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Should I switch meds?

Posted , 8 users are following.

Valerieanne77
Valerieanne77

I was on 20mg of flouxetine for two weeks and experienced awful side effects, and then they cleared up. My psychiatrist increased my dose to 40mg and I felt nothing for the first two weeks and then hit with the lowest low. I was crying, unmotivated, sleeping a lot, depressed, had suicidal imaginings, depersonalization, I experienced those feelings for a few days but they are getting better a little bit. I am a little happier but still depressed, not crying, I am still kind of lethargic but more motivated to do things like take a shower and exercise. I find that I am sleeping a lot more at night and waking up at like 10 when I used to wake up at 8 and I don't feel like getting out of bed. But once I get up I start to get better. I don't know if I should just keep sticking with fluoxetine or switch? The process is so slow. I've been on fluoxetine for 6 weeks, and on 40mg for 3. Is this going to work? Should I switch meds?

1 like, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • brittany68643
    brittany68643 Valerieanne77

    Posted

    I feel like you I'm on 3rd week of 40mg but everyone on here and who I know personally says to stick with it and that it Will work
  • alex33572
    alex33572 Valerieanne77

    Posted

    I understand you.

    I am week 4 on 20mg and today I feel terrible.

    I had to drink Propranolol 20 and xanax .25 just to get down the terrible anxiety that kick me today.

    I had fast heart rate...

    I am thinking to up my dose on 40 mg but I am scared what the side effects will be.

    Dr said it's ok to go up but I wanted to stick on 20 until week 4 is finished cause I thought to stay and be patient maybe 20 will hit too...

    I really don't know what to do...

    Please advise...

    A

    • daz101
      daz101

      Posted

      Sorry about that hit reply way to early

      How are you feeling on the 20mg

      Other than the side effects

      Have you noticed any improvement

      At all ?

    • alex33572
      alex33572 daz101

      Posted

      Hi daz,

      Thanks for asking...

      I am week 4 on 20mg and today I feel terrible.

      I had to drink Propranolol 20 and xanax .25 just to get down the terrible anxiety that kick me today.

      I had fast heart rate...

      I am thinking to up my dose on 40 mg but I am scared what the side effects will be.

      Dr said it's ok to go up but I wanted to stick on 20 until week 4 is finished cause I thought to stay and be patient maybe 20 will hit too...

      I really don't know what to do...

      How are you ....any improvement?

    • alex33572
      alex33572 daz101

      Posted

      Well it's been up and down all the time..

      Some times I really feel better..

      Some side effects subsided a little bit but I have still bad days like today...

      I hope I will manage to stick with it...

      You?

      Any improvement?

    • daz101
      daz101 alex33572

      Posted

      Alex / valerieanne

      I started on the 5th feb

      For the 1st 3/4 weeks I was all over the place but I stuck it out after getting advice from on here I to was at my wits end . I used to get just a couple of hours that were good now I get

      2 maybe 4 good days

      Although even now for me it's still early days I would say but I've seen

      What this med can do and I'm glad

      Because at first I had my doubts

      What I will say is everyone is different

      Each has a different response / circumstance therefore I understand

      When you begin to wonder if this med is right . a great example of a drug not working with me was mirtazapine the side effects outweighed the benefits that's how I ended up on the flux

    • alex33572
      alex33572 daz101

      Posted

      Good job daz....I am truly happy for you....I started on 25 of February...20 mg in the morning.

      I truly hope it will kick me soon.

      What is your dosage and when do you take it?

      A

    • alex33572
      alex33572

      Posted

      Sorry for disturbing but one more question?

      Do you take any additional pills like benzodiazepines or diazepam or something for better sleep? Or Propranolol?

      A

    • daz101
      daz101 alex33572

      Posted

      I take 10mg of amitriptayline for sleep

      It does help although I still wake early

      But not too early if you know what I mean

  • daz101
    daz101 Valerieanne77

    Posted

    Hi valerieanne

    If you've noticed some improvements

    Then it's worth hanging in there

    This drug seemingly does take time to work

    Some say 6 weeks others say 8 and so on

    When did you notice a slight improvement

    ?

    • Valerieanne77
      Valerieanne77 daz101

      Posted

      I felt better at about 3 weeks but still have some mood swings and anxiety. Is that common?
  • michelle00574
    michelle00574 Valerieanne77

    Posted

    I been on 40 for 7 weeks all I want to do is sleep all the time and don't want to do any thing anyone else fill like this 
  • cat_19912
    cat_19912 Valerieanne77

    Posted

    Just hang in there everyone. IT can take several weeks for to really work. That's because it acts so slowly which is a good thing. Anxiety, Tiredness, panic attacked and everything are very very normal. But give it time . 6-8 weeks we were told, and it took 9. The last week was tough and my son nearly gave up, a mum watching your  child go through the side effects was terrible but he persevered and suddenly it was much better. Changing meds now is unlikely to help and you'll have to start all over. Flou is about the mist effective med out there. Just stick with it...
    • Valerieanne77
      Valerieanne77 cat_19912

      Posted

      Since prozac makes me tired can I transition it to night? Will that be better?
    • katecogs
      katecogs cat_19912

      Posted

      I've also watched my son go through this Cat ..... heartbreaking isn't it.  It's taken him a good 5 months of being up and down, and is now back to being himself again. Great to hear him laugh again :-)
    • Dengirl29
      Dengirl29 cat_19912

      Posted

      Hi did your son feel like the meds weren't working. I have hit week four and now I'm all over the place up and down worse sad
    • cat_19912
      cat_19912 katecogs

      Posted

      It is tough watching someone you love go through it but it makes so much difference, once the meds kick In properly. . As you say Kate, hearing them laugh, really, with feeling is great...😊still ups and downs, but manageable ones..
    • cat_19912
      cat_19912 Dengirl29

      Posted

      Hi Nicole, yes it took ages for him to notice them working. I guess I noticed before he did as he was feeling so bad and then began to worry that they weren't going to work. I think this is pretty common, it's such a slow change and seems to take forever. 

      My advice would be try and keep a diary or journal of how you feel, symptoms, emotions etc, you may not feel like it but you will be able to look back and chart your progress. The change is so slow sometimes you may not notice it until you look back. Writing stuff down, doodling etching can help pass the time and make you feel more in control . If it's any consolation just before the meds really kick in you tend to feel a bit worse, but that should pass after a couple of days. Hang in there....sounds like you're doing really well 😊

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