Week 5 crash - side effects or relapse?

[beckie100]

Hi everyone,
Been following this forum for a while & hoping someone can offer some advice or experience. I was put back on fluoxetine after a 3 month break as I was suffering once again with general anxiety & panic attacks.

I suffered all the side effects when restating and very severely, gradually started to feel better in week 4, however I'm now in week 5 and I seem to have crashed. Severe anxiety & panic attacks, nausea, diarrhoea etc. I'm also suffering from terrible restlessness in my legs with muscle twitches, trouble sleeping etc.

My question is, is it normal to relapse like this after making a massive improvement? Or am I still suffering from side effects and not relapsing at all? Alternatively, could I be having an adverse reaction to the fluoxetine, although this seems unlikely as I was on it for 18 months previously with no problems.

I have an appointment with my GP later this week but would really appreciate some advice, reassurance or experiences in the mean time. I'm really at an all time low :(

Beckie x

[beckie100]

Hi again,
Just incase anyone else is feeling the same way at the 5/6 week point I thought I would report on my GP appointment. He said it's tough to know if what I'm experiencing is side effects and if so when they will go away, or it's simply my anxiety or an adverse reaction. We have agreed to continue with the fluoxetine 20mg until the 6 week point, I'm also having blood tests done tomorrow. If there's no improvement I'm going to taper off and then consider starting something else.

If anyone wants to talk if they're feeling similar then just send me a message. More than happy to chat.

Beckie x

[Emmarolo]

Beckie how are you getting on? I'm in a similar position to you, just started week 5 and have crashed and burned. But I don't know if this is because I got my period which may not have helped.

[Avm]

I'm at this stage half way through week 5 and feel like iv gone downhill and cannot control my worries again. It's my first time on antidepressants and upset just how hard it is on them and why the GP didn't tell me

[Lord Cauldarse]

This happened to me last week, quite literally on the 5 week mark, where I had a complete meltdown for no apparent reason. Woke up anxious as per usual, as I do every morning. The main difference for me over the last few weeks is these morning anxieties have been getting less threatening and easier to control - to the point I was even planning my day as I knew they would be gone by mid morning! Then on day 35 whilst going through my morning routine I suddenly burst into tears in the shower. Completely blindsided me as I honestly thought I was getting better. I struggled back to bed and just curled up. This lasted about an hour, then once past, I was back to "normal" again! Today is day 40. I haven't had anymore episodes like this, but I have noticed over the last few days my anxiety is lasting much longer, well into the afternoon, albeit less intense. reading through the threads on this forum and others, it would appear this is completely normal at this stage - there seems to be a common trait that people "relapse" around weeks 2/3 and 5/6. I too am just hoping that I'm now at the "balancing out" stage where the meds are on the verge of kicking in. Not intention of stopping or changing my dose or anything like that as I also know the 6 week mark is generally the minimum for most to feel they are turning the corner, but in real terms it could be as much as 8-12 weeks. Awful illness, id rather have toothache!!

Heres hoping and praying...

[StaringAtTheSun]

I've crashed and burned on week 5 too. I am on day 30 and just had the worst anxiety and feelings of despair. Did any of you find success after carrying on with Prozac?
Dom x

[Yvaine]

Did you by chance break out in hives all over an itch? I am the lucky one who got that side effect. I can no longer take it. After 5 days... lol