Date: Thu Jan 18, 2001 4:34am Hi,I am glad I found this site. My dr. has tried me on three different antidepressants the last two months. I've had horrible side effects. First it was Wellbutrin(2 weeks) I would picture myself doing wierd things. Then Effexor 2wks. and last three days of Prozac(blurry vision and just plain out of it). I decided I couldn't handle it and didn't take anymore Prozac today. How long until the Prozac is out of my system. I feel so out of body today it's plain miserable. Adina Date: Thu Jan 18, 2001 6:08am Response1: Hi, well I hate to tell you this but prozac stays in the body for a long long long time, I took prozac for only 15 days, I freaked out really really bad on the 15th day and never touched it again, but it has been 7 months and I still get "flashbacks" of it, just like someone who has done LSD, hopefully for you it will not take that long, be glad that you figured it out, and if you have had these reactions I STRONGLY recommend that you don't touch another SSRI, because the next time you may not be so lucky. Did you read all the stories in the files section ? There have been people known to have only taken prozac 1 or 2 times and have damage for 5 years, so you can never really tell how long, hopefully it will just be a few weeks for you. In the mean time just know not to take anything, because I can almost bet that the drug pushers (doctors) will be working overtime to get you as screwed up as they can. Good luck and I am glad you found us too ! We are not doctors we are people that the doctors screwed up, we lived it, and most of us here are dedicated to getting as much info out about these drugs, keep in touch, Cynthia Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 5:22am I'm pretty new here but not new to the reaction of medications. I forgot to mention in my original post that I had tried Zoloft back in May of last yr. with a horrible reaction. I ended up getting my first horrible panic attack. My drs. response to that was handing out Ativan. I've learned my lesson with all benzos. I suffer some depression from a horrible year last year. First I was in a major accident were I missed hitting a semi by an inch. I saw my life pass in front of me. Then to combat that depression I tried Zoloft could only handle that for a couple of days. One week later a tumor was found in my ovary so they continued me on Ativan. It turned out to be noncancerous but I had a horrible time healing as I hemmorraged inside. With bad direction from my dr. I stayed on the Ativan for three months being told by his nurse that they weren't addictive. I had very intense miserable withdrawals when I stopped taking that medicine. I encountered depression like never before. My new dr. had suggested the other three antidepressants he just tried putting me on. They all just messed with my brain. The Effexor made it so I didn't even want my husband to touch me. Don't get me wrong I love my husband very much its just wierd how my thoughts towards him changed so much from the medicine. I can feel for what the partners must go thru. Today I feel more depressed than ever. I just have the normal bummed feeling no motivation. What does everyone do to help like exercise or has anyone found St. JOhns Wort to be safe? I'm open to some healthy suggestions. Thanks again for the warm welcome I recieved from everyone. Adina Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 00:42am Response1: Adina: You're suffering from PTSD -- a very different dx than just plain ol depression. I know. I have it too from being in a rollover accident 7 years ago in which I should have died. PTSD is tricky to treat because we exhibit all the symptoms of depression and anxiety, but it's much more complicated than that. Only someone who has been in a life-threatening situation could ever possibly understand -- and most doctors don't have a clue about PTSD!! Two very excellent books are "I Can't Get Over It" and "Surviving Trauma" -- sorry can't remember the authors' names but I got both books from the library. They will help you get a grip better than any drug. The antidepressants don't work. Before my Paxil nightmare I tried Zoloft, too -- one tab and then tossed them in the toilet when I saw that the first side effect was suicide. Ativan is a horribly addictive drug. I take a small dose of Xanax (.25 mgs) at night only and treat my panic disorder (which I got from taking Paxil) with Inositol, Amino acids, Valerian root, and occasionally Kava. I also exercise every single day for an hour. The AD's only blunt your emotions -- they don't cure anything - least of all depression. If you are seeking therapy make sure it's with someone who has a very clear understanding of what PTSD is really all about. It's not your normal animal. My PTSD (along with a combination of things caused by Paxil) rendered me totally disabled and on SSD. When I read the two books I recommended a light went off in my head and I realized that my doctors were clueless about what had happened to me. There is hope. EMDR is said to work really well. And so does mind over matter. STay away from the hardcore drugs like SSRIs and TCAs -- both are bad news. Welcome to the club. We've all been traumatized by our ordeals so you're in good company. Trisha Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 2:14pm Response2: Adina, you can get a lot of help in this group. Many suggestions and helpful ideas are shared here. We're all in the same boat, so to speak. Sounds like you had quite the chemical cocktail. I had forgotten (sorry, Paxil/Prozac) that I had tried Zoloft as well for a very brief time (probably a week). I had the most horrible side effects from that and that's what led my Dr. to start me on Paxil. That was the root I was thinking about, Trisha. My chiropractor had me start with Valerian root as well. Robin