What Is It Like to Take Fluoxetine (Prozac) for Depression?
Key takeaways:
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the U.S.
Fluoxetine (Prozac) can start to improve depression symptoms for some people within 2 weeks. But it takes about 4 to 8 weeks for it to be fully effective.
The potential side effects of Prozac include headaches, trouble sleeping, and nausea. Sexual side effects, such as low sex drive and erectile dysfunction, are also common.
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Living with depression can be debilitating. People who experience depression often feel sad or hopeless, have trouble concentrating, and lose interest in the activities that once brought them joy.
In 2020, more than 18% of U.S. adults reported having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, according to CDC data. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments that are safe and effective.
Prozac (fluoxetine) is a common selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that can start to improve symptoms within 2 weeks. Though, it can take up to 8 weeks for the medication’s full effects to kick in. Some people experience side effects like headaches and trouble sleeping. And nausea, dry mouth, and low sex drive are also common.
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Below, three people describe what it feels like to take Prozac for depression.
Lifting the haze of depression
Deborah Serani started taking Prozac more than 30 years ago, after her daughter was born. Deborah, who goes by Deb, is a psychologist and author. So she was already familiar with the symptoms of postpartum depression and knew that she was experiencing it. She was concerned about the intensity of her symptoms and being able to care for her new baby, so she decided to seek treatment.
Deb’s doctor told her that it would take about 6 weeks for the Prozac to start working. But she began feeling better much sooner.
“My crying jags stopped within a week, and negative thoughts and ruminating worries reduced significantly,” Deb, who is 62 and lives in New York, says. “Within a few weeks, I felt better. I was less irritable, more connected, hopeful, and the heavy sadness was gone. Within a month, I felt better than I ever had in my life.”
Deb and her doctor realized that, even before the postpartum depression, Deb had lived with chronic depression. Over the past 3 decades, the few times she’s stopped taking Prozac, Deb experienced symptoms of depression and started taking the medication again. “I’ve come to look at my body’s need for this antidepressant like I do for my eyeglasses for my sight, or the occasional cane I need for my arthritic knee,” she says. “It’s just what my body needs to help it function better.”
Deb has experienced a few side effects from Prozac: She sweats more and can’t tolerate the heat like she used to. She’s also experienced weight gain and a reduced libido (sex drive). But she copes with those challenges by eating more healthfully and inviting more romance into her marriage.
Prozac’s benefits far outweigh the challenges, Deb says. In fact, she credits the medication with changing her life. “Taking Prozac was like the haze of depression lifted,” she says. “And with that haze gone, everything felt clearer, better, richer, and easier.”
Getting sober unlocked Prozac’s benefits
Niki Ballentine Pelow has taken Prozac on and off since she was 18. But the medication didn’t help her depression until recently.
That’s because, for years, Niki mixed Prozac and alcohol — a potentially dangerous combination. Alcohol can prevent antidepressants from working as well as they should, while also making side effects more extreme.
“I was sabotaging myself,” Niki says. “I wasn’t getting better because I was constantly on a depressant that was combating everything the medicine was trying to do.”
Niki, who’s 37 and lives in Summerville, South Carolina, stopped drinking in July 2022 when she found out she was pregnant with her fourth child. At the time, she wasn’t taking an antidepressant. But when she got sober, she realized how much she was struggling. After she had her daughter in March 2023, she experienced a lot of anxiety and insecurity. And she worried that the postpartum depression she experienced with her previous pregnancies might return.
Niki’s husband suggested that it might be time to try Prozac again. So, at her 6-week postpartum checkup, Niki asked her doctor, who wrote her a prescription for the medication. Since then, Nikki says, it has worked fantastically. “It’s amazing what the medicine can do for you when you’re sober,” she says. “It can actually work.”
Niki no longer experiences feelings of self-doubt and being overwhelmed. Instead, she feels like she’s able to function in her everyday life.
Niki’s 11-year-old daughter recently asked her mom why she had become so happy and so much more fun. “She was like, ‘What’s different?’” Niki recalls. When Niki explained that she had started taking Prozac again, her daughter responded, “I like you like this.”
The only side effect Niki has experienced with Prozac is that it gives her an energy rush. That’s why she takes it in the morning. Otherwise, she might struggle to fall asleep at night.
“I’m happy for the first time ever in my adult life,” Niki says. “It’s been a lifesaver for me; it’s made all the difference in my life. It makes me mad that I never actually gave it a chance before without drinking. I think about how different my life could have been.”
Niki urges others who might benefit from Prozac to give the medication a fair shot — and stop drinking. “I love my medication,” she says. “I’m a better person.”
An antidote to constant tears
Leslie Jacobs started taking Prozac when she was 40. At the time, she was so depressed that she would start crying even when she was out with friends or colleagues. The medication helped her so much that, within a month of taking it, she could go to a funeral without shedding a tear, she says.
In 2014, however, Leslie developed breast cancer and had to stop taking Prozac. Four years later, after she had recovered from cancer, she was angry and depressed. So her doctor recommended that she start taking Prozac again.
Now, Leslie, who’s 63 and lives in New Britain, Connecticut, takes two 40 mg pills of Prozac a day. “It’s really the only thing that helps,” she says.
Leslie has experienced a few side effects from the medication. It gives her hot flashes, but not as bad as the ones she had during menopause. And when she first started taking it, it caused diarrhea for the first few days. But overwhelmingly, she says, the medication has been beneficial and helps her feel calm every day.
“When I take it, I feel like I’m not going to cry anymore,” she says. “Because, if I don't take it, in a couple hours I will start crying.”
Pairing Prozac with therapy has made a huge difference for Leslie’s well-being. “My life is coming together, finally,” she says. “Things are wonderful. It’s a miracle.”
What does the pharmacist say?
Christina Aungst, PharmD
Pharmacy Editor
Prozac (fluoxetine) is a commonly prescribed antidepressant. It belongs to a group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Some people take Prozac by mouth once a day in the morning. Others take it twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. There’s also a once-weekly pill available.
Prozac takes some time to kick in. Some people may start to notice symptom relief within 2 weeks after starting treatment. But it can take about 4 to 8 weeks for the medication to be fully effective. So patience is key when you’re first getting started.
Prozac is both safe and effective. But it’s common to experience side effects while taking it, especially right after starting treatment or when raising the dosage. Prozac tends to be more energizing than other SSRIs. So taking it at bedtime can make it hard to fall asleep. Prozac also commonly causes headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. But these side effects should be mild and get better or go away as your body adjusts to the medication.
Prozac can cause you to sweat more than usual and make you more sensitive to the heat. So staying hydrated is important while taking it. Prozac can also cause weight gain, though it seems to be the SSRI that’s least likely to cause this side effect.
People taking Prozac may also experience sexual side effects, such as low sex drive. Prozac also has a lower risk of this than other SSRIs. Still, it can be frustrating if it happens to you.
There are ways to help manage sexual side effects. In some cases, lowering your Prozac dosage or adding on a different type of antidepressant can provide relief. Avoiding alcohol is another step to try, as alcohol can worsen sexual side effects. Couples therapy or finding ways to add romance into your relationship may also be helpful.
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