Prozac is a common example of the group of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are generally psychiatrists’ first choice prescription drugs for Social Anxiety Disorder. SSRIs are commonly used to treat a wide range of disorders, including depression and generalized anxiety, and have recently become more popular in the treatment of SAD. They work in the body by regulating the brain levels of serotonin, the chemical that regulates mood.

Many SAD patients using Prozac tolerate the medication well and report positive results and relief from their social anxiety symptoms, while others find other therapies more helpful. Side effects are quite common with SSRIs in general, with the medications affecting sexual function and appetite in many patients. It is important to be especially watchful for cardiovascular and muscular side effects when using Prozac.

More info:

• Drugs.com
• eMedExpert.com
• Wikipedia

User ratings/reviews:

• AskAPatient.com
• Drugs.com
• DailyStrength.org
• WebMD
• RXList.com
• Revolution Health

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by Keith

Treatment Experience
I was on Prozac for a while for depression. It helped my depression alot when I was on 40mg. I had some annoying sexual side effects. It helped my anxiety slightly. No bad discontinuation symptoms. I'd recommend it .

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by Sasha

Treatment Experience
This was the first medication I was ever prescribed and it ruined my life more than suffering with the depression and anxiety did. It made everything a whole lot worse. I started self mutilating and I turned into a monster. I was constantly angry and taking it out on everyone. It was a horrible experience. I lost all of my friends and eventually started isolating myself from the world completely. I even quit school while I was on this medication. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone.

Posted by stealyourface722

Treatment Experience
but I had terrible panic and anxiety

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by g1gglez

Treatment Experience
Prozac made me have crazy thoughts about hurting people. One night I was driving home from work and I saw a guy walking on the side of the road. Something in my head was telling me to run him over. I didn't but its scary the thoughts I was having while on prozac. It made me paranoid,really bad panic attacks, detached from reality. I thought I was going out of my mind.

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by BearFan

Social Anxiety Background
Depression, Anxiety (including OCD and Social)

Treatment Experience
I liked Prozac the best when there was only 3 SSRIs to Choose From (The others being Zoloft and Paxil). It didn't cause the weight gain or many of the other side effects for me. I needed to take Buspar along with it because it is stimulanting. It starts working better for anxiety after 6 weeks, but most people should start at 10mg for a week followed by 20mg. I got some releif after the very first dose. It also helped with some OCD and minor ADD symptoms. After years it didn't work quite as well. I am just disappointed that after all these years, there hasn't been much better treatments that are better with anxiety/depression without the sexual side effects or apathy.

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by mcsboy8

Social Anxiety Background
Had social anxiety since beginning of 2008 to now

Other Treatments
Remeron, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Buspar, and various benzos

Treatment Experience
Been on this med for over half a year becuase my very expereinced shrink said it is the golden standard for depression/sa. foundit to be too activating and cause insomnia, had to take melatonin to go to bed alot, it dulled my emotions and I found my days to be really lethargic, didnt help with depression/sa whatsoever, it also caused me to have heat rash.

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by emjay58

Social Anxiety Background
I have had trouble with Social Anxiety since my high school days (I graduated in 1970. If I went to parties with my girlfriends I would drink excessively to be less shy and more "fun". I continue to do that to some degree even now.

Other Treatments
Psychotherapy- helps for a while, but I always regress

Treatment Experience
I have been on Prozac for at least 20 years. It has helped me a lot with depression, but I still have a terrible time with social gatherings. (I avoid them) I'm looking for other avenues of help, but I will continue to take Prozac. Otherwise, my depression becomes overwhelming.

YUK
weight gain, feeling of numbness and remorselessness, i acted stupidly on them
walked in front of a car while on them too and forgot i was even doing it, thank god the car stopped and yelled at me....

i was a zombie on fluoxetine, NEVER AGAIN

Fluoxetine helped nicely with my SA and even better for depression.

Maintained eye contact, had much less trouble making conversation. met a lot more people. I stopped having depressive thoughts and developed a sense of humor which I never had in my life. (not saying I was hilarious, just not uptight anymore)

It did not blunt any emotions for me.

However, on the downside...I had diarrhea, insomnia and lack of being able to sleep peacefully for the first few weeks/months.

Sexual dysfunction was the only persisting side effect. Loss of libido, and delayed/inablility to ejaculate was annoying.

I went on fluoxetine (20mg/day) about 6 months ago and it has changed my life for the better. I am still the same person but this drugs has allowed me to be myself openly. I tried alternating 20mg one day/40mg the next but this was too much for me and caused some unwanted side-effects such as extremely impulsive behaviour. As of today I am beginning to taper down and I am confident that I will be able to live without it within another 6 months.

Can anybody be more specific about what they mean when they "sexual side effects?" I'm on prozac as well and am wondering if I may be suffering similar symptoms.

did absolutely nothing for my SA or depression, but it was a great diet pill! that is, until it stopped working completely after the first 18 months...even at increasingly high dosages.

It covers several things really. Common ones include decreased desire to have sex or masturbate, more difficulty getting an erection, and more difficulty achieving climax.

I took fluoxetine for around 5 months, and was at 60mg per day for around one month. I didn't notice any positive effects. There were side effects, but these faded over time until they were very mild in nature. I took it for social phobia and depression (probably atypical).

Prozac worked wonders for my depression, with very little side effects. I don't think it's helped much with my anxiety though.

Fluoxetine seems to induce a certain hypomania in me. I dig it but I have done alot of stupid and impulsive things since starting on it.

I still get plenty anxious at times but my overall level of anxiety has decreased quite a bit since I started this med over a year ago.

i take buspar and xanax too and they probably contribute. I was housebound before I was on this combo so it seems to be helping quite a bit.

I'm on it currently but because my dosage is so low because I'm only 15 it doesn't seem to be helping at all =/ i don't know how it is on higher doses but it doesn't help at all......at least not for me and it has plenty of side affects like vertigo and many other things... I wouldn't recommend it at all....I really hope they put me on a new medication =/

It helps with my depression but not social anxiety.

I was at my GP yesterday complaining about my social anxiety again and giving her long lists to why its ruining my life, she was really friendly probaly the best doctor i have seen in that practice for a while she was dutch. she noticed i was very anxious from sitting in the crowded waiting room and she perscribed me 40mg propranolol 20mg fluoxetine and 10mg Amitriptyline to be taken at night i go back and see her in 3 weeks iam also going to be starting CBT

I had a very similar experience. This was the first medication I was ever prescribed. At 20 mg, the uncomfortable affects of anxiety were quieted but I turned into a zombie. It didn't help my depression one bit...I think it made it worse. I was already really depressed but I can't shake the feeling that the meds precipitated suicidal thoughts for me. I didn't consistently self-mutilate, but I did do it and I winded up in the adolescent psych ward where they pumped me with more medication. I lost a lot of weight - I've got the stretch marks to prove it. And even after I stopped taking them, I left school for homeschool, lost my friends, and it took me months to break out of my depression. It wasn't all the fault of the medication, but it certainly had a hand.