depressed,,overwhelmed

hey sisters I need help,,had my hysterectomy dec18 of 2000,,,still very tired ,,very depressed,,doc gave me prozac,,tryihg it,,it seems to be helping then I looked it up on the coputer,,the info I got scared meto death ,,,nowafraid to take it ,,tell me what you think ,,,,thanks,,,

Hi--

I would hang in there and keep taking the Prozac if it is helping. I've been on antidepressants for many years and I really think the benefits outweigh the risks. I think the drug companies have to tell you all of the adverse side effects because they are afraid of lawsuits. It might be a good idea to get in touch with your MD and discuss some of the things that you have read, and s/he could give you some further clarification. If you do want to go off of it, tell your MD because some of the antidepressants need to be tapered slowly. Also, there are many antidepressants out there, so if you wanted to go off of the Prozac, there is probably another one that your MD could prescribe that you might feel more comfortable with.

Hang in there!

Love,

Cyndy

I agree with everything Cyndy said. Talk to your doctor before you change anything. What, specifically, about the Prozac scared you and where did you see it?

hi cindy thanks for wrting me back ,,i found the info on prozac.com ..also prozacpandora.comtry this and let me know what you thnk ,,thank again may god bless each of you ,do ever have a problem with sleeeping ???please write back...

Dear Brenda,
I would sit down with your doctor ASAP and tell him/her all about your concerns. I think we surprise doctors sometimes with the information we find on our own these days! In the "olden days" - and I mean just a few years ago - doctors themselves were about the only place patients COULD get information so I think we left it all in their hands more easily.

I am not taking Prozac but I am taking another anti-depressant of the same general type. I find it to be a life-changing experience...I realize now I have been suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety for most of my 52 years! I just thought I felt bad because I was deficient in some way...different from most everyone else. These drugs can be a wonderful thing.

That said, I would also mention, as I am sure you know, two things:
it takes a while - weeks sometimes - for the drugs to work their best
and sometimes, the first one tried is not the one which works best.
Don't stop taking it without contacting the doctor. Even on a real low dose, my doctor backed me off slowly when we decided to switch to a different one.

Keep reading, posting and talking to your doctor!! Here's hoping you're feeling a lot better soon!

Brenda,

Yes, that's a scary-looking list of possible side effects. But dangerous side effects are rare. Look at the prescribing information for some other common medications sometime--like Motrin, aspirin, Benadryl. Talk with your doctor about the concerns and see what you come up with. Depression can be quite dangerous, too and should generally be treated.

Lots of women have trouble sleeping right after hyst and this often goes away. Or if you and your doctor decide to switch you to a different medication there are some that help people sleep better. OR your doctor may give you something to help you sleep better. OR just getting your depression treated may help you sleep better. There are LOTS of possibilities so please hang in there. Have you called your doctor yet?

denise ,thanks for wrting me back ,,yes saw the doctor last friday ,,she said still stay on the prozac,,and she gave me something called sonata,have you ever heard of this ,,how are you doing ?did you have a complete hysterectomy ?? well thanks again and god bless you ......

Here's a link to consumer information on Sonata. As with all sleep medications you need to take as prescribed and keep in touch with your doctor on how it's working for you. I've had Ambien in the past to help me sleep; it's pretty similar.

http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo...nfo/sonata.HTM

I'm a little depressed myself, just had to have a little dosage increase in my Remeron. But I often start to droop this time of year. It seems my brain starts to notice right away when the sun starts setting earlier instead of later, even though it's still light at 8:00 at night.

I had a total but kept my ovaries. I'm on a low dose of Vagifem because I had a little bit of atrophy. Do hang in there and keep in touch with your doctor. Sometimes with antidepressants you have to kiss a couple of frogs before you find your prince.

I had my total abdominal hysterectomy Jan. 2000 and am just now addressing my depression. I have been on Prozac for one week today and have had little problems with the medication. It actually makes me feel more calm and ok. I too read the precautions on the same website and it is a little scary. When my doctor first suggested it I said no, until I read more about it and how it would help me in the long run.

You see, since I had my surgery last year I have develped a binge eating disorder, trying to rid the pain. Prozac actually deals with eating disorders as well as depression.

I wish you luck!

You are in my thoughts....

"Always there remain portions of our heart into which no one is able to enter, invite them as we may"
-Mary Dixon Thayer - american writer

Hi Brenda:

Sorry to hear about the depression. I've been taking Prozac for about 4 months for PMDD. I found that when I began taking it, I couldn't sleep well, either. Other than that and a little dry mouth, I don't experience many side effects. My DH and I can certainly tell when I don't take my Prozac! It took about a week before it really kicked in, but when it did, my dark gray world became a lot less dark.

Of course, always check with your doctor as my experience may not be the same as others.

Good luck!!