Fluoxetine Side effects, please, please help!

[Lulluh]

Hello everyone,
I'm really hoping I could get some honest advice here about an issue that has recently turned up again. I am severely emetophobic (fear of vomiting), and my safety behaviours and thoughts led to me being diagnosed with OCD. For a long time I put off taking any medication whatsoever because of the serious fear of it leading to nausea and vomiting. I was put on an anti-depressant that was not normally recommended for OCD, (Or my age group), but it had anti-emetic (anti nausea/vomiting) effects and many users put on weight whilst taking it which was much needed for me as my diet can be very restricted at times.
The new medication will be Fluoxetine, and the doctor prescribing it to me said “…I want you to take this unless you are throwing up more than once a day…” which scared the living daylights out of me. I was told that when the emetophobia/OCD is making decisions for me in regards to treatment then I no longer have the right to say no. Hospitalization was also mentioned (which really, really did not help at all).
I’m all for honesty, but between her (saying that she has known patients to be sick on the medicine) and my therapist who told me she had never known any of her patients to have any side effects whatsoever I have no idea who to believe and thought this was the best place for help.
Sorry for the long post, but I am so worried (my parents are not much help as they think my phobia is a stupid/silly one and are all for the medicine) I know the benefits, but if they are coming at that kind of costs I’m not sure I could take it (as it sounds very counter-productive)
Thanks,
Lulluh x

[anthrokid]

Heya Lulluh,

I take fluoxetine for anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. I'm not emetophibic but I do have a crazy phobia of anaphylaxis and hate taking medication in case I'm allergic to it. It got to the point where it didn't matter if I'd had it safely before because I was convinced that I would develop an allergy to anything! I had taken fluoxetine before for depression when I was 16, but I was scared to take it again because 'I might be severely allergic to it this time'.

My experience with fluoxetine has been really good. It's generally prescribed because although it is slow acting it doesn't appear to create so many side-effects, and a lot of the time the side-effects for people with anxiety and phobias are actually the effects of anxiety about the medication rather than effects from the medication itself. I study psychology so I've learned a lot about medications and disorders, and my psychiatrist and I talk about every little thing that worries me in great depth (one of these worries being medication).

I have never felt sick from fluoxetine, only restless, which in your case wouldn't be a bad thing because you'd have something to focus on apart from the phobia I found this the case for me.

I have a friend who has been taking fluoxetine continuously since she was 16, she's now 20, and she's never had a single side effect from it.

The only way you will know for sure is to try it. I am pretty sure that it will not make you sick. I know a few people on fluoxetine and other medications and those on fluoxetine seem to have the least side effects and I've never heard of any being physically sick from it Each person is different, but fluoxetine is a gentle and slow working anti-depressant so they've definitely prescribed the best option for you. I would recommend taking it.

I've been in a similar place to you, although I was terrified because I thought eating something would kill be as opposed to be terrified of thinking something will make me sick. But it's been a very similar experience to yours. And I've started eating normally again and I've put on some weight, which wasn't a bad thing as I lost a lot being too scared to eat most foods.

Feel free to message me anytime. I hope you're feeling okay today, and remember, it is very very highly UNLIKELY that the medication will make you sick

[Dahlia]

I'm not quite emetophobic, but not far off - I completely identify with your concerns. I took Prozac many years ago and got no nausea or vomiting. I think the only side effect was making me a bit more sleepy.

Good luck with it!

Dahlia