A timetable for recovery on Fluoxetine / prozac

[Kiri]

I stopped Effexor 300 mg after 8 weeks nothing happened..
Day 6 on Prozac 80 mg in the morning + 45 mg Remeron at night, I hope it will give me energy and motivation

[LizzieEC]

Day 76 -

Definitely have noticed that I've been coping much better with the anxiety. Still want it to lessen more though. In the last 2 days, my sleep has regressed again, woke up at 4:30 yesterday morning and 3:30 today. Ugh. Anxiety is bad enough but when you're exhausted and have to take care of 4 kids? No Bueno.

In the last few days I've also been more proactive with my recovery. I've been waiting for it to come to me and not doing anything to feel better. I've been sitting in my chair all day afraid to move in case it brought on more anxiety. My husband nicely pointed this out to me the other morning. So I've been out in the garden every morning watering flowers, and taking a drive in the morning as well as the evening. Hope these things will help me not be so scared of the outside world! I am progressing though, I can tell a massive difference between the first month and this month.

As everyone else has pointed out in here, it's a slooowww recovery. They're absolutely right to say 12-16 weeks in some cases. I'll be 11 weeks tomorrow and I'm JUST starting to feel ok. Ish. As long as I stop this waking at gross hours of the night. Will report back in a week and hopefully will have more progress! Love to you all, this will probably be one of the most hardest journeys of your life!

Oh wow, 4 kids with anxiety and insomnia must be so tough! You're doing amazingly so try to keep your chin up Your posts have definitely helped me!
I've begun taking 500mcg folic acid as apparently it can enhance the effects of fluoxetine, so I will let you know if I find it helpful if that's of interest. It's been shown to work on women, but not men (probably because they require more). I have to say I've felt better since I started taking it and the stomach side effects have (finally!) ceased... I hope. It could be coincidence but I'm going to stay with it for now!

[Kiwi_87]

Ive been taking it for more than 7 weeks now, about 57 days and STILL experiencing insomnia!
does anyone know when this horrible side effect will go away???

[ElleEm]

Hey everyone, 12 weeks today for me!

So, I'm still recovering, still not quite there yet. I'm managing the kids ok on my own, cooking, cleaning etc.. and I actually drove the kids to school yesterday morning! That was huge for me. Haven't done that since May. I'm noticing that anxiety is limited to maybe an hour or so during the day, comes at all different times. Other than that there is a background anxiety that stays all the time. It's just around the corner if I look for it. Hate that feeling but maybe it's the transition to feeling normal again?

I also remember both Aspire and blue saying that they still weren't recovered at 12 weeks either, so it gives me hope. I too feel like it's just around the corner. Anyways, hope everyone's doing well, and again I'll update in a week @ 13 weeks!

[LizzieEC]

Hey everyone, 12 weeks today for me!

So, I'm still recovering, still not quite there yet. I'm managing the kids ok on my own, cooking, cleaning etc.. and I actually drove the kids to school yesterday morning! That was huge for me. Haven't done that since May. I'm noticing that anxiety is limited to maybe an hour or so during the day, comes at all different times. Other than that there is a background anxiety that stays all the time. It's just around the corner if I look for it. Hate that feeling but maybe it's the transition to feeling normal again?

I also remember both Aspire and blue saying that they still weren't recovered at 12 weeks either, so it gives me hope. I too feel like it's just around the corner. Anyways, hope everyone's doing well, and again I'll update in a week @ 13 weeks!

If you drove the kids to school for the first time since May, that's progress!! It sounds like it's happening so gradually that maybe sometimes it's hard to see it? Doing something you couldn't do 4 months ago is definitely big!

I know that feeling of it being just around the corner, though. I could very easily get myself into a very anxious state. I'm having to be quite vigilant, not let my mind stray to certain places, and keep all my anti-anxiety measures in place! Hopefully soon it will be effortless for both of us

[ElleEm]

Hey everyone,

Day 86 for me, or 12 weeks and 2 days. I seem to have hit a blip again. Anxiety really high yesterday and today. Side effects seem to be pretty much gone, even the tension headaches have all but gone. It's just the dang anxiety that seems to stick around. And the DP once in a while. So done with this. I'm trying to remain positive and keep going forward, but this is so hard. Had a tearful day today thinking I'm regressing but I guess it's only been 2 days, so I'm hopeful it will end. I'm sick of the blips. Especially 3 months in. Really hoping I'll still recover on the 20mg.

[Swift winds]

Hello, I'm new here and really looking for some help/guidance. This is my first time taking Prozac and currently in the middle of my 3rd week on 10mg. I have had a couple of ok days during the end of my second week but this 3rd week is pretty bad. I have pretty bad insomnia and the morning upset stomach is killing me. My depression and anxiety have not gotten worse per say but the side effects are really getting to me. The better days timeline has helped me a lot as I read it every time I get low. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that things will get better from someone who has gone through the same thing. No one close to me has been through anything like this so it's hard for anyone to relate. Based on the timeline and reading other experiences it's pretty typical, it just sucks to have a couple good days and then be right back in the dumps. Thank you!

[Kiwi_87]

hi swift winds if you had any ok days that's great. Ive had like one ok day in these last 7 weeks! although it depends on what you call ok. tbh my anxiety seems to be getting worse. you're on a very low dose at 10mg will the doctor increase your dose or are you staying on it for a while?

Steph x

[Swift winds]

hi swift winds if you had any ok days that's great. Ive had like one ok day in these last 7 weeks! although it depends on what you call ok. tbh my anxiety seems to be getting worse. you're on a very low dose at 10mg will the doctor increase your dose or are you staying on it for a while?

Steph x

Hey steph,

Yea we are going to stay on 10mg for a while until my body gets used to it and then up the dose to 20mg. The only reason we started on such a low does is cause if tried an AD before and had a very bad reaction to it. I don't want to have to go through all the side effects again cause it has been terrible. Thank you for responding.

[Kiwi_87]

are you still having insomnia? have you got any sleep aids? I'm nearly 8 weeks in now and I've been able to halve my sleep meds. you will get there but it's a slow road hun quicker for some but slower for others. many say it takes at least 8-16 weeks for side effects to clear completely and reach its full benefit xx