Strange Fluoxetine side effects

Hi all

Sorry it's been a few days since I've posted.

I think acceptance is half the battle to be honest. Once we can accept what were going through then things start to get a bit easier.

I'm on day 17 now and still struggling a bit. The afternoons are def much better - able to function and get things done. It's the mornings that are so tough. Wake up sweating and feeling very anxious. I take beta blockers 3 times a day and diazapam for the mornings. Then take the fluoxetine in the eve. Tried it in the morning and made me feel even worse!

I just can't wait for these tablets to kick in properly. I tend to notice the difference week to week rather than day to day which is so frustrating as each day is so hard and I just feel like it's taking forever to notice a difference. My counsellor keeps telling me I'm making good progress and it's all baby steps ... I'm just so impatient as feel as though I should be feeling better than this by now!

Thank for listening to my frustrations x

It's all a matter of patience j. Something that i know is in short supply in the early stages. Your counsellor is right. Take each day as it comes and try and go with the flow. Things will level out in time. Keep posting - its better out than in and we are all here for you.

Best wishes for a reasonable day.

Thank you so much for your kind words. The mornings are def the worst as I'm on them for anxiety I struggle with that the most during the morning. So feel very unsettled and sweaty and heart racing etc. I take a diazepam each morning which does help a little to relax me. I just wish this would hurry up and feel better. I'm so worried about taking so much time off work. Although my boss has been understanding I'm still very wary of not being there. How long did it take for yours to kick in. I was reading something the other day that was saying 3-4 weeks! I know everyone is different just wondered if there was an average amount of time people found ? Thanks x

You are most welcome.

I have replied to your PM and will try and help here too. I used to take my flu (i'm on liquid) in the morning but now take it in the afternoon. I also suffer with anxiety, paranoia (a side effect to the illness i think rather than the drug), tension and a knackered nervous system (according to my chiropractor yesterday). I also take Diazepam but only at night (to give me 5 straight hours of sleep and relax my permenently tight muscles). I'm now on 5mg (was 2mg) but sometimes break them in half (so 2.5mg) and try not to take them every day.

I sometimes get the night sweats too - have no idea why.

Think for a moment - this illness has probably been building up for some time until the trigger was met. Therefore it will take some time for the drugs to kick in to level things out again. Mine had been building for 2 years (which i now realise after talking to my counsellor). The drugs are not a quick fix. Try not to worry, tricky with anxiety. I have heard that Yoga is a good idea but not something i have tried.

I had a breakdown at work, tears, the lot. Rather embarrassing for a bloke. I worked when i started the long journey and my workplace were very understanding. I don't work now by choice.

The leaflet says 3-4 weeks - i found 6-8 weeks personally but everyone is different.

You are heading in the right direction....persevere.

Best wishes.

Hi just started taking these yesterday, the side effects people have spoke about seem bad but going to stick

With them the best I can!!

Karen

Hi everyone

Just started 10mg prozac yesterday felt nothing till I tried to sleep. Toss and turned all night slept from 11-230 then 5-830. This has happen to me before on zoloft. Today is my 2nd day and I might have to try a sleep aid. Anyone else have this problem will it go away?

Thanks!

Andrew

For all if you who are still suffering with these horrid miserable side effects, don't give up. I nearly did but feel so so much better and a bit more like me, how I used to be and even happy! I am now in week 7 and the only effect I have now is occasionally feel a bit dizzy first thing and get hot flashes but everything else has almost gone. I am so glad I preserve red with it. Keep going, it's really hard but when they kick in you really do feel the benefit.

Wishing you all health and happiness x

Hello again,

I am now nearly two weeks in after resuming on fluoxetine following a break of around 4 months. I had really bad side effects the first week inc. poor sleep, increased anxiety, feeling sick / no appetite etc. but these have largely gone now. I do still feel anxious and my OCD symptoms can start to get the better of me if I let them- In fact, this is probably the worst part of how I am feeling at the moment and in itself leads to anxiety.

The thing is, I know this medication does work for me as I have had some longish stable periods whilst taking fluoxetine over the last 10 plus years. The experiment to come off them altogether didn't work this time and I won't be in a hurry to try it again!

For me, I know it's worth enduring this difficult first few weeks to feel better in the long run.

I personally avoid resorting to sleeping aids as I know they won't be good for me in the long run but that is just me. I don't know how it is for other people.

Good luck everyone :-)

Graham

You said you have taken prozac before? Did you have side effects the very first time taking them and how long did they last? I dont like taking sleep aids either but I get agitated without at least 6 hours of sleep. I also feel hungry all the time and have muscle spasms when i do try to sleep also.

To be honest Andrew, it's so long since I first took fluoxetine that I can't really remember what it was like, although I certainly don't recall the severity of side effects that I have experienced this last couple of weeks. I do recall that last time I started again (about 2 years ago) I had dizzy/ light headed spells for a while. I can say that I feel a lot less affected by the side effects now than I was this time last week if that helps. The poor sleep was really only for a few nights.

I wish you all the best. As I say these pills do work for me longer term.

Hi everyone I have just started this medication knowing I have been suffering from depression for as long back as I can remember it has taken a wake up call that I had to do something about it I staryed this medication On Thursday and feel as if I have just hit rock bottom I dont have no appetite at all feeling really sick and having bad dreams and constantly feeling tired with no motivation at all.

I have read it takes at least 4 weeks before we start seeing some changes its going to be a hard 4 weeks to get through all this just keep strong and get through it,it was really hard to actually admit I had a problem and anyone who does feel this way there is nothing wrong with doing that your being a big person to comes to term that I have never heard of this medication before I went to doctors where in the past I was on citalapram and felt it didnt do much but at that age I was young and wreckless and thought drinking would just get me through bad mistake that was well I hope this medication gets me through this stage and I can become the happy person everyone who knew me as.

Hi all,

I've had some really hardcore side effects which included really bad bruising all over my legs and a burst blood vessel in my eye.

Just wondered if anyone else had been prescribed a different antidepressant because flu had caused adverse reactions?!

Any help would be much appreciated :-)

Claire

Hi all

Have been on the tablets 4 weeks tomoro and only had a good few days. I'm Not feeling any worse. Just thought I would be feeling better than this by now. Still signed off work ... But looking at that as a positive things as don't want to set myself back.

Just feels very slow - when did everyone else feel although the tablets really kicked in. I'm On them for anxiety

Hi J,

Everyone is different and when they kick in for people seems to vary a lot! I've been on them for 7 weeks now and definitely feel a difference (for depression mainly with anxiety), and I've been feeling generally better for about a week!. After 4 weeks I didn't think I could feel any difference so I was increased to 40mg. My doc thought I should have felt a little bit better by 4 weeks, so suggested the increase. I've read a lot of people still don't feel it at 4 weeks but say it kicks in around 6 or even 8!! Hope that helps a little and that you start to feel better soon x

Hey

Thanks so much for replying so quickly. I think overall I'm better rather than worse. I just feel so fed up with it all. Making the decision to take tablets was a really big one for me as I've been on them before and really didn't want to take them again but finally gave in. They kicked in much quicker last time - but then I didn't get nearly as anxious last time - where as this time basically hit rock bottom before I made the decision. I hate being off work too - I'm just so fed up and I guess just thought they'd work quicker like last time.

I guess I just keep waiting it out- like I say will be 4 weeks tomoro so only just touching the mark when you're meant to start being able to feel a difference.

Thanks again for your reply x