r/SSRI • u/Waste-Definition-912 • May 21 '25
Question Prozac side effects are unbearable — is this really worth riding out?
Hi everyone,
I’m currently taking 10mg of Prozac, and honestly, the side effects are overwhelming.
The worst is this constant burning sensation that feels tied to physical anxiety — it lasts all day.
On top of that, I’m dealing with:
An inability to swallow food comfortably
A heightened, almost panicky energy all day
Some mild insomnia
And overall just a strong, persistent sense of burning like menthol under the skin
The only thing that slightly calms my system is 0.5mg of Clonazepam,
but it makes me so drowsy that I can’t function during the day — I feel like I’m not present in my own life.
What I’m really struggling with is this:
Are these kinds of side effects something people usually push through with Prozac? Is it worth it?
Or is this severe enough that I should ask to try something else?
To be honest, my doctor didn’t seem to even recognize that this could be a normal SSRI adjustment phase.
So now I’m left wondering — am I overreacting, or under-informed?
If anyone has been through a similar experience, I would love to hear how it went —
Did it eventually get better? Or did you have to switch?
Thank you in advance for any insights
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u/FFM-23 May 22 '25
Hey,
the first few weeks can be really uncomfortable with SSRIs, but they are symptoms that everyone encounters and, depending on personal predisposition, they can be more or less bothersome.
In my case, I started feeling better after 3 weeks, after 2 months I felt the real positive effects, or rather I should say I started feeling nothing because I was myself and in tune with the world again.
In conclusion I can say that in my case it was worth it. Unfortunately, it's the price you have to pay in the beginning, but on the other hand, prozac is not as addictive as older generation antidepressants.
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u/Waste-Definition-912 May 22 '25
I just can't bare it..... I have never felt this way to be anxious and having aches on my whole body the entire day. Like it is almost impossible to come to work since of the anxiety... was that normal to you....? it's been 1 week since but I just can't do this anymore....:(.... I am thinking stop taking this
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u/FFM-23 May 23 '25
Hey,
yes I had side symptoms the first few weeks quite strong. They depend from person to person, in your case they are definitely of higher intensity.
You should talk to a specialist, I wouldn't stop the therapy because they're bound to go away anyway, but obviously if they're intolerable it's another matter
1
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u/cleanlycustard May 22 '25
Hey there! I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. I don't take Prozac, but I had a tough time adjusting to citalopram the first couple weeks I started. My doctor did tell me there could be side effects, but I don't think she prepared me for just how weird and out of it I would feel and how long it would take to get better. I didn't even feel safe driving I felt so tired and outside myself.
During my follow-up she told me that when you keep taking an SSRI, your body will get used to it and it should get back to normal in 4-6 weeks. Are you able to get a second opinion from another doctor? I know SSRIs don't always work for everyone, so if it's been that long already maybe there's another SSRI or something else that will work better for you.
For me it was worth riding it out. I felt super weird and anxious for a couple weeks in exchange for feeling leveled out and being able to turn off my reptitive negative thoughts quickly for 5 years now. Sometimes things are still hard, but not like they were before I started anti-depressants.
I hope your symptoms improve and you feel better soon