I feel awful. I feel worse since starting fluoxetine.

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

Have been through numerous stressful events in.last 2yrs (redundancy, failing relationship, relationship break-up, self harming dd, bereavement, hugely stressful course, guinea pig died yesterday).

A couple of weeks ago I broke. I had been getting 3hrs sleep a night and I just couldn't carry on. I thought it was just 1 single defined trigger and that I would be alright when I had caught up on sleep. But I'm.not.

I started fluoxetine 4 days ago (I have had it before).

I am trembling soo much.
I am wretching with nausea daily.
I am forcing myself to put food in.my mouth and get past the gag reflex.

I am a single parent and I can't afford to get any worse for the sake of my children.

Hey- you always feel worse initially when you take ADs. Just get through to a fortnight on them and you will start to feel better. I know it SUCKS but it'll be worth it in the end x

I know. The leaflet says that. I don't remember it being like this last time.

Are you supposed to take them with a little food, not sure, might be true for my paroxatine, a similar AD.

Do persist, this is v early days, if it doesn't improve long term then maybe a different, but similar one may suit. Well done for taking this step.

It days with or without.

I can't believe how low I feel. It was my own fault I didn't sleep. But that was 10 days ago that I broke and I still feel truely truely rubbish.

I feel that I can barely function as an adult. My house is a tip. I am still in bed. I am so tired but can't sleep. I need to go and dig a hole to bury the guinea pig after school.

They can act differently whenever you start or stop them. When I started back on them the last time I got completely diff symptoms. Same when withdrawing. Weird.

So eat something (a Weetabix?) when you take them in the morning.

I suppose we are in different states at different times, even though both states are depressive, and hence the ADs have different side effects?

Always take your fluoxetine after food to help with the nausea.

I was a wreck when I started on it, but then I felt horrendous anyway, so I just thought, I might as well keep going!

Do you have someone who could help with the kids? Or just with some washing, ironing and cooking etc. When I was bad my best mate came over for a morning and cleaned up the whole living room for me (you couldn't see the flippin floor!) while I laid on the sofa. Bless her.

Fluoxetine has changed my life, it was hard to keep going with sometimes but very very much worth it, without it I am sure I'd still be in the black hole of depression with no idea how I'd get out. With it, I've been able to smile and laugh and feel again. Don't get me wrong, sometimes life is still a shower of shite, but I can cope with it!

Yup. I dunno if I am shakey because of the stress, depression and anxiety or the meds.

I dunno if I am not eating much because of the depression or the nausea. I dunno if the nausea is because of not eating or the meds.

I'm just oh so confused. I know I didn't feel like this last time. I can remember being nauseus but it being different to the nausea of depression...kind of from. The back of the throat.

I can't hold a coherent conversation.

Dcs could go to ex but I am not going to admit to him.that I have this problem. Tbh they are all school age so not a huge issue.

All the SRRi's send me batshit at first....then they work. I think it is normal what you are going through. I have also found that they behave differently if you take them more than once.

hth

After what you have been through it is small wonder that you have conked out with a depressive illness and you have been depressed before, so that makes it more likely you will have a 2nd episode.

I think you need to "cut yourself some slack" and be a bit kinder to yourself. Does it really matter what is causing the nausea and the shaking and the not eating. You are ill and it's very early days with the meds so you really can't expect to be feeling better at all, and sometimes you can feel a bit worse in the very early days. If this SSRI suited you last time, the chances are that they will be successful this time.

I know the horror of depressive illness which is why I'm on this thread. It can't be understood by anyone who has not experienced it. It makes us feel like a stranger in our own body, but it will pass and you must hold on to that and give the drugs time to work.

Sending you warm wishes.

Hang in there hang in there hang in there. ADs have massive effect to begin with and it is different every time. I got panicky jitters last time. Wore off within a week. Then they worked. Go with it, unless anything feels really wrong, then ring GP. Trust your instincts on this.

Try and be as kind to yourself as possible. Can you try to imagine how you would feel if you were reading this thread, not posting it, and treat yourself with the same sympathy and empathy? Don't worry about anything other than the present. You'll stabilise on the ADs, and then you will be in a better place. Until then it's just a matter of one small step at a time.

Good luck. You are doing an amazing job.

I was told to take them at night before bed to lessen side effects which I've continued to do, after a couple of weeks all side effects subsided these drugs have been a miracle for me. Hang in there, call GP if you are worried xx