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upped dose to 40mg and not working

Posted , 3 users are following.

sarahafle
sarahafle

So I've been on Prozac for 2 years now I always toke 20 mg and threw my pregnancy... Well 3 weeks post partum they upped my dose to 40mg. The 20 was a miracle for me but after my son was born and the increase dose I've been feeling anxiety and sad, irritated, panicky....idkkkk started or tho tricycling lo recently.... That's birth control.... Idk if it's the upped dose or combination of the two, or my hormones or what!!! Any advice????

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • katecogs
    katecogs sarahafle

    Posted

    Why was your dose increased?  How did you feel on 20mg?  How long have you been on the 40mg?

    Increasing a dose will give you side effects which can last a few weeks, so if you've started the 40mg recently, I suspect that what you're feeling.  This will wear off in time.

     

    • sarahafle
      sarahafle katecogs

      Posted

      I had my son October 1 and I have been on 20 for the last two years.... I toke it for anxiety and it s great!!!! No anxiety at all!!! Then I had my son and about three weeks post partum I started feeling like a little sad overwhelmed and just very new to motherhood. So I've been on 40 milligrams since the 3td week in October so about ten weeks. About 6 ells ago I started the birth control.... And about the last week my anxiety and anxious feeling are defiantly back and I'm feeling low and sad.... Idk it's just word..... What does it sounds like to you?
    • katecogs
      katecogs sarahafle

      Posted

      I would think that if the 20mg was working well for you, it will work again.  You've just had a baby and your hormones are going to be raging around your body causing all sort with your emotions, so you're going to feel out of sorts.  I remember feeling overwhelmed when I had my first baby ...... and so exhausting.

      Starting birth control is also putting hormones into your body, so I suspect that has to settle too.

      When you increase your meds too, you will get side effects again which can be depression, anxiety, racing thoughts, nausea, insomnia and other things, and this can take many weeks to stabilise.  When my son was on fluoxetine he went through a dreadful time to start with, and then it took many months before he started seeing results.  He's well now and is already reducing his meds.

      It's surprising how hormones affect our body and mood.  I'm sure that in time everything will start to settle down and the anxiety will calm, and you'll begin to feel happiness creeping back in. 

      Make sure you get out with baby - meet other mums, go to mother/baby/toddler groups.  I used to go and it was such a relief to talk to others, socialise - I took my daughter when she was only about 10 weeks old and went until she was about 3 or 4, then took my son.

      See your doctor regularly too as they like to keep an eye on new mum's.  Post Natal Depression is something else you could chat to your doctor about, but I suspect your body is getting used to all the hormones, medications at the moment.  Having a baby is a huge undertaking for the to body to go through.

      Im sure in time, things will get back to normal.  These meds and their increases do take time.

      K xx

    • sarahafle
      sarahafle katecogs

      Posted

      Thank you for the advice. I see the doctor tomorrow, he just thinks I'm stressed out, I hope so I miss my old self. Do you think its bad to stay on these antidepressants long term?
    • katecogs
      katecogs sarahafle

      Posted

      Stress does cause this yes.  Some people thrive on stress, but we all have our breaking point.  I don't handle stress well.

      My doctor told me many years ago that you can stay on these antidepressants for life if you need to.  They're not addictive, and whereby some people need lifelong meds for conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, then some people need these SSRI's for life too.  So long term would be absolutely fine - take them for as long as you feel you need them.  I've taken them for over 15 years with a couple of breaks.

      K x

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