Switched from citalopram to prozac

[BumbleGirl]

Hello everyone.

On Friday I went to my drs as I felt the citalopram 40mg that I have been taking for the last 5 years, doesn't really help any more. So she swapped me to Prozac 20mg and said to come back in a month to get more and see how I have got on.
The only thing is since taking them I have had sickness and felt so exhausted. These symptoms started on Saturday so by that time I had taken two.
I feel sick on and off throughout the day and when I wake up in the morning I literally feel like I haven't slept! At the same time a few nights I have laid in bed for ages trying to get to sleep when usually I can sleep straight away.
I even skipped my tablet yesterday because I didn't want the side-effects, though I did take it this morning.

So should I wait it out and see if the side effects go or should I ring the dr? xx

[b0yer]

When do you take it? I had trouble sleeping when I took it at 6pm, but have switched it to noon. The first few weeks are hard, but if you get through them, you will come out on the other side stronger.

[Deepthinker]

Hi, Bumblegirl! I had trouble sleeping a few days into prozac as well. I told my doc and she prescribed some lorazepam to help me sleep. I took it for about 2 weeks on an as needed basis. Some nights I was able to get to sleep without it. After about 2 weeks my ability to fall asleep was back to normal and I no longer needed the lorazepam. Wishing you the best and hope you get some sleep soon. Blessings!

[anthrokid]

It is quite normal to feel 'off' for a while after starting to a new medication, particularly if you are switching from another. You may find that what you are feeling is due to both some type of withdrawal effects from ceasing citalopram and some type of adjustment effects from starting fluoxetine. Your body needs to adjust to new chemicals and levels, so you may feel pretty tired and unwell during that process. Usually the worst of it should be over within 2 weeks. After your body has adjusted the side effects should ease up :) As b0yer said, different medications can impact on sleep, so if you are feeling like you aren't getting enough sleep still in a few days I'd suggest switching the time you take it. Some people sleep better if they take it in the morning whilst others sleep better if they take it at night. It all depends on the person. If it is worrying you, you could always give your GP a call to talk about the side effects and how to best manage them.