[Wodgy]

ai0tron, what you're advocating is irresponsible and could potentially cause great harm by encouraging depressed people not to get treatment.

There is a massive difference between amateur websites and professional clinical practice accompanied by large-scale trials. If you can't see this, I hope everyone else can. Yes, every medication has side effects or may interact with the body chemistry of a few individuals in unpredictable ways. It is a physician's responsibility to monitor this. Even saline (water) injections are not generally without the occasional side effect in double-blind trials. To scare the majority of people away from seeking and trying legitimate treatments for a life threatening condition is wrong.

 

[Todd R]

ai0tron,
Ask your doctor to switch you to "Celexa". It works, and has very few side effects (for me).

You have to try different medications to see which one your body agrees with.

 

[ai0tron]

This is less a case of IS PROZAC bad than it is a case of IS ELI LILLY hiding the truth...

I read the documentation THOROUGHLY, there was not even the slightest mention of the kind of side effects I had.

The doctor indicated that he thought I might have a mild bi-polar condition. IF that is the case he really should not have prescribed me Prozac. As I have just read on a website about ssri's and potentially dangerous reactions with mania disorders.

I don't think any drug marketed as being so very very "safe" yet having so many negative effects should just be brushed aside so inoffensively.

I'm trying to stir up public opinion here, I am an extremist sometimes I admit, but I have reason to be, this drug is ****ing nuts. Eli Lilly I think pretends cases like mine don't exist.

I cant decide if I think these drugs are ********. Theyve been invented so recently and suddenly doctors realize the whole world needs this drug and other anti-depressants like it. Question marks everywhere, I must question this mightily.

How exactly do we go from the good ol days to needing drugs to feel normal?

AM I willing to try another anti-depressant?? Maybe, I'm still looking for a way despite this horrible episode I really want to feel better, would I much rather find a way to feel good without drugs... YES. Do drugs like this scare the crap out of me now? YES.

Do think I am wrong in advocating you contact your doctor and get off this drug as he dictates to you??? NO.

Some people mentioned not to take my advice. Ok dont stop taking the drug without talking to your doctor. Coming off an SSRI canbe just nutty as going on one. What I am saying is STOP and THINK, question the safety of this extremely potent drug, and visit the website to see an alternate point of view.

 

[eric343]

Ai0tron, I just looked through the PDR documentation on Prozac. Generally, the symptoms you described (nervousness, insomnia, etc) were about 5-7% (taken individually; not as a whole) more common than with placebo. It sounds as if you're one of the few that fell into that margin.

There was also mention of it interacting with maniac disorders. What documentation were you looking at? PDR, as you might guess, is pretty much 'the standard'. It's possible that your doctor simply made a mistake and forgot about that interaction - doctors are fallible humans too.

Also, Prozac was not listed under Eli Lilly, but under another company (don't remember which; sorry, it's finals week so my brain isn't all here).

I don't think any drug companies are holding back information - the system of trials, studies, and whatnot is EXTREMELY thorough and well-documented.


edit: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I'm a friggn' teenager with some medical books in the house. Don't take ANYTHING I say as the gospel medical truth - see your doctor.

 

[ai0tron]

Im not saying don't get treatment. I'm saying this random, haphazard, trial and error kind of prescription method is very, very dangerous. And the effects of these drugs are not well understood. In fact Eli Lilly themselves can't say for certain how the drug cures depression.

My statement stands, if you are on this drug I would do some serious research to see if the risks are being communicated to you TRUTHFULLY. They were not communicated to me by anyone involved. I found out for myself after this crap zapped me, and come to find out theres a whole lot of people who were hurt just as much by it as I was. And alot of these effects continue even years after quitting the medication.

I want people to understand the FULL SCOPE of possible side-effects for this and other drugs. Not drug companies overly optimistic spin and mis-leading wording. Not to mention just outright lying in some cases.



You know future-generations may look back on all this chemical therapy in horror.

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally posted by ai0tron This is less a case of IS PROZAC bad than it is a case of IS ELI LILLY hiding the truth...

In general the pharmaceutical industry has been very good about reporting side effects because of their legitimate fear of lawsuits. When it became clear (2001) that Paxil (a similar SSRI) could cause sensory withdrawl symptoms, those were added to the monograph.

Quote:

I read the documentation THOROUGHLY, there was not even the slightest mention of the kind of side effects I had.

That is simply not true. Your symptoms are consistent with serotonergic excess syndrome (keep in mind that I'm not a doctor), and that is mentioned as a symptom in the complete monograph. Many of the words used in monographs are difficult for reasonable people to understand, I won't deny it (e.g. they'll say "paresthesia" rather than sensory disturbances). But it's there.

Quote:

The doctor indicated that he thought I might have a mild bi-polar condition. IF that is the case he really should not have prescribed me Prozac. As I have just read on a website about ssri's and potentially dangerous reactions with mania disorders.

You're absolutely right. Any competent physician should be aware that SSRIs are contraindicated for bipolar disorders.

Quote:

I don't think any drug marketed as being so very very "safe" yet having so many negative effects should just be brushed aside so inoffensively.

It has been estimated that 1/8th of the American population have been prescribed SSRIs or MAO inhibitors at some time. That's about 35 million people. If homicide is a side-effect for even one hundredth of one percent (0.01%) of those people, you'd still expect to see 3500 news stories about it a year. We're not seeing that.

Quote:

How exactly do we go from the good ol days to needing drugs to feel normal?

It's unclear. Pollution, breakdown of interdependent social networks, unrealistic economic and physical models depicted in the media, breakdown of the family, and a hundred other things have been suggested. Just because we don't know what's causing it doesn't mean people shouldn't seek treatment.

 

[ai0tron]

"That is simply not true. Your symptoms are consistent with serotonergic excess syndrome (keep in mind that I'm not a doctor), and that is mentioned as a symptom in the complete monograph. Many of the words used in monographs are difficult for reasonable people to understand, I won't deny it (e.g. they'll say "paresthesia" rather than sensory disturbances). But it's there."


Oh yeah, I experienced what the documentation said I would... experienced TIMES A THOUSAND... I don't remember, "Possibility of immense pain" being mentioned. I was not seeking treatment because I felt so bad I wanted to die. I was seeking treatment because I found myself not giving a **** about much anymore. What ended up happening was that whatever happened in my mind because of Prozac left me so pained for moments that I felt this black coldness wash over me that made me so afraid I wanted to die. But I was gripped so intensely by the effect of the drug that had I wanted to act on that I wouldn't have been able to. All I could do was lie there and clench my jaw. The effect snuck up on me like a tiger from the brush. Practically without warning, one minute I was just tense, the next minute I was experiencing something akin to hell, death, madness, whatever you want to call it.

 

[grancasa]

First off, ai0tron, I'm very sorry to hear about your reaction to the medication.

However, did you doctor tell you anything about calling them if you had any adverse reactions to the medication? All medical doctors have some emergency number where they or someone else qualified can answer your questions and give advise 24/7. If you haven't already called your doctor, I would do so right away and explain your problem. I would also hope that your doctor slowly brought up your medication level, and didn't start you off at a theraputic does. That can be dangerous.

Second, yes, SSRI and other anti-depressent medication can have negative effects, like all medications. Specifically, people at risk or suffering from bi-polar disorders should be talk to their doctors, as an anti-depressant can induce a manic state, which can be very dangerous and not good at all.

But I think you should spend your energy working with your doctor about these issues, and not posting information which can be misleading, turn others in off to help, and in some cases, just plain wrong.

 

[elipsis]

Well, yeah. I got the exact same feelings going onto SSRI's

You need to take them for more than a few days, dude.

Also, sites like prozactruth.com will not give you an objective account of the drug any more than the drug company's sales drones.

The fact of the matter is, the VAST majority of people who take SSRIs are better off for it.

 

[pigmode]

So what are you whining about, you're a college type right--intelligent and all that right? So you had a problem and now you're condemning all Psycologists?

 

[markl]

If you are truly bi-polar, SSRI's are absolutely the wrong medication for you and your doctor screwed up badly. Your criticism of prozac is like criticizing heart medication for not curing your arthritis.

If you are bi-polar, your brain chemistry is very different from someone with uni-polar or "typical" depression. You need lithium for bi-polar.

I would get a second and third opinion to make sure you get a full and proper diagnosis of bi-polar disorder, though. Hope you don't have that because that's much tougher to treat. Suicide rates amongst bi-polars is also higher than those with "typical" depression.

Mark

 

[markl]

One more thing. A lot of those sites are also run by lawers looking for people to bandwagon on to class-action lawsuits to shake down the pharmaceutical industry. Yeah, sign their petition and participate on their forums so they can recruit you and contact you later. wanna know why the cost of medicine is so high in this country? *****in' lawyers.

Mark

 

[CaptBubba]

There is a reason why there are new SSRIs on the market, because Prozac wasn't perfect. The thing is, when you are messing with chemicals on sub-cellular levels, very strange things can and do happen. I personally experienced nausia strong enough to put me on the floor when I started taking Zoloft, but nothing could now convince me that it wasn't worth it.


I find it suspicious that that site, which trys the dispell the idea that SSRIs are wonder pills, have these wonderful links to places where you can get supliments that will magically fix tics, wieght gain, and oh so much more. The way I see it, this page is just there to scare you into quitting, and they oh so handily give you instructions, along with this wonderful gem: "Immunocal is the only product we recommend", which is only manufactured by one company: Imunotec. They even go through the trouble of giving you a link where you can buy this "needed" product for $59.40. Such a deal! This wonder-drug can do it all:

Quote:

Its actions are the following: Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cancer-preventative, chelating agent, detoxifier, detoxifies blood and liver of harmful heavy metals, helps prevent cataracts, immunoenhancer, inhibits free radical formation, neurotransmitter, protects the liver and brain from the effects of cigarettes and alcohol, protects walls of red blood cells, stroke preventative.

(taken from here )

Wow, but does it come with a cd-player standard?


I would be willing to lay a whole lotta money on the line to say that whoever runs this site has an intrest, financial or otherwise, in Imunotec.

 

[dohminator]

That prozactruth site is definitely a fringe group that is PROMOTING the use of much less verified methods of treating depression. Primarily the use of dietary suppliments which have no regulation and are not required to be tested to make sure they do what they are supposed to do.

That site also places an emphasis on individual reports and cases that make up only a small percentage of the experience overall. Overall Prozac and other ssri's are effected, and most people do not have intense reactions because of them.

Your reaction is definetly NOT the norm. If your reaction was common, Prozac wouldn't be on the market right now.

I'm studying to be a psychologist (currently undergrad) and I don't particularly care for prozac and just drugging people to make their symptoms go away. Prozac does have it's place, and that is primarily in cases where the depression is caused by biological imbalances. It sounds like that case for you because you didn't give a reason that you didn't like the same things anymore.

Also, the cognitive and behavioral treatments for depression are just as effective as Prozac and they have no side effects. Plus they treat the causes of the depression. The only drawback is that it takes time and money in order to go through therapy.

 

[fredpb]

Any medication can have a side effect. This includes over the counter stuff. Or stuff in foods, vitamins, any consumable item.

I know of at least one case where a brand of antidepressant killed. The young girl had accelerated heart rate and the butcher/killer/doctor said it would go away over time. The girl, a young girl, had a heart attack and died.

Never completely trust any doctor. They are human. And some, and you don't know until it's too late, are useless and can kill you.
One doctor said I had the flu one day at his office, where I was vomiting in pails, and gave me some stuff to stick up my ass (literally). The next day I was in the hospital, and into a coma (and in critical condition) for three days... pancreatitis. Two weeks in the hospital and I became a diabetic. If the doctor was competent, I could have avoided a near death coma....and they said one time they thought I was gone. Doctor's fault for misdiagnosis.

But you need medications sometimes. My pancreas is fried, and there are many other diseases of liver, stomach, etc. And the BRAIN is in there too. It can malfunction. And no yoga or exercise will help.

You need two people to help. A psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The psychologist will monitor you and help diagnose you. The psychiatrist (who costs a fortune) will help diagnose you and prescribe meds if you need them, and periodically monitor you.
I go to a psychologist every other week, and a psychiatrist every two or three months, or a shorter period if needed.

My brain is totally fried. Both sides of my family have this type of problem. I take a LOT of meds. Some vary over time and I have to switch. Some have bad side effects and I have to switch again. Can you imagine being bipolar, depressive, and paranoid schizophrenic at the same time? That's me. I am disabled because of it.

My depression is also caused by heart disease (I have had one heart attack (at 52). I have diabetes (insulin). Polycythemia (a blood disease, not contagious), hypertension, severe osteoarthritis, mainly in the spine.

Joy joy. So someone had a side effect from a drug. Why do you think they list the effects in so many documents? And some drugs make you worse, for mental illness. Getting the right antidepressant......that's a crap shoot. They can give tests to see "what may work", but nothing really can do that. You take it and try it.

I have tried four major brand drugs for various mental disorders, one costing almost $800 a month. I could not take these because I noticed side effects. If you do notice problems, stop taking them and call the doctor. If the doctor says "continue taking" you discontinue seeing that doctor. I have gone through a few psychiatrists....some were really quacks. Same with psychologists. I have to travel 80 miles round trip to see my psychologist. I trust her. Good ones are few and far between.


Telling someone not to take meds for a "mental disorder" (brain malfunction) is IGNORANT AND STUPID. That means you just don't understand the problem. So keep mouth shut.

I could go on about this, but I won't rant.

If you need meds, take them. If you feel uncomfortable, check with another professional.

If you have a problem with a med, stop taking it and consult doctor, or if really bad, go to emergency room.

Be careful what you eat or vitamins you take when on meds.
Some vitamins or supplements that make some people feel better may interact with your brain meds and cause problems.


Trust your own judgement. Even relatives don't know ****.