Normal for Fluoxetine?

[Dreadedsunnyday]

I've been taking Fluoxetine for 2 weeks now and have had a lot of increased anxiety, nausea etc although generally that's easing off.Two days ago I had an amazing day...I felt wonderful, calm, happy and really thought that things had turned a corner with the meds. But that night I couldn't sleep at allit was like there was a lightbulb on inside my brain. Too much seratonin? Then yesterday I was still ok for a while but gradually coming down and down and finally crashed very badly in the eveningI felt absolutely awful, worse than I ever have before. I did manage to sleep a bit last night and feel relatively ok today but sadly missing the high of Monday.

Does this seem normal? Are the seratonin levels just settling?

Also...I've taken a couple of sick days in the last couple of weeks due to the side efects but feel really guilty about it, as though I should just be soldiering on and not making a fuss. Having not slept much in the past 2 nights I'm going to crash again today for sure...not sure whether to let my line manager know what's going on. The next two weeks are going to be so busy and I'm just wondering if I'm really going to cope...seeing GP next week for planned check-in but guess I could try and see her earlier.

Sorry for rambling. I'd be grateful for any advice.

[Catswiththumbs]

Speak to your GP- try and get a phone appointment before next week?

I found taking it at night, rather than in the morning helped with some of the side affects I experienced.

It does sound normal- you aren't looking to feel "high" just average (when I feel "high" I feel just as out of control as when I feel low)
2 weeks is still very early days. Enjoy the good days, but be prepared for the occasional bad day while things level out.

Hope you are feeling better soon

[Dreadedsunnyday]

Thanks Cats, I usually take it late morning so I guess I'll carry on doing that. Good to hear it sounds normal. I'm looking forward to the levelling out point! I'll try and speak to my GP before next week and see what she thinks.

[SnottySundays]

Hello,
I have found that each of the two times I've taken fluoxetine I've felt very anxious for at least the first 2 weeks, then it has gradually decreased. I always took it first thing so I'd have time to calm down a bit before bed. It does settle though, or did with me.

[SteveBrucesNose]

The first few weeks were chaotic for me. I told two trusted colleagues what was going on - the two who bothered themselves to come and actually visit me in hospital when none of my friends did no family nearby. I had one day in particular that my mate refers to as the 'loopy day', where he had to come and pull me out of a meeting because the other guys had ballsed up and I was trying to explain how to resolve it - I was literally shaking with rage about how they could fuck up so much. He knew what was going on with my
Mess so came and helped get me out of a situation that normally would be fine, but I just couldn't handle. 5 mins later the dhl man brought me a deliver and I was bouncing off the walls with happiness and completely giddy.

At this point some nights I'd sleep for 10-11 hours and be late for work, others id be up and working at 3am because my brain wouldn't turn off.

My appetite was all over the place. Again, same mate was awesome with that. I take my lunch to work and a few times he ate it to stop it going to waste. Other days I couldn't stop eating so I ate all his packed lunch too (his wife started packing him extra biscuits for me in case I needed hem - she's lovely too).

I'd say if you're comfortable with it and your line manager is a decent person - talk to them. I wouldn't have managed without my two lovely colleagues who kept an eye on me during the day who were accepting of me being a bit off kilter, and making sure that I had everything I needed to cope. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them.

[Dreadedsunnyday]

Thank you so much for sharing that Steve! Sounds like you have some amazing workmates. I did tell my line manager yesterday and she didn't bat an eyelid. I think she's really worried that when I had a meltdown it was due to work stress because I'm covering another post after a colleague left, as well as my own. In reality I don't think it was that but I think she'll go out of her way now to make sure I have extra help. So that can't be a bad thing.