40mg Fluoxetine not working yet
Hi all,
I changed over to Fluoxetine from venlafaxine 8 weeks ago now. I did 3 weeks on 20mg, 2 weeks on 30mg and then 3 weeks ago I increased to 40mg and reduced my mirtazapine from 45 to 30mg.
I’m feeling pretty rubbish, OCD has increased and my mood is very low. I’ve read that this is a slow drug so do I just give it more time? I’ve done 8 weeks in total but do I need to wait 8 weeks at my current dose before I see a difference?
Re: 40mg Fluoxetine not working yet
I was told to give Prozac 6 months to get full effect.
Re: 40mg Fluoxetine not working yet
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jo79
I’m feeling pretty rubbish, OCD has increased and my mood is very low. I’ve read that this is a slow drug so do I just give it more time? I’ve done 8 weeks in total but do I need to wait 8 weeks at my current dose before I see a difference?
The long fluoxetine half-life has several positives, but the downside is you can age appreciably waiting for it to kick-in. It takes about a month just for fluoxetine plasma levels to stabilise after a dose increase (or decrease). I can't say how long you may still need to wait as that comes down to individual biology, but my guess is another 3-4 weeks is likely and as Nicola has said, the full effect can take much longer. Sorry :sad:
I suggest you talk to your GP about how you're feeling as he/she may be able to help you with the low mood and OCD. Stoic suffering is counterproductive.
Re: 40mg Fluoxetine not working yet
Thanks guys, so looks like I need to try and be a little bit more patient with myself. 4 weeks on 40mg now and still feeling incredibly anxious with lots of intrusive thoughts. I feel completely disconnected from my family and I feel completely intolerant of my in laws. Looked at the side effects list and feeling hostile is listed there so I guess that’s why.
I noticed that I posted this on the venlafaxine thread but meant to put it on the fluoxetine one. Is there anyway it can be moved?
Re: 40mg Fluoxetine not working yet
Still got loads of anxiety/OCD, nearly 6 weeks on 40mg now and I am just wondering if it is possible I could still be feeling some withdrawal effects from coming of the ven and lowering the mirtazapine? I stopped ven completely 11 weeks ago.
Re: 40mg Fluoxetine not working yet
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jo79
Still got loads of anxiety/OCD, nearly 6 weeks on 40mg now
It is too early to draw any conclusions for this as fluoxetine can take quite a while to kick-in due to its very long half-life. It may take up to 12 weeks to get a positive response and even longer to get the full effects. :sad:
Quote:
and I am just wondering if it is possible I could still be feeling some withdrawal effects from coming of the ven and lowering the mirtazapine? I stopped ven completely 11 weeks ago.
It is unlikely to be withdrawal from venlafaxine due to the fluoxetine, plus venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms tend to be most severe at the beginning and ease over the first month or so. Mirtazapine's most common withdrawal symptom is insomnia, however, it could be contributing to to the anxiety/OCD.