Fluoxetine/antidepressants

[Cloudd]

Hi. Need your advice/positive experiences...
Couple weeks ago I was diagnosed with severe depression and generalised anxiety disorder so started fluoxetine/Prozac for first time. It’s been 3weeks now, a did a week on 10mg and then to 20mg. I’ve seen an improvement in my mood and energy, from a 0 to a 4, but will this continue to improve over the following weeks or is this the best it’s going to get? I still feel down during the evenings, when did it start to work for you/noticeable improvements? Xx

Hugs @sugarlost. Not sleeping properly is so hard. I'm trying to get off my phone before 10pm in an attempt improve my sleep hygiene! Hope everyone gets some decent kip tonight. ❤❤❤

@sugarlost hope you had a better night and work is going okay. Hugs x

Morning folks,

Wish I could sleep better. Can't seem to go more than 5.5/6 hours, which relative to other times in my life isn't too bad but still. Maybe I should just get up and see if I can get to sleep a bit earlier at night. I just don't really want to start my day so early. My days can feel too long as it is just now. @filofaxx I know you'll be surviving on a lot less than me so I just want to acknowledge that. ❤ Maybe it's the very light days. I do wear an eye mask to try to minimise light. Even on the days I exercise more it doesn't help me sleep any longer. Second half of my cycle tends to be worse, esp for waking during the night and not getting back to sleep again. Hope you all had a good night. X

@Maidenpink just to say thanks but we're all in different situations and your lack of sleep is just as important as anyone else's ❤️ I think the heat and the light nights and mornings do affect things though. Eye mask is a good idea. I like lavender on my pillow as well and reading before bed. I sometimes also do a journal before going to sleep to try and empty my head.

@sugarlost I'd love sleeping tablets but maybe to give to my baby (joking 🙈😂) it's been a few nights of them sharing a room and I've been up twice a night on average so could be worse but I keep waking up even if they haven't 🤦🏻‍♀️

Welcome @bluevelvetine

Good morning all…hope everyone is doing ok. @Maidenpink and @FiloFaxx I’m sorry to hear of continued poor sleep. It’s hard to break the cycle and so disheartening when you find yourself wide awake in the early hours of the morning. The only suggestion I have @Maidenpink is to try HRT. For the short time I took it my sleep improved massively. I now get roughly 7hrs whereas before I was only getting about 4.5/5hrs. This has continued even though I stopped the Elleste and I was putting it down to the fluoxetine but maybe not. Could that short time on HRT have reset my clock? I know you are considering this anyway but just thought I’d mention it as I do think it helped.
I woke up a little less anxious this morning. I didn’t immediately reach for the lorazepam which is a huge thing for me. I still feel on edge/shaky but nowhere near as bad. I know this could just be a good day but I’ll take it!
Sun is shining here…hope it is too where you are. Hugs to all ❤️

I echo @BlueVelvetine’s comments to you @Maidenpink about HRT. The impact on my sleep was miraculous and though I still struggle still at times, it usually has an obvious cause.

I know this won’t help you @FiloFaxx but I promise you, it will keep better . I do remember how endless it feels when you are living it night in, night out. How are you feeling about your return to work?

@BlueVelvetine that’s great news the anxiety feels reduced and feel strong enough without your other medication. A small step but one in the right direction. Sun is trying to break through here too. Have a good day. X

Thanks @filofaxx. I do journal and read before bed, not all the time, but it does help. I'll try a bit of lavender on the pillow too. ❤

@bluevelvetine that's great you felt a little less anxious this morning. One day at a time. You'll be turning a corner with the side effects of Fluoxetine about now too. Those first few weeks are pretty grim.

@polelynn thanks and yes @filofaxx, it feels endless but it really does get better eventually. Just try to look after yourself as best you can in the mean time. Easy to say, I know.

Heading for a sea swim this afternoon which will hopefully be nice. @bluevelvetine in the early weeks I struggled to leave the house and even my room at points and I couldn't drive for a time. I've taken up sea swimming so you can see that progress does happen. ❤ xxx

@polelynn yes that's what it's like it's just never ending every night is the same not knowing when I'll be woken up so feels like no point going to sleep sometimes! Returning to work is starting to give me jitters because I kept saying to myself things will be better before I go back and they're not.

I got a call after 3 offering me a counselling session tonight so I've taken it but one of the things I don't like is short notice and not time to prepare myself!! Ahhh x

Goodness that is short notice. It might be a blessing in disguise, you've only got a short time to get anxious about it, instead of days or weeks. I hope it goes well. X

Hi all,

@Maidenpink & @polelynn hugs back🧡🧡

I hope everyone's sleep improves! I have some lavender pillow spray I'll use tonight 😁
@FiloFaxx I hope the children settle soon 🙏🏼
😂 Sleeping tablets. I rang the GP too late today.
I hope your session goes well... I'm not keen on short notice too as I like to mentally prepare but sometimes maybe it's better that way so we haven't too long to get anxious. Looking on the bright side☀️

@maidenpink I hope you had a lovely swim and the sun was out for you!

@BlueVelvetine so pleased you had a better morning...I hope it continued through the day and the sunshine.

@polelynn I hope you had a nice day and had some of my sunshine .. grey and raining here 😁.

I actually felt like a cloud was hovering over me at some points today. I could have finished work at lunch time through tiredness( broken sleep go away)...I don't know what keeps me going at times(tired eyes go away). I do need to take screen breaks but I'm trying to concentrate on work too.
I forgot to workout this morning but just did a 10minute workout so glad to report that update. Intrusive thoughts today. I've been counting down to finish work and need to work a bit later...

I'm going to eat when I finish work, try and watch some TV if I can concentrate and have an early night.

Hope you all had a good day and sleep well tonight. Thinking of you all 🌺🌷🌹🌸

*opps wrong face for lavender... meant to be smiling

@FiloFaxx I hope your session goes well this evening and that you feel you will click with the person too. The short notice may be a blessing too as they are meeting the real you rather than the overly prepared you.

@sugarlost well the sun rapidly turned to clouds and rain, though its humid and warmer outside than in the house at the moment. My plants are really taking off and there’s something new to see in the garden every day. I’m sorry you’ve had a tricky and tiring day. Remember there’s always that time out we talked about.

@Maidenpink I hope you feel re-energised after your swim today and that that helps you sleep tonight.

Got my therapy tomorrow and had a few new intrusive thoughts this evening which were both unexpected and unwanted. I’ve had an odd couple of days. It feels like something is coming to a head, it’s an unsettling feeling.

@polelynn glad your plants are taking off🌱... it's lovely seeing a new bloom! I think I need to escape to nature.
Hopefully the sun will make a longer appearance soon ☀️☀️☀️
It's in the pipeline about what we talked about so just waiting for confirmation and I'll let you know.

I hope your therapy goes well. Those intrusive thoughts make me feel vulnerable. Sorry you're experiencing new ones💐.
Is yours husband back home?
I hope you feel more settled soon. Thinking of you 🧡

Morning folks, how's everyone today? Had a lovely swim yesterday though was in a group with kids and dog so not maybe as relaxing as the women only ones I do. Beach was busy too.

@polelynn my mood also took a bit of a downturn last night, intrusive thoughts were up and wondered if I was just really tired. I hope your therapy session goes well today.

I woke at 2.30pm last night. Can't seem to empty my bladder enough in the evening, really needed a pee. Then I felt I tossed and turned through the night, was a bit of a jumble. Feeling tired and anxious this morning. So I feel your pain @sugarlost. I hope you slept better last night?

@filofaxx how did your counselling session go?

@bluevelvetine hope you're okay this morning.

@bookcrazy let us know how you're doing if you get a chance.

I've got a less busy day today than the last two thankfully. Going to try to go slow and concentrate on breathing and remembering to be kind to myself no matter what my intrusive thoughts say. Remember, thoughts are just thoughts, feelings aren't facts. Love to you all. Xxx

Morning everyone, hope you’re all doing well. I see you’re still struggling with sleep @Maidenpink. I really hope this improves soon x
I’m having quite an anxious morning….feeling quite shaky. Hoping it passes soon x
Hugs to all xx

Hugs @bluevelvetine. ❤ Anxiety is so tough, I know. Do you have a lot on today? Was shakiness an issue for you prior to Fluoxetine? I know it made me feel shaky for the first few weeks. It seemed to settle after week 5. I do think it's an activating effect of it, and if anxiety was already causing you to feel shaky it may be intensifying it at this point. Try not to worry too much about it (said one anxiety sufferer to another lol), it will settle down. X

Thank you @Maidenpink. I felt very on edge/agitated before starting fluoxetine but I do think that the shaking/trembling is a side effect of the meds. I’ve read this is quite common. Thanks for the reassurance…..makes me feel better that this will most likely ease soon. ❤️

hi ladies,
sorry i've not been on. manic week. I look after my in laws 84 & 91 and this week by the time i've been done, i'm exhausted.

fatigue and restless sleep is kicking my ass this week... oh and brain fog s ridiculous.

i need to go back to my gp, i keep putting it off 😢

how you all doing x

@sugarlost yes my husband is back home now so home feels more settled and anxiety is lessened around him being away.

Therapy went well and my therapist feels I’m still making good progress despite a couple of disappointments last week. Trying another step up the ladder in terms of overcoming my OCD/anxiety in an area where it is hugely affecting my everyday life. Had another little win today and anxiety has remained tolerable (undoubtedly due to fluoxetine).

I think my new intrusive thoughts yesterday were linked to a strong sense of responsibility I have which underpins much of my anxiety and perhaps the reason why I’m so hard on myself, particularly surrounding work issues in the past. I have high expectations of myself. Yesterday I felt I failed in protecting a loved as a direct consequence of performing one of my safety compulsions and I was anxious something awful would happen as a result. Of course it didn’t but it shows how sticky and all-consuming it is that I carry out these compulsions even if the consequence is another (lesser) potential risk. No one else would see the risk in either but that’s OCD for you.

@Maidenpink I definitely think your early waking is as a result of peri and that HRT will help relieve this. Having to go to the loo at night can be a sign of vaginal atrophy (I discussed this up thread) and again HRT or topical oestrogen will help. Worth mentioning both those when you speak to the women’s health practitioner at your GPs.

@bookcrazy those caring responsibilities must take their toll on you. Try to find some time to prioritise you. As the saying goes, ‘you cannot pour from an empty jug’.

Evening all, after being somewhat upbeat yesterday, today has been the opposite. Quite anxious all day, no motivation, but down and headaches (don’t usually suffer from these). Wondering if it’s normal to have good days then not so good days? This Friday will mark 4 wks taking Fluoxetine. Thanks all x

Sorry should read ‘bit’ down not but 🤦🏻‍♀️

Totally normal @BlueVelvetine, the first few weeks are a balancing act between the side effects and the medication starting to have an impact. It is only from 6 weeks that the full impact of fluoxetine is felt and, for some of us, we then went up a dose around week 7/8. It is definitely what I describe as a slow burner medication and has a cumulative effect day on day, week on week. I now feel quite stable most days (I have my moments!) but I’ve been on it since early March. Keep digging in. You’ll get there.

Aw @polelynn thanks so much for your reply. I really appreciate it as the negative thoughts were winning today and I was starting to worry it was another med I’d have to stop which pushes recovery out further. Anxiety is a cruel beast! I’ll try to view today as an off day and hope for a bit of a brighter one tomorrow.
Hope you and everyone else is doing ok ❤️