Day 5 on Fluoxetine and anxiety is worse?

[Mindfullness]

I have GAD and have struggled with anxiety for most of my life. I have recently been on 5 htp but symptoms have worsened due to my husband's ongoing serious illness so my gp has put me on Fluoxetine. I just feel as though my anxiety is getting worse and even woke in the night with a mini panic attack. I am also not sleeping well. Is this normal and do I ride it out? Thank you

Yes, pretty normal, I was the same on it, waking up in the night with that horrid feeling and usuallly in a pool of sweat too . Most antai depressants are thee same and can take up to a month to settle.

Same here and I'm 3 weeks in. Had the awful jitters but they are easing a bit but really don't want to go out or socialise and having to force myself for the sake of my son.

However, I'm feeling the side effects lessening so keep going on them.

Thanks Love music - sorry to hear you had such bad side effects. I feel 100x more anxious and have a racing heart. How long did it take to settle? I really hope you're feeling better now?

Clippityclop - I am worried that mine is getting worse as I didn't have these side effects on Sertraline. I will persevere for 3 weeks, I just hope the insomnia improves. I am feeling jittery too. I really hope you feel a bit more settled soon xx

They should settle pretty soon. I don't remember having any side effects when I began it, but that period is not clear in my memory. Five days in is still very early. I would take each day as it comes and if things get much worse, then have another chat with your GP. Good luck.

Some anti ds are more sedating and others more stimulating, prozac is one of the latter. It can take at least two weeks for it to work so maybe best to keep going and see how it goes with time.

there is a great book Listening to prozac about it. If it doesn't suit you over time maybe get them to swap you to something else. There are others like mirtazapine, or have heard pregablin is good for anxiety, it works on GABE rather than serotonin. HTH

GABA, sorry

Yes, it can make you feel a bit jittery to start with, some people have descibed it as a bit 'speedy' to start with. It does settle with time. It saved my life I think in the 1990s when it came out, I did lots of swimming which helped with the feeling, and calmed me.

But think it is more of a 'get up and go' type antidepressant that anti anxiety med, possibly.

Thank you for your replies. I am slightly concerned as I have anxiety and not depression. Although my high anxiety brings my mood down - if that makes sense? Sertraline worked really well for me but I put on so much weight, cholestrol became very high and didn't sleep.
I really hope this helps for my anxiety

Yes prozac can be a better one for weight gain. It is a tricky thing. x

If you feel up to exercise running has helped me enormously. I'm also on fluoxetine, have been on and off it for years but thankfully with few side effects.

Yes I agree, walking, running or swimming can be so helpful.

Thanks ladies. I do exercise a lot - long dog walks, zumba and water aerobics. Unfortunately I have also had a sore throat and cold this week so really not felt like going, which probably hasn't helped!!
Has anyone found it does alleviate the symptoms of anxiety such as chest pains and nervousness. I just feel the whole world hates me at the moment and I am doing everything wrong 😢😢

Deep breathing and stretching helps me. I have a deep breathing thing on my Fitbit which is great but it's basically just a way of helping you do slow deep breaths. I stretch arms up and back (big back stretch) then touch toes. Hold for 10 secs each. Also stretch arms behind back to open chest. These help me.