Fluoxetine

[Emily1998]

Hello, im 26 with three kids, im a worrier by nature but last year 2023 around mid way through my pregnancy with my 3rd child i began experiencing anxiety and quite possibly depression too, fastforward to my daughter having been born 4 months ago and its just fot worse and worse, ive had periods of feeling ok and quite good but not myself who i was before the pregnancy, especially when my period has came, this time around have gone downhill quite fast, ive been toying with the idea i might have PND / anxiety for some time and had concinved myself otherwise for a while and told myself id get through it without medication, as in the past back in 2020 i was put on sertraline, mirtazepine, citalopram, and a few other meds and had extremely bad reactions to all of them and ended up suicidal unable to care for myself or my daughter (it was only her at the time she was 2), my husband had to take the reins while i got off it all but it made me unwell and quite traumatized for quite some time, but was happy and completely myself from early 2021 (through my sons pregnancy) until mid 2023. Ive decided i cant go on feeling like this becuase its affecting my family so much as im so miserable and anxious and just sometimes awful to be around (believe they call it postpartum rage im not sure) but i dont want to be that stressy, shouty mum anymore becuase i feel like im failing my kids who are 6, 2, and 4 months. My eldest is suspected ADHD / ASD and it quite violent towards us at times in meltdowns so is especially hard to deal with, and im seeing alot of her behaviours such as hitting rubbing off on my son, which is especially hard, but i cant help them learn to regukste their emotions unless i have it all together myself, most days i feel like an absolute failure of a mother and that im doing everything wrong which is exhaustinv, im petrified of trying antidepressants after previous reactions and not being able to be there for my kids how i should be but i had fkuoxetine when i was 17 and didnt have any side effects except geartburn so this is kinda ny last resort in the hope they'll help me back to my normal self, just writing this to see if i can get some support really as i have 0 family support whatsoever exceot for my husband but emotionally we all know men arent great but he tries his best bless him but those who have never experienced this will never understand, is there anyone whos been through similar that can support me through this? Ive taken the 1st one this morning and so far nothing in the way if reactions or sidr effects but i know the worst is yet to come

In my experience with fluoxetine, side effects can be quite rough for the first few weeks but it does get better (for me around week 3-4).

@GoodVibesHere how were you around week 3-4? Xx

Anyone else?

I increased mine from 10mg to 20mg three days ago. It has increased my anxiety and I feel a little nauseous.

@YourNimblePeachTraybake they have started me on 20mg xx

I went on 60mg and began to notice a difference at around 6 weeks. It doesn't cure you... it just helps x

I've been on fluoxetine for a month. I've been on pretty much all other meds at some point too. I don't find the side effects too bad although I agree with heartburn. I find if I take them an hour or so after eating breakfast, it's not too bad though. I don't know they've helped much but I'm only on 20mg at the moment. I suspect I'll go up to 40mg today though once I've seen my doctor.

Has anyone actually gone back to there normal selves on this is what i want to know? I feel like i havent felt fully like myself since the start of 2023 (when i fell pregnant with 3rd child) and feel like ive had a personality transplant since she was born (after much denial)... im desperate to just feel like my old self again not for me, but for my kids and my husband

Day 2 of taking it and ive barley slept, is this normal? We had both kids in our bed last night so im sure that didnt help but im unable to get back to sleep once woken up?? I think increased anxiety but not sure if its the tablets or the lack of sleep or food as ive not had an appetite for a long long time

Fluoxetine didn't make me suicidal (like all the other ones you mentioned did to me too) it made me hyper and irresponsible. Out all night partying drinking and getting lifts home off strangers. It did feel good though.

Are you on hormonal birth control? Getting off all that shit helped me massively it's like I'd never been able to be who I was because of all the drugs and hormones put I to me.

Are you neurodiverse yourself? If you child I you may well be. I got off all meds and was feeling human then my clearly autistic son made me realise I'm neurodiverse too. It was like an instant cure for all my struggles. I don't need to do better because I can't I need to change how I do stuff so I can. Highest functioning and happiest I've ever been.

Yeah I never slept well on it personally. But I didn't feel tired. Just constantly wired and buzzing

I dont think im neurodivrrgent no, becuase there was an amazing period of time in my life during my sons pregnancy from start of 2021 up until i fell pregnant with my youngest beginning of 2023, so i was absolutely fine during that time, im pretty sure its PND that began during pregnancy

Feeling very shaky today now as the morning goes on, please tell me this gets better

It does get better OP I’m on fluoxetine and felt exactly like you did but 3-4 weeks in I felt a big improvement. Out of all the meds ( and I’ve tried most!) fluoxetine worked the best for me with the least side effects.

Just try to hang on there I know side effects can be awful but you will see an improvement.

@Ilovemycatalot Are you back to your normal self now?

I recently restarted fluoxetine. First 10 days I didn't sleep well at all and felt quite anxious. Also very thirsty!
But after that initial patch I've felt great -calm, positive and happy. No other side effects (other than decreased libido). Hang in there if you can there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I have been on lots of different medications and fluxoetine is the one that stood out the best for me. I'm on 60mg. I am getting ect treatment at hospital because of my mental health but I plan on sticking with the fluoxetine x

I started on 20mg but couldn't tolerate side effects so went to 10 mg. Was coming off a different one at the same time so withdrawal as well and it was all too much.

Has it helped anyone here's anxiety?

It's been the best one that's helped me. But I relapsed with my mental health so now recieving ECT alongside it ☹️

Ride it out, it definitely changed me when I first started it for the better x

@Emily1998 I'm not in this myself but my 20 year old son was put in it last autumn. He did have some sleep issues at first and I think the dr advised him to take it first thing. From an outsider watching him, it took a few months to really kick in, there was a vast difference when he came home at Christmas, he seemed more able to cope. He forgot to bring his medicine at Easter and took a few days to sort a prescription and missed 4 doses and that was very very noticeable. The drs are keeping an eye on him, I can see he is more resilient but he definitely still has the odd day where he isn't so good

Ive woke up at 4am unable to get back to sleep and having heart palpitations, also tgis morning had the runs, i havent eaten a single thing in like 3 days so im certain its the fluox, i really hope this gets better becuase its only day 3, i have 3 kids one is only 4 months old so i need to be back to myself asap

You are going through the same side-effects that I had. I persevered, but it was rough. Week 1 I had upset tummy and low appetite, and headaches and insomnia. Week 2 I had very high levels of anxiety and fear. Week 3 the side-effects started to lessen and I began to feel better. Week 4 onwards I knew it was 'working' and I gradually became me again. It feels like life is 'in colour' again, I have happiness and contentment and I don't worry endlessly over small things.

I stayed on them for 2 years then came off them (tapering slowly) but my anxiety returned so I ended up back on them. I will stay on them now as they make me 'normal' and life is better for me. I do have some headaches and my sleep pattern isn't great but I am so much happier and calmer and able to live my life.

I also should say that the side-effects were shockingly rough to be quite honest I had times where I couldn't see how I could continue to take them. I had to take time off work initially as I just couldn't have worked during the daytime having been awake half the night. I do feel for you with young DC as you obviously can't take a day off from them. I would suggest that you try to allow yourself to not be the best parent at the moment while you adjust to the medictaion and if the kids have a day of screens with you on the sofa then so be it. You need to concentrate on being nice to YOU, so that you can get through this, for you and for them.

Try to drink plenty of fluids as you always should when on new medication. Eat little and often, even if it means making yourself eat a dry cracker.

Of course always please be aware of any heightened feelings or thoughts around suicide as this can happen on fluoxetine and make sure you communicate with your doctor if this should happen.

I felt very jittery and a bit high for a few days when I started fluoxetine and it gave me terrible insomnia to start with but it did settle down within a week or so and was pretty good overall, no side effects apart from heartburn