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advice about fluoxetine 20mg please help

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katie58070
katie58070

Yesterday I was put on Fluoxetine 20mg capsules and i am looking for some advice on it. 

Today I have been feeling sick all day on and off and unable to eat a lot, I am unsure whether this is normal, I know it is a side effect of the pill but I am unaware whether the side effects begin straight away. 

I have been experiencing extreme anxiety, at some points a lot more than usual which I am also concerned about. 

I have read that you just have to go through the side effects and feel worse before you get better but I didnt realise they would begin so soon. 

I am also going on a girls holiday to Malia on friday of this week coming. I have been attempting to read about drinking alcohol with Fluoxetine, and what will happen but I am struggling to find a straight answer. My doctor who prescribed me the drug is aware when and where I am going on holiday and didnt mention anything about drinking and whether it would be a problem. 

I know that the sensible option would be to not drink but Malia is the type of holiday that is totally based around drinking heavily, and I will be doing this for ten nights straight. I would find it very difficult to go there and avoid alcohol, so any advice would be helpful. I dont know whether I am better to stop taking it before and during my holiday, as I dont want to put myself at risk with drinking, and i dont want to ruin the holiday for my friends if I am experiencing trouble with side effects or my mood dropping very low. I would really appreciate some advice, I am going to phone my doctor on Monday but I would appreciate some help now as it is making me panic when I shouldnt be worrying.  Thanks 

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  • katie58070
    katie58070

    Posted

    I should mention that for weeks I have been having trouble with sleeping, in the sense that I cannot remember the last time I fell asleep before 4am. Last night I fell asleep around 2am which is early for me, after taking it. Is it normal to feel drowsy when taking it? Any advice or similar experiences would be extremely helpful. 
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    • anya.rose
      anya.rose katie58070

      Posted

      Yes I was on it for a bit years ago, and I had huge troubles sleeping then, it did help loads so yes going to sleep earlier is totally normal on this drug (it won't make you more drowsy then normal tho, it'll just help you get a good sleeping pattern going, I think)

      Regarding the alcohol I don't know, I wasn't told to not drink but probably 10 days of heavy drinking aren’t a great mix with antidepressants, def check with you doc. The one thing I will say is that if you think you might need to stop taking them, stop taking them as soon as you get the ok to do so from your doc, because the side effects from stopping can be awful and you don't want to be on holiday during that time.

      Hope this helps : )

      And enjoy the holiday!

      Anya

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  • joanne71205
    joanne71205 katie58070

    Posted

    Hi Katie, I haven't taken this drug but was prescribed Citalopram, a similar one. Took the first 10mg tablet and within 4 hours I was violently sick and my anxiety rocketed, continued until the tablet was out of my system. I didn't take anymore. Can't help on the drinking thing but in general with these kinds of drugs it is not recommended to stop taking them suddenly, so would defy speak to your GP. Hope you have a good holiday. 
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    • katie58070
      katie58070 joanne71205

      Posted

      Thanks for your help Joanne! It is reassuring to hear that someone is having a similar experience to me. Hope you got it sorted. 

      I thought about that as well, now that I have started taking them I dont want to put myself at risk by stopping suddenly. 

      Thanks for your help and I will definetely speak to my GP. 

      Thanks again! 

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