Strange Fluoxetine side effects

No problem. I've found that things do actually change quite rapidly when they do... only a couple of days before I started thinking, oh these are working, I was feeling really low and completely fed up of it all, just thinking that it was so hard, too hard, all of the time. I've been off work for most of it too and really struggled with motivation at first. Now I'm managing to keep busy and am only having short periods where I'm feeling fed up. I had to plan a lot of things though which forced me to go! And it's slowly started to improve from there.

For you it sounds like these should work for you, just I can see why it's frustrating if you expected to see effects sooner!!! Maybe that's normal cos you've had them before? Body is more used to them maybe, and like you said maybe cos it was a bit worse to start with this time! A sounds like you just need a little more time, or your doc may suggest increasing like mine... what would you think to that? X

Hey. We did spk about the level I'm on and she said she's happy I'm on 20mg and wouldn't want to increase it. Yes think because I got to rock bottom is almost taking that bit longer to feel better.

I just wish I could get back on with life - I am trying to make sure I do one thing each day - even if it's meet a friend for coffee or post a letter. Just some goal for the day. I see a counsellor once a week too and we work through things that could trigger my anxieties etc. she is good but again feel like its all very slow - think I'm

Just fed up of it all now!

How are you getting on with them? Are you feeling back to yourself now?

Lovely to chat x

Yea, I really am starting to feel more like myself again! and have done for about a week or more! before just going to the bank or such was a big ask, but now i'm really busy. have been trying all sorts of things and went to a meditation class this week (which was exactly the same as mindfullness, which you can be on a waiting list for weeks!). am also seeing a counsellor and i too was feeling it was very slow, and she suggested that i might work better with CBT to start with (she is more person centred / psychodynamic), but of course I havent been able to get on any CBT yet. So ive stuck with her for a few more weeks, and i've actually found the last 2 sessions we've had (2 in one week), to be very useful. so for me it seems that sticking with that too has helped! even though i didnt think that just a couple of weeks ago! Hopefully a week from now you will be starting to feel the benefits as well and you'll look back on this week and see such a difference. one thing i found really helped was when i got outside at least for part of the day. sometimes it seems like the last thing you want to do, and if it's really too hard one day, then just don't do it... but if at any point in the day you feel slightly better, slightly more motivated, pop outside for a walk... like you said, post a letter, or go out and buy yourself a pop! if the sun is shining it will really help!

don't get me wrong, i'm not 100% back to me and I find that I can become very emotional or overwhelmed very quickly, and the emotions feel very strong when they do hit me, and the triggers appear small. but those times have dramatically decreased, and now i feel much more normal again i can start looking at why this all happened and what i can do about it long term. i couldnt do that without the drugs because the thoughts were just too strong, and all consuming. but, not to dwell, because although not 100% it's definitely up there!!!

i have a feeling that for you, you will start seeing a difference within the week! fingers crossed xx

Hi everyone,

just needed to express what's happening with me and the fluoxetine at the moment as I'm in new territory (I think). Started on the pills again 3 weeks ago after another relapse of my depression/ anxiety and OCD symptoms after coming off the same meds last year. Had some really acute side effects this time that I posted last week sometime but I felt these were reducing and I had started to feel a little better.

Last few days my anxiety is really bad again and I have no appetite at all again. Also suffering headaches but this may be down to not eating. Quite a lot of friction at home as a result also as we are both waiting for the medication to work!

Intend to speak to the Doc again on Monday but still continuing with the tablets. They have worked for me in the past so why not again? They are taking their time though!

Feel better for that......... :-)

Hi all

I'm almost at 5 weeks on the fluoxetine and still not feeling great! I take it for anxiety. I am also taking beta blockers 3 times a day and one 2mg diazapam in the morning - mornings seem to be worse.

I see the doc once a week and last week she mentioned upping the dose from 20mg to 40mg. What does anyone think? On Thursday I would have been taking them for 5 weeks. I don't know if I should wait another week or ask to be put up.

I def feel better than I did 6 weeks ago but thought I would be feeling far better than this now. I'm signed off work so feeling guilty about not being there! Just feel like I've hit a brick wall with progress at the moment.

Any advice would be greatly received

Thanks x

Morning j.

I have great sympathy (and empathy) with you as I am in a similar position after about 3 and a half weeks(not taking diazepam but just been put on the beta blockers yesterday by the GP after some bouts of increased anxiety).

As you may see from earlier posts, I have been on and off fluoxetine and other anti-depressants for many years and I can say that this medication (Prozac) has kept me stable for long periods of time in the past. It really has worked for me but I got complacent and came off it last year so back to square one. This time its taking its time but I will continue as I know it has worked in the past and no reason not to again. It may be me but as I write that, I actually feel a bit more hopeful !

Part of my problem is accepting the way I am/feel at any given time and being off work (again!) really doesn't help but beating myself up seems to be part of the problem with me.

I wouldn't give anyone advice because this is individual but I intend to keep taking the meds and keep seeing the GP and being honest with him and others.

My GP also recommended a book that I have got hold of about depressive illness which has really helped. I am not sure that the site allows me to promote a particular book but I would be happy to let you have the details if you want. I believe that there may be a way to send you a secure message but not sure how?

Anyway, I really wish you all the best. G :-)

I'm in a similar position, I was on Flu successfully for just over a year then with approval of doc tapered off just before to just after xmas. No side effects apart from irritability the first two weeks then two weeks ago I just hit a wall. I don't know if it was dealing with the stress of being self employed without the meds or the half life of Flu but spent an entire week crying (week before last).

Eventually spoke to the doctor and I'm back on which seemed the only viable option. I'm now on day 8 and the SEs are horrendous in the morning, bad thoughts anxiety and panic, wake up at 6am every morning without fail. It takes a while to get up at which point I don't know what to do, I feel too anxious, distant, lethargic to do any work.

I know these tablets work for me 2013 was probably the best of my life, struggling to see the wood for the trees at the moment though,

Jo x

HI G and Jo

Thanks so much for your replies. I too have been on fluoxetine before and know it works but only ever been on 20mg and it kicked in far quicker last time I took it (18 months ago) I spoke to the doc about why its taking so long to kick in (when she suggested to up it to 40mg) and she said it could be because I allowed myself to get so 'in to' the anxiety before I went to the docs! I asked if it mattered that Id been on it before - as in it would be as effective this time and she reassured me by saying that your body does not build up any immunity to it and if its worked before it will def work again - just have to be patient … just thought that by week 4 id be feeling so much better than this! I just fed up!!

I don't know if I should go to 40 mg to give myself a bit of a boost or wait it out tip the recommended 6 weeks and then go up (just hate the ida of taking more of it!)

Jo - the SE you're experiencing are exactly what I had in the first few weeks - I wrote a diary to keep track of it all as was a good way to vent my emotions about it all too!

I have hypnotherapy this afternoon - several people have recommended it for anxiety as it helps to change your thought patterns and relaxes you.

My counsellor thinks that when i feel anxious I fear having panic attacks and feeling how I am now so I spiral in to this situation… I can see what she means as I hate this feeling so much that can see how i fear it -but link it to everything like' whats happens if I feel like this when 'x' happens and then worry about it and then end up like this.

I hate being off work too - although my boss is being as supportive as they can be i still feel bad!

thanks again for your replies…. I think I'll see what doc says on thurs as she may say that I should be feeling better than I am by now

Hello

I have taken Fluoxetine in the past and it always works eventually. I think it takes longer each time you go

back onto it. I am on about week four and feel kind of flat and anxious. I will just have to stick it out until the

tablets start to work. I exercise to try and improve my mood but still cannot get a high. I hope I get better, I

am sure I will. I just need to be patient.

Gill

Hey everyone,

I'm so glad I have found this site! I'm 20 years old and I got put on fluoxetine last Friday I am now on my 5th day. I was very hesitant at first as I had extreme side effects to citalopram a few weeks ago. I think my doctor gave me too much. I literally couldn't function I'd sleep all day and all night I was so exhausted. I lost my appetite and felt so sick which made my anxiety worse. My anxiety is about feeling and being sick. I am constantly anxious about being or feeling sick and I've had this for 3 years. It was so bad that I couldn't even the leave the house. I've seen 3 cognitive behavioural therapists and a hypnotherapist. I feel as though this anxiety just will not go I'm currently seeing another therapist and been advised to take fluoxetine while I attend therapy to take rah edge off my anxiety. However I still feel very nauseous and sick which is fuelling my anxiety. Could this be a side effect of taking this medicine? If so do the side effects last a while?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

Beth

Hi everyone hope ur ok? So ive been on citalopram for 13 weeks and I feel worse than ever, they wanted to up them to 40mg but I said no that I wanted to try something else so im now doing a swap from citalopram to fluoxitine, anyone got any words of wisdom xxx

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum as I've been taking Fluoxetine 20mg for about 4 weeks now. I've been experiencing the normal "side effects" including: weird vivid dreams (i swear i feel like they're so real... until i wake up and realized it was just a dream), yawning all the time, so tired during the day (I'm going to try and take them at night before bed like I've seen people mention), trouble sleeping, still anxious.

I started taking these pills because I have been struggling with anxiety for about a year now, to the point where I had to stop going to school on campus! I have gotten a lot better, but I'm still taking online classes since it seems my anxiety affects me when i'm out in public!

I think my anxiety stems from my hormone imbalance that I just got recently diagnosed with (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome in FEB 2014)--- because I never had anxiety before in my life until my hormones were thrown off.

I don't plan on staying on this medication forever, just until I get my anxiety under control. it's been such a struggle- I'm just hoping in about 4 more weeks these pills will kick in completely so i can go back to school on campus. I just don't like the side effects I'm dealing with right now, but i'm going to give it some time!

Any suggestions, comments, or tips for me? By the way, I am a 21 year old female. I only have been on these pills for about 4 weeks, and that is also when I got the diagnosis for Poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. It's been a long year of trying to figure out what was wrong with me!

I hope these pills help!

Hi guys,

I started taking fluoxetine 4 days ago, so far the side effects are absolutely horrid!!!

Iv'e got the hot sweats, shiver spells,Insomnia, cold achey bones, nausea 1st thing in the morning and

the muscle twitches.

How long does it generally take before the nausea starts to go away?

Hi everyone,

Been a while since I posted and just seen some new joiners :-)

I won't go over my old stuff as you can read my previous stuff above. However- I have now been back on fluoxetine for nearly 7 weeks after many years history of being on and off it.

Bottom line is that despite my initial problems with severe side effects this time and the feeling of dread that it wasn't working- IT IS WORKING NOW and the side effects are a distant memory thank goodness.

This medication has always worked for me in the past and it was worth persevering this time for me although I doubted this several times over the last few weeks. I now feel a lot better, my anxiety is under control and my mood has improved beyond recognition. In fact i almost can't believe what I went through as I am a different person today.

Past experience was that it worked quicker before and I have never had the side effects to the extent I did this time. But I am glad I persevered.

This is just my experience and I obviously can't offer anything more than that. Goes without saying that I have kept in close touch with my GP who has been great.

Good luck !

G

The main reason I can't take them is because I think I should be on 10mg but as you most probably know 20mg is the lowest dose in the UK.

I also felt that I couldn't exercise at all dye to horrible ear, nose & throat pain as well as bruising on arms and legs. I couldn't believe how much better they made me feel, sadly the side effects were just too brutal. Has anyone been on an alternative antidepressant?

Thank you!

Claire