Fluoxetine side effects

[anxiety19]

Hi I'm new to this site been suffering with depression and health anxiety for about 7 years now - ive just recently started to take fluoxetine again coming up to 4 weeks - I feel so rubbish and cannot stop crying is this just the side effects of the medication or something else I'm really worried 😔

[MrsCav]

Yes, it will be the side effects. For some reason it is about this time that the side effects are at it's worst. This could last a couple of day or a couple of weeks, usually stops around 7/8 weeks. As hard as this sounds it is a positive step, it means the drug is actually getting into your system but your body is so hard wired to run on anxiety and depression it doesn't like the serotonin being made so it ramps up the anxiety. I can promise you, it won't last and in a couple of weeks you will be out of it. I've only ever had depression once and that was about week 5 on fluoxetine. Give me anxiety any day over depression. Depression is just horrific. Just take it hour by hour, one day at a time. But it is all completely normal.

[anxiety19]

Thank you so much for the reply, it's the depression I really am struggling with I cannot stop crying! The anxiety I've had that long I know it inside out although the panic attacks are still as scary as the first! It's making me want to stop taking them altogether but like you said it is probably a step forward although it feels like a huge on back! Thankyou x

[MrsCav]

Don't stop taking the meds, at least give them another 2 weeks and then see how you feel. I know it feels like a step back, a great big giant leap back but it will get better. Like I said, I've only had it that once... I remember I had no concentration, I couldn't watch anything, talk to anyone, listen to anything. I couldn't sleep. I would take the kids to school and just lie in bed waiting for the time to go and pick them up. Make a meal and when my husband came home I went back to bed. It was horrible.

If you have to cry, then cry. If you tell yourself 'its just a side effect' it somehow seems easier to handle, or we accept it better.

Have a read of some of diaries on here, what you will find lots of us have all had very similar experiences, and we start threads, talk about how bad we feel and then we stop posting ......... because we got better! This is my second time around and both times I have come back to NMP because I know I'm not alone. Genoires thread about having a blip at week 5 is where most of us hang out if you feel want company.

[Tardisbrain]

Hi, i'm new. I had been stressed out a lot and was starting to get my panic attacks back after years so the docs gave me setraline and it flipped me over the edge! Quite literally I lost myself. Extreme anxiety and every physical and emotional symptom I have experienced these past weeks. I decided to start flux. So far I am on day 23. I'm looking for some reassurance. I was wondering if anyone has experienced disocciation and if flux has helped? I have had this for 7 weeks and I'm concerned im going to be stuck like this forever. This has been permanent. My vision sometimes seems like it's clearing a bit but my head and eyes and general feeling of it is not leaving.

Thanks for reading. I feel so lost. My children need me and I'm not much of a mum just now.

[MrsCav]

Hi

Sorry, I don't know what dissociation is. I can tell you that for me, this is my second time on Fluoxetine. I stopped last Autumn but my anxiety/intrusive thoughts just took over and I knew I could be better so I went back on the meds.

Fluoxetine is a slow working drug and can take 5 weeks before its fully into your system, unfortunately, it is also around this time that some of us hit a blip - the blip doesn't last for long and once you are though it, the good times are here to stay!

I can't fault fluoxetine as a mum myself, when we're not well, we are neither use nor ornament to anyone (Lancashire saying). I say the same to everyone, give to 8 weeks. Take one day at a time, don't put any pressure on yourself and do the best you can. Its a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things. Read the diaries on here, take comfort in knowing you're not alone. Anxiety19 is a brand new poster today too. You could have an instant diary buddy there. Take care.

[Tardisbrain]

Thank you so much for replying I've spent the past 2 days reading this forum! My eyes are suffering but it's kept me occupied. I've not read anything so far that has mentioned dissociation. My vision is strange, I feel like I'm almost in a dream and not actually me....its weird and very upsetting. I would defo take a buddy, I would like to hope I could help someone who is suffering as I am. I was on my journey to become a mental health nuse and after almost 2 years at college and my guaranteed place I've had to quit because of what's happened.

[anxiety19]

I've sent you a message xx

[Hayl89]

Hi, I'm new to the website aswell as anxiety and depression!
I have just been prescribed fluoxetine after taking Propanolol for a couple of weeks, which was not having any positive effect but making me more depressed.

[Tardisbrain]

I've replied sorry my phone won't open it for some reason I had to go through my email Uhh found it eventually x

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 20:38 ----------

Hi hayleigh89 how long have you been on flux? I'm on day 23 and im not having a great time atm. I have read this forum and it seems it can take around 6-8 weeks to start kicking in. I hope you start to feel better soon. I'm going to try and persevere x[COLOR="blue"]

---------- Post added at 21:22 ---------- Previous post was at 21:11 ----------