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I'm reducing dose for citalopram but wondering is fluoxetine any better??

Posted , 7 users are following.

Marie266
Marie266

Hello all,

I have been on citalopram 29mg for a year but I want to come off them as I'm sure they are making me feel very tired all the time which is no good for my lifestyle being a lone parent and working etc. My friend recommended for me to take fluoxetine as she says doesn't make her tired but of course it's different for everyone. I'm sort of put off having to rely on a pill to feel okay. Any advice?

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • barbara79178
    barbara79178 Marie266

    Posted

    Hi Marie. I JUST started 20 mg of fluoxetine a few days ago. Actually started on 10 last week for 1 week.   My Doc is having me use Orozac (fluoxetine) as a bridge to come off Effexor.  I was fine on 10 mg along with the Effexor. Since I started the 20 mgs 3 days ago I am EXTREMELY fatigued.  I cannot keep my eyes open & I am at work.  May go home early just to sleep.  I am also taking low dose Xanax because I feel a little jittery & anxious too.   Hoping this all will pass very soon. Can’t function with this much fatigue. 

  • kimberly20246
    kimberly20246 Marie266

    Posted

    Hi there.  I am not sure if this will make a difference, but I take 20mg of the fluoxetine every night before I go to bed and I have no trouble with grogginess or fatigue. 
    • barbara79178
      barbara79178 kimberly20246

      Posted

      Hi Kimberly.  How long have you been on it?  Do you remember if you had the fatigue in the early days?
    • kimberly20246
      kimberly20246 barbara79178

      Posted

      Hi Barbara.  I was on 10mg for a month and although I take it at night, around 2pm I would be tired.  I was switched to 20mg and have been on it for a month and a half the fatigue has passed.
    • barbara79178
      barbara79178 kimberly20246

      Posted

      Good to know!  My doc only had me on 10 mgs for one week then bumped me up to 20.  Maybe I should stay on the 10 mg longer. 
  • Guest
    Guest Marie266

    Posted

    Hi Marie, I’m on my 3rd week of 20mg. The first week I felt energised. The 2nd week onwards was where I was exhausted and had to nap. Now that it’s leveling out, my sleep has returned to normal and I don’t feel tired anymore. Best of luck x
  • beckai
    beckai Marie266

    Posted

    Hi 

    I began tapering off 40mg of citalopram (after 3 years on it) about 8 weeks ago then 2 weeks ago once I was down to 20mg my GP started me on 20mg fluoxetine. 

    The citalopram made me feel like a zombie and I couldn’t stop napping in the daytime and bad insomnia at night (not good being a lone parent to 5 kids) 

    So far the fluoxetine has been good touch wood. Doesn’t make me exhausted like the citalopram did I take it at 5pm every evening I’m asleep by 11pm I sleep all night till 6/7am them I’m awake all day with loads more energy.  The only side affects I’ve had so far is bit of tummy upset and itching but that’s tailing off now. 

    • evan27361
      evan27361 beckai

      Posted

      I’m glad I was perusing and found your post! I just was decreased from 30 mg citalopram to 20 mg and was prescribed 20 mg Prozac to switch over to. I am nervous about the switch so I was looking for some hope. I was on citalopram for 6 years and I think it just fizzled out or my chemistry changed. I have been an anxious wreck and extremely tired. I’m hoping that Prozac was a good choice to try next.  
    • evan27361
      evan27361

      Posted

      I’m glad I found your post! This is my exact situation! I was on citalopram for 6 years and then POOF it stopped working! I just we’re down to 20mg cit and now I started 20mg Prozac. I am on day 3 and it has been somewhat rough for me. How has it been for you? I have a script of Klonopin for when it gets rough but I’m so anxious for the Prozac to work it’s magic. I know I need to give it time but jeez I’m ready to feel somewhat normal again!
    • beckai
      beckai evan27361

      Posted

      sorry for the late reply. im on week 5 now of the prozac and im going to be totally honest im not feeling hopeful right now that its the one for me. i thought by now id be feeling somewhat different and happier but i just dont right now and my anxiety is really bad.

      from reading online though im seeing people say it can take up to 3 months for prozac to take affect.

      the Gp i saw at my 4 week review was useless just asked me if i had any symptoms off them, then i tried explaining i still dont feel right and my anxiety was through the roof and he just printed another script for another months worth and said yeah its still early days and sent me on my way.

      week 1 was horrible, week 2 was little better, week 3 was ok, week 4 was horrible and so is week 5. im hoping week 6 will be a turning point for me.

      ive been on 2 waiting lists for counselling for coming up 18 months as well so im just trying to get through with medication only at the moment which really dont help. i really really hope the switch over to prozac works for you though and helps.

    • kimberly20246
      kimberly20246 beckai

      Posted

      Hi Marie266, I had the itching at a point or two, glad I wasn't the only one. I take my fluozetine at night...I sleep like a baby!

    • Guest
      Guest beckai

      Posted

      I was exactly the same! I'm on week 8 now and feel like I'm almost back to my old self. Please stick with it. It isn't an overnight fix unfortunately. Sending you lots of love x

    • heather28795
      heather28795 evan27361

      Posted

      Hi! I'm in the same boat. Has the cross taper gone well? Every day is different for me. Like every time I take the prozac I'm not sure what my day will be like.

  • kimberly20246
    kimberly20246 Marie266

    Posted

    Hey there, I understand your frustration. I went through the very same thing. I am on 12 weeks today and I starting feel relief around the 6 to 7 week mark. Every now and then I might feel a little bit off like yesterday, but today is fine. Times like that are few and far between. I am on 20mg and I think at some point I will have to go up, only because from time to time I will have intrusive thoughts or get a little anxious, but nothing like before I went on the med. Try and hang in there, and talking with people on here really helps!!!

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