anyone tried fluoxetine?

[ABliske]

I posted a while ago about finding a generic antidepressant. It took some convincing but my Dr. put me on the generic for prozac. I want to know if this has helped anyone with depression. My Dr. was saying Effexor would probably be better, but I can't afford name brand meds.
Also, how long did it take to kick in?

[ICsmiles]

I have had great success with Fluoxetine. It took about 2 weeks to kick in but I and members of my family noticed the results immediately. I am able to deal chronic pain and the depression it causes much better.

The way it was explained to me is that even though my normal nature is happy and optimistic, the 24/7 pain had battered me down, depleting the serotonin in my brain. In simple layman's terms, Fluoxetine, or Prozac, the brand name, kept the seratonin available to my brain, which gives me a feeling of well-being. It feels like it restored me back to myself!

Here is a quote from a medical site:
"SSRIs seem to relieve symptoms of depression by blocking the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin by certain nerve cells in the brain. This leaves more serotonin available in the brain. Increased serotonin enhances neurotransmission — the sending of nerve impulses — and improves mood."

I resisted antidepressants for years, but am so glad I finally tried it. Previously I tried elavil several times, which is standard treatment for IC, but hated the way it felt. That is why it took me so long to try anything else.

Also, the psychiatrist I saw offered either prozac or effexor, but said he liked the results of prozac better, and thought it would work best in my case.
Best wishes to you.

[Goldfinch]

Prozac (fluox.) has been very helpful for me. I originally started taking it when the strict IC diet I was on was getting me very depressed. It helped me stop focusing obsessively on the foods I couldn't eat. I had to do a little letting go, and prozac really worked that way. The anti-depressants such as Lexapro that are often used for high anxiety make me very sleepy, so I've not had good experiences with some of those. I had some minor nausea the first few days, but that completely disappeared.

[ICsmiles]

I HATED the idea of being on antidepressants so much that I went for years resisting my doctor's suggestions that they might help me. I did not realize that battling pain on a daily basis would eventually lead me into despair.

Now I understand that I was slowly slipping into clinical depression. I didn't know what depression felt like because I had never known it before. I was one of those annoyingly upbeat people who always looked at the bright side.

Well, no more. I was crying nearly every day; I had lost interest in things that used to make me happy, and I was stuck in pain 24/7 with no hope from my doctors of that changing. My pain meds were just a stop-gap measure; I was never comfortable.

Even my family was starting to get worried. So we made an appointment to see a psychiatrist about my depression.

I especially had a resistance to Prozac because it has a certain stigma about it ====>it is the poster child of antidepressants, and the one mentioned in practically any joke about depression or antidepressants. When the psychiatrist who prescribed it noticed the face I made, he said he could prescribe another brand instead (I think it was Effexor). But since I knew I really needed help, I decided to totally rely on professional advice. I asked him, "If it were you, which one would you take?" and he immediately said "Prozac." He explained that it has shown the best results for the kind of depression I have (caused by the stress of chronic pain) and that it has been tested more thoroughly than the newer drugs.
I am so glad I set my bias aside and followed direction. I have been happier in the last couple of months than I have been in the last couple of years! I have been doing more, even though I am still in pain, and feel like I can still have some quality of life.
If this helps anyone in making a decision about antidepressants, then I feel like my experience has been of value!!! Oh - and I am on the generic, Fluoxetine, by the way. It doesn't have to be the brand. It is working great, and I am smiling again! And busy with projects at home, even when I am in pain I can do some things. :)
Sharon

[ABliske]

Thank you! It is great to know there are people out there being helped by this med! For now I am not taking it because i'm having a hard time weaning my son. My husband doesn't like the idea of me being on it and nursing and I am also worried about any chemicals going through to my son. My friend takes 20mg per day and nurses but I think I need something stronger. My prescription was for 40 mg. I am going to try very hard to wean to get on it soon.
(BTW, my son is 14 months and I was planning to stop nursing at 12 months. It's hard for me to substitute a bottle at night because he doesn't want to take it. I think I may have to let him "cry it out", which is soooo tough.)
However, I had been doing better. I haven't cried for a few weeks. I am realizing I have to just keep on going even when things aren't easy.
I really appreciate all the support.