should I increase my dose?

Thank you so much for your reply. I have heard that I should leave it longer so I will leave it 12 weeks (which seems an eternity) and then go back to my doctor and increase it if no better. its just hard having to cope every day x

Hi Atki,

How are you feeling now?

I'm 7 weeks in and FINALLY starting to have a few good days here and there. They aren't great, I'm not better by a long way and I still want to sleep all the time but I am starting to have a little life in me for a few hours a day again. It's taken a long time but I finally feel a little hopeful that I may be on the way to recovering.

Do you go out and do nice things? Apprently just walking really helps. I'm not quite there yet, I've become slightly agoraphobic but I'm going to attempt a short walk each day soon.

Also ask the doctor about CBT. It's supposed to be very helpful in line with antidepressants. I'm on a waiting list and will hopefully begin next week.

Keep us updated and good luck xx

Hi Karen,

How are you feeling now?

Thanks for posting and I hope you're well xx

sorry haven't checked back for a while. I'm nearly on week 8. last week I felt back to 'normal' but the last few days I feel im sinking a bit. im going to wait for week 12 and if im not loving life by then I will ask to increase. nice things? I work 4 days a week and have a 3 year old so I do force myself to do lots even if I don't want to. I always worry about increasing doseage as what happens if I go to full strength and still feel awful? how are you doing now?

Hi, Katy. Overall I can feel myself slowly getting back to normal, although I am still getting some anxiety, especially in the mornings as I am right now. Day before yesterday I was a bit depressed, but I can feel myself slowly coming out of it.

Yesterday afternoon we went to a cookout, which I wasn't really looking forward to, would rather have stayed home, but I ended up having a really good time. Thanks for asking and hope you and the others are doing well.

my anxiety is always worse in the mornings. also last thing at night but thats prob because im expecting bad things in the morning

Hi Atki,

It's probably good for you that you're kept so busy. I fear I'm becoming more and more lethargic and perhaps even a little agoraphobic. I'm hoping when I start the CBT therapy it'll help. My mood is definitely better - I just don't do anything!

Good for you for sticking with it. I'm sure you'll get there - I have read a lot of success stories with Fluoxetine, it's just very slow. I'm sorry you're struggling, it mucst be very hard with a little one to look after. Though you have a huge incentive to get better :-) try to be good to yourself and keep posting.

Good luck xx

Hi Karen,

So glad to hear you're improving. Obviously on this site when people get better they move on so the success stories are hard to find, though I've read quite a few elsewhere. You're further ahead than me and your progress is encouraging. Well done for making yourself go to the cookoff - it's the little things like that ultimately make us better. You have to keep living life. Not doing a great job of that myself but my mood is improving slowly. Keep at it. Hope you're having a good day xx

how long have you been on it now karen.

And yes, I am slowly improving. The downs and the anxiety are much less intense and I can feel glimpses of my old self coming through.

im glad you are improving! its such a relief when you start thinking more positively!

I think I will go up to 40mg if im not good at 12 weeks. ive read that upping the dose makes you feel just as bad as when you first start taking it. did you feel this? I know everyone is different x

Upping the dose does set you back, but not as bad as the beginning I think. It's hard to judge on looking back and I didn't keep records of how I felt from day to day when I first started. But if you do need to go up, it's definitely worth it. I know I feel much better now.

When I went up from 20mg, I added a 10mg to make 30mg for a couple of weeks, After that I went up to 40mg. I think the more gradually you increase the easier it is.

Thanks! I mentioned to my dr about going up to 30mg but he said I could only do 20, 40 or 60mg.............

I will make another appointment at 12 weeks. many thanks x

hello. how are you both getting on now? I saw my dr this morning and im now on 40mg. I do hope it helps

Hi, Atki. I'm still improving more and more. Anxiety very mild and sometimes non-existent.  Lows are not as bad, but still have occasional crying spells. Flat spells are easing up, too, and the desire to do more is getting better, also.  How are you getting on?

I felt flat on 20mg. still crying lots, anxious, headache and tired a lot. I didn't feel any of these on seroxat but im not going to go back on it as it took so much effort to withdraw from and some of what im feeling now could still be the side effects of withdrawing. I will give 40 a month and see wgat happens. my dr is a bit useless and doesn't know much about mental health and all I doctors I have seen contradict each other, including the psychiatrist so I guess I will just have to work out whats best for me and then tell them. its good you are feeling more postive! x