Experiences - prozac (Fluoxetine)

[limbo.1337]

swim currently is on prozac for the next few months. he takes 20mg a day, but somedays swim takes 40mg or more so. swim also drinks alcohol on these days, swim has fallen asleep fine on these with no hang over or nothing. but the question is should you be playing in the fire too long enough to get serverly burned?

[wespawloski]

SSRIs are very mellow...

SWIM didn't notice any real benefit to taking additional dosage, but he would occasionally anyway, if only to be his placebo.

It is best, though, to follow the SSRI regiment for best results.

One word of warning, SWIM abused SSRIs (fruitlessly!). They never really affected him once, but SWIM recklessly and accidentally pushed himself into the realm of serotonin-syndrome. He was really really scared, and never wants anyone to go there.

Moral of the story : Prozac has, relatively harmless effects, low recreational ability, and has the ability to become the straw that broke the camel's brain. (if used stupidly).

[hatstands]

SWIM has been on prozac for approx 2 years, also being drinking heavily pretty much constantly throughout.

At first (in the romantic haze of prozac first kicking in, after1-2 months on 20mg per day), the drug really complemented the booze (white wine in this case), especially if taking 40mg as a booster. It created a nice spaced out, ecstacy-and-drink type feeling.

After about month 4, this method suddenly made SWIM exceptionally drunk, blackout-style, with no recollection of what happened for hours and hours, friends filled SWIM in on ridiculously embarrassing antics (not in a fun kind of way after a bit), and saying stupid things to people that SWIM prob thought were funny at the time but ended up being hurtful. SWIM was a dickhead and did it a few more times, before almost completely alienating most of her friends.

SWIM packed in drinking wine and moved down a level to cider, but found that in order to maintain the effects of the prozac that it was prescribed for, she had to take 40mg every day, even when not partying. If only 20mg was taken, The Thoughts would tap on her shoulder, and anxiety and hermit-ness would kick in.

SWIM Did one daily dose at 40mg which caused Stupid Amounts of Tiredness, SWIM would do 8 hours work a day, zombified, go home and sleep solidly for virtually the whole evening. So then SWIM had messed up the balance and had to work out the exact times between the doses, trial and error, not much fun, so it was exactly 12 hours between each 20mg dose, then months were spent graduating the distance between doses etc etc I could go on in boring detail sorry.

Basically SWIM reckons its best not to mess with the dosage when drinkin (SWIM knows its tempting though). Although it does feel good in the manner described in the OP's post, this only appears to work in conjunction with alcohol. WHen altering doses on a day to day basis (which SWIM thinks this behaviour may lead to), the effect tends to lag a couple of days, e.g. take 40mg on Monday, feel extra happy on Wednesday, sounds great but this might not be sustainable.

Sorry 4 waffling, hope this makes sense.