Prozac reviews: Does it actually work?

So, I was just sitting here wondering—does anyone else out there roll with Prozac or Xanax for long stretches? Like, how long are we talking? Because honestly, I’ve been popping them like candy for a good two years now, and I feel like I’ve pretty much mapped out every single side effect and downside they come with. ---------Not to mention that absolute hellscape of a withdrawal period I went through trying to get off the Xanax—it was brutal. I eventually ended up back on it after a year, and now I'm down to just 0.25mg of Prozac. It feels like, according to those highly qualified doctors we have over here, you could basically take this stuff until the day you die, which... yeah, that is definitely not the plan. To be real, it doesn't even feel like it's doing much anymore; I'm pretty sure about that. It just kind of keeps me level (well, mostly, minus the occasional emotional rollercoaster), so I don't see the point in keeping this cycle going. But then again, I can't just quit cold turkey—I have to taper off slowly—but it feels like I always end up circling right back to them anyway. Has anyone actually managed to break free for good without dealing with all those nasty side effects?

I’ve been a regular on this forum (the American equivalent of Reddit) for five years now... I actually tried to quit once, but let's just say it didn't go according to plan.
At this point, I don't even bother fighting it anymore; I just take one pill every morning—or every other morning—and life goes on without any issues.

I've been on major antidepressants for 13 years now. I started out on Prozac, cycled through about five or seven others, and currently I'm on Paxil/
paroxetine, 20mg twice a day.
There are plenty of side effects, but I can't function without them.

As for Valium/Xanax/Diazepam, I've been using those for 34 years just to help with muscle tension.

I also take a higher dose of Rivotril/clonazepam—around 2.5 to 3 mg daily—to manage my anxiety.
Everything mentioned above was prescribed by my Psychologist, and I'll likely be taking them for the rest of my life since my situation is pretty complex.

Most people might recover within two years through group therapy, but we're all different, and it really depends on what caused our
condition.

Modern medications are much better than the older ones, usually with fewer side effects.
Ideally, you wouldn't need meds at all if you could manage through positive thinking and building up your confidence to leave
anxiety behind, but that doesn't work for everyone.

And please, never feel like this is your fault. In the US, roughly one in every four or five people deals with depression, anxiety, or panic attacks.

🙂 😉 😎

Unfortunately, most of these medications take a massive toll on your libido.

Ryan Smith4 said:I’ve been on Paxil for about 5 years now... I actually tried to get off it once, but honestly? It didn't go well at all.
Now, I don't even stress about it—I just take one pill every morning (or every other day) and life goes on without any drama.

My sister used to be on Paxil too, but combining it with Paxil was a total mess for her, so she kept switching up her meds with her doctor. She eventually managed to quit, but she’s dealing with a type of depression, whereas my whole thing is more about those intense panic attacks and constant anxiety. I try to taper myself off by cutting the milligrams in half, but man, that process drags on for like 4 or 5 months—and even then, I always seem to slide right back into it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your post; maybe if I play my cards right, I can finally reach a point where I'm not constantly obsessing over taking this stuff.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Unfortunately, most of these meds really take a massive toll on your libido.

Man, I totally feel you... and honestly, that’s just one of the many headaches we deal with. It’s a nasty side effect, for sure—and while it might not seem like the biggest deal compared to some of the other stuff you have to juggle, when you actually step back and look at the whole picture, it's pretty wild. Like, it is genuinely insane how much these things can absolutely wreck your drive and how quickly those shifts happen once you start taking them.

Jamie Clark74 said:I’ve been on major antidepressants for about 13 years now—started out on Prozac, cycled through maybe 5 or 7 different ones, and I finally landed on Paxil/
paroxetine 20mg, twice a day.
There are plenty of side effects, honestly, but I just can't function without them.

As for Valium/Xanax/Diazepam, I’ve actually been taking those for 34 years just to help with muscle tension.

And I take a higher dose of Rivotril/clonazepam—around 2.5 to 3 mg daily—to deal with my anxiety.
Everything mentioned above was prescribed by my Psychologist, and I’ll likely be on them for the rest of my life because, well, my situation is pretty complex.

For most people, you can get better within two years through things like group therapy, but then again, we’re all wired differently and it really depends on what caused our
condition in the first place.

The newer meds coming out these days are way better than the old stuff—fewer nasty side effects.
Ideally, you wouldn't need medication at all and could manage through positive thinking and building up your self-confidence while letting go of that anxiety, but let's be real—that doesn't work for everyone.

And please, never feel like this is somehow your own fault. In the US, it feels like every 4th or 5th person is dealing with depression, anxiety, or panic attacks.

🙂 😉 😎

I try to stay super positive, 👍 though it’s weird because I don't know why it hit me quite this hard. I keep trying, I really do, but man, it’s tough when it takes hold of you. Thanks for sharing this.🙂