Hypoglycemia or Hypoglycemia like symptoms

[Electric_Worry]

I've taken my 35th Fluoxetine/Prozac tablet today, and although a lot of the symptoms have calmed down, for the past couple of weeks I've been having symptoms not too dissimilar to hypoglycemia. It seems to occur at around the same time of day, an hour or so before I usually have my dinner. I start to feel spaced out, tired, a little anxious and the like. Then once I've eaten I seem to be fine. I haven't been diagnosed with diabeties or anything and I've not noticed much in the way of typical symptoms either, but I'm wondering if anyone else has been like this? I'm on 20mg Fluoxetine/Prozac a day and 3 x 10mg Propranolol, both of which could be related.

Naturally the thing to do would be to bring it up with the doctor, which I will do when I see her again soon. I'm just curious if others on here have experienced similar. I don't know if it's the anxiety and/or the medication messing with me. I do remember that when I started Propranolol a few years ago, I was on the 80mg slow release and I would get similar episodes. I'd end up taking a few biscuits or a couple of fun-size bags of Malteasers to bed with me in case I woke up with the same feelings, which happened from time-to-time. It eventually stopped though, and as I've just gone from 2 x 10mg a day to 3 x 10 a day, I'm wondering if it's had a similar effect.

[cookieb]

Hey hun....I also thought I had this I have every symptom...sometimes I have to sleep sometimes eating doesn't work....I've had my blood checked and nothing wrong...

I only just took my first fluoxatine today so definitely not that xxx

[OncewasSupergirl]

I tried Propanolol many years ago and that's exactly why I stopped it, it slows your heart rate down which affects the nervous system, it really messed with my circulation too I felt cold all the time. I would imagine it's that but only a GP will know really. 16 months on I still get odd effects on Fluoxetine mostly muscle twitching though x x

[Electric_Worry]

I tried Propanolol many years ago and that's exactly why I stopped it, it slows your heart rate down which affects the nervous system, it really messed with my circulation too I felt cold all the time. I would imagine it's that but only a GP will know really. 16 months on I still get odd effects on Fluoxetine mostly muscle twitching though x x

It does make me wonder if it is the Propranolol, considering what happened before. Like I say, I have upped the dose to three times a day, rather than the previous two. I may have to try going back to two a day, but the reason for upping the dosage was because of the Fluoxetine/Prozac making my anxiety worse. Perhaps I'll see if the Fluoxetine/Prozac works in the coming weeks and then change it if it is. I'll speak to my GP, too.

How is the Fluoxetine/Prozac working for you?

[OncewasSupergirl]

Hi Electric_Worry, (that's a great name by the way)

How many weeks in now are you? Just over a month? I kept a diary of my symptoms everyday for the first 7 months at just over a month I was still writing as follows : 4 hours sleep per night, anxiety , nausea, negative intrusive thoughts, felt unreal, physical anxiety, tiredness and worry I'll never get better.

I used diazepam sporadically, looking back I wish I'd used it more but cos of the anxiety you tend to worry you will get addicted lol!

It's hard to say when I really started to feel well, it comes on gradually I used to find by the evenings I felt more settled. 16 months in I can honestly say Fluoxetine has been the best AD for me and I've tried a few, Sertraline made me suiciidal, Lofepramine awful side effects and not a great affect. Amitriptyline I just wanted to sleep.

On Fluoxetine, I'm like myself but improved. All the rubbish I used to worry about I just don't, I still get anxious but I can put my coping skills into place, I sleep well, eat well, I've changed my life for the better. I do yoga, regular exercise, hardly drink, hold down a stressful job in mental health and am bringing up my son single handedly, he has autism and ADHD too. I did some of this before but had regular anxious episodes which affected my quality of life and ability to cope. I also feel all my emotions as normal, I know some people say Fluox makes them feel numb but I don't.
I still have odd effects, mostly muscle twitching and I chew the inside of my mouth, but I think that's a small price to pay for my well being.

For over thirteen years I had struggled with low mood, and anxiety, panic attacks, tried lots of different meds and strategies and it's only now that I feel I'm coping well, AD isn't for everyone but if it gets you back on your feet and helps you cope that's what important.

X x

[Electric_Worry]

Today was my 37th tablet at 20mg, so I've completed five weeks worth of tablets and am now into my sixth week. My main problem is the anxiety. I will go through phases of feeling fine but then think about being anxious which will in turn makes me anxious. I'll feel on the verge of an attack and little things will make it spike, like hearing someone coming up the stairs. It's a silly thing to be anxious about, I know.

I seem to feel more tired than I have, even though I sleep for eight hours. I get other side-effects like nausea, headaches and so on but they're not as constant as the anxiety. It's my hope that I'm simply going through the initial stages, meaning in a few weeks time things will begin to pick up.

You sound like you have a very stressful and yet rewarding life, so it's great to read of somebody who can do what you've done and are doing. There's not a chance I could do that at the moment, so it gives me hope. I may be at my lowest point for years, feeling unable to leave the house, riddled with anxiety, depression and so on, but at least I am trying to do something about it. It's just frustrating not being able to do what I want to do, like go out to work or even walk to the shops. I am trying little by little to do things, like I've mowed the lawns, weeded, dug over soil and so on. The trouble is, I'm so far from where I want to be that I question whether I will ever feel 'normal' again.

People on here give me hope, however. I have struggled with anxiety before and managed to get better, and that simply using propranolol, which meant the mental side was neglected. Now I'm trying to do both the physical and the mental.

[cookieb]

I'd give it 2 more weeks hun then go back....hope you get sorted xxx

[OncewasSupergirl]

I couldn't do much at the stage you're at either. I think you're totally on the right path, I remember how hard it is to get out of bed everyday and face the day. Set yourself little tasks, which you seem to be doing anyway eg. weeding etc. there will come a time when the anxiety lessens and you will be able to go to the shops n go back to work. I took four months off work last year, returning was really hard but I did it and I've just had a pay related bonus which was quite a surprise I can tell you.
I still get the odd down day n worry I'm slipping back but I haven't so far, you learn to tell yourself that you're in a better place now and you can cope. I truly believe yoga and exercise help me, interval training burns off the extra adrenaline and yoga balances my mind n keeps me calm.
Another benefit I've found is when I go to big gigs I don't freak out and feel self conscious anymore, I love music but used to feel really anxious, since being on fluoxetine I'm much more chilled out n really enjoy it!!

You will be normal again, and as you say you are doing something about it, it's small steps, day by day and in time you will see the light again.
What you said about the silly anxiety, someone coming up the stairs , I remember that really well, I was so sensitive to loud noises too, used to shake at motorbikes etc passing. It will go I promise you, it's just hyper vigilance in time you will laugh at it like I do when I twitch x x

[Electric_Worry]

cookieb: I am seeing the doctor in a couple of weeks time so I will mention it then. I just want to give the medication a fair crack, as although we want a quick fix, the reality is we need to be patient. Thanks for the support and I hope you're able to make progress, too.

OncewasSupergirl: Although it's a shame for someone to go through it, I'm glad I'm not alone in my experience(s). I know what you mean about exercise, but it was exercise that first triggered my panic attacks so I am overly conscious of my breathing and heart rate. Still, I've been trying to do things here and there. Doing the lawns and turning over soil has helped with the anxiety, and I hope to get to the stage where I can begin taking the dog out again. Thankfully the dog is still getting walked in my absence, but I want to be able to do it myself.

I used to go to gigs, too. I've been to some pretty big ones such as Download and Ozfest, where there are thousands of people crammed together, and it didn't bother me one bit. Now I don't even want to get on a bus.

Thanks for the replies, they've been very reassuring.

[OncewasSupergirl]

Electric_Worry,

I think (in my humble opinion) you're on the right track. Stick with it, day by day, small tasks, I know it's crap but you will be well again, it just all takes time n when we're like this we just want time to move quickly. I tried to be AD free for years and felt I'd admitted defeat when I went on fluoxetine this time. However it's been the best thing for me, everyone comments on how well I look now and happy and calmer I seem in myself. Such a contrast to the thin, worried, grey shell I was before.
I'm not an old hippy I swear, I'm 37 with a lot of tattoos n piercings lol.

Take care,

X x