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View Full Version : My experience of taking fluoxetine diary



sarah jayne
10-06-10, 19:18
Ive been prescribed fluoxetine for my anxiety. In the past ive tried other meds including citalopram and cymbalta but they made me really really ill, i was very scared to try another incase i had the same sort of reaction but i started yesterday. I thought it might help other people and myself if i keep a diary of the progress i am making.
Day 1
it took me ages to pluck up the courage to take my first tablet. I sat there with the box in front of me for ages. I decided i had nothing to lose, i would never know if i didnt try so i took my first one. I have to say that it was nowhere near as bad as i expected, yes it did make me feel a little 'weird' and i got a slight headache but that was it. I spent the day on the computer and doing various things around my home to take my mind off it, went to bed and had quite a good sleep.
day 2
woke up feeling really tired as usual and with bad tummy ache ( i had colitis last year so have a fragile tummy now) Warily got my children ready for nursery and school and let my hubby take them ( he does when hes off work ) Had to go into work this morning which was crap but i was only there for about an hour, im dreading tomorrow cause im working til 9.30pm and im training someone. My tummy has been really bad all day, i was in agony this afternoon so i went to the doctors yet again, its embarrassing cause all the receptionists know my name cause im there that often. Anyway was seen by the nurse and she said i have gastritis so now ive got this to go through as well as starting these new tabs and having fibro and costachondritis....its neverending, im sick of this none stop suffering i honestly cant remember the last day i had without pain :weep:.
Ive still got a slight headache but can tolerate it and i also feel really tired, im so looking forward to when these tablets start working but im scared incase i start having awful side effects...

sarah jayne
12-06-10, 19:56
Day 4
Still no side effects yeh ! and ive only had 1 panic attack in the last 4 days which is pretty good. I felt a bit sickly this morning but kept myself busy til it wore off, i dont think its cause of the tablets i think its cause i havent eaten properly in 2 weeks as my stomach has been bad. Ive had a busy day today, went shopping in manchester and preston for holiday clothes. Im really tired now and aching all over with my fibro. I still worried about dying a few times during the day but didnt have a panic attack :)

allergyphobia
12-06-10, 20:28
well done sarah keep up the good work. i will follow your diary with interest as i am considering fluxo myself. x

sarah jayne
13-06-10, 11:53
Thankyou allergyphobla x

sarah jayne
13-06-10, 12:00
Day 5
Woke up feeling anxious but thats nothing new. My chest is sore with with my costachondritis and it always makes me more anxious as any kind of chest pain freaks me out. Still aching all over and im feeling really sick. I wasnt feeling sick til after i had taken my tablet so now im thinking its a side effect but its nothing compared to the horrid side effects i got when i tried citalopram. I think im more anxious today as my hubby has gone back to work, i always feel safer when hes at home. I cant wait to feel 'normal' again, im hoping these tablets start working soon....

JaneC
13-06-10, 12:00
Glad to hear it seems to be going well Sarah. The first time I was on fluoxetine I had next to no side effects - so it can happen. Best wishes x

sarah jayne
14-06-10, 12:36
Thanks janeC !
Well its day 6 now and im in agony, my chest is very painful. Went to doctors this morning and he gave me some patches to stick on it, ive got to go to work later and im dreading it. I keep worrying that ive got something seriously wrong with me cause im in so much pain. The doctor didnt even look at my chest this morning, he just looked at my records saw that i suffer from costachondritis and presumed it is that, i cant help worrying that its not as the pain is so bad. He didnt take my pulse or examine me. Ive got my first appointment at the walton centre on thursday, hopefully they will be able to sort my pain out. Im still feeling very anxious but have still only had the 1 panic attack in the last week. I wish these tablets would hurry up and work !

KK77
14-06-10, 12:51
I wish you all the best with fluoxetine, SJ. I have a chronic pain syndrome and know what it's like, so do sympathise. I know you've been on a lot of meds and hope you have some luck with this one.

JaneC
15-06-10, 00:59
Sarah, sorry to see that while I was posting to say I was glad to hear you were doing well, you were posting to say you weren't so much! Also sorry to hear you are in so much pain, hope you do indeed get some help with that on Thurs.

As for wishing the fluox would work quickly, you really need to try to be patient, hard I know, I've been there. It didn't work immediately for me this time, but it did work. Try to relax and not worry about it. Fingers crossed you'll feel its benefits soon x

sarah jayne
17-06-10, 07:10
Thankyou melancholia and thankyou janec ! Well its day 9 now. For the past few days ive felt slightly shakey, u cant see me shaking but i can feel it, its weird. Maybe its the drugs getting into my system ? Ive been sleeping really well but am still very anxious. I was walking around tesco yeaterday and i started thinking i might be dying so i very nearly had a panic attack but fortunately i was able ti fight it. I am so sick of worrying about dying everyday i just want to enjoy my life. WEll i'd better go as ive got a 100 mile drive today to see a pain specialist, lets hope the sat nav takes me to the right place cause i havent got a clue where it is lol x

JaneC
17-06-10, 13:54
Hi sarah, do let us know how you got on today, hope the satnav worked, mine led me a merry dance in the wilds of Perthshire a couple of weeks ago when I went to see someone about my cfs lol.

The shaking probably is the fluox, i did suffer a little bit with that but it didn't last. Maybe it helped stop the panic attack? Even now I sometimes feel I am about to have one but it doesn't happen. Think it's a good sign that you're sleeping well x

sarah jayne
18-06-10, 12:56
It went fine yesterday, ive been accepted onto a pain management programme. I start next month and its for 5 days over 5 weeks, im not looking forward to the driving though but im looking forward to my fibro getting better ! They have succesfully helped other people with fibro and its nhs funded so ive nothing to loose. The sat nav got me there ok thank goodness. I had an awful panic attack when i got home, i think it was because i was so tired and in so much pain. Feel washed out today and still in alot of pain, i seem to be having a fibro flare up, even my fingers are aching, im not looking forward to going to work later but its my last day for 2 weeks as in going on holiday on monday, im hoping these tabs start working soon so i can enjoy our holiday :)

sarah jayne
17-07-10, 09:31
well ive been on them about 5 weeks now and this last week ive been feeling more like my old self. I havent had a panic attack in weeks and havent been constantly worrying about dying all the time. I woke up this morning and had some palptations so im feeling anxious but im hoping its just a blip !

sarah jayne
28-07-10, 09:54
Its been 2 months now ( i think) The time has flown. I havent has a panic attack in ages and no longer worry about dying every day :) I really think they are working. Its just a shame that i have other health problems so am in constant pain :(

JaneC
28-07-10, 11:26
Hi Sarah, glad the fluox has worked for you and you're feeling better in one way at least. Is the pain management prog not helping? How does it work?

sarah jayne
04-08-10, 13:12
no its not working, all i do is physio in the gym and talk about things that i already know but im going to carry on going because u never know....

im feeling really tired today, havent slept well over the past week, have been having awful heartburn and ive lost a stone and half in weight because ive lost my appetite. Dont know weather its these tablets or not, the doctor took some blood last week and ive got to go back on friday for the results, im also waiting for an app for a scan on my stomach and a camera. Hope its nothing serious, im not really worried like i used to be but im sick of being ill, ive started to feel a bit anxious again over the past couple of days but that could be cause im tired.

sarah jayne
25-08-10, 13:02
well except from my stomach problems im doing brilliant, i havent had a panic attack in ages and no longer worry about dying every day, i honestly think that these tablets have saved my life, i really do think ive got my life back, its brilliant. Im still ill with my stomach problems i am going for a scan 2morrow and having an endoscopy next thursaday and obviously im still suffering with my fibro but im learning to live with it. Ive even been thinking of having another baby when my stomach is better which is something i never thought i'd be able to do ! Im really happy and i think theses tablets are definately worth a try, i was a mess before i started these, if you look back at my posts you will see and now i dont need to come on here its brilliant. Take care and thanks to everyone who has helped me on my journey to get better. Sarah xxx

Catya
28-08-10, 10:27
I'm just re starting on Prozac too..... your post has really helped me. Thank you.

D&K
29-09-10, 23:08
i used to take these pills and it gave me muscle spasims in my leg and i could not walk and one day it gave me lock jaw and had to go to hospital but i had another kind of pill i took at the same time as these pills. have you had any problems like these?.

sarah jayne
04-10-10, 10:08
no i havent the only side effects i had were right at the beggining and they were only mild, just feeling sick and a mild headache, maybe it was your other tabs ?

D&K
04-10-10, 23:30
probably.

brsong
07-10-10, 13:46
im on day 9 of 20mg of fluoxetine when will i start to feel better i feel awful at the moment :(

twinklestar
07-10-10, 16:20
hi, im also on fluoxetine and am having a bad time of it. im on day 13 and cant eat or sleep and have constant anxiety.im spending most of my days in bed trying to find possitive reviews about it!!!!! i just hope things get better for both of us xx

JaneC
07-10-10, 16:41
Hi new people :welcome:. Sorry you are having a bad time. My initial side effects weren't as bad as either of yours but probably lasted about three weeks and I am definitely glad I stuck with it. Wishing you success x

sarah jayne
08-10-10, 08:49
well ive been on them for around 4 months now and have been doing great but sadly over the past few days ive felt my anxiety creeping back, i havent had an actual panic attack but ive felt on the verge of one. I was very ill last week so im not sure if thats triggered my anxiety again. Im going to see what im like over the wkend and if im still anxious on monday then im going to see my doctor, maybe i need my dose increaing because im still only on 20 mg once a day ? I 'll let you know.....x

JaneC
08-10-10, 10:09
Sorry to hear that Sarah. Being ill can certainly make you feel worse. How's the FMS? Pre-CFS, the last time I was on fluoxetine 20mg did me fine; this time I had to go up to 40. Hope you feel better soon x

sarah jayne
08-10-10, 10:45
Thanks Jane, im having an awful flare up of the fibro at the moment, i could hardly walk last wkend and at the moment it hurts to breath i think it might this cold weather thats triggered it im just so sick of all this pain, ive started worrying again about my health but not as bad as i used to i dont want to get bk like that though thats why if im no better after the wkend then im going to ask my doctor if my dose should be increased x

JaneC
08-10-10, 11:01
That's awful Sarah, I really feel for you. Chronic illness so drags you down. I'll be thinking about you x

calm
11-10-10, 20:04
hi sarah-jayne, sending you a :bighug1:and hope your chronic illness calms down xxxxx hope the visit to the doctor went well xxxxx

sarah jayne
14-10-10, 09:51
I didnt go to the doctors on monday as i was in a car crash, i seem to be having lots of bad luck at the moment ! I went yesterday and he increased my dose to 40mg per day. IO ve got to have it reviewed in 3 months time and if im ok then i can drop back down to 20 mg again as i was doing ok on that til i became ill and it triggered my anxiety off again. Its my second dsy of taking 40mg and ive had some palptations this morning which have freaked me out im hoping its just my body adjusting to the higher dose ? The doctor said i should start to feel the benefit of the higher dose in a week. I'll keep you informed of my progress. Thanks to every1 on here thats been so supportive to me over this past year of this horrid illness.xxx

JaneC
14-10-10, 10:14
Hi Sarah Jayne - so sorry to hear about the crash, how awful :hugs:

The twice my car's been hit I've felt pretty anxious afterwards (not immediately but it's set in a few days afterwards), so you might be having a bit of a reaction to that IMO, but it's also entirely possible that it's the increase. I'm struggling to remember clearly but I think I got some side effects when I went up to 40mg, but they were less intense and did last as long as when I started out.

Let us know how you get on and best wishes as always x

sarah jayne
16-10-10, 11:16
well its day 4 of taking 40 mg and i am so tired but im struggling to sleep at night, i find it easy to fall asleep but then i wake up after about an hour and then am restless all night, its weird that im so tired but i cant sleep. Ive been getting a few palptations at night aswell and also ive been feeling a bit sickly on and off im going out tonight with my husband without our children for the first time ages so that will be a test, i hope i feel up to it because i dont want to let him down sometimes i feel so guilty that im holding him back because of my illness :(

sarah jayne
23-10-10, 12:57
well the doctor lied ! he said i i would feel better after a week on 40 mg and i feel so much worse, i am more anxious then ever, my chest is killing me it seems to have made my fibro much worse, i have never been in as much pain, i keep feeling like i cant breathe, i was frightened of going to sleep last night as when i kept falling asleep i felt like i was stopping to breathe, it was really scary, i dont know if its my anxiety or my fibro but i dont like it. Im going to try to stick with it til monday but i realy cant take much more of this, i was doing so well i cant belive im back here again. I am so scared :(

sarah jayne
24-10-10, 19:04
im feeling alot better today i am so glad, cant believe how bad i was yesterday, im hoping it was just a blip. I went out this morning with my hubby n children and was fine. Obviously im still in alot of pain with my fibro but anxiety wise im absolutely fine, ive had no symptoms of my anxiety today, no scary thoughts that im going to die or anything, im hoping this is the start of something good :)
Ive got no need to go to the doctors tomorrow like i mentioned i was going to in the post i made yesterday, im feeling really good, yeh !!! x

sarah jayne
25-10-10, 12:34
ive just worked it out and its been over 4 months since i started taking these tablets, its gone so fast ! Im feeling ok today although i didnt sleep well last night ive been having that problem recently even though im extremely tired i find it hard to sleep so ive been coming downstairs and lying on the sofa so i dont disturb my husband plus he annoys me with his snoring lol so that doesnt help with my sleeping situation ! I feel really tired 2day and ive got work later i dont finish til about 9.30 pm and then ive got an early start in the morning with lots of accounts to do which i hate, i hope i manage to get a decent nights sleep 2nite. panic wise i feel ok, not perfect i would say about 90 % panic free.

sarah jayne
05-11-10, 11:19
i ended up in a right state last week, i was more anxious then ever before, i was shaking and feeling really sick it was awful so i went to the doctors last friday and he reduced my dose back down to 20 mg and im doing brilliant again i think i shudnt of gone up to 40 mg my body cannot seem to tolerate it, all the horrid symptoms have calmed down, ive been sleeping alot better but im still really tired.

JaneC
05-11-10, 11:23
Sorry to hear you've had probs Sarah, hope you stay well on 20mg. How's the fibro been? xx

sarah jayne
29-11-10, 14:16
The fibro has been bad recentlly i think its because of this horrid cold weather weve had recently. Anxiety wise im doing fine, i havent had a panic attack in ages, since before i last wrote on here and thats been about a month. I know im not completely cured to be honest i dont think i ever will but im living my life again and thats the main thing, i still get panic symptoms like palptations and chest pain but im able to carry on and get on with what i am doing i dont have panic attacks anymore which is fantastic. Sometimes i feel on the verge of one, especially at night when im in bed and trying to get to sleep but i just think of other things and it goes away. I think its always going to be lurking there but im not going to let it win, this time last year i was a wreck, i was convinced i was dying and was in tears every single day compared to that i would say i am 95 % better ive got my life back again, im able to look to the future again, ive even been looking at holiday brochuresd i fancy going to africa in june, i'll keep you posted....xxx

sarah jayne
02-12-10, 16:09
feel really ill today i think ive got flu im aching much more than usual, really tired and washed out and full of a cold, i feel like im going to pass out. Im not anxious though so thats something :)

sarah jayne
23-03-11, 12:08
its been nearly a year since i started them and compared to what i was feeling this time last year i am feeling fantastic. I still have days where i am anxious ( ive noticed its mainly when im due on my period) but when i am feeling anxious i know its just anxiety and i dont run to the doctors. This time last year i was at the doctors nearly every day but i only go when i really need to now. I am so glad i started taking prozac, they have saved me

Gemmalou84
23-03-11, 19:36
This post is really encouraging cause I've been on fluoxetine for nearly 3 weeks and I'm having such a rough time I'm totally convinced I have a brain tumour my anxiety is through the roof much much worse than b4 I started on the meds but I was warned this would happen so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and trying to think of the future but it's so hard when the anxiety takes over ! Just hope I start feeling better v soon cause it's driving me mad ! So glad ur doing well and found something that works 4 u hun :))))) x

sarah jayne
26-09-11, 13:43
i thought i would pp back and say hello. I am doing brilliant, im still on fluoxatine, they have saved my life i am so glad i found the courage to start taking them

ChristopherT
20-03-13, 07:53
Hi there.

I just started taking Fluxetine 20 mgs today. Reading your post helped me, thanks.

misspussygalore
28-03-13, 19:12
i have been taking fluoxetine for 2 weeks and ive got to say it is working,i noticed a diference in my mood within a week, i feel very positive and content andnot stressed or aggitated like i felt when i was on sertraline,the only side effects ive noticed is dry mouth,and abit tired and feel like ive got a lump in my throat when i swallow usually at night, someone else said they had a lump in their throat but that stops after a few weeks,its better than grinding my teethwhich i did while taking sertraline,i am on 20mg,at the moment,everyone has noticed how relaxed i am since taking the fluoxetine,i take mine at night as thats what my dr told me to do,so far so good!:)

JaneC
28-03-13, 21:26
Glad it's working for you and it's good for people to read that not everybody has horrendous side-effects - I didn't either x

sarah jayne
31-01-15, 14:13
An update....it's been years now since I've been on here and what a difference my life is to how it was, I'm living a 'normal' life again, gone are the days where everyday I dread dying, I'm still on the same dose of fluoxetine, only very rarely do I have panic attacks, often not for months and now I'm able to distract myself from having them full on when I do rarely get them. Whoever is reading this, they worked for me, they saved my life, looking back at all my posts on here from years ago it's obvious I was having a breakdown but I'm now me again living my life. Yes I'm ill with fibromyalgia and still on meds for anxiety but I can honestly say if it wasn't for me having fibromyalgia my life would be the best ever. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Never give up xxxx

Deepthinker
03-02-15, 18:05
Hi, Sarah! I have been on here seeking encouragement and your post did much to lift my spirits. Thank you so much for sharing your story and giving us an update. It is good to hear from someone who has been on the fluox for that long and is still doing well. It is also encouraging to hear that you do occasionally have blips and that they pass. When I am having a blip, I begin to feel as though it is all going to come back and it is a dreadful feeling. I am still learning to be mindful of what I am thinking and to keep those thoughts headed in a positive direction. Thanks for the reminder! :hugs:

nok_tok
10-03-15, 13:38
i done 2 years on fluoxetine, was convinced they didnt work and i was still depressed..i also got euphoric states and wasnt sure if i was bipolar, i came off in september (6 months ago) after a massive erratic moment, crashed my car into a lamppost..i still felt depressed on them and convinced they wernt working but in all honestly they "were" doing something..when i was on them i could function..i worked (for the first time in 10 yrs)..as soon as i came off them i dropped my job as i felt too depressed.( a month after coming off)..i did still feel down but not as bad as i have recently..i have had suicidal thoughts and i have now re-started (as of an hour ago) i took my first tablet..i did not get any side effects last time so it will be interesting to see...

my biggest down fall with this drug is that for me, and why i came of was the weight gain, i rocketed from 8.5 stone to almost 11 stone in 2 years, and i really stuggled to keep this down, felt like food stuck to me, it had been 6 months since i came off and im now at 10 stone and hoping to get back to my normal weight...but im hoping the happiness wil now encourage some excercise although i did also get tired on fluoxetine...but i would rather feel fat and tired than sucidal...so lets hope for the best x x

pollynewsome
08-05-15, 16:04
Keep up the good work everyone.. week seven and side affects have been horrific but i am sticking to it and seems to be getting easier.. All very reassuring posts. Ty x

pollynewsome
21-05-15, 07:31
This looks like an old post but will add something and hope it gets read.. Im approaching week 9 on 40mg.. To be honest the first 7 weeks were horrific, side effects unbearable. Week 8 massive improvement but today almost week 9 feel dreadful:( internal shaking, jitters,tremors.. whats going on?? this wasnt the plan.. ive read the betterdays diary and it does say you can expect blips at around this time so heres hoping.. thanks for the post very useful and informative.. good luck all. x