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Been on 40 mg Flu for 5 months

Posted , 5 users are following.

Meeps
Meeps

went to my Dr appointment and  told him I felt better  but seems like lethargy in the afternoon is not letting up.  My friends and husband all say I am doing much better. at end of the visit Dr. asked if I wanted to increase my dose I answered no as I didn't want to go  thru increased side effects all over again.

I then asked him if I could split  the dose ...20 mg in the monrning and 20 mg at dinnertime to maybe get some relief from the afternoon lethargy ...I always felt better by evening.... he said to go ahead. Today is day five of splitting the dose. I felt my mood worse then it has in a long while also chest tighness . seems worse.  Should I continue...has anyone had any experience with splitting their dose to relive side effects? appreciae it!

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • KevB5
    KevB5 Meeps

    Posted

    I've got better advice on medications with my pharmacist vs my doctor. Seems they have the most knowledge on how the med works. TGF pharmacists. This is my experience. I'm on currently 20mg of fluoxetine switched from 60mg of Celexa. If I up, I will go to 30mg per my pharmacist advice vs 40 mg per Dr's advice. I've learned Doctors can be clueless. I have a psychiatrist, Neurologist, for panic/anxiety and seizure's following a TBI, brain injury.
    • Meeps
      Meeps KevB5

      Posted

      I agree...I went to my pharmacist when I was have tremors from a 20 mg regime of Lexapro. My GP kept on upping my dose..  switching me to whatever free sample drug company sent her ..finally I said no more...Finally able to get an appt with a psychiatrist . Doing better with him but I dont know ...feel I need to be overly cautious with these dr.s  and their recommendations. Thanks for answering.
  • anne276
    anne276 Meeps

    Posted

    Hi Meeps,

    Sorry to hear you're going through such tough times.  I've been on 20 mg of Fluoxetine for 5 months - same time period as you.  And like you, I was getting fed up of the afternoon lethargy.  I was also sleeping for England - if I don't set an alarm, I find I can sleep for ten hours or more!  On my own initiative, I started reducing my dose by taking the tab on alternate days. I'm now near the end of my second week on this.  It's too early to tell yet, but I think the afternoon lethargy is starting to dispel...  we'll see!  It can be a lonely journey on these anti-depressants, eh? 

    Thinking of you splitting your dose just morning and lunchtime, quite honestly, I can't see the benefit of this, given the long half-life of Fluoxetine - you're still basically taking 40 mg daily...

    Good luck darls, and let me know how it goes.

    Anne x

    • Meeps
      Meeps anne276

      Posted

      Yes I hear you... thinking the same thing... I am just afraid of reducing or increasing ..so working in realm of timing maybe its too early to  tell yet ...will give it a couple more weeks.  Yes a very lonely long journey. Thanks Anne.

       

  • sarahafle
    sarahafle Meeps

    Posted

    I've been taking 40 mg for the past 11 weeks and I take it at once in the morning but I have noticed if I take it in the afternoon I'm in a worse mood in the evening.... Idk why, I also have break through symptoms.... Do you or anyone else?
    • Meeps
      Meeps sarahafle

      Posted

      I don't know either...until this recent change of splitting the dose between morning and evening ...still way to early if splitting will help my lethargy ....sure hope it doesn't make my mood worse. I can tell you that I have always taken the 40 mg dose in the morning . always a liitle down in morning then have breakfast get moving and  mood  improves but then I experience several hours of lethargy  by evening time is when I felt the best..dare I say normal... go to sleep feeling godd...wake up starts all over again..  From what I've read from others on this site ...we will experience periods of feeling really good then followed by periods days..maybe .weeks of not so good ...like will this drug ever kick in!  it's a slow process.  ...But good luck to you and wishing you  pleasant moods!
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