Fluoxetine side effects - a message of hope

[OncewasSupergirl]

I remember that feeling well, how many days are you now? Do you find you feel particularly bad in the morning and as the day go's on you feel better? I don't know if you think this will help but since I started my fluox I've kept a daily diary, I list moods, thoughts, sleep, food intake, positives. It sounds like a lot but I isn't, I just jot stuff down, the biggest motivator is that every week I could see improvement. I just looked back to where you are n I'd written things like "I can't go on like this". But I did n you will x x

[Rosablup]

I have been taking the tablets for about 3 weeks and most of the time I am feeling a lot better only I feel that I have poured pepper into my stomach and I feel nausea a few hours after eating? I also had stomach cramps yesterday and my mood changed from feeling ok to feeling bad. I have just been to see a different GP and have been prescribed Omeprazole which are gastro-resistant tablets as I was told that the fluoxetine can remove some of your stomach lining? I have also been told to just eat bland food and drink plenty of milk,so here we go I must try everything I can,I also believe that if I can get rid of this nausea I will feel more confident about everything.your absolutely right though as you can take heart that every week it seems to get better,trouble is I don't know what caused this in the first place? Thank you for your comments and support it really means a lot.xx

[Janine]

My stomach was so bad I ended up ringing the out of hours doctor early one Sunday morning I was so desperate and it was before I found this forum at just over four weeks, I got someone who was so nice, he told me to dirnk lots of peppermint tea and to drink a third of a bottle of gaviscon, it really did calm down the burning and nausea, it will pass it is just another side effect, this road is very bumpy, and six weeks seems such a long way ahead but you will get there, promise you that you will feel better even though you may not feel like it at the moment.

Oh and Omperazole with help but you need to take it a few days before it really has any effect.

xxxx

[Rosablup]

Thank you Janine,sorry to hear that you had the same as me but at least I can see that it is the tablets that cause these side effects,the Omeprazole has helped but another side effect is headaches and I really suffered last night and today as it just won't goxx

[NotAsInTheDJ]

It's my first day on fluoxetine, little nerve racking after seeing some potential side effects I almost backed out but no gonna go for it, after reading how it reacts with alcohol for most people maybe I can get a healthier lifestyle out of it too, spoze can see how things go.

[KeeKee]

Hi NotasintheDJ,

If it makes you feel better I took Fluoxetine for 5 years (almost) and the only side effects I experienced was weight gain (possibly due to the fact I am a comfort eater when down) and problems waking up in the morning. No nausea, discomfort or anything. I've now been switched to Citrolapram (sp?) and am hoping I will be as lucky!

[becuille]

It's good to read all the posts giving us hope here. I'm on week 8 and was bumped up from 20mg to 40mg 2 weeks ago. The past two days have felt awful. My anxiety has been through the roof. Teetering on the bring of full blown attacks all day and night. It's scary. But then I try to remember that before I got my dose bumped up, I went through a few days of exactly the same thing, so this is just side effects and it will pass.
It's just so hard to ride it out, but from what I'm reading, it'll be worth it.

[Rosablup]

You've really got to stick with it,I am in my fourth week and I can tell you that it's working but had some really bad days at the start,my main problem was a feeling that I had pepper on my stomach particularly after eating. Have now( fingers crossed) sorted this out with Omeprazole which has settled my stomach so far but just take things on a day to day basis,you cannot do anymore.
Kevin

[becuille]

Thanks, Kevin, you're so right. I'm so glad I found this place because all my GP told me was that I might feel a bit anxious for the first few days. If I wasn't able to read other people going through the same thing, I think I'd have quit by now. And because the doc gave me a few Valium 8 weeks ago when I started this, she won't give me any more, which is frustrating because I've been getting prescribed Valium for 6 years now and have no history of ever abusing it.

I think it's really important for us to read all these positive stories and focus on the good times. I might be having an unpleasant time of it right now, but I've also experienced moments of real happiness and calm since I started taking Fluox. We just have to tell ourselves the good days will start to outnumber the bad very soon. They're only side effects.

[Rosablup]

You are so right that it is only the side effects,I kept thinking that I had cancer when I felt sick and also had a brain tumour the other night when I had a migraine so your way of thinking is a lot more healthier than mine,I just don't want to be dependant on this medication but realise that you need to walk before you can run.Hope everything goes well for you