Went up 40 a month ago, encouragement needed
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Started first time SSRI with FLU in Nov at 20mg. Went up to 30 in Feb and after a month up to 40.
The first 2 weeks were great and then for the past 2 ive been very disoriented, very anxious and nauseous. It sucks so bad and i just want it to go away. Please tell me it will get better!
I did get my 2nd Pfizer shot last week but i dont know if that has anything to do with it. I also had COVID in Nov 2 weeks after starting FLU
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Number91 Stevesanders
Posted
Hi Steve. Any time you increase the dose, you will very likely experience heightened side effects for a few weeks. I had a very similar experience about 8 weeks ago - I started at 10mg, the next week I went up to 20mg, the week after that, 30mg and the week after that, 40mg.
Once I was on 40mg, I was a complete disaster - my anxiety was a 10/10, I was shaking, sleeping 3-4 hours a night (on a “good” night) and I felt like I was crawling out of my skin. It was incredibly difficult and after 3 weeks of 40mg, I told my Psychiatrist that I wanted to go back down to 30mg. Within 2 days, I felt so much better, it was like night and day. For me, it was a harsh lesson that I needed to go slower on this medicine, especially if you already have extreme anxiety (I have panic disorder, GAD and mild OCD).
I know it’s hard to stay the course because the side effects are so bad but if you went up to 40mg, I am sure you had good reason to. If it becomes intolerable due to the side effects, I would definitely consider going back to 30mg and staying on that dosage for a few more months while you level off and learn some CBT methods. I’m on week 12 as of this week so I’m right there with you, brother 😃
Also, I got vaccinated in March (Pfizer) and had no effects from that except for a sore arm so I think being fearful that there is something wrong is just a byproduct of anxiety. I definitely had some of that when I had my shots, I was really nervous afterward and overanalyzing like usual.
Stay strong but know your limits - as Katecogs has said on here many times, recovery from this is a gradual process and should be measured in months, not weeks. It’s still very early in the game for you and I - and I know we can do this. Good luck!