Strange Fluoxetine side effects

Hi Helen, what did your doc change you to?

I have completed 6 weeks now,on 20mg side effects have been horrendous, really bad anxiety, sick feeling, no appetite, however, i am starting to notice a SLIGHT let up, and these starting to lift. Fingers crossed so tight!!

Went to Doc after 4 weeks and he encouraged me to try the 8 weeks, here is hoping that they are now starting to ease.

Cara, Hi, I thought that your doc would want the 20mg to kick in first before upping you, but then again, he is a doctor, and i am a joiner lol. Why did he increase them? How you coping with side effects?

I was on cit 20mg for 3 months and he done a straight swap onto fluox and said he hoped I wud feel better within a week or 2,called him after 2 and said I felt a slight improvement and he said to up them to 40mg but I have decided to do 40mg one day and 20mg the nxt which he said wud even out to 30mg and see how I get on with that!im waiting to b referred to a psychiatrist as drs think my dep/anx is due to hormones as I seem to have 2 good weeks then 2 awful weeks!! Tbh since starting I cant say ive noticed any side effects but I font know if thats because I came straight off cit one day and onto these the next xxx

hi reasoning - sertraline - 50mg for a week then up to 100mg which apparently roughly equates to the 20mg of fluox I was on - 4 weeks on fluox - hoping that is a springboard for the sertraline to take hold though hoping not so many bad effects - we shall see - have a good weekend all - take care - h

Well I'm into week 3 and I feel terrible, the side effects are really getting to me.

The anxiety has started to hit me very badly as has the agitation, loss of appetite and weight generally feeling very flat. I just hope that they start to ease off soon.

Hope everybody is doing ok and things are starting to look brighter for you!!

Em

Hi Emma,

You should ask your doctor for a beta blocker to help with the anxiety, i couldnt have managed without them. They are not like tranquilisers and not addictive and do help with the anxiety affects.

The anxiety part has been hell for me during my startup phase, never thought would be anywhere as bad as this, but i keep reading how everyone (most anyway) endure this when beginning on flu so I am trying to go with it, and doc wants me to also. 6 weeks in, anxiety is still high, but hoping it will all be for the best.

Would definitely recommend the beta blocker though

Reasoning, Ive got a dr's appointment for tuesday morning so will discuss this with her thenand see what she says.

I haven't felt this low for a long time and it's really starting to take effect, It's affecting my work, my relationship everything is starting to go downhill again.

I'm up for trying anything at this point I'm so down.

Em

total feel your pain, its crazy that pills to make you feel better make you feel so much worse, to begin!

I'm just so lucky that I've got a very supportive family to vent to, without them I'd be lost.

Em

you'll get there, Emma. This seems to have been a wonder drug for loads people, just got to give it time, which is easy to say, but try sticking with it, that's what I'm for doing

Hi all, first time on here and I am so glad I found this thread. Just a bit of background about me...I'm 26 and first had an extreme bout of severe depression back in 2008. I ended up on Citalopram but it made me think very negative thoughts and ended up in hospital for a few days. I decided at this point to try the therapy route. I had counselling for 9 months and it worked wonders. I got on so well with my therapist and she helped me through the roughest part of my life.

Fastforward to January last year and I felt it all coming back. In July I finally did something about it and once again got refered for therapy. I started to see a psychologist but she is nowhere near as helpful as what my counsellor was like. I decided last week I need to do something about it so I took myself to the doctors yesterday morning. I'd never seen this doctor before and she was even more helpful than my psychologist. I was in there for 45 minutes pouring my heart out and she listened to everything. I've been put on 20mg of Fluoxetine now and I'm really anxious reading everyones side effects, although I know everyone can respond differently. I'm just hoping something works this time as I cannot bear to keep going through this.

I'd like to thank everyone for posting their stories as it does help to know you are not alone in what you are going through.

Hope everyone is having a good day (sorry for the essay!!) x

hi all - how is everyone doing? Just a quick post to say I have turned a corner. I am still struggling with low mood and some anxiety but the acutely hideous feelings have reduced greatly over the last 5 days. My appetite has returned and I am not waking in terror at 3am every morning. Lie-ing in until 7 and waking with mild anxiety and depression rather than acute physical and emotional unbearableness is a definite improvement. GP was really helpful and it seems likely that the really disabling feelings – the like of which I’ve never experienced before – were a negative reaction to the Prozac, even though I’ve taken it fine before. The improvement I’m experiencing is most likely that for 2 weeks I have switched to Sertraline. So that’s 6 weeks on SSRIs now and we’re hoping that from 8 weeks on there’ll actually be a lift in mood and life will get a bit easier and happier but we shall see. at least it’s not as torturous just now.   so hard to know when to stick with something and just let it burn itself out - as the prozac may well have done if i stayed on it - nad when it's worth changing. hoping hte lift happens soon - be good to have some fun and pleasure and satisfaction back in life - it's a hard slog without it - but things definitely less horrific now than they were. be good to know how people are doing. take care and good luck with all your battles. Helen

 

Hi 

Hi Helen

I too feel like I have turned a corner.   I definately think I am getting there and am feeling much better.  It happened overnight a few days ago.  Still have anxiety in my stomach if I think about it and a burning feeling.  But I feel so relieved that the tablets seem to be making me feel normal again.  I am pleased that you are feeling better too. What a relief!!!  Gill

My hubby started fluoxetine 11days ago he cannot handle the cold sweat  one min hot one min than cold  wanting to cry all the time thinking he is never get back to normal and l don t know how eles l can help him l can only help him by giving him a Kalm tablet  with his fluoetine and massage his head l don t know what elas can do l feel so out of my depth