Fluoxetine increase to 40mg

[Kimmyleanne]

Hello, im new here. I have been reading through alot but want some advice/reassurance.
I have been on fluoxetine for nearly 6 weeks now. 4 weeks at 20mg & 2 weeks at 40mg.
Im still really anxious, if anything the anxiety has ramped up again this week. Also waking up to anxiety attacks & im exhausted. Im starting to worry if these will work for me 🙁.
Has anyone else experience increase in anxiety & low thoughts when increasing the dosage?

Sorry no help but I’m in the same boat with citalopram. 4 weeks at 20mg anxiety still awful. I am increasing today to 30 hope that helps. Could you try propranolol, I’m taking it it does help with the physical anxiety symptoms.

Also is there a Facebook group you could look at that see what other people think. I found it helpful and Reddit for advice or to see other threads that people have asked. I think it’s common for side effects to increase with each new dose but then should settle.

@Catsservant thank you for replying. For some reason ive never been offered the propranonol. But the only time my heart races is when i wake up. Other that its more of a tight chest & breathing i get with anxiety. I do have a review tomorrow with the doctor as i had a meltdown 2 weeks ago on my other review.
It seems it heightens anxiety no matter which AD you take then. Hope your increase eases yours. Its horrible feeling worse before better isnt it.

It’s awful let’s hope we see an improvement soon. Before this I was on Paroxetine which was great for a long time but unfortunately stopped working last year. 2 dose increases of that did nothing so trying citalopram now.

@Catsservant been back to the doctors today for my review. He told me its all normal to have heightened anxiety as i started another dose. My first dose has only just levelled out in my system.
Another review in 2 weeks. Its like a rollercoaster on these!
Alot of my friends are on citalopram & get on really well with it. Hope you turn your corner soon!

6 weeks isn't quite long enough. Give it 12 and hopefully you will be seeing the benefits.

I'm on 40mg and it seems to be helping me hope things settle down for you. I have heard about increased anxiety when increasing the dose

did you ask about propranolol, I’m on 60mg a day it definitely does help with the physical symptoms.

@Catsservant i didnt ask as i completely forgot to be honest. I may contact them back 🙈. 60mg of propanonol?

@TeenToTwenties i will give it a fighting chance. Just need to try ride out the storm.

@Orangesandlemons77 how long have you been on the 40mg. Mines only been 14 days so i expect some increased nasty thoughts & anxiety still

About six months? It seems OK now.

@Orangesandlemons77 did it not cause you to feel worse before better? Its making my ruminate on negative thoughts & they arent nice

Yes 60mg propranolol. I do have asthma but it’s well controlled so GPwas happy to prescribe it. I started 30mg dose increase last night hope I don’t get even more anxiety symptoms. I’ve been off work since December with this at this rate I can’t imagine ever going back 😔

Really? Can it really take great long? Christ. And you won’t know until then if it’s the right one? 😞

I'm a bit hazy now as it was 4 years ago with DD, but it definitely takes a few weeks to go through the 'feeling worse' to the 'feeling improved' part.

Thank you. My dd18 was on sertraline 100 up to 150 for around 6 months. It helped with anxiety a lot day to day but she would still have too many panic attacks to consider it the right anti depressant option.
she changed to citalopram and quite quickly was titrated up to 40mg as she was feeling so bad.
She thought this was causing her too much paradoxical anxiety and insomnia so the dr brought her down to 30mg

she is not bad but a lot like with sertraline she is pretty good day to day but triggers still cause panic attacks so we wonder if maybe SSRI are not the right class of drug for her and if she might be more fully treated with a SNRI or just something different from a SSRI

She has loads of therapy etc.

but I just wonder how long before we suggest she tries something different. It’s been around 3.5 months in citalopram of varying doses.

might it improve or do you think if it was the right medication we would know by now?

20 & 40 have never worked for me. I have to work up to 60 to make a difference but my God it does!

@blubbyblub No idea, sorry. DD only ever used fluoxetine, she was on it for 4 years and stopped in January.

@Catsservant i hope you dont either its so disheartening when you feel like your going backwards.
I had a brill morning, rubbish anxious afternoon & thoughts & now this evening im ok again. Hoping this means im on the right track to recovery.

@blubbyblub i tried sertaline & it made me so poorly.
Maybe suggest a different AD like you say an SNRI if theres no improvement. My sister is on Venlafaxine & finds it amazing. She has OCD. I think that one is meant to cover alot of things.

Me again!! Can anyone please give me some reassurance these work. Im now 20 days on the increase dose & im just wanting to stop taking them as my anxiety & mood has been so bad the past 2 days.
I dont know what to do ☹️

I'm not sure maybe ask the doctors what to do? maybe 20mg suited you better? I think maybe give it to the end of 30 days and then see, but it might settle down. Best of luck.

They also might be able to prescribe something for the anxiety in the meantime, I have heard beta blockers can be helpful.

@Orangesandlemons77 ive got a call with my doctor in 2 days. Something is just telling me to stop them & i dont know why. So frustrating

I have been on fluoxetine for nearly 6 weeks now. 4 weeks at 20mg & 2 weeks at 40mg

This is a quick increase to 40mg, maybe you would be better off on 20mg. I wonder why they didn't give it longer on that to see.

@Orangesandlemons77 i was on 20mg for 4 weeks & i was still a wreck i was a crying mess.
I dont have the racing heart with my anxiety so not sure if beta blockers would help me.
Its just the negative thoughts i need to go away as they keep the anxiety there.

It can take time and increased anxiety is common when increasing the dose, I don't understand why they increased yours when you had not been on 20mg long enough for that to settle down.

I was on 20mg for years and only recently changed to 40mg as it wasn't working as well anymore.

I'd speak to the doctor and see what you say but it might be worth going back to 20mg and trying that for a bit and swapping to something different if it doesn't settle with time

Fluoxetine is a more 'stimulating' antidepressant and you might get on better with a more 'sedating' one instead such as mirtazapine for example, (it also helps with sleep if that is a problem for you)