Fight Anxiety and Depression

Wellbutrin antidepressant works brain

2009-09-24T03:03:00.000-07:00

Wellbutrin is an antidepressant medication. It works in the brain to treat depression.

Wellbutrin is used to treat major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder. At least one brand of bupropion (Zyban) is used to help people stop smoking by reducing cravings and other withdrawal effects.

Wellbutrin may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Important information about Wellbutrin

Do not take Wellbutrin if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. You should not take Wellbutrin if you have seizures, an eating disorder, if you are using a second form of bupropion, or if you have suddenly stopped using alcohol or sedatives.

Wellbutrin may cause seizures, especially in people with certain medical conditions or when using certain drugs. Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and the drugs you use.

You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.

Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Wellbutrin. Alcohol may increase your risk of a seizure while you are taking Wellbutrin.
Before taking Wellbutrin

Do not take Wellbutrin if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. You should not take Wellbutrin if you have:

*epilepsy or a seizure disorder;
*an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia;
*if you are using a second form of bupropion; or
*if you have suddenly stopped using alcohol or sedatives (such as Valium).

Wellbutrin may cause seizures, especially in people with certain medical conditions or when using certain drugs. Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and the drugs you use.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take Wellbutrin:

*heart disease, high blood pressure, history of heart attack;
*a history of head injury, seizures, or brain or spinal cord tumor;
*kidney disease;
*liver disease (especially cirrhosis);
*bipolar disorder (manic depression);

You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, such as Wellbutrin, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have worsening symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medication is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking Wellbutrin, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Bupropion passes into breast milk and could be harmful to a nursing baby. Do not take Wellbutrin without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give this medication to anyone younger than 18 years old without the advice of a doctor.

Prozac side effects weight gain

2009-09-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

Combining proper nutrition with cardiorespiratory exercise and resistance training can not only help prevent weight gain and other health-related ailments, but also increase energy levels which can offset some of the sedative effects of medications. Cardio exercise increases the heart rate and helps to promote improved cardiac fitness, in addition to burning calories and raising metabolism. Since patients gaining weight often say that they are not eating more, it is tempting to speculate that there may also be a drug-induced lowering of metabolism. Thus, weight gain is due to positive energy balance, which may be explained by an increase in total calories consumed and/or a reduction in calories used by the body. The SSRI medications affect a brain chemical called "Serotonin." The effects of Serotonin on appetite and food intake can be mediated by activation of specific serotonergic receptors (5-HT2C receptors in the hypothalamus). Drugs that block these receptors cause weight gain in both humans and animals, while administration of drugs that stimulate these receptors result in decreased food intake, decreased subjective hunger, and weight loss.

Prozac and sexual desire-libido

2009-09-12T04:12:00.000-07:00

Prozac, generically known as fluoxetine, is the world's most widely prescribed anti-depressant; currently, more than 54 million people all over the globe use this medication to treat depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bulimia nervosa. Fluoxetine works by normalizing the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. This provides freedom from constant negative thoughts, sadness, suicidal thoughts, low energy, negative self-image, pervasive thoughts of needing to perform a specific act, and overwhelming feelings of dread and fear. Contrary to what you've heard, fluoxetine does not increase libido. Actually, it usually reduces sexual desire or drive and inhibits orgasm, or the reflex of a sexual release; as a result, some men use fluoxetine recreationally to delay ejaculation.

However, if someone thinks that he has a problem with premature ejaculation, he may want to see a health care provider, such as a urologist, who can suggest an appropriate treatment regimen. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine and Paxil (generically known as paroxetine), are prescribed by some medical providers for premature ejaculation. These drugs, often used in conjunction with sex therapy, can address this. Some sex therapists also use Eastern disciplines, such as Tantra, for maintaining erections and lasting longer during sex.

From your question, it's not clear if you actually need fluoxetine for use as an anti-depressant, or if you would prefer to have it as a tool in your sexual shed. Based on the info offered here, recreational use of fluoxetine by a man who does not experience premature ejaculation will neither allow for greater ejaculatory control or stamina, nor provide his "partner with the best sex of their relationship." In addition, what one considers the best sex, another may not. Plus, this pressure over pleasure creates an undue expectation, excluding other essentials that enhance sexual experiences. What about the feelings involved in being wanted, desired, lusted after? What about tender touching and caressing? Lasting longer is not the only or primary factor in satisfying a partner sexually.

You can always read books on how to increase sexual pleasure through various exercises and techniques, and can then open the conversations about this topic with your partner more easily. Some books for men that you can check out include Michael Castleman's Great Sex: A Man's Guide to the Secret Principals of Total Body Sex and Bernie Zilbergeld's The New Male Sexuality. Whether you want your sexual desire to increase, or your erections to last longer, fluoxetine plays no part in the solution.

Effexor Use on Children

2009-08-28T23:26:00.002-07:00

Following on the heels of the Paxil warnings, yet another drug company is cautioning that their antidepressant drug should not be prescribed to children because it may cause suicidal thoughts or self-harm. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in New Jersey, has sent a letter to healthcare professionals across the country warning of possible problems with giving Effexor to children.

In a two-page letter dated Aug. 22, Dr. Victoria Kusiak, Wyeth's vice

president for global medical affairs, warned that in recent clinical trials Effexor was not effective in treating depression or anxiety and that there were increased "reports of hostility and especially in Major Depressive Disorder, suicide-related adverse events such as suicidal ideation and self-harm."

In a prospective trial published in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, newborns of mothers receiving fluoxetine (Prozac) or citalopram (Celexa) exhibited symptoms of central serotonin overstimulation for about four days. The investigators warned of potential neurologic adverse effects from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used during late pregnancy. (Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003;60:720-726)

"SSRIs have gained wide acceptance in the treatment of mental disorders in pregnant women, but there seems to be an increased risk for neonatal adaptation problems after exposure to SSRIs in late pregnancy," the article quoted Kari Laine, MD, PhD, from the University of Turku in Finland, and colleagues. They cited previous studies suggesting that exposure to SSRIs during the third trimester may cause irritability, constant crying, eating and sleeping difficulties, and even seizures in newborns.

Paxil banned for Children

2009-08-28T23:26:00.000-07:00

The New Haven Register reports that the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the first state agency to ban the use of Paxil in children to protect them from harm.

Public disclosure of evidence demonstrating Paxil's suicide risk prompted the UK government to issue a strong warning against pediatric use of the anti-depressant, sold there under the name Seroxat, in June. It also led the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, to send healthcare professionals in the UK a letter warning them about both the suicide risk for children and withdrawal symptoms.

The company has issued no such warning letter to US healthcare workers.

In July, DCF became the first public child protection agency to ban Paxil after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended the drug not be given to anyone under 18. The FDA said there could be severe negative effects for children, including an increased risk of suicide.

Maribel Vazquez, DCF program supervisor for the Bureau of Child Welfare Services, said last month the department is stopping use of Paxil for six months pending further study.

DCF will recommend children on Paxil switch to safer alternative treatment, if one is available.

Department officials wouldn't reveal how many of the nearly 8,000 children in their care are prescribed Paxil or other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), saying that would violate patient privacy rights.

The FDA has never approved use of Paxil in children or teens, but some doctors prescribe the adult drug for children.

The FDA asked all makers of adult antidepressants to submit research showing how their drugs affect children. Three studies of Paxil found it didn't seem to help pediatric depression - but FDA scientists spotted some safety concerns and ordered manufacturer Glaxo-SmithKline to re-analyze the data.

That re-analysis found the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts was three times greater among Paxil users, mostly teens, than among children given placebo pills, the FDA said.

Prozac withdrawal Side Effects

2009-08-12T02:28:00.001-07:00

Allergic or Toxic: Allergic reaction, Erythema multiforme (sores on the skin), Vesiculobullous (blisters on the skin), Rash, Serum sickness (a form of delayed allergic reaction), Contact dermatitis (allergic reaction on the skin caused by contact of some sort of reaction-causing material), Erthema nodosum (inflammatory skin disease which lasts several weeks), Purpuric rash (a type of rash), Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (combination of splitting white blood cells and inflamed blood vessels), Leukopenia (reduction of white blood cells), Thrombocythemia (overproduction of a certain type of cell, called platelets, in the blood), Arthralgia (pain along a nerve, or joint pain), Angioedema (excess of fluid in the tissues of blood vessels), Bronchospasm (spasms of bronchial, or breathing. tubes), Lung fibrosis (growth of excess fibrous matter in the lung), Allergic alveolitis (inflammation of the areas behind teeth as an allergic reaction), Larynx edema (excess of fluid in the tissues of the larynx, part of the throat), Respiratory distress.

Neurological: Dysarthria (speech impediment), Dystonia (muscle problems), torticollis (twisted state of the neck), Decreased reflexes, Nystagmus (unnatural and rapid movement of the eye), Paralysis, Paresthesia (unnatural sensations, such as burning, prickling, or deadness), Carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist pain, stiffness), Stupor, Coma, Abnormal EEG (unusual output of instrument used in measuring brain activity), Chronic brain syndrome (insanity), Dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movement) and movement disorders (including worsening of preexisting conditions or appearance in patients with risk factors {e.g., Parkinson's disease, treatment with neuroleptics (drugs that reproduce disorders of the nervous system) or other drugs known to be associated with movement disorders})

Behavioral: Antisocial reaction, Hysteria, Suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide), violent behaviors.

Cardiovascular (referring to the heart and blood vessel system): Bradycardia (abnormal slowing of the heartbeat), Ventricular arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), First degree A V block (blockage of nerve impulses through the heart, causing it to malfunction), Bundle branch block (a blocking of nerve impulses through the heart, causing it to malfunction), Myocardial infarct (failure of the heart muscle due to a blockage of circulation to it), Cerebral ischemia (deficiency of blood flow to the head, usually resulting in a stroke), Cerebral vascular accident (stroke), Thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the wall of a blood vein preceding a blood clot).

Gastrointestinal (referring to the digestive and intestinal systems):

Bloody diarrhea, Hematemesis (the vomiting of blood), Gastrointestinal hemorrhage (bleeding in the intestinal and/or digestive tract), Duodenal ulcer (open sore in the small intestine), Stomach ulcer, Mouth ulceration (open sores in the mouth), Hyperchlorhydria (high excess of stomach acid), Colitis (inflammation of the colon), Enteritis (inflammation of the intestines), Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder), Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), Hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver), Liver tenderness, Jaundice, Increased salivation, Salivary gland enlargement, Tongue discoloration, Fecal incontinence (inability to control bowels), Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

Respiratory (referring to lungs and breathing function): Apnea (temporary stopping of breathing impulse), Lung edema Hypoxia (an abnormal amount of fluid in the lungs causing a lack of oxygen in the lungs), Pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity), Hemoptysis (coughing up blood).

Endocrine (referring to the system of glands in the body that regulate, among other things, body weight): Dehydration, Gout (inflammation of the joints, especially the big toe), Goiter (swelling of the thyroid gland, often seen as a large swelling in the front of the neck), Hyperthyrodism (excessive activity of the thyroid gland, resulting in nervousness, high metabolism, and often swelling of the thyroid gland), Hypercholesteremia (an excess of cholesterol in the blood),

Hyperglycemia (abnormal amount of blood sugar), Hypothyroidism (underactivity of the thyroid, usually resulting in low metabolic rate and sluggishness), Weight gain.

Hematologic (dealing with the blood): Bleeding time increased, Leukocytosis (abnormal increase in white blood cells), Lymphocytosis (excess of a particular type of white blood cells), Thrombocytopenia (a decrease, within the blood, of a special type of cell called a platelet), Thrombocytopenic purpura (bleeding under the skin with a decreased platelet count), Thrombocythemia (an increase in platelets in the blood), Retinal hemorrhage (bleeding from the retina of the eye), Petechia (blue or yellow spots on the skin caused by bleeding under the skin), Purpura (bleeding under the skin causing a rash-like appearance on the skin), Sedimentation rate increased (an increase in red blood cell count), Aplastic anemia (failure of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells), Pancytopenia (a deficiency of all types of blood cells), Immune-related hemolytic anemia (a sickness and dying of red blood cells combined with an inability of the bone marrow to replace them).

Dermatologic (referring to the skin): Eczema (flaking, dry skin), Psoriasis (patches of red, flaking, dry skin), Seborrhea (abnormally oily skin), Skin hypertrophy (skin swelling), Skin discoloration, Herpes zoster (painful sores on the skin), Fungal dermatitis (inflammation of the skin caused by fungus), Hirsutism (abnormal hairiness, especially in women), Ecchymoses (bleeding under the skin).

Musculoskeletal (referring to the muscular and skeletal systems):

Bone necrosis (bone death), Osteoporosis (bone deterioration), Pathological fracture (a fracture which occurs by itself), Chondrodystrophy (malformation of bones), Myositis (muscle inflammation), Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation and stiffening of joints), Muscle hemorrhage (bleeding from muscles).

Urogenital (referring to the urine and reproductive systems): Breast enlargement, Galactorrhea (excessive or spontaneous flow of mother's milk), Abortion, Dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse in women), Uterine spasm,

Vaginal hemorrhage (bleeding from the vagina), Metrorrhagia (irregular uterine bleeding), Hematuria (blood in urine), Albuminuria (presence in urine of albumin, a part of the blood), Polyuria (passage of a large volume of urine in a given period of time), Pyuria (presence of pus in urine), Epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymus, a structure within the testes of males), Orchitis (inflammation of a testis in males), Pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney), Salpingitis (inflammation of the uterine tube in females), Urethritis (inflammation of the urethra, the passage through which urine leaves the body), Kidney calculus (kidney stones), Urethral pain, Urolithiasis (formation of stones in the urinary tract).

Miscellaneous: Abdomen enlarged, Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids), Cataract (cloudy formation on the eye, often resulting in partial blindness), Corneal lesion (sore on the cornea of the eye), Glaucoma (disease of the eyes resulting in gradual loss of sight), Iritis (inflammation of the iris of the eye), Ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), Strabismus (deviation of the eye), Deafness, Taste loss, moniliasis (eye infection), Hydrocephalus (a condition in which an unusual amount of fluid builds up in the skull, accompanied by enlargement of the head and forehead, the brain malfunctioning, mental weakness, and convulsions), LE syndrome (a superficial inflammation of the skin beginning with reddish patches and leaving white scars).

Lexapro Side Effects

2009-08-10T04:14:00.001-07:00

Lexapro Side Effects

Lexapro does have a rather long list of side effects as well as withdrawal side effects. We have defined the medical terms used to describe the side effects for easier understanding of what they are really. Take your time, read through this list.

We have included stories from other people that have taken Lexapro for you to read. See if any of the Lexapro stories sound familiar. You are not the only one. Know that. Read stories to continue down this page.

The Web Site you are on now, The Road Back, offers information how to get off Lexapro, prevent Lexapro withdrawal side effects as well as eliminating current Lexapro side effects.

Lexapro side effects

Body

Lexapro side effects
Dry Mouth - The usual amount to moisture in the mouth is noticeably less.

Lexapro side effects
Sweating Increased - A large quantity of perspiration that is medically caused.

Cardiovascular (Involving the heart and the blood vessels)

Lexapro side effects
Palpitation - Unusual and not normal heartbeat, that is sometimes irregular, but rapid and forceful thumping or fluttering. It can be brought on by shock, excitement, exertion, or medical stimulants. A person is normally unaware of his/her heartbeat.

Lexapro side effects
Hypertension - is high blood pressure, which is a symptom of disease in the blood vessels leading away from the heart. Hypertension is known as the "silent killer". The symptoms are usually not obvious, however it can lead to damage to the heart, brain, kidneys and eye, and even to stroke and kidney failure. Treatment includes dietary and lifestyle changes.

Lexapro side effects
Bradycardia - The heart rate is slowed from 72 beats per minute, which is normal, to below 60 beats per minute in an adult.

Lexapro side effects
Tachycardia - The heart rate is speeded up to above 100 beats per minute in an adult. Normal adult heart rate is 72 beats per minute.

Lexapro side effects
ECG Abnormal - A test called an electrocardiogram (ECG) that records the activity of the heart. It measures heartbeats as will as the position and size of the heart's four chambers. It also measures if there is damage to the heart and the effects of drugs or mechanical devices like a pacemaker on the heart. When the test is abnormal this means that one or more of the following are present: heart disease, defects, beating too fast or too slow, disease of the blood vessels leading from the heart or of the heart valves, and/or a past or about to occur heart attack.

Flushing - The skin all over the body turns red.

Lexapro side effects
Varicose Vein - Unusually swollen veins near the surface of the skin that sometimes appear twisted and knotted, but always enlarged. They are called hemorrhoids when they appear around the rectum. The cause is attributed to hereditary weakness in the veins aggravated by obesity, pregnancy, pressure from standing, aging, etc. Severe cases may develop swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, eczema and/or ulcers in the affected areas.

Gastrointestinal (Involving the stomach and the intestines)

Lexapro side effects
Abdominal Cramp/Pain - Sudden, severe, uncontrollable and painful shortening and thickening of the muscles in the belly. The belly includes the stomach as well as the intestines, liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, gall bladder, and urinary bladder.

Lexapro side effects
Belching - Noisy release of gas from the stomach through the mouth; a burp.

Lexapro side effects
Bloating - Swelling of the belly caused by excessive intestinal gas.

Lexapro side effects
Constipation - Difficulty in having a bowel movement where the material in the bowels is hard due to a lack of exercise, fluid intake, and roughage in the diet, or due to certain drugs.

Lexapro side effects
Diarrhea - Unusually frequent and excessive, runny bowel movements that may result in severe dehydration and shock.

Lexapro side effects
Dyspepsia - Indigestion. This is the discomfort you experience after eating. It can be heartburn, gas, nausea, a bellyache or bloating.

Lexapro side effects
Flatulence - More gas than normal in the digestive organs.

Lexapro side effects
Gagging - Involuntary choking and/or involuntary throwing up.

Lexapro side effects
Gastritis - A severe irritation of the mucus lining of the stomach either short in duration or lasting for a long period of time.

Lexapro side effects
Gastroenteritis - A condition where the membranes of the stomach and intestines are irritated.

Lexapro side effects
Gastroesophageal Reflux - A continuous state where stomach juices flow back into the throat causing acid indigestion and heartburn and possibly injury to the throat.

Lexapro side effects
Heartburn - A burning pain in the area of the breastbone caused by stomach juices flowing back up into the throat.

Lexapro side effects
Hemorrhoids - Small rounded purplish swollen veins that either bleed, itch or are painful and appear around the anus.

Lexapro side effects
Increased Stool frequency - Diarrhea.

Lexapro side effects
Indigestion - Unable to properly consume and absorb food in the digestive tract causing constipation, nausea, stomach ache, gas, swollen belly, pain and general discomfort or sickness.

Lexapro side effects
Nausea - Stomach irritation with a queasy sensation similar to motion sickness and a feeling that one is going to vomit.

Lexapro side effects
Polyposis Gastric - Tumors that grow on stems in the lining of the stomach, which usually become cancerous.

Lexapro side effects
Swallowing Difficulty - A feeling that food is stuck in the throat or upper chest area and won't go down, making it difficult to swallow.

Lexapro side effects
Toothache - Pain in a tooth above and below the gum line.

Lexapro side effects
Vomiting - Involuntarily throwing up the contents of the stomach and usually getting a nauseated, sick feeling just prior to doing so.

General

Lexapro side effects
Allergy - The extreme sensitivity of body tissues triggered by substances in the air, drugs, or foods causing a reaction like sneezing, itching, asthma, hay fever, skin rashes, nausea and/or vomiting.

Lexapro side effects
Anaphylaxis - A violent, sudden, and severe drop in blood pressure caused by a re-exposure to a foreign protein or a second dosage of a drug that may be fatal unless emergency treatment is given right away.

Lexapro side effects
Asthenia - A physically weak condition.

Lexapro side effects
Chest Pains - Severe discomfort in the chest caused by not enough oxygen going to the heart because of narrowing of the blood vessels or spasms.

Lexapro side effects
Chills - Appearing pale while cold and shivering; sometimes with a fever.

Lexapro side effects
Edema of Extremities - Abnormal swelling of the body's tissue caused by the collection of fluid.

Lexapro side effects
Fall - To suddenly lose your normal standing upright position.

Lexapro side effects
Fatigue - Loss of normal strength so as to not be able to do the usual physical and mental activities.

Lexapro side effects
Fever - Abnormally high body temperature, the normal being 98 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Centigrade in humans, which is a symptom of disease or disorder in the body. The body is affected by feeling hot, chilled, sweaty, weak and exhausted. If the fever goes too high, death can result.

Lexapro side effects
Hot Flashes - Brief, abnormal enlargement of the blood vessels that causes a sudden heat sensation over the entire body. Women in menopause will sometimes experience this.

Lexapro side effects
Influenza-like Symptoms - Demonstrating irritation of the respiratory tract (organs of breathing) such as a cold, sudden fever, aches and pains, as well as feeling weak and seeking bed rest, which is similar to having the flu.

Lexapro side effects
Leg Pain - A hurtful sensation in the legs that is caused by excessive stimulation of the nerve endings in the legs and results in extreme discomfort.

Lexapro side effects
Malaise - The somewhat unclear feeling of discomfort you get when you start to feel sick.

Lexapro side effects
Pain in Limb - Sudden, sharp and uncontrolled leg discomfort.

Lexapro side effects
Syncope - A short period of light headedness or unconsciousness (black-out) also know as fainting caused by lack of oxygen to the brain because of an interruption in blood flowing to the brain.

Lexapro side effects
Tightness of Chest - Mild or sharp discomfort, tightness or pressure in the chest area (anywhere between the throat and belly). The causes can be mild or seriously life-threatening because they include the heart, lungs and surrounding muscles.

Hemic and Lymphatic Disorders (Involving the blood and the clear fluids in the tissues that contain white blood cells)

Lexapro side effects
Bruise - Damage to the skin resulting in a purple-green-yellow skin coloration that's caused by breaking the blood vessels in the area without breaking the surface of the skin.

Lexapro side effects
Anemia - A condition where the blood is no longer carrying enough oxygen, so the person looks pale and easily gets dizzy, weak and tired. More severely, a person can end up with an abnormal heart, as well as breathing and digestive difficulties. The causes of anemia are not enough protein in the red blood cells, or missing and chemically destroyed red blood cells, as well as diseased or destroyed bone marrow.

Lexapro side effects
Nosebleed - Blood lost from the part of the face that has the organs of smell and is where the body takes in oxygen.

Lexapro side effects
Hematoma - Broken blood vessels that cause a swelling in an area on the body.

Lexapro side effects
Lymphadenopathy Cervical - The lymph nodes in the neck, which are part of the body's immune system get swollen and enlarge by reacting to the presence of a drug. The swelling is the result of the white blood cells multiplying in order to fight the invasion of the drug.

Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders (Energy and health)

Lexapro side effects
Arthralgia - Sudden sharp nerve pain in one or more joints.

Lexapro side effects
Arthropathy - Having joint disease or abnormal joints.

Lexapro side effects
Arthritis - Painfully inflamed and swollen joints. The reddened and swollen condition is brought on by a serious injury or shock to the body either from physical or emotional causes.

Lexapro side effects
Back Discomfort - Severe physical distress in the area from the neck to the pelvis along the backbone.

Lexapro side effects
Bilirubin Increased - Bilirubin is a waste product of the breakdown of old blood cells. Bilirubin is sent to the liver to be made water-soluble so it can be eliminated from the body through emptying the bladder. A drug can interfere with or damage this normal liver function creating liver disease.

Lexapro side effects
Decreased Weight - Uncontrolled and measured loss of heaviness or weight.

Lexapro side effects
Gout - A severe arthritis condition that is caused by the dumping of a waste product called uric acid in the tissues and joints. It can become worse and cause the body to develop a deformity after going through stages of pain, inflammation, severe tenderness, and stiffness.

Lexapro side effects
Hepatic Enzymes Increased - An increase in the amount of paired liver proteins that regulate liver processes causing a condition where the liver functions abnormally.

Lexapro side effects
Hypercholesterolemia - Too much cholesterol in the blood cells.

Lexapro side effects
Hyperglycemia - An unhealthy amount of sugar in the blood.

Lexapro side effects
Increased Weight - A concentration and storage of fat in the body accumulating over a period of time caused by unhealthy eating patterns, that can predispose the body to many disorders and diseases.

Lexapro side effects
Jaw Pain - The pain due to irritation and swelling of the nerves associated with the mouth area where it opens and closes just in front of the ear. Some of the symptoms are pain when chewing, head aches, losing your balance, stuffy ears or ringing in the ears, and teeth grinding.

Lexapro side effects
Jaw Stiffness - The result of squeezing and grinding the teeth while asleep that can cause your teeth to deteriorate as well as the muscles and joints of the jaw.

Lexapro side effects
Joint Stiffness - A loss of free motion and easy flexibility where any two bones come together.

Lexapro side effects
Muscle Cramp - When muscles contract uncontrollably without warning and do not relax. The muscles of any of the body's organs can cramp.

Lexapro side effects
Muscle Stiffness - Tightening of muscles making it difficult to bend.

Lexapro side effects
Muscle Weakness - Loss of physical strength.

Lexapro side effects
Myalgia - A general widespread pain and tenderness of the muscles.

Lexapro side effects
Thirst - A strong, unnatural craving for moisture/water in the mouth and throat.

Nervous System (Sensory channels)

Lexapro side effects
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - A pinched nerve in the wrist that causes pain, tingling, and numbing.

Lexapro side effects
Coordination Abnormal - A lack of normal, harmonious interaction of the parts of the body when it is in motion.

Lexapro side effects
Dizziness - Losing one's balance while feeling unsteady and lightheaded which may lead to fainting.

Lexapro side effects
Disequilibrium - Lack of mental and emotional balance.

Lexapro side effects
Faintness - A temporary condition where one is likely to go unconscious and fall.

Lexapro side effects
Headache - A sharp or dull persistent pain in the head

Lexapro side effects
Hyperreflexia - A not normal and involuntary increased response in the tissues connecting the bones to the muscles.

Lexapro side effects
Light-headed Feeling – Uncontrolled and usually brief loss of consciousness caused by lack of oxygen to the brain.

Lexapro side effects
Migraine - Reoccurring severe head pain usually with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, flashes or spots before the eyes, and ringing in the ears

Lexapro side effects
Muscle Contractions Involuntary - Spontaneous and uncontrollable tightening reaction of the muscles caused by electrical impulses from the nervous system.

Lexapro side effects
Muscular Tone Increased - Uncontrolled and exaggeration muscle tension. Muscles are normally partially tensed and this is what gives us muscle tone.

Lexapro side effects
Paresthesia - Burning, prickly, itchy, or tingling skin with no obvious or understood physical cause.

Lexapro side effects
Restless Legs - A need to move the legs without any apparent reason. Sometimes there is pain, twitching, jerking, cramping, burning, or a creepy-crawly sensation associated with the movements. It worsens when a person is inactive and can interrupt one's sleep so one feels the need to move to gain some relief.

Lexapro side effects
Shaking - Uncontrolled quivering and trembling as if one is cold and chilled.

Lexapro side effects
Sluggishness - Lack of alertness and energy, as well as being slow to respond or perform in life.

Lexapro side effects
Tics - A contraction of a muscle causing a repeated movement not under the control of the person usually on the face or limbs.

Lexapro side effects
Tremor - A nervous and involuntary vibrating or quivering of the body.

Lexapro side effects
Twitching - Sharp, jerky and spastic motion sometimes with a sharp sudden pain.

Lexapro side effects
Vertigo - A sensation of dizziness with disorientation and confusion.

Psychiatric Disorders (Mental and emotional)

Lexapro side effects
Aggravated Nervousness - A progressively worsening, irritated and troubled state of mind.

Lexapro side effects
Agitation - Suddenly violent and forceful, emotionally disturbed state of mind.

Lexapro side effects
Amnesia - Long term or short term, partial or full memory loss created by emotional or physical shock, severe illness, or a blow to the head where the person was caused pain and became unconsciousness.

Lexapro side effects
Anxiety Attack - Sudden and intense feelings of fear, terror, and dread physically creating shortness of breath, sweating, trembling and heart palpitations.

Lexapro side effects
Apathy - Complete lack of concern or interest for things that ordinarily would be regarded as important or would normally cause concern.

Lexapro side effects
Appetite Decreased - Having a lack of appetite despite the ordinary caloric demands of living with a resulting unintentional loss of weight.

Lexapro side effects
Appetite Increased - An unusual hunger causing one to overeat.

Lexapro side effects
Auditory Hallucination - Hearing things without the voices or noises being present.

Lexapro side effects
Bruxism - Grinding and clenching of teeth while sleeping.

Lexapro side effects
Carbohydrate Craving - A drive and craving to eat foods rich in sugar and starches (sweets, snacks and junk foods) that intensifies as the diet becomes more and more unbalanced due to the unbalancing of the proper nutritional requirements of the body.

Lexapro side effects
Concentration Impaired - Unable to easily focus your attention for long periods of time.

Lexapro side effects
Confusion - Not able to think clearly and understand in order to make a logical decision.

Lexapro side effects
Crying Abnormal - Unusual and not normal fits of weeping for short or long periods of time for no apparent reason.

Lexapro side effects
Depersonalization - A condition where one has lost a normal sense of personal identity.

Lexapro side effects
Depression - A hopeless feeling of failure, loss and sadness that can deteriorate into thoughts of death.

Lexapro side effects
Disorientation - A loss of sense of direction, place, time or surroundings as well as mental confusion on personal identity.

Lexapro side effects
Dreaming Abnormal - Dreaming that leaves a very clear, detailed picture and impression when awake that can last for a long period of time and sometimes be unpleasant.

Lexapro side effects
Emotional Lability - Suddenly breaking out in laughter or crying or doing both without being able to control the outburst of emotion. These episodes are unstable as they are caused by things that normally would not have this effect on an individual.

Lexapro side effects
Excitability - Uncontrollably responding to stimuli.

Lexapro side effects
Feeling Unreal - The awareness that one has an undesirable emotion like fear but can't seem to shake off the irrational feeling. For example, feeling like one is going crazy but rationally knowing that it is not true. The quality of this side effect resembles being in a bad dream and not being able to wake up.

Lexapro side effects
Forgetfulness - Unable to remember what one ordinarily would remember.

Lexapro side effects
Insomnia - Sleeplessness caused by physical stress, mental stress or stimulants such as coffee or medications; it is a condition of being abnormally awake when one would ordinarily be able to fall and remain asleep.

Lexapro side effects
Irritability - Abnormally annoyed in response to a stimulus.

Lexapro side effects
Jitteriness - Nervous fidgeting without an apparent cause.

Lexapro side effects
Lethargy - Mental and physical sluggishness and apathy that can deteriorate into an unconscious state resembling deep sleep. A numbed state of mind.

Lexapro side effects
Libido Decreased - An abnormal loss of sexual energy or desire.

Lexapro side effects
Panic Reaction - A sudden, overpowering, chaotic and confused mental state of terror resulting in being doubt ridden often accompanied with hyperventilation, and extreme anxiety.

Lexapro side effects
Restlessness Aggravated - A constantly worsening troubled state of mind characterized by the person being increasingly nervous, unable to relax, and easily angered.

Lexapro side effects
Somnolence - Feeling sleepy all the time or having a condition of semi-consciousness.

Lexapro side effects
Suicide Attempt - An unsuccessful deliberate attack on one's own life with the intention of ending it.

Lexapro side effects
Suicidal Tendency - Most likely will attempt to kill oneself.

Lexapro side effects
Tremulousness Nervous - Very jumpy, shaky, and uneasy while feeling fearful and timid. The condition is characterized by thoughts of dreading the future, involuntary quivering, trembling, and feeling distressed and suddenly upset.

Lexapro side effects
Yawning - involuntary opening of the mouth with deep inhalation of air.

Reproductive Disorder Female

Lexapro side effects
Breast Neoplasm - A tumor or cancer, of either of the two milk-secreting organs on the chest of a woman.

Lexapro side effects
Menorrhagia - Abnormally heavy menstrual period or a menstrual flow that has continued for an unusually long period of time.

Lexapro side effects
Menstrual Cramps - Painful, involuntary uterus contractions that women experience around the time of their menstrual period, sometimes causing pain in the lower back and thighs.

Lexapro side effects
Menstrual Disorder - A disturbance or derangement in the normal function of a woman's menstrual period.

Lexapro side effects
Pelvic Inflammation - The reaction of the body to infectious, allergic, or chemical irritation, which in turn causes tissue irritation, injury, or bacterial infection characterized by pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function. The reaction usually begins in the uterus and spreads to the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and other areas in the hipbone region of the body.

Lexapro side effects
Premenstrual Syndrome - Various physical and mental symptoms commonly experienced by women of childbearing age usually 2 to 7 days before the start of their monthly period. There are over 150 symptoms including eating binges, behavioral changes, moodiness, irritability, fatigue, fluid retention, breast tenderness, headaches, bloating, anxiety, and depression. The symptoms cease shortly after the period begins, and disappear with menopause.

Lexapro side effects
Spotting Between Menses - Abnormal bleeding between periods. Unusual spotting between menstrual cycles.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (Organs involved in breathing)

Lexapro side effects
Asthma - A disease of the breathing system initiated by and allergic reaction or a chemical with repeated attacks of coughing, sticky mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, and a tight feeling in the chest. The disease can reach a state where it stops a person from exhaling, leading to unconsciousness and death.

Lexapro side effects
Breath Shortness - Unnatural breathing using a lot off effort resulting in not enough air taken in by the body.

Lexapro side effects
Bronchitis - Inflammation of the two main breathing tubes leading from the windpipe to the lungs. The disease is marked with coughing, a low-grade fever, chest pains, and hoarseness, caused by an allergic reaction.

Lexapro side effects
Coughing - A cough is the response to an irritation, such as mucus, that causes the muscles controlling the breathing process to expel air from the lungs suddenly and noisily to keep the air passages free from the irritating material.

Lexapro side effects
Laryngitis - Inflammation of the voice box characterized by hoarseness, sore throat, and coughing. It can be cause by straining the voice or exposure to infectious, allergic or chemical irritation.

Lexapro side effects
Nasal Congestion - The presence of an abnormal amount of fluid in the nose.

Lexapro side effects
Pneumonia Tracheitis - Bacterial infection of the air passageways and lungs that causes redness, swelling and pain in the windpipe. Other symptoms are high fever, chills, pain in the chest, difficulty in breathing, and coughing with mucus discharge.

Lexapro side effects
Rhinitis - Chemical irritation causing pain, redness and swelling in the mucus membranes of the nose.

Lexapro side effects
Sinus Congestion - The mucus-lined areas of the bones in the face that are thought to help warm and moisten air to the nose. These areas become clogged with excess fluid or infected.

Lexapro side effects
Sinus Headache - The abnormal amount of fluid in the hollows of the face bone area especially around the nose. This excess fluid creates pressure, causing pain in the head.

Lexapro side effects
Sinusitis - The body reacting to chemical irritation causing redness, swelling and pain in the area of the hollows in the facial bones especially around the nose.

SKELETAL

Lexapro side effects
Neck/Shoulder Pain - Hurtful sensations of the nerve endings caused by damage to the tissues in the neck and shoulder signaling danger of disease.

SKIN and APPENDAGES DISORDERS (Skin, legs and arms)

Lexapro side effects
Acne - Eruptions of the oils glands of the skin, especially on the face, marked by pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, bumps, and more severely, by cysts and scarring.

Lexapro side effects
Alopecia - The loss of hair or baldness.

Lexapro side effects
Eczema - A severe or continuing skin disease marked by redness, crusting and scaling with watery blisters and itching. It is often difficult to treat and will sometimes go away only to reappear again.

Lexapro side effects
Dermatitis - Generally irritated skin that can be caused by any of a number of irritating things such as parasites, fungus, bacteria, or foreign substances causing an allergic reaction. It is a general inflammation of the skin.

Lexapro side effects
Dry Lips - The lack of normal moisture in the fleshy folds that surround the mouth.

Lexapro side effects
Dry Skin - The lack of normal moisture/oils in the surface layer of the body. The skin is the body's largest organ.

Lexapro side effects
Folliculitis - Inflammation of a follicle (small body sac) especially a hair follicle. A hair follicle contains the root of a hair.

Lexapro side effects
Furunculosis - Skin boils that show up repeatedly.

Lexapro side effects
Lipoma - A tumor of mostly fat cells that is not health endangering.

Lexapro side effects
Pruritus - Extreme itching of often-undamaged skin.

Lexapro side effects
Rash - A skin eruption or discoloration that may or may not be itching, tingling, burning, or painful. It may be caused by an allergy, an skin irritation, a skin disease.

Lexapro side effects
Skin Nodule - A bulge, knob, swelling or outgrowth in the skin that is a mass of tissue or cells.

SPECIAL SENSES

Lexapro side effects
Conjunctivitis - Infection of the membrane that covers the eyeball and lines the eyelid, caused by a virus, allergic reaction, or an irritating chemical. It is characterized by redness, a discharge of fluid and itching.

Lexapro side effects
Dry Eyes - Not enough moisture in the eyes.

Lexapro side effects
Earache - Pain in the ear.



Lexapro side effects
Eye Infection - The invasion of the eye tissue by a bacteria, virus, fungus, etc, causing damage to the tissue, with toxicity. Infection spreading in the body progresses into disease.

Lexapro side effects
Eye Irritation - An inflammation of the eye.

Lexapro side effects
Metallic Taste - A range of taste impairment from distorted taste to a complete loss of taste.

Lexapro side effects
Pupils Dilated - Abnormal expansion of the blace circular opening in the center of the eye.

Lexapro side effects
Taste alteration - Abnormal flavor detection in food.

Lexapro side effects
Tinnitus - A buzzing, ringing, or whistling sound in one or both ears occurring from the internal use of certain drugs.

Lexapro side effects
Vision Abnormal - Normal images are seen differently by the viewer.

Lexapro side effects
Vision Blurred - Eyesight is dim or indistinct and hazy in outline or appearance.

Lexapro side effects
Visual Disturbance - Eyesight is interfered with or interrupted. Some disturbances are light sensitivity and the inability to easily distinguish colors.

URINARY SYSTEM DISORDER

Lexapro side effects
Blood in Urine - Blood is present when one empties liquid waste product of the kidneys through the bladder by urinating in the toilet turning the water pink to bright red. Or you could see pots of blood in the water after urinating.

Lexapro side effects
Dysuria - Difficult or painful urination.

Lexapro side effects
Kidney Stone - Small hard masses of salt deposits that the kidney forms.

Lexapro side effects
Urinary Frequency - Having to urinate more often than usual or between unusually short time periods.

Lexapro side effects
Urinary Tract Infection - An invasion of bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc., of the system in the body that starts with the kidneys and eliminates urine from the body. If the invasion goes unchecked it can injure tissue and progress into disease.

Lexapro side effects
Urinary Urgency - A sudden compelling urge to urinate, accompanied by discomfort in the bladder.

UROGENITAL (Urinary tract and genital structures or functions)

Lexapro side effects
Anorgasmia - Failure to experience an orgasm.

Lexapro side effects
Ejaculation Disorder - Dysfunction of the discharge of semen during orgasm.

Lexapro side effects
Menstrual Disorder - Dysfunction of the discharge during the monthly menstrual cycle.

Lexapro side effects
Acute Renal Failure - The kidneys stop functioning properly to excrete wastes.

Lexapro side effects
Angioedema - Intensely itching and swelling welts on the skin called hives caused by an allergic reaction to internal or external agents. The reaction is common to a food or a drug. Chronic cases can last for a long period of time.

Lexapro side effects
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis - An abnormal condition where a large portion of skin becomes intensely red and peels off like a second-degree burn. Often the symptoms include blistering.

Lexapro side effects
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage - Stomach and intestinal excessive internal bleeding.

Lexapro side effects
Grand Mal Seizures (or Convulsions) - A recurring sudden violent and involuntary attack of muscle spasms with a loss of consciousness.

Lexapro side effects
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome - A life threatening, rare reaction to an anti-psychotic drug marked by fever, muscular rigidity, changed mental status, and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

Lexapro side effects
Pancreatitis - Chemical irritation with redness, swelling, and pain in the pancreas where digestive enzymes and hormones are secreted.

Lexapro side effects
QT Prolongation - A very fast heart rhythm disturbance that is too fast for the heart to beat effectively so the blood to the brain falls causing a sudden loss of consciousness and may cause sudden cardiac death.

Lexapro side effects
Rhabdomyolysis - The breakdown of muscle fibers that releases the fibers into the circulatory system. Some of the fibers are poisonous to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.

Lexapro side effects
Serotonin Syndrome - A disorder brought on by excessive levels of serotonin caused by drugs and can be fatal as death from this side effect can come very rapidly.

Lexapro side effects
Thrombocytopenia - An abnormal decrease in the number of blood platelets in the circulatory system. A decrease in platelets would cause a decrease in the ability of the blood to clot when necessary.

Lexapro side effects
Torsades de Pointes - Unusual rapid heart rhythm starting in the lower heart chambers. If the short bursts of rapid heart rhythm continue for a prolonged period it can degenerate into a more rapid rhythm and can be fatal.

Lexapro withdrawal - Anorexia – No longer having a desire to eat.

Lexapro withdrawal - Apothous Stomatitis – Painful red and swollen open sores on a mucus membrane of the mouth commonly called a canker sore.

Lexapro withdrawal - Ataxia – Loss of the ability to move the body with coordination.

Lexapro withdrawal - Arterial Fibrillation – A condition of abnormal twitching of the muscles in the blood vessels that moves the oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The unusual twitching is rapid and irregular and replaces the normal rhythm of contraction of the muscle, which sometimes causes a lack of circulation and pulse.

Lexapro withdrawal - Blood Cholesterol Increased – An abnormal condition where there is a greater amount in the blood of the oily/fatty substances known as cholesterol.   Cholesterol is a necessary part of living cells (along with proteins and carbohydrates). Because cholesterol only slightly dissolves in water, it can build up on the walls of the blood vessels, therefore blocking/decreasing the amount of blood flow, which causes blood pressure to go up. If not corrected, this condition is associated with coronary artery disease.

Lexapro withdrawal - Blood Creatinine Increased – A greater than normal number of creatinine or muscular chemical waste molecules in the blood. Creatinine plays a major role in energy production in muscles. Since creatinine levels are normally maintained by the kidneys, Blood Creatinine Increased is an indicator of kidney malfunction or failure.

Lexapro withdrawal - Blood in Stool – The blood that is in your bowel movement usually comes from any place along your digestive tract (from your mouth to your anus). The stool can appear black and foul-smelling (usually from the upper part of your digestive tract) or red or maroon-colored (usually from the large intestine area). Hemorrhoids are the usual cause for blood in the bowels.

8.   Lexapro withdrawal - Bundle Branch Block Right – These are specialized cells in the upper right heart chamber and are the heart's pacemaker. They send electrical signals to the heart that keeps it beating or contracting regularly. Normally the signal goes to the lower heart chambers at the same time through the bundle of His (hiss) on both the left and right sides of the heart, so the lower chambers contract at the same time. When the bundle is damaged on the right side, the signal does not fire at the same time as the left, which changes the pace of blood flow. This can lead to a person fainting.

Lexapro withdrawal - Cardiac Failure – A heart disorder where the heart does not function as usual and may completely stop working.

Lexapro withdrawal - Cardiac Failure Congestive – The body is asking for the heart to supply more blood than it is capable of producing and maintaining. Normally, a body can tolerate an increased amount of work for quite some time. The condition is characterized by weakness, shortness of breath, and a fluid build-up in the body tissues causing swelling.

Lexapro withdrawal - Cold Sweat – The skin is clammy and moist and you feel chilled. This is a reaction to a shock or pain as well as to fear and nervousness.

Lexapro withdrawal - Colitis – A condition where the large intestine becomes irritated from the use of the drug.

Lexapro withdrawal - Coronary Artery Disease – A condition where the blood vessels that mainly carry the blood away from the heart become clogged up or narrowed usually by fatty deposits. The first symptom is pain spreading from the upper left body caused by not enough oxygen reaching the heart.

Lexapro withdrawal - Dehydration – An extreme loss of water from the body or the organs of the body as in sickness or not drinking enough fluids.

Lexapro withdrawal - Diplopia – The condition where a person is looking a one object and instead of normally seeing just the one object he sees two. This is also call double vision.

Lexapro withdrawal - Diverticulitis – There are pouches or sacs on the inside of the intestines that look like fingers. This increases the area for the body to absorb nutrients as they pass through the intestines. These sacs become irritated and swollen and end up trapping waste that would normally be eliminated, causing pain and constipation.

Lexapro withdrawal - Dysarthria – The inability to control the mouth muscles when forming words so the words are not clearly spoken and heard.

Lexapro withdrawal - Dyslipidemia – The normal fat metabolism in the blood is interfered with.

Lexapro withdrawal - Dysphagia – Trouble swallowing or the inability to swallow.

Lexapro withdrawal - Ecchymosis – When a blood vessel breaks and creates a purple discoloration of the skin.

Lexapro withdrawal - Edema – An abnormal build up of excess fluids in the cells, tissues, and the spaces between the tissues creating swelling.

Lexapro withdrawal - Edema Peripheral – The abnormal build up of fluids in the tissues of the ankles and legs causing painless swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet. If you squeeze the swollen area it leaves an indentation on the skin for a few minutes.

Lexapro withdrawal - Ejaculation Delayed – The man is not able to release sperm either during sexual intercourse or with manual stimulation in the presence of his sexual partner in spite of his wish to do so.

Lexapro withdrawal - Ejaculation Dysfunction – A condition where the man has one or more of the following symptoms: He is not able to have an erection, not able to have an orgasm, has a decreased interest in sex, is sexually inhibited, or it is painful to ejaculate sperm.

Lexapro withdrawal - Erectile Dysfunction – Incapable of having sexual intercourse. Even though a man desires sex he is inhibited in his sexual activity and is unable to have or maintain an erection of the penis.

Lexapro withdrawal - Erythema – a skin redness caused by the swelling with blood of the tiny blood vessels of the skin as in burns.

Lexapro withdrawal - Erythematous Rash – Redness of the skin from the swelling of the tiny blood vessels with skin irritation (itching, burning, tingling, pain) and breakouts (eruptions).

Lexapro withdrawal - Esophageal Stenosis Acquired – The tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach narrows.

Lexapro withdrawal - Exfoliative Dermatitis – The unusual and not normal condition of scaling and shedding of the skin cells. The skin is usually red colored.

Lexapro withdrawal - Face Edema – The tissues of the face become swollen.

Lexapro withdrawal - Feeling Jittery – A physical sensation of nervous unease.

Lexapro withdrawal - Gastric Irritation – An inflamed and sore stomach.

Lexapro withdrawal - Gastric Ulcer – An open, irritated, and infected sore in the wall of the stomach.

Lexapro withdrawal - Gingivitis – Sore, swollen and red gums in the mouth that bleed easily.

Lexapro withdrawal - Glaucoma – The delicate nerve to the eye, the optic nerve, becomes easily damaged with the build-up of excess fluid pressure within the eyeball. The first sign of glaucoma is loss of peripheral (side) vision. It can progress to total blindness.

Lexapro withdrawal - Hepatic Steatosis – Excessive amounts of fat in the liver.

Lexapro withdrawal - Hyperhidrosis – The triggering of an excess of sweat being produced on the soles of the feet, the palms, or the underarms which can cause embarrassment or losing grip on a pen or other items.

Lexapro withdrawal - Hyperkeratosis – An abnormal enlargement of the skin tissues causing the skin cells to increase in size.

Lexapro withdrawal - Hyperlipidemia – An abnormally high number of fat cells in the blood.

Lexapro withdrawal - Hypertriglyceridemia – Too many triglycerides in the blood.

Triglycerides are three fatty acids bound together in one molecule stored by the body and available to create high levels of energy when used.

Lexapro withdrawal - Hypoesthesia – A partial loss of sensation or general loss of awareness.

Lexapro withdrawal - Impaired Gastric Emptying – The contents of the stomach are not passed into the intestines as normal due to the stomach losing the muscular strength to do so.

Lexapro withdrawal - Increased White Blood cell Count – This is an increase in the number of cells in the blood that are responsible for the removal of bacteria and other unwanted particles. They fight disease and infection by enclosing foreign particles and removing them. An example of a disease that would increase white blood cell count would be Leukemia.

Lexapro withdrawal - Insomnia – Not able to fall asleep or sleeping for a shorter time than desired, thus not being able to properly rest and feeling un-refreshed. As a result, a person can become irritable, have difficulty concentrating and feel a lack of energy. This can be caused by stimulants such as by caffeine or drugs or by mental anxiety and stress. Mental stress can be communicated and relieved.

Lexapro withdrawal - Irritable Bowel Syndrome – A painful condition where the either the muscles or the nerves of the lower intestines, are not responding normally. This results in an alternating condition of diarrhea followed by constipation, back and forth.

Lexapro withdrawal - Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca – A condition where the outer coating of the eyeball is dry because of a decrease in the normal amount of tears in the eye. As a result, the eyeball and inside of the eyelid thickens and hardens sometimes causing the vision to be less sharp.

Lexapro withdrawal - Leukopenia – An unnaturally low number of white blood cells circulating in the blood.

Lexapro withdrawal - Loose Stools – The bowel movement is runny instead of formed.

Lexapro withdrawal - Lower Abdominal Pain – A hurtful irritation of the nerve endings in the area of the hipbones housing the lower digestive tract. Pain usually means tissue damage.

Lexapro withdrawal - Lymphadenopathy – The lymph nodes, where the immune cells are located, become larger than is normal because of a high concentration of white blood cells.

Lexapro withdrawal - Macular Degeneration – The gradual loss of central vision, which is the sharpest vision while peripheral eyesight, is unaffected.

Lexapro withdrawal - Maculopathy – An abnormal condition of the yellow spot of the eye, which is located in the center of the inner lining of the eyeball and connected to the main nerve to the eye and is responsible for sharp vision.

Lexapro withdrawal - Mania – Unusually irrational, excessive and/or exaggerated behavior or moods ranging from enthusiasm, sexuality, gaiety, impulsiveness and irritability to violence.

Lexapro withdrawal - Melena – Abnormally darkly colored stools as a result of hemorrhaging in the digestive tract where the blood has interacted with the digestive juices creating the dark color in the bowel movement.

Lexapro withdrawal - Micturition Urgency – A sudden desire to urinate usually followed by leakage.

Lexapro withdrawal - Mood Swings – An emotional shifting as from a state of happiness to a state of depression for a period of time.

Lexapro withdrawal - Myocardial Infarction – The blood going to the heart is delayed or stopped causing middle muscle tissue in the heart wall to die.

Lexapro withdrawal - Nasopharyngitis – Irritation, redness and swelling tissues in the nose and the tube leading from the mouth to the voice box as well as the tubes leading to the ears.

Lexapro withdrawal - Nephropathy – An abnormally functioning or diseased kidney.

Lexapro withdrawal - Nervousness – Jumpy, jittery, anxious, and troubled with an irritable temperament.

Lexapro withdrawal - Night Sweats – The water-salt, waste product the skin releases is called sweat or perspiration.   With night sweats you become wide awake in the middle of the night shivering and cold and wet with your sheets/pajamas soaked in perspiration making it difficult to go back to sleep.

Lexapro withdrawal - Nightmare – Dreams that make you afraid or leave feelings of fear, terror, and upset long after waking up.

Lexapro withdrawal - Orgasm Abnormal – Unable to have an orgasm with normal sexual stimulation.

Lexapro withdrawal - Oropharyngeal Swelling – A swelling in the area from the soft part of the roof of the mouth to the back of the mouth.

Lexapro withdrawal - Pain in Extremity – A painful feeling in the legs, arms, hands, and feet.

Lexapro withdrawal - Pharyngolaryngeal Pain – Pain in the area of the respiratory tract (organs of breathing) from the throat to the voice box and above the windpipe.

Lexapro withdrawal - Photopsia – A condition where a person see lights, sparks or colors in front of your eyes.

Lexapro withdrawal - Photosensitivity Reaction – An exaggerated sunburn reaction that is not normal in proportion to the amount of exposure to the light.

Lexapro withdrawal - Pollakiuria – Urinating much more frequently than normal – as often as once every five to fifteen minutes.

Lexapro withdrawal - Pressure of Speech – A condition where the individual cannot voice his ideas fast enough with the pressure of there being not enough time to say it.

Lexapro withdrawal - Pruritic Rash – Extremely itchy, red, swollen bumps on the skin.

Lexapro withdrawal - Pyrexia – Fever or the increase in body temperature that is usually a sign of infection.

Lexapro withdrawal - Retinal Detachment – The thin layer lining the back of the eyeball (the retina) detaches from the back of the eyeball. This thin layer is like the film of a camera because it sends the images a person views to the brain. When it detaches it causes a reduced ability to see.

Lexapro withdrawal - Rigors – Shivering or shaking of the body as if chilled, preventing normal responses.

Lexapro withdrawal - Skin Ulcer – An open sore or infected skin eruption with swelling, redness, pus, and irritation.

Lexapro withdrawal - Sleep Disorder – These are a list of sleep disorders such as teeth grinding, insomnia, jet lag, sleep walking, abnormally falling asleep during the middle of a conversation after a full night's rest, uncontrolled body motions keeping one awake, etc.

Lexapro withdrawal - Suicide, Completed – An attempted attack on oneself that is life threatening results in death.

Lexapro withdrawal - Upper Respiratory Tract Infection – Where the organs of breathing near the mouth such as the nose and sinuses, become infected and are usually treated by antibiotics.

Lexapro withdrawal - Urinary Hesitation – Hard to start or hard to continue emptying one's bladder.

Lexapro withdrawal - Urinary Incontinence – Urinating without intending to do so because of a weakening of the muscles in the hip area from the drug affecting the nerves or the drug blocking a persons thinking process.

Lexapro withdrawal - Urinary Retention – The inability to completely empty the bladder despite having the urge to do so. This can lead to infections or damage to the urinary organs.

Lexapro withdrawal - Urine Flow Decreased – Dehydration of the body causing a lesser flow of urine than normal with the body reabsorbing the waste.

Lexapro withdrawal - Urine Output Decreased – A condition where the output of urine produced in a 24-hour period is less than 500 ml.

Lexapro withdrawal - Weight Decreased – Unintentional weight loss.

Lexapro withdrawal – Weight Increased – An unusual, usually rapid weight increase.

Below, you can read what others have gone through with Lexapro. What you might be feeling is not your imagination, Lexapro and other antidepressants do cause these side effects.

Extreme flu-like symptoms when beginning to take Lexapro. Had to be bumped up twice because it didn't seem to be working. Ended up getting an additional drug prescribed to help. Now trying to "detox" my body from Lexapro and I feel like I got run over by a truck. Muscle soreness, can't lift head, headache, flu-like symptoms, increased tiredness and super increased sweating. Like menopause hot flashes. I tried once before to get off of Lexapro and decided to forego the side effects of getting off the drug because I couldn't handle it, but now I am going to do my best."

"My symptoms, lack of libido, not being able to climax, bruising, forgetfulness, and "brain zaps" My doctor told me there was no significant side effects. I told the doctor that I wanted to get off the medication but he did not recommend it. (I initially started on Effexor after the birth of my second child. I did have more side effects on the Effexor and was switched to Lexapro.) Not until, after seeing a Tom Cruise interview, did I realize the dangers of this drug. I decided to wean myself off these drugs but am having horrible withdrawal symptoms. Unbelievable dizzy spells, brain zaps and nausea. My doctor told me there are no side effects to getting off these drugs and basically told me I had an inner ear infection. I researched "stopping Lexapro" on the web and and read many similar stories. I am now starting a program to help me get off Lexapro safely. This program helps you get off these drugs with little or no side effects. I encourage others to do the same."

"After reading the above I am angry. I, too, have been on 5 different drugs over a 7 year period for depression. I am an intelligent, successful full time working mom with 2 small boys, a husband and a mortgage. How can I deal my whole life with headaches, insomnia, dizziness, inability to remember things, and panic? The makers of Lexapro should be jailed for the garbage they put on their web site about side effects "no clinically important weight gain reported" What's clinically important for them
-- 100 lbs?"

"Very difficult to achieve climax, dizziness, much increase of panic disorder which had been under control for years. Couldn't get back to sleep if awakened during the night. Decreased sex drive (I'm female)"

"I have been using Lexapro for about a year I exercise regularly and watch my diet, I have gained 15lbs and can't figure out why after reading the side effects of Lexapro I do believe it is from that, I am going to taper off this drug and try natural remedies."

"On just 5mg. I am sleepy and very tired. The back of my neck hurts and usually turns into a headache."

"I was given Lexapro by my doctor because it was to have very few side effects. Well I took the first dose and had flu like symptoms. The second day I continued to have flu like symptoms, and also ended up with a migraine. I was put on this because of depression, but as I write this I can honestly tell you this is my third day, and I will never, never use this med. again!!!!!"

"I just took Lexapro for the first time about 7 hours ago. I am experiencing nausea, dizziness, decreased sex drive, and I keep grinding my teeth. I have been shaky and unable to focus on anything. Typing this statement took me nearly 10 minutes. I'm my opinion this drug should not be legal."

"My son (17) was just prescribed this medication after the Celexa had stopped working so well for him. He has had tremendous mood swings and violent outrages, he gets very angry very easily. I have taken him off this medication after 3 days due to all this plus other side effects. There has to be something out there to help him, I just don't know what it may be. His treatment is for borderline severe depression, due to loss of grandparents and father (divorced and not much contact). Thank you for this page it has helped me make my decision for my son."

"I have been taking Lexapro for 8 weeks now, first 10 mg/day and for the past 3 weeks I have been taking 20 mg a day. I don't know which of these side effects are a result of Lexapro, but my blood pressure has risen to ungodly levels, such as 220/120 and 202/120. I also have severe insomnia (but I have that from PTSD too) and am terribly fatigued much of the time. I don't cry as much, though, and am not as irritable as I was. I am getting headaches, though, and feel dizzy. I am not sure this medicine is good for me."

"I honestly didn't realize that there were so many side effects associated with this drug. I'm a female who has been on Lexapro for about a year now. My psychiatrist recommended the drug, saying that it had minimal side effects and would NOT cause me to gain weight. Since being on the drug, I've gained 20 pounds. I'm worse off now than I was before the drug. I've recently tried to stop taking it, and have been without it for a week...and the last week has been extremely unpleasant. Headaches, nausea, chills, tremors...it's horrible."

"I've been taking Lexapro for 6 months now and trying to get off it for 2 months. I have to start taking it again because horrible dizziness and vomiting form being dizzy. This medicine has disabled me."

"I have been on Lexapro for almost a month. The side effects are horrible. I can't think clearly, I feel like I am unable to carry on conversations. I have no appetite. I feel my mind has slipped. This is a terrible drug."

"I was prescribed Lexapro for Bipolar and depression. I have been on it for the last 10 months since then I have gained 30lbs. I am more depressed now than before because of the weight gain. I have also experienced drowsiness and fatigue. I am going to try and get my Dr. to take me off and deal with this disorder differently. I am on 20mg. I'm done!"

"So far I've been taking Lexapro for about a month now and I seem to get irritated a lot and the other day I had to go to the hospital because I punched my hand through the glass."

"I can't seem to remember things. I'm in class and I can't retain hardly anything."

"I have been taking Lexapro for several months now. Not until reading the side effects of others did i become aware of the side effects that I have. I have gained 20 lbs, my memory or should I say what memory??? My sex life with my boyfriend has become non-existent. I have no motivation to do anything. I would like to thank this website for some insight and I will be making an appt. with my doctor tomorrow."

"I have been on Lexapro for 3 weeks. I was on Effexor (for 2 weeks until I was warned about its awful side effects). I feel better (less anxiety), however I have the following side effects with Lexapro: sweating, stomach pain, chest pain, arm and hand pains, nightmares, and strong headaches."

"TRUST me do not let your doctor talk you in to talking LEXAPRO! Guys try getting it up at night! all the VIAGRA in the world will not even help!!!"

"I have been on Lexapro for almost a month. The side effects are horrible. I can't think clearly, I feel like I am unable to carry on conversations. I have no appetite. I feel my mind has slipped. This is a terrible drug."

"I was given samples of 10mg. Lexapro tabs to help with anxiety associated with menopause. After the first dose I felt like I had taken speed. My blood pressure was off the charts, my head ached, my heart was pounding and my mouth was dry down to my stomach. I couldn't eat. It took over 24 hours for the effects to wear off. Never again."

"I was prescribed Lexapro after my therapist claimed I have BPD. I only took the 10 MG tablet ONCE and these were what happened: I felt like I was tripping on acid, I could barely breathe, I went from depressed to extremely agitated in a very short time, I went from really tired after taking it to extremely awake, I didn't dream at all that night, I was still feeling funky the next day, and people claim it isn't until weeks into treatment you finally see side affects-HAH! I will never take this drug again-and I switched therapists!"

"Lexapro caused me vivid dreams, profuse sweating, leg muscle cramps, sever wrist and hand pain, arthritic type pain in most all joints - hate it."

"My doctor gave me a few weeks worth to try. I gained weight, then more weight, then more. I put on 14 pounds in two weeks!!! I also felt as though it did not relieve my feelings of anxiety."

"I requested Lexapro to my doctor as a means of dealing with symptoms associated with a disk hernia, work related stress and anxiety I am experiencing in relation to these two issues. I have experienced increased fatigue, anxiety, head and neck pain, sinus pain, dry skin, itching, confusion, increased sweating (especially at night) with at the same time as having the chills, nausea and a feeling of the need to vomit, frequent urination, body aches, painful joints and popping/cracking joints as well as a whole host of less bothersome side affects. I've found that I an increased appetite, lethargy and constant, energy draining feverish symptom that never seems to go away. This winter I used the medication for a couple of months or so but did not seems to experience all the side affects that I have this summer. It seems to me that heat and/or sun causes more adverse reaction for me. I feel so worn down with this drug. It just seems to exacerbate my original problems!

I am more depressed, more anxious, more agitated and irritable and more uncomfortable than I was before beginning taking the product. I would be cautious using Lexapro and advise my physician immediately if or when you have any serious side effects that are particularly bothersome for you. I think I'm going to try something else or seeks some sort of alternative treatments. I am extremely uncomfortable taking it."

"I was prescribed Lexapro for anxiety and mild depression. I didn't notice any side effects at first. I was told by the pharmacist that there weren't really any. I have been on Lexapro now for about 6 months. I have gained about 15-20 pounds in that time. That is why I came online looking to see if this was possibly due to the medicine. I only take 10 mg a day, but I am still eating about the same as I did before. Yes, it is very frustrating. After reading some of the postings on this website, I think I am having some other side effects that I didn't even realize. I am tired a lot. I don't have a lot of energy. I think it is time to see the doctor again."

"4 weeks ago my doctor increased my dosage of Lexapro to 20 mg. from l5 mg. In the last week I have experienced fluctuation in blood pressure, my usual pressure is l00/60 and the pressure about an hour or less upon awakening in a.m. was reading 88/59,one day in the afternoon it was 77/49. My internal med doctor is suggesting I lower the meds to l5 mg. and see if these readings approve, I also have constipation, nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, burping, etc. I am getting palpitations, headaches."

Prozac (Fluoxetine) Side-effects Reality

2009-08-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

I have been taking for Prozac for three years continuously. Web sites either portray it as the best thing or an evil drug that should be banned. I'm going to describe here to present my experiences of the drug and its effects. You should not expect any surprising revelations or controversial crowd-collecting.

prozac and weight gain - Drugs.com

2009-08-08T02:32:00.000-07:00

Prozac has a long half life...which it essentially tampers off itself. There shouldn't be any worries about quiting prozac cold turkey. I did and I was fine. It takes the drug a while to slowly get into your system, and a while to slowly get out of your system.

Fluoxetine (prozac) and weight gain

2009-08-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

Combining proper nutrition with cardiorespiratory exercise and resistance training can not only help prevent weight gain and other health-related ailments, but also increase energy levels which can offset some of the sedative effects of medications. Cardio exercise increases the heart rate and helps to promote improved cardiac fitness, in addition to burning calories and raising metabolism.

Since patients gaining weight often say that they are not eating more, it is tempting to speculate that there may also be a drug-induced lowering of metabolism. Thus, weight gain is due to positive energy balance, which may be explained by an increase in total calories consumed and/or a reduction in calories used by the body.

The SSRI medications affect a brain chemical called 'Serotonin.' The effects of Serotonin on appetite and food intake can be mediated by activation of specific serotonergic receptors (5-HT2C receptors in the hypothalamus). Drugs that block these receptors cause weight gain in both humans and animals, while administration of drugs that stimulate these receptors result in decreased food intake, decreased subjective hunger, and weight loss.

Prozac and weight gain

2009-08-08T02:20:00.000-07:00

I have been on prozac for the past 11 years. The drug has been wonderful. However, I have maintained a 20lb increase in my weight and I have heard lately that it is directly related to this medication. A week and a half ago, I went off the drug. I tapered into Wellbutrin. Has anyone done this same routine. And does the weight come off after the switch? I run five miles a day and eat very well. But for the life of me I could not drop the weight that prozac put on despite all I did. So now I am off it and I am going to see how things go now.

The Secret of Maintaining pH Balanced Diet

2009-05-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

You probably have heard about "pH Balance" before, but are still wondering what it really means. The term "pH" is a medical term that describes the balance of your system and it refers to the condition of metabolic changes. pH Balance, simply put, is the balance of acid and alkaline in all fluids and cells in the body. The scale of pH runs from 0 to 14. Zero is totally acidic and 14 totally alkaline. The middle of the scale at 7 is neutral. The pH level indicates the body's acid/alkaline balance.

People wonder why the pH balance of the body is so important to maintain. This is because if body's pH Balance is not in equilibrium, it will create an environment where diseases can attack easily. Therefore, it is critical to maintain pH Balance of the body. Now one might ask: "How to maintain the pH Balance of one's body"?

If you suspect that your pH Balance is out of order, it is important to consider a change in your lifestyle and nutrition. Optimizing your health with a pH balanced diet is the natural way to obtain healthy living for a long time. All foods have an effect on the body's acid/alkaline level. To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. However, to restore health, nutritionists suggest that 80% of one's dietary intake should be alkaline and 20% acidic.

Alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices herbs and seasonings, seeds and nuts, almonds, apples, avocados, bananas, beans, brazil nuts, broccoli, cantaloupe and carrots and acid forming foods include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, legumes, white flour, refined sugars, dairy products, peanut butter and chocolates.
Our health lies in our hands. Since most illnesses find their roots in an imbalanced body pH, it is obvious that most cures also lie in maintaining the body pH Balance. Maintaining a pH Balance of 7.4 is the answer to all our physical problems. Alkaline supplements help to eliminate acid wastes from the body and restore overall health.

Ante-Natal Depression - Depression During Pregnancy - Sent using Google Toolbar

2009-05-29T23:44:00.001-07:00

All pregnant women should expect some mood variation in pregnancy. But for about 10% of pregnant women depression can become a significant problem with Antenatal Depression.

Symptoms of Antenatal Depression

Everyone's experience of pregnancy is different, however just as there are expected physical changes, there are also some common changes in emotion associated with each trimester, such as mood swings, anxiety, sensuality and excitement. So when should a woman be concerned that what she is experiencing falls outside these normal variation in mood?

A woman may be suffering from antenatal depression if she feels some of the following symptoms during her pregnancy:

Inability to concentrate and difficulty remembering
Difficulty making decisions
Anxiety about the pregnancy or becoming parents
Feeling emotionally numb
Extreme irritability
Sleep problems not related to the pregnancy
Extreme or unending fatigue
A desire to eat all the time or not wanting to eat at all
Weight loss or weight gain not related to pregnancy
Loss of interest in sex
A sense that nothing feels enjoyable or fun any more, including the pregnancy
Feeling like a failure, feelings of guilt
Persistent sadness
Thoughts of death or suicide

Assessment of Antenatal Depression

It can be very difficult for a pregnant woman to understand or talk about how she feels. This makes it more important for those who are providing her antenatal care and for her partner, friends and family to watch her and support her in seeking help. The first and most important step to managing antenatal depression is accurate assessment of the symptoms and diagnosis as early as possible. To assist this it is important to identify some of the factors that may be contributing to the depression.

Pregnancy hormones may contribute to feelings of depression. While hormonal ups and downs affect all pregnant women, some feel the swings more intensely. However many other factors can contribute to the development of depression during pregnancy. A pregnant woman may be experience some uncertainty about the pregnancy, feeling perhaps that the timing is wrong, that career or long-term goals may need to be delayed or that there might be financial problems. She may also feel uncertain about her new role as mother, fears about carrying the pregnancy, as well how she will cope with labor and delivery. She may also feel guilty about being unhappy because everyone expects her to be content and blooming.

Some of the factors that might contribute to antenatal depression include:

Family or personal history of depression. If depression runs in the woman's family, or if she has had past episodes of depression, she may be more likely to become depressed.

Relationship difficulties. If the woman and her partner or extended family are experiencing difficulties and the woman is afraid of a lack of support when her baby is born, this can have a major impact on her emotional well-being.

Stressful life events. Any major life change, such as a move to a bigger home in anticipation of the baby's arrival, divorce, or job loss, can contribute to depression.

Problems with the pregnancy. A troubled pregnancy such as one that causes severe morning sickness or concerns about the development or viability of the baby can take its emotional toll, especially if it involves high degrees of monitoring or immobility.

Infertility or previous pregnancy loss. If the woman has experienced difficulties trying to get pregnant, or have had a miscarriage in the past, she may find herself worrying about the safety of this pregnancy.

Past history of abuse. Pregnancy can trigger painful memories in women who have survived emotional, sexual, physical, or verbal abuse.

Lack of social support. All people need to feel supported by those around them, and especially when a woman is facing the changes that parenthood will bring. Social isolation can contribute to the possibility of depression.

Financial difficulties. Financial problems can significantly increase the amount of stress during pregnancy.

Treatment of Antenatal Depression

Following diagnosis it is really important for the woman to seek support and treatment for how she has been feeling as early as possible, including:

Talking about how she has been feeling with a trusted person will allow her friends and family the opportunity to be supportive. If the woman has a partner, she might need to try to communicate with him to gain his support, he can only give this if she is open with him. Talking to her doctor or antenatal carers about how she has been feeling is also important for seeking help. Once you start talking you will be surprised at how many people have had similar experiences.

Take it easy. A woman might feel that she needs to set up the nursery, clean the house, or work as much as she can before she goes on maternity leave. It might be more important for her to make some time for herself, read a book, have breakfast in bed, or go for a walk. If she already has children, arranging for family or friends to look after them can allow time to herself. Taking care of herself is an essential part of the woman taking care of her baby.

Consider therapy or counselling. If the woman has tried to work through things on her own but nothing seems to work, seeing a therapist or a counsellor may help. The woman may also benefit from antidepressants – some of which are safe for pregnant women. Talk to her doctor or midwife about this.

When the woman needs to seek help quickly: If she is suicidal or feeling disoriented and unable to handle daily life, or if she is having panic attacks, talk to her doctor or midwife immediately. Seeing a therapist or psychiatrist is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that she is taking the steps necessary to keep herself and her baby safe and healthy.

What will happen after the baby is born?

Depression during pregnancy does not mean that a woman will have postnatal depression, however about fifty per cent of women suffering from severe depression during pregnancy go on to develop postnatal depression. Therapy during pregnancy can reduce the chances of developing postnatal depression dramatically. Putting in place a support network of family, friends, the doctor, and therapist and support groups before the birth will make the period following birth much easier.

Ante-Natal Depression - Depression During Pregnancy

2009-05-29T23:37:00.001-07:00

All pregnant women should expect some mood variation in pregnancy. But for about 10% of pregnant women depression can become a significant problem with Antenatal Depression.

Symptoms of Antenatal Depression

Everyone's experience of pregnancy is different, however just as there are expected physical changes, there are also some common changes in emotion associated with each trimester, such as mood swings, anxiety, sensuality and excitement. So when should a woman be concerned that what she is experiencing falls outside these normal variation in mood?

A woman may be suffering from antenatal depression if she feels some of the following symptoms during her pregnancy:

Inability to concentrate and difficulty remembering
Difficulty making decisions
Anxiety about the pregnancy or becoming parents
Feeling emotionally numb
Extreme irritability
Sleep problems not related to the pregnancy
Extreme or unending fatigue
A desire to eat all the time or not wanting to eat at all
Weight loss or weight gain not related to pregnancy
Loss of interest in sex
A sense that nothing feels enjoyable or fun any more, including the pregnancy
Feeling like a failure, feelings of guilt
Persistent sadness
Thoughts of death or suicide

Assessment of Antenatal Depression

It can be very difficult for a pregnant woman to understand or talk about how she feels. This makes it more important for those who are providing her antenatal care and for her partner, friends and family to watch her and support her in seeking help. The first and most important step to managing antenatal depression is accurate assessment of the symptoms and diagnosis as early as possible. To assist this it is important to identify some of the factors that may be contributing to the depression.

Pregnancy hormones may contribute to feelings of depression. While hormonal ups and downs affect all pregnant women, some feel the swings more intensely. However many other factors can contribute to the development of depression during pregnancy. A pregnant woman may be experience some uncertainty about the pregnancy, feeling perhaps that the timing is wrong, that career or long-term goals may need to be delayed or that there might be financial problems. She may also feel uncertain about her new role as mother, fears about carrying the pregnancy, as well how she will cope with labor and delivery. She may also feel guilty about being unhappy because everyone expects her to be content and blooming.

Some of the factors that might contribute to antenatal depression include:

Family or personal history of depression. If depression runs in the woman's family, or if she has had past episodes of depression, she may be more likely to become depressed.

Relationship difficulties. If the woman and her partner or extended family are experiencing difficulties and the woman is afraid of a lack of support when her baby is born, this can have a major impact on her emotional well-being.

Stressful life events. Any major life change, such as a move to a bigger home in anticipation of the baby's arrival, divorce, or job loss, can contribute to depression.

Problems with the pregnancy. A troubled pregnancy such as one that causes severe morning sickness or concerns about the development or viability of the baby can take its emotional toll, especially if it involves high degrees of monitoring or immobility.

Infertility or previous pregnancy loss. If the woman has experienced difficulties trying to get pregnant, or have had a miscarriage in the past, she may find herself worrying about the safety of this pregnancy.

Past history of abuse. Pregnancy can trigger painful memories in women who have survived emotional, sexual, physical, or verbal abuse.

Lack of social support. All people need to feel supported by those around them, and especially when a woman is facing the changes that parenthood will bring. Social isolation can contribute to the possibility of depression.

Financial difficulties. Financial problems can significantly increase the amount of stress during pregnancy.

Treatment of Antenatal Depression

Following diagnosis it is really important for the woman to seek support and treatment for how she has been feeling as early as possible, including:

Talking about how she has been feeling with a trusted person will allow her friends and family the opportunity to be supportive. If the woman has a partner, she might need to try to communicate with him to gain his support, he can only give this if she is open with him. Talking to her doctor or antenatal carers about how she has been feeling is also important for seeking help. Once you start talking you will be surprised at how many people have had similar experiences.

Take it easy. A woman might feel that she needs to set up the nursery, clean the house, or work as much as she can before she goes on maternity leave. It might be more important for her to make some time for herself, read a book, have breakfast in bed, or go for a walk. If she already has children, arranging for family or friends to look after them can allow time to herself. Taking care of herself is an essential part of the woman taking care of her baby.

Consider therapy or counselling. If the woman has tried to work through things on her own but nothing seems to work, seeing a therapist or a counsellor may help. The woman may also benefit from antidepressants – some of which are safe for pregnant women. Talk to her doctor or midwife about this.

When the woman needs to seek help quickly: If she is suicidal or feeling disoriented and unable to handle daily life, or if she is having panic attacks, talk to her doctor or midwife immediately. Seeing a therapist or psychiatrist is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that she is taking the steps necessary to keep herself and her baby safe and healthy.

What will happen after the baby is born?

Depression during pregnancy does not mean that a woman will have postnatal depression, however about fifty per cent of women suffering from severe depression during pregnancy go on to develop postnatal depression. Therapy during pregnancy can reduce the chances of developing postnatal depression dramatically. Putting in place a support network of family, friends, the doctor, and therapist and support groups before the birth will make the period following birth much easier.

Prozac Law Suits

2009-05-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

A two-year-old Prozac negligence lawsuit, set for trial Tuesday, has been settled out of court by defendant Eli Lilly and Co. and the Pennsylvania plaintiffs.

The case was brought by Diane and Melvin Cassidy, of Monroeville, who in July 2000 picketed outside Lilly's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, handing out fliers proclaiming, "Lilly, how many people are maimed or dead on your drug today?"

The Cassidys' lawsuit, filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, charged that Diane Cassidy's doctor prescribed the antidepressant Prozac to her for weight loss and that the drug caused suicidal thoughts that led her to slash her wrists and overdose on a painkiller. She suffered intracranial bleeding from the painkiller, which left her paralyzed on one side and mentally impaired, according to the lawsuit, which sought $4.84 million in tangible damages.

The Cassidys were represented by Houston trial lawyer Andy Vickery, who has negotiated settlements of several Prozac cases against Lilly.

Terms of the settlement, reached this week, were not disclosed.

The Indianapolis drug maker said in a statement that it "made a business decision to settle . . . for factors completely unrelated to the safety and efficacy of Prozac. Such factors included the extensive time demands that litigation would have placed upon our scientists, keeping them away from their primary objective of discovering lifesaving medicines. In no way was our decision to settle in any way motivated by concerns over the safety and efficacy of Prozac."

The settlement comes the same week that a fresh Prozac lawsuit was filed against Lilly, in U.S. District Court in Georgia. It raises a new charge in the more than decade long litigation over Prozac: that Lilly has failed to publicize research showing some people are "poor metabolizers of Prozac" and a test can reveal if a patient might be affected.

The Georgia product-liability and wrongful-death suit, in which Vickery is assisting the plaintiff, was brought by William H. Shell, the widower of LaVerne M. Shell. She shot herself to death at age 63 in November 2000, 11 days after starting on a prescription of Prozac to treat migraine headaches.

The lawsuit charges that a human enzyme dubbed CYP2D6 normally metabolizes or breaks down Prozac and similar drugs in the body, but fails to do so in a minority of people. In their bodies, the active ingredient in Prozac builds up to high levels, putting them at risk of violence and suicide, the lawsuit says.

"Lilly is negligent in failing to make this information public, to convey it to doctors, or otherwise to take reasonable measures to implement appropriate patient screening techniques," the lawsuit says.

Lilly spokesman Blair Austin said that company officials hadn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment on the new charge.

The metabolization issue is gaining currency among some activists who publicize side effects from the Prozac class of antidepressants and other drugs.

Self-employed businessman Jim Harper of Glendale, Calif., who runs a Web site called Prozactruth.com, said he hopes to soon offer a DNA test through his site that can tell if a person is a poor metabolizer of Prozac and related drugs.

"I should not have to be the one" to publicize the test, Harper said Friday. "I'd rather be doing other things on my nights and weekends." But drug companies and doctors aren't doing enough to warn users of serious side effects from antidepressants, said Harper, who noted he receives hundreds of e-mails a week from people who read his Web site.

Harper said he hopes to arrange to sell the test for about $245 through Genelex Corp. of Redmond, Wash., a direct-to-consumer DNA testing firm.

=========================

August 2004, details and pricing have finally been worked out with Genelex. One drug pathway can now be tested for $250, two pathways for $450 or all three pathways for $600. It is recommended a person receive a test for all three pathways. Many medications actually use two pathways.

Prozac Facts and Side Effects, Including Deeper Depression Leading to Suicide

2009-05-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

By prescription only, Prozac is used to treat depression, anxiety, fatigue, pain, or even obesity. Many people have challenged that the drug causes some people to be more depressed than previously - even to the point of suicide. Although the drug manufacturer makes the claim that Prozac
is relatively safe, lawsuits abound claiming that the drug caused worse health problems than before taking it. As a matter of fact, the drug has already been taken off the market in some countries.

Introduced in the late 80's, Prozac is a Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. It works by aiding in the sending and receiving of messages to and from the brain. Prozac assists in making more serotonin available in the system.

It's well-known that Prozac can cause nausea, insomnia, drowsiness, anxiety, tremors, sweating, decreased sex drive and even impotence. The side effects are usually mild but can become severe, in some people. But, some people have, while taking the drug, experienced suicidal thoughts, severe depression, unusual behavior, mood swings and anger outbursts.

Although some people have committed suicide while taking Prozac it has not been definitively proven that Prozac was the cause. And, considering how many people take the drug, the suicide numbers are very low.

If you are taking Prozac or you're a relative of someone who is, notify the attending physician immediately upon noticing any thoughts of suicide, hostility, aggression, agitation, panic attacks, or hyperactivity. Rarer side effects include confusion, seizures, quickening of heartbeat, and swollen glands.

Prozac cannot be taken with MAO inhibitors - doing so can prove fatal. Do not take Prozac if you have diabetes, liver disease or recent heart problems. Avoid Prozac if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

Real Side Effects of SSRI's

2009-05-08T21:40:00.001-07:00

The side effects listed below are from people that actually use or have used SSRI's.

If you are experiencing any of these side effects and have wondered if it was just you, you are not alone.

Real SSRI Side Effects.

Mind racing and unable to control thoughts and processes of the mind.
Panic attacks worsening.
Hot surges running through body.
Horrible nightmares.
Obsessive thoughts. (Going to lose it and kill somebody)
Just can't seem to feel any more.
Feeling like a zombie. Absolutely emotionless.
Physically numb. Could not even feel the water hit my body in the shower.
Lost all taste of food.
Severe dizziness. Felt like going to pass out or lose control.
Sleeping with light on because of the fear.
Feel disconnected. Really drugged out most of the time.
Heart palpitations and tightness in the head.
Flashes of memories and images from the past. (Uncontrollable)
Drugs have taken personal identity away, made feel unable to function like a normal human being.
Completely lost grip and hate to go out and be around people. Don't even feel comfortable with family.
Feeling like it will never end.
Feeling foggy and drugged out.
Urge to jump out of a fast moving car.
Feeling like I need to take life to end all of this.
Extreme head pain.
More depressed than before starting SSRI's.
Not sure will ever be your old self again.
A feeling of unreality.
Convinced of having some rare and fatal disease.
Hormones go completely wild during menstruation. (Never happened before SSRI usage)
fatigue and problem in hands (predominantly left)
which has become less tremors, more pain and slight stiffness and is
spreading up (left) arm and into shoulder.
Head and body seem to feel detached from each other.
Feeling like "in Hell." Can't go to see doctor or to the hospital because I am afraid they will prescribe more medication or put me in the mental ward.
Bleeding from the nose, heavily.
Nausea
Feeling like electrical current is running up and down spine
Memory loss with apathy
In a fog, can't concentrate
Nipple discharge
Loss of sex drive
Manic/depressive episodes
Weight gain of over 40 pounds
(List of side effects from one individual since starting SSRI's) Mind racing, nightmares, obsessive thoughts, can't "feel" anymore, zombie, disconnected, memory flashes, hate to be around people, feeling like it will never end, foggy, urge to jump out of fast moving car, more depressed, not sure will ever be old self again, feeling of unreality, numbness in pinky and ring finger on left hand and sever chills.
Head jerking and muscle spasms
Numbness in genitals
Memory loss
Loss of sexual drive
Swelled penis
Sudden and excessive weight gain
Hating people, do not want to be around people anymore
Tremors, sudden jerky movements of muscles, extreme sensitivity to sound
Out of control, divorced husband that was loved and now can't even explain why. Hopeless
Suicidal
Inner restlessness
Can't focus, hard to read words
Worsening of acne
Falling asleep at random times and not even remembering it (people telling the person this is happening)
Can hardly stand to look at anything anymore
Severe hot flashes while asleep
Difficult having an orgasm
Very aggressive dreams, dream of having battles with people from past
Severe mood changes, tremors in hands more hyperactive
Heavy sweating and electrical shocks that seem to come from within the side of the head
Milky discharge from nipples and very hot flashes and sweating while asleep
Can't seeeee comptur skrenn clearrlyyyy
Breast are getting larger, nipples harder and sticking out about 1" and swelling
Awake several nights of the week all night and have gained 30 pounds in less than one year
Urge to drink excessively, never had this problem before. Feel like in pure hell, manic one moment, deeply depressed the next, severe headaches, sweating, nightmares, panic and fear
Feet stay cold and can't seem to get them warm
Have not had sex for over one year since starting Prozac
Need for increased dose for same symptom, depression and severe cleaning compulsion are back and already at 100 mg daily of Prozac
I quit, doing crazy things. On the way to work stopped and got a tattoo. Hate tattoos!
Sleepy all of the time
Dramatic weight loss
Manic depression, numbness of body, tremors, racing thoughts, hot flashes, hallucinations, voices and echoes
Excessive or "fake" happiness-not able to feel "normal" sadness or cry at all
Feeling like an incomplete person without sexual feelings
Feel like going to stop breathing
Cold for hours after jogging
Extremely paranoid, feeling like someone is standing outside of the shower with a knife-ready to kill me, constantly looking over my shoulder all of the time and jumping at every noise
Muscle and joint pains
Strange and vivid dreams with erratic sleep patterns
Nightmares, flashbacks, severe night sweats and feel sense of unrest
No emotion and brain twitches
Felt like on a come down from acid for the whole time taking SSRI, saw tracers (shadows when things were moving) could not sleep, felt suicidal and more depressed than before
Itchy, rashes on inside of legs, knees, under arms and back, hot sweats and flushes, very depressed, being very rude and short tempered
Severe mood swings, angry most of the time and violent
Lost everything
Lost job
dizziness and low blood sugar
Just don't care anymore
Flash anger, verbal aggression and uncontrolled bouts of swearing
Pain in the lower left hand side of the stomach
Sleeping A LOT (13 hours a night)
Self mutilation
Cutting self
Tongue pain at night
Ears ring all the time since I've been on Paxil
Total inability to have an orgasm (I am female). This never happened to me before I took Prozac
Breathing Difficulty
Uncontrollable bouts of anger during which I can't even talk to anyone- totally overreacting to different situations.
Delayed sleep pattern, 1 hour later each day, turning the clock around during one year
Craving for sugar or protein or vitamin c
Changing my mind every minute, completely paranoid
Completely paralyzed by not knowing what to do or where I was going or what I can do when I feel like this
Delayed ejaculation and subtle loss of genital sensitivity--still persists 3 years after finishing medication
Annoying dizzy spells that have intensified the longer I have been off of Paxil
Alzheimer's Condition dramatically accelerated in my 82 year old mother immediately following Paxil
Hot flashes and profuse sweating
Lethargic
After two days, woke up with left hand and arm numb, feel disconnected, headachy and anxious
Heard noises that weren't real: electronic humming/buzzing, doorbells, and voices. Would look for source, but find nothing. Sometimes, just moving my head would make the noises change or go away.
TONGUE FEELS LIKE IT HAS BEEN STUCK IN AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Severe constipation even Metamucil is not working feeling real bloated and starting to get depressed

Recovering Prozac SIDE EFFECTS?

2009-05-04T02:49:00.001-07:00

I know they may vary from person to person, but I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what the side effects are if you discontinue Prozac abruptly (cold turkey).

User 1

My boyfriend stopped taking Prozac on January 22, 2008, because of the sexual dysfunction side effect. Now, it's been a month not taking Prozac, and he's telling me that he's "confused" about our relationship, and he's depressed, he can't sleep, and he's a little weepy. He has NEVER acted this way before to me. He used to be cheerful and happy. Do you think this strange depressive state he's going through could be due to abruptly discontinuing Prozac?

User 2

Hey I quit prozac cold turkey about a month ago and my moods are all over the place. I was fine for a few weeks and then it hit me. I am dizzy all the time and it seems like I have a mood swing every 5 minutes. Don't take it personal, wait it out. His brain hasn't had time to recover from the shock of dropping the medication.
genetics

User 3

I know they may vary from person to person, but I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what the side effects are if you discontinue Prozac abruptly (cold turkey).

My boyfriend stopped taking Prozac on January 22, 2008, because of the sexual dysfunction side effect. Now, it's been a month not taking Prozac, and he's telling me that he's "confused" about our relationship, and he's depressed, he can't sleep, and he's a little weepy. He has NEVER acted this way before to me. He used to be cheerful and happy. Do you think this strange depressive state he's going through could be due to abruptly discontinuing Prozac?

the problem is not the withdraw, it is that he needs it to function properly! the sexual side effects might not be fun, but depression is the alternative! some people just need to be on anti depressents! until science comes up with an alternative your boyfriend should stay on his meds and work with a psyctrist M.D. to get were he needs/wants to be!in the meanwhile do not guilt him off of his prozac and or let well meaning but, mis guided family members shame him into staying off either! sadly, society treats mental illness as a mark of shame instead of a health issue which is what it is!
Jennifer

User 4

I stopped taking prozac about a month ago because I didn't get around to refilling my prescription. Over the last few weeks my mood swings have been all over the place, my anxiety has returned, I feel very flaky at times, my sex drive is next to nothing, and I think it is because I stopped taking prozac overnight. It made me a little nervous and I plan to refill the prescription to see if that will make a difference.

User 5

I was on 20mg of Prozac a day for 3 months. They sort of worked but in the end I felt really anxious and sick all the time. I started to wean myself off them by reducing dose but after a few days just gave up taking them. I know my GP would not advise this but I was tired of feeling terrible.

I have since felt fine and have been off them for a month. I have just had a chest infection, which is unrelated, but I have started to experience a dizzy feeling when I move my eyes left and right and feel the need to lie down and close them. I feel this is more than likely related to the chest infection as it started at the same time and I do suffer from sinus problems when I get colds etc.... Could it though be possibly a delayed withdrawal side effect from stopping taking Prozac. If it is how long is it likely to take before this fades away? Any advice?

User 6

Bupropin or Wellbutrin, as it is commercially known, causes far less sexual side-effects, and may even increase libido. It did for me. Tell your boyfriend to give it a try.
I hope this helps somebody out there. Please, please, if you are depressed and therapy doesn't work, take the medication, it will improve your quality of life one-hundred fold!

User 7

I have been on and off prozak for some time now. I recently decided that I was going to "quit"

It's been a bitch! I was watching the movie "The Perfect Storm" and was crying about the damn fish that they caught!

I am afraid about who I am on and off the drugs! There has been no clarity about what in the hell I am supposed to do. I have a refil due but I feel that with the holidays I want to "feel" something this year!

Prozak is a drug and therefore addictive!!!!!!

i just stopped and like some one has said above i have no sex drive and hate being touched at all i dont seem to have any emotions either !!!

User 8

I've been asking myself the same question!And experience the same feeling that u described (i feel i have to cry a lot since i withdrawn!)
So..i am of Prozac for about a month..but only recently started to feel the side effects of it..i feel these "brain zaps" (usually experienced with the withdrawal of Seroxat..).I wonder when my body will feel "normal" again.
I used SSRI'S for 11 years...i decided that i had enough of it..and honestly it really wasn't a miracle drug.
I took it for obsessive thoughts..
Well..my poor body lost his long lost friend (SSRI's) and i can understand that this might take some time to adjust living without it..

User 9

I have been on prozac for 5 months, i recently stopped taking them because i "thought" i felt better, when i would read something my eyes would be fuzzy and i couldn't understand what i was reading. Finally people someone had said to me that i was being very aggressive lately. I felt more as if i wanted to fight, or i would get mad over something so stupid. Now that i have stopped taking them i have been more messes than i was when i had been on them. I had restarted to take them, which when i get back on the i went manic. i didn't know what i was doing... i was lost...

User 10

My Daughter was on a small amount of prozak for about a year. I still found her violent, rude, and just plane mean. Since she is a very loving child it really bothered me. She has been off for about 3 weeks notice a difference but now i think she is going through withdrawls. does any one know how long before this is over, I realize everyone is different but roughly would be great.

User 11

In an effort to find out "who" I really am, I went off Prozac cold-turkey about a month ago. I had been on it since 1999 (10 years) 40 mg. a day. So far, I have felt nothing but BETTER. I feel energetic, happy and very clear headed. This approach probably won't work for everyone, but I feel like myself again, and hope I will never have to be on anti-depressants again. Good luck to everyone who takes Prozac and to everyone trying to get off it.

User 12

I have been on various antidepressants for nearly ten years...effexor was the only one that really worked for me, but for lack of a generic option and tired of spending the $130+/mo on it, I switched to generic prozac... wasn't really happy with it and fed up with taking medications at this point, I stopped when my prescription ran out. I feel so much more energetic and motivated than I have in years, so I'm trying to live with the "brain zaps" and occasional light-headed/dizzy spells. They happen at night usually, but I only feel better laying down. Have no idea how long this could last, it's been over a month and they're still going... I've heard that some medications' side effects can last up to six months or so after you quit. Just checking if this could be what I have to look forward to, but I can't find any definitive answers; I will just continue to suffer through it ;)

User 13

Gaby, I stopped taking Prozac a few months ago (3), after taking it for 3yrs. Lately I cry at the drop of a hat, feel lost, vague, waves of isolation. I never felt that before. It occurred to me all this emotionalism may be from stopping the Prozac. I took on this morning, and a bit later felt like myself.
I see a taper-off is in order. I began Prozac for OCD, not depression. I regret having begun it at all, and will respect the 'withdrawal' syndrome.

User 14

During my last stay in the you-know-where, the doctor took me of Prozac cold turkey, after I've been on it non-stop since 1990! I haven't had the electrical shocks and insomnia I did with stopping Paxil, but I am so depressed I feel numb. The only medications that weren't taken away or changed were my Klonopin and Topamax (the latter used mostly to prevent migraines). I hope I feel better soon, because this frickin' Abilify makes me so groggy during the day I've had to give up driving!

User 15

I have been on Fluoxetine for the last couple of years (dosing every two weeks out of the month) for PMS. It is clearly causing weight gain in my stomach. I have the same diet and work out 6 days a week.
If I discontine using the meds, will the weight gain go away in time?

What people say about Prozac (Fluoxetine)

2009-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Prozac review by 17 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 80mg taken trice a day for the period of 3 years

Benefits: I felt better mood, optimism towards life in general, greater control of portion sizes. My recovery from anorexia was not easy, so I had a few months of moderate bulimia. It was then that my dosage grew bigger: 3 pills of 20 mg per day, though some days I would have 4 pills.
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Prozac review by 19 year old female patient

Comments: Took for several months, told my doctor it was NOT making a difference so she doubled the dose to 40 mg. I couldn't stand the thought of putting more chemicals in my body if they weren't doing anything so I never filled the doubled prescription and focused on counseling, which made a difference.

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Prozac review by 20 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg taken daily for the period of four months

Benefits: Less depressed, I could consintrate on daily life better. I was happier, less anxious, stopped worrying so much.

Side effects: I felt manic at times, surreal. I was thirsty a lot, and forgot to eat.

Comments: I was suppose to take 20mg daily for treatment of depression, it helped my depression but i often felt manic and 'not myself'

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Prozac review by 21 year old male patient

Treatment Info

Condition / reason: Depression, A.D.D., Mood Instability

Dosage & duration: 20 mg. capsule taken once a day, in the morning for the period of three weeks

Other conditions: Possible diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant / Conduct Disorder

Other drugs taken: Dextro/Amphetamine XR 20 mg. , Dextro/Amphetamine IR 10 mg., Starterra 25 mg, Trazadone 50 mg.

Benefits: +Easier to get up and get going in the morning. +Increased self esteem. +Increased confidence. +Some mood stabilization. +Significant decrease in skin-picking. +Increased overall energy. +Reduction in feelings of guilt and avoidance. +Enhanced social capacity: less inhibited, more likely to engage in conversation, more interested in others, less sensitive to surroundings, more open and increased assertiveness.

Side effects: +Night-time energy surge. +Reduction in taste sensitivity / food interest. +Late morning / early afternoon fatigue. +Occasional headaches. +Less organized thoughts / less aware of "details". +Hand tremors. +A.D.D. actually made WORSE.

Comments: I am a recovering alcohol and drug user, and have A.D.D. and severe Depression, as well as possible undiagnosed Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I was taking Imipramine 100 mg. before bed and 20 mg. XR in the morning and 10 mg. in the afternoon before a hospitalization. I was switched to Prozac from the Imipramine, and given Trazadone to help sleep. I am also on an upward increase in dose of Strattera, because my A.D.D. has gotten very bad on the Prozac and off the Imipramine, but have a better mood and increased social ability.

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Prozac review by 27 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg a day taken once daily for the period of 6 months

Other conditions: anxiety, big appetite

Other drugs taken: birth control pills

Benefits: Having had severe TPM symptoms for many years, I asked my doctor for Fluoxetine. The benefits were a total feeling of "well-being". Without the extreme "high" feeling of anfetamines (taken before as part of a supervised diet regimen). High decrease on anxiety. Appetite more controled. Clearness of my thoughts. Decrease on crisis of depression (specially during the days previous to my periods). More "energy" during the day to the daily things.. decrease on obsessive compulsive (mild) disorder

Side effects: The side effects with the intake of Fluoxetine for me included mild insomnia, headaches (specially in the beginning of the treatment). Loss of appetite. Mild change in the sense of taste. Little bit of nausea after a big meal. Or something very different from the usual food. Change in mood (varieting a lot specially in the beginning of treatment).

Comments: Fluoxetine 20mg. Taken once daily (variation: twice daily during week previous to period). For a period of 6 months (at least 3 months; possibly to be discontinued if great increase was noticed). Not to be taken with any other drug before consulting a doctor. Not to be taken with alcoolic drinks. Not to be taken with empty stomache.

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Prozac review by 27 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 40mg/day taken daily for the period of 2 years

Other conditions: Bulimia

Benefits: Lessening of suicidal ideation and an increased ability to complete daily life tasks.

Side effects: There was a decreased ability to have orgasms and a general numbing not quite stupor in which I existed. There was also a major decrese in appetite.

Comments: This drug resulted in an unanticipated weightloss of over 20lbs - I went from 128 to 108 lbs. The weight loss decresed the incidences of bulimia. The drug was effective in that I no longer felt depressed per se, but then I didn't feel much of anything. Any combination with alcohol should be avioded - majorly increases its effects!

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Prozac review by 30 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken once a day for the period of 2003-present day

Other conditions: 0cd, bipolor

Other drugs taken: multi vitamin only

Benefits: checking myself considerably less, calm my mood swings, helped me think alot clearer,

Side effects: when I first started them I had stomach cramp, also insomnia for the first week or so, and also got mood swings! which was strange because they got worse for the first few weeks.

Comments: one tablet once a day administered orally

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Prozac review by care giver of 32 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg taken daily for the period of 2years

Benefits: overal improvment in mood, cognitions and phyiscal symptoms. feelings of helplessness, worthlessness gradually subsided. Negative cognitions e.g. suicidal ideations were dimenshed, although it took a while for it to happen

Side effects: Initially, in the frist two weeks of being of the medication patient complained of drowziness, sleepiness and feeling even more tired. However, the severity of side effects had slowely wore off.

Comments: After being assessed by a psychiaterist using differnt scales for depression, the patient was diagnozed with moderate to severe deprssion. The patient was then commenced on Prozac 20mg daily which was then to go up to 20mg daily. some side effecteds were reported during the firt two weeks, but they gradually wore off to minimum. The patient was on the medication for 2 years. The results were an improved mood, changed( positive outlook to life) and improved motivation and apetite

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Prozac review by 34 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg daily taken daily for the period of 3 years

Benefits: relief of depression, "floor" under worst moods, increased confidence, less sadness. Allowed patient to function normally in work and social situations

Side effects: Loss of libido, occasional fatigue. Jittery feeling when dosage was temporarily increased to 40mg

Comments: Was originally prescribed medication by psychiatrist, continued prescription from GP after cessation of psychiatric treatment

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Prozac review by 34 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 40 mg taken once daily for the period of 6 years

Other conditions: overweight, chronic back pain

Other drugs taken: buspar, ibuprofen

Benefits: Manageability of depression.

Side effects: Slight weight gain.

Comments: Take one pill daily until no longer needed.

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Prozac review by 35 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg. taken once a day for the period of past 3 years

Other conditions: High cholesterol

Other drugs taken: Lovastatin

Benefits: Within a few days, my mood, self-esteem, attitude and over-all well-being improved tremendously! I went from feeling suicidal and not being able to funtion properly in order to take care of myself or my family, to feeling better than I had since I was in my teens. I began to lose some of the weight I had gained from being depressed. I was in a wonderful mood and I had so much more energy than I had in years. My overall experience with Prozac has been perfect!

Side effects: I have had no known side effects to this date. I do watch out for muscle cramps that last more than a week and I have blood work done once a year to ensure that my kidneys are not being affected.

Comments: I started on 10 mgs. once a day and when that was tolerated well I went up to 40 mgs. This caused some insomnia and nervousness so my Dr. lowered it to 20 mgs. a day. There are still times I get depressed for a few days but that only happens once or twice a year and it is mild. I am looking at being on Prozac as long as my body toleates it, due to once being taken off I went into a fast downward spiral and had to begin again.

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Prozac review by care giver of 40 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: divided dosage (dosage frequency: twice /daily) for the period of 4 years

Benefits: According to her & what I was able to observe there was not much benefits to this treatment

Side effects: There was terrible side effects while on the treatment but even worst when she tried to stop the medication. While on the treatment the worst side effect was the suicidal thoughts . Also constant dry mouth , headaches . when she discontinued the treatment the dizziness & the ringing in the ears were unbearable

Comments: She had to take anti-nauseated pills for the nausea , dizziness plus other pills for the ringing in the ears . She succeeded after two agonizing months & will never take prozac again. I think every doctor should inform patients of the withdrawal side effects of this drug

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Prozac review by 41 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg increased to 30mg taken 1 a day for the period of 10 years

Other conditions: sleepiness - extreme for at least 6 weeks

Other drugs taken: trazadone

Benefits: Reduced depression and feelings of hopelessness within 3 weeks. I like being able to increase dosage when things get a little rough and then back off to the original dosage when things settle down.

Side effects: Extreme sleepiness, feeling "out of it". It was really hard to work and be on this medication. I wanted to give it up as I literally could not stay awake but I made it though the first 6 weeks and things were better after that. I have been on it for 10 years now and do not notice any side effects.

Comments: Took pill once a day and visited therapist once a month. After awile, I didn't go to the therapist anymore and I was extremely even with just the medication.

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Prozac review by 42 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken 1/day for the period of 3 years

Benefits: The drug seemed to effectively treat the symptoms of depression for a year or so. After the first year or so the depression seemed to come back now and then - although it did seem to be cyclical.

Side effects: Nausea if taken on an empty stomach, shakiness, dry mouth.

Comments: There were no other details of the treatment. I changed to another drug that worked more effectively and have been on that one for several years.

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Prozac review by 45 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken 1 per day for the period of 1 1/2 years

Benefits: Definite improvement in mood, particularly at the beginning of treatment. Much better stability with moods and PMS symptoms in particular. I do think that I don't feel it is as effective now as when I started but still feel better than without it and would not stop treatment.

Side effects: At the beginning of treatment, I had a tremendous difficulty sleeping and felt jittery. Passed after a fews weeks. Definite drop in libido since treatment started, rated the side effects as "moderate" above for this reason alone.

Comments: Take 20 mgs once per day. I have to speak with my Dr by phone every third refill and visit in office twice a year to discuss how treatment in working.

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Prozac review by 45 year old male patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken twice a day for the period of 2 years

Other conditions: addh and severe depression

Other drugs taken: ritalin

Benefits: Ritalin made me get up. For the first time I wanted to work. It gave me the good sensation that I could do things. I worked and worked like a bee. Therefore, depression was a thing of the past when I take this medication. It helps my mind to focus and stay sharp. I can concentrate better with this medication.

Side effects: Taking prozac made me more sleepy and I could not get up to do everyday thing. I just kept sleeping or yawning. I wanted my depresion to go away but it did the opposite. Instead of helping me keep me depresed I felted more depresed because I kept sleeping all the time. The medication Prozac with me did not help my depression but rather calm me to the extent that I did not want to do anything. Also I kept going to the bathroom constantly. It takes down my sexual mood and difficulty in getting aroused at all. Ritalin cause my mouth to dry up and kept drinking water like a camel. Jittery effect and when the medication wear off you feel it like large thump.

Comments: Doctor suggested to take Prozac at night time and Ritalin twice a day. So far it has worked for me a patient suffering depression for more than 15 years and it has helped me the Ritalin. Cannot say about Prozac but I notice that I do not get anxiety attack with it.

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Prozac review by 45 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: Not sure (dosage frequency: 1 pill a day) for the period of 6 months

Benefits: There really weren't any - I didn't feel any better as the stressors in my life were still there. I did not feel any relief from the depression, as a matter of fact, I felt worse.

Side effects: I couldn't sleep at night and would fall asleep during the day. It sometimes made me agitated too.

Comments: I really wasn't comfortable with taking Prozac in the first place - I had a crappy HMO doctor who thought giving me a pill would solve my problem. I really just needed a change in my life (job, living in DC) to reverse my depression. In other words, I think my depression was situational, not a chemical imbalance. I know that these do work for many people, but I think it's imperative that a person know WHY they are depressed before they hit the pharmacy.

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Prozac review by 45 year old male patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg taken daily for the period of currently

Benefits: Within 3 weeks I noticed a "lifting " of mood and a general sense of being more energized and interested in everyday activities. I was far less concerned about things which had previously worried me and felt more enabled to engage in social activities again.

Side effects: The drug was somewhat over stimulating leading to mild feelings of panic. If not taken with food it caused stomach burning. It dramatically exacerbated my insomnia and suppressed my appetite and libido.

Comments: The dose was prescribed in capsule form at 20 mg to be taken daily, preferably in the morning.

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Prozac review by 45 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 MG taken daily for the period of ongoing

Benefits: helped my anxiety, and overall mood. I feel like I am less anxious and more calm. I feel that my moods are more even. I don't know what the long term effects are of taking this medication, though, and worry that I may get a stomach ulcer since I take over the counter pain relievers.

Side effects: none really, but I have noticed an increase in tiredness

Comments: I take one capsule in the morning, as prescribed by the doctor.

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Prozac review by 46 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 10 mg taken one time per day for the period of 6 months

Other conditions: high blood pressure

Other drugs taken: norvasc

Benefits: After 6 weeks of taking 10 mg of Prozac, physical anxiety symptoms dramatically dimished. Now, 6 months after beginning treatment, my blood pressure has also fallen. With BP medication alone, my BP hovered around 135/85. Couple with Prozac, my blood pressure is consistantly in the 110-120 over 80-80 range. I also experience very little panic attacks ( I used to have several a day). When I do experience one, I have been able to self talk myself down from it.

Side effects: mild veryigo for 2-3 weeks

Comments: 10 mg Prozac every morning

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Prozac review by 48 year old female patient

Condition / reason: Anxiety, hopelessness

Dosage & duration: 20mg taken once daily for the period of For over 5 years

Benefits: Anxiety since childhood was relieved. Felt free to enjoy life and explore opportunities that once would have been declined due to over anxiety and fear of failure or rejection. Have a much more stable emotional balance.

Side effects: I think there is some detachement from emotions, even positive ones. There may be no real bottom out lows but there are also no wonderful bright highs. There may be some effects with sexual attachment on the negative side.

Comments: Only the medication is prescribed, no other forms of therapy are being used. Plan is to stay on medication at this time, due to the percieved stresses of life and fear of going back to what was.

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Prozac review by 48 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 10mg daily taken 2x a day for the period of 8 years

Other drugs taken: synthroid

Benefits: Depression was lifted. Anxiety lessened. General feeling of well-being for the first time in my entire life.

Side effects: decreased sexual function, horrific time trying to stop using it. I was told by many doctors there were no withdrawal symptoms so I thought I was crazy, but I was not. THe withdrawal was very hard and it took me several attempts before I could get off it.

Comments: I began taking 10 mg. in the morning and 10 mg. at night. THis was the best dose, but as I began to feel the need to get off the drug I eliminated the 10 mg at night. I felt a slight drop in well-being, but adjusted to it. THe withdrawal rom only 10 mg took several months and required the substitution of wellbutrin on order to get through it. I now take 150mg of wellbutrin which has a mood stabilizing effect, but not the feeling of "well-being" I had from prozac.

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Prozac review by 48 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken 1 x for the period of 12 years

Other drugs taken: Allegra

Benefits: My mood swings decreased, I was less irritable. When I would be blue, I would not go into a deeper depression. It just evened me out. I also had a head injury and it seemed to help in the recovery from that.

Side effects: In the beginning, I had loss of appetite, and become tired. But that ended after about two weeks.

Comments: I had one on one counseling with a therapist. I have taken 20 mg everyday for the past 12 years. I have tried other medications but they have not worked nearly as well for me.

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Prozac review by 50 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg daily taken daily for the period of 6 years

Other conditions: multiple sclerosis

Benefits: My depression was significantly alleviated. I would still feel bad somtimes, but it never again felt like true depresion. It was like there was some "padding" between me and the bad feelings.

Side effects: There were actually no physical side effects, but I found that I said a lot of things I wouldn't normally say, and which I was embarassed about later. Prozac made me feel like everything was fine, so I didn't take things seriously enough, and didn't take care of things which really needed to be taken care of. I feel like I wasn't a good parent during that time, because my attitude was "eh...who cares?...everything is fine". I also had a very hard time withdrawing from it. I tried several times but fell into severe depression and had to start taking it again. I thought I'd have to be on it for life. However, once I managed to make it through a full week without it, I felt fine, and have never had to use it again.

Comments: I have a long history of depression but had never taken medication for it. I asked my doctor to prescribe Prozac. For the first week I felt the same, but I slept almost 24/7 and barely ate. After that I did get a significant relief from the depression. Unfortunately, as I noted above, I don't like the way I acted during that time, and still cringe with embarassment and/or regret over things I said and did. But at the time everything seemed so rosy, that none of my behavior bothered me. Unfortunately, life is not perfect, and as adults we must take things seriously and deal with them. Prozac kept me from acknowledging that. Looking back, if I had faced my depression head on, and let it inspire me to make real changes in my life I would have been a lot better off in the long run.

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Prozac review by 50 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 40 mg, taken once a dag for the period of 21 years

Other conditions: asthma

Other drugs taken: Qvar, albuterol inhalers, birth control pills, claritin

Benefits: Taking Prozac has helped me to live a normal life. I was having a serious bout of depression when I first started taking Prozac, and the drug lifted the symptoms of extreme hopelessness and racing negative thoughts. I've tried to go off the medication but whenever I do, negative thoughts and the resulting emotions return. When I resume taking Prozac, the symptoms subside. The medicine allows me to challenge thoughts rather than react to them.

Side effects: I have problems sleeping--not falling asleep but staying asleep. I sometimes feel nervous (that is, nervous energy, not anxiety). I'd also say that Prozac can make me feel numb, but it's better than being severely depressed. Overall, the side effects aren't bad enough for me to stop treatment or look for another medication.

Comments: I've been taking 40 mg. of Prozac once a day for about 20 years (I started taking it about the time it first became available.)

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Prozac review by 50 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 60 mg. each morning taken every day for the period of 18 years

Other drugs taken: ativan

Benefits: this anti-depressant has basically saved my life. i have suffered with severe depression and anxiety since childhood. whether these problems were caused by 'nature or nurture' can be difficult to ascertain, but in my particular case, i believe it was both. while i was a victim of severe sexual, physical and verbal abuse from a very young age through my teen years, i also seem to have been born with an unusually 'sensitive' disposition, and can get very emotionally and mentally disturbed at times with very little provocation. everyone who knows me well considers me a very emotional person. at any rate, it has been the prozac that has helped me in dealing with the stresses of even everyday life. i first started feeling suicidal in adolescence, and unfortunately, this is still a constant problem. the prozac, i am convinced, has helped me keep these feelings in check, and although i was just hospitalized for my depression late last year, i am still alive and kicking. i completely believe that it is the prozac that has saved my life. before the advent of these types of antidepressants, all that was available were the tricyclics. those never worked for me the way the ssri's have. although they did achieve in putting me into a stupor-like condition, they never seemed to alleviate my depression. the prozac does. while it doesn't rid me of the problem completely, it has been absolutely invaluable to me, and i believe it is the main reason i am alive to write these words to you today. i am fortunate in that i have never had a single side effect from the prozac. actually, there has been a complete loss of libido, which could be a major problem for alot of people; for me, however, this is not a problem, because i am celibate, and have been for 20 years. trust me, i had enough sex in my younger years to last me for the rest of my life. i feel i should mention that i have known many people who take prozac and who have not had any sexual problems at all.

Side effects: initial dosage was 20 mgs each morning. This dosage was sufficient for about 5 years, at which point it was raised to 40 mgs each day. Ultimately, the dosage was raised again approximately 2-3 years after the first increase to my current dosage of 60 mgs each day. This is apparently the maximum dosage. Only side effect was loss of libido.

Comments: basically you need to see a psychiatrist as often as your condition requires. i also recommend concurrent visits with some type of therapist or counselor, as this will increase the benefits you receive by taking the medication.

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Prozac review by 51 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken once daily for the period of 18 yrs

Other conditions: obesity

Benefits: I felt less anxiety and fewer down moods.

Side effects: none. I had hoped to have the side effect of weight loss but didn't. I didn't notice a reduction in libido as my husband did when he took Paxil.

Comments: I was depressed and had a lot of nightmares and prozac reduced both of these problems. I have been taking the same dosage for nearly 20 years now.

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Prozac review by 51 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg. per day taken once daily for the period of two years

Other conditions: migraines; rheumatoid arthritis

Other drugs taken: celebrex, enbrel, imitrex

Benefits: My mood was stablized, and I was able to take advantage of cognitive therapy. Without the medication, I was not able to benefit from CT.

Side effects: Mild sexual dysfunction; nothing else.

Comments: I took 20 mg. of Prozac once per day, in one tablet. It took about 6 weeks for the drug to reach its peak effectiveness, which is one of the drawbacks of this anti-depressant therapy. I tried others, but they didn't work nearly as well as Prozac.

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Prozac review by 52 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 40 mg taken once daily for the period of 2 years

Other conditions: thyroid disorder

Other drugs taken: Levothyroxine

Benefits: Before I began taking this, I had experienced a long time, chronic depression. After about one month of taking this I began feeling much better. Although things still are not perfect, and I have very blue periods, it has at least made life tolerable.

Side effects: Reduced sex drive. Had quite a normal sexual appetite before using this, and it has decreased dramatically.

Comments: Began taking 20 mg daily then increased it to 40 after 3 months. Might help more if I were to go to some type of counseling, which I have not.

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Prozac review by 52 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20-60 (dosage frequency: 1) for the period of 7 yrs

Other conditions: fatigue, disassociation

Other drugs taken: Seroquel

Benefits: Initially uplift in mood and sensory clarity

Side effects: the side effect is noticable when usage is stopped. An under-reaction to situations that needed more intensity. "Too Mellow" even at the least dose 20mg.After being off this med, my children informed me that they liked me better when I was " too easy" and would give in to them. While taking this medication it stopped working, confused, burst into tears, then just "change my mind", hyper ventillation. this was very frightening as I was taking the medication, it was increased and I felt that I was "losing it", not knowing that the medication had failed

Comments: Initial weaning onto medication, then basically tweaking med as observed by practictioner with therapy. I decided to end the medication as it was not doing anything as a life benefit. this medication simply masks symptoms so that the patient "feels" functional.And most importantly, I no longer trusted it. I also now believe that DSM diagnois, as used in the general public (myself included) excuses inept doctors from forming medical diagnosis, doing the investigative work and testing to EXCLUDE biological conditions. Why do I think this? My 14 year old daughter "mentally crashed" and it was her thyroid, which affects among other organs THE BRAIN. My thyroid tests has been flucuating, but, since the medical doctor stated " I don't know if I should treat you for hyper or hypothyroid....I got dumped into DSM and prozac. A travesty.

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Prozac review by medical professional caring for 52 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20mg taken daily for the period of 1 year

Other conditions: high blood pressure, high cholestero

Other drugs taken: Lisinopril, simvastatin, singulair

Benefits: better able to handle everyday situations without spikes in temper I usually woke up between 3-5 times a night. With the Prozac my sleep was less interrupted. I also had less stretches of times when I felt depressed and just wanted to sleep to get thru another day. All in all the Prozac helped me to rationally look at my life and make decisions. My outlook brightened.

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Prozac review by 54 year old female patient

Condition / reason: PMS

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken 1 time a day for the period of 2 months

Benefits: none, I felt worse. This is probably a drug that works for some people but didn't work at all for me in fact I felt much much worse. Unfortunately, I didn't review the contraindications.

Side effects: I got a rash on the back of my neck that lasted for 1 year even though I only took Prozac for 2 months. Also, I couldn't sleep as a result of taking Prozac. It seemed like after I stopped taking it I still had it in my body because I couldn't get rid of the rash on my neck and it was very annoying. Thhis is the first time that anything like this has ever happened to me.

Comments: i took it once a day for PMS

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Prozac review by 55 year old male patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken once a day for the period of about 3 years

Benefits: depression was alleviated to a functional degree.I wasn't in lala land but was able to get out of bed and care for my children. I was never suicidal or violent

Side effects: I had some sleep disturbancebut the worst was a 15 lb. weight gain that came off only after switching to another antidepressant

Comments: I took the prozac once daily and got regular exercize.

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Prozac review by 55 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 3 months

Other drugs taken: thyrozine 2mg

Benefits: resolved the depression, but side effects where too troublesome to continue

Side effects: severe restless legs - especially at night. This made sleep difficult and I had to discontinue the drug. My doctor was NOT aware of this as a side effect of Prosac, and sent me to another doctor for an additonal consultation before he would change the medication. Now I believe the side effects are more well-known.

Comments: I suffered from depression after my mother committed suicide, and I sought treatment. I was given prozac, and no other treatment. I did research on treatment for depression and after suffering side effects from Prozac, I began using exercize to treat my depression. It works very well.

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Prozac review by 57 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken 1 x day for the period of 3 years

Benefits: I have taken this drug off and on for 20 years. It is so effective for my depression that I start feeling like I'm "cured" and don't need to take it any more. I have found that when I stop taking it, I'll be fine for a few days or weeks, and then I start feeling symptoms of depression again. For the last 3 years, I have taken it regularly and am not planning on stopping. It doesn't make me feel happy every day, because that's not its purpose, however it does keep me from entering a depressive state.

Side effects: I have not felt any side effects. I know other people feel loss of libido, but I did not suffer this pre-menopause. I have lost some libido since menopause, which is what I attribute it to.

Comments: I take 20 mg every morning with my vitamins. For 2 years I took 40 mg every other day, however I haven't felt the need to do this anymore.

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Prozac review by 57 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken one a day for the period of currently and for over a year

Other conditions: pain

Other drugs taken: vicodin

Benefits: The combination of the two drugs helped me cope with my pain and depression, which seem to be related. I'm able to cope with most of life's difficulties and am not sleeping as much. With the vicodin helping with the pain, when I do sleep I find it's much more restful and satisfying. I still have a long way to go and I believe that I will need to take these two drugs for a while as I tried quitting the prozac and immediately resumed the depression.

Side effects: A little more sleepy and lack energy. Also, it's obvious with the prozac that I'm at a point that I'm not able to go off of it without replacing it with something. The vicodin doesn't seem to be a problem with side effects as long as I don't take more than one tablet at a time (500/5).

Comments: I've had depression and pain for some time. They have both caused serious problems in my life. I found myself isolated and sleeping far too much. I did some research and found that lack of seritonin could cause an increse sensitivity to pain so I was hoping that my pain would subside with this treatment. So far, I can't tell the difference. My doctor seems to be concerned about taking the vicodin but I'm more concerned about the long term effects of the prozac. Only time will tell.

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Prozac review by 57 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 10mg daily taken daily for the period of 2 years

Benefits: Within a week, I felt as if dark cloud of loneliness and unbearable sadness had drifted away.

Side effects: I had some GI issues, some bloating and intestinal gas, but this went away after a few weeks.

Comments: Initially I was a participant in a blind study, which lasted about six weeks. I suspected that I was not in the control group because of my dramatic results. Following the study, we were each given a consultation with the physician who was overseeing the test. He was the head of the Psychopharmacology Department at the University of Pennsylvania. He explained to me how the drug worked and suggested that I stay on it for a while. I remember he remarked how I walked the first few days of the test, and how different my demeanor became after the first week. I stayed on the drug for close to two years, then weaned myself off.

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Prozac review by 57 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken 1 for the period of year

Benefits: relieves depression, helps other things such as sleep, dieting, exercise, relationships, responses to stimulous. The cost is lower than other antidepressants which can be a help to those on a budget.

Side effects: Sleepy and lack of response to problems. Took too long to get started. I think anyone else would think it wasn't effective and stop taking it.

Comments: took a seemingly long period of time to become effective. Once started, however, it did what I expected. It is hard to be without now and think that it will be a problem stopping in the future.

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Prozac review by 58 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg/day taken once per day for the period of 10 years

Other conditions: lupus

Other drugs taken: imuran, lipitor, avapro

Benefits: Prozac helped in toning donwn my depression. Prozac was effective for the first 5 years then my depression slowly started to become worse. I then had to be placed on Wellbutrin for about 2 years, along with Prozac and yet my side effects from Prozac increassed to the point where I was taken off prozac.

Side effects: The main treatment side effect began as increased depression and slight shaking in my fingers and hands. Over time the shaking turned into tremors which I could not control. Then I was placed on Wellbutrin with Prozac and finally weined off of Prozac and the tremors subsided.

Comments: I took Prozac once a day in the morning with my other medications. At first my depression was under control but after about 5 years the depression began to become more intense. I was then placed on Wellbutrin with Prozac and my depression soon was improving. However, I started noticing hand shakes which progressively got worse. So after 2 years of Prozac and Wellbutrin I was told to stop Prozac. Within 6 months the shaking/tremors subsided and my depression is now fine by taking only Wellbutrin (150 mg/day)

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Prozac review by 59 year old female patient

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken once a day for the period of 3 years

Other conditions: allergic rhinitis

Other drugs taken: aerius, nasonex spray

Benefits: Maintained a general feeling of well being and being able to cope with life. When I stopped the treatment (gradually) the depression returned after a couple of months. Having suffered from depression periodically over a number of years, I feel my quality of life has increased with Prozac.

Comments: One 20 mg tablet once a day, in the morning.

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Prozac review by 60 year old female patient

Condition / reason: serotonin imbalance, mood swings

Dosage & duration: 20 mg taken every day for the period of 8 years

Benefits: Taking Prozac has enabled me to not erupt emotionally or lash out verbally at others during stressful situations, such as traffic jams, bad customer service, or when people are generally disrespecting me. Most of the time, I have more patience than I did before taking the drug and can articulate my emotions better.

Side effects: Not too interested in sex anymore.

Health Tips That Make Your Life Better

2009-03-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

The world we live in has turned into a very toxic environment. Even though a good financial situation is something we all strive for, our health should be our main interest and what we focus on most, because without it, we cannot enjoy anything else.

Being healthy means that you can appreciate life as it should be appreciated. But what are the main factors that threaten our health? Is there any way we can eliminate them or at least minimize the effects they have on our body and on our well-being?

What are the things we do on a daily basis in order to survive? We eat, we drink, we breathe, and we sleep. Sleeping is something that should be done regularly and in the recommended portion – about 8 hours each day, but a minimum of 6 hours. Without sleep, our bodies are submitted to a lot of stress and our internal organs pay the price for our lack of attention.

The air we breathe is something we cannot control. Apart from wearing a mask everywhere we go, we can’t do anything else. And if we resort to this solution, everyone around us might not have such a good impression. This brings us to the factors that we can control the best – what we eat and what we drink. How can we determine which are the best foods to eat?

This is where nutrition information comes in. Nutrition information can be obtained from various sources and it can lead to a healthy lifestyle. When you feel great, you look great and you can perform tasks that otherwise you wouldn’t even think about. Your overall efficiency is improved significantly.

Nutrition information regards what you eat on a regular basis. When you go to fast-foods to eat, you are doing a lot of damage to your body. Replacing cheeseburgers with fruits and vegetables is one of the most important steps you can make towards a healthier lifestyle.

There are people that specialize in this field called nutritionists. They can provide all the nutrition information you need and develop a diet plan that starts with breakfast and ends with dinner for you to balance all your meals to live a better life.

Even so, nutritionists are specialists that provide their services in return for money. Some people cannot or will not solicit this type of services and therefore resort to the health tips they find over the internet. This is not negligent at all, because these website provide information from people who know what they are talking about or have been there and have suffered from what troubles you now.

Health tips found over the internet present some advantages. They are very easy to access, everyone can view them and they are a result of people who have suffered and who try to prevent others from going through their pains. Any result of a situation meant to improve life is something we can use.

While you search the internet for all the health tips you can find, let met save you some trouble and point you in the right direction. Visiting the website drmomonline.com will grant you access to health tips categorized into main interest groups which will make your search easier and quicker.

Daily Health Tips to Stay Fit Forever

2009-03-16T23:13:00.001-07:00

Health should be the first and foremost priority of every individual. As with good health only you can feel energetic and fresh all the time. Healthy mind and body boost up your morale to work more efficiently. You cannot perform well without a healthy body.

Maintaining a good health is not at all an easy job to do. You need to take out time to focus on your health like by doing exercises, proper diet, gym etc.

You can find plenty of websites available on the internet that keep you updated with daily health tips. These sites provide you plenty of information about how to keep your body fit all the time. You just need to search the internet carefully to grab best information which you can follow on regular basis.

There are some tips which can be useful for you to keep your health in tone that is, drink as much water as you can. Much of our body and brain is made up by water. So, it is necessary to keep hydrated and flush out toxins. Exercise is very important factor or tip to keep your body in shape and energetic. The various types of physical exercises generate flexibility and strength in the body. One should eat well. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most important foods to eat to keep your body healthy. A proper diet plan should be from breakfast to dinner which should contain a balanced diet.

Sleeping is also one of the important tips to relax your body and mind from hectic schedule. When you sleep your muscles relax and grow. It is essential to sleep at least 6 hours at night. You are suggested to sleep well and do not take tension at all if you want a healthy body.

A regular adherence to these tips may increase your chances of living a healthy and enjoyable life.

Daily health tips providing sites work 24X7 for the welfare of the people. You can ask all your health related queries anytime and these sites also offer you expert approval guidance. These daily tips are not bound with any age group. No matter whether you are an adolescent or old aged, everyone can find numerous health tips daily. They understand the stress of work on your life; likewise they suggest you some exercises or technique which you can obtain while sitting at office only.

The experts from these sites guide you with best healthy vitamins and other pills available in the market which suits your body. So, start taking your health seriously to stay fit forever.

3 Health Tips for Your Kids

2009-03-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

The health of children is a major issue in the US and UK not only for each individual family but also for the governments. More and more children are falling prey to bad eating habits and are suffering from childhood obesity. What can be done to ensure that they don’t end up developing a huge potbelly and protect their health.

Here are 3 health tips for your kids to help them avoid obesity problems in both childhood and when they become adults.

1. Start training them early:

Training your kids on how to lead a healthy life should start early. When they are very young teach them healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Avoid putting sugary products on their soother or giving them sweet snacks and sugary drinks just for an easy life. If you train them in good health right from an early age, they would be able to make health choices for themselves when they become older.

Some parents indulge their children with unhealthy foods when they are young and then can’t understand why they won’t eat fresh fruits and vegetables when they are older. Parents should encourage children to eat healthy foods right from the start!

2. Eat as a family:

A family which eats together stays healthy together. It is common practice nowadays for parents to eat separately or in front of the television set. It is far better to sit round the table as a family so that you can ensure that they are following the healthy eating habits that you have taught them.

Eating as a family has the added advantage of each person having the opportunity to discuss their day and for you to know if there are any problems to be addressed. Share all your ups and downs!

Children also learn about social skills required for when they grow up. It has been found in the UK that a number of children entering primary school for the first time do not even know how to use a knife and fork because they are so used to eating pizza or other finger foods in front of the TV. How sad is that?

3. Be a role model for your kids:

How can you expect your kids to follow your advice if you do not practice what you preach. Practice what you preach; your kids too will follow you! Children, especially very young children imitate their parents and copy what they do. If they see you following a healthy and perfect lifestyle they will more than likely, do the same.

Keep in mind that kids, even though younger in age than you, are not fools! They see and understand more than what you think. By walking the talk and living a healthy lifestyle yourself, you will not only serve as a role model for your kids, but also improve your own health condition!

Get them involved with meal planning, preparing the meal, and cooking it with close supervision and according to their age. Teach then well and let them make healthy choices for their own lunch boxes.

Even if your kids follow any unhealthy eating habit, you can rectify it early before it turns into a bad habit!

Follow these three easy tips to ensure that your kids have the knowledge to be able to start to live healthily throughout their entire life!

8 Health Tips to Get in Shape for the New Year!

2009-03-16T23:12:00.001-07:00

With the new year approaching, the first resolution most people think about going for is a gym membership. Year after year the same thing happens. They really want to get into shape, and they know for sure that this year will be different. They sign up for a year membership and start their new goal with clear focus and determination.

Most people never make it past the first week. Why? Mostly because they quit when they realize how much work goes into getting back into the shape they once had. The fact of the matter is that it really is not as difficult as they think. They are just focusing on one aspect of overall wellness and burning themselves out on it.

In order to lose weight and keep it off for good, a person must develop the mindset necessary for living a healthy lifestyle. There is much more to being healthy than showing up to the gym every day. In fact, exercise is only one-eighth of the total equation. If you really want to achieve personal wellness in 2009, forget the gym and focus instead on improving the following 8 categories of health.

Health Tips #1: Diet & Nutrition

You already know the main reason you gained weight. Too many trips through the McDonalds drive-thru, late night snacking on junk food and poor dinner choices. You do not have to eat a diet of bland salads and yogurt, but you do need to limit the amount of trigger foods that you caused your weight gain. Replace your current American diet of high sugar, high-fat processed foods with those found in the produce and lean meat department as often as you can.

Health Tips #2: Nutritional Supplements

Now that our soils are more depleted of minerals than ever, and our farm animals are not fed properly, living a healthy lifestyle requires nutritional supplementation. I lost 70 pounds in 4 months and kept it off for over 15 years simply by drinking a soy-based protein shake for breakfast every morning and taking a few targeted vitamins. Why does this work? Because greasy bacon and runny eggs do not provide proper nutrition.

Health Tips #3: Fun & Recreation

What makes you happy? Going to the movies? Ice Skating? Playing the guitar? Whatever it is, you must find time for it on a weekly basis (if not daily) in order to maintain good mental stability. Your activities and hobbies should not include junk food or alcohol. Going to the movies is watching the movie, not eating a tub of fatty buttered popcorn. Be happy with what you are doing without the unnecessary evils.

Health Tips #4: Hydration

Drinking enough water throughout the day is the part of the equation that gets overlooked. People do not consider drinking as important as eating and it is! You should not be drinking soda or processed juices every day. Why? Because they deplete your body of vitamins and minerals while loading you up on sugar. Alcohol is even worse. Do yourself a favor and keep a water bottle with you at all times. Drink, drink, drink. I cannot stress this enough.

Health Tips #5: Stress

And speaking of stress, this is what happens when you do not allow yourself to have any fun in your life. This is just as important to living a healthy lifestyle as eating and drinking properly. Too much stress can cause major problems for your body. You only live once, so do not allow other people and events to get you so bothered and worried that you cannot live the lifestyle you deserve for yourself.

Health Tips #6: Unhealthy Habits

Not eating the wrong foods is just as important as eating the right foods. But unhealthy habits are not just about food, are they? Smoking and the use of other drugs, prescription or not, is probably the worst thing a person can do to their body. This is the only one you have! Take care of it. Alcohol is OK on occasion but not recommended on a daily basis to anyone interested in living a healthy lifestyle.

Health Tips #7: Weight Management

Have you ever noticed that weight loss really is not the issue that people struggle with? Most everyone has lost weight at one point in their life. Keeping that weight off is the obstacle that most people can not overcome. Think about it logically. If you gained weight by eating twinkies, then lost weight when you stopped eating twinkies, do not go back to eating twinkies. The person who eats twinkies on occasion (not every day) does not struggle with weight fluctuation.

Health Tips #8: Exercise

You knew this one was coming! It is totally possible to lose weight without exercising. I am living proof because my severe asthma prohibited me from doing it. The reason I can exercise now is because I got my body healthy through focusing on the other 7 categories. Once I began exercising, it only accelerated my weight loss and now helps to keep me lean. The key to exercise is not quantity but quality. A little bit every day will give you the best health benefits overall.

So there you have it! The 8 health tips to kick off the new year for a new you. Focus on improving each of these simultaneously as your one and only New Years Resolution and you will be on a successful path to overall wellness. Weight loss and poor health can be things of the past if you are just willing to make small changes on a daily basis.

5 Great Fitness and Health Tips

2009-03-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

Keeping healthy is extremely important, no matter what age you happen to be. It’s imperative that you take measures to work on your health and fitness throughout your entire life. Wondering where you can begin? Well, here are 5 great fitness and health tips that you can use to make sure you stay healthy and fit all your life.

Tip #1 - Get Moving - First of all, if you want to stay fit and healthy, you have to get moving. Every day you need to think about how you can get moving in order to keep your body in good shape. There are many little things that you can do to keep moving throughout the day. While going to the gym is a great idea, you don’t have to spend an hour at the gym in order to get the movement that you need. Simply take the time to take the dog for a walk, mow your own lawn, take the stairs, park further away in the parking lot, or even to play with your kids. This will help you to get the exercise that you need on a regular basis and it is also great for lowering your stress level too.

Tip #2 - Cut Back the Fat - Another important tip to remember for fitness and health is to make sure that you cut back the fat in your diet. Bad fats can lead to a variety of different physical problems that can end up haunting you as you grow older. So, start cutting the fried foods out of your diet, as well as fast food and even meets that are fatty, such as sausage, bacon, salami, and even ham. You should limit dairy products as well and eat lower fat products instead. Limit the sauces, lunch meats, butter, and mayonnaise that you eat as well. Try to eat lean and you’ll definitely reap the benefits.

Tip #3 - De-Stress - Start getting rid of some of the stress in your life. Stress can lead to a variety of health problems. Spend time enjoying yourself each day, such as listening to music, enjoying a hot bath, a long walk, or even reading. Meditating can also help you out as well.

Tip #4 - Stop Smoking - One of the worst things that you can do for your health is to smoke. If you want to be healthier, then one of the best things that you can do for your health is to stop smoking. When you smoke you raise the risk for a variety of nasty diseases, so take the steps to quit as soon as you can.

Tip #5 - Drink More Water - Most people don’t drink enough water each day and it shows in their health and fitness. If you want to be fit and healthy, then water is an important part of your diet. You should be drinking at least 8-10 glasses each day, and more when you are exercising. The body needs water to be healthy, and the more you drink water, the healthier you will be.

These are just 5 great fitness and health tips that can really make a difference in your life. Nothing can replace your health, so take the time to follow these tips so you can improve your health for life.

Try A Quick Health Tip

2009-03-16T23:11:00.001-07:00

Try A Quick Health Tip: "Here are some quick health tips and information. Choose one and put it into practice straight away. When that’s part of your life, add another one. Small steps lead to big changes:

Reduce the number of times you go to the supermarket. The more often you go the more you are likely to buy unhealthy food. Eat something before you go to - research shows you buy more when you’re hungry.

A bath made by adding 4 or 5 drops of chamomile oil, or several cups of chamomile tea is relaxing and can help dry, itching or sunburnt skin.

Eat garlic, leeks and onions for the probiotics they contain. These feed the healthy bacteria in our guts.

Watercress contains 12 times as much vitamin C as lettuce and more iron than spinach. Eat some today!

Most people take 3000-4000 steps a day. For the sake of your health (and your weight) you should be taking at least 10,000. Buy a pedometer and get walking.

Some migraine sufferers find that the supplement Coenzyme Q10 reduces the frequency of attacks.

Eating processed meat products such as bacon, sausages and smoked ham increases your risk of getting stomach cancer.

Research has shown that water plays a vital role in our immune systems ability to fight infection, making those who drink sufficient less likely to suffer from flu and colds. A cheap health tip - drink more water.

If you are giving up smoking or cutting down on alcohol, change the routines that are associated with these activities, just for a while.

If you suffer from stress incontinence, learn how to do pelvic floor exercises. They work for both men and women.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine researchers have found that men carrying a few extra pounds in early adulthood nearly double their chance of developing painful knee and hip osteoarthritis later in life. Want to get fit, eat more healthily, lose weight? Find a buddy who wants to do the same things.

Drinking tea with meals increases your chances of suffering from anaemia as tea decreases the absorption of iron.

The American Chiropractic Association says: When standing, keep one foot slightly in front of the other, with your knees slightly bent. This position helps to take the pressure off your low back.

Try valerian tablets if you can’t sleep.

An Israeli study found that those who suffered from job ‘burn out’ were twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Your job is important, but so are you.

Eating pumpkin seeds has been shown to be good for the prostate. They’ve got a great taste too - add them to salads or just eat them as they are.

Don’t take health advice from unhealthy people. It has been estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 patients in the USA die each year as the result of medical mistakes. Speak up if you are concerned. Be actively part of the process.

Gum disease has been linked to an increase in heart problems. Bizarre as it may seem, flossing your teeth and seeing a dental hygienist may help prevent heart disease.

Symptoms can be nature’s way of telling us something is wrong. When you just try to stop the symptoms, you may be killing the messenger?"