Fluoxetine - has it helped?

[TwoAndMe]

Just outside the chemist waiting to pick up a prescription of this medication. It's taken many months for to finally accept that I have to try this medication.
I have had a difficult year, haven't we all?! I'm a nurse and really struggled with work and home schooling my dc's (15 and 13). They're a little older so I have been able to leave them to it. I have had to, I'm a single parent. However, they've struggled at times and needed my help, which is absolutely fine but it's hard with work etc. I. Just exhausted. I am also managing a few physical health issues that it now appears to be stress/anxiety related. I have absolutely no motivation and feel flat most of the time. I feel so guilty as I feel irritable too. Everything just feels like too much. I know what i should be doing but struggling to do it.
I'm wondering what your experience is/was with this medication?

Just took my first 20mg dose. Was
disappointed i've been prescribed capsules not tablets as I wanted to try 10mg first, and have a pill cutter. But with capsules it is in for a penny, in for a pound. I've had anti-ds for PND before & they def helped but I'm apprehensive this time. Am I trying to medicate life? But the truth be told lockdown, peri menopause, post-covid fatigue & loneliness have left me with no road left to run. Happy to support/handhold whilst we go through the first weeks together? I hope you have a good day x

(I'm also a single mum home schooling 2 children - age 14 & 11).

I went off it during a pretty bad stage of perimenopause and being bullied at work by my line manager. It saved my life, simple as that. I was on it a year, and came off gradually. No side effects, and I’m back to normal.

Duh sorry - I went *on it!

Yes. I took 20 mg daily (a few years ago) and it literally saved my life. I had bad PND with very intrusive thoughts, I didn’t sleep and fantasised about driving my car into a bridge on the M1 and just ending it all, amongst other very well thought out plans. It just gave me a break from my brain! It was a bit like being on holiday from my life, I was much calmer, felt a bit out of my body looking on and really helped me ‘see’ looking in, if that makes any sense! I was on it for almost 2 years. Also no sex drive and zero appetite! I lost two stone in about 4 months.
Good luck, it’s worth a try anyway, you have nothing to lose.

X post with Sweaty Betty.
OP if it doesn’t work for you try something else, but al least give it a go. You don’t have to live like this, very best wishes xxx

It has been fantastic for my DD who has been on it for ~10 weeks.
Unfortunately due to one of the rare side effects she is currently having to come off it

ps It doesn't come in tablets only capsules or liquid.

Really helped me my mental health really suffered after i left my ex after years of abuse. Went on this medicatjon and made a huge difference i was on it for two year. Looked best i have ever have as i lost three stone i never had an appetite whilst taking it. Did make me a little more sleepy but nothing else xxx

So good to hear others experiences. My gloomy head is telling me it is some kind of failure to need anti-ds but that's almost certainly the depression/anxiety talking. I want to feel like I have a thicker skin, more mental clarity, a steadier mood - not this foggy darkness.

I've taken it twice, for extended periods both times. It is quite simply a life saver. It enabled me to cope with life and carry on until I felt stronger. I also found the phased withdrawal when I was ready relatively straightforward.

AppleBlossomTimeNow thankyou for your message. I'm sorry to hear you are feeling this way. Its been a difficult year and so many people are struggling. That's exactly how I felt when you mentioned medicating life. However, life has become very difficult and lonely as you say. Having no more road to run describes it well. I see it as a foggy path and the medication will help clear that fog to help us see clearly again. I hope the medication helps you and yes, I am happy to hold hands and support eachother, tgat sounds great. I took my first dose of 20mg lastnight. I think it takes a couple of weeks to feel any positive effects. Hope you have a good day too.
SweatyBetty20 thankyou for your message. I'm so glad it helped you. Im sorry you eent through this, that must have been difficult for you. I understand how difficult it can be when you experience this at work. I'm glad you are well.
Perching thankyou for your message. Oh my gosh, that sounds heartbreaking. I'm sorry you went through this. I'm so glad you are well. That really hit me, you saying that you needed a break from your brain. A holiday from your life. Totally makes sense. Honestly, that describes it so well. It can be difficult to explain sometimes but this is spot on. Thankyou for this. You are right, I don't have anything to lose.

TeenMinusTests thankyou for your message. I'm glad it helped your dd. Is there another medication she could try? Hope she is well.
Stronglikemytea thankyou for your message. I'm sorry you went through this. I'm so glad you are feeling better.
AppleBlossomTimeNow I have been trying so many things to try to help shift my mood, calm my anxiety. However, it was getting more and more difficult to find the motivation. I talked myself out of it so many times. Until, I literally thought this is exhausting. Like Perching mentioned, I desperately need a break from myself. The medication (hopefully) will help me find some strength. We can do this together.
Meceme thankyou for your message. I'm so glad it helped you and you are now well. This is positive for me.

Hugs OP. I used to be an A&E nurse many moons ago and we are a ‘breed’. Fairly no-nonsense, cope with anything and have seen it all, I’m sure you know what I mean! PND really hit me for 6. Admitting that I was a deep trouble was huge for me. The meds just facilitated my recovery in that it helped me do it, it made it possible for me to get better. And if this doesn’t do the job find the next solution, one of the will work! Really the best wishes to you.

This is the third period in my life that I've taken Fluoxetine. The first time was for over a year and it was a life saver.

I felt exactly as @AppleBlossomTimeNow described, but my suicidal thoughts and lack of hope finally drove me to the GP. I've just started them again in the last fortnight and I can feel the effects already - all good and relief that I'm not actively feeling bleak.

Whether it's Fluoxetine or another anti-depressant, I just want to say that you're not alone (as this thread shows) and there are medications that can help. We all find ways of coping with life, there's no shame in needing drugs to help

@TwoAndMe One day at a time - but waiting to feel any improvement is going to be hard (I'm not very patient!). Did you choose to take your meds in the evening for a particular reason? I have the day off work today & then it's the weekend so any side effects shouldn't be too problematic for me to manage.

My ex takes this . He reckons it takes about 6 weeks to start working properly.

DD was advised to take her fluoexetine meds in the morning 'to help her feel more energised'.

What encouraging experiences - they all resonate. To have been in such dark places & to have found the courage to seek help is truly inspiring. Thanks everybody x

I took the liquid form twice for PND. I needed a paediatric dose- hence the liquid. I found it amazing and that it worked quickly. It did leave me feeling a bit numb and disconnected. I had no sex drive, but it did the job and helped me get back to normal.
Good luck.

Perching thankyou so much, it means alot. Your story has really touched me. I know exactly how you mean.
TottiePlantagenet thankyou for your message. I'm glad you are feeling a little better. Yes, that's true. Posting here has given me some hope. Something I was losing one day at a time.
AppleBlossomTimeNow yes, one day at a time. I picked the prescription up yesterday and wanted to take them asap. As I am off work until next week and wanted a little head start as my job (I think) is part of the problem. I thought if any side effects, I'd sleep through them, maybe, I don't know.
Sandgrown thankyou for your message. Ok, thankyou. I'm hoping to feel the effects soon. I guess it does take a few weeks to feel the full effect.
BigButtons thankyou for your message. I suppose that is a side effect? I feel numb now, which is awful. I'm hoping not forever. I see it as giving me some strength. I'm glad it helped you too.

I’ve been on it 5 weeks and have now developed diarrhoea. Anyone experience this side effect x

@GC12345 - are you sure it's the meds? 5 weeks seems a long time to develop new side effects (not that I have much experience). Are you sure you haven't eaten something dodgy? Either way, I hope you feel better soon x

I had it for six months and it did help me feel calmer - killed my sex drive stone dead though be warned.

Not sure but definitely not something I’ve eaten. Had the same thing with sertraline and had to stop. Was hoping fluoxetine would be better for me but exactly the same with the diarrhoea starting around five weeks??

I went on it when I was dealing with a very stressful time with marriage/career/young children. I admitted to to the GP I had been tempted to drive my car into a tree to get some time off and didn't because i had the children in the car...
That was 2012.
I've had counselling too, which has made me realise I had depression from a much earlier age (maybe 14yo). I did come off it for a while but it was quite evident that i do need that medical support.
Don't be ashamed or embarrassed. A diabetic needs insulin because there body no longer makes the right chemicals - it's exactly the same with depression.