please help - side effects?

[SupremePizza]

Hi all.
I started back on Fluoxetine on Friday and I think I'm feeling some side effects. I feel way more anxious than usual (and I'm on them for anxiety). It seems to come in waves and I get all hot like I'm about to pass out from worry. I know its normal, my GP said it will get worse before it gets better. I try to tell myself relax, its just the pills but coping with this level of anxiety is very hard. Does anyone have any tips for dealing with it til it passes? thank you so much

Hello there, my DH has been on Fluoxetine and was also told he could get worse before he got better.

I think it takes about a week for the pills to settle into your system so you probably only have a few more days to go.

It is very hard isn't it? What helped DH was trying to keep active, which is extremely hard when you are anxious. He was told to be outside for some of the time, so he would take short walks and do a bit of light gardening. Being outside, you have the feeling of the air above your head which helps the anxiety.

Do you have any small jobs you can do around the house? Again, it helps to take your mind off your anxiety. Just try something really small, like tidying a drawer. DH couldn't settle to read or watch tv so it was difficult to find things to do.

Try to keep in mind that it is the pills which are making you feel like this and that in a few days time you will start to feel better. If I think of anything else, I will let you know.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you so much for replying. I do keep telling myself - its the pills, its the pills, but sometimes there is such a wave of worry I can't stop myself and before I know it I've made up a whole scenario in my head!
Am at work at the moment but can't concentrate on even the smallest thing - hence the internet surfing instead :(

That is the whole problem though isn't it - you can't concentrate on even small things.

Just think though, each day brings you closer to feeling better. It is so hard though, I do understand.

One technique that DH was given when he was particularly anxious was to name 5 things in the room that were red, then 5 things that were blue and so on. You do it in your head, so on-one needs to know you are doing it. You could do this if you felt anxious on the train, at work or wherever. It just helps to distract your mind for a few minutes and gradually you improve.

fantastic. I'll try that one now. thank you x

Also, when you are anxious you tend to over-breathe which gives you that feeling you describe of being about to pass out.

Try breathing in for the count of 3 and then breathe out for the count of 5. Do this several times, just normal breathing, not big breaths, but you breathe out more than you breathe in and this helps with the light-headed feeling.

I think when you feel that anxious it is just so over-whelming that any small improvement is something.

Hi supreme- Oh I feel for you, just been through similar with sertraline, now coming out the other side thank God. I started to get some glimmers of hope after about 2 weeks and real relief after 4.

I found the breathing as suggested by Monikar v helpful - the one I used is "7/11" and I liked this podcast which talks you through it (nice soothing voice!) - was doing this twice a day for a bit
www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/podcasts/stress-relaxation-full-works/?view=Standard

I also started doing CBT where you write down your worries, writing helps you be a bit more objective - then write a more "rational" view. Sounds simplistic but if you keep at it it can wear away at the worry a bit. I think CBT will be a useful skill for the rest of my life, so glad I have learned it.

And lucky me also I was prescribed a low dose of valium from the GP which I think helped - still on 1 mg but easing down little by little now.

And lastly for me, vigorous exercise - the more stressed I feel, the faster I can go - and half an hour cycling up hills/jogging/swimming a couple of times a day if at all possible, getting realy out of breath does help me. (Can't go anything like as fast now the anxiety has died down.)