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

Big step forward today for me. Managed a walk from home locally and managed to pass strangers on the path. Though this will seem really insignificant to most people it’s huge for me. Plus I didn’t panic and actually felt quite relaxed out. One step closer to being able to walk to the local beach with my daughter again. Hope everyone is good. X

AMAZING!!! 👏👏👏👏👏 Not only did you manage it, it wasn't an ordeal. This is absolutely brilliant and inspiring @polelynn. Very well done, so pleased for you. ❤🤗☀️

Oh @polelynn this is just fabulous! ❤️ A big step closer to your goal (and what a lovely goal!) delighted for you…big hugs ❤️🥰

Thank you both 😊. Feeling like the impossible is becoming more possible once again. Hope you both have a good day. X

@Maidenpink @sugarlost @BlueVelvetine I did it! 😁

Amazing @polelynn! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
What a fabulous achievement! So so happy for you ! 🥰

YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Fantastic! You pulled that one out of the bag pretty quick! Well done @polelynn. Today you are the winner. Let us know how it all went when you get a mo. ❤❤❤⚘⚘⚘☀️☀️☀️

@Maidenpink and @BlueVelvetine thank you both for your support.

Yes I did pull it out the bag a bit and it surprised me that I felt I could do it this morning but then felt why not at least try. I said to my husband (who came with me) that I’d try to get as close to the beach as I could and before I knew it, I was there. I nearly weeped when I saw and heard the sea. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. Looking forward to walking down there one evening with my daughter now and having a dip! How are you both? X

This is amazing! 😵 I know how massive this was for you and I am so proud of you for doing it. And it wasn't as hard as you thought it would be which is just brilliant. Get your swimming costume looked out! It's genuinely so lovely to see how you've progressed and inspiring too.

I'm doing okay-ish. I got my period on Monday so started Oestrogel 1 pump. Nothing to report really in terms of effects. I am better than I was this time last month and I've had a busy, sociable week. I have felt tense and my greatest hits of intrusive thoughts bounce around my mind but don't overwhelm me. However, I've been swimming twice, caught up with a couple of friends I hadn't seen since before the last lockdown and I would say probably today my energy feels better. I've got more get up and go. So, a work in progress. I plan to increase to 2 pumps of Oestrogel on Monday, the GP said I could increase after 1 or 2 weeks. I'm still waiting on the Utrogestan prescription to be approved which is niggling me slightly. But hoping all will be well with that. Xxx

Awww @polelynn I have a lump in my throat reading how emotional this was for you! I bet your husband was so very proud and your daughter will be delighted to go for that walk on the beach with you….just lovely ❤️
@Maidenpink you’ve certainly had a busy week but have coped brilliantly so go you! 🙌👏👏 think I may move to 2pumps next week so we can see how we get on together eh?…❤️
I’m doing a little better. Yesterday evening was my best one for a good while. Anxiety is still rearing it’s head in the mornings and that’s when the intrusive thoughts and self doubt seep in but I’m encouraged that it’s not all day and the shaking/trembling has definitely reduced.

I went to get my hair done today and feel better for it. Tbh last week I was on verge of cancelling it so this is a wee hop, skip and a jump forward 😊 Today is 6 weeks exactly on Fluoxetine and almost one week on the oestrogen gel….I’m hoping the tide is turning! 🤞
Hope you all have a lovely evening…I’m heading out for a wee cycle 🚴‍♀️❤️

@Maidenpink not having your intrusive thoughts overwhelm you is a real win isn’t it. I suspect they’ll always be there but won’t be steering our behaviour. I’ve started saying ‘thank you’ to some of mine but carry on regardless. Sounds like a positive week for you. I can understand it’s frustrating not getting the Utrogestan script sorted yet but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.

Glad no adverse effects for you and @BlueVelvetine on the oestrogel and both of you upping your doses sounds a good plan.

@BlueVelvetine so pleased the trembling is settling 6 weeks in. I’m feeling confident that this is the point at which you are going to turn a big corner in your recovery. Having your hair done sounds like a well deserved treat. Enjoy your bike ride, lovely evening for it.

Wishing you both a lovely weekend. X

Morning all,
I hope you're feeling well☀️
Apologies for not being active.

@polelynn I'm so happy for you!!!!! What an brilliant achievement 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Your progress gives us all so much hope💃💪
Such fabulous news for me to wake up to and I will keep you all in my prayers that we continue to move forward in our recovery 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

@Maidenpink I hope you have a lovely day and enjoy the water if you have a swim🏊‍♂️. Remember to put any negative people you may encounter to one side and focus on your part to wellness and happiness.

@FiloFaxx sorry to hear about your counselling session. I hope your little one is much more settled and your getting more rest.

@BlueVelvetine I hope your anxiety settles, we have to not rush ourselves on the road to wellness. We have to always be kind to ourselves and know that we are doing our best to get through what can often be very challenging days.

I have had family issues and work has been busy and stressful at times. Also I've stopped my medication so dealing with side effects too. I'm ok but not felt physically great at times. Emotionally I'm not too bad at the moment.
I stopped my medication as I want to see if I'm better physically as that pain was really making me feel down...I guess I'm trying to weigh things up. I've been distracted by family issues so that's taken focus away from my issues at times which I think has helped me in a way emotionally.
I'm thankful I'm coping and I thank you again for all of your support 🌼🌿🌷🌹..you really all have beautiful souls and I wish you all strength and happiness.

Apologies I haven't caught up well on thread.

Thinking of you all and sending virtual hugs xxxx

@Maidenpink sorry wrong symbol error after swimming one!

@sugarlost really lovely to hear from you and thank you so much for your continued support.

I’m sorry work has been stressful and that you’ve become embedded in family issues. These things yes can tend to distract for a time but I hope you are managing to protect yourself and keep in place good boundaries. You certainly sound calm.

I can’t recall the physical pain you felt was attributed to being on fluoxetine, but I’m really hopeful this resolves for you.

Look after yourself and sending you a big virtual hug too 🧡🧡🧡.

Hope everyone else is good and have had a nice weekend.

@Maidenpink have you managed some sea swims over the weekend? It’s been very warm here but the sea breeze helps.

Some very old intrusive thoughts which cause me to feel guilt have reared their head today. Seems like when I feel I’m getting on top of this in one respect, my OCD (I’m recognising it now as that and that it’s been around a long time) pulls something else out of the bag to trip me up. It’s hard to know what to do with them as they go back 30 odd years. I think I just need to show some self compassion and consider the dynamics which made me the vulnerable person I was back then but that’s easier said than done.

Hey all…hope you’re all good.

@sugarlost…thanks for those kind words. I’m doing a little better. The mornings are still very hard and I seem to have developed a very nervous stomach, as though there are a thousand butterflies flying around in it (have any of you lovely ladies had this?) and occasionally these feelings are with me most of the day but today it’s a little better but my mood is low. Can’t wait for just a good day’!
So great to hear you are coping despite the stressful stuff you have going on. I hope you keep well without your meds xx

@polelynn I wish I had some words of wisdom to help you with these old intrusive thoughts. It’s so hard to park these up. Would writing these down help you reconcile them? When similar thoughts pop into my head I often think of the film ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’. Have you seen it?

@Maidenpink…. It’s certainly been swimming weather. Hope you’ve been getting your toes wet! 😊

Hoping calmer days are ahead for all…big hugs ❤️

@sugarlost no, I’ve not seen it. Will have a look.

You will have a good day soon, just focus for now on those good moments. Do you do gratitude logging/journalling? I don’t write things down but often go through in my head things that make me smile and make my heart and soul happy. It does help reframe from the negativity and lifts you.

How’s it going on the gel? X

Hi everyone,

I've been a bit busy this past week so not had chance to catch up on here. @sugarlost was great to hear from you. It sounds as though things have been very busy for you, I hope you are managing some self-care in amongst it all. Surprised to learn you have stopped Fluoxetine, and I'm sorry I wasn't aware of the pain you are in. I'm glad you feel emotionally quite well and I hope this change improves things with you. It may be like a few of us on here that hormone treatment might serve you better.

@polelynn sorry to hear of the challenging intrusive thoughts. It does feel like whack-a-mole at times, no sooner have you knocked one on the head, another one pops up. I think it's the way of things. Like peeling layers of an onion, you deal with one and it reveals another. Completely agree with you on self-compassion though and understanding the complex, individual reasons that you are the way you are. I do feel for you, you know I have my greatest hits which tend to play on loop some times. It sounds as though there is maybe a bit of deeper work for you to do at some point down the line. How is the ERP going?

@bluevelvetine those good days are coming, just you wait.

I have indeed been sea dipping as much as I can manage. The weather here is exceptional so trying to make the most of it. I've been feeling not too bad since starting the gel last week, however I went from 1 pump to 2 yesterday and today I've been feeling quite hormonal ... fatigue, tense, bit low, just not right. A bit like I do after ovulation when I seem to go into a darker place. Wondering if it's the dose increase, my body getting used to it. I foolishly thought more would just mean better but I guess there is a time to adapt. Not easy all this. Still don't have confirmation of my Utrogestan prescription so that's a bit annoying. I called yesterday to ask but nobody has called me back. Will try again tomorrow.

Hope all well. X

Afternoon everyone, looking for some reassurance. I’m having a bit of a rubbish couple of days. Very emotional/tearful and can’t seem to see any good times ahead which is scaring me. I’m almost 7 weeks on Fluoxetine and wondering why I’m not seeing much of a difference. Had a chat with GP this morning and have agreed in increase to 40mg but I am so worried about side effects that he’s agreed to prescribe liquid form so I can increase slowly. Like @Maidenpink I
increased Oestrogel to two pumps yesterday so possibly that’s the reason but I thought Oestrogen was supposed to make you feel better not worse! Have put just one on this morning and will use another pump this evening. Hopefully splitting the dose will help.

Sorry for the downer post folks….just really struggling lately xx
Hugs to all ❤️

Sorry to hear you’ve had a rubbish couple of days @BlueVelvetine. I had no additional side effects on increasing to 40mg so hopefully that’ll be likewise for you. I went up at the 7 week mark as was getting fed up having felt intermittently better at week 4-5 only to relapse again and I felt as if I wasn’t taking anything.

Re the HRT, give it time. 12 weeks really for everything to settle.

How are you feeling now?

@Maidenpink good to hear from you. Treatment is going quite well, thank you for asking. Feeling like I’ve plateaued a bit the last few days and staying within my comfort zone but then that is much wider than it was a couple of weeks ago. I’ve got a couple of social things coming up which I’m going to aim for. My therapist shared with me another way of dealing with the intrusive thoughts: to call them out and name them as such and that they are as a result of my illness. It feels a bit clunky but I was kind of doing that anyhow with the ‘thank you, but no thank you’ approach and your ‘yes it’s scary but we are carrying on anyway’ approach. There are definitely ones which are more sticky and I think’ll be around for a while yet as well as, like you, the greatest hits. I like how you describe these, it takes the sting out of them ❤️.

Weather has been glorious here too so I’m glad you are making the most of it. I’ve not been down to the beach again yet however my daughter is involved in a project down there this week and I know it would make her happy to see me pitch up to support her.

@FiloFaxx how are you/your Dad? I’ve been thinking about you and I hope you’ve managed to engage (peacefully) with more counselling sessions. Did you get your prescription sorted?

@BlueVelvetine realised in my post yesterday morning I tagged @sugarlost instead of you in error. Apologies both.

@bookcrazy how are things with you at the moment? Hoping you are finding the time and space for your recovery amongst your other commitments.

Hi @polelynn thanks for your messages. This after noon/evening has been better. I’ve just put on another pump of Oestrogel so we’ll see how that goes. Last night I woke at 3am and was awake the whole night. Very annoying as this had totally settled for me. Hoping it was just the heat and not a return to sleepless nights!

It certainly sounds as though therapy is going well for you. It’s good to stretch yourself a little then pull back to let your mind get used to the changes before adding another new thing into the mix. As for calling out the intrusive thoughts I say try it and see if it works. I think half the time it’s like slinging mud at a wall and seeing what sticks!

No probs at all re tagging the lovely sugarlost…I got what you meant xx

Hope everyone else is doing ok….hugs to all of you lovely lot ❤️

@BlueVelvetine that’s a great analogy. Hope you had a better night. X

Good morning everyone

@polelynn absolutely amazing achievement for you making it to the beach, very proud of you. That has taken some strength.

Sorry old bad thoughts have come back for you. I can relate a bit to this. You think they won't come back and they just come from nowhere.

@bluevelvetine how are you feeling today? I've been on 20mg and tbh it's not making much difference! I hope you had a better night last night x