View Full Version : Making 10mg out of 20mg (Fluoxetine)
Dizzy-Dave
05-08-09, 12:57
Hello!
Day 5 and it's been pretty rough so far.
Day 1 and 2 I took 20mg and found I was up all night and felt like I was on class A's at certain times ! The info on this forum has helped alot so thanks to all that document thier first few weeks.
Anyway 20mg was too much so i asked to be put on something lower. Turns out my Doc doesn't have anything lower (UK) so I've had to resort to breaking capsule apart and taking some out. It's all rough guess but I guess if anything i'm leaving 10-15 in capsule.
Silly question time!
It's based on weight right ? Or is it based on strength ?
I was thinking of taking half capsules for a week and then trying 20mg again.
Presumably i don't want to be taking 10mg for too long as it will take double time to kick in ?
Thank you.
Just one question, what time of the day do you take it? As it gives you a bit of a lift it's recommended they be taken in the morning, initially anyway.
:hugs:
Dizzy-Dave
05-08-09, 13:33
Been taking them in the morning :)
I only took a little out this morning and as a result i'm on full blown 'lift' right now and battling panic. I am well prepared when it come's to facing panic attacks but I gotta say, this one is tough !
hi dave
It can take 4 to 5 weeks for the prozac to settle the side effects should start to fade after the first 2 weeks. Keep an eye on how they are making you react it might be worth having a word with your GP it things get worse as not all drugs suit everyone.
Dave, I got the liquid version from my Gp last week to allow me to take 10mg - a 2.5ml spoonful. Tastes vile, mind.
Dizzy-Dave
05-08-09, 16:21
Jane are you from the UK ?
*Just noticed the flag on your profile.
Does anyone know the answer to wether it'\s 20mg of weight or 20mg of strength.
I have been tripping out for the last few hours and have finally started to calm. It's all good though.
Oh goodness..I so feel for you.
I'm on day 8 (20mg) and major palpitations and anxiety....agggg!!!!!
Dizzy-Dave
05-08-09, 20:16
You can feel it working in your head.
So wrong lol.
Day 6 tomorrow. God it's like going to work at a really sh*tty job !
*sigh
Dizzy-Dave
06-08-09, 11:30
Day 6 and initial anxiety in the morning seems to of calmed down abit.
Hot weather is not helping.
Keep smiling at myself whenever i look in the bathroom mirror.
Random.
Keep going !!
Hang on in there, another few days and the side effects should wane
Well day 9 of mine now Dizzy Dave.... and I actually feel a little calmer.
Okay, a bit spaced out...but definitely calmer.
Dizzy-Dave
07-08-09, 11:27
I had a better day yesterday which was nice lol.
Seem to be sleeping alot better.
I'm a tad worried as I live at home and my grandma lives with us.
She has cancer and is on her way out.
Really don't want to be spaced out when she passes away.
hmmm.
Took a lower dose today.
How's you ?
Dizzy-Dave
07-08-09, 13:57
Just want to have a moan.
*moan
There we go.
a week of this is bad enough and i'm only taking half the capsule lol.
God knows how i'd feel if I was taking the whole thing.
Well I decided to stick with the 20mg and I hope the worst is over. I'm not so spaced out today. Might it be worth you trying the full dose too, and getting used to it?
Dizzy-Dave
07-08-09, 17:16
Well before I up my dose, I need to know the answer to my original question !!!
Is 20mg the strength or weight of the prozac ?
The strength. 20mg is the base strength for starting prozac.
Dizzy-Dave
07-08-09, 23:35
I asked in the forum earlier and someone told me emptying half of the capsule is not a good idea as the capsule is slow release and I am compromising it by doing so.
I then go on a medical journal online where a doctor says its not uncommen for patients to empty 20mg into apple juice, and then you can take 10mg by drinking half, 5mg by drinking quarter etc.
So surely there's nothing wrong with that i'm doing ?
Oh no...of course there's nothing wrong with doing that. You must do what's right for yourself.
I think I just wanted to get it into my system as quickly as I could.
Dizzy-Dave
08-08-09, 16:52
:)
Day 8, took almost the full capsule and have had the on edge feeling but no panic.
Even after a big family bust up, I was still calm.
Looks like side effects are backing off now.
How's everyone else on their early days ?
Well I'm day 11 now. Yesterday and today I have felt some calmness descend over me (at last). Find it difficult to get to sleep, but then I didn't want a med that would sedate me too much.
It's getting better...Yay!!!!
Dizzy-Dave
08-08-09, 19:31
That's great !
Dizzy-Dave
09-08-09, 11:48
Back on 20mg. Will see how I feel later today.
Well good luck. You should have now given your body a chance to get used to them.
Hope they kick in before too long.
Dizzy-Dave
09-08-09, 16:37
I hope that day comes soon lol.
I've had heavy jaw all day with quite alot of teeth grinding. Mild headache.
Slight anxiety but that fades as the day goes on.
Defo not as bad as when i first took 20mg.
Onwards and upwards.
Yeah...those symptoms sound about right.
They disappear after a few days though, and that's when hopefully some benefit is seen.
How involved is your doctor in all this?
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 02:06
Not involved at all.
Do you not trust him/her or something? If you have a good GP they can help so much - I'm lucky with mine. If he left I'd 'shop' around until I found someone else good.
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 12:33
Doctor just told me that I can't get 10mg in my area.
I don't know if it's an American thing only or something.
I am coping with the side effects and I'm changing my dose when it gets too much.
It's bound to settle soon.
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 12:33
Though saying that I've got terrible stomach acid this morning :(
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 17:14
Uuuuugh feel terrible today :(
Depressed and not myself.
Stick with it..it'll get better.
....20mg is the weight of the fluoxetine, but the drug in the capsule is mixed up with other things to help it dissolve better flow better etc so you wouldnt get an accurate dose every time if you say halved it as nothings a 'perfect mix'.
Im pretty certain you can get the liquid form of fluoxetine in the uk (branded under prozac syrup), ive seen it in various pharmacies that ive been working in and recently...i dont think its an 'area thing' at all. Dont know whether your doctor is aware or not?!
Like the above poster said, hopefully you wil get used to it - side effects are often nasty at first x
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 17:50
I'm interested in why It seems to get worse after about a week.
I'm on day 10 and apart from the gurning last night, I've been ok with dealing with it.
Today though I feel really sad and my tummy feels awful.
Will try and keep fighting but this feeling is really out there....
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 17:51
....20mg is the weight of the fluoxetine, but the drug in the capsule is mixed up with other things to help it dissolve better flow better etc so you wouldnt get an accurate dose every time if you say halved it as nothings a 'perfect mix'.
Thanks for the info :)
At the risk of putting a spanner in the works, would you consider going back to your doctor?
I don't think you've given it long enough yet.....I really felt terrible only a few days ago, and yet now....much better.
Personally I would give it a bit longer.
Dizzy-Dave
10-08-09, 22:46
What I felt earlier today is probably what everyone has writes about on here.
It calmed down in early evening.
I'm going to brave on this one and give it some more time.
Dizzy-Dave
11-08-09, 15:50
Yesterday was so sketchy. I was ready to stop taking them this morning as I just felt so sad.
I took 10mg though and around 11am I 'woke up' and I'm back to feeling drugged up but in control.
How you doing today Dave?
Dizzy-Dave
12-08-09, 13:14
How you doing today Dave?
Day 12:
Ok so far :)
After more research i've decided to stop splitting the capsules and I do not recommend anyone else to practice it without Doctors advice.
I am going to take my 20mg each day now and so far I feel ok today.
If anything I feel very hyper but that's never done anyone any harm !
How about you Catya ?
So you are NOT taking them?
Yes, I'm fair. Not giving me quite the lift I thought they would though. Still some anxious moments, but am going to persevere.
Dizzy-Dave
13-08-09, 12:44
Haha oh dear thanks for noticing that mistake !
I AM taking the 20mg !
Yesterday was fine. Right now i'm jittery but should calm down as it always does.
Dizzy-Dave
14-08-09, 10:02
I've made it to 2 weeks now. For that I am proud as I never last this long on medication.
Since taking 20mg it's been a rollercoaster. For example last night I felt so wired and I just couldn't calm down. No panic attacks or anything it just sucked.
This morning I feel tired and down and I'm not in a good mood for taking the next dose but I will.
Yes, that's how it affected me. A few days ahead of you...and it's calming down again, so stick with it.
Dizzy-Dave
14-08-09, 11:43
Being agoraphobic, I've spent way too much time in my bedroom watching Tv and playing videogames for the past year.
Should I try and do something ?
I've had a headache for ages now and I feel abit sick.
It's tempting just to lie down all day but I'm wondering if moving around the house might make me forget ? or it might make it worse.
Hmmmm.
Dizzy-Dave
14-08-09, 12:38
Today is so tough :(
I take my dose at 11am and I normally feel something quite quickly.
I start to calm down about 4 hours later.
I really want to give credit to anyone who has made it through bad side effects.
Its........hard...........work.
Blugh.
Well yes, but remember you've not been taking the full dose all the time, so may take a few more days.
I'm glad I've stuck with it....
Dizzy-Dave
14-08-09, 15:58
Are you starting to feel the benefits ?
I did calm down after 2.
I don't feel great but it's better than earlier that's for sure !
Yes Dave, I can honestly say they are starting to help me. I have now taken 16 I think. Still some anxiety at times, but a more positive outlook on life is kicking in.
Dizzy-Dave
15-08-09, 12:57
Very interesting things going on in my head lol.
After the hell that was yesterday morning/afternoon, a light bulb came on in the evening and the side effects went away. I even felt some kind of euphoria.
This morning I took my pill at 11am and it's now almost 1pm. No side effects apart from a slight but very low anxious feeling (probably because i'm so use to expecting side effects)
Hopefully this is the end of them.
Glad it's settling down for you. I'd suggest you try not to self-monitor too much, otherwise every sensation anywhere in your body you will blame on the medication. I find distracting myself good when I'm anxious.
Dizzy-Dave
15-08-09, 16:26
Oh dont worry about that :)
I was never that kind of person anyway.
You either feel medciated or you don't.
When everything is good i'm going to stop posting in this thread.
:yesyes::yesyes::yesyes:
....problems sleeping though....anyone else?
Dizzy-Dave
18-08-09, 10:49
No problems with sleeping (seem to be sleeping much better already) but I am having a problem with too much energy. Before I classed it as feeling wired but it's calmed down now and feels like nervous energy.
It's not a bad thing, I'm just not used to it.
Where as I used to lay in bed all day playing videogames and such, Now I can't sit still.
Just waiting for it to kick in now.
Yes...the energy thing definitely. I think that's why I take longer to get to sleep, I feel buzzing with energy.
But, like you say, that's quite a good thing for me too, as , with depression my interests and energy had really slumped.
Dizzy-Dave
18-08-09, 15:28
It's hard when your agoraphobic as it's the kind of energy that I used to get before a night on the town!
When the side effects have totally gone then i'm gonna start getting out again.
Dizzy-Dave
21-08-09, 20:53
In terms of the medication, things are really good. I'm sleeping really well and I do not get any side effects now. I actually look forward to taking them now!
Sadly my nan is going to die soon (i'm very close to her) so I don't know if it's working yet as there is alot of sadness in my house.
How about you ?
Oh I'm sorry for your sadness. A difficult time for you all.
Still have probs with getting to sleep so have to take an antihistamine type of med in the evening as well now.
Dizzy-Dave
22-08-09, 21:43
Major headache today.
Paracetamol is doing sod all !
Thinking of you Dave. It's very tough when you are losing someone you are so close to.
Take care.
Dizzy-Dave
23-08-09, 12:29
I appreciate that x
Looks like today is the day.
Very anxious.
Dizzy-Dave
30-08-09, 12:33
I wonder what effects grief has on the prozacs ability to kick in.
Hmmmm...
Day 30.
eastender24
31-08-09, 03:51
prozac, fluoxetine took 3 months to work for me.
Hello Dave...been away... how are things?
Still thinking of you.
eastender24
03-09-09, 00:54
Hows things Dave?
Dizzy-Dave
14-09-09, 00:32
Hey guys. I've stopped counting the days (though i guess it's day 40 or something like that)
Funeral is tomorrow. I haven't felt any huge changes but i think i'm grieving so hard to tell.
Note: I think prozac is stopping me for crying for my nan. Kinda feel like a robot.
All random.
Hope you are well.
Dizzy-Dave
30-09-09, 12:51
Just a quick update to say that after 2 months of taking prozac, I can feel the difference. I'm not majorl happy or anything (still agoraphobic) but i'm definitly not depressed. Once i start trying to get out again then I feel things will be easier as my anxiety has droppped to a lower level.
Keep having crazy dreams every night and there is another side effect that still hasn't gone away but I won't go into that one ! (You'll know what i mean by that if you are taking it)
How is everyone else ?
The anxiety has really got to me Dave. I see my dr tomorrow and I think he'll be changing me to Citalopram.
I hope you are feeling okay after the sadness of losing your Grandmother...very difficult time for you.
Dizzy-Dave
07-10-09, 15:38
That sucks Catya. Maybe it's not the right med for you.
Good luck if you try the other one.
Hmmm...tried Citalopram but terrible insomnia. Am going back onto Prozac.
How are you doing?
kazzablanca
03-11-09, 18:27
I take 60mg a day and have done for years now, want to change as they seem to have lost their effect, so keep at it, they will work but dont be too keen to increase your dose too quickly as 60mg per day is the maximum dosage.
i have having trouble with my meds started 50g sertraline 22 october on 29th increased to 100g still having bad panic and anxiety keep wondering if tab will work is there a web site where you can info on theese drugs thanks
Dizzy-Dave
21-11-09, 17:52
I am doing ok thanks. Will update soon but recovery is going well and i'm keeping busy x
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