Fluoxetine (Prozac)...what to expect

[ThisBoyDraculaDrew]

Hi,

I have been prescribed Fluoxetine (20mg daily). I start taking them tomorrow.

Just trying to get some idea of what to expect. I know that they don't work instantly. And I know that they don't suddenly put a smile on your face. But I am not sure what i should be expecting in terms of timescale and what they will actually do.

about 2 weeks usually. they should take the edge off the anxiety/sadness/anger/etc. but ime they don't return you to a "normal" state, just lift the feelings enough for you to be able to take practical steps towards lifting the depression, or just to see it out until it lifts of its own accord. some people report feeling blank on ad's but personally i find the blankness is a feature of the depression rather than the meds, and frankly blank is a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

you may find it takes a while to get the dosage right, if you're not feeling a beneficial effect within a month go back to gp and increase it. you may also find that it doesn't have an effect even at higher dose, or that side effects are unbearable in which case there are many other ads (in same family as well as different types) they can try.

keep an eye out for extreme reactions e.g. suicidal thoughts (less common with prozac i think) or any kind of "high" which can happen if you have a bipolar kind of depression.

did your gp give you any of this info?

As stth says - about a fortnight.

IME it numbs the pain rather than taking it away so don't expect to feel suddenly happy. They helped me sleep and get through the day without crying all the time. And this was enough to get me back on an even keel to deal with everyday life again.

I'm reading this back and it doesn't sound like a great endorsement but I wouldn't have coped without it. And you feel better just by taking a positive step to helping yourself.

Get wellx

Thanks,

At the end of the day I know exactly what is causing my depression (impending (probable) seperation). I know that ADs aren't going to cure that, stop that, change that in any way. I am looking at them as a way to help me get out of bed in the morning. Help me to survive the day until I get back in bed. And help me to do the best for my DCs until I can find a practical way through this, until I get into an embedded routine without him.

I am expecting to be on them 6m+. Already have a review appointment for 3wks time. Have the leaflet and the side effects and withdrawal worry me a little but TBH I think that I am more worried about what will happen if I don't do something. I guess that the side effect that most worries me is the nausea. I am already so nauseus that I have gone 48hrs without eating already this week - that I don't think I could cope with more nausea.

Just realised that I have 30 tabs, not 20 so will start taking them today (didn't want a gap with an empty packet before my review).

Just reading another thread...some seem to find that they make them drowsy. Some find that make them buzz. Can't decide whether to take them morning or night.

Don't worry too much about what will happen in 6 months time. Concentrate on things you can influence now. And eat!! I'm 38 wks pg and have been nauseous since 6 wks. Eating is the only thing that makes it go away for a bit. Eat little and often.

I ddon't remember any side effects.

Hopefully you'll come off them like I did. I just started forgetting to take them and so naturally weaned myself off them. It took around 6-8months

Problem is I smell food I have to go running to bathroom, but can't be sick as stomach empty.

I did lie a littel. I didn't starve myself totally for 48hrs. I had a tiny bit to eat and did actually throw it back up again...so effectively didn't eat.

It is worse than the morning sickness I had.

I found that to begin with if I had a glass of wine in the evening I couldn't get to sleep. After a couple of months I went away with friends for a weekend and didn't sleep well the first night despite not drinking, so had a couple of glasses of wine the next night and slept fine - so that side effect wore off.

I can't remember what time of day I took the tablets, though. Sorry.

well day 1 down....

hi. i'm on day 3..same dose as you. i'm taking them for anxiety.

i took mine in the morning...after about an hour of taking them, i felt awful, kind of "rushing" (enough to make me slump on the settee for 10 mins) then i got myself together and went out. felt fine for the rest of the day. the same has happened this morning, and i feel slightly sort of dizzy, but no more than usual i guess!

i figure i can't feel much worse than i usually do, and am hopeful that they'll do the trick for me...

i too have to go back in 3 weeks.

keep going. hope you're on the up soon. x

Hi,

Shalll we hold hands then?

Haven't noticed any sig side effects. I did have the dry mouth (&eyes actually) through the night.

Still feel nauseus, but as I felt that before I started taking them probably can't be linked.

hi thisboy...handholding most welcome!

day 4 today. dh has already noticed a change...said my mood is much brighter...he's worked again all weekend, but when he got home last night i greeted him with a smile and was having fun with the kids instead of me going nuts at the kids and hiding as soon as he came home.

i'm feeling really good today...not sure if its the medication or just that i've taken a positive step in doing something about it iykwim. my energy seems to have returned too..not loads, but much more than i seem to have had in ages.

still feeling a bit hazy and floaty, and have the odd wave of nausea too...like you though, not sure if its any worse than before.

how you feeling?

oh shit!

not had a ahem, practice yet. i hope i don't get that! does it just not happen? i mean you keep going and going and then NADA? NOOO!

Be careful when taking prozac, is my only advice. As you probably know, it is a capsule. I found it is very easy for the capsule to get stuck in my throat, and when that happened, it would give me nausea and symptoms like heartburn.

No matter what I ate or drank after, it wouldn't shift it.

I did have a habit of taking Prozac on the run, ie: no water with them, and this is when it generally happened, so just make sure you take plenty of water with them.

And it is true about the climaxing.

The build up is there, but never tips over the edge IYSWIM.

bugger! sparkle, i actually had that yesterday...it was horrible, and really didn't help with the feeling of panic that was looming!

really gutted about the orgasm thing...am tempted to sneak off for 5 and try! lol.

As a long term (+2yrs) prozac taker, I'm happy to report that it is possible to get your climax abilities back, although it may take a while! I get the buzzy side effects, I'm taking them for panic disorder, but I've noticed that I'm very level if that makes sense. Not only have the lows gone, the highs have a bit too. I used to consider myself musical and creative, and I have to say I feel I've lost that 'edge'. But then, that 'edge' made me feel like I was going mad sometimes, so maybe that's a good thing. DH and DC definitely prefer me now, apparently I am no longer 'angry mum', so for their sakes I'll keep taking it.

Day 3 here.

Feeling on top of the world but that might be because I have been grinning at DPs misfortune and mis-judgement all day so may not actually be the drugs as the events around me. Nevertheless I feel good

Couldn't care less about the orgasms TBH as the whole cause is DP leaving. But arse means I am going to have to do some pelvic floors instead of orgasms....ho hum.

Nausea still no better (still not sure that prozak has caused that).

I have got a lumpy feeling at the back of my throat which isn't helping with the nausea...but tolerable.

morning! yesterday went a bit downhill for me... went to town for a rare treat of lunch out with dh and kids...was quite stressful, lol. managed just fine..until a while after i'd eaten and the nausea just kept coming, literally like a lump in my throat...i thought i was going to be sick, which led to me almost passing out in the middle of a shop...was grim! regained my composure and left to go home...was horrid though, the feeling of being on the edge of panic was not good. have taken todays tablet...am hoping for a better day. off to the beach for a walk to blow the cobwebs out!

really hope you're doing ok thisboy.

Hi,

Is anyone on here pg now or has experience of taking fluoxetine while pg? I am 21 weeks and just started taking it yesterday. Feel worried about the baby withdrawing but can't keep feeling the way I do (which I feel is potentially far more harmful ).

Will keep an eye on, good luck everyone x

Sorry I am not pg. If you search the archives I am sure I have seen some pg related threads.

I'm doing OK. Had a great start to teh day. I actually wanted to get out of bed . Not sure if I am feeling good because of the meds, because of the placebo effect or because I have just taken charge of the situation which has caused me to need them. Nevertheless I am feeling a bit better....Or I was until my boss put the dampener on things and made me feel a bit crap.

I have actually eaten 2 "meals" today too.

The lump in the throat sounds exactly like I feel though...hopefully that will pass with the side effects. Also have an absolutely banging headache today...again not sure if it is the fluoxetine or whether it is the fact that I didn't drink much yesterday.

Hope you have had a better day.

How are you doing Chimchar? I hope that tyou are doing better than me.

I had an absolutely hideous day yesterday. I felt really low all day after having a good couple of days. I had the shakes all day...not sure if it is a SE or direct consequence of the depression. Then last night I was really really poorly. Agian not sure if it was a SE or unrelated. I was so nauseus that I was very nearly sick. I had a pounding headache and the room was spinning violently. I went to bed at 6:30...dozed on and off until 10:00 and then couldn't sleep the rest of the night. So today I am exhausted.....

Oh well tomorrow is another day...

How are you doing Chimchar? I hope that tyou are doing better than me.

I had an absolutely hideous day yesterday. I felt really low all day after having a good couple of days. I had the shakes all day...not sure if it is a SE or direct consequence of the depression. Then last night I was really really poorly. Agian not sure if it was a SE or unrelated. I was so nauseus that I was very nearly sick. I had a pounding headache and the room was spinning violently. I went to bed at 6:30...dozed on and off until 10:00 and then couldn't sleep the rest of the night. So today I am exhausted.....

Oh well tomorrow is another day...

Lostlenor

I took prozac in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and the only issue I had was ds2 being a little sleepy at first. But I woke him for feeds, which he took well.

It [probably prevented postnatal depression, which I was well underway for, so I'm glad I took it.

hi this boy...

i'm doing ok...not great, but ok! the nausea is bad here too...its in the evening i get it...i struggled to eat last night...its like morning sickness! (am NOT pg, nor am intending to be EVER AGAIN!)

i'm feeling quite low, but i have got pmt (which incidentally has eased somewhat in the week i've been taking the fluox)

how you doing? how are things with your dh?

oh! and happy halloween!