prozac for anxiety

[tracey123]

Hi,
  I was started on prozac a month ago I am taking 10mg a day right now as I am very sensitive to medications. I wanted to know if prozac helps with anxiety. I am feeling no different with the anxiety. I am thinking I might need to get on xanax for a little while until my prozac is increased since it is really driving me crazy. Any advice would be great.

Tracey

[Hensley258]

In most cases (not all) anxiety is a direct bi-product of the depression itself.
The idea is if the Depression can be controled with an antidepressant, then the anxiety will follow and lower also.

Prozac may not be the best drug to help lower this anxiety because Prozac is one of the more evergizing SSRI's. Then again it could also be that your dosage is so low.
Most people do not get relief with Prozac until 6 weeks at 20 to 30mgs a day.

Then again, it is possible that for you symptoms Prozac may not be the right antidepressant. Hate to say it but much of Psychiatry and meds is more an art rather than an exact science.

As for the Xanax.... Well, just be careful. I at one time did just that and I am now addicted to Xanax. I am at 3mgs a day which would put a person like you in a coma.

Problem with Xanax is that it is a two faced drug. NOTHING will put down anxiety like Xanax can, but it comes with a cost. If used to long you will get addicted. I never thought it could have happened to me either. At first it was just 0.50mg a day then 1.0 a day, then months later 2.0mgs a day and then your hooked.

I call Xanax both the best of meds and also the worst. The problem is that the buzz you get from 1/2 mg when you first start taking it is like magic. It is honestly the warmest, coziest, fuzziest, buzz that you have ever had. It's like melting in pure bliss.

That's why so many people get addicted to it.

[tracey123]

Thanks for the advice. I went to my GP doctor today because my other doctor takes forever to call back. She put me on xanax .25 when needed then she put me on trazadone and hour before bed she said this helps with anxiety and is often used in conjuction with ssri's like prozac. I had taken xanax in the past and only took it occasionally so I don't think I have to worry about gettng addicted to it. I am hoping the trazadone helps. I see my other doctor next week that precribed me the prozac. He did call me back and I told him what my GP doctor put me on and he seemed fine with that.

[Hensley258]

That's good. As long as you keep that Xanax dosage low such as your doing now, then you will be ok. Just watch any urge you may have to keep increasing the dosage.

It can get away from you faster than you think.