fluoxetine

[nerdinator]

Hi I've just been diagnose with depression and was wondering if anyone has any experience with this anti depressant. This is the 1st time ive been diagnosed so have no idea about what sort of drug I've been diagnosed, the dr really didny give much info. Thanks

My DH has been prescribed this for depression and anxiety. They usually start you on a low dose, and providing you don't get any severe side effects, increase the dose gradually. The starting dose is usually 20mg, so then you increase to 40mg and then possibly 60mg. They take a week or two to work, so don't expect a huge improvement straight away. They really helped my DH feel so much better, so I hope they work for you.

Good luck, hope that helps.

i started on 20mg, still am on 20mg, but take them in the morning, i changed from the morning to the night as they were causing me not to sleep.

definately take a week or so to start working, i've been on them for a 2 months now, and starting to feel more positive.

here if you want to chat.

all the best

wait changed from taking them at night to taking them in the morning.....gah this heat....

Been on them @20mgs for a while now. Felt a bit "spacey" for the first few weeks & took them at night as I was so tired. Then switched to taking them in mornings as they're supposed to work better.

Suits me fine but if it doesn't you don't be worried to go back to the GP 's lots of different ones out there but give it a good month or two.

Thankyou. I have to pick them up later the only thing the dr said is that they can cause diarrhoea, and a few people have claimed they felt dizzy during the 1st couple of weeks

Hello poster.

Think your doctor should have told you a lot more so that you could make an informed choice. It's natural to want to know properly what you are taking. Glad that the meds are starting to help.

There are loads of internet resources on Fluoxetine (Prozac). My G.P recommends Patient.co.uk for sound info. Try not to worry about the side effects too much - they are common with all antidepressants. Continue to listen to your body and let your doc. know if things agree/disagree with you. Some antidepressants are more suited to your body than others.

Take care x

She asked me which one I would prefer out of the fluoxetine and another one, but the other one is a sedative too which probably isnt the best idea as I have 2 kids to take care of aswel. So I chose fluoxetine but with very little info given. I have a follow up appointment in a months time to discuss whether they are working

I have been on antidepressants for about 20 years now. I have used Trazodone for the last fifteen. Tried a few treatments - usually starting off with small amounts and working my way up. I think it took around a year before I found the best one for me. It doesn't suit everyone; but my life is a lot easier on the meds. Because my meds are sedative; I take them only at night time after the kids are in bed.

A lot of antidepressants are powerful and do have a tendency to hit you like a freight train for the first few weeks. The meds work on the chemicals and receptors in the brain and there is an adjustment period usually which is mainly felt in the head but can also affect other systems in the body. Your body will adjust to some meds quicker than others - it's a little trial and error normally. Most side effects are temporary/not seriously harmful.

It again is usual for G.Ps to be involved with monitoring how the meds suit you. Anti-depressants are classed in medical groups; if Fluoxetine does not suit you there are other meds within the same group (SSRIs) to try. If it is a bad fit entirely; G.P may swap to an alternative group.

By law; every new prescription of anti-depressants has to be provided with a patient information leaflet. This usually covers most of the questions that people have.

Good Luck

I used to be on fluoxetine a year ago or so, for a few months on 40mg (before I went cold turkey by my own choice - not the best thing to do but i was fine and still am so far!)

I found it did make me sleepy. It made me lose my appetite at the start, which wasn't very helpful as I was also recovering from an eating disorder. But after a while I felt the side effects go, apart from the tiredness - I just wanted to stay in bed all day.

Hi, I was also on fluoxetine but gradually came off them over a period of two weeks as I fell pregnant, I'm now really suffering and I was wondering if anyone took them whilst pregnant and if there is a reason why you can't take them during pregnancy?
They really did help me massively, i took them for over a year and they made me feel like me again. On top of all the hormones I'm finding things really tough, I'm back to feeling low and constantly miserable.

I would head back to the doc for more information ime. I too accepted them without asking many questions and ended up with the most horrific nightmares. When I went back and mentioned it I was told it can be a common side effect and went on to others which worked much better. Ask the questions and make an informed decision.

Hi there, I've been on fluoxetine since Feb - has definitely helped. It did take 4-6 weeks and going up to 40mg to really feel the benefit. I take it in the morning, and when I first started did feel dizzy for an hour about 40 mins after taking it. Also v nauseous (but already had dodgy stomach). Patient.co.uk sounds like a good idea. Have you a follow-up booked with your GP? Good luck and hope you're feeling a little better soon.