neptun, i can’t answer your question so i’m echoing it, as i’m also very much interested to find out about this…
i’ve just been prescribed prozac also…what i’ve heard from various sources seems to conflict; some say it lengthens REM sleep and others say it suppresses it? i’m concerned about how the drug will affect my sleep cycle/dream recall aswell, and if it will when this will come into effect…
needless to say i don’t really have a ‘choice’ about taking it and it more or less comes to these pills being shoved down my throat but i may aswell find out what i can…?
It have been more difficult (but not impossible) for me to remember my dreams the last days.
Maybe the medication suppresses the REM sleep to me, but it could also be other reasons, because I use to go to bed a little earlier than I have done this last days. And therefore, I have also got less sleep, since I wake up to a alarm clock at the same time every day.
Prozac can have an effect on your dreams. I have heard of people having very vivid dreams and even nightmares with it. It should not effect you dream recall or cause you to have less dreams as near as I can tell. However, noone can say for sure how it will effect you. Everyone responds to medication differently.
You can check the link below to learn more about the medication. Keep in mind that this site is maintained by people opposed to Prozac and medication in general. I chose this site because it described potential side effects in plain language so that the lay person can understand them. When reading this site keep in mind that the vast majority of people experience little or no side effects. But, you should be informed of everything.
oh, i didn’t mean to sound melodramatic (i’m wont to) but it is true that i can’t really protest…since my parents beleive my dysfunctionalities run deep (cough)…it’s really not going to be fun for me if i object to taking the things. i don’t really know how to put it, “arguement” doesn’t really cover it anymore because the reason for my prescription is that i’m mute. i lost my voice about…two months ago now. there’s nothing wrong with my vocal chords but i just…can’t talk. i suppose they think if i’m happier my voice might come back?
i mentioned it in a “but perhaps i should try hiding them under my tongue?” kind of way…as in…i don’t yet have an adverse opinion of them, but obviously not a positive one either, so i was trying to form one.
i’m looking at the website now; and though obviously it’s biased i’m sure there is truth in it. the problem is that it seems to focus a lot on what i would suspect to be isolated or dubiously linked cases of side effects? so it seems to end up listing every nasty bodily reaction there exists.
nightmares and vivid dreams are ok with me. just as long as my recall or my length of REM isn’t affected - we’ll see how it is after…some weeks? or can the side effects kick in before the effect of medication?
oh, and r3m0t, the word for a placebo that causes harm is a ‘nocebo’. and i do perhaps agree…i am a little hypochrondriac sometimes, heh.
I think if you’re going to have any side effects, they happen during the first two weeks (might be longer). If they’re particularly bad though, then you’d have to see your doctor and try something else.
I hadn’t heard of ‘nocebo’ before. It isn’t very reassuring when you see all the possible side effects on the packet That’s the main reason, I haven’t tried more medications and found one that suits me better.
I’m not sure if I addressed this or not but I quit zoloft due to “it not working” and side effects, and they put me on effexxor, which, at first made me happy, then made me feel like ■■■■, but obviously pills aren’t going to solve deeply rooted screwed up relationship problems…
So anyway, the effexor I took a lot of in the end, 300 mg or more I guess, I don’t know, I had the biggest pills available…
I took one less a day (i was taking like 3 of these pink ones I think, versus one big one) and went down one per week, such as 3 every day one week, 2 every day one week, 1 every day one week, none…
and i kept it secret until my spying family found out…
effexxor Is a weird one. I have met many people who have had strange reactions to it. It is an ssri but not really. It is like two different types of antidepressants in one. Are you looking into anything else besides medication. I mean medication can help with your recovery but, it is just a tool and the more tools you have the better your chances for recovery. How did you feel when you stopped the medication?
r3m0t:
I have to disagree with you on this one. In this instance what you do not know can hurt you very badly. Besides, how can you make an informed decision if you do not have all the facts about a medication. While it is true that prozac, zoloft, lexapro etc are well tolerated by most people. Some people do have a hard time with side effects. Making an informed choice means weighing the risks with the best possible outcome. You can not do that if you do not know what those risks are.
pheelie
I am curious did a doctor prescribe this medication for you or do you live in a country where you can buy Prozac over the counter?
but i may aswell find out what i can…?
That’s the main reason, I haven’t tried more medications and found one that suits me better.