Fluoxetine Blip at 8 weeks

Hi Danielle! Just wanted to share my experience with you.

I developed crippling anxiety and OCD as a young boy, 10 years old, and it got so bad all i could do is cry in my mom's arms. Every thought was an obsession about self harm or suicide and nearly every second was total agony. I had to be pulled out of public school.

After a few months I was put on prozac 10mg and started seeing a therapist and one day, a few weeks later, poof, mostly gone! It was exactly as you described, I forgot what it was like to be in that state! So when I was about to start 6th grade and a rush of anxiety and panic hit me, I thought i was dying. However, within a few weeks it gradually mellowed down and one day I realized i was back to normal! So i tapered off and was more or less okay until i was 21.

After some extreme stress from a bad bad bad three year relationship ending and some other stuff, the anxiety came back in a rush. I was diagnosed with panic disorder, OCD, GAD, and some minor depression. My therapist thinks i may have some minor PTSD as well. Not that the labels matter, i think they're all part of the same thing.

Anyways, I went back on prozac 20mg and this time had extreme side effects. My anxiety was way worse, I was having panic attacks, chills and heat through my body and couldn't sleep more than a few hours at a time. I was emotionally and physically a train wreck. I ended up in the emergency room and was dismissed and given a xanax script.

After a few weeks though, things gradually improved, until they went downhill again and my dosage was risen. After some side effects from the 40mg, I was pretty good. Had some blips here and there like youre describing but they got fewer and further between until i was perfectly stable....... so i was like huh who needs these pills! sigh...

After a taper, I finally quit and was doing okay besides minor side effects like brain zaps and lightheadedness. Then one day, about 6 weeks after my last dose, the agony returned with interest. So i suffered through a week before starting again at 20mg. And a few days later i was fine..... And then i was worse than i had started so i ended up in the ER where i did an inpatient stay and was put up to 30mg. Then 40. Then a few weeks later 60. After going on 60, I had so many blips and times i thought i was back at stage one, but they always passed. And they always come back weaker or shorter than the last one.

Now im doing pretty good! Just had a blip a week ago but it was small and short lived. Im pretty stable now. I have a job and am going to college and have an amazing girlfriend! Dont know why i shared all this just wanted to put it out there I guess haha.

So basically, yes! This is very normal. Not just my account, but tons of people experience the same. Prozac can be fickle at times and as frustrating as it is, it always passes. Stress can definitely cause a blip, or make one worse. I hope the best for you and that it goes away completely soon!

hi danielle

i am on week 5 20mg flux and my experience is similar to yours, first two weeks were hell then week three i had almost forgotten what anxiety was just as you described! i was drifting through happier then ive felt for years. then jump forward to week 5 and that morning anxiety has turned up out of nowhere and i feel like ive gone backwards 😦 it eases through the day but confused as to why this has happened.

I was just wondering how you are feeling now as you posted this a few weeks ago? hope you feel better.

best wishes!