Fluoxetine/antidepressants

[LaLaLaLaLolaaa]

Hello,
I have today been prescribed fluoxetine 20mg for depression/anxiety after battling on for years thinking I can ‘manage’ it but to be honest the darker days/weeks/months completely outweigh the brighter ones and it’s time I tried to get help. Has anyone got any positive experiences of fluoxetine please, how have people got on with it? I’m really hoping it helps me as I just want to get some sort of ‘normal’ me back.
Thanks in advance xx

Hi, I responded earlier to another thread about fluoxetine and I've just seen your post. I've just started taking it again. I was on it previously a few years ago and it helped. But life has become a struggle again. I'm currently feeling a bit spaced out and numb, which I don't remember feeling before, but I think I started out on a lower dose before so I'm thinking that's why. I'm on day 4 so still very early days but this weird feeling is freaking me out a bit, I knew what I was feeling when I was crying everyday and now I'm not really feeling anything! But I know I need to stick at it as it really helped me last time. It'd be nice to share with someone going through the same thing. Good luck!

Fluoxetine changed my life. At my worst I was on 60mg a day. I am now medication free.

Hello Coffeeismyhero I really appreciate you responding. I’m so sorry you are feeling as though life is a struggle but I’m glad you recognised that you needed some help and I hope the fluoxetine will help you eventually. It’s really positive to know that it helped you in the past, I hope it will do again. Did you find when you were taking it before that it started to help fairly quickly or did it take some time?

Only day 1 here, no effects yet good or bad, I’m really worried about the side effects to be honest as I’m a Mum to two small children and really don’t want to be spaced out or feeling worse than I do now.

I hope you are feeling more yourself soon Coffeeismyhero, it would be really nice to share how we are both getting on? In the meantime be kind to yourself whilst you are getting used to the meds again and think about the brighter future

Polkadotties thanks so much for responding. It’s great to know that fluoxetine really helped you and also that you now no longer feel you need the medication. I have put off taking ADs for so long (years) on the basis that I was scared I’d then be reliant on them for life, so it’s really positive to know that there will hopefully come a time where I no longer need them!

@LaLaLaLaLolaaa I hope I haven't worried you. Thinking about it, spaced out is probably not the right term. I actually just feel a bit flat, it's like I've gone from feeling everything to feeling nothing! But I'm expecting and hoping that it will even out as my body and mind adjusts. I have children too and I still feel as tho I can function ok at the moment if that reassures you.

I think I saw an improvement after around a month or 6 weeks last time. I did have to have the dosage upped a couple of times after that but it always helped. I am speaking to my Dr again in about 4 weeks so she can see how I'm doing before my next prescription. She has also arranged for me to speak to one of the mental health team next week.

I hope you have minimal side effects, but I try and remember that it's for the greater good so it's worth it for a little while

All I did was sleep when I was on them

Hi I’ve been on them for years, maybe 11/12 years. I can honestly say that I can’t live without them & in fact wouldn’t be here if I didn’t take them. They have helped me immensely in day to day life. I never noticed any side effects with them at all and hopefully you’ll be fine. I take 40mg per day and prob will for the rest of my life. Good luck 💐

Hi, I've been on fluoxetine for in excess of 10 years. I started on 20mg but I'm now on 40mg and they've literally been a life saver. I've tried over the years to come off them, but the depression came back with a vengeance. The only side effect I had was a lack of sexual libido. Good luck op x

Coffeeismyhero you’ve not worried me at all, honestly I’m just so glad to hear about others’ experiences on it, good or bad! Do you remember feeling the same flatness when you were getting used to it before? It’s finding that right balance isn’t it, you don’t want that constant overwhelm of feelings but you want to feel something!

Definitely got to keep focusing on the fact that it will (hopefully) help eventually. I actually feel fairly positive today despite it only being day 1 - I think I have battled on for so long without any help that I’m just glad I’ve finally reached out and accepted trying something.

I hope you feel less flat soon Coffeeismyhero and any other side effects are minimal. Do you have a good support network at home?

DD has been on them for about five months, she suffers from
Anxiety and OCD, specifically intrusive thoughts.

They have helped her lots, she still has bad days but not as bad as previous bad days and she can function pretty normally now.

Mixitupalot and Missatkins thank you for sharing your positive experiences - it’s great to hear how helpful fluoxetine has been for people, so many people saying they have been a literal life-saver. I know side effects will be so different for everyone but it’s good to know they can be minimal. I’ve been started off on 20mg which I know is a low dose - I’m hoping it will be enough to improve my mood but on which I’ll not be too affected by side effects.

Missatkins my libido is already almost non-existent and has been for a few years. I feel awful for my poor DH. So fluoxetine can’t make it much worse

Has anyone gone the other way and found their libido has gotten better on ADs?

@LaLaLaLaLolaaa no I don't remember this flatness before, but I think I was started on 10mg previously so that could be why. I'm on 20mg this time.

I agree about feeling positive even though it's early days, after I spoke to the Dr on Friday (after dithering for ages about doing so) I actually felt as though a weight has been lifted!

I'm not getting too many other side effects, slightly dry mouth (which I definitely had last time) and a bit tired, but I've been feeling tired anyway so that may not be the medication.

Unfortunately my husband suffers with his own mental health (not officially diagnosed but obviously I recognise the signs) so he does struggle to support me. Not his fault but that is why I (finally) made the decision to help myself.

You sound like a lovely caring person I really hope things improve for you.

How are you doing today Coffeeismyhero? Do you feel any less flat today? Sending love & good vibes your way

Day 2 for me, felt a bit sick this morning and seem to have a weird sort of tinnitus/white noise in my ears today, odd.

I also don’t have a lot of support from DH. He is a great husband but he had a stroke a few years ago after a head injury during a rugby game and his emotional side and empathy have been really messed up since. He tries his best to be there for me but he can’t seem to understand it properly so I find it impossible to talk to him about it these days.

Sorry to hear that you are not only dealing with your own MH problems but your husband’s as well, it is tough when you need that support but don’t have it. I hope you have family & friends around you who can support you both.

Hang on in there OP. It can take a while to work but it’s been miraculous for me. Good luck.

Thanks so much Wolfiefan, so great to hear that they have worked for you

Thanks for checking in @LaLaLaLaLolaaa. So sorry to hear about your DH, that must be really tough. Do you have other support? Unfortunately for me I don't have any support close by, I moved to a new area a few years ago and my closest friends are back where I used to live. My mum is great but we live about an hour or so apart, so I can't just pop round for a cuppa and a hug. Which sometimes is just what I need!

I don't feel quite as flat today I don't think, but still not right! So hard to explain.

I think tinnitus can be one of the side effects, I hope it's not long lasting for you.

My Dr arranged for me to speak to a mental health team member next week which I am dreading a bit if I'm honest. Are you doing anything like that?

I've been on it twice for two separate bouts of depression, several years apart. Both times it's done a great job in helping me get to a place where counselling helps. The first time took longer as I'd got a lot lower as I didn't know what was happening. Both times took about a fortnight to show signs of making a difference. Both times I took them for about 9 months then came off them again. The last time was 13 years ago.