What I find weird about Prozac (which my psychiatrist has asked me to consider to take, which is very unlikely I'll do) is that its prescribed often to help with Anxiety, depression and compulsive behavior, while the side effects list is as following (according to Wikipedia and other sources I read):
* Akathisia
An unpleasant subjective sensation of "inner" restlessness that manifests itself with an inability to sit still or remain motionless.
* Anxiety
Its prescribed to help against anxiety, yet it causes anxiety? WTFBBQ ...
* Asthenia
A medical term denoting a feeling of weakness without actual loss of strength.
* Headache
I get stress headaches from anxiety in social contacts, whats the use replacing one headache with another or, since prozac can have (extra) anxiety as a sideeffect, gain another cause of headaches?
* Flu syndrome
Constant feeling of having the flue, which in my case is usually migraine + diarhea, as said before, I don't need any extra headache causes!
* Fever
Being feverish causes delusions and headaches, really help full when you already have anxiety problems and yup yup, another cause of headaches, that makes 3 extra possible causes of headaches that I don't need or want.
* Vasodilatation
Expansion of the bloodvessels, common symptom of this is low blood pressure and a good effect could be seen in this helping relaxation. But considering my family has a history of heart problems (mothers side caused by low blood pressure, fathers side high blood pressure) do I really want to take any medications that bring unnatural changes to my vascular system?
* Nausea
My stress headaches make me nauseous, taking a medicine that releaves stress, but causes both headaches and nausea as a sideeffect, whats the frigin use in that?
* Diarrhea
Don't want it :p Go figure!
* Dry mouth
Don't want that either!
* Dyspepsia
Equals to digestive problems, which I don't need either, I already get digestive problems related to stress.
* Insomnia
Already have insomnia when under to much stress. Anyone starting to see a pattern in how Prozac's side effects simply replace the problems your aspergers might bring with the frigin same thing?
* Nervousness
Being anxious and nervous in certain situations is why my psych wants me to consider to take prozac, so again, prozac's sideeffects are once again causing the things I'm supposed to relieve with it.
* Somnolence
Feeling of drowsiness, not really desirable when I'm supposed to take prozac to be able to deal with social stresses in my work environment, where I need to alert and active, not sleepy.
* Dizziness
Most likely partly caused by the Vasodilatation, low blood pressure typicaly makes you dizy.
* Tremor
I'm an ITer that needs to open up and repair or inspect fine electronics regularly, tremor's can be disastrous in my job, this is another thing that would endanger my work while prozac is supposed to help me do my work.
* Sweating
Already sweat like a pig and have gotten commented on about it in the past, really not something someone with anxiety problems can deal with.
* Dilated pupils
* Heartburn
* Seizures
* Hives
* Rash
As you see, most of the side effects are worse then or simply replacing the troubles anxiety brings, adding to the problem rather then relieving anything and in some cases amplifying things.
I really don't get why they would prescribe prozac for anxiety when it causes anxiety itself and many of the side effects, simply amplify the problems your trying to get rid of in the first place.
Imho they can't go prescribe medication that does 'something' with an NT and expect the same medicine to the the same 'something' for an aspie to start with.
Anyways, before you take prozac and when you take prozac, use the internet to read up on the multitude of problems prozac can add to your list and know that there's a good chance it'll actually amplify the problem its supposed to help you with.
22 Jul 2007, 5:58 pm
