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What Causes Severe Exhaustion While On Prozac For Depression?
Question: Hi I am a 29 year old female and have struggled with depression since around the age of 18. I have always been very weary of taking medication and avoided it for years trying to fix myself naturally through working out eating healthy natural supplements ect. I am completely familiar with having days where I just want to lay in bed all day but I didn't usually sleep that whole time or even feel tired just like I would rathe play in bed than face the world or do anything. About a year and a half ago I decided to try medication. I took 20mg or prozac which worked for a while but I started to feel like my personality was dimmed and I kind of felt numb. I own a fashion company and I feel like a vibrant outlook and personality is necessary for me, it is also how I have always been aside from my depressed days weeks months. I noticed this past year I have been completely exsausted at a different level than ever, I also keep getting colds. It has been fairly consistant for about a year. I could and have been easily sleeping 12 hours and still tired later on. Like I said I am familiar with the feeling of wanting to lay in bed but this is different I am actually genuinely tired I wake up after 9 or 10 hours and feel completely fatigued still and go back to sleep for 3 more still not feeling completely rested when I get up. I stopped the prozac about 3 weeks ago because of the numb feeling. Note this exhaustion didn't start and hasn't stopped with the medicine. I maintain a mostly healthy diet and try to exercise regularly but these colds have been getting in the way of that. Also recently within the last few weeks I have been getting slight head aches, It may be allergies. The biggest problem is that I got blood work done and everything game back normal. I am so sick of feeling exhausted and would like to know the most cost effective way to go about figuring out what is wrong with me.
Brief Answer:
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question.
Normal bloodwork (assuming this includes CBC, CMP, TSH, Vitamin D level) suggests this may be subclinical depression or even a major depressive episode. Depression can be characterized by fatigue, low energy, sleeping too much, poor concentration, and the like. This is all more likely depression because you stopped taking your antidepressant medication. I would talk with your prescribing doctor about restarting an antidepressant -- if you didn't like Prozac, there are over a dozen other antidepressants to choose from that can help you.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question.
Normal bloodwork (assuming this includes CBC, CMP, TSH, Vitamin D level) suggests this may be subclinical depression or even a major depressive episode. Depression can be characterized by fatigue, low energy, sleeping too much, poor concentration, and the like. This is all more likely depression because you stopped taking your antidepressant medication. I would talk with your prescribing doctor about restarting an antidepressant -- if you didn't like Prozac, there are over a dozen other antidepressants to choose from that can help you.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
I said the mayor fatigue happened about a year ago after I had been taking anti depressants for 6 months. It has continued for the past year while I have been consistently on Prozac and has been the exact same since I stopped 3 weeks ago. Also I do not feel a difference in my level or depression I just feel more exsausted and tired.
Brief Answer:
Followup
Detailed Answer:
Right -- it could be that this fatigue is an under-treated symptom of depression. Prozac 20mg is a very low dose, and you may feel less fatigued at a higher dose. I think this is worth a try.
There could be other explanations. If bloodwork shows you are not anemic, hypothyroid, or have low Vitamin D, then it may be a sleep disorder, and you may benefit from a sleep study. This may be seasonal allergies that could improve with a trial of loratadine, which is an over-the-counter drug. I would talk with your doctor about a sleep study and try loratadine, and if these do not help, consider going back on an antidepressant and increasing the dose.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Followup
Detailed Answer:
Right -- it could be that this fatigue is an under-treated symptom of depression. Prozac 20mg is a very low dose, and you may feel less fatigued at a higher dose. I think this is worth a try.
There could be other explanations. If bloodwork shows you are not anemic, hypothyroid, or have low Vitamin D, then it may be a sleep disorder, and you may benefit from a sleep study. This may be seasonal allergies that could improve with a trial of loratadine, which is an over-the-counter drug. I would talk with your doctor about a sleep study and try loratadine, and if these do not help, consider going back on an antidepressant and increasing the dose.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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