A timetable for recovery on Fluoxetine / prozac

[hsmith]

I've been on fluoxetine 20mg for 17 days now after a three month break since coming off citalopram. I suffered with horrendous discontinuation and so am trying flu. I noticed initial improvement quite quickly, day 5-6 my morning anxiety had gone but then........two nights ago I woke feeling really weird, pouring with sweat, diarrhoea, feeling really sick, very anxious. Awful. So disheartened after the initial improvement. But I guess after 2 weeks levels are building up. I freaked out and thinking it was seretonin syndrome. Does this sound normal for the timeframe. Part of my discontinuation was major derealisation and depersonalisation due to major anxiety and severe depression, so I'm hoping fluoxetine will help.

[rockhopper1981]

Sorry to hear about your experience, but seems pretty normal to me. I went through something similar! At about 4 weeks the side effects diminished and I did not really get them back when i went up to 40mg. I am now 7 weeks into 40mg and just hoping it starts to work on my anxiety!

[otterman]

Hello there,
Im on day 18 of 20mg flauxetine, and going through hell at the moment, although today has probably been the best day for me so far, i put it down to actually getting 5 hours sleep last night after i finally gave in to the sleeping pill(zopiclone).
Im taking the flaux now with beta blockers(propranalol) these take the edge of my anxiety. I know its a long road to recovery and the flaux takes a long time to load itself up into your system, so for now im putting up with the night terrors, cold sweats, lack of appetite, anxiety feelings of impending doom, cotton mouth, and on it goes. Just have to keep telling myself they are all just side effects. Im sure we will all get there in the end.
Thanks to every last person that finds the courage to post on nmp.. You are all stars and help so may people without even knowing.
Take care all.

[rockhopper1981]

Good job Otterman. The side effects can be truly terrifying and you are right, you have to tell yourself they are only side effects and will pass. I really hope that the fluoxetine works for you and that, in time, you get some relief from your anxiety.

[otterman]

Thanks for that rockhopper1981, just out of interest, are you feeling any benefits from the fluoxetine? Im on day twenty and still dont feel that anything positive is happening, had a bad one today, and this baking heat isnt helping..
Best regards
otterman.

[rockhopper1981]

Honestly, I do not really know. I was on 20mg citalopram for over 2 years, but recently I have just felt it not working so the doc changed me to Fluoxetine. I have done 10 weeks on 20 mg and 8 weeks on 40mg now (with a week on 30 mg inbetween). Some days are okay, but I just feel on edge a lot of the time.

You are right, the heat does not always help, although sitting in the shade in the garden or park does me the world of good. I am back at work now after having a couple of weeks off and so the stress of that is not really helping. I have read, as you might have done also, that it can take up to 12 weeks for the drugs to take effect and that is even after a dose change - which essentially sets your body back to how it was as it deals with the increase in dosage.

I really do get the impression that no one really knows how these drugs work or what they do and the GPs just bluff there way through it and hope! I really wish people would invest money and time into mental health research. I have read so much about drugs, vitamins, therapy etc... I am not sure who to believe!!!

The short version is, I am going to give the Flu a few more weeks to see what happens. Trying to take each day as it comes and not be overwhelmed. Remember those who love and care about you and take deep breaths. You WILL make it.

[otterman]

Thanks for the reply rockhopper, does seem a very long time for you at 12 weeks, you should be feeling some sort of benefit by now i would have thought.
Your right what you say about the doctors, i went to see mine this morning, she wanted me to try another med, it was me that pointed out that it needs more time to work, so im sticking with it for another week at least.
Lets hope we both see some results soon, and the weather gets a bit cooler..
Best wishes
Otterman

[otterman]

Hi all,
Just a quick update on my fluoxetine journey, after 4 weeks of hell with the side effects i think at last they are starting to subside, the night sweats have lessened, my anxiety has dropped dramatically and great joy my appetite has come back. I know its still early days and expect there will still be bad days, but into week five now and i think i may be turning a corner.
Just thought i would post this as a sign of hope to all those struggling through the horrendous side effects, stick with it, it really does start to get better eventually. but its a different time scale for different people.
Wishing happiness to all,
Otterman.

[rockhopper1981]

I am so glad it seems to be working for you Otterman. I am in the 10th week on 40mg and still having good days and bad - today being a bad one! I have said to myself that I will stick it out for 12 weeks before maybe going back to citalopram.

Congrats though Otterman. I really hope you continue to improve!

[otterman]

Thanks for the reply rockhopper,
I think you are doing the right thing waiting for the twelve week marker, that seems to be the watermark where people start to feel the real benefits. I may have jumped the gun a bit yesterday, ive had a not bad day, but have had a headache from the word go, don't now if this is a new side effect, im hoping not.
Hope you start seeing some more improvement over the next two weeks.
All the best, Otterman.