Almost 6 weeks on Prozac (20mg) - how do I know if it’s actually working?
I’m coming up on 6 weeks of taking Prozac (fluoxetine) 20mg and I’m not really sure whether it’s working for me.
I had very few of the initial side effects I was warned about. I was able to sleep normally and didn’t experience much nausea, anxiety, insomnia, etc. The main things I’ve noticed are extreme daytime tiredness and a significant decrease in libido / difficulty reaching orgasm.
I take 20mg around 10am every day, and I often start feeling very sleepy around noon/lunchtime. The tiredness can be pretty intense on some days, even though I’m sleeping normally at night.
What I’m struggling with is knowing what I’m actually supposed to feel like if Prozac is working. I don’t feel ecstatic, suddenly energized, or dramatically different. I do notice I’m experiencing improvements in my original symptoms of anxiety and depression but there still have been days where I feel sad (granted, they last for a much shorter period than it did before)
I’ve read that 6–8 weeks is when you should start seeing the full effect, so I’m wondering:
What did it feel like for you when Prozac started working?
Did you notice a gradual improvement or a sudden change?
Did anyone experience significant tiredness that eventually went away?
Is it normal to still be very tired around week 6?
Did your libido/sexual side effects improve with time?
At what point did you decide Prozac wasn’t working for you or that you needed a dose/medication change?
I’m planning to speak to my doctor rather than changing anything myself, but I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences around the 6-week mark.