Fluoxetine and Tickly Cough!

Posted , 19 users are following.

Hi all, just a thought really, and wondered if anyone else had suffered with a really tickly cough whilst taking Flux?

I have been on 20mg now for 5 months and got over most of the traumatic side effects by about week 6, however I still have a few occasionally and I have a very tickly dry throat mainly at night but also sometimes during the day and it is driving me mad.  I am going to go docs as i have had it now for a while and it is getting worse and cough medicine doesnt help. 

Anyone else?

thanks all

x

 

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  • Posted

    Hi Julie, I just wanted to reply as you have not had a resonse yet, and i didnt want you to feel that there was no one out there going through same things as you are. I have to say, i suffered with many many side effects, terrrible ones, i think i reacted very badly to the med, however a cough was not one of them. I dont know anyone else who is on this med so i cant ask anyone on your behalf, sorry

    5 months does seem a long time to have that side effect, I agree you should go to Doctor and see what they think.

    How are you feeling 5 months into treatment? I am still early days and feel like i am just starting to come out the other side, please tell me that after 5 months you feel like a new person and the med really works fantastically???

    • Posted

      Hi Wendie,  yes I can honestly say that I feel like a totally different person 5 months on!  I can't believe the difference and am happier and more content than I have been for a very long time.  Even stressfull things dont seem quite so bad anymore ( I have a son who is schizophrenic so things can get pretty stressful at times) and I am now able to cope with this so much better than before.  I can even laugh now, something I havent done in a very long time.  Dont get me wrong, I do still get a little down, but I know I can cope with it.  I still get a few little side effects such as feeling dizzy occasionally and I am eating so much more so putting on weight.  I do hope that your symptoms and side effects go soon, the side effects seemed to disappear almost overnight for me at about 6 weeks and I had almost everyone going!  Here's to you feeling better soon smile x Stick with it, it is definitely worth it!
  • Posted

    Yes Julie I have the same issue that you have been having.  It is driving me crazy.  Does your get worse when you lay down?  By chance have you had the lap band surgery?
    • Posted

      I know this is an old post but I have had my lapband for 10 years and started prozac 3 months ago. i started coughing too and its so annoying. i was curious how you are doing and if you found out anything? otherwise i feel great on the meds,

  • Posted

    Hi yes i got a tickly cough very intermittently when on starter dose 20mg. When dose doubled the cough got worse. The frequency increased several times a day then tailed off to once or twice a week and a little dry throat. I know it wasnt a cold because of length of time, it was more like a choking type cough when something goes down wrong way. It got worse at night when i lay down.
  • Posted

    Hi All, I have been in Fluaxetine for 10 months new. I like it the way that my stree and panic attacks are gone, but cough is driving me crazy. over the 10 months period my cough is getting worse every day. I cannot sleep at night and this cough is intruppting my daily life. I am consedreing to switch it or stop taking any anti depreeants.
    • Posted

      I had the same problem with fluoxetine. Even worse, it also seemed to cause sinusitis. During my 5 months of treatment, I steadily had troubles with my sinuses including infections, chronic headache or frequent nosebleed. Eventually I felt like having the flu most of the time. Besides I noticed dry eyes and reduced sweating. 

      I guess fluoxetine appears to have - at least in my case - some anticholinergic properties and that thickly cough results from a dry and consequently irritated upper respiratory tract.

      I got rid of the tickly cough as well as the sinusitis by frequently using an ordinary nasal spray (with a plain 0.9 % isotonic saline solution). Make sure some of the solution runs down your throat.

    • Posted

      Hi all

      I being taking Fluaxetine for 2 months and I have a really bad cough specially at night .I am trying all remedies for cough and antibiotics but still have it.

  • Posted

    Hi. I take Fluoxetine and I too have a tickly cough, also a feeling of pressure across the bridge of my nose and excess mucous causing a sore throat.
  • Posted

    Hi Julie, I hear you!!! I have the same story. After being on Prozac for 4 months I developed a tickle cough & sinus infection. I was on 5mg, then upped to 10mg and when the doc upped me tom15mg in July 2017- about a month late the cough started. I’ve been dealing with it since and it’s now Nov 1,2017. And I havent slept a full night since August. I have been on Prestic & Effexor in the past and both times this cough happened. The Effexor almost killed me the cough, headaches, fever & body aches were so bad. I cut myself off cold turkey and the cough went away in about a month. I told my new doc I had this coughing symptom before going on Prozac. She said she’d never heard of that happening. So here I am now, finally finding a pill that curbs my anxiety... but it causes me to not sleep and be sick. So upsetting. I see my doc next week after 3 months.  The last appt (end of July) she was thrilled I was doing so well. So she said she didn’t need to see me for 3 months. The cough started about 4 weeks after she upped my dosage. I’ve slowly weened myself off the Prozac. And the cough is subsiding- but the anxiety is returning. Such a battle. No sleep and constant sinus issues and coughing vs anxiety.  I even went to my physician and he prescribed my nasal spray. Helps open my sinuses - but doesn’t alleviate the cough. I also heard that the blood pressure medicine licinapryl (not sure about the correct spelling) also coughed a tickle cough & sinus infection. Wonder if they share a similar ingredient??

    Have you found any help? Anyone else found a work around?? I hate to give up

    Prozac but I can’t live with not sleeping (I sleep sitting up now with a cough drop in my mouth all night and I’m still coughing.) help!!! 

    • Posted

      Yes I have had the same problem after taking Prozac for 2 months. A terribly annoying dry sandpapery Cough. Not only that but  it feels like my throat is closing up and getting smaller like I have swallowed water the wrong way down - like I’m choking and my throat is getting smaller and more restricted.

      I cough sometimes in the day but the worse is when it wakes me up in the night! When I feel my throat is closing up like I can’t breathe and have this sandpaper dry constricted feeling in my throat constantly.

      I had this sandpapery dry cough that feels like my airway is restricted for 6 months now, even  after stopping Prozac which I only taken for 2 months hoping the symptoms would go away eventually as the Prozac started to kick in after 4 weeks and it made me feel happier, my mood was great, I had more energy, I more organized for the first time, more focused, And  it controlled my ADHD symptoms  extremely well, I was feeling more confident, happier, brighter & more conscientious, considerate human being, it changed me for the better in some ways because I was more compassionate, caring and empathetic towards others but the side effects from it were so extremely  annoying, that I had to unfortunately stop.

      The side effects where just horrible & didn’t go away. And still haven’t gone away since I stoped taking Prozac 6 months ago.

      Not to mention the, red blotchy sores all over my body like I am a teenager with acne on my neck face and back. I also suffered with extremely dry eyes, Gritty, dry scratchy eyes that are Very blurry, itchy, sandpaper feeling in my eyes yet again, burning with uncomfortable swelling behind them.  It literally feels like parts of sandpaper or sand  is caught in my eyes. I also had yellow and red discoloration in the whites of my eyes, very blood shot and yellow with swelling and blurred vision.

      What surprises me is the same sand paper feeling in my eyes I also had in my throat and wonder when in blazes are these symptoms going to go away! As they have lasted for 6 months without any improvement.

      Which you can imagine has  me deeply concerned. 

      The side effects from taking Prozac even when the Prozac has been long gone, out of my system is that the facts still remains-  that the annoying side effects from taking Prozac have lasted longer than me taking The medication to begin with. I wonder if I will ever stop coughing and my eyes stop hurting and drying out causing them to itch and burn like there’s sand caught in them.

      So yes I feel for anyone going through the same ordeal as me, and I’m worried and deeply troubled by wether I and other people have to irreversible damage from taking Prozac to begin with. 

      Wether we all have to suffer long term side effects because of taking this drug to begin with. 

      I also hate to give up Prozac because it improved my life so much in someways and took away my depression and anxiety but the side effects are driving me mad mad & I can’t live with not sleeping (I also try to sleep sitting up such I can’t it’s just can’t do it, it’s too difficult and taking cough drops in my mouth all night and cough medicine but I’m still coughing.) I wonder in the future if they will ever improve Prozac so we don’t have to suffer  the consequences long term for such serious and disturbing side effects.

  • Posted

    Hi There! I just wanted to comment and let everyone know who is on this medication that it done wonders for me. In the early stages it was really, truly awful.. the side effects were horrendous but now 5 months on I feel like a different woman.. I went from and agoraphobic, panicking, depressed messed back to the lady I once knew. 

    Do not lose hope in the medication , it didn't work for me until at least week 10.. and also mindfulness, please practice once per day. A combination of this and meds and you'll be a new person. 

    I wish I could give you all a massive hug x x x you just come out stronger in the end

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