Feeling rough
Posted , 6 users are following.
So yesterday I ended up vomiting and having horrible flushes of anxiety, it came and went throughout the day. An hour after dinner I felt like I was going to throw up. I kept it down by distracting myself with youtube videos.
Around 3am this morning I was sick, it was mainly clear liquid and a small trace of bile. Sleeping was incredibly difficult. As I felt so nauseated and my heart kept palpatating like mad.
I woke up this morning feeling like death, I was able to take my omezoprazole and fluoxetine. But I just feel so nauseated. I messaged my manager (she has a lot of experience with fluoxetine) and I asked her if it was normal to feel so rough when you've been feeling fine the past week or so. She told me it is, and that you are likely to feel worse when you are nearing the end of the adjustment phase.
I'm trying to remain hopeful and ride this out. It's been nearly 3 weeks since I started taking Fluoxetine.
0 likes, 20 replies
DomM robert47678
Posted
Robert the first 3 weeks can be hellish and it is just a sign that Prozac is doing it's job. You actually end up with less serotonin for awhile than you had before. It doesn't reach "steady state" until 4 weeks and then really starts to do the magic. I had the most distressing anxiety flushes too in the mornings and nights. Worse than anything I ever had before in my life. That was only a week ago in week 3/4. I am now at week 5 and they have gone. Hopefully you have some benzos off your doctor to get you through those. I wasn't sick but it is a common side effect. My main ones were anxiety was worse, insomnia and runny tummy. Take each day an hour at a time and remember it gets better and you are getting better even though you'll feel worse for a litttle while. Keep a diary so you can see when the tide turns.
Try breathing exercises for the palpitations. I drove to A&E with them but now I can stop them myself. Breathe in slowly as far as you can, hold for 3 seconds then breath out using lips to make it real slow while relaxing your face. It worked for me.
Wishing you strength and courage and remember there are loads of us in this boat.
Dom
robert47678 DomM
Posted
Hi Dom,
It's just been so weird, I thought I was getting more and more in control. But then suddenly out of nowhere I just started to feel worse. Eating had been so easy this week, but come yesterday and this morning it felt difficult. My doctors have told me to ride out the symptoms and to take it easy. Which I have been, I try and push myself to eat meals every now and then, and a lot of the time I can eat a whole meal. The palpitations come and go. I've been lucky enough to have support from my manager, who has been very reassuring and told me to go with the flow.
I keep telling myself that this is temporary, and that I will feel better soon. I just hope I feel better by the new year.
DomM robert47678
Posted
It definitely is temporary Robert. Make sure you eat the right foods i.e. ones that will help with anxiety and serotonin production. Just some are walnuts, probiotic yoghurt, oats, spinach, broccoli, avocado, parmesan cheese. Avoid sugar, caffeine etc. I had my worst anxiety after having more sugar than usual. Drink lots of water too and make sure you have B12, magnezium, folate and zinc in your diet.
In a month's time we'll all be smiling again
robert47678 DomM
Posted
I've been eating a lot healthier lately, more fruit, milk and eggs. I have meat every now and then with meals (mainly turkey and gammon). I drink loads of water and I avoid caffeine, I won't even drink tea anymore.
So far i'm feeling steady, I just hope that this blip passes over in the next day or so
DomM robert47678
Posted
Hey try chamomile tea. Has been great for my anxiety and it is safe with Prozac. Definitely relaxes you to some extent. Seems to have replaced my valium now!
The Turkey/Tryptophan thing is a myth unfortunately due to the competition between the tryptophan in it and the protein. I wanted popcorn but could only get the microwave stuff and it's bad rather than good for anxiety because of the chemicals in the bad. I only found out after having a few bags
I really do believe we can speed up our recovery with a clever diet tho'. Week 6 starts tomorrow for me Robert and I still have insomnia. Runny tummy just stopped today and anxiety seems to have gone pretty much so far. But no doubt there will be a step back any day soon 
Today for dinner I have sweet potatoes, broccoli and spinach. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.
PS Avoid salt too for sure.
robert47678 DomM
Posted
Yeah I absolutely love popcorn, but i've had to avoid it due to my stomach. I have tried chamomile in the past, it never seems to do much for me though.
I hope that you're making more of a breakthrough now though. I have up days and down days. I haven't felt this uneasy for over a week now. I just really hope it passes.
DomM robert47678
Posted
It will definitely pass Robert. For 100% sure. We've all had so many days and weeks like that here. You're at the hardest phase I think. Checkout the "Prozac Timeline" on the web. It's totally crappy when you have off days but it's only the med rewiring your brain and shows it is working.
Shame about the Chamomile. Is it worth a 2nd try?
Yeah popcorn is great but unless it is "air blown" whatever that means then it has added stuff like sunflower oil etc which adds to anxiety. What a minefield.
Be sure to keep us all updated. You'd be amazed how many threads start off like yours then finish with the person totally free of anxiety, panic and depression.
robert47678 DomM
Posted
I can give chamomile another try, I hear ginger tea is pretty useful if you have stomach issues as well. I aim to keep posting along the way. Fluoxetine worked wonders for me years ago, I'm optimistic that it can help me out again.
DomM robert47678
Posted
Wow I am in the same boat. Was on it for 20 years. Came off it a year ago thinking I was cured. The first time around I had zero side effects at the start or going to 40mg. This time has been horrific. Truly utterly dreadful. But then today I felt a bit of that Prozac feeling. It will work again for both of us. There is no reason why it wouldn't. A lot of 2nd timers probably give up because of the new found side effects. I nearly did. It's showing all the signs of starting it's job in your case. I think it will definitely work for you.
I'll check out the ginger tea. Heard Turmeric tea is good too. But chamomile reduces my stress (I wear a stress monitor which couldn't measure the stress for the first few weeks of Prozac as it was too high).
robert47678 DomM
Posted
The first time I took it I didn't really have any side effects, it was only when they upped my dosage did I feel a bit rough. It eventually went away. That was back in 2013, I stayed on Prozac for a few years but come early 2016 I changed over to Mirtazapine as I fell into a deep depression, the mirtazapine helped me out and I felt pretty much alright. It was only recently did I have a situation that caused my anxiety to come back, I was in control but I got more and more concerned, so I went to my GP and they put me on Sertraline, the sertraline made me really ill. After 5 days I went to A&E and they told me to come off of sertraline. I met my GP and they put me back onto fluoxetine, I started taking it on the 8th December, and it's been pretty up and down. I've gone into work a few times, and also done some driving lessons. But there have been a lot of days where I just can't leave the house because of how rough I feel. It comes and goes, and the brain fog is slowly lifting.
nancy76309 robert47678
Posted
This time I started at 5 mg for 2 weeks and then 10 for 2 weeks and trying to get to 20mg.
This time has been bad with all the same that you have had. I take .25mg of clanaspam (bad spelling) for the anxiety and it helps some
Please continue to post your progress.
robert47678 nancy76309
Posted
It seems so strange that it has such a negative effect the second time round.
I was put onto 20mg straight away and I think I've got it reasonably under control, I just seem to have really rough moments, the last time it was like this was around two weeks ago.
I'm hoping that this is the end of the adjustment phase. I know a lot of people say it took them over two months to recover, but I really hope it doesn't take that long to see the benefits.
Stacey29819 robert47678
Posted
I switched from Sertraline also. I was in week 6, but I couldn’t handle the anxiety. The Dr said I wouldn’t be starting over with this, but it feels like it. I’m on week 2.
robert47678 Stacey29819
Posted
The anxiety and inability to eat was too much for me, so I had to change over to fluoxetine. I'm coming to the end of my 3rd week tomorrow. I just hope week 4 shows more signs of improvement. I'm so fed up and tired
Stacey29819 robert47678
Posted
robert47678 Stacey29819
Posted
My appetite is so much better on Fluoxetine, it's just trying to deal with the nausea as well. I keep hoping that i'll wake up one day and I won't feel sick or on edge. It's easier to eat food on some days.
nancy76309 robert47678
Posted
Right now the anxiety is pure misery. Hang in there.
Stacey29819 robert47678
Posted