I have started Fluoxetine for severe anxiety and OCD
Posted , 12 users are following.
Hi all,
Just wanted to make a post that i can continue updating as weeks progress. I've just finished my first week of Fluoxetine. I was prescribed 20mg but i bought a pill cutter so that i can start low and slow because my body is particularly sensitive to meds at the moment (i have post viral syndrome/chronic fatigue due to catching glandular fever/mononucleosis in October 2015).
My life has been a living hell for the past 8 weeks. I had a relapse of post viral symptoms and my anxiety went out of control. I began having severe panic attacks, severe depresson and OCD intrusive thoughts - which are extremely upsetting for me.
I started with 5mg for 4 days, then 10mg for the past three days. Side effects have been minimal, but i can definitely feel that i am "drugged" to a certain extent. A few mild headaches, feeling a bit spacey, some increased anxiety - but it's hard to tell if that's from the meds or not. Today on the 3rd day of 10mg i had a panic attack and went a bit wobbly in the head for an hour or so, but i think it's because i didn't eat enough food before taking my pill. Fingers crossed it doesn't happen again tomorrow.
Overall i can feel the meds doing their magic, even though it's very early on. I feel slightly more positive about life, whereas during this past 8 weeks of anxiety and OCD hell i could only focus on the torment that i was experience right then and there. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come!
3 likes, 82 replies
HopeNFaith Aquin
Posted
Hi Aquin,
Your post really do help. I've been put back on fluoxetine. Was on 20mg for 7 weeks I think and started to feel a little better but then got worst, perhaps due to the stress of my new job. So went on to 40mg and it's my 6th day. It's been a scary journey, my depression and anxiety has got worst. I have really scary negative thoughts and even though it's not something I would do, it scares me. I end up feeling awful about it. Also I feel tired all the time and yawn a lot. I've not been able to eat much and sometimes when I try and take my tablets I'm sick. I have noticed though that the afternoon is slightly better for me. I was trying to understand why the thoughts as so bad but now I am just saying to myself yes they are bad thoughts but part of this illness and not who I am. I pray a lot and will keep praying as I find it really comforts me. I hope you're starting to feel better. X
Aquin HopeNFaith
Posted
Thanks for your message. Im so glad my posts have been able to help you a bit. The thoughts are just terrible to deal with. If you read my post i made just up there ^ i mention i woke up this morning anxious for the first time in a while. Well if course the thoughts come back whenever im anxious and they SUCK but the fluoxetine makes them so much more manageable for me now. So hiw long have you been on fluoxetine all together now? I hope the 40mg settles down for you asap ♡
HopeNFaith Aquin
Posted
I would so that I have been taken fluoxetine for 8 weeks. It's been 7 days on 40mg. I was starting to feel better on 20mg but by week 7 with the new job it really set me back. Perhaps I wasn't ready to start a job yet
. I have noticed that yesterday and today has not been as bad. I find that I feel a little more like me. Mornings are the hardest at the moment but now and then the anxiety is there. I'm so glad you are feeling better, happy Birthday for yesterday. It was a great step to go out for a meal, I'm glad you did it. I hope as time goes on everything continued to get better.
Aquin HopeNFaith
Posted
HopeNFaith Aquin
Posted
Hi Hun. I've already been signed off now
. The doctor said it was too much. I've been going on walks and trying to eat healthy when I can eat. I have noticed the last few days have been slightly better. I even managed to get out of bed early this morning after some self motivation. Praying helps and having loved ones around. There are times that I used to feel lonely when I could have a lot of people around me. Now since I have opened up, I don't fee so alone anymore. I feel myself smiling a little more which helps. We will get there Hun. Let me know how you're getting on. X
Aquin
Posted
Currently on day 4 of my increase to 12.5mg and feeling some side effects. I also started my period 2 days ago so it's hard to tell exactly what symptoms are from what, but i had bad insomnia last night which is definitely from the meds. Feeling quite depressed this morning with some anxiety but the anxiety is managable whereas before at the beginning of starting meds it was out of control. I haven't had any panic attacks of feelings on impending doom, but i am still a little surprised that i have more side effects after only increasing the dosage by 2.5mg. I hope it's not going to be a long road to get to 20mg. I was hoping to start on 15mg next week but will have to see how the rest of this week goes.
pipk02 Aquin
Posted
Hi Aquin, sorry to hear you are having a bit of a rough time with the increase!! That must be hard when you have been feeling better XX
I had a terrible night last night too, I woke up at 12am and couldn't sleep so went to the lounge and watched tv for three hours, I was having pretty bad anxiety. I really hope that the symptoms don't last long for you xo
Aquin pipk02
Posted
Thanks Pipk
Sorry to hear you had a rought night too. I always get distrupted sleep when i increase dosage. So weird as i've never experienced this before with other meds that i've tried many years ago. I really hope we both get a better nights sleep tonight. It probably didn't help that we had friends over and camped in a tent in the front yard last night, lol.. but i woke up so many times and whenever i did i felt wide awake for ages.
How are you feeling today? My heavy depression passed shortly after taking my meds and anxiety has calmed a bit, yay
pipk02 Aquin
Posted
That's interesting, maybe that's what happened too me. I increased to 5mg on Tuesday so maybe that effected me, not sure. But anxiety was high and OCD thoughts horrible, my OCD was like doing laughing and crying in my head was so weird.
Hope too that we both have a better sleep tonight, haha yeah the camping probably didn't help you.. sounds like fun though!!
Oh yay that's great, felt sad when read you were going through that again. I'm okay. Have been out on the farm all morning helping my partner, my anxiety seems to peak in afternoon and night. I'm not too bad but a bit anxious!! Sooo can't wait to be better!
Aquin pipk02
Posted
That could be it! I found it took 4-5 days for my sleep to improve after increasing dosage. OCD is such a horrible thing. Its actually international OCD awareness week so I posted about it on social media. I was really scared to do it but everyone was so supportive and i got a few messages from friends saying they've had ongoing intrusive thoughts at various points in their lives too. It's so awesome to be made to feel more normal. My thoughts have been horrendous, it's easy to feel completely alienated and scared but then to remember you're not alone is such a relief.
I'm so glad to hear you're doing ok! Forcing yourself out is hard but it definitely takes your mind off things. Xx
HopeNFaith Aquin
Posted
Hi Aquin and Pip, hope you both are doing well. I'm still on 40mg fluoxetine, doing a little better each day. Appetite is getting better and less negative thoughts. I go for nice walks with the dogs along the beach and that helps me to relax. I also read and listen to happy music as well.
Sleep can take me a while but when I do fall asleep I don't wake up as many times now. The vitamins I hope will also start helping me. My period is very irregular so sometimes it can cause issues. I am remaining hopeful. One day at a time. We can do this. X
Aquin HopeNFaith
Posted
Hi HopeNFaith
You sound like you're doing really well, i'm so happy for you! Sounds like you're doing all the right things to help your recovery. My period was irregular too when i was at my worst.. I think chronic anxiety and stress messed with reproductive hormones. Keep in touch!
HopeNFaith Aquin
Posted
Yes the anxiety definitely messes up our cycles. How are you getting on with the meds? X
Aquin
Posted
Hi HopeNFaith
this is a reply to you and also an update:
Week 8 today! I've been on 12.5mg for 6 days now and planning to go up to 15mg tomorrow. I'm still feeling more stable, although i have had a couple of depressed days this week which i assume is due to the increase. Nothing like in the beginning though!
I'm still getting twitches but they aren't bothering me as much. Sleep is ok, except i have been getting some night sweats. I still don't really feel social, and i get overwhelmed sometimes when i go out, but if i pick the right day to go out and do something then everything is usually fine. Hopefully the next week is fine on 15mg.
HopeNFaith Aquin
Posted
Hi Aquin, Glad you're managing better. I'm on 2 weeks 40mg. It's getting a little better each day but today is an off day for me. Negative thoughts are less but still there, given time I know it will go but it's just going through the motions each day.