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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bassman on March 18, 2006, at 19:29:02
I just read a clinical study in which they weren't able to get panic disorder folks up to the therapeutic dose of Prozac, so they told them just to take the highest dose they could stand. Even though it was not in the therapeutic range, a lot of the folks did very well on the low doses. I knew a woman who had panic disorder and walked in circles on her living room carpet basically 24 hours a day and wouldn't go out of the house. She took 5 mg Prozac and boom!-she was fine.
Anyone else heard of very low doses of Prozac being beneficial? This isn’t an intellectual exercise; I’m thinking of trying it.
bassman
Posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2006, at 20:22:41
In reply to low dose Prozac, posted by bassman on March 18, 2006, at 19:29:02
Me too!!! If this luvox doesn't work that is next on my list. Years ago when it first came out I had what my pdoc called dramtic results. Day l I wallpapered the foyer. Day 2 anxiety, Day 3 full blown panic. Took three days of xanax to bring me down. But at the time prozac only came in 20mg capsules. My doc wanted me to tke it every three days but the panis had gotten so bad I said no. Not that you get it in lower doseages I'd like to try 5mg too. Fondly,, Phillipa
Posted by john berk on March 18, 2006, at 21:46:35
In reply to Re: low dose Prozac » bassman, posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2006, at 20:22:41
Early research by Lilly found that 5 mgs. was effective in depression for adults, but decided for marketing reasons to come out with one size fits all 20 mgs. i think you can both do well on 5 mgs., it is sure worth a try, you can always bump up eventually, good luck...john
Posted by bassman on March 19, 2006, at 7:28:49
In reply to Re: low dose Prozac, posted by john berk on March 18, 2006, at 21:46:35
Companies like to make the dose for the clinicals high so that the response rate looks good, as you know. It's too bad we can't get the info about how people respond at low doses, like to every drug...
Posted by discopainter on March 21, 2006, at 21:15:29
In reply to low dose Prozac, posted by bassman on March 18, 2006, at 19:29:02
I am currently taking low doses (5mg/day) of prozac and having mixed results (but it IS impactful--if anything I need to cut the dose down to every other day or something like that). In short, small doses of Prozac can be very helpful... I feel an improvement within a 1/2 hour of taking it.
My history: I have been treated for unipolar depression for years with little impact. Then just recently a pdoc put me on 20mg of Prozac and I became somewhat euphoric. Then they put me on a birth control pill and I got a million times worse and spun down into a suicidal mixed state. I guess according to this they are now saying I have been misdiagnosed for years and I'm really on the bipolar spectrum... anyway,I am new to all this stuff but 5mg of Prozac immediately takes away the physical pain of depression for me (but it then makes me excrutiatingly anxious)...I'm going to have to try something else for myself but I think it's worth trying... dp
Posted by bassman on March 22, 2006, at 5:01:40
In reply to Re: low dose Prozac, posted by discopainter on March 21, 2006, at 21:15:29
Thanks for the info...I'm trying 5 mg Prozac, too, and hoping it would do something; with panic disorder, I couldn't see me taking 20 mg. I like your phrase about the "pain of depression'-that is exactly what it feels like to me, too. BTW, I was taking 300 mg Wellbutrin and I think that was too stimulating, too, sometimes it's hard to know if the pain is from anxiety or depression...I lowered the Wellbutrin to 150 mg a couple days ago and felt immediately better.
This is the end of the thread.
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