A timetable for recovery on Fluoxetine / prozac

[aspire35]

Happy Christmas Eve to all.

I am just posting a quick update today as it's Day 46 on 20mg of Prozac/day and I am feeling really great. Anxiety is now at a very low level and I am feeling really happy and positive. I feel as though I am approaching normality at last.

The positive posts from those who have gone before me really kept me going so I wanted to post an upbeat positive message today and spread the joy of my recovery. It's been a long long journey to get to this point and I was feeling like it would never happen but things are really looking brighter for the future now.

Take care everyone and have a great Christmas day tomorrow!

A xx

[Bluehair05]

Hi A.

So glad to read that you are feeling so great...and just in time for Christmas.
I feel the same and am actually really excited for tomorrow.

This forum has given so much positivity to so many and made us realise we are not alone in the fight for normality, so thank you every one for your valuable comments...keep them coming.

Can I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year, please keep updating on your progress.

I'm off to wrestle with the turkey.

Have fun

Much love Jen. xxx

[Peachypips]

Hi all! So glad to see that we are all doing so well. Day 46 (so six weeks four days) for me here and I am feeling absolutely flippin' great!

For those that have just started- keep going! Give it at least 8 weeks, if not 12 as the first post suggests. I am so very very grateful to betterdays - I imagine she has helped a great number of people stay the course and therefore go on to enjoy a life without this horrible illness. I raise a Christmas/New Year glass to you betterdays!

I will pop back on every week or so to report back as I know what a lifeline these posts are!

[Peachypips]

Day 52 here and not having a great day. Feeling sick and anxious again- a bit like the third or fourth week. Also have a headache and tremors so could be side effects. I'm having those doubting thoughts of it not working again. Hoping it's just a bad day as detailed on the schedule. Hard not to doubt myself and the process. Staying strong til day 84 though!

[Bluehair05]

Hi,
Day 66 and back to work. Finding it tough, feel like I've taken a jump backwards as was doing so well while at home. We need to keep being kind to ourselves and remember that the side effects can come back off and on for a while. It's hard to stay strong but we need to look at how far we have come and be patient. (easier said than done). xxx

[Peachypips]

Day 53 and another bad day. Feel like I'm really regressing. Starting to catastrophise and think this is not working. Scared I'm going to feel like this for ever and that the fluoxetine is not going to work. I don't know whether to continue to wait or to go to doc and get an increase. Not sure if I should be still feeling like this at seven weeks or not!!

Can't believe I thought everything was sorted and felt amazing only last week. Now I'm feeling a bit dispairing.

Sorry you are having a bad day too Blue- this Fluoxetine seems so unpredictable in its action. I'm going back to work on Mon and at the mo I don't know how I'm going to manage if I am still feeling like this.

[Peachypips]

Day 54 here. Hit a big low. Feel as bad as I did in the first two weeks of taking fluoxetine. I have nearly been on this for 8 weeks and I'm not sure I should be feeling as low as I am. Went to the GP and she increased my dose from 20mg to 40mg. Scared to take it!

[Bluehair05]

Hang in there P.P.
Everything you read says don't up the dose to week 12. All I can tell you is that at week 7 there are still definate lows when you feel like you are going back but it will pass and you will feel stronger. I wrote that two days ago was bad, yesterday was half bad but today was good. It is so hard to keep riding the storm, but we have and we can fight on. The only problem with upping the dose is the side effects could return again, but your doctor will have given you good advice I'm sure.

Lots of love and keep me posted.. remember you are not alone. xxx

[Peachypips]

Thanks for the response Blue. It's hard because I've always had to take higher doses of SSRIs in the past so the doc thinks that I will prob need to go up anyway at the end of 12 weeks. I kind of want to get it over and done with so I can have a more linear recovery.

What I don't understand is that I had three weeks of feeling on top of the world- really good, and now I am as bad as I was right in the first week. I'm not sure if I have read anywhere that you can have blips that take you back to square one and last for a week? You might be able to shed some light on this!

Anyway, I took 40mg yesterday and again today. Am absolutely terrified of going through the same things that I went through on week one but I'm going to have to get my head down and get on with it.

[Bluehair05]

Good morning. 😊 When we started taking our 20mg we weren't prepared for the side effects and how difficult they were. This time you ARE prepared and know that they will pass. Some people lift their dose with no ill effect and that could be you.

You've done the hard part by making the decision to take them and are on the road to better times.

Hope you have a good day .

Love Blue xxx