Starting fluoxetine after trying St John’s Wort

[Mrsmitchell1984]

So this evening was amazing. Felt hungry, was laughing, enjoying time with my son.

I don’t really understand why but I am going to go with it.

Xxxx

[Mrsmitchell1984]

Hope everyone else out there is feeling good x

[Mrsmitchell1984]

So today will be day 4 without any medication and I am feeling much better- wondering whether to start the fluoxetine at all?

I still feel a bit limited in the sense that I feel I have to be careful in case I stress myself out too much-but I guess that is just confidence.

I woke up a few times last night but it was nothing like the insomnia that I got with SJW. I guess I know that I’ll be in store for side effects wise if I take Fluoxetine. I have been on it 3 times before and only had side effects the last 2 times. None one the first attempt. If anyone is taking Flu for the first time and doing well- do you really have to come off? Should you really have to go through it all again. The NICE guidelines stating that you should come off after 2 years after feeling better- I am wondering about them- I am no doctor but my experience has been different.

I am starting to feel my body again. I couldn’t feel the need to wee yesterday and didn’t even feel tiredness (that may be a blessing to some) but I am feeling tiredness today which makes me feel like I am getting back to normal again. So maybe it was the SJW affecting me. SJW may work wonders for some but I think maybe if you have taken it before (I took a few tablets in the past when I was feeling low in 2009) or have taken an anti depressant before- you are more prone to side effects of SJW. Maybe people taking it for the first time will be fine. The first time I took SJW I had never been on an anti depressant before and so maybe that is the key difference.

I hope everyone is having a good day xxxx

[pulisa]

Do you really need to start fluoxetine again if you are feeling more stable and rested now? ADs are powerful drugs and should only be prescribed when there is a clinical need. Who knows, the SJW could have been responsible for your symptoms-it's not the benign stuff it's made out to be.

Why not see how you are over the weekend without meds? Don't over-analyse how you are feeling because you are bound to come up with something which feels "off" if you do! I'd advise you to delay restarting fluoxetine if you are still feeling fine because why medicate yourself if you are mentally stable and well? You have the prescription on hand so you are in charge of your decision x

[panic_down_under]

So today will be day 4 without any medication and I am feeling much better- wondering whether to start the fluoxetine at all?

This is something only time will reveal. There are good arguments either way.

If anyone is taking Flu for the first time and doing well- do you really have to come off? Should you really have to go through it all again.

A lot of people have for the first time, seek treatment, meds or therapy, recover and are rarely if ever troubled again so just keeping everyone on meds permanently straight away isn't wise, but I think it is reasonable to recommend it once they are on their third course of meds, especially given the potential for failure cited earlier. I didn't know about that when I decided to remain medicated after having had to go through the hassle of restarting meds for the fourth time. That was about 27 years ago. It hasn't done me any noticeable harm and might even be saving me from dementia.

[Mrsmitchell1984]

Good advice Pulisa. I will definitely see how I feel over the weekend. I went on to SJW as I was feeling anxious before because I could feel myself losing enjoyment in life and that made me anxious- but once on the SJW it seems to have made me worse not better. But maybe it is the same as anti depressants - it has to get worse before it gets better.

Panic down under- I don’t follow- what happened- did you stay on meds longer than you needed to and then had to go on them 4 times?

Best wishes to all and thanks for all your support,

Sally xxx

[panic_down_under]

I don’t follow- what happened- did you stay on meds longer than you needed to and then had to go on them 4 times?

I did well for about 18 months after weaning off my first AD before everything began unravelling, crashed and burnt 3 months after quitting the second time and lasted about 6 months after the third time on meds. So finally took the hint and decided not to come off again without a very good reason. The plan is to keep taking what I'm now on until I drop off the perch, but there are some potential issues with its affect on the heart which may become a problem later in life not helped by the ticker being under extra strain from other health issues. So far I'm passing my annual cardio stress tests.

[Mrsmitchell1984]

Did you go on the same AD each time?

And it worked each time?

Xxxx

[Mrsmitchell1984]

I’d stay on them - I’d rather die of a heart ache than suicide.

I can feel my mood going down again- in my brain I am thinking why me? Why is this happening to me? How come most people seem to live their lives without these issues. Why do I have to be the person in my family that everyone worries about because I have had depression/anxiety since I was 21- probably all my life.

[Mrsmitchell1984]

Feeling much better now - strange but enjoying it x