is one inteneded to take on daily basis, but without the habituating effects of the benzos.

Well, keep in touch about any changes you decide to make...would be interested in seeing how it goes for you as seems we are in somewhat similar shoes...

BTW, FYI for anyone taking Prozac: yes, Prozac 20 and 40 mg capsules available as generic and are on Walmart and CVS $4 plan... BUT the 60 mg capsules NOT available as generic, so if needing 60 mg/day, just an FYI, dr needs to Rx it in three 20 mg caps that add up to 60 mg/day and Rxd that way will apply to the $4 generic Rx plans.:)

[vm]

That IS interesting about the anxiety going down now that you are back to work. Who would have guessed that, huh? LOL :) I hear you on the circular thoughts. Ugh. That's one of the things I've noticed creeping back in. I know my anxiety is up when I am "thinking too much"...

Really good to know about the Prozac and WalMart. I'll have to take their $4 listings for the mental health meds when I ask my doc about that this summer. may actually try to switch - it would be cheaper for me, too!

Thanks for all your input. :)

[vm]

Ooh, I didn't realize CVS has a $4 plan, too.

[Briza]

You're welcome...I'll keep in touch, esp if I revisit Buspar (yes it is generic) once I get my benzo down lower (hopefully this summer). I will continue taking Prozac...JMHO, "they" should put Prozac in the water along with Fluoride lol...what a happy Prozac healthy Teeth nation we would be! :biglaugh:
Yep, it is Prozac that most controls my circular intrusive thougths more than anything....when I first started taking it many moons ago that was the most incredible relief I have ever experienced from anything that has ever ailed me.:)
Take care...I do hope you find something or combo of somethings that work for you.

[Goldfinch]

Circular thoughts...that's interesting; not sure what that means, but perhaps it is similar to what prompted me to go on prozac. I started obsessing on the food issue. I would focus on what I couldn't have, feel sorry for myself, weep at the sight of a grapefruit. The prozac helped, and my doctor said she thought prozac might work for obsessive compulsive thoughts, although as far as I know, it isn't typically used for OCD. Zoloft is more likely to be prescribed for that. But anyway, I seem to be not so focussed on food, which is a good thing.

[Bluheaven]

I'm oddly not depressed or having massive panick/anxiety attacks like before I was diagnosed (except maybe at the thought of losing my favorite foods/drinks... specially coffee...) but my bladder felt so good when I was taking the prozac I wondered if there was something to that.

Maybe later on I'll start back on it and see what it does?

[vm]

It could be - mine definitely felt better after I started Lexapro. It wasn't placebo either b/c I was not expecting the Lexapro to help my bladder at all!