To ask your experiences with fluoxetine

[Imreallytrying]

I’m on week two and feel dreadful, shakes, cold, and really bad anxiety. I thought it would help me 😢

It has helped me a lot in the past.

All anti depressants have a settling in period, where things can get worse for a time, I think. If the side effects are unbearable then you could go back to your GP and ask for something else, but if you can stick it out it's worth doing as things should improve soon.

I hope you're ok.

I think it takes upto 3-4 weeks for the side effects to lessen. I think you need to give it a bit more of a chance. I am on a low dose and felt a bit like you. If you can sit it out for a couple more weeks..

It’s so hard, I feel terrible and that makes me panic and sets off the vicious circle. But I’ll keep going

I've had it twice. First time was OK. Second time was not. I had a fairly quick escalation of anxiety that resulted in massive panic attacks and my GP took me off it and gave me beta blockers until it was out of my system. I tried another SSRI and was fine on that.

That’s for replying

Thanks

I just felt numb but with hideous heartburn/reflux I couldn’t eat on it

I've been taking Fluoxetine (for anxiety) for a few years now. If I remember rightly, it took 4 or 5 weeks for the side effects (which can make symptoms worse initially) to subside and before I felt any relief. It was definitely worth persevering, in my case. I think you should give the meds a few more weeks at least, before speaking to your GP again.
Sending you best wishes. I hope you start feeling brighter soon.

Hi, I'm just entering my third week on fluoxetine. For the first few days I felt no different whatsoever but after about 4-5 days I started to feel a bit shaky in the mornings after I had taken it. This is starting to lessen now. I've also lost my appetite somewhat although that's no bad thing. My sleep is better as I was suffering from insomnia. I do still get anxiety attacks but feel they are levelling out quite a bit. I'm on 20 mgs and take this every morning. So far I feel I'm starting to benefit from them but it's taken a while. Hope this helps.

I also felt bad anxiety, it was worse than the depression I took it to try to help.

These are hopping me thank you. I’ll persevere. to all those suffering

This time around I had shakes, fast thumping heart beat. Couldn't think straight, couldn't sit still. Felt super anxious then became suicidal. :(
Strange as I'd been prescribed it on numerous occasions before and it really helped.

They made me nauseous even after a month. It got to the point where I was eating because I had to, rather than wanting to.
I am now on a different antidepressant.

It can be quite stimulating. There are others which are more sedating. I find it makes me quite buzzy and anxious this time and taking a lower dose. I hope it settles down for you.

I've been on them for years and never had a problem. I seem to remember being told that symptoms could get worse before getting better but to persevere and to go back to the docs for a review after a month.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

It varies so much from person to person. I had side effects from Citalopram which lasted about 4 weeks (which is longer than usual), but I have had none at all from Fluoxetine.

I take mine last thing at night, so maybe I slept through some of the initial side effects?

I've been taking Fluoxetine for nearly a year and took a while to settle but now I see the benefit, I did switch to taking them at night time for a while so could sleep through symptoms, I remember bad aches and shaken feeling... so could that be worth trying?

I felt even more anxious, it died down after a couple of weeks. Been on it five years now.

Im feeling a bit better today in myself, clear head etc...... but I’m so sluggish, tired legs, muscle aches. Does the tiredness go? My get up and go has got up and gone.

It can cause that I found exercising helped or a walk if you can, with time, and resting.

i wondered if others felt it helped them feel a bit more resilient. Kind of less stressed out and overwhelmed.

It's been great for me. The initial side effects were rough - but stick with it if you can as they do subside. It's the one anti depressant that I don't gain tons of weight on.

Dilated pupils, hallucinations of flying through stars and space, head lulling back, seizures, brain zaps sweats, flu like symptoms...this was about 10 years ago, emergency GP moved me to Citalopram which I did a bit better on but ended up weaning myself off of them.

Oh and suicidal thoughts and severe anxiety too, convinced I was having heart attacks - personally I will never take AD's again and instead consider natural alternatives.

6 to 8 weeks before you can truly assess the effects of fluoxetine.

Which doesn't mean you might not have side effects that you simply cannot tolerate that long... of course!