fluoxetine scared to take it

[mumofapirate]

being given fluoxetine to treat panic disorder. so scared to take it. love to hear some storeys good or bad. Never taken anything before.

My 19 year old son takes 25mg a day. He suffers from terrible anxiety and it really helps him. I'm on anti depressants and was horrified at the thought of taking them, now I'm taking them because I know that I need them and they really do help. Would you refuse prescribed medication for any other ailment or is it just the fear of being on 'head' tablets?.

I've had fluoxetine on and off for a number of years, the first time I was prescribed it I had quite bad depression and anxiety, having panic attacks and upset stomachs. The fluoxetine took about 2 weeks to make a noticeable difference but once it did, it really helped me. It allowed me to feel normal again, to feel a normal range of emotions without getting stuck into a vicious cycle of "Oh God I'm not happy, why am I not happy, there's something wrong with me, oh help I'm panicking I mustn't panic, this is so awful" etc etc. I didn't get any side effects from it, though I know some people do. I also had counselling alongside the drugs.

What are you afraid will happen if you take it? Trust your doctor. You wouldn't refuse pain killers if you had a broken leg, would you? It may turn out not to be the right drug and you might need to try a different one, but you won't know until you try. Be prepared to be patient while it takes effect and while you settle into it to see if it suits you. But see this as the first step towards getting better. Good luck!

no ur right I wouldn't refuse something if I needed it like antibiotics for chest infection but other things u dont 'need' but they help I find hard to take. im scared ill loose my mind, try n kill myself, will not be incontrol of what I do or think.

In the main, mental health treatments give you back control over what you think and do. At the moment, as you suffer with an anxiety disorder, the chemical imbalances in your brain are taking away your control and you get uncontrollably anxious. When you have a panic attack, your anxiety is out of control, right? So the correct MH drug will allow you to regain that control. It will help you to stop feeling panic, and to feel anxiety 'safely' about things that are perfectly rational to feel anxious about, without it spiralling out of control into a panic attack.

I'm not saying that MH drugs are a magic bullet, or that there may not be side effects. To my knowledge, fluoxetine isn't particularly known for having suicidal thoughts as a side effect, but in the statistically quite unlikely chance that that happened, you would tell your GP pronto and they would sort out another drug for you instead. And again, that would be part of YOU taking control of your MH. Taking the drugs is about taking control and returning the correct balance to your brain.

Also, if the GP has prescribed you these, then you do 'need' them.

thank you. I have spent ages googling and everything ive read seems positive about it. Which cant be a bad thing. I do need these I think, I was referring to things like ibrefoen, hayfever relief in my last post.
I asked him for spot cream too so I've applied that and am sat waiting for a reaction.