View Full Version : Fluoxetine diary!
Hello everyone. I began taking fluoxetine/prozac 5 days ago for anxiety, and one thing I have found useful is reading others’ accounts of how it’s going, so I thought I would log my experience! I probably haven’t done myself any favours by reading about the side effects, but it’s done now so I figured it might be helpful to others and myself to track my progress, feelings and any side effects.
I am taking 20mg in the morning. My primary symptom of the anxiety was insomnia, so given that insomnia seems to be one of the best-documented initial side effects of fluoxetine, I’m understandably a little concerned! However I keep reading that if you can get through the first 2-4 weeks, things will settle down, so here’s hoping :)
One thing that’s really going to be the deciding factor of whether I continue with this or not is how it affects my physical energy. I am a competitive weightlifter, and the primary reason I decided to try medication is because the lack of sleep was seriously affecting my strength and energy. I was feeling exhausted, weak and jelly-like, and found myself physically incapable of lifting weights that I’ve done a million times before. This in turn was making me depressed as I love my sport and I love to train, and struggling with it has really been getting me down. Therefore I thought if I address the anxiety, the sleep will improve, and my training will return to normal - or at least, that’s the plan!
So here goes…
Days 1-4
Not much to report. I slept ok (though I did not feel well rested even after that) and had minor headaches, but other than that I felt much the same as normal, if a little calmer. I'm not sure if this calmness is just a placebo effect or a coincidence, but either way, the anxious feelings are a little duller.
Day 5
This is really the first day that I’ve ‘felt’ it. Last night’s sleep was terrible! I think I got maybe 4.5-5 hours, and with that added to my accumulated sleep deprivation of the past months I can confirm that today I feel really shitty. I have jelly limbs, head fog and am struggling to stay awake (although even if I could go to bed right now I have no idea if I could actually fall asleep anyway).
However, it was a completely different insomnia from the one I’ve been suffering from. Before, it was a thumping heart and a feeling of being ‘wired’ and stressed that was keeping me awake – it was very obvious what the problem was, and when I was awake in the night, I was pretty wide awake and very stressed. This time, I really struggled to sleep even though I felt EXHAUSTED. I was warm, comfy, sleepy and didn’t feel stressed, didn’t have a thumpy heart (I don’t think), but I just couldn’t actually cross over into unconsciousness. It’s like there was an invisible wall between me and sleep. What’s interesting is that several years ago I went on a very low carb diet, and I had exactly the same type of insomnia – no matter how tired I was I couldn’t cross over into unconsciousness.
So anyway, today I’m quite unhappy! My limbs feel pretty jelly-ish, but I’ve become quite used to that over the past months due to the insomnia. I was supposed to train this evening but I think it's safe to say that won't be happening. I feel incredibly weak and tired.
I would be very interested if anyone else who competes in or plays sports has any experience with fluoxetine... so far in my reading I haven't found anyone who is in the same situation!
Day 6
Well I slept not too badly last night, probably due to the 30mg temazepam I took before bed. Probably 11pm - 5am, then dozed off and on until 7.30am. I still feel completely unrested though, I feel like I could sleep right now. I feel SO TIRED.
Yesterday I got worse over the course of the day and became quite tearful. I managed to nap for an hour after work and felt much better after that.
I've decided to make a deal with myself. This weird depression I'm suddenly feeling is definitely induced by the fluoxetine as I haven't been depressed, just anxious. So I'm choosing to IGNORE it, or rather to try my hardest to not give in to it and not let it drag me down. It can be hard but I'm mostly managing to catch myself before I get too far into that hole. Today I feel less depressed (hooray!) but much sleepier. The tiredness really is intense, I'm struggling with work and interacting with people, keep forgetting what I'm going to say.
Other observations: I feel thirstier than normal, I had a VERY upset stomach yesterday (after eating foods that I eat all the time - TMI but major diarrhoea), and my appetite is diminished. This is notable because I have always had a big appetite. I feel physically hungry no less than normal, but my actual desire to eat has gone. I've mostly been living on porridge as the thought of most other foods is turning my stomach.
I've also decided to move my fluoxetine to night time, as I wonder if part of the reason I felt so wretched yesterday was because I took it in the morning...
Day 7
I slept terribly last night. I decided not to take Temazepam and see how I got on without it, and the answer was not good. It took ages for me to drift off and I woke up constantly... I think I spent most of the night at least half-awake, like I was dozing but didn't get into deep sleep at all.
However... I feel much happier today. It's weird. I'm extremely sleepy, but I feel physically a little more energetic and in a much better frame of mind. My appetite seems to be better. Not quite back to normal (which is substantial!) but better. The upset stomach has stopped which is good because it was BAD yesterday. I think I barely absorbed anything I ate.
I trained last night and it went a little better than expected. I still struggled with low energy so I couldn't do everything I was supposed to do, but it wasn't a complete disaster, which is what I had expected. I'm going again tonight so hoping for the best! I'm actually really looking forward to it so I hope it goes well because I could really do with the confidence boost, as I'm starting to question my ability to continue.
Day 8
I had the worst night's sleep yet last night. I know that this is at least in part due to the fact that I trained late, which always amps me up, and I may have fuelled it with a Monster :doh:
Oddly though, even though I'm probably more sleep-deprived than I've been in ages (and I've been sleep-deprived for a loooong time) I've felt oddly happy today. Yesterday too. Is it the meds? Placebo? No idea. I don't really care either. I just wish I could sleep because I feel like if I could I would actually feel GOOD.
My training last night went really quite well. Intellectually, I feel like I'm on so little sleep everything should feel AWFUL, but for whatever reason at the moment it kind of doesn't... Hopefully it will last! I couldn't deal with more lowness, it just became too much.
Hi Lizzie!
Just wanted to come here and cheer you on! These early days can be pretty hard, but it sounds like you're getting on ok so far. I too am on fluox, I'm at Day 61.. it's definitely been a journey so far. To be honest sometimes I still don't feel like I've improved any but my family says otherwise! It's just such a slow gradual process that you may not notice any differences at first, everyone else will haha
So I'm in week 9.. everyone says that the improvements start happening between week 8 and 12, then accelerates after that. Some people are fully recovered after week 7, some people not for 6 months. It's just a waiting game, I'm afraid! You'll get there though!
Hi Lizzie!
Just wanted to come here and cheer you on! These early days can be pretty hard, but it sounds like you're getting on ok so far. I too am on fluox, I'm at Day 61.. it's definitely been a journey so far. To be honest sometimes I still don't feel like I've improved any but my family says otherwise! It's just such a slow gradual process that you may not notice any differences at first, everyone else will haha
So I'm in week 9.. everyone says that the improvements start happening between week 8 and 12, then accelerates after that. Some people are fully recovered after week 7, some people not for 6 months. It's just a waiting game, I'm afraid! You'll get there though!
Thanks so much ElleEm for the encouragement! It is much needed and much appreciated :smile:
It certainly does seem to be a process from what I’ve read here and elsewhere… I may as well accept that I will have to be in it for the long haul!
I'm glad you're getting results - even if you don't always feel it the fact that your family is saying otherwise is massively encouraging! Well done for staying the course :smile: Can I ask, did you have problems sleeping when you started taking it? If so how long did they take to resolve? That’s the thing that’s really killing me! I’m so tired…
Hi, hang in there.
It took 3 months for this med to work for me, I've tried quite a few anti depressants and for me fluoxetine has been the best by far, life saving.
I too suffer from insomnia, the fluoxetine hasn't made it worse for me, it's still the same.
Start up symptoms are so yuk but worth it if you battle through and the med suits and works.
Hi, hang in there.
It took 3 months for this med to work for me, I've tried quite a few anti depressants and for me fluoxetine has been the best by far, life saving.
I too suffer from insomnia, the fluoxetine hasn't made it worse for me, it's still the same.
Start up symptoms are so yuk but worth it if you battle through and the med suits and works.
Thanks CJN :D I guess 3 months isn't so bad in the grand scheme! Have you managed to do anything about your insomnia? Insomnia is the main reason I'm on fluoxetine since it was caused by anxiety, but it's so much worse just now! I'm definitely going to stick with it for now, and try to have faith that it will settle down and at some point I will be able to sleep :)
I'm sorry to say no, I have always had problems with insomnia. Mirtazapine was great for sleep however it didn't agree with me in other ways. I take Zopiclone and herbal sleep aids, I don't have caffeine or alcohol. I've tried hypnotherapy. For me personally I think it's a life long issue.
The fluoxetine helped massively with my depression and anxiety, if it's your anxiety that caused the insomnia then fingers crossed it will ease when the med starts working
EmmerLooeez
18-08-17, 21:50
Will be following your thread! I really love fluoxetine. I'm not on it at the moment and I remember the first 9 days being very cloudy and sleepy, but when I woke up on day 10 I could feel it lifting and it did every day until around day 14 I had no side effects! My anxiety was still there and my mood was low, but not as bad. It took another two weeks or so to feel the full effects. Day ten was definitely a milestone for me. Hang in there! You'll feel amazing soon. Xx
Can I ask, did you have problems sleeping when you started taking it? If so how long did they take to resolve? That’s the thing that’s really killing me! I’m so tired…
Hi again Lizzie! Sorry it's taken me so long to write back. Yes yes yes yes and YES. The sleeping thing drove me mad!!! I'm used to 8-10 hours a night in the past and no matter how early or late I would go to sleep I would be waking 4 times through the night and be wide awake by 5-6am having to get up. It was ridiculous and almost broke me! It lasted for around 3 weeks and gradually got better. I'm still waking around 6:30 every morning but if I do wake through the night it's quite easy to drop back off to sleep. I make a point of trying to get to sleep by 10 or so, I'm getting a solid 7-8 hours.
It will go away, I promise. It's just one of the many wonderful side effects of the fluox. I have also heard that the early waking does end as well. Have you noticed that no matter how tired you are during the day you still can't nap at all? Ugh.
Hi again Lizzie! Sorry it's taken me so long to write back. Yes yes yes yes and YES. The sleeping thing drove me mad!!! I'm used to 8-10 hours a night in the past and no matter how early or late I would go to sleep I would be waking 4 times through the night and be wide awake by 5-6am having to get up. It was ridiculous and almost broke me! It lasted for around 3 weeks and gradually got better. I'm still waking around 6:30 every morning but if I do wake through the night it's quite easy to drop back off to sleep. I make a point of trying to get to sleep by 10 or so, I'm getting a solid 7-8 hours.
It will go away, I promise. It's just one of the many wonderful side effects of the fluox. I have also heard that the early waking does end as well. Have you noticed that no matter how tired you are during the day you still can't nap at all? Ugh.
Hi ElleEm :) You have no idea how glad I am to read that. It’s slaying me! You’re right, I’m exhausted but can’t nap, or if I do, at absolute best I’ll briefly lose consciousness for about 5 minutes, and that’s after lying there for like an hour! Then I just give up. And yes, the 5am wake-ups are no fun. I woke up at 5 this morning and ended up getting up at 5.45 because there was no way I was getting back to sleep no matter how tired I felt, and now I’m a zombie and it isn’t even 10am! I’m glad you’ve come through the worst of it, it’s encouraging to hear that it does get better for some people!
Sigh. I really hope this stuff will start to work properly soon! I still feel anxious and it’s getting in the way of everything.
---------- Post added at 09:46 ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 ----------
Will be following your thread! I really love fluoxetine. I'm not on it at the moment and I remember the first 9 days being very cloudy and sleepy, but when I woke up on day 10 I could feel it lifting and it did every day until around day 14 I had no side effects! My anxiety was still there and my mood was low, but not as bad. It took another two weeks or so to feel the full effects. Day ten was definitely a milestone for me. Hang in there! You'll feel amazing soon. Xx
Thanks so much, EmmerLooeez. It's so helpful to hear people say that it's worked for them! Stops me getting too down with the side effects because at least then I can believe that it's worth sticking with!
I am the exact same Lizzie! I still can't nap, and I used to be a champion at it haha. I can only reassure you that it does get better :( I know it's so hard to see it now. The changes are so slow and the side effects take forever to go away, but I hear such good things about this med when it finally does work, and that's the only thing that gets me through right now. we must all be a lot stronger than we think, taking something that initially makes us so much worse! It'll be worth it though. Looking back in my journal, it was probably around week 3-4 when I started having a good sleep through the night. I still wake up stupid-early, anywhere between 5:30-6:30, sometimes I can calm myself back to sleep until 7, sometimes not.. but I heard that does go as well.
I am the exact same Lizzie! I still can't nap, and I used to be a champion at it haha. I can only reassure you that it does get better :( I know it's so hard to see it now. The changes are so slow and the side effects take forever to go away, but I hear such good things about this med when it finally does work, and that's the only thing that gets me through right now. we must all be a lot stronger than we think, taking something that initially makes us so much worse! It'll be worth it though. Looking back in my journal, it was probably around week 3-4 when I started having a good sleep through the night. I still wake up stupid-early, anywhere between 5:30-6:30, sometimes I can calm myself back to sleep until 7, sometimes not.. but I heard that does go as well.
Well my fingers are crossed for you! Hopefully all these success stories I keep reading are true and soon we can both sleep past 6am!
---------- Post added at 20:26 ---------- Previous post was at 20:24 ----------
Day 13
Not much to report really. Sleep is still rubbish and I'm still having GI problems. Actually my appetite is much improved, but everything seems to go right through me (sorry... TMI) so it doesn't seem to make much of a difference!
Anxiety-wise things are much the same too.
The one good thing is that my strength seems to be returning and I can train almost like normal (thank GOD for that!!), so I'm hopeful that maybe I'll start to feel better, or dare I say it GOOD, sometime soon!
Glad to hear that it's improving for you a bit! Anything helps at this stage right? :roflmao: I too had the gross everything moving through me at lightning speed toilet action too. Improved greatly but still.. loose. Ugh, now THAT was TMI lol Is this your first time on fluox or any anti-depressants for that matter? Usually first timers seem to have an easier time getting on. Fingers crossed that it's over and working well for you shortly!!
Glad to hear that it's improving for you a bit! Anything helps at this stage right? :roflmao: I too had the gross everything moving through me at lightning speed toilet action too. Improved greatly but still.. loose. Ugh, now THAT was TMI lol Is this your first time on fluox or any anti-depressants for that matter? Usually first timers seem to have an easier time getting on. Fingers crossed that it's over and working well for you shortly!!
Ahaha, it's a lot of fun, isn't it! Luckily I think it's settling down now although like you I think a slight increase in, erm, number of times going to the loo might be something I'll just have to get used to :yesyes:.
Day 16
I still feel pretty much the same! Anxiety is still here definitely, although I am going through a particularly stressful period right now so I guess the fluoxetine has more to work on, hah. Sleep is still rubbish although I THINK it's improving slowly. I do still feel so tired, but I suppose this is unsurprising given how much accumulated sleep deprivation I must have by now (MONTHS of it).
I requested more tempazem from my doc. I don't like taking sleeping pills but you reach a point where you literally don't care. Chronic insomnia is definitely the greater evil!
Day 19
STILL not much has changed! I feel very anxious today, not sure why. I just want everything to stop. I don't want to have to go to work, I don't want to train, I don't want to study, I don't want to HAVE to do anything at all. It feels like EVERYTHING is too much. Even little things feel so huge just now. I'm so fed up. I'm tired of being tired, I'm tired of being anxious, I'm tired of having an upset stomach. I'm tired of having no energy and of being full to the brim with worry.
Tired tired tired :(
Day 20
Well, after all my complaining yesterday, I had a pretty good training session and slept not too badly! I was definitely awake in the night but I don't think it was for long. My alarm woke me up out of a proper sleep at 7am, which was HORRIBLE as I wanted to stay in bed asleep, but the fact that I hadn't been awake since 4am or 5am is definitely positive!
I do feel tired today but in a better mindset, so hopefully yesterday was a blip.
On another note, I've now had 4 counselling sessions, and she said something yesterday that really seems to have clicked in my head. She said that I'm expending so much energy fretting about events that haven't even happened yet that a) I'm making them enormous in my head when they aren't really and b) I'm leaving myself depleted of energy and attention for the present. When she said that, I was like, I totally am! I mean I suppose I kind of knew that, but there's something about the way she worded it and having it confirmed by another person I suppose, that really seemed to make it clear.
Day 21
I slept from about 10.15 til 6am this morning! This is ridiculously exciting to me. I feel like I could have done with a bit more sleep, I don't feel totally refreshed, but much much better than I have done for the past 2 days. I'm hoping maybe I'm starting to turn a corner? We shall see.
Mood is better today, too. I've started to notice that the anxiety is definitely most noticeable in the morning and the early half of the day, but it does seem to settle down as the day goes on.
I’ve also noticed something interesting. I like my coffee. I always have. But I’m seeing a noticeable increase in anxiety and a general decrease in feelings of wellbeing after any coffee over and above my one first thing in the morning. I’m not sure if it’s always given me the jitters or if for some reason I’m just noticing it now, but it’s interesting. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this.
Hey Lizzie! You seem to be following the path of many others on here. I'm so glad the sleep is settling a bit for you! Mine did around the same time as well. Sometimes I can even sleep until 7 now! *gasp!*
A lot of people also notice that their evenings are definitely better than mornings. Mine can go either way and one is not necessarily worse than the other lol also with the coffee: fluoxetine is pretty stimulating, the most stimulating of the SSRI's. So add coffee or tons of sugar to that, and it may exacerbate the anxiety as well. So no red bulls for you! Lol
Hey Lizzie! You seem to be following the path of many others on here. I'm so glad the sleep is settling a bit for you! Mine did around the same time as well. Sometimes I can even sleep until 7 now! *gasp!*
A lot of people also notice that their evenings are definitely better than mornings. Mine can go either way and one is not necessarily worse than the other lol also with the coffee: fluoxetine is pretty stimulating, the most stimulating of the SSRI's. So add coffee or tons of sugar to that, and it may exacerbate the anxiety as well. So no red bulls for you! Lol
Thanks ElleEm! Getting there slowly but surely, I think. Funnily enough, the day after I made that post I had a terrible night's sleep! I've moved to decaf drinks after my morning coffee :D Sleeping til 7, that's the dream!! I've had a couple of days like that, it's great. Oddly harder to get out of bed than when I wake up at 5 though, it's weird...
Day 24
So, things are much the same! I feel a bit better, but subtly so, no fireworks! And sleep is sort of improved but again it's variable and I haven't had any AMAZING nights of sleep, but there's definitely an upward trajectory happening.
The stomach problems continue apace, though. This is becoming problematic. I'm a weightlifter and if there's a time you DON'T want a dodgy stomach, it's when you're moving HEAVY weights :scared15:
I wish I had something INTERESTING to say, but for me there's been little drama with this drug. Yeah, the sleep problems were horrible but they DO seem to be easing quite significantly. The only continued problem as I've said is the dodgy stomach. I've lost 1.5kg (3.3lb) in 2 weeks and I've been trying to get a lot of calories in to counter it, but not entirely successfully. My appetite does seem to be back up but my stomach for foods I normally love (protein and veggies) is gone - I just want carbs carbs carbs. I'm not bothering to fight it because if I lose too much weight I could lose strength and as I have a competition soon I really don't want that to happen! I feel DEFINITELY more zen about this comp than I normally would at this point - still nervous if I think about it too much, yeah, but the anxiety about that is definitely blunted.
On another note, I have been doing a bit of reading, and I found something that's definitely of interest to me and may be of interest to others:
1. 240mg per day of gingko biloba extract can help improve the no-libido side effects! I've definitely noticed this. Well, not no libido exactly, more just trouble... getting there?! No one needed to know that but it's common and studies suggest gingko can help. It makes sense as it increases blood flow - it's also a good brain supplement!
2. 500mcg folic acid can help potentiate the effects of fluoxetine while mitigating the side effects slightly. Again there was a study done on this and results were encouraging. Apparently it didn't work so well for men, although they have higher folate requirements so may need a bigger dose.
Anyway, I'm heading out later to buy both of these! I'll report back if I notice any difference...
Bike Rider
04-09-17, 10:32
Hi Lizzie.
Trouble getting there? is the same for men, well in my case anyway.
Intense exercise can also induce anxiety and depression. My Doctor is a heavy weight trainer and he told me its to do with the Cortisol levels and Lactic acid, but should, over time settle down.
I used to be very fit, cycling, weight training etc but stopped when my depression and anxiety got really bad, put on weight and lost fitness, but as the Fluox has eased this I have re started those things. I suffered a relapse when I used a personal trainer at our gym, who really pushed me to the point of nausea and this sparked of the attacks again, so I have now slowed it all down to a sensible level, as my doctor said, its to be enjoyed, not hated.
You may be one of the lucky ones and not get side effects, we are all different. But I can take beta blockers for my anxiety, you cannot I am afraid as they are banned in sports and affect performance.
Day 29
So now that I’m at the 4 week mark, here’s my assessment of the results so far:
Days 0-4: no effects except for a couple of days of headaches
Days 5-6: complete insomnia and extreme depression (notable because I’m not taking it for depression, I’m taking it for anxiety). Luckily I knew that it had to have been the drug so I managed to keep myself going, and it was over fairly quickly.
Days 7-23: the depression lifted and the insomnia eased to ‘crap but manageable’ levels, ie. I got SOME sleep but definitely not enough to feel refreshed and happy. The GI effects were pretty bad! I lost 1.5kg in about a week because I had serious diarrhoea. It was better at night, but through the day and in the morning – not good! Mood-wise, I have been finding that I’m in an ok place mentally and sleep gradually seems to be improving. I have more nights where I don’t wake up til morning, however sleep quality is still low. Even if I don’t wake up in the night I feel very tired the next morning, like I haven’t slept. I’m having very vivid dreams so I’m pretty sure I’m not getting into ‘deep sleep’, which is why I still feel so tired since I’m only half-sleeping. I’m spending a lot of my days in a sleepy, yawny, jelly-limbed state.
Days 24-25: for some reason, major upsurge in anxiety. I had 2 days of horrible thumpy heart, terrible sleep. During this time I began taking ginkgo biloba, folic acid and a B vitamin complex (which also contains folic acid, taking the dose up to 500mcg which is what’s been recommended). I’m taking it first thing in the morning with my fluoxetine, which I’m not sure if you should do, but it’s the only way I’ll definitely remember them all!
Days 26-27: insomnia has settled again, anxiety has calmed down quite a bit and I've had no panic trips to the toilet in the past 2 days (down from several times a day so hopefully that particular delightful side effect is over!). I’ve stepped up my game again on all of my anti-stress measures (meditation, Epsom salt baths, eating well, avoiding social media, etc.). I’m still so sleepy and sometimes it makes me irritable. Doc has told me to do another 4 weeks on 20mg and see how I go, and if the results still aren’t there she’ll bump up the dose. I’m not too keen on that idea given that I keep reading that when the dose increases the side-effects start all over again!
---------- Post added at 12:08 ---------- Previous post was at 10:59 ----------
Hi Lizzie.
Trouble getting there? is the same for men, well in my case anyway.
Intense exercise can also induce anxiety and depression. My Doctor is a heavy weight trainer and he told me its to do with the Cortisol levels and Lactic acid, but should, over time settle down.
I used to be very fit, cycling, weight training etc but stopped when my depression and anxiety got really bad, put on weight and lost fitness, but as the Fluox has eased this I have re started those things. I suffered a relapse when I used a personal trainer at our gym, who really pushed me to the point of nausea and this sparked of the attacks again, so I have now slowed it all down to a sensible level, as my doctor said, its to be enjoyed, not hated.
You may be one of the lucky ones and not get side effects, we are all different. But I can take beta blockers for my anxiety, you cannot I am afraid as they are banned in sports and affect performance.
Yes, it does heighten my adrenaline quite a lot, it's not the most relaxing of sports! Sadly, beta blockers are out as you said :weep:
Good to hear that you've been able to take up the things you used to do! I guess that's a sure sign that things have become better :D You're right though, it's easy to overdo! I guess anxious people need to be a bit more careful about how much physical stress they put themselves under as well as mental stress!
Bike Rider
07-09-17, 18:56
Hi Lizzie.
All the side effects you mention, apart from the trots, I have had.
I still feel sleepy around the 3-4pm time and this hasnt left me, but if I am occupied I am ok.
With my increase, the side effects were nowhere near as bad.
You will get there.
Hi Lizzie.
All the side effects you mention, apart from the trots, I have had.
I still feel sleepy around the 3-4pm time and this hasnt left me, but if I am occupied I am ok.
With my increase, the side effects were nowhere near as bad.
You will get there.
Thank you Bike Rider :) Just shows there are no magic pills and that these things take time and work even with medication. Your words of encouragement are very much appreciated!
Day 31
I feel cautiously optimistic about how things are going now. I've slept more or less through the night for the past 6 days or so. Sleep quality hasn't been amazing (or even adequate, haha) but it's better than being awake all bloody night.
Mentally, I've felt MUCH calmer for the past few days. Not sure why or what's changed. It may be the fluoxetine finally kicking in, maybe it's the addition of the folic acid potentiating its effects, or maybe the mindfulness and the fact that I've seen a hypnotherapist has made the difference. Or, more likely, a combination of all of it.
All I know is that I'm about to do an international competition and this would normally have me FREAKING. OUT. And I'm just not. I feel pretty zen about it. I'm even looking forward to it! (This is big. I never look forward to competitions, I just get filled with dread and constantly play worst-case scenarios in my head.)
The only time I still get thumpy heart is when I'm in bed, but I can usually calm it down with my meditation app. Sometimes it's harder to do than other times, but it happens eventually.
I'd strongly recommend to anyone struggling that they give meditation and/or hypnosis a try. I feel like it's genuinely helpful. It took AGES for me to get even a little bit proficient at the meditation (I've been doing it for about 3 months and I feel like it's only recently I've begun getting the hang of it properly) but it's worth doing. Maybe it's easier for other people. I've spent years refusing to let myself be along in my own head, and I guess that kind of thing takes some time to undo/get used to!
Bike Rider
10-09-17, 11:59
Hi Lizzie.
I have clinical hypnosis too, helped me get my motivation back.
Dont analyze whats going on, just keep doing it. It could be all of those things, it could be non of those things, who does know. lol
I meditate too and am now thinking of yoga meditation.
Good luck in your competition.
Hi Lizzie.
I have clinical hypnosis too, helped me get my motivation back.
Dont analyze whats going on, just keep doing it. It could be all of those things, it could be non of those things, who does know. lol
I meditate too and am now thinking of yoga meditation.
Good luck in your competition.
Yeah, the hypnotherapy has definitely given me a renewed optimism. Good to hear that it works for you! Hopefully the yoga meditation will also.
Thank you! It's nice going into a competition not feeling sick with dread :D (Well, I say that... I'll see what sort of state I'm in the night before!)
Bike Rider
12-09-17, 13:14
Well you do need to be nervous, That indicates you want to do well.
As the great Jack Nicklaus (golfer) said " The day I turn up for a tournament and dont have nerves, is the day I will know I no longer have the urge to win"
Go get em baby. lol:yesyes:
Hi Lizzie, are you still finding it helpful for anxiety? I'll be 8 weeks in tomorrow and I feel so flat and blunted that it seems to be making my social anxiety much worse by the day.
my insomnia is gradually improving and I've managed to halve my sleep meds. I hope I can come off the sleep meds altogether in a week or 2.
I don't know if I need a dosage increase, or in fact if my dosage is too high.
I have a gp appointment on the 18th so will have to see (I'm on 20mg now) xx
Well you do need to be nervous, That indicates you want to do well.
As the great Jack Nicklaus (golfer) said " The day I turn up for a tournament and dont have nerves, is the day I will know I no longer have the urge to win"
Go get em baby. lol:yesyes:
Thank you! It went well, I got silver and broke a record which is very exciting :yahoo: Nerves weren't nearly as bad as they've been in the past - I didn't feel like I was going to pass out at any point, which is progress, haha.
---------- Post added at 09:28 ---------- Previous post was at 09:18 ----------
Hi Lizzie, are you still finding it helpful for anxiety? I'll be 8 weeks in tomorrow and I feel so flat and blunted that it seems to be making my social anxiety much worse by the day.
my insomnia is gradually improving and I've managed to halve my sleep meds. I hope I can come off the sleep meds altogether in a week or 2.
I don't know if I need a dosage increase, or in fact if my dosage is too high.
I have a gp appointment on the 18th so will have to see (I'm on 20mg now) xx
Hmmm, I wouldn't say I'm having any flatness. I feel pretty normal at the moment I would say, sleep has improved enormously. I keep reading about how people feel incredibly happy and light, and that hasn't happened either - but I just feel like I did before I became anxious, which I will take!
If you're feeling flat and lifeless, it doesn't sound to me like a higher dose would help, but I've only ever taken 20mg so I'm not sure how much of a difference higher doses make. Have you tried other methods of anxiety relief, like mindfulness, hypnotherapy, exercise, things like that? I feel that exercise is definitely the biggest help in getting my 'buzz' back whenever I feel rubbish, and the other two have helped keep me from spiralling off into anxiety hell!
Also, maybe try taking it in the morning if you aren't already... It does feel quite stimulating (to the point where I had a very upset stomach until the afternoon!!) but if you aren't suffering from that delightful side effect it may be worth trying that.
I hope you start to feel better soon - many people say that it takes up to 12 weeks before they really start to feel good, so I guess the timescale may just be different for everyone. I know that's not much use to you right now, but you WILL be better, it's just a case of finding the best way to get there for you!
(And I REALLY do recommend exercise as a mood-booster if you aren't doing it already, it helps enormously :) )
yeah I was already doing meditation and art and I already walk everywhere. I'll just see what the gp says. I'm on week 9 now.
8 weeks
So it's been about 8 weeks now and there have been developments! Weeks 5-7 were good - I was sleeping through the night, had no anxiety and generally felt great. It was lovely. Then for some reason, last week my anxiety started to heighten, sleep started to go downhill and today I've been awake since 3.30am :(
I spoke to my doc and I'm going to bump up to 40mg (on 20mg currently). Hopefully that little extra kick is what I need! Disturbingly, the diarrhoea has come back too. It was a nightmare for about a month but it went away! And now it's back. Awesome.
Welp, I'm going to start the 40mg dose tomorrow so I'll keep posting about how THAT goes! Sigh.
12 weeks
So, it's been 3 months of popping pills every day and thankfully, I'm back to feeling good again. This only happened in the past few days, though. Until then the insomnia was back to being a real problem and I felt pretty rubbish. I will say, though, not as bad as I did when this whole thing started - although I couldn't sleep I wasn't nearly as stressed and upset about it as I was before starting the fluoxetine.
So anyway, for the moment at least, the fluoxetine is doing its job! Whew. I just feel light and happy and things aren't stressing me out unnecessarily. It's a nice feeling! I hope it lasts as when I was on 20mg I had a couple of weeks like this and then it all went downhill again. However, I'll remain optimistic.
Not sure if or how many people are reading this, especially with the very sporadic updates, but hopefully it will be encouraging to anyone who is still struggling!
missjellytots
13-12-17, 18:57
Thank you for your updates! I have been taking Fluoxetine 20mg for the past 8 days. I suffer from anxiety but it seems to have worsened over the last few days. Just worried about everything. I have also not been eating right and have had numerous trips to the loo. Hoping things improve soon. I really want to give this medication a chance.
Thanks for the diary. I’m just going to start my meds and it is good to read your story.
Thanks for your diary as i went through it. I started week 8 and from last 3 or 4 days i am constantly anxious and down from no where. Tough currently there is no stress and even i am relaxed at work too but this came out of no where and making me worst in mood and constantly on edge. My doc asked to double the dose to make it 40mg that i am not doing. Did increasing ur dose work for u in week 8?
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