Fluoxetine in liquid form

[*willow*]

Hi I hope you all had a good Christmas, or as good as it could be because I know this time of year is particularly hard if you're depressed and/or anxious.

I wondered if anyone had experience with the liquid form of Fluoxetine? After trying many anti depressants I've decided to try this.
I was on 20mg Prozac years ago for anxiety but I had to stop taking because of awful dizziness and some weight loss, but it was the dizziness that I couldn't cope with and since then I've avoided this med but now I've decided to bite the bullet and try it again. My gp (a different one) agreed to let me try 10mgs, but unfortunately the pharmacist couldn't get those but got the liquid form and I have to take 2.5mls for 14 days, then increase to 5mls, and I'm really scared to try it, so I wondered if anyone had experience with, a, the liquid form and b, the 2.5ml dose.
Any advice will be gratefully received, and thank you for reading.
Take care,
Lynn

[Tessar]

Hi. I have had the liquid form before. It's ok, minty and sweet. In the end the sweetness did me in, I can't have too much sugary food as it causes me problems, but as a means to an end to get the lower dose then it's worth a try.
Could you take one every other day (capsule that is) .... the drug has a long half-life (stays in your system a long time) and I have done that when I am coming off it.
You've been unlucky with side effects. I don't really get any. I was paranoid before going on it... Convinced it would make me I'll but it didn't, it gave me more energy and made me more even in terms of emotions.
Hope this helps.

[*willow*]

Hi Tessar, thanks very much for your reply.

I've had my bottle of Fluoxetine since Christmas Eve but not taken any yet, I've opened it and smelt it and it smells like indigestion stuff! I hope it's not too minty, I've read that it is very sweet not keen on sweet things but I'll try it and if I can't get on with it then I'll ask my doctor about the capsule every other day.

That's exactly how I feel about this stuff, paranoid. I'm considering getting a medicine syringe so I can go even lower than the 2.5mls.

I've had Prozac twice, the first time was due to post natal depression, and after about a week I felt great! The second was for anxiety and that's when the dizziness happened and to be honest I'm not completely sure it was due to that, but I'm sure you know how it goes, any little thing happens whilst on this type of med, the med must be the cause!

Thanks agin for your reply and take care,
Lynn

[Tessar]

Hey Lynn, let me know how it goes..... And yeah, do try not to focus on the meds. I know it's soooooo hard but you want to try & get on with it & try to forget you're taking it, hmmmnnnnnn, like I was like that first time round? I don't think sooo!!! Fingers crossed 4u

[*willow*]

Well, I went to the chemist and got my medicine syringe and I took my first dose at about 6 last night.
I only took 1.5mls mainly because of the time as I've read it can be stimulating and sleep can be difficult. I had prepared myself for the sweet, minty taste BUT it was horrible!! Very bitter like if you get a tablet stuck in your mouth! No sweetness just very slightly minty. Not sure I'd be able to take 5mls though, we'll see.
As fas as side effects go, well I'm not sure, I felt slightly queasy and my head felt woozy, but other than that, nothing. To be honest I think I made those up myself because i took such a tiny amount. I'm going to stick with the 1.5ml for a couple of days, then go up to 2.
Sleep was okay I struggled a bit but then I sometimes do.

I'm still very worried about taking this, hopefully it'll be alright.

Lynn.

[Tessar]

i used to take the full dose; i think i must have had it before cleaning my teeth but i suppose if you had it just after, the taste probably wouldnt be so bad as the toothpaste would mask it? re: side-effects, i reckon its too early for those.... i thought with fluoxetine it would take a while to build up. but of course since i havent had side-effects (lucky me) i am not an expert. in my case the fear was a million times worse than the actual event of taking it. these days it doesnt have any side effects. best of luck still.... and keep at it. you never know it might just work & then you'll feel lots better.....

[*willow*]

You're probably right as far as side effects go. Why is it so easy to convince yourself you feel bad? I wish it was just as easy to convince yourself you feel good!

I've read somewhere you can mix the Fluoxetine with cranberry juice, if I stick with the liquid I might do that because if the side effects don't get me, the taste surely will!

Take care,
Lynn.

[Tessar]

yeah, its a very distinctive taste, sticks around on the back of the tongue as I recall. I switched to capsules in the end as I didn't like the residual taste the liquid left. I am not quite sure how the flavour would mix with cranberry juice but then I don't like that so for me it would be a nightmare!!! Oh well, in the end you just have to go for it I suppose. Fingers crossed for you..... :-)

[*willow*]

Well, I've got myself up to 2mls!

And I'm now taking at night because of the sicky feeling, I thought if I could sleep through it that would be better for me, and so far it is, although I've only took it late twice. Sleep is not too bad at the moment and I'm glad about that.

Yesterday I felt very low and was thinking about how I'm going to go on feeling this way, but today I feel a bit better, so maybe I've turned a corner, or maybe it's too soon for that I don't know but whatever it is is okay with me!

Tonight I'm going to have to go the whole 2.5mls because I've broken my syringe! So not looking forward to that, and I've decided to not dilute it with cranberry juice, I just pop a sweet as soon as I've taken it and although it doesn't take the taste away completely, it masks it a it.

Take care,
Lynn

[Tessar]

Oh no, willow, I can't believe u broke your syringe! How r u getting on now?