My experience taking Fluxetine (with some retalin)

[ChristopherT]

Day 117

I'm starting to feel all the medicine I'm taking is working for me. I'm not really getting any kind of chemical feeling, I just feel rather productive, happy and focused. Probably a good thing for me. I had some opportunities to maybe have dates, but I turned them down, as I need to focus on myself for a while. Plus exactly sure, where I will based. But I feel confident, that on work levels, and social levels, I can perform, better than I have before.

Thus, my thoughts, that the combination of Prozac and Ritalin, would be beneficial to me, in making me happier, less anxious, and more focused on things I need to be focused on. As for the opposite sex relations, I feel this a good time for me to take a step back, and just see what's important.

[ChristopherT]

Day 158
Well all things are going well the Fluo. My sex life started up again, I was fine in the end. Though I did cheat at first, with those pills, it didn't seem like i needed them after all. My relations with people, are pretty awesome.

So far so good. My communication level is at peak, because i don't really have anxiety, and i'm also not feeling depression, even after a nights drinking or whatever. I notice people around me, getting anxious, or sometimes seeming to be depressed, and it kind of makes me think. I haven't taken the Ritalin recently, but I think it's better i do, because sometimes i just lose focus, on the things i need to do.

It's amazing, how i can have stressed out situations or people around me, but it seems to just keep me calm. Is that fake? Whatever I guess, it works, and people seem to appreciate someone who can always keep their cool. So that's that, till next time.

---------- Post added at 08:17 ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 ----------

I should add I still just do the 20mg Fluoxetine.
I think I could easily be taking the Ritalin everyday too, but at the moment i don't have easy access to them. Again, don't take them at the same time, and the first few weeks taking the two togethor are not plreasant, so better to stop the Ritalin at first if you can manage.

[MastiffMan]

I took 40 mg for many years. In retrospective I think it was too much. I could work ungodly hours and little at all bothered me. I do think though it did mask some of my emotions in interactions with those close to me. I feel a greater range of emotion on 20 mg. I also take a low dose of welbutrin which suits me well so far.

[ChristopherT]

Day 172
Well all is okay, but i'm now travelling abroad. I realise I am down to my last few pills, and I have been taking them every few days.

I'm not that worried, and seem to be going well, but I kind of am a little concerned about what will happen when I can't get access to new pills, and I will have the withdrawal effects. In the current location it seems hard for me to get access to the pills.

I kind of met a lady who I like, which is good. But I haven't told her about the pills. She takes sleeping pills though, so it's probably not a huge jump for her.

---Yeah mastiffman at first I thought 20mg might not be enough, but after about 6 weeks it seemed to be enough.

[ChristopherT]

Day 180
I havent had Fluoxetine or Ritalin in about 9 days. Still feel fine, hopefully all okay.

[ChristopherT]

What would be day 211,
Which is actually
Day 40 since stopping the pills .

The current lady I am seeing doesn't want me to take pills. I've been managing, though sometimes I can see the neg affects I had before returning and causing problems. I have had a bit of depression but not a.lot, and some anxiety though this has only really been in the last week .

I don't feel helpless yet , as I feel I have a lot more friends support where I am now . Still though, I don't think I feel as happy as I did before nor as carefree as when i took the flo but I'm managing to pull through everything okay .

[ChristopherT]

What would be day 245
Which is actually
Day 74 since I stopped taking the pills.

Presently, I have been taking half a sleep pill, every other day, which I think keeps me extra relaxed, though I'm not dependent on it I guess.

I haven't had any panic attacks, and I guess my anxiety is normal, for the situations I am. Depressions seems to have been fine most of the month, but lurking back a bit these last couple of days, but I think I can shake it.

I guess the sleeping pills substitute the flo, for the anxiety. The ritalin, maybe I use a weak substitute, which is coffee, if I need it. I think living overseas, feeling like I'm travelling a lot of the time, is substituting for the flo with depression, that and maybe my relationship - but that itself does not seem to be the healthiest. This can sometimes be on the verge of an abusive relationship, which I have to be careful of because of my recent past with depression, and anxiety.

Something tells me, the flo, (maybe even the ritalin) may have prevented, or kept me better equipped to deal with a somewhat abusive / controlling relationship, but anyway hopefully that will sort itself out.

---------- Post added at 18:06 ---------- Previous post was at 18:01 ----------

Mastifman, yes recently my sleep patterns while off the Flo, have been pretty normal. Which is good. I feel pretty normal now without it, but I don't feel as motivated maybe, as I did when I was on flo (with Ritalin). I miss that, but on the other side, I guess I feel a little more grounded maybe..

[ChristopherT]

What would be day 320

Day 150 since I stopped taking the pills.

I have been travelling now for around 8 months with very little money.

I broke up with my last girlfriend, it ended pretty bad. I think she knew I had weaknesses and tried to destroy me, but I was able to get out of there in the end.

Now I'm in a city, called Taipei. I don't have a great deal of money, but I'm looking at ways how I can keep going, and get up and up.

I think it was good i was able to get off the Fluoxetine, without a big depression. Although my life is very shakey, for the most part, I'm not depressed, and I have little to no dark thoughts etc. But life is still a bit of a cliffhanger as to if I will survive this wierd lifestyle in foreign cities, or if I can finally step up, and get a full time job and visa in one of these countries. I guess I must be learning travelling country to country, I have been able to help some friend network internationally for work, so it has not all been just a silly backpacking eppisode. I feel generally good, but the uncertainty, is what makes me feel a little worried. But I guess it also keeps me motivated to keep pushing. Funny thing about Taipei, Taiwan, is that it seems as though special medications back home, can be bought over the counter at Pharmacies.

[ChristopherT]

7 months later , what would now be day 530.
although i stopped taking pills 360 days ago,

I met a girl i was dating who had hyper ADD, or ADHD . Anyway she had ritalin , and would give me some for focus, which reminded me in very small doses it can be very helpful, seemingly without the negative effetcts (1/4 or 1/2 a 10mg pill for those interested )

In relation to THE FLO.

Since taking the Flo/ Prozac, I do think I have a lowered sex drive on average, but it's not all the time. On the plus side, I don't really have problems with anxiety and depression recently. I try to avoid drinking in large amounts as these can affect depression and anxiety for me.

I had no big withdrawals from stopping fluoxetine. I sometimes miss the very positive and carefree feeling I had from it, but without it I still feel better, and perhaps it helped me get through a hard time in my life. Maybe this in itself is the best thing that fluoxetine offers. Being able to get me through some kind of crisis/ breakdown I thought I was having. In the future, if i had anxiety I would probably just try to get hold of Valium though, as I think one round of fluoxetine is enough for me.

---------- Post added at 04:12 ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 ----------

It's interesting for me reading the subject and the spelling mistakes, in it. It reminds me of the mess I was in, at that time. Although I was trying o keep my chin up, and also reminds me that THINGS DO GET BETTER.