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6 weeks Prozac and still feeling bad

Posted , 23 users are following.

caz7761
caz7761

Hi. Just would like some encouragement! The forums suggest that 6 weeks is still early days but everyone around me keeps saying why am I not better as nhs websites say 4-6 weeks. It’s really not helping! I am waking around 4am with panic attacks. My head feels so tight and I have waves of nausea and dizziness. By the afternoon tho I do start to feel a bit more positive , then I go to bed and it starts again. I am trying so hard to just stick with it but everyone around me is losing patience. Can anyone advise please. Thanks so much 

0 likes, 47 replies

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  • Painintopower
    Painintopower caz7761

    Posted

    I hit week 6 tomorrow, I’m having the same thing I started to feel better in the evening but then wake up feeling awful again! Apparently we are so close we just have to ride this bit out. Xx
    • caz7761
      caz7761 Painintopower

      Posted

      Thank you! It’s so hard that the very meds that are supposed to make you feel better make you feel worse at first! If it wasn’t for being able to share with others going through it I don’t know what I would do. Just want to feel better! I hope you have a good day! 
  • Star586
    Star586 caz7761

    Posted

    Caz have u any idea how many weeks its actually supposed to take? Xxxx
    • caz7761
      caz7761 Star586

      Posted

      I think it’s different for everyone but definitely months rather than weeks. Just hold on in there! 
  • wyarip
    wyarip caz7761

    Posted

    Hi Caz,

    I am 6 weeks in and though things were getting better but last few days not so good. wake at 2.30am every night and chest pains/palpitations during the day. I  do improve as the day goes on (mornings can be hell) but still don't get that feeling that I've turned the corner yet. I will keep going on the 20mg as a lot of side effects have reduced- headaches,dizziness. 4-6 weeks is short estimate, everyone seems to be different, I read some can wait 3-4 month for any sign of improvement.  Hope you feel better soon.

    • caz7761
      caz7761 wyarip

      Posted

      Hi, seems like a whole lot of us are awake feeling rubbish in the early hours! I am hanging on for a few weeks time when hopefully the mornings will improve. I have to literally make myself go to work and my job is helping people in hospital so at least I can focus on that but inside I’m terrified I won’t get better. 
    • caz7761
      caz7761 wyarip

      Posted

      Hope you are having a good day and feel better soon x
  • katecogs
    katecogs caz7761

    Edited

    6 weeks is indeed way too early - people often state that are the ones who've never taken these meds.  Count recovery in months, not weeks.  Took me 6 months.  Its typical to start noticing changes around 3 months.  Everyone is different, so don't compared your timescale to anyone else.

    That's how is started for me - each evening I'd feel my head clear, felt positive - each morning I'd wake with anxiety.  It carried on like that throughout recovery with the positive feeling growing little by little until my day felt quite normal ... though the morning anxiety still happened, though I knew it would disappear as the day wore on.  So yes it will happen day after day - bit like groundhog day wink  

    At 6 months I woke up and the anxiety had gone.  I continued to feel a little shaky from there on but felt myself all the time, and as more months passed I grew stronger and better.  Have been well ever since.

    K x

    • caz7761
      caz7761 katecogs

      Posted

      Thanks so much. I will keep your reply close to me and read it when I feel rubbish! People around me just keep saying the meds can’t be working as I should feel better by now.... it’s so isolating! Thank goodness for this forum! X
    • katecogs
      katecogs caz7761

      Posted

      You need a lot of patience on these meds and so do family and friends.  It is isolating and when I was ill I thought I was the only one ever - surely nobody else could feel like I did.  Its very common and sadly people don't talk about it much for fear of being laughed etc.  I was ill for 16 years and recovered - everyone can.  Let the meds work, take it slow, accept whatever happens at the moment - it gets easier.

      K x

    • caz7761
      caz7761 katecogs

      Posted

      That has really encouraged me, thank you so much x
    • ali99
      ali99 katecogs

      Edited

      Hi Kate

      i know this was years ago but i just wondered how you recovered after 16 years of depression? I have been depressed for about as long and feel like there's no hope. I always end up feeling terrible again after feeling better for a while.

      A x

    • katecogs
      katecogs ali99

      Posted

      Hi Ali

      I had anxiety and depression for 16 years (on and off) - during that time I read lots about it (as the internet hadn't taken off then) but could never get my head around it, and finally I had my medication changed from Tri-cyclic anti-depressants to SSRI’s which were ‘new’ back in the 90’s. So it was a bit of education but mostly the new meds that helped me recover, and since recovering I understand anxiety more as my head was then in a better place.

    • chezza123
      chezza123 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate, are you still on here?

      i'm on week 5 and this is the 3rd time on prozac for me.

      im so anxious i can't even remember how long they took last time. Not sure if the diazepram was making me worse so i've come off them. Could i be having side effects from them?

      Did you take any pans? to help you along the way?

      many thanks

    • katecogs
      katecogs chezza123

      Posted

      Hi chezza

      Yes am still on here - I've just replied to your private message (sorry for the delay).

      When you're back in the anxiety clutches you do forget how long it took to get better before, and if feels like you'll never escape. You will.

      It can take 6-9 months or even longer to feel completely well again. It does get better as you recover with ups and downs, but just keep on persevering as you know these meds work for you.

      I only ever took Valium over 40 years ago back in the early days of when I was first ill, but I didn't like feeling spaced out, so no I've never taken anything else other than the SSRI's since, but there's no reason not to if your GP has prescribed them. They'll help take the edge off and get you through the initial weeks / months.

      Have sent you some details anyway 😃 😃

    • tara80646
      tara80646 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate,

      I private messaged you. I am on week 9 of 40 mg. with tinnitus and increased anxiety. I felt like I was doing better and now tinnitus has me so anxious. My doctor wants me to switch meds but it takes so long for me to get results and I get so many side effects, that I am scared. She also said the meds should work by 6-8 weeks and I probably won't improve anymore from them. I have been on fluoxetine once before and had great results. What is your opinion?

    • katecogs
      katecogs tara80646

      Posted

      Tara

      Also wanted to say - these meds will be working by 6-8 weeks but you will not feel better at all (some people may, but very rarely). It will be many months before you start feeling the benefit.

      That's a very strange thing for your doctor to say ... the you probably won't improve any more from them? Why? Of course you will.

      If you've taken the meds before with good results then they'll work again - just persevere.

    • Lila10
      Lila10 caz7761

      Posted

      Hi Caz I'm on 7 weeks and i know its still early days for me. My anxiety and insomnia have peaked and i feel like im in the twilight zone at the moment. Im hoping from 3 months plus i will start to see the benefits of the medication. ive been on it previously for a number of years and it works with time and patience which is hard when you are in the middle of an anxiety tornado 🙄 xxx

    • tara80646
      tara80646 Lila10

      Edited

      Hi Lila, it looks like most of these posts are really old. I'm on week 11 at 40 mg. I'm still feeling anxious. I think a large part of my anxiety is the ear ringing that I developed at 6 weeks. At first it didn't bother me, but it just keeps going. I start to think it will never go away. I also read that if things aren't better at 12 weeks, maybe you should switch meds. I am getting close to 12 weeks, and I don't want to switch at this point. I've talked with katecogs about this. She helps a lot. This is my second time on fluoxetine, and it worked wonders for me before. I'm just waiting for that to happen again!

    • Lila10
      Lila10 tara80646

      Posted

      Hi Tara just keep going you've got this 🙌. Recovery is a slow process. kate is amazing, did you get information links she sends to help people? Im sticking with my meds and doing some self help research. Feel free to inbox me for a chat 😊

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