I had the opposite reaction. I had relief from social anxiety immediately....
Findings showed that increasing the activity of these pathways reduced the fear anxiety caused by the foot-shock treatment in the mice. Decreasing it raised anxiety levels.
Prozac, or fluoxetine, boosts serotonin levels. When the scientists exposed 2C-receptor BNST neurons to Prozac, it increased the effect of the 2C-receptor neurons on the neighboring VTA- and LH-projecting neurons. The mice became more fearful and anxious.
To find out how to stop this effect, senior author Thomas L. Kash and his team focused on the anxiety-mediating BNST neurons. They noticed that these neurons expressed a molecule, known as corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). CRF is a stress-signaling neurotransmitter. It is sometimes called corticotropin releasing hormone (CHR).
When the team added a compound to block CRF activity, the fear and anxiety that had been triggered by the Prozac were greatly reduced.