# Prozac Experience



## quixotian (Oct 21, 2009)

First of all, I am so thankful to have found this community. For the longest time, I thought I was simply "going crazy" but now I'm a little more optimistic about my DR.

I've had moments of DR for the past several months, coupled with anxiety, that have gotten steadily worse. On Saturday, I started Prozac 10mg on the recommendation of my doctor. I had such intense DR all night Saturday that I could barely move. Sunday wasn't as bad (mostly because I wasn't alone/dwelling on it). Monday and Today were more manageable, but definitely with some scary moments.

After talking with my doctor, he suggested that with SSRIs sometimes symptoms like anxiety (and in this case DR) can get worse before the medication really kicks in. Has that been anyone else's experience?

He gave me clonazepam as a temporary adjuvant to help keep the DR in check, which I will take tonight.

Thanks again!


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## dreamingoflife (Oct 22, 2006)

I dealt with intense anxiety and dp/dr when I started taking Celexa. My dp wasn't even that bad before I started to take the medicine. I was just taking it to get rid of all the anxiety and panic attacks I had been dealing with. I have since gotten off of celexa because it caused way more problems and didn't help a thing and now my dp is bad again along with the anxiety I had before taking it. I wish you good luck with this medicine but as for me I am going to try a more natural approach to getting better. I haven't had luck with any antidepressants I have ever taken but some swear by them so maybe it will help you.


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## Tommygunz (Sep 7, 2009)

so, i am on to a new lead here, or rather i have picked up on an old lead. i'm starting to wonder if increasing dopamine would have therapeutic benefit for us, and if lack of dopamine is part of the problem. the reason i bring this up is that celexa is known to potentially decrease dopamine. so, im poking holes in my own theory here but, heck if anyone one has any insight on this i'd appreciate it.


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## aloof (Nov 18, 2008)

GABA is the key neurotransmitter, and Dopamine possibly secondary IMO. Clonazapam helps for alot of DP sufferers and likely those whose DP came out of chronic anxiety, as mine did. SSRIs and SNRIs have not only been ineffective for me, but made me worse. My focus is on meds that work on GABA. Neurontin is one I may try. For an antidepressant, perhaps Wellbrutrin as it works partially on Dopamine. As far as Lamictal, studies have shown it to be ineffective for DPD when used alone, and possibly beneficial when paired with an SSRI. I know some here have said it is helpful but i doubt it is the answer for many.


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## jfromaz (Mar 23, 2009)

not recommended


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2009)

I've had a weird experience on prozac the past couple of months. I previously had been on it off and on for years for depression and panic attacks. Well I went on Abilify to see if it would help with the dp/dr and it didn't. I ended up in the hospital and the psych there said that he thought that it would be good to go back on the Prozac. So he put me on that and Klonopin. I had one good day and then things started going down hill. I got really depressed and by the time I saw my outpatient psych I was very depressed. She suggested doubling my dose for the depression. So I went from 20 mg to 40 mg and within a couple of days my dp/dr got much worse. Before I just felt like I didn't know where I was. It got to the point on the higher dose of prozac where I just plain didn't know where I was. So I dealt with this for a couple of days and called and told her what was going on. She agreed that it just wasn't working for this and for me to ween off. I did and as I weened off my anxiety also started getting better. I have been completely off of prozac and klonopin and instead of having one good day a month, I am having like 2 a week. So my body seems to be doing better handling the dp/dr without the medication. I won't lie. I HAVE become incredibly depressed but that is expected as dp/dr seems to be due to our brain's imbalance of seretonin. Well that and that fact that I never leave my room. But thats another story. I'm think of trying Tommy's regimin because I honestly feel that my dp/dr is something independent of the depression.


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## aloof (Nov 18, 2008)

tinyfairypeople said:


> I've had a weird experience on prozac the past couple of months. I previously had been on it off and on for years for depression and panic attacks. Well I went on Abilify to see if it would help with the dp/dr and it didn't. I ended up in the hospital and the psych there said that he thought that it would be good to go back on the Prozac. So he put me on that and Klonopin. I had one good day and then things started going down hill. I got really depressed and by the time I saw my outpatient psych I was very depressed. She suggested doubling my dose for the depression. So I went from 20 mg to 40 mg and within a couple of days my dp/dr got much worse. Before I just felt like I didn't know where I was. It got to the point on the higher dose of prozac where I just plain didn't know where I was. So I dealt with this for a couple of days and called and told her what was going on. She agreed that it just wasn't working for this and for me to ween off. I did and as I weened off my anxiety also started getting better. I have been completely off of prozac and klonopin and instead of having one good day a month, I am having like 2 a week. So my body seems to be doing better handling the dp/dr without the medication. I won't lie. I HAVE become incredibly depressed but that is expected as dp/dr seems to be due to our brain's imbalance of seretonin. Well that and that fact that I never leave my room. But thats another story. I'm think of trying Tommy's regimin because I honestly feel that my dp/dr is something independent of the depression.


I strongly believe that for the great majority of people with DPD, particularly those that have it along with chronic anxiety(cant speak for those who get it spontaneously from drug use), antidepressants are not the way to go. For me and alot of others here apparently, SSRIs, SNRIs, and even meds like Wellbutrin have been ineffective and even worsened the symptoms. My pdoc says I have "weird" brain chemistry and in fact I bet most DPD sufferers are somewhat unique and oversensitive with respect to effects from meds. Since Klonopin has been the ONLY med to help me at all thus far, my focus is on GABA and drugs that effect that neurotransmitter in particular. I am talking primarily anticonvulsants here. I am going on Neurontin in a few days, and continuing with Klonopin(sparingly). My doc also thinks if the Neurontin is helpful that adding a small dose of Lamictal as an adjunct may be good to stabilize mood and as an antidepressant- he said it tends to lift mood some.


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## quixotian (Oct 21, 2009)

I would just like to update on my status. Now having been on the Prozac for two weeks, I HAVE noticed a significant improvement in my depression (I think to a degree I didn't realize how depressed I was). No improvement on the DP/DR, in fact it may have gotten a little more persistent but the panic level associated with it has decreased.


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