I understand these are brand names for a class of drugs, but my question is about their effectiveness.

Has anyone here actually taken one or more of these drugs? If so, would you care to say WHY you took them - in other words, what your medical problem was/is.

I'm NOT looking for comments from doctors or nurses who may have knowledge of these things, but from someone who has had an actual experience of using them.

Were there side effects? Did they work for your specific medical difficulty?

Anything else you would care to relate about these drugs (from users).

Thank you.

Following are two websites that include user comments as well as the required listing of side effects for most drugs. You are well advised to solicit information from users. Often cited experiences are quite different from listed side effects:

Drugs.com | Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects (http://www.drugs.com/)

RxList - The Internet Drug Index for prescription drugs, medications and pill identifier (http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp)

Simply enter name of the drug and following the list.

Xanax, you mean? They are not in the same class of drugs, BTW. Benzodiazepine vs SSRI.

I took Prozac around 1989 for depression. Awful for me. My sister took it a year or two later with excellent results for her. The doctor kept increasing my dose (because it wasn't helping) and I felt like the back of my head (just the back) was going to explode. I went cold turkey, not a good idea, but I wasn't on it too long.

Prozac can be given for panic, which Xanax would be for mainly. Each person reacts SO differently that I'm not sure what the use of even asking this question is.

Xanax, you mean? They are not in the same class of drugs, BTW. Benzodiazepine vs SSRI.

I took Prozac around 1989 for depression. Awful for me. My sister took it a year or two later with excellent results for her. The doctor kept increasing my dose (because it wasn't helping) and I felt like the back of my head (just the back) was going to explode. I went cold turkey, not a good idea, but I wasn't on it too long.

Prozac can be given for panic, which Xanax would be for mainly. Each person reacts SO differently that I'm not sure what the use of even asking this question is.

Yes, I meant Xanax - thanks. I know that they're not the same class of drugs.

I'm not sure either the use of asking the question here, but one must start somewhere.

Your reply has been very helpful. If you don't mind my asking, what DID work for you, if anything.

Following are two websites that include user comments as well as the required listing of side effects for most drugs. You are well advised to solicit information from users. Often cited experiences are quite different from listed side effects:

Drugs.com | Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects (http://www.drugs.com/)

RxList - The Internet Drug Index for prescription drugs, medications and pill identifier (http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp)

Simply enter name of the drug and following the list.

Thanks for the links, Doc. I've done that and thought I would try this way to get first-hand knowledge.

I have tried various antidepressants off and on between the ages of ~30 and ~60. I tended to be somewhat depressed since a teen, and if some crisis happens I get more so easily. Wellbutrin worked, but only for a few months, and I had vivid dreams while sleeping and I 'saw' flashes of them every time I blinked during the day. No help from some SSRIs. Doctors admit it's a crap shoot, and they also know that there's a tendency to wear off.
Going outside in the morning just around sunrise helps me, believe it or not. There are other little non-drug techniques that can work for me too, and people have countless such stories.

I have tried various antidepressants off and on between the ages of ~30 and ~60. I tended to be somewhat depressed since a teen, and if some crisis happens I get more so easily. Wellbutrin worked, but only for a few months, and I had vivid dreams while sleeping and I 'saw' flashes of them every time I blinked during the day. No help from some SSRIs. Doctors admit it's a crap shoot, and they also know that there's a tendency to wear off.
Going outside in the morning just around sunrise helps me, believe it or not. There are other little non-drug techniques that can work for me too, and people have countless such stories.

I believe it - early morning walk. I have heard many anecdotes about what helps - exercise probably being the most common.

Have you ever examined - or has a doctor ever told you - about the effect of serotonin in the brain? If so, do you understand it to be a cause or an effect.

You mentioned depression - do you understand that to be the same as "anxiety attacks" or "panic attacks"? Is one, or more, more severe than the other?

Thank you for staying with this. If, at any time, the posts/replies become uncomfortable for you, I will perfectly understand that you may wish to end it.

Perhaps consider that just 'cause something's 'normal' or 'legal' that doesn't mean it's not bad for you.

About Benzos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkGzivBim0o&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_term_effects_of_benzodiazepines

or ask this dude; he's on them - http://www.youtube.com/user/justme0019

it's even more dangerous to not know what you're taking - http://www.justice.gov/dea/programs/forensicsci/microgram/mg0508/mg0508.html