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Strange Fluoxetine side effects

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Guest

Hi everyone.

Started to take Fluoxetine just over 2 weeks ago after being prescribed them for depression and anxiety. I'm hoping it will get better with time, but at the moment I'm feeling so tired constantly, and like I've lost all my motivation. I'm also feeling quite self conscious around people, and my anxiety has increased a little. If anyone's had a similar experience, how long was it until you started to feel better? I'm not planning on stopping the medication as I've heard it does take time, but can't help wondering how long I have to endure these exacerbated feelings :?

12 likes, 415 replies

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  • angela45214
    angela45214 Guest

    Posted

    Hi, I'm feeling a bit scared on them as I've only been taking them every other day and was getting palpitations before taking them but now getting worse palpitations, I don't like this feeling at all.
    • vix167
      vix167 angela45214

      Posted

      Hi angela

      Sorry to hear you're suffering, this is a horrid illness and can take such a long time to recover from but you will get there!

      How long have you been on flu? It can make anxiety worse before it gets better so it could just be a side effect but make sure you let your dr know so they can monitor you. I thought id never feel like myself again and it took nearly 14wks but i did have other medical stuff going on which I think dragged me down. But I got there n finally feel great!

      Hope things start to ease for you soon if palpitations are really bad ask your dr if theres anything that can help, I was given propanalol for shakes whenn I got them bad so maybe something like that could help?

      Hope it all starts improving for you soon. Take care.

      Vix

  • siska14079
    siska14079 Guest

    Posted

    heya, i know this is a really old post and not sure if this is still being read or not. just wanted to share my experience so far with flu 20mg. I am currently on week 7. when I first started my lip got really dry and its skin kept peeling off and it bled a lot; I also found that ever since I started taking this, I've been feeling very tired all day long, keep yawning, lack of motivation, no energy at all, feeling lethargic pretty much. once I was really hungry but I didn't want to pull myself out from the bed at all. I tried drinking 2 cups of coffee(cappucino) to overcome this feeling, but I still feel tired at work and keep yawning throughout the day. sometimes when I am driving home from work I can feel my eyes could close at any second, not good at all

    one thing though, I sleep really well at night. I used to find Sunday night was the hardest time for me to fall asleep because I dreaded going back to work the following day. back then I could lie in bed for hours before fallign asleep or worst, couldn't sleep at all. but since I have been taking flu, I fall asleep in no time, even though I still wake up at night, but I could easily go back to sleep again

    not sure if this is actually going to work now, it really is affecting my motivation to do anything really. I have been seeing a psychologist as well to help but hasn't really improved so far. even though my friend at work has noticed the difference how I am now compared to before taking the flu, my chest is still feeling as tight as ever, no relief at all! he's been saying that I have been less tense; he did mention that nowadays I feel less nervous and stress and more relaxed. but I am starting to doubt whether this is actually working for me or not. 

    so glad I found this forum, feels like I am not in this alone. I will try to sticking to it for maybe another week or two and see from there I guess. this sleepiness really bothers me!

    • vix167
      vix167 siska14079

      Posted

      Hi siska

      And no you're not alone there's lots of lovely people on here who get what you're going through and give great advice and support.

      Its hard to know what to do as it effects us all so differently. Im around wk 17 and finally feel like myself again, ive almost forgotten the illness altogether and everyone has noticed. Though I still wake up at silly oclock but its a small price to pay.

      Its worth persevering for a few more weeks as its seems wk 6-8 people start noticing bigger improvement and sounds like you've already started to.

      I had 8 wks on citalopram before starting flu but despite it working quickly with no side effects once before this time it totally wiped me out but so badly I couldn't make it to work, often did school run with nightie under clothes them went straight back to bed and found myself sleeping up to 18hrs a day unable to do anything (really a shower was just too much effort! ). I fell asleep at my desk when i did go to work, it was so extreme. changing to flu gave me lots more energy tho took a while to have a positive effect on my mood.

      What does your dr say? Its possible flu doesn't suit you but the fact youve had some improvement suggests it has started to work so itd be worth persevering a bit longer. Exercise really helps just a 20min brisk walk a day makes a huge different and helps ease the anxiety (again I did have to drag myself, sometime with nightie under clothes, god knows what people would have thought if id had an accident while out! :-) ).

      Good luck. It can be a long hard road but you can get there, just need the patience of a saint which is elusive when you feel so crap!

      Hope you turn a corner soon. Take care

      Vix

  • siska14079
    siska14079 Guest

    Posted

    heya again

    just want to say, i have started taking the flu in the late arvo instead of morning now since 2 days ago, and I found that I haven't been as tired or lethargic during the day at all. in fact yesterday when I was out at this festival with a large crowd, which I don't normally go to as I don't like big crowd it would get me panic and scared, I actually really enjoyed it; I don't think I have felt that relaxed for so long. not feeling lethargic at all yesterday. I am hoping this is a kind of positive improvement smile

    for the last 6/7 weeks, I took the flu in the morning, which pretty much put me in the lethargic mood all day long.  I was quite annoyed though that my GP didn't warn me about all these side effects before

     

    • vix167
      vix167 siska14079

      Posted

      Thata great news, hope all goes well for you! Drs minimise talk of side effects, think idve given up if not for the realistic advice from this forum!

      All the best for a speedy recovery

      Vix

    • siska14079
      siska14079 vix167

      Posted

      heya

      my chest is still feeling tight but not constantly now which I am quite happy about. slowly, but surely, getting there, I hope smile

      had it not been for this forum and people sharing their experiences and encouraging each other here, I  think I would have given up the med really as the side effects were, well still are, real bad. 

      2 years ago I had a same issue but 10 sessions with my psychologist fixed me at that time. and then it relapsed again, and I've been trying to do CBT and all other techniques she taught me before, but to not avail, to the point that I thought I was just miserable and always jumped to negative conclusion. when the new year hit, I thought I don't want to spend my life like this, even though I hate to admit it, I need help. so glad I did.  can't wait to enjoy my life again and live without constant fear and anxiety.

      thx Vix smile

    • VaJaJa
      VaJaJa siska14079

      Posted

      Hi Siska

      I feel the same way - side effects so bad that if it had not been for this forum I would have quit the flu. This forum gave me the strength to carry on because nearly everybody on it suffered & shared the same experiences as myself. I'm coming up to week 6 & I am starting to feel more positive plus I'm doing things like going to the shops or visiting friends that I would not have done 2 weeks ago - so a massive thank you to you & everybody on this forum.

  • maryj
    maryj Guest

    Posted

    Hi everyone

    I have just been precribed flo by my doctor. Im very low in mood, no motivation, sleeping all the time, not eating properly & snapping at people. Iv also been diagnosed as going through the menopause!! Iv suffered from severe anxiety attacks years ago but through counselling & meditation have manged to control them. My worry in taking flo is that they will come back-i dont think i could ho through all that again-& that my depression wil deepen even further. I am really really scared of taking flo. I have spoken to doctors , chemists and read the post here but still find myself petrified of taking it.

    • VaJaJa
      VaJaJa maryj

      Posted

      Hi Maryj

      Don't be scared.  I was like you when I was first prescribed flux as my doctor told me it would take a minimum of 2 weeks to start working & I could feel worse with increases in anxiety & depression to start with which I did suffer with at first.  However I'm now on week 6 and no anxiety or depression to speak of but I still fell slightly nauseous and tired but my doctor assures me that these will also disappear as the weeks go on.  This is a fabulous site for support & to see that you are not alone on this journey.  Stick with them & you will get better but they are not an overnight  cure unfortunately but if you look at the posts on here you will see the positive outcomes as the weeks roll on.  Take care xx

  • AliceAnagram
    AliceAnagram Guest

    Posted

    I am at about the same stage as you, I have taken my 16th tablet today (20mg) so far, I haven't noticed any improvement and am getting nausea and tiredness all the time. I am due to see my doctor again next week and really hope that they will have started to improve things for me by then. I have noticed an increase in anxiety some of the time too. I am really trying to get out and walk in the fresh air but I have no motivation or energy. I was put on Sertraline to start with but had a bad reaction so I am determined to stick with these if I can. (In the past I have had many different tablets including Venlafaxine, Seroxat and Citalopram)
  • karine97200
    karine97200 Guest

    Posted

    After having taken Fluoxetine 20mg my daughter experienced severe lows, her doctor then gave her 40mg to take with dire consequences which I will not go into, but she was hospitalised for 3 days and then released into our care.  She  experienced side effects such as skin rashes extreme low mood which promoted her into a negative action that has affected us all.  Please listen to your own  bodies, let those close near to you know how you feel and more importantly do not always let the docs fob you off with medicine - make sure you insist they monitor you closely on these.  I wish you all the best of luck
  • graham61014
    graham61014 Guest

    Posted

    hi everyone just been prescribed flueoxetine 20 mg after going too see gp saying i was feeling hell of low down and disinterested doc believes depression bought on by the stresses and strains of being a full time carer for my mum its been very challenging at times having some of the side effects that you guys are describing but and determined to stick with programme i can see my self being on them for the forseable future and see how it pans out feel pretty isolated at times cos my mum bless doesnt really understand how i feel thanx for listening
  • hevski77
    hevski77 Guest

    Posted

    Belching, Yawning, Trumping (lol),  Muscle Spasms, Bruises, Blurry Eyes, Nausea, Ringing Ears, Painful lump feeling in Oesophagus, Difficulty Swallowing.. I've got it al.. sad
    • keke82
      keke82 hevski77

      Posted

      Hi, are you just starting the medication?
    • hevski77
      hevski77 keke82

      Posted

      Been on them a month and a half.

      First it was just Diarrhea, and muscle spasms, now it's yawning and the lump in throat etc..

    • keke82
      keke82 hevski77

      Posted

      If ur on them a month and a half at the same dose you need to let ur doctor know and see what they say. I know it takes awhile to work.
    • denver47515
      denver47515 hevski77

      Posted

      I have had all of these and I've been on them a day I feel so ill. I'm goingto continue to take them but I really didn't think the side effects would hit me a couple of hours after taking the first one rolleyes
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