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Fluoxetine and bad side effects

Posted , 3 users are following.

charlotte08092
charlotte08092

i was started on fluoxetine due to anxiety related to covid19 which had heightened my base line anxiety

i had taken 5 tablets and i ended up having an ambulance heart rate 150 , severe shaking and tremors nausea vomitting diarrhoea - basically seretonin syndrome

the heart rate settled with diazepam and they did blood tests and ecg and then said i was ok to go home obviously stopped taking the fluoxetine

the first few days have been hell

i am still getting side effects from the fluoxetine

diarrhoea and nausea - i have no want to eat and if i do can only manage small selection of nuts

dizzy and light headed which seems worse in the morning

horrible strong headaches weakness tiredness

twitching

i only took 1 diazepam as i dont want to have to withdraw from those my GP said these are usual side effects now- i clearly had a strong reaction to fluoxetine she said it can take 5 weeks to get to half life of fluoxetine

i havent felt so ill like this in my life finding it really tough

has anyone had side effects ? any advice on dealing with them especially the nausea and not wanting to eat

i hope that no one ever has this syndrome so scary

and only after 5 tablets

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • dave94994
    dave94994 charlotte08092

    Edited

    Hi Charlotte,

    I'm so sorry for you - that sounds absolutely awful.

    What advice have you now been given? Sounds like you're continuing with the fluoxetine for now?

    All your side effects sound so incredibly familiar - but yours are massively more extreme than what I went through. Mine x100 by the sound of it.

    What dosage are you on now?

    Hang in there - it'll get better.

    • charlotte08092
      charlotte08092 dave94994

      Posted

      hi dave

      thanks for the reply

      no because of the serertoin syndrome i cannot take any ssri - fluoxetine again

      the GP has said i have to wait the 5 weeks before any new medication can be given to me

      so im just having to wait for the fluoxetine to be out of my system

      because the 5 tablets i took are still giving me side effects now

      today feel so weak dizzy disassoiated thoughts

      did you feel like this ?

    • dave94994
      dave94994 charlotte08092

      Edited

      Hi Charlotte. Honestly, I can't even remember. It was a blur of ickiness. But yes I remember some dizziness. So you can't take any alternatives at all right now? I hope you turn the corner soon. Good luck.

  • Becbenmm
    Becbenmm charlotte08092

    Posted

    Hi,

    how are you feeling now? I'm struggljng too. took fluoxetine for 5 days and have had awful side effects that have continued after I have stopped taking it. Feel in a state of fear all the time. doc has prescribed some valium to try and help me.

    I hope you are now feeling good. How long did it take you get back to normal?

    Thank you x

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