Concerns I have before starting Fluoxetine

[TofuMama]

I would like some reassurance on a couple of my main concerns.

I know quite a bit about SSRIs and here are a few problems I have, that I'd love to know I'm being irrational about:

- I'm concerned that I will have Long QT syndrome issues with these drugs.

- I'm concerned about the withdrawal effects.

- I'm concerned about hypertension.

Apparently I'm starting off at minimum dose. Hopefully that should help.

[Firedragon]

Hi have you been on them before 😄

[TofuMama]

No.

Am I able to continue hard exercise?

[nomorepanic]

Yes of course you can exercise

[anthrokid]

To my knowledge, Long QT syndrome is incredibly rare and usually only occurs in people with a genetic risk. Indeed, I've never met someone myself who has suffered from this on SSRI medication. This is definitely something to discuss with your doctor if you are concerned about it. They will be able to give you any relevant information on risk and likelihood of it happening (which, I might add, is NOT likely AT ALL). Doctors don't regularly report that Long QT is a risk when taking SSRIs because for most people, it isn't. It is generally only considered a risk in people who already have a genetic heart condition or other things that make them vulnerable.

As for withdrawal effects - fluoxetine has the LEAST withdrawal effects out of any medication in the SSRI family. Fluoxetine is actually one of the only medications that can be stopped immediately without people experiencing any withdrawal symptoms. Some people do still experience withdrawal symptoms, but these generally are not severe and not common.

Re: hyertension concern - this is again something to discuss with your doctor. However, neither hypertension nor hypotension are listed as common side-effects for fluoxetine, so you should not be too concerned about this. You can definitely still exercise at the same level as usual.