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How long on fluoxetine before feeling better

Posted , 3 users are following.

Mizzjaney68
Mizzjaney68

Hi everyone I'm.New to this forum. I'm on day 20 on 20mg fluoxetine and still having bad morning anxiety .crying and feeling agitated also still not sleeping well mainly waking early and not getting back to sleep ..how long did it take everyone to start feeling better or more normal ??? Jane

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest Mizzjaney68

    Posted

    Hi Jane! These are completely normal side effects unfortunately.. some people start feeling really well around week 8, others need 12 weeks to get the full benefit. The good news is that not every day is going to be bad. You're going to have ups and downs and blips right up until it starts taking effect. The thing about fluoxetine is that it reaches a steady state in the blood between 30-60 days, whereas other SSRI's take 2 weeks max. It can only start really working after it reaches that steady state. I am 10 weeks today and still not feeling great. A lot better than weeks 2-3 for sure, but no where near where I want to be yet. You are unfortunately in the most intense part of the process, the 2-3 week side effect blues. You just have to wait it out. It's not fun but you can do it!!

    • Mizzjaney68
      Mizzjaney68 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks Laura32324..it's so reassuring to here from someone else who's going thru oe been thru it .was beginning to think it wasn't the right medication for me as my friend was on it last year and she was feeling the benefits at. 2 weeks !.I guess we all react to medication differently and at different rates. I'm going to stick with it as I've come this far .thank you for the support..hope your feeling better soon xx

    • Guest
      Guest Mizzjaney68

      Posted

      Oh gosh, I've heard that so often. So-and-so got better at 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 5 weeks and were still here suffering .. ugh. How envious I am of those people! It really depends on a few things. How you metabolize the meds, also for some reason if you were on fluox or any other SSRI before, it seems to take longer as well. You will get there though!! 

    • Mizzjaney68
      Mizzjaney68 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Laura..hope your well. do u have days where u think your getting better then the next day your down again . Its so confusing 😓..xx

    • Guest
      Guest Mizzjaney68

      Posted

      Allll the time Jane. It even changes by the hour. Sometimes by the minute! I could wake up feeling completely crappy but in 15 minutes feel a little brighter.  My advice is just to let it all wash over you. No matter how you're feeling. If you feel like crap, just let yourself feel that way. If you're anxious, let yourself feel anxious. Just try and sit with your feelings and not try to change them. You're going to feel a lot of different side effects, but just chalk them all up to anxiety. All the side effects I had could be explained away by anxiety. Loose bowels, insomnia, nausea, etc.. the meds heighten the anxiety at first so you're going to have a host of different symptoms that are anxiety related. Try not to feed into the worry when you experience these. Just tell yourself it's anxiety.  And when it comes down to it, all anxiety is is sensitized nerves and adrenaline rushes. Completely not harmful. Uncomfortable? Definitely. But anxiety is not dangerous. 

      Just try to think of it that way. It may help a little xx

    • Mizzjaney68
      Mizzjaney68 Guest

      Posted

      Thank you Laura32324.that's reassuring.. i really do over think things sometimes!! Im going thru the change and my hormones are on a rollercoaster right now so that's not helping..I'm coming back as a man !!.I  keep trying to tell myself I won't feel like this forever..hopefully !! How you doing?? Xx  

  • dawn70425
    dawn70425 Mizzjaney68

    Posted

    Hi Jane 

    I'm on 26 days of fluoxetine and only JUST started to feel a little bit better, first few weeks were hell, couldn't stop crying, feeling so low, I didn't want to get out of bed to do any thing, 

    I was in here just after being on the tablet for 6 days, praying for some one to tell me, all would be good in the next day or so lol, but I was Told it would be at least 4 weeks befit I see a bit of improvement, and not till 8 weeks before the tablet is at full use, so Iv still got to hang on in there for a while yet, but every one have said it is worth the wait...

    So your slowly getting there, and hopefully after 4 weeks u will find that some days are good, and others can be a struggle, but I'm gritting my teeth and sticking this out, Iv had to get some propranolol ( beaterblockers) to help me with my anxiety, as that was keeping me awake at nite, it use to take me 2/3 hours every nite to fall asleep, then I was awake of and on in the nite, because I couldn't sleep as anxiety was doing my head in, so doc gave me beaterblockers and they are great, as my anxiety as gone now, so even tho I don't sleep all nite, I do fall asleep quick, I also started to listen to meditation on my phone before I sleep to help as well, I just down loaded it from App Store ..

    So all in all keep going your half way there, and it may kick in for you early, so don't give up yet, u will win in the end, good look, and take care ?? X

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