short and long term effects of Prozac

[tnl1209]

I have been on Prozac for 2 or 3 years, 20 mg.  About 4 weeks, I decided to stop taking it.  My doctor gave me a week's supply of 10 mg to wean me off gradually.  I have been feeling not great for the last 2 weeks -  cramping, and loose bowel movements.  I never really thought it was related to the weaning off of Prozac, but now am starting to wonder if it is.  My question to you is, are there any reasons why I shouldn't take Prozac for the rest of my life?  I don't like taking medication and am always wondering what I am doing to my body long-term.

[SMartKid2010]

As mjbrown has mentioned, Prozac has been around for a long time and a lot of people have taken it for years without any long term consequences.
But if you and your doctor agree that you should be off medications, then there is no reason why you should continue taking them. Prozac withdrawal is not as bad as some other antidepressants, so you need not worry too much.

[Michelle411A]

I have stopped prozac as well.. I was on it from 2006-2008 after switching from Zoloft ( it pooped out)  In the spring of 2008, I began having hot flashes and heart palpitations. I was 39 at the time, so I thought it may be perimenopause. I also was having light/scant menstrual cycles. I did, however, add strattera to the mix which may have caused problems ( Strattera and Prozac are chemical cousins and sometimes don't play well together)  I added the strattera under my pdocs supervision. I had to stop taking the strattera because it gave me the hot flashes.I stopped Strattera in Feb of 07. In November of 2008, I tapered off Prozac. I was ok for about 9 months. Then, in August of 09, I started having anxiety issues.. Not really mental anxiety, but physical anxiety.. My insides felt like they were running on overdrive, kind of like an engine at high idle. So in October of 08, I went back on Prozac (10mg)  About 1 week into treatment, I started having chest pain.. My Pdoc said this was normal and to stay on it .. So I did. Things got progressively worse.. I started to get tunnel vision and my whole body ached.. I finally tapered off in March of 2010. I was ok until June of 2010. Now I am having bouts of nausea and irritable bowel. Everything goes right thru me :(  I am going to get my thyroid checked next month to see if it is off. My FSH and LH are high as well so I probably have hormonal issues. I have been on ssri's for almost 10 years and I believe that although ssris may help some. they were not the right choice for me. When I was on them, I was fat, (went from 130 to 160, I have always ate very healthy, exercised and drink water) and the drugs made me a zombie. The highest dose I was on was 50mg for zoloft and 20mg for prozac. I am hoping that I never have to go back on them again! Even with my digestive issues, I feel SO much better mentally! My mind has never been more clear!
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone  :)
Michelle

[mjbrown]

Nobody really knows long-term effects there are (if any) with antidepressants. However, Prozac is the oldest SSRI out there, and people have been on it 20+ years, with no serious long-term effects reported yet. In generally, the SSRI antidepressants appear to be very safe. Though their long-term effects have not been adequately studied. Being on Prozac for 2-3 years should have no lasting detrimental effects. I was on Prozac for 3 years, and I'm now on Lexapro for 2 years. So problems so far. My psychiatrist told me that I will probably have to be on antidepressants for the rest of my life, and knowing what I know (I'm getting a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology), I am okay with this. Not happy about it, but not worried about it either. Luckily, Prozac has the longest half-life of the SSRI antidepressants, and people rarely experience intense withdrawal symptoms - even without weaning off of it. See how you do without the Prozac... if you need it again, it will always be there.

Best of luck..