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by Spitefulangel
and as for doctors...well, im not happy! i walked in and said "my careers advisor says im stressed" and he was writing out a prescription for prozac about a minute later....no attempt at diagnosis really

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Im not a doctor but IF thats what he did then I personally think he should be struck off. Doctors give out prescriptions to potentially addictive drugs all too easyly these days.

I would get a second opinion if I were you.

The last time I went to my doctors,which was for a muscle spasm in my neck I was told it was all in my head bearing in mind I only visit the doctors every 4 or 5 years so im no hypocondriact(sp).

Prozac is a pretty strong anti-depressant. It's best used for the cycles of depression where people become tired and listless and stop taking care of themselves.

Many doctors prescribe psychiatric drugs without really knowing what they do, and often make mistakes.

If you're suffering from stress, try St John's Wort as an alternative to prescription drugs, and maybe go back to your doctor and ask if they can refer you to a counselling service.

I lived on anti depressants for along time. Odd that he went straight for prozac because thats quite a strong drug.

I had alot of trouble on my anti depressants (i was on quite a few different varieties) I suffered from alot of the side affects as i have a poor immune system anyway. The pills tended to work for a few weeks then id get worse than i was before i took them. Migrains were a big thing for me on prozac and then my paranoia and agraphobia got worse and thru out the years there was alot of weight gain (which we all know ive not lost even tho i took myself off the pills about 2 years ago)

I have to admit i do take them if im really down but they dont do me any good, its just something to help me believe i'll get better.

My doctor didnt want me to stop taking the pills but the ones i was on had a very high level of suicide so i wanted to get out before i went too deep.

I dont mean to scare you, i just want you to have a view from someone who suffered alot from the tablets. People who know me will know that i still cant leave the house on my own and that i have alot of troublein public places like clubs and resturants and i often end up missing out on meets.

If i was you i would find alturnatives to happy pills if you feel you are just stressed. Hebal remadies or meditating or change you sleep pattern. The pills would be a last choice.

Obvously this is just me and im sure other people have had really good results from anti-depressants.

Good luck and feel free to email me if you need a chat

well, i was pretty shocked he prescribed me antidepressants, that wasn't what i expected to get from my trip to the doctors....i think it helped me realise, things are really not that bad because if i can think i don't need that kind of help to get over it then i must not be doing too badly

also, althoguh its only me who really knows if i need them, everyone around me who has seen what ive been through and how ive been, has said that they really don't think i need to take them... i think i would rather get through this on my own, work my head out myself

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by Kate
Many doctors prescribe psychiatric drugs without really knowing what they do, and often make mistakes.

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I read an article on this a long time ago and we had a big debate at work about doctors seeming to be far too keen to wanting to hand out strong doses of things without getting to the root of the problem.

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by Spitefulangel
"my careers advisor says im stressed" and he was writing out a prescription for prozac about a minute later....no attempt at diagnosis really, it made me feel more hopeless than i did going in there!! but thats another point...

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Reading this I think the doctor has jumped the gun somewhat. You were obviously concerned about what your careers advisor was saying though to make a mention of it. Had the advisor suggested you were *stressed* off his own back or due to anything you were asking them about?

Do you feel there is a reason behind your feeling *stressed*?

If you feel there is something specific, even if you are run down from feeling overwhelmed, then I was seriously think about trying alternatives first as Kate has suggested.

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If you're suffering from stress, try St John's Wort as an alternative to prescription drugs, and maybe go back to your doctor and ask if they can refer you to a counselling service.

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Some people aren't keen on St John's Wort as that's had its own scare stories. But perhaps relaxation techniques, or counselling may be a start (just an ear to speak to)

I think you are right to be concerned about having been given strong anti-depressants without more questions being asked and I think some sort of second opinion would be a good idea.

Anti-depressants are not a 'cure' for depression, they help alleviate the symptoms. This can be useful if the underlying reason for the depression is a temporary thing (my girlfriend was on anti-depressants before her Uni finals and they helped her get through a difficult period). But it doesn't sound as if your doctor has bothered to try to find out what the extent or cause of any depression or stress you might be suffering is, or to explore how the underlying causes might be addressed. It's basically like giving painkillers to someone with apedicitis, but not bothering to remove the apendix.

It's a good sign that you don't want to take these pills, it would be worrying if you did. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't, as I said some people find them useful as a temporary messure, but you deserve a better standard of assessment and information than you seem to have had so far. It may help you to do some research on this which will help you to feel more in control, find out about the effects of these pills, and when you see the doctor again (or another doctor), don't be afraid to question them - why are they giving you these pills, what do they expect to achieve, what time period do they expect you to be on them for, what problems might you have coming off, etc.

I was given Prozac once, and although I wasn't too keen on taking it I think it helped in the circumstances (stress and depression caused by a situation at work that only time would alleviate); the Prozac got me through until things started to get more bearable. However, my doctor at the time didn't write the prescription until we'd had a lot of discussion. (Actually, I posted about it on here...it was July 2002 IIRC, you may still be able to find the thread.)

I'd suggest you go an talk to a different doctor, or perhaps just go straight to a counsellor or similar (does your uni have a counselling service?) as from your previous posts I'd say it sounds more as if you have issues to work through than symptoms to relieve.

Other things I've always found to help with depression are eating healthily (lots of fresh fruit and veg) and making sure you get lots of exercise and fresh air. I saw St John's Wort mentioned earlier - one word of warning there, you should avoid it if you're using oral contraceptives as it can affect their functioning - which could make you much more depressed...

One thing I wanted to mention , I am sure my midwife told me that st john's wort, reduces the effectiveness of the pill by a great amount...just incase

Basically what Prozac does is stimulate the production of a 'feel-good' chemical in the brain called Serotonin in order to mask the symptoms of depression, stress or anxiety. It's usually given as a short term antidepressant (maybe about 3 months), but it doesn't tackle the root cause of why you're depressed or stressed. The best thing for you might be to see someone who can maybe talk to you and get to the root of why you feel stressed and give you advice on how to cope. You can do this either through the NHS or independantly.

You could try an NHS drop-in centre for a second opinion and advice on where to get the right help. They're staffed by nurse consultants, and I think that quite often, because they have day to day experience of seeing how people respond to different medications, they'd be in a good position to give you good advice.

If you are advised to take them, then the folks at a local hospital have produced information sheets about various different medications that you might find useful. They're not meant as a 'fail-safe' guide, just for information. However, we've always found them very useful here

This is the one on Fluoxetine (Prozac): www.northmersey.nhs.uk/Informed/WIMEDFLUOXETINE.HTM

(Edited by DJ Billy 12/02/2004 10:37)

There's no test a doctor can run to tell if you're depressed - it is dependant on recognising certain symptoms which are shared by a number of conditions. In that sense, it is not necessarily surprising that he would put you on antidepressants after only one appointment - for most people the side effects of antidepressants are mild and there is little disadvantage to starting somebody on them as a precaution.

However, I share the concerns of others that you were started on prozac.


Also the other symptoms of depression which your doctor should have asked about: whether your sleeping patterns have changed, either to excess or insufficient sleep; persistant low mood for a least a couple of months previously; lack of concentration; unidentifiable pains; loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities; change in appetite; irritability. Not everyone will have all those symptoms, but you should have been asked all the same.

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by Spitefulangel
well, i was pretty shocked he prescribed me antidepressants, that wasn't what i expected to get from my trip to the doctors....i think it helped me realise, things are really not that bad because if i can think i don't need that kind of help to get over it then i must not be doing too badly

also, althoguh its only me who really knows if i need them, everyone around me who has seen what ive been through and how ive been, has said that they really don't think i need to take them... i think i would rather get through this on my own, work my head out myself

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hear hear! i was going through a very rough patch a year or so ago i was signed off work i was also suffering mild argophobia panic attacks and such and my doctor prescribed some sort of anti-depressant nothing as strong as prozac i dont think but having to take them for 3 months before seeing any change was too long and i didnt like the idea of taking them when i could beat it on my own. i believe 3 months is the usual the doctors say to take them before seeing "any effect" which i dont like in three months your body can become addicted and i wasnt prepared for a new problem.
i had a friend on prozac i brought her a book called Prozac Nation she said it was an amazing book and really handy. (i dunno how though as i never got round to reading it myself)

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by Demona
whether your sleeping patterns have changed, either to excess or insufficient sleep; persistant low mood for a least a couple of months previously; lack of concentration; unidentifiable pains; loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities; change in appetite; irritability.

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*hides from the doctor* for having all of the above. I've never personally been one for wanting to be prescribed any sort of anti-depressants.

Prozac is a very stupid drug to prescribe because all it does is make the problems seem less important for a while, so that whilst they may not be affect your state you won't gennerally bother to fix them. You'd prob be better off drowning your sorrows. I know when I had stress problems my G.P went through the roof when another doctor suggested Prozac. In the end i was actually prescribed Propranolol, all this actually does is lower your blood pressure, which is often the biggest problem with stress. This didn't remove the problems but it did calm me down enough to sort my problems out. Dunno if this is any help but I thought I might as well post.

I've been on prozac for a good few years now....I know that that may seem worrying, and people have suggested that it might be a good idea for me to come off it. I went through a very bad patch when I was younger - I've always had problems with low self esteem and general depression, and it was prescribed to me during a particularly difficult period in my life.

I suppose I'm still taking it because I'm worried about whats going to happen when I come off it. I've had periods where I haven't taken it, and they've been rather horrific - I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy at age 8 and that basically means that I used to get very angry over the slightest thing, so without the Prozac, the depression developed into something more physical - not good!

All I know is that when I'm on it, I'm calmer, happier and a lot more confident in the way I am. It certainly isn't for everyone, and reading what people have written in this thread, I'm starting to wonder if I should carry on taking it. I'm with the others in that the doctor probably jumped the gun a little. I went to conselling for years before they put me on anything - the uni should be able to help you there...I think in your case, you're wise not to go for it until all other avenues have been investigated .

OK, so I'm not sure if that actuallyt went anywhere, but it got stuff off my chest anyway Good luck - ping me on msn if you get the chance

Well, i was wacked on flouxetine (prozac) when i was 14/15 for what seemed like no good reason, i just felt like i couldn't be bothered to do anything at all, for about 2 weeks, so my mum took me to see the doctor and she said i was depressed due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, so i went on it, and at the time, neither my mum or i knew anything about it and trusted the doctors opinion.

i have to say that was one of the worst mistakes i made. whilst taking the prozac i did soooo many thigs that i would never dream of doing usually and ended up getting expelled from school, along with other stuff. so i stopped taking the prozac and went to see a counsellor instead which benefitied me more than any anti-depressent ever could.

so, going from personal experience, get a second opinion and have a chat with a counsellor. i have to say though that you have to have the right counsellor for it to work. the first one i saw was terrible, then i saw another one and she was great.

hope this helps

I was put on anti-depressants after the birth of Billy 5yrs ago. I didn't think I needed them but as I was crying everytime I saw the Dr or health visitor I apparently had post natal depression. I knew I didn't have it. I was crying everytime 'cos I knew Billy was sick and non of the Drs believed me. It was frustration tears not depressive ones. Once they decided he was ill, he had his operation and I came off the pills.

As a side note, I'm going to search the Internet when anyone in my family is ill, self diagnose and then suggest what's wrong to the Dr (which I had to do with Billy). This follows my boyfriend having mumps last week. His face blew up and then 4 days later his 'lower bits' did (and not in a nice way ) but two Drs said they weren't connected. A quick search of the NHS site proved them to be wrong and could have saved him a week of agony & carrying what looked like a melon in his pants.

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by Demona
your sleeping patterns have changed, either to excess or insufficient sleep; persistant low mood for a least a couple of months previously; lack of concentration; unidentifiable pains; loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities; change in appetite; irritability. Not everyone will have all those symptoms, but you should have been asked all the same.

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Eeep! I've got almost all of these! And what fun considering I hate going to see doctors...

This article from Community Care Magazine makes interesting reading on the subject of antidepressants and young people


(Edited by Sydney 13/02/2004 17:28)

I was on-and-off anti-d's for seven or eight years, and although I would say they are usefull in principal, and also that they are definately a good answer to some problems, they aren't a long term solution -- they fix the symptoms, they don't cure the problems.

I've not taken any in over a year, although I've had much the same symptoms as have caused me to be prescribed them in the past; and at present I don't expect to ever take them again. Not that they are bad in some sense, I just don't feel that they're the right answer for me; for some they are the right answer, but different people have different problems.

In my experience SSRIs (prozac et al) are significantly better (more effective, fewer side effects) than tri-cyclics or MAOIs, and I believe this holds for most people; however they "fix" different problems, and some people my find MAOIs or tri-cyclics more effective, although the side effects may persist.

GPs have a lousy job; of all the medics I know only one has considered general practice, and that's with great reservations. The bureaucratic restraints they work under mean they have to all be Jeremy Bentham's; they'll see dozens of patients a day for 5 minutes at a time, and they can't dedicate more time to one patient, without taking time from the others. All to often they have to focus on "the greatest good for the greatest number" (either that or on metrics, paperwork and league tables), and often an SSRI will benefit the patient -- it may be the right answer, it often is; or it may indirectly help the problem, serotonin imbalance causes a lot of problems, even if prescribed for the "wrong" reason an SSRI may fix the problem; or it may simply be what the patient expects to recieve, and so have a placebo benefit.

In short -- they work, modern SSRIs are pretty good, I don't take them & probably won't in the future.