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

Not sure @polelynn, I wasn't great before the increase either tbh. Due to speak to GP a week today. Hoping by then things might have settled down a bit more. Great you've felt a bit more settled and stronger today. ❤

@Proudnana3 I had glimpses of a slight improvement around the week 2-3 mark on 20mg but definitely plateaued around week 4-5 thus the increase. It may be the 20mg will be enough for you but if not, it's okay to go up.

@Maidenpink hoping you have a better day today. Not sure what it's like where you are but the sun is out here and I find sitting out in the garden with the sun on my face, listening to the birds and sounds around me, really therapeutic. Maybe you could do that? I often cry which I think is a release of everything we are carrying. Hugs.

That sounds nice @polelynn, not the weather for it here and I have a bit of taxiing to do today. I feel much the same today, trying my best to keep on. ❤

Hi, how's everybody doing?

@Maidenpink how are you?

I'm not too good today....I find although I'm ok by myself most of the time at other times it's so hard mentally....I may look to increase my medication.

Life can be challenging at times but it's good to know there is support available.

I hope everyone is ok

Hi @sugarlost, good to hear from you. I'm sorry you're not feeling good today. Remind me where you are with the medication?

This past week has been a bit better for me. Up until last Monday I had a run of about 10 really crappy days. Today's not been so great but compared to before still better. I'm two weeks into 40mg dose increase and nearly 9 weeks on 20mg. 20mg has had some effect but it isn't enough, definitely not for the anxiety/intrusive thoughts. I've previously been well on 40mg.

Hope others are doing okay, it's been quiet on here.

Hi @Maidenpink I've been on 20mg since January but I really struggled today and sometimes have scary thoughts so will call my GP next week.

Sorry about the difficult time you've been having but glad today's been better for you. I hope I will be well on 40mg...I didn't want to increase as I was hoping to come off the medication but realistically that's not going to happen if I want to try and keep myself safe.

I hope you you feel well again soon.

I just want to be able to be positive and happy. I feel lonely at times which doesn't help my mood.

I do understand your reticence to increase when you had hoped you would be able to come off @sugarlost. I've been in a similar situation several years ago. I did not want to increase my dose and put it off until finally I was so sick of how I was feeling I went up and it did make all the difference to me. So the last two times I've gone on medication it's with the view that it would likely be higher than the basic dose. It is what it is. From what I can gather if you suffer from anxiety (as I do) then the dose tends to be higher. Obv I don't know you're circumstances and if you are getting help or able to make other changes to help improve things along with the medication. But it sounds like a chat with your GP would be helpful.

For me the ongoing restrictions are not helping. I just feel even though lockdown has eased things are far from normal and it can feel very isolating and disconnected. You're not alone, this is still a tough time. I just want to feel better too, just not tense and dealing with my horrid thoughts so much of the time. Sending hugs. ❤🤗

Hello everyone

Had a few days off here as too tempting to visit other topics for reassurance (or not) which isn't any good for me. Been trying to sit with how I feel more.

@Maidenpink I'm so pleased to see you've had a run of good days. Tentatively I think I may be following your course though I've done very little to push myself beyond my very narrow comfort zone.

I had my OCD assessment last week and have been referred for 1-2-1 CBT in the form of ERP, but I've no idea how long the wait will be. The assessor I spoke to 'got me'. Apart from on here, it was the first time I actually felt understood. I'm not sure I recognise everything as OCD but the underlying anxiety and avoidance of harm/danger seems to have pushed me into some of these traits. Certainly the intrusive/unwelcome thoughts are aligned with this.

She recommended while waiting I start something called Progressive Muscle Relaxation every day. There's a few videos on YT and I'm finding this helpful. Maybe others reading might? It helps to relax that fight/flight, hyper-vigilance stance I'm sure others will recognise.

I have some big things to get my head around coming up which I feel I cannot voice in real life. Given I barely leave home (unless safely cocooned in my car) I'm not sure how I will manage and wish I didn't have to face them. One is my vaccine (which is now overdue) and the other is taking my DD to get her prom dress. I couldn't have imagined the latter in particular would be such a terrifying prospect. It shouldn't be like this. I'm not sure if and how I'll manage it as I can't even walk past strangers on the street right now let alone go in a shop. I think I'm going to come up with some plan Bs in case I can't. I absolutely don't want to let her down but it's indicative of how ill I am that I'm even thinking this way.

Good to hear from you @polelynn. Happy to hear your assessment went well and you felt understood. That's fantastic that you've been referred for ERP ... my understanding is that it's the gold standard in treating OCD. I hope you won't have to wait too long.

Glad you're finding muscle relaxation helpful. Anything to help quell the f/f response is worth doing.

I hear you re life commitments coming up. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, though I do understand when it comes to kids it's hard. Perhaps there are compromises that can be made ... your dd is of an age where she can understand you're not well. Perhaps online browsing and ordering a variety of things to try on at home might work. Make that the event maybe. Going dress shopping may not be as much fun anyway because if wearing a mask and such things. I'm sure there will be others who are making alternative plans too. I have a big thing at the end of the month that I'm dreading, although it's seemed more doable than a few weeks ago at least. ❤

Has anyone taken Duloxetine? If anyone has what were your experiences of this med did it help with anxiety?

@Maidenpink thank you. Those are good suggestions which I'll take onboard. I could also ask my DM, who'd probably love the opportunity to take her as that is very much her thing. I'm glad your event is something you can at least consider now, that just shows you are getting better. Have a lovely day.

@polelynn that sounds like a great idea re your DM. Hope you have a good day.

@klfahah sorry I have no experience of Duloxetine, most of us are on fluoxetine on this thread but maybe there are some who have prior experience of it.

How is everyone?

I definitely think the increase to 40mg is starting to help me.

Lovely blue skies have returned today here after the wind has finally settled.

Hi @polelynn, great to hear you're feeling brighter. I ended up having a really bad day yesterday, triggered by waiting 4 hours for a GP call in the morning that I ended up having to chase up. I just felt so let down and unsupported. I had quite a lot on yesterday too and it was just too much and it tipped me over. Feels like a setback. I wouldn't say I'm feeling the positive effects of 40mg just yet, I think it'll be a few more weeks for me. I think the initial adjustment has settled though. So, back to being mindful of not overreaching too much. This is what recovery is like, trying to strike a balance between stretching myself but not overdoing it. Hope others are doing okay. ❤❤❤

@Maidenpink I'm sorry to hear that. I understand as also find contacting my GP and waiting for their reply anxiety provoking. They always seem to call back at a really tricky moment too. Hoping you can have a day today when you can build in some time to just relax and prioritise your wellbeing. I'm being realistic about recovery and expecting to have a lot of bumps in the road ahead. We've got this far though. ❤️

Thanks @polelynn ❤ I'm trying to go gently today. Definitely bumps in the road to being well again.

@Maidenpink how's your day been?

Hi @polelynn, it's been okayish. Still anxious, bit low and the intrusive thoughts but not as intensely. How about you? ❤

Mixed today. Felt quite uneasy and on edge this morning for no obvious reason. Intrusive thoughts, like you, do seem more subdued, which I'm taking as a positive. Still no change to OCD behaviours though I had a bit of a revelation yesterday when I realised that, if the worse outcome happened (I got Covid), I would never actually know if it happened as a result of me performing a compulsion or not doing so. It was quite enlightening!

Maybe you were able to think a bit more clearly because your intrusive thoughts were toned down a bit @polelynn. Glad you've had some sort of breakthrough, however small.

My head just feels such a mess still. My mind hops from one thing to another. I'm in such a habit of thinking how I do even when I am distracted or thinking of normal stuff I compulsively return to all my worries over and over. Can you relate? Lol. I feel mad sometimes. It's depressing to rate your day as okayish because you didn't have a complete meltdown. I'm far from well still. But, I am better than how I was. Just need to keep looking forward and and remembering Rome wasn't built in a day.

Yes I can relate. It's all consuming regardless of whether, as you say, you are distracted. I think it's the strength of those beliefs and thoughts/behaviours at the moment for us. I'm confident they will be toned down in time, with the help of medication and/or therapy.

Yes ❤ I have to keep reminding myself that I was well for years before this episode so I know it's possible to get past this again. Patience and time. ❤

So my improvement earlier in the week was short-lived. Feeling utterly fed up today and actually quite angry because of what this illness is doing to me and how it restricts my life so much. I really would not wish this on anyone. I just want to be better and enjoy the simple pleasures without all these intrusive thoughts and behaviours ruling my existence. Thing is I know it's within me to change but I feel absolutely stuck. Hoping for a more positive frame of mind tomorrow.

Sending you a big hug @polelynn I feel your pain, I really do. It just wears you down. I know you feel stuck right now but try to hold in mind that you're only a couple of weeks into your dosage increase, so that won't be working properly yet. And you are still waiting to get the right kind of therapy. It's within your reach but you need a bit of help to get there and it hasn't fully arrived yet. You're still in the thick of it. I understand how you feel, I've not had a great day either and it's hard not to feel despair. It's so hard when you think you're picking up and then you don't feel good again. Things will get better. ❤