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Switching from Paxil to Fluoxetine advice

Posted , 4 users are following.

Belladella2017
Belladella2017

Started on Paxil 2 months ago for depression / general and social anxiety. Took 20mg for two months - my mental health improved, felt like a black cloud was lifted and was less worried about things - found it easier to talk to people. Felt better after only a few days on it.

Major drawbacks - if i thought I was exhausted from depression prior - on Paxil - I was tired 24/7 and it was worse. Like a narcalep, I felt I could pass out to sleep at anytime. Physical symptoms were intolerable.

Doctor has now switched me to Prozac. Went straight off 20mg paxil to 10mg lovan ( prozac ) the next night. Increased it to 20mg two nights ago. So less than a week on it. One notable difference, I am not zombie tired. One drawback - I am not getting tired at night. Most concerning is my anxiety is off the chart. I have been crying, anxious and don't feel like I'm "on anything" at all. Does it take time for it to build in system? Or should it take straight over from paxil at therapeutic levels . Has anyone gone through it? Thanks

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • tina_78570
    tina_78570 Belladella2017

    Posted

    Hi Bella, interesting. 6 years ago my general doctor put me on Paxil. I felt better then the psych to me off of it and put me on Prozac. I felt awful. Such panic and anxiety and dropped a ton of weight couldn’t eat. Then after 6 weeks or so i felt a lot better. He also then added another med that helped me. It does take time. And it sucks while you wait. I got off my meds a few months ago like an idiot and now I’m right back to all the crap again. So I started my prozac all over again. So I feel ya. It’s like I started it for the first time. Meds take time. We’re here for you. 
  • dawn70425
    dawn70425 Belladella2017

    Posted

    Hi belladella.. yep sorry to say Prozac is a very, very slow working med, and wayyyy to early to see a improvement, but when it kicks in this med is very good, I was on 20mg for 4weeks which the first two weeks was like hell on Earth, didn’t think I could carry on, but you do, don’t give up, just fight your way through those first few weeks, after that you will have good and bad days, if your planning to stay on 20mg it may take 2/3 months to get the full Benefit of Prozac, but do stick with it, I’m on 60mg now, (after 3mths) and I feel great, no depression so life is looking good, I won’t come of this med unless it stopped working for me...

    Try and think,  tomorrow mite just be that day when you start to feel good, then you will get through the waiting time... good luck chic, please do try and stay with it, as good once it kicks in, big hug 🤗xx

    • tina_78570
      tina_78570 dawn70425

      Posted

      Hey dawn. I agree! I just re started Prozac again and it’s slowly getting their but still have terrible heart racing and panic. And yada. I will wait woth it as I did before. But I’m scared to up my dosage. Is their a way to do it even slower? 
    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 tina_78570

      Posted

      Hi Tina y are you scared to go higher? And is there a need for you to go higher ? 

      I went 20 then 40, and 60 so I went up every month untill the 3rd month, and now I must say I feel great... wen I went from 20 to 40 and 60, I didn’t have bad side effects ( but that’s me) as my doc said it was in my body now so shouldn’t feel as bad, so on 40 was better but I was having up days as well as down, and for me I wanted the good all the time lol so I just went up to 60 then, and that was fine, all good ...

      The way I thought of it was to not hang around and slowly go up, as it would mean longer before I felt good, so the grit of my teeth I did it and I’m glad..

      You could as your doc if there is a 10 mg of Prozac and go up slowly that way if your sensitive to meds, some people find 20mg enough for them and that’s how they stay, and can cope with it.. but for me I just wanted the full good all the time, it is hard work but as you know in the end it is worth it, and it’s not till you stop useing meds, that u realise how much they did help you, big hug chic 🤗x

    • tina_78570
      tina_78570 dawn70425

      Posted

      Yes, I’m frightened of upping my dose cuz my body is very sesatice to medication and I got all the side effects with it so I fear if I up it then I start all over again and delay the healing process. And I gotta eventually go back to work. But it could be worth a higher dose. 🤷🏼???

    • Guest
      Guest tina_78570

      Posted

      You can ask for it in a liquid form. This way you can gradually increase the dose

       

    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 tina_78570

      Posted

      Hiya chic.. it’s not just you that can be sensitive to these meds, I never thought the side effects would be as bad at the begging as they were for me, I to got all the side effects with the first dose I had, but for ME the higher I went,  the less side effects I got, as it’s not like starting the drug, as it’s already in your body, but I know what you are saying, and as we are all different we all react different to the meds, but if you feel it’s not working for you at a lower dose, then it’s either stick it out for another 4weeks and see how you are then, or take that chance and go higher now, then in another couple of weeks you should start to feel good again, it as to be your choise on this, but try not to worry yourself as you will make yourself feel worse, good luk and I do hope you do feel better soon, and remeber it is such a slow working drug, but it’s a good one once it as settled down big hug 🤗x

    • tina_78570
      tina_78570 dawn70425

      Posted

      Ugh dawn tonight was bad! I went shopping with my sister and mom (to try to push myself) Bad idea. Panic, dizzy  whole time -ate a small meal and nothing stayed down. Shaky nauseous and unbelievably tired all the time(I think I struggle with adrenal failure as well). I came home and tried to calm down and nothing worked. It was hell. I took Xanax but I still have my other anti depressant to take before I sleep. I feel like I’m worse now then before my whole anxiety episode started but this has happened to me before. Years ago. I’m trying not to compare but this whole thing can be scary.  I know they say things trigger your mood...idk?!? Buying gifts for people, my house is a mess, my man comes over tomorrow and even tho he’s so supportive any change affects me. 

      Omg I am so sorry dawn I unloaded on you. Please forgive me. This is the way I do things. I’m so sorry. Pray I sleep tonight without feeling sick 

    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 tina_78570

      Posted

      Ow Tina you talk all you want chic, bless you, that’s what we are here for to try and help each other the best we can... you will def feel worse b4 you start to get better, this is just the med, my doc warned me when I went on Prozac that it was going to get a lot worse, then it will be a slow road to recovery, and he was right, like you at the start I  even  thought I wouldn’t get through it.. but you do.. keep your chin up, I live on my own, and at the start and wen you feel like you do, the house is the last thing your botherd about, so don’t worry.. please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on big hug 🤗xx

    • tina_78570
      tina_78570 dawn70425

      Posted

      thanks dawn. I really appreciate it. I know my sister tells me the same thing just so hard to believe it when your in the middle of it...and this second med that i thought would help is causing me alot of misery right now on top of everything else.i emailed my doctor about dizziness and slight blurry vision. Not sure what she could do. 

      Question for you and anyone else- ever have your prozac upped? my doc said in a week she might want me to go up to 30mg from 20 but im scared cuz of all the stupid side effects.. 

    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 tina_78570

      Posted

      Don’t be scared chic to go higher, but just don’t go up, then down, and up again lol, as your body will respond to that and you won’t feel better, if you feel that 20 is ok for you then stick it out, but if your finding that it’s not working so great, it’s worth going up, but that’s up to you, the more you worry, the more your symptoms will become worse, so try and think it as just a temporary thing. And in time you will feel good, your doing brill, I know now you don’t feel it, but you will big hug 🤗xx

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