May 10, 2009

So much for every week, but to keep anyone interested posted.

The Prozac has been working pretty well for me. I am adapting to the real world much better. I am still a little tired in the evening, more tired than I want to be, but I am trying to change around my sleep habits to see if this will help. I had the option of uping my dose to 20 mgs, rather than then ten I am currently taking, but I opted not too.

I am still glad I made the switch from Lexapro to Prozac, and I am definitely glad I am taking an SSRI. I am happier and more active, even though my energy is not entirely back.

I received some emails about the alcohol, which inspired me to actually update this blog. My issues with alcohol are no different than they were with lexapro or right before I started taking lexapro. I can drink wine and whisky no problem. I still get hung over, but not the crazy flu likee hang overs I was complaining about before. I also can handle a few beers of certain types (heineken and bud light) much better than other beers. Someone had mentioned this early on in my blog, but I know when I started drinking if I am going to feel sick or not. I do not think I am allergic to Beer, because I do not break out in hives or rashes.... I just began to feel sick to my stomach. My friends thinks maybe I am growing an intolerance to beer, but I have never heard of that. I think, once I find the time, I am going to finally go to a specialist to figure this out.

Thank you for the emails, and I apologize for the lack of updates. I hope people can find information the need through previous posts and comments / advice that other people have left here.

Tuesday April 21, 2009

My life is becoming more normal. I am still tired in the mornings and in the afternoon, but not as bad as it was when I was on Lexapro. To this day, I still have not gone to the gym. I am running, and this makes me feel better in the afternoons, but I have this fear of the gym. I laugh to myself about it, because its crazy, but I still do not go. There is obviously something wrong there, and that is the only reason I am continuing with my therapy.

I have been going to work every day (when on lexapro, I worked mostly from home because I was so tired in the morning). I have been more focused at work and when doing things. When I get home from work, my motivation for things drops, but I am still able to force my self to go running and make dinner.

Alcohol wise, I drink on the weekends. I drank a significicant amount of beer on Friday and had an awful hang over on Saturday. On Saturday I drank a significant amount of whisky and did not have a hang over on Sunday. So I may have a problem with beer, maybe I am allergic. I am going to the doctors again soon to see if this is the case.

I still have not drank coffee, but I am drinking caffeine in the form of tea and soda. I get a stomach ache from coffee and have not figured out why.

My anxiety is practically gone, but I still get a little anxious at night randomly. I will sometimes wake up and have to take a xanax, but that is the only time I ever take it. My only long term worry is when I will have to stop taking prozac. The longer I take it, the harder I think it is going to be to get off of it.

Update

Clearly I have been really bad about up dating my blog. It has been probably two or three weeks since I did a legit assessment on how the Prozac has been doing. It is selfish since I received so much help from random strangers when taking the Lexapro and I apologize.

The prozac is a much better SSRI for me. Though I am gruggy when I first wake up, more the majority of the day I have more energy. I am able to stay focused at work and I feel altogether more comfortable. I have began running again every other day, though I have still yet to go to the gym. I have been able to drink alcohol, and this last weekend was the first time I was able to drink a normal amount of beer without throwing up. My caffeine in take is still really low, and I still have not been able to drink coffee.

Two and a half months after starting SSRIs I am starting to feel more like my self. I am not 100% there yet, but I am getting there. My Diet has not changed, but I have increase my cardio exercise which may help. My doctors say that exercise will make it easier to get off the drunk and lower my dependancy on them. Also, I have seen a Pyscologist every week, and just talking with someone has helped. Its expensive, and I am going to start see her every other week and eventually only when needed. I think the combination of seeing her, the prozac, the exercise, and enjoying what I am doing at work more, have all contributed to me feeling better.

I appologize again for the lack of communication on this blog. I disappeared without even saying if I was done with it or not. I check my email / reply to emails daily, but I was just too lazy to take care of this which is probably more important. I am going to updathe this weekly, because I do not see a point in giving my daily updates if nothing is changing. If something suddenly happens, of course I will share it.

Thanks again and I will try to remain more faithful.

Update - weekend

Sorry, I have not been faithful to these postings recently. Work has pushed me to the edge and my weekend was filled doing things I wanted to get done during the week.

Anyways, the prozac has increased my day time energy. I am still tired when I wake up, but I am not longer a waste of space 9 am - 11 am like I was with the lexapro. It is easier to focus on my work, and my day goes by a little faster. I do get tired though at the end of the day. Its not a crash, but starting around 6 or 7 pm I get really tired.

I have had no side effects with the change. I was able to drink a little more alcohol this weekend, and I was not overly hung over the next day or felt sick during. I still have a fear of the gym, but I went running today. It hurt, but I am going to continue and try to keep it up.

Day 4

I am sleeping fine, but I keep waking up naturally around 7 am ish. I don't know if one of my roommates is accidentally waking me up or what, but I am waking up. I fall back to sleep, but only to wake up between 8 and 830.

My morning energy is higher than it was a week ago. I don't know if its the lack of lexapro bringing me down or the prozac raising my energy, or a combination of both. Its only been four days, and I am having no side effects from the switch from lexapro to prozac and my energy levels are higher. Today I left my house at 8 30 am and did not get home from work utnil 8 30 pm. I didn't become tired until around 7 30ish and thats because I was getting hungry.

So I don't know if its the lack of lex or the active effects of prozac, but so far I am having a better experience with prozac. I hope this continues.

Day 3

I slept fine last night.

Its still hard to get out of bed, but once I get moving I am more motivated to leave my bedroom and eventually leave my house to go to work. Both Monday and this morning I naturally have woken up at 7 am without my alarm but I go back to sleep until my alarm goes off at 8. I feel like I could actually get up at 7, but I rather sleep in (imagine that).

I was by myself at work today, but remained more busy than usual. I was not as tired today, but I also only worked 6.5 hours.

This evening, I hung out with my friends at a bar. This is something I never do, and I was happy that I actually went out to meet up with them. I had a drink and did not feel sick. I felt like I could have another, but I had to drive so why take a chance. This is good though, because I am not feeling sick. At the same time, I have not tried drinking beer yet; something I may try this weekend.

I still have not gone to the gym. I really need to break this habit. I can feel my body mass changing since it has been over a month since I have gone to the gym.

Day 1 + 2

I was sick Friday and Saturday, so my energy levels are obviously going to be lower. Ironically, I started Friday thinking its just going to be a rough day with the lexapro and I will have the burst of energy I usually receive around mid day. This never came so I left work early, took my temperature and realized I was sick.

Anyways, my fever has gone away. I took my first Prozac yesterday (Sunday) and did not notice any difference between Prozac and Lexapro. I was tired Sunday and watched a movie all day (Lord of the Rings extended version so it really took all day). My Doctor gave me the heads up and said that I may have trouble sleeping the first few nights since Prozac is a neutral active meaning people either have no change or a slight increase in energy from it (where lexapro is the opposite). I definintly felt groggy after taking the lexapro so the Doctor guessed I will respond to the Prozac the same way. However, last night I had no problem falling asleep.

I did not have any trouble sleeping and I woke up tired as usual. I am taking the pill with food in the morning. I have experienced any side effects from the transition from Lexapro to prozac, and I have not experienced any side effects from the prozac. I am a little more positive because the weather is getting slightly warmer, I am enjoying work slightly more, and I was able to drink a small amount this weekend with out getting sick. My next step will still be conquoring this weird fear of the gym.

Again, I have not noticed any real difference between the prozac and lexapro, but it has only been two days.