fluoxetine, has it worked for you ?

[sarah jayne]

Ive been prescribed fluoxetine to treat my anxiety, has it worked for anyone on here ? I dont want to google incase i read some horror stories. Im nervouse cause i always seem to have bad reactions but my docs put me on the starting dose of 20 mg, i go away in less than 2 weeks and dont know whether to start taking them now or wait tiull i get back ?
Thanks, Sarah x

[Baggs]

I took fluoxetine (Prozac) some years ago and it worked for me and it was great. I was active, sociable and generally cooking with gas. And I didn't get any side effects. If it were me, I would start taking them right away. All the best. Baggs.

[sarah jayne]

thanks, thats just what i wanted to hear ! How long did they take to work ? x

[Cat80]

I was prescribed Fluoxetine last year by a stand in Dr. She gave me 20mg to take a day for my anxiety. I have to say I felt dreadful on it and it made my anxiety go through the roof (also felt sick, couldn't stay awake, sweating etc). When I went back to my usual Dr she said I should never have been prescribed it for anxiety. She said it's great for depression but has a different reaction to anxiety making it worse. I didn't know what to do if to belive her or the trainee GP so I just stopped taking it after about a month. Took over 2 weeks for me to get my anxiety down after stopping it, I wouldn't try it again. She said the only anxiety it should be prescribed for is ocd and bad panic attacks but not general anxiety.

I guess it depends on the individual and hopefully it'll work great for you, just be prepared for your anxiety to be worse for a while and take them at night so the side effects aren't as bad

[Antipodes]

I have to say I am surprised a doctor has prescribed an SSRI anti-depressant for anxiety. I suspect your GP is thinking "depression" and letting you "think" anxiety. Fluoxetine has nil anti-anxiety properties.

Maybe you should discuss with your GP exactly why he/she has prescribed Fluoxetine? You can check the UK protocols for treating many DSM-IV disorders at the NICE site. I think the URL is referenced on this site. It's a good site and you might find the treatment plan is pretty much identical to the protocol (try this for x weeks, if no progress, try that (or try x at increased dose etc.) I am assuming your GP has diagnosed / identified your particual symptoms set / problem and informed you.

Good luck. I hope your journey to wellness is as swift as can be.

[crazyhayz]

Citalopram is an SSRI and I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Citalopram has saved me from the pit of dispair. SSRI's a\re often used for anxiety, and depression, as alot of people get anxiety as a result of depression, or get depression as a result of anxiety! So SSRI's work rly well. I would say go for it with the Prozac, Ive heard good things about it and, this and Citalopram are the most widely/commonly used for anxiety disorders and depression. Good luck x

[crazyhayz]

Oh and althoug meds/people do differ, my Citalopram took about 8 weeks to start working fully. So i would assume it will take a good couple of months for it to properly get into ur system. SSRI's need a bit of time. Good luck x

[anthrokid]

I'm on fluoxetine, it's my second time. The first time was for depression whilst I was in high school, now for anxiety/panic disorder a few years on. Both times it's worked amazingly. Needed a bit of a higher dose for the anxiety, but it is working :) Never had a problem with it either, no icky symptoms the first time, and the second time I think the feelings I got starting it were more my anxiety about starting it rather than the medication itself. You need to remember that whilst fluoxetine is a great treatment for anxiety/depression/panic/etc it does take a while to work. Usually it's between 6 and 8 weeks. Some people it works within a few weeks, others it takes bit longer than the 8 weeks. It works gradually, but very well. The only side-effects I've experienced from the medication itself are loss of appetite and a bit of concentration loss.

[Cat80]

It's just fluoexetine shouldn't really be prescribed for general anxiety, the only anxiety it is usually used for is OCD and panic attacks. For general everyday anxiety it can actually make it worse according to my Dr which is why she told me I should never have really been prescribed it. It definately made me much much worse for the month or so I was on it.

She said it was great for depression and OCD but does very little for anxiety and can actually make anxiety worse in the long run. I wasn't sure until I did some research online and found a lot of people who were given it for anxiety saying that it did make them worse and that they were advised to come off it. I've also seen some Dr's pages on the web saying it's not recommendedfor general anxiety which is why I did decide to stop it.

I would discuss it with your Dr before taking it. I just don't think it's that great for anxiety, panic, ocd and depression yes, anxeity no.

[sammie23]

Im on prozac 20 mg to hun. I think there great. And its normal for your doctor to prescribe you anti deppressents for anxciety. They are not only for depression but for anxciety to. You will be fine on them hun. Iv been on them for over a year. Start taking as soon as possible hunni.. Take care x

[sarah jayne]

Thanks for all your comments, im confused now lol ! Some are you are saying i shouldnt take it and some are saying i should. My doctor said people with anxiety also suffer from a bit of depression, its all to so with the serotonin level. I think im going to try it, i'll never know if i dont... Im off work today so im going to have a nice relaxing bath, wash my hair, tidy up and then have my first one. Im really nervous about it and i purposely havent read the leaflet that comes with the tablets with the side effects on as i normally do and im sure that i bring some of them on myself with worrying about them ! I cant go on feeling like this, everday day worrying that im going to die, its no life to live, im just existing, lets hope they are my miracle cure lol ! I'll kepp you updated,
Sarah xx

[sarah jayne]

well i still havent had the nerve to take my first tablet. Im sat here with the box in front of me lol. My stomach feels really bad and i feel on the verge of a panic attack just thinking about the side effects that i might get. Im so scared but im so desperate to get better....sod it
ive just had the first one. Theres no going back now, im really really praying that it doest make me ill :huh:

[Baggs]

Good luck to you. Baggs.

[sarah jayne]

thankyou baggs x

[Cat80]

Good luck :)

[sarah jayne]

thankyou cat80, i know you didnt recommend it for anxiety after what it put you through, im hoping that it doesnt do the same to me. I had the same sort of reaction to citalopram, it made me really ill and i had to stop taking it after only 2 weeks thats why im always so scared of trying new meds. I suppose that different meds effect different people in different ways. I took the 1st tablet 3 hours ago and so far so good, i havent got any nasty side effects, i feel a bit weird, sort of like ive had a few drinks and ive got a slight headache but nothing major that i cant tolerate at the moment. Ive got to the stage in this awful illness we have that i'll try anything if it has the slightest chance of making me better cause i really cant carry on like this :(
Sarah x

[anthrokid]

Heya! 3 Hours without any icky side-effects is a good sign :) Keep up the positivity, worrying about it is more likely tocreate anxiety symptoms that you'll associate with the medication rather than actual medication symptoms. I know a few people personally who have had good experiences with fluoxetine, and I'm confident that you'll be okay. Anything is worth a go once. Remember, if you feel bad for a few days keep it up because it's just your body adjusting to new chemical balances. I tend to feel a bit 'funny' when I start of up a dose, but not bad, just wierd. Remember that common side-effects will be mild headaches, so don't panic about any of those, and thirst is actually also very common with anti-depressants so keep hydrated. Another thing to keep in mind is that they will either make you more drowsy or more awake, so once you figure out which it is you can then decide whether to take them in the morning or at night :) I take mine in the morning, if I take them at night I get too restless in bed, lol. Any medication does that to me though, even paracetamol. If you have any questions about it, or just need someone to rant to give me a yell :)

[Cat80]

Hey don't listen to me sarah_jayne lol, I was just going by how I felt and what my usual Dr told me. She was just surprised I was given fluoxetine for anxiety as that isn't usually the best choice.

I was the same as you on Citalopram, I stuck out 20mg a day for 10 weeks then came off it I was so ill. I'm now on B6 complex, magnesium and L-Glutamine and to be honest am just starting to feel better. Went into town today on my own for the first time in 20 months (usually go with someone) and I had a lovely time without feeling too anxious.

Wishing you all the luck in the world, I hope you get some relief from anxiety soon.

[anthrokid]

Heya Cat,

You're experience with fluoxetine is still a good one to share. It highlights just how different each person's experience with a drug can be :) And fluoxetine generally isn't the first choice for anxiety because it takes so long to work and usually increases anxiety at the start in some people so you were right there :)

Congratulations on going into town alone!! Thats an amazing thing to have done, great progress :) :) Keep it up!

[Cat80]

Thanks so much amieekid :) I just didn't want to worry Sarah Jayne but just wanted to let her know my experience and my Dr's thoughts on it. It is definately one of those meds that take longer to work than general SSRI's. A good 3 months seems to be the average and the anxiety can be much worse at first so if possible have someone with you incase you panic.

Thanks so much for the congrats, felt realy pleased with myself when I got home. Having anxiety and social phobia makes it hard for me to go anywhere especially alone but this small step has made me feel like maybe I can do it. Want to make the most of the summer days over here in the UK. Feeling pretty sick now though because I had a medium latte, too much milk I think but I do love my Costa Coffee lattes, my own fault lol

[sarah jayne]

Thanks aimeekid, you never know i might keep you up on ur offer of giving you a yell lol. And thanks cat80 i really appreciaite your comments. Well done for going into town ! I was like you a couple of years ago, i even dreaded taking my daughter to school i couldnt even nip to the local asda, it was awful but im fine at going places now and im sure that you will be soon. If i can do it anyone can lol ! Its just this awful health anxiety i have now and im determined to get better.
3 months is a long time but if it takes that long to get better than so be it. I cant have someone with me all the time incase i panic, my hubby works long hours and im not really close to anyone else, hes off work til sunday so thats good. Im nearing the end of my first day and ive got to say it hasnt been as bad as i expected. I still feel a bit weird, i havent even attempted to drive today, i feel tired out. My chest is sore but i think thats because ive sat at the computer alot of the time today and i also suffer from fibro and costachondritis. Im going to bed soon with a book and will hopefully get a good nights sleep, im dreading going to work tomorrow, ive got a meeting with my manager she'l probably think im on drugs cause for some reason i cant stop chewing gum lol.

[anthrokid]

3 months is a long time, but it happens slowly and you get better at a good pace so that you learn the differences in feelings and ease into it. Of course, you'll still have your bad days like everyone does, just remember, they'll slowly become fewer and far between. I haven't had a full panic attack for at least a month :)

I get a really sore chest too, and also suffer from fibro and costa so I understand how you feel with that. It's always worse when I'm at the computer for a long time, which sucks because I have exams now so I'm always on it.

Are you going to speak to your manager about the medication? At least that way she'll understand if you're a bit jittery or off :) :)

[sarah jayne]

That sounds brilliant, i'd love a month without a panic attack ! It will definately be worth the wait...Yes i spoke with my manager, i expained that im on strong medication but didnt go into details and her response was to put me in charge tomorrow, ive got to train someone all day til 9.30 pm when i finish, the last thing i need is more responsibility ! I am so dreading it. It doesnt help that my job involves working with large sums of money so one little mistake could cost me alot and now ive got the added pressure of being reponsible for someone else ;{