Symptoms: Akathisia, brain zaps, emotional blunting, sexual dysfunction, cognitive impairment, insomnia, depersonalization/derealization, suicidal ideation, neuropathy, severe anxiety/panic, muscle/joint pain, anhedonia, GI disturbances
After living with generalized anxiety disorder for most of my life, I decided to try medication in hopes of making things more manageable. Instead, it made my life significantly worse. Far worse than I ever could have anticipated.
After just four weeks on Prozac, I woke in the middle of the night with an intense, unrelenting ache in my right arm that didn't improve no matter how I shifted or repositioned. My anxiety surged as I became convinced I was having a heart attack. I experienced repeated adrenaline rushes. My body went rigid, I was drenched in sweat, overwhelmed by waves of searing heat, and had the sensation that I'd urinated myself. There was a crushing weight on my chest, my vision blurred, and I could barely stand by the time I was taken to the ER. I was completely incapacitated, rocking back and forth, sobbing, begging for the torture to stop. The episode lasted more than four hours.
I consider this a severe adverse reaction to Prozac. The attending physician dismissed the possibility, saying, "I don't think it's caused by Prozac." However, the same symptoms continued until I stopped the medication abruptly at eight weeks. Even after stopping, I experienced additional episodes before the drug fully cleared my system. My psychiatrist showed little concern and instead recommended a cross-taper to Lexapro, which felt dismissive and negligent.
Two years later, I am living with what appears to be protracted withdrawal, likely compounded by the initial adverse reactions. The symptoms have been debilitating, frightening, isolating, and life-altering. I don't remember what life felt like before this. I have wished for death countless times, which is something I had never encountered prior to taking Prozac. The anxiety that emerged after starting the medication felt inhuman, far exceeding anything I experienced before seeking treatment. It was also when I began having my first anxiety attacks (similar to panic attacks, but far more prolonged).
I'm doing everything I can to maintain a sense of normalcy while dealing with persistent suffering. Since stopping Prozac, I've documented over 60 symptoms. No one should have to go through this.