Hello,

I haven't been on here much, but have been on 20mg fluoxetine for about 6 weeks and then increased to 30mg two weeks ago.

I'm hoping that this will help some people who are struggling who are worried about some of the side effects.

Firstly, it is nice having to go to the Doctor regularly as they reassure you.

For the first week I felt a little bit flu-ey. I could do every day things, but it went after about a week.

After that, I started getting hand tremors. These took a few weeks to die down. They aren't freaky or anything, just annoying when you want to do intricate tasks. They tend to die down towards the end of the day for me. I still get them sometimes, but only when blood sugar is low.

After that, I felt like a zombie for about a week and for a few days I would just sit there doing nothing and would say the bare minimum. I wasn't tearful or anything, just very numb. This did disappear though, so don't give up if you experience this.

Before my dose was increased, I went from crying for hours every day to crying for a few minutes a couple of times a week. It's hard to notice the improvements as they are so gradual and it feels like you're not taking any medication (feels like a placebo). But if you compare and ask other people, you will notice a big difference.

It is week two on my dose increase and until a few days ago, I was feeling awful and have taken time off work. However, I am slowly starting to feel better and heard it could take a few more weeks for the increase to have full effects. It is so much more bearable now though and apart from a low episode last night, I am feeling far more rational and patient. It did get worse after the dose increase, but it helps if you are warned in advance.

At some times, you may feel so sick of your deppression that you want to end your life, but remember that it will get better and it can be a side effect of the fluoxetine. I was told that parents never fully get over the death of a child, so if you ever have suicidal thoughts, remember this.

Also, tell as many people as you can. One benefit of being depressed is that I have learned how supportive and caring people really are. Find as many people as possible who you can phone and text when you can't cope. Also have a suicidal crisis hotline saved on your phone.