Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fluoxetine advice

22 replies

Mitzymoggie47 · 25/10/2020 17:17

I’ve changed from Citalopram to Fluoxetine as felt the Citalopram where no longer working. On day 5 of Fluoxetine and feel really down, will it get better? Also after some blood tests it appears my thyroid level is low. Got another blood test in 9 weeks.

OP posts:
Velvetlover65 · 25/10/2020 17:22

It will get better it just takes 2 weeks to get into your system. Its awful but there is a light at the end of the tunnel

whippetwoman · 25/10/2020 17:23

It took me a few weeks to get settled on Fluoxetine. It gets worse before it gets better but it did work for me. It takes a while for the levels to build up and stabilise. I would persevere for a few weeks if you feel you can.

Original poster
Mitzymoggie47 · 25/10/2020 18:32

Thank you for responding :) hearing that makes me feel better

OP posts:
TrufflyPig · 25/10/2020 18:33

Can take up to a month to reach full efficacy.

MaryShelley1818 · 25/10/2020 18:42

It got much worse for me initially (used for PND and anxiety) and I felt so bad on day two I self harmed-although very very superficially so no lasting marks.

However a week later I was like a completely new woman - or rather an old woman as I felt completely back to "normal".
Hang on in there x

DressesWithPockets · 25/10/2020 18:45

The first week was awful but it got better after that. It's worth persevering if you can. Good luck.

villamariavintrapp · 25/10/2020 19:37

Are they treating your low thyroid? Because if your mood has dipped because of that then changing antidepressants isn't going to help.

Pippa12 · 25/10/2020 20:10

Like previous posters I felt nauseous, had headaches and remained incredibly anxious for 2-3 weeks after starting Fluoxetine, but now I feel better than I have for years. My only regret is I didn’t accept them years ago!

Arnoldthecat · 25/10/2020 20:14

Can take up to a month to reach full efficacy.
What does full efficacy feel like? Is it what would be considered normal or is it better than normal? i imagine its different for different people..

BGDino · 25/10/2020 20:18

It takes up to 2 weeks for you to see any effect and up to 2 months to get the full effect. Hang in there.

cakebythepound1234 · 25/10/2020 20:24

Took a few weeks for it to have much of an effect on me but after 6 weeks or so I started to feel more like myself before the anxiety and depression kicked in. I got a few headaches in the first 2 or 3 weeks too but that settled down eventually. For me it was definitely worth persevering. Hope you feel better soon.

nevermorelenore · 25/10/2020 20:30

Fluoxetine does take a while to kick in but it was the best AD for me. Better than citalopram which made me shattered and nauseous. But the first few weeks of any antidepressant are tough. The only drawback with fluoxetine for me is that it gave me quite bad insomnia, although I'm someone who has always struggled with sleep.

Thelnebriati · 25/10/2020 20:39

Low thyroid levels can make you feel really low, is your GP on top of it?

StepAwayFromGoogle · 25/10/2020 20:44

My anxiety got so much worse the first two or three weeks on fluoxetine and then suddenly the fog lifted and I felt so much better. Hang in there.

Original poster
Mitzymoggie47 · 26/10/2020 18:19

Thanks for all your responses. I’ve got another blood test in 9 weeks and then they will decide whether to medicate. Seems like ages away though.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mitzymoggie47 · 26/10/2020 18:21

I’ve been suffering with brain fog for some time, could that be the low thyroid level?

OP posts:
Spidey66 · 26/10/2020 18:26

Fluoxetine can take about z month to work, but an underactive thyroid can make your mood low as well. Give it a couple more weeks of both they thyroxine and the fluoxetine.

Also you're often started on a low dose of fluoxetine, with a review while it's titrated up. You should also be getting regular bloods to see how you're responding to thyroxine to see if this needs i ncreasi my as well.

Good luck x

Spidey66 · 26/10/2020 18:27

Brai n fog can either be the thyroxine and/or the depression

Spidey66 · 26/10/2020 18:31

Sorry it doesn't appear your GPs started thyroxine, is that right?

TBH if you've got an underactive thyroid, I wonder should your GP just start you on thyroxine and assess your response to that rather than fluoxetine, as depression is a common symptom of underactive thyroid.

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 26/10/2020 18:31

Do make sure they test all possibilities rather than simply shove you on anti-depressants.
A few years ago I went to the GPs because I thought I was depressed (after several previous bouts and a variety of anti-depressants) No energy, couldn't get up without a huge effort, inability to concentrate. Turned out my iron levels were incredibly low and I was anaemic, rather than depressed.
My question about whether that could have been the issue with previous bouts of "depression" never really got a satisfactory answer - but I didn't have the energy to argue about it.

Original poster
Mitzymoggie47 · 26/10/2020 20:13

No not started on thyroxine yet but hope to as I think that will probably make me feel a lot better

OP posts:
Spidey66 · 26/10/2020 20:19

Was it that you have raised TSH but normal thyroxine?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page