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Fluoxetine First Time Patient on Day 13

Posted , 4 users are following.

josh14156
josh14156

Hi guys, I wanted to share some of my side effects I've been having while on Fluoxetine 20mg a day. I wanted to go into more detail about my side effects as I feel most do not share enough details for others to relate. 

First off, Im a 23 year old male, living in the States. I am on "prozac" for OCD and an Anxiety Disorder. I suffer from Emetophobia. For those of you that do not know what that is, in a nut shell it's Hell. The fear of vomiting. The fear of falling ill with the Stomach Flu, drinking alcohol, touching door knobs, TRYING NEW MEDICATION, eating at restaurants, being trapped without a car if someone gets sick and you have to leave but cant, the list goes on and on. With my Emetophobia you can understand that having panic attacks when i feel a stomach gurgle or a gas bubble is a normal thing. Because of the listed side effects of Fluoxetine, I was very afraid to have side effects mainly related to stomach issues from the drug. 

Anyway, here is what I have experienced with Fluoxetine after 13 days of taking it. Right away on night 2 I experienced insomnia. This next one might have been caused from anxiety, but 2 days of diarrhea. NO stomach pains, just my entire GI flushed itself clean. I would wake up early in the morning "before I normally would" and have diarrhea, nothing all day, then the next morning, diareaha. Other than that the first week was pretty uneventful. Around day 5 I noticed that my anxiety went DOWN. but i felt "low" (I am not a depressed person, but I'd say this made me feel lower than normal like a Sunday blues feeling.) I just kinda wanted to lay and watch youtube all day. Now on day 13, I am feeling a bit more side effects. No depression, Low anxiety, Mild stomach aches "mainly at night and in morning" almost like hunger pains, but even after you eat. Lump in throat at night. No appetite during day, and high appetite at night, EXTREME YAWNING with jaw clenching after each yawn. almost a painful, strong yawn and every time ends with jaw clenching. Chest pain, like a soar tight chest pain. Still suffering from Insomnia. irritable to normal stressful things light loud noises set me off, crowded areas, fighting, things like that. For side effects thats really it.

 I can say that I don’t really feel "myself" but I know that this takes time. I can go to work, I can see my friends, I can laugh and belly laugh like before. It has not brought me down any, just kinda dampened what I use to be. If anyone else is having a similar experience, please let me know.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Zio10
    Zio10 josh14156

    Posted

    Im on day 23 of coming off Fluoxetin. Fluoxetin I found out has a half life of 16 days. Which means after day 16 of last pill, half the drug is out of your system. Still have another 16 days for the rest to come out. So 9 more days till it's out! I didn't taper off 20mg . I unfortunately did not have a good reaction to Fluoxetin. In 6 wks I lost 10lbs. I wt 122. I had severe diaherra. I bagan having back pain in liver an kidney area esp on rt side. It got bad. Liver area pain or upper rt quadrant pain. I dont have my gallbladder or appendix. Severe emotional flip flopping. Crying almost everyday. Anxiety attacks. Im use to start up side effects of antidepressants. This was my fourth to try. At end of 6 wks I noticed crying lessened. But the physical side effects I could not handle anymore. The back pain was on a level of 7 (1-10). So called Dr an told them I stopping. Asap. So I did. Feb 20th. In a wk my back pain started to lessen. But rt now I do not feel good. Im very irritable an mad alot. (Prob anxiety coming back) i still have body aches in various places. Headaches now. Im not trying to discourage you fr Fluoxetin. Just relaying my experience with it. Iv heard alot of people really have great success on it. I could not take Zolft either. Same physical symptoms plus flu like symptoms. Iv tried Lexapro. It made me very sleepy all the time an eat all the time. I may go back to Cymbalta or Duloxetin. I also have fibromyalgia. It helped with pain. But I didnt give the 60mg time to work. Blood pressure went up so stopped it. Im really depressed I can't find one for me. But wishing you goidluck. Im in Tx.USA.
  • keysersoze
    keysersoze josh14156

    Posted

    Josh, for the first two weeks I've had very similar side effects to the ones you describe, especially the GI stuff, the yawning and kinda feeling like a moodless zombie sometimes. I also had a run of several days with not only no side effects but very low anxiety and overall great mood. I wrote in BigTexas' thread that I've been on a rollercoaster.

    Just remember, this drug takes it's sweet time for full benefit to be achieved, so hang in there and keep us posted!

  • jescob104
    jescob104 josh14156

    Posted

    Hi Josh, you and I are in the exact same situation. I was put on Prozac for my anxiety (due to Emetophobia) as well. I can't begin to describe how afraid I was - and still am of being sick as a result of these meds. So far I've been dealing with constant nausea (although that's something I've dealt with prior to taking Prozac due to my phobia). I got prescribed Ondansetron to take as well and even then I still feel the nausea, which confirms that it's in my head. I've been on Prozac for exactly one week as of today. My first 5 days I was getting a panic attack daily but today and yesterday I haven't had one. I've lost 20lbs so far because of this. It sucks.. know that you aren't alone. I envy you because you are a few more days in than I am hahah.
    • josh14156
      josh14156 jescob104

      Posted

      Hi Jescob104, WOW im suprised to meet another Emetophobic on here. It feels good knowing that Im not alone. Im Glad you mustered up the strength to start taking Prozac! Im currently on day 26 and Things have been alot better. I want you to know that this medicine does effect us more senstively I belieive because we analize every "feeling" that we have and it makes us start to wonder. I promise you I did NOT V on this medication or even felt like I could have. It is 100% in our heads. I promise you that. Please find comfort in that. As for my panic attakes, I have had 2 pretty bad ones since I started taking Prozac. Lastnight was the second one. Here's what I've found this medicine to do for us. When I feel the onset of a panic attack via (some commerical about flu season, or some post on FB about being sick) Im able to talk myself out of it before spirialing out of control and I have NEVER been able to do that. I would say that my anxiety is still pretty high, Ive only been on it for 3 weeks and It does make me feel more anxiety than before I started taking it, but that WILL go away in the coming weeks. Also as warmer weather and spring arrieved, Ive been able to feel more normal and not worry as much about Ving. I hope you are having good results! Please keep me updated! 
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