On antidepressant medication, it is possible that you might experience a sense of feeling numb and less like yourself. Though the symptoms of depression have decreased, there may be a sense that other emotional responses – laughing or crying, for example – are more difficult to experience.
In some cases, a simple dose reduction may help clear some of the numbness. Making positive lifestyle changes can also help. Continuing to work with your healthcare provider to find the right formula of medications, therapy, and lifestyle can help you overcome and manage your depression over the long term.
Emotional blunting is frequently reported by patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and has been identified as one of the most prominent side effects of antidepressants leading to medication discontinuation.
On antidepressant medication, it is possible that you might experience a sense of feeling numb and less like yourself. Though the symptoms of depression have decreased, there may be a sense that other emotional responses – laughing or crying, for example – are more difficult to experience.
Scientists have worked out why common anti-depressants cause around a half of users to feel emotionally 'blunted'. In a study published today, they show that the drugs affect reinforcement learning, an important behavioural process that allows us to learn from our environment.
The common occurrence of slow-rolling eye movements during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in patients taking Fluoxetine has led to this finding being referred to as “Prozac Eyes” [1]. The oculomotor movements in patients on Fluoxetine are accompanied by an increase in myoclonic activity[2].
Antidepressants like fluoxetine help to improve your mood so you feel better. You may notice that you sleep better and get on with people more easily because you're less anxious. You will hopefully feel less worried. Fluoxetine will not change your personality, it will simply help you feel like yourself again.
SSRIs release two chemicals in the brain that kick in at different times, causing a period of negative effects on mental health, the authors report. The first chemical is serotonin, which is released very soon after an SSRI is taken but might not lessen depressive symptoms until after a couple of weeks.
People taking Prozac or other anti-depressants may experience personality changes for a range of reasons: The stress of waiting for improvement may worsen their mental state or the anti-depressant may produce symptoms of a different, undiagnosed mental illness. Finally, depressed people often abuse drugs and alcohol.
Bottom Line. Within the first one to two weeks, most people feel lower levels of anxiety, restlessness or tiredness with Prozac treatment. Your sleep, energy and appetite may improve over the first month and you may have a better focus on daily tasks. A depressed mood can take up to 8 weeks to fully respond.
Emotional blunting can be temporary, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours at a time. It can also occur over the long term, from months to years. It all depends on the underlying cause. Experiencing emotional blunting may affect your relationships and how you feel about yourself and the world.
It's not an uncommon experience and it's called anhedonia. Simply put, anhedonia is when you lose interest in the social activities and physical sensations that you once enjoyed. It's a symptom of many mental health conditions, including depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
User Reviews for Prozac to treat Anxiety and Stress. Prozac has an average rating of 7.3 out of 10 from a total of 373 reviews for the treatment of Anxiety and Stress. 67% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 19% reported a negative experience.
Long-term side effects
Sexual side effects, such as problems getting an erection or a lower sex drive, have been reported after taking fluoxetine for a long time. In some cases, these can continue even after stopping the medicine.
It works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is thought to have a good influence on mood, emotion and sleep. Fluoxetine helps many people recover from depression, and it has fewer side effects than some other antidepressants.
However, in some cases, the inability to feel happy in spite of good circumstances could be a sign of an underlying mental health issue such as depression or anxiety. Anhedonia, which is the persistent inability to experience pleasure, could also be at play here.
While physical conditions can also contribute to the inability to cry, feeling unable to cry usually involves your mental health, emotional state, beliefs surrounding vulnerability, or past trauma.
the inhibition of thought, speech, or other responses due to extreme emotion, often associated with extreme fear.
Antidepressants can cause a number of dissociative experiences including: Amnesia. Déjà vu. Depersonalization.
Emotional numbness can be treated both through lifestyle changes that you can make on your own and getting help from a mental health professional.
A common side-effect among anti-depressants users is feeling emotionally numb or experiencing emotional blunting. Their hobbies are no longer fun. And their sex life is not as pleasurable as it used to. Researchers estimate that between 40% to 60% of people who take antidepressants experience this side effect.
Are There Any Risks For Taking Fluoxetine For Long Periods Of Time? To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of fluoxetine. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.
Do not use fluoxetine with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John's wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®).