40 mg Fluoxetine for anxiety

Thanks for replying Heather,

I've been on fluoxetine for about 3 years now. For 2 years I was on it on 20mg and in the beginning it took me about 4 or 5 months to even feel better and like it was completely working. Then after those 5 months, I was 2 years free of anxiety. I went through a recent life change and now I am back to my anxiety and panic attacks again. They have died down a lot and I've slowly gone up from 20mg to 30...then 35 for a while, and now today I just started on 40mg and am hoping I can stay at this much. I do know it does help so don't give up. But I also take alprazolam to help with side effects as needed. My ultimate goal is to never have to take alprazolam again.

I also take klonopin for side effects but mostly because the anxiety has not decreased. I can't stand that i have to take the klonopin too. I feel like I'm on a teeter totter. I went through a decade on celexa with no more panic. About 5 months ago, it started happening again and I had to do a cross taper to prozac.

Hi there, hope you don't mind me joining to this conversation, but did it really take 4 to 5 months to start feeling better when you first started taking fluoxetine? I'm on month 4 of 20mg and still not great, the doctor is reluctant to up my dose and it scares the hell out of me that i'll never feel ok again. xx

I'm on my 17th week with this and still waiting

Thanks for joining Lindsey,

I mean everyone is different. For me it did take that long. I also moved closer to family which made me feel a little bit better and I was on 20mg then and then I ended up not having any episodes of anxiety for a good 2 years, up until now. I recently moved again because I got a new job and I think all of the changes has made me feel very anxious all over again. This time it has been worse and I've had to slowly go up to 40 mg where I'm at now. It takes 4 weeks to get into your system and usually a little while longer until you start to feel the anxiety slowly wear off. But like I said, I also take xanax sometimes too to help the anxiety or when I feel like I can't breathe. Through out the years I did see a therapist for some time, and am seeing one again for the anxiety that has come back.

Let me know if that helped at all 😕

I can tell you that I believe prozac really does work. Eventually you will be able to get off the klonopin and just be on the prozac. I was able to do that at one point in my life for 2 years then a change in my life happened and I started having anxiety all over again except worse than ever.

Are you 40mg as well?

I'm on 30. I'm supposed to up it as soon as I get over this sinus infection. It's just frustrating because I've never had an ssri take this long. 😞

Yeah, It does take a while, but when it works, it really works. Your body probably is still trying to get used to it! Just know if you have to take klonopin its okay, eventually you wont and you will be able to get off of it, but if it helps you right now, then let it help until you start to feel better. That is something everyone always tells me. I try not to take my xanax but if I don't sometimes things just get worse, so its just better to take it until hopefully I get used to everything and will be able to get off of it!

Thank you for your encouragement! I hope everything works out for you. Mental health is a daily battle. Stay strong.