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Fluoxetine, day 5, side-effects are pretty bad...

Posted , 8 users are following.

j4mes
j4mes

Hi all. Hope it's ok to start another thread on this.

Started Fluoxetine 5 days ago at the recommendation of my GP, could really do with some reassurance. I'm suffering quite bad side effects - increased anxiety, mood swings, and an awful restlessness / irritability. My lows are now even worse than before I took it, although they do come and go.

Is this really going to be worth it? Right now I feel like I could cope better without the side effects, but if I try to think rationally I'm not sure that's true.  I have to see the GP again on Monday anyway as he only gave me 7 tablets, so will discuss with him too.

Hard to explain really. I don't really know what I'm thinking half the time, just desperately want to feel normal again.

2 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

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  • michelle45491
    michelle45491 j4mes

    Posted

    It will get better. 

    I'm not week 6 Yet but I was a lot better then I was before. 

    But deffo go back to your DR if your worried.

    Good luck. X

  • carl58303
    carl58303 j4mes

    Posted

    Hi James

    The reassurance is that you are suffering a bog standadr set of side effects. The bad news is that they last a few weeks. The good news is tht when you get through this phase, life returns to normal only you feel better than your old normal.

    Work on your anxiety - don't think aboutit but do something to disract yourself from thinking about it. Just accept this is a phase and it will pass.

    Good luck on your journey! I'm on Week 9 - just completed it - and feeling ace OK. SUffered like you to start with, same as we all do. You'll get there!

  • j4mes
    j4mes

    Posted

    Thanks both. I'm aware how long it can take to work, just seems like such a long way off at the moment. And it's such a rubbish time of year to be feeling like this, not that there's ever a good time.

    Today is so far better than yesterday, although still feel very odd.

  • vix167
    vix167 j4mes

    Posted

    Hi

    Yes sounds like typical side effects to me. Im just in wk7 and physical symptoms for me are much better prob from last week onwards so you may need to be patient which is not easy when you're feeling cr@p with depression already. Tho some feel improvement much quicker than me, hope youre one of those people.

     It affects everyone differently but nausea shakes tiredness and high anxiety def got worse before they got better for me.

    I am miles from where I started which is what I keep reminding myself although feeling low mood this week I do not have the debilitating pysical side so vast improvement.  We're in it for the long game, try to bear with it and be good to yourself. Keep yourself busy and distracted and try do some exercise (a 20 min walk a day really does help).

    Tell your dr all your feelings to so they can track and assess  your progress.

    Good luck and hope the worst side effects pass quickly for you and you recover quickly.

    Take care

    Vix

     

  • katecogs
    katecogs j4mes

    Posted

    Hi

    Oh it really is worth it in the long run, believe me.  Just persevere through it all and you will be yourself again.  It takes time, and there'll be many ups and downs along the way, but however many bad downs you'll get remember that progress is being made all the time.  This is the way the medication works.  You may despair many times, but just accept everything you'll encounter along the way and keep going forward.  You will recover.

    Theres never a good time to start medication, so may as well start now to get it underway.  

    A few points to consider:

    . don't try and hurry the recovery along, it'll do it in it's own time

    . don't rush and up your dose thinking you're getting worse, as upping the dose will give you more side effects.

    . there'll be many ups and downs

    . just accept whatever happens along the way

    . have lots of patience

    You will find recovery when you've gone through all this.  Promise.

    K xx

  • sebastien48584
    sebastien48584 j4mes

    Posted

    Hey Im in week three and I still get many of the same side effects as you. But I do think that today I felt their positive effect for the first time. So just perserve. I did a lot of exercise today which I think helped a lot. i was busy so i did not dwell on things as much. I have the same thing as you I even have been able to rationalise to myself that I'm not depressed so that I could stop them. But that's just me lying to myself. But I would talk to your GP.

    Take Care,

    Seb

    x 

  • karen13323
    karen13323 j4mes

    Posted

    i have just done a long reply on sebastien's post, please read it, it may help.

    love katecogs reply, it will get better, it will take time, the side effects will chnage and eventually pass.

    im an outsider looking in, seeing my daughter go through all this,

    xx

  • j4mes
    j4mes

    Posted

    Thanks to everyone that's replied so far.

    I'm sticking with it, saw the GP today and he's put me on another 2 weeks worth. It's making me paranoid that I'm only getting a week or two at a time, but I seem to be paranoid a lot recently. And I told him about the side effects and he said they're to be expected.

    Just hope to god it all comes right soon. Yesterday was really bad in the evening, felt utterly low, coupled with this awful restlessness. I keep wanting to stretch my legs and clench my fists, hard to explain really.

    Thanks again, good to have the support of this board.

    • vix167
      vix167 j4mes

      Posted

      Stick with it, you may have a bit to go yet but sooner or later you'll start noticing not necessarily feeling" better " as such but marginally less cr@p than yesterday to begin with. Id say its very gradual (no instant fix for us im afraid, tho some seem to get through it much quicker than others).

      The restlessness is an odd feeling isnt it, I felt like pacing up and down sometimes. Im certain its all adrenaline overload.  A friend told me to sit and start tensing each muscle from your head to your toes bit by bit until your whole body is tensed then hold it all for good ten seconds and relax everything at once. Repeat. sounds simple n a bit daft but I still do it as I realised even when I thought I was relaxing, watching tv or whatever,  my muscles were often still tensed involuntarily (like you wanting to clench your fists).

      Might be worth a try or may be complete twaddle :-)

      Hope it all eases for you soon.

      Take care

      Vix

  • j4mes
    j4mes

    Posted

    Right now things are bad. Really bad. I can't see a way out. Don't know if it's the side effects but I have never been so low. I keep thinking about bringing it all to an end. The stuff going on in my head is unreal, all I want is calm. What the hell has happened to me. Please help. I'm terrified to fall asleep, but can't bear to be awake.
    • vix167
      vix167 j4mes

      Posted

      Bless you! The side effects can cause very low moods but if your thought are that dark please call your dr or samaritans or call nhs direct and they'll advise where to go. Either way you  sound like you need to see someone -please do.

      Hope you get some help, things can and will get better in time.

      Take care

    • katecogs
      katecogs j4mes

      Posted

      Oh bless you James

      Please believe that you are going through the initial side effects, and they can be pretty horrendous.  Yes they'll make you feel much worse to start with, so very, very low.  Thoughts will race and become weird - over and over.  When you're depressed the mind becomes tired, and thoughts stick to a tired mind.  Everything will ease off.  Promise.

      Its very hard going through all this and you can never see a way out.  When we feel low our. I d's think like that, but you'll turn a corner soon and you'll start to see the light.

      Many people have been through exactly the same as you, have thought the same as you and have come through it.

      Its very tough, but hang on in there.  It'll all come right in the end.

      Do you have a family member or friend who you can talk to and can help you through this difficult time?  Many people here will also help and support you.

      K xx

       

    • katecogs
      katecogs

      Posted

      Typo ...... 'Our minds' not 'our I.d's'
    • danilo45459
      danilo45459 j4mes

      Posted

      Hi James,

      I totally sympathise with you. I started taking fluoxetine because I was feeling crap all the time. But after starting, during the first weeks, I experienced the worst weeks of my life, hands down. During that time I really understood why some people harm themself. What kept me going was my rational side telling me: "hold tight, a couple more weeks and you will feel much better"

      And here I am, feeling way better.

      Anyway, for some people this phase can be unbearable, in which case you can ask your GP for benzodiazepine for short term use.

    • danilo45459
      danilo45459

      Posted

      To be more precise, you call can your GP and tell that you have an emergency because you are thinking in harming your self. Then she/he might put you on benzodiazepines for calming you down.

      They will surely understanding. They are trained to know that such a thing might happening inthe first weeks.

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