Fluoxetine Buddies!! - there will be a group for every AD at this rate!

[NattyThomasandEllen]

hey guys
saw there were some other "buddie" groups but couldnt find one for Fluoxetine. if there is one point me in the direction and i apologise for taking up cyberspace lol

i went on these a week ago, and was told they take three weeks to kick in, anyone else out there on the same ones?

Back on them again for the 3rd time in 6 years.
All fun and games here! They do take about 3-4 weeks for you to feel 'normal' again.

i just feel nothing yet, not even side effects which i would actually quite like, so i no they are working!
im on 20mg PC what dose u on?

Hello. I'm on these, they definately even you out. Have been on them a few months now, side effects for a fortnight for me (just queasiness and lack of appetite).

Am glad I went on them, don't want them forever but definately needed them IYKWIM.

I am on 20mg too.

hey. good luck i hope they make you feel better. i'm a huge advocate, when taken in the right circumstances of course...

i've been taking them for a couple of years which probably sounds awful to you. but i have absolutely no side effects (that I'm aware of!) and i feel so much better (less anxious, less stressed, smilier) than i had for years and years that i have no intention of giving them up. my husband is also delighted to have me back.

yeah i got to that stage. i started self harming to relieve the pressure of the kids in the evenings when they went to bed.. and realised that it just wasnt right or normal to be doing that just to relieve stress. the doc dosent know thats what prompted me to go, i just said my husband made me come!
what caused u guys to finally make that appointment?

I have found myself more like the old me since being on them. I too am generally less stressed and anxious, and more smiley. They do make a difference.

Is your doc okay with you being on them so long GS? I am worried every month that my doc will say he is cutting me off!

Also a 20mg dose here.
I've got a chat with my doctor soon to see if it would be better for me to be on a low dose permenantly rather than go on a high dose for 6 months-a year then off for 2 years or so.
Part and parcel of having an SN child, stress and depression.

40 mg here!

sorry personalclown SN child?

Trust you to beat us Expat!!
Natty- SN child is Special Needs.
Ds is autistic and I am raising him alone.

I went because my relationships with ds and dp were suffering (still are apparently but that's another thread), and I realised one day whilst doing a mundane task that my hands were shaking! I was so stressed and anxious, didn't want to go out, talk to people, was over eating, wasn't sleeping, IBS had flared up. I was a mess. DS came up to me and said 'don't be sad it's alright'. I gave him a hug and called the doctors.

I'm so glad I did.

Am hoping to go down at my appointment on Friday, but I was feeling suicidal, PC, when I went back on.

Dior's got us all beat, though, IIRC, she's on 60.

i can see how that would be more stressful.
ive got two under 2 and find it very hard to keep them fed, clean and played with on my own, i can imagine have one with SN would possibly be quite similar. you day consists of feeding, bathing, changing, cleaning the house, then starting all over again doesnt it? though im sure the emotional side is harder for you, i know my eldests tantrums are very hard to deal with.

Expat 40mg how long you been on that dose?

Been there Expat. Hope never to go back, I've learnt to recognise my symptons of a 'crash'.
How's everything going for you lately?
Been lurking on threads but never had any help to offer.

better now, thanks!

i've only been on this dose for 4 weeks - well, it will be 4 weeks on friday.

i was trying to avoid ADs (was scared of them) and so instead had gp-surgery-based counselling for lots of irrational fears, insecurity and constant crying. he recommended i try CBT. Asked gp to refer me - we have private health through dh's work - and was surprised to find myself seeing a psychiatrist. he was excellent, talked for 1.5hrs, diagnosed phobic anxiety disorder which he thinks i've had since childhood. i had lots of cbt but kind of hit an insurmountable wall which the therapist felt i was unlikely to breach without ADs. So i tried them, via the psychiatrist. he started me on 5mg liquid dose for a couple of weeks, and built up to 30mg a day (we tried 40 for a while, but i was TOO happy!). his view is that it's preferable to have a prozac a day for ever than to expose your brain to the damaging effects of stress. I've been reassessed by him every six months for the last couple of years and ticked along fine, don't feel the need to see him again as am basically fine now, but went to the GP last week who said she was happy to keep me on them - sounds like it's up to me to ask to stop.

Hi there,

I took Fluoxetine (20mg) for 3 years for depression, stopped two years ago oddly after my Dad died. I'd been wanting to be off them for a while before and that pushed me over the edge when the Dr suggested I double my dose, so made a concerted effort to stop them. Was managing fine after that. I was also told that it was better to take them until you're better, however long that takes and not to stop without discussion.

Unfortunately PND caught up with me after the twins were born and i'm back on them.

They are marvellous things though, still on 20mg and they have just evened me out and got me back to normal.

No side effects at all for me thankfully.

I've been on 40mg since last May and its the best thing I've ever done. I have no intention of coming off them until I feel entirely ready. I was speaking to a doctor the other week (in a social environment) and he said that the right way to go about it. I second what GrinningSoul said - bloody marvellous IMO. Good luck. I hope they work aswell for you as they are for me and the others on here x

i was also trying to avoid AD, but just denied there was a problem for a long long time!
ive been referred for counciling, but god knows how long it will take to come through

anyone gone the councilling route on NHS

my counselling was NHS-provided, but only because my gp practice happens to have it in-house. it was pretty good, got me past a couple of crises, but the fl. has really cracked it!

I started taking fluoxetine in December (20mg) but this was increased two weeks ago to 40mg. I can't say that I feel any better. In fact I feel anxious and nervous. My hands also feel unsteady and a bit shaky. I will contact my GP again but I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced the same. I have also lost over a stone since the beginning of December due to lack of appetite and although probably not the best way to lose weight I'm rather pleased about it. I was having difficulty losing the weight after having second baby and was constantly picking at chocolate and biscuits.

Funny Bunny, I think you do need to get back to the gp and ask about a different medication as they don't seem to be working well with you - although you will have to leave this thread if you do swap

They may well tell you to give them time to settle or they may find you something similar that won't give you the side effects. Make the appointment though. the idea is to make you better, not give you something else to stress about x