Fluoxetine/prozac side effects?

[Wmoejg]

Hi,
I've been put on 20mg fluoxetine for anxiety and ocd. I am in my first week and have had some side effects... mild insomnia, increased anxiety, jitters.
I have a cold anyway so trying to work out whether it's my cold getting worse or my fluoxetine making me feel so awful.

I'm having:

• chills and hot flashes (no temperature)
• diarrhoea
• nausea
• shakiness (no temperature)
• prickly feeling on skin, particularly head

Thank you.

I'm on this and getting awful night sweats since starting it. What mg are you on? I've messaged my Dr today about changing to something else.

@Justsmileanwave hi! Sorry you're experiencing this. I'm on 20mg (the lowest starting dose for adults apparently?). I wanted to try it because I've had horrid side effects from other ssri's and need something for my anxiety but find it hard. X

@Justsmileanwave thinking about it, I've been getting really hot and sweaty at night recently but put it down to having a humidifier on for my daughter's congestion... hadn't put 2 and 2 together

It takes on average three weeks to get used to it and settle down.
If you can manage three weeks and no change then see your GP .
Helped my daughter such a lot.. but myself and other daughter couldn't get on with it.
( I'm on sertraline and Diazepam)

Yeah I was the same with other SSRIs. I feel my physical symptoms of anxiety aren't really helped with the fluoxetine. I am on 40mg I started at 20mg. I've tried taking them at different times of the day and it doesn't matter I still get the night sweats but it's only at night.

@PutOnYourRedShoesAndLetsDance thank you for your comment. My GP suggested this one as it had the "least side effects" and I got awful hot flashes from sertraline. I really hope it calms down soon, I do feel really odd! Glad one of your daughters got on with it and hope you're all okay x

Long time Prozac user here... please stick with it... I found it life changing but it usually takes 5-6 weeks to feel me again.
I was lucky though and from dry mouth I didn't get any real side effects.

@Justsmileanwave how long have you been on it now? I hope it settles for you soon. I feel the same re the physical anxiety symptoms. I'm glad I'm aware of what they are now though as before I used to always think I was having a heart attack or something, but now I know it's panic!

@LondonElle I'm so glad it's been so life changing for you! I really hope this is the same for me, I've been a long term extremely anxious person and have just had my daughter (a year ago) and ever since then my anxiety has sky rocketed. I needed something to help me re engage with life and her and enjoy life again as my anxiety really has taken over. (Sorry I realise you didn't ask for my life story haha). But basically, I really hope it works for me.
I also have dry mouth btw - didn't know it linked!

I've been on it since December. Yeah the physical symptoms are horrible aren't they x

@Justsmileanwave have you told your gp about your side effects? It feels unfair that it's gone on since December. Hopefully with time it'll ease for you x

I have seasonal depression which always leads to severe depression and anxiety... this also happened after having both my sons.
Prozac works amazingly well for me, it takes a while to work but one day you wake up feeling "you" again... you may get fleeting negative thoughts but they don't stick and get you down. Obviously they don't work for everyone but in my experience they really really work..good luck, happy to ask any questions!

@LondonElle oh that's so so promising - thank you for sharing your experience.
I think I am extra sensitive to ssri's as I ALWAYS get side effects. I just need to stick it out as much as I can. Thank you x

Yeah I have, I've messaged again today and asking about trying Buspirone. I've heard good things about it x

I had jitters, aggravation and prickly feeling with loss of appetite. After 5-6 weeks it gradually disappeared and I find it quite effective increasingly.

I started Prozac last week (although am already on two other meds so it's hard to work out what's what!). I've had lots of those symptoms too plus terrible heartburn. I haven't had a dry mouth but that was one of my main side effects on sertraline.

I hope the side effects pass soon and you start to feel better

@PTSDBarbiegirl I couldn't find anything about the prickly feeling so I'm glad I'm not totally alone here. I'm glad it's eased for you too. Thank you for your comment!

@mynameiscalypso bless you - it's confusing when you can't work out what's what. I was wondering if my cold was worse or whether it was the drug, who knows! Must be extra confusing with other medication in the mix. I hope you feel better soon xx

Just to add to this I'm having restless legs tonight too and feel like I need to keep moving

It won’t hurt to stick with it whilst having minor side effects and give it a chance to settle.
are you taking it at the same time every day?
so e people find taking it at nighttime easier as you sleep through the side effects.

ive taken it for 2 years now, 200mg and take it first thing in the morning, it really helps me do day to day.
good luck

@Wmoejg Hi! Realise this is an old thread now. Just wondered how you got on with the medication?
I was upped to 40mg 3 weeks ago & id say side effects started this week really badly with jitters, extra anxiety & some negative thinking, also wake up in panic. Id like to feel normal asap.

@KimmyleanneHi love! I stopped taking it but not for these reasons. The side effects died down after about a month, it just caused gastritis (stomach lining inflammation) so had to stop for that reason! My jitters calmed down pretty rapidly though, although uncomfortable when they happened x

@Wmoejg Oh ok, that actually happened to my friend too so had to stop & switch.
Thank you for responding. I hope my anxiety jitters die down asap 😊.x