My Story Fluoxitine week 3

[Jedimind]

Hi all. I'm new on the site but have been reading people's posts and thought I'd share my experiences on Fluoxitine/Nuzak thus far. To try and cut a long story I've got quite a bit on my mind at the moment as my Wife and I are about to move back to the UK after being in SA for over 5 years. We both feel it is a positive move but the future is uncertain with regard to Job's, home ect.
About 2 months ago I had a panic attack, I woke from a nap and just felt weird. Hart pounding, mind racing ect. Then I started to dwell on that attack. That's when I started with over focusing on my heart rate all the time. I was self convincing that there was something wrong. After about a month of worry in the back of my mind and several other panic attacks I went to the doctor. I explained I constantly felt anxious and he understood. He checked my chest, blood pressure did a ECG, results fine just fast beat of 108 but I was stressing at having the test. He prescribed Nuzak/Fluoxitine 20mg. As we all do, I got home and Googled anything I could find on Fluoxitine. I started taking them.
The first few days were ok. I felt a bit calmer. Less anxious. At the end of the first week I had my first bad day's. I felt wobbly on my feet, light headed, no appetite. Then the waking up at 2am started and the high night time anxiety. I felt shattered in the morning and felt very down. On and off this continued in to week 3. On about day 20 I had a less anxious night and slept a bit better. I felt anxious in the morning but after I got up and got going things got a bit better. I defiantly find occupying yourself with small jobs helps. The afternoons are generally a bit better, less jittery. I'm on day 22 now. Again slept a bit better. I do wake up but find it a bit easier to relax and drop off again, then I'll wake again couple of hours later. I do get a big wave of anxiety in the morning still though. You need to ride it out. All in all, so far I feel a lot calmer. I still have anxiety waves now and then but they do pass. This is just my story so far and I will continue to up date. I hope it helps some of you.

[Hipha]

Thank you for sharing your experience of fluoxetine. I have just started on this med 7 days ago for anxiety at 10mg and am already experiencing the symptoms you and many others have described. Feel more anxious than before and my arms and legs feel like jelly. Mood is low also as coping with daily anxiety is exhausting. Keeping busy is important but balancing with not doing too much is also important. I have been off work for over 1 year which is my biggest challenge. Hoping that the posts on this site regarding commencing fluoxetine are correct and that the time and pain invested in this me is worth it.

[Jedimind]

Hi,

Day 23 for me now and I am definatley feeling more positive. I slept a little better again last night. I seem to wake at around 2.30am after going off to sleep fairly easily at about 11 pm. I didn't seem to get as anxious and drifted back to sleep. I again had a brief wave of anxiety early morning when I got up. Felt a little shakey but I think that is just muscles relaxing when I'm asleep and they seem to be a bit tense during the day. As hard as it is, you need to try and break the habits of negative thinking too. It's not easy but trying to remain positive, and not thinking of how awful you have felt in the past few days helps. Try not to dwell. I hope I'm turning a corner now.

[Molly327]

Hi, I am now on week 7 and glad to say I am feeling the benefits. When I first started I didn't notice any difference in the first week, then weeks 2-4 I felt worse than I did before starting on the medication. I was not in a good place and felt that there was nothing good, I thought a lot about death (the fear of) and what is the point in life. I believe this is common when suffering from anxiety and depression. Anyway, at week 5 I went away from a holiday with the family. I didn't want to go as I worried about being miserable and anxious when away, even driving to the destination I was over thinking everything, feeling anxious and low. However, getting away I was able to cut off and just focus on the little day to day things (without facebook and social pressures), like what to eat and do that day. I started feeling like me again, although morning times I'd sometimes start with feeling low, but rather than dwell on it, I'd try not to think too much and let it pass. By the afternoon I was feeling brighter. Since the holiday in weeks 6/7 I've had more good days than bad. I'm not top of the world but I'm certainly not where I was and its still early days, as I believe it can take up to 3 months to feel the full benefit. My confidence is growing, I can think clearly, I can go in the car without always feeling anxious, something can go wrong but I don't get that overwhelming panic feeling. If I do have a low day, I try not to make decisions about anything that day, I wait for when my mood picks up and I know then I'll be able to think rationally (instead of anxious thinking). I have to say I am also seeing a counsellor. I started a few weeks before going onto medication but realised that I had gone so low before that I needed the medication to assist in bringing my mood up whilst I went through the counselling. I think the two work well together as I want to deal with what triggers my depression and anxiety (having realised I've suffered for longer than I realised) and how I can change my thoughts/behaviour pattern, so that if one day I come off the medication, I will not go as low as I did before. I also try to do things that make me happy (things that the my anxiety had stopped me enjoying before) and with time my confidence keeps growing, so that I'm doing without overthinking. I take my tablet (20mg) every morning. I have a fairly healthy diet and exercise which also helps. I think distraction is good too, even if it gives you some relief from thinking about your anxiety for an hour or two.

I've shared all this incase anyone can relate to it and give some hope. I was at the doctors at week 4 feeling worse than I ever had, telling the doctor I couldn't sleep and my anxiety was really bad. Rather than putting up my dosage she said to see how another week or two went and if no improvement she'll look at options. I came out of the doctors feeling so low and scared that I'd never feel better, but I have honestly turned a corner. I am sewing again and I can watch a film without feeling anxious or depressed.

When I was feeling at my worst I'd look on forums like these for hope that things would get better. So I hope I can give someone hope too that life can be better. It's not necessarily about feeling better when I've got this or achieved that, it's about learning to be as happy and content as possible with how things are now, living in the moment and with hope for the future.

One other thing to add is that my main trigger was work. I was stressed and felt trapped in doing the job for so long. I'd lost my confidence to go and get another job and so the vicious circle began. So I got signed off. At first I found it hard to switch off from worrying about returning to the job. The medication has helped in making me calm down and not worry so much. I am unsure if I will return to the job and if I dont then I feel more confident to pursue other things and make some much needed changes in my life. Anxiety has definitely been holding me back for too long.

For those of you just starting out on the medication, hang on in there and take each day at a time because you might just be around the corner of beginning to feel better. If not then go to your doctors as there will be other options. Good luck xxx :)