I'm taking this for anxiety n panic attacks.. I'm going thru all the side effects expecially the worsened anxiety attacks.. I'm starting to get depressed bc of dealing with this.. is this normal or does this mean I'm becoming suidal? Please help.. I'm trying to stick thru till 6 weeks but it feels like there's no light at the end of the tunnel.. I need some pick me up please
Hi, I have been taking flux for approx 6 weeks now and I am not getting anxiety attacks so much now. I went through hell in the first 4 weeks. I had morbid thoughts and Could not sleep or eat much, but just hang on in there, it will subside and u will feel better hopefully soon. I hope this gives you some reassurance.
All the best
D
Thank u so much.. I really appreciate it.. I'm getting very depressed about it bc it feels like these feelings are never ending.. the anxiety is horrible. Can't eat .. can't sleep.. mornings are the worst for me .. thank God for people like you that reach out to help somebody
wow--dont even know what to say to u except i feel bad fro u and sure hope things get better soon-i cant even handle 5 mg. so dont know how u folks doing it on the higher doses-----i have been on many different ones in the past--and was never told 'will get worse before better'---i guess u just have to trust your dr.--i would surely let him know what is going on, tho--maybe at least some symptomatic relief!
I wish more people would respond.. it's scary going thru this alone.. positive feedback is always great
yes, i am so hoping those also going thru it will respond as u need a support system
I think you need to bring this up with your doctor. There is a black box warning of suicidality for Prozac and other ADs, and it is no trivial matter. Just know that this is a side effect of the med, not you, and that it shouldn't last. It's very important to share your feelings with others, have a support team in place, friends, family, someone who knows what is going on with you on a new med so that they can keep an eye on you. Please just know that this seems to be common, to have these horrid side effects before the med starts working.
Thank u... I have a great family that's supporting me.. but u need to hear from people that are going thru the same thing you are sometimes.. my family is scared for me as well and don't understand.. n don't know how to help.. but they are supporting me there very best
Absolutely, this forum is wonderful for getting support from those who know what you are going through.
Hi, I'm taking it for anxiety and now into my fourth week. Feels like I've been on a journey without leaving the house, or sofa, some days. Every day is different and feeling worse than before - exhaustion, low mood, agitation, insomnia, weight loss (bit of a bonus) etc. Once home from work I can't do anything else so been unable to socialise, exercise, go to gym etc and live on my own so feeling isolated which probably exacerbates the low mood. However, some days my head has felt clearer and I'd forgotten how good that felt - so much space up there in my muddled brain! It's tough but hang on in there and take each day at a time. Hopefully it will be worth it. Good luck, take care and wishing you well x
Hi, mornings were definitely the worse time for me, then up and down throughout the day and then pretty normal by the evening.
I am going into week 7 I think now, and feeling like things are returning to normal for me a little. Definitely felt worse before very slowly starting to feel better.
There's some really helpful people on here and there's one lady called Kate I think?? Who really helped put things into perspective as in giving the meds time to work and giving yourself time to heal.
Hope u start to turn the corner soon and just keep talking xxxxx
Hi stick with it I had the same worse panic attaxks anxiety wanted to die more often as my life was living in fear of panic attacks. But it doe s change first 2 3 weeks were bad. Doctor face beta blockers they are brilliant to help with the anxiety so you have less or no panic attacks.
I'm on week 5 haven't had a panic attack in two weeks and sleeping really well. Head clearer now appetite not big but that's good as I was comfort eating before. Lost a few pounds too which is good.
Motivation is not high yet but anxiety is not regular anymore and no more panic with good sleep so for that I'm greaful to the 20mg Prozac I take.
Here if I can help none of us are alone x
Hiya lovely people .... Just wanted to share my story so far ... Hopefully it may help other people through their journey . After feeling particularly anxious for some time my gp started me on Fluoxetine 20 mg 9 days ago. WOW what a journey .... My GP definitely did not prepare me for these side effects ... Also I purposely did not research it as I felt that would make my anxiety worse . For the first few days I felt what I can only describe as euphoric. I could not believe the tablets were working so quickly as the gp said it would take at least 2 weeks. I went to Wales with my husband and group of friends 3 days later for the weekend to celebrate our friends birthday . Foolishly I consumed a lot of alcohol on the Friday night ... Woke up Saturday morning having a HUGE panic attack ... Something I hadn't experienced before .... For the whole weekend i was in Wales ... I felt like my body was shaking from the inside out .... Extremely anxious ... Crying ... Hot sweats .... Could not eat , was generally terrified .
I returned home on the Sunday and felt some relief ... However woke up Monday morning having another major anxiety attack ... Took myself to the GP as I was due in work the next day ... GP reassured me that I needed to give the tablets time to work ... And I would feel a lot worse before feeling better ... I was prescribed 80mg slow release propanalol to help manage the palpitations...and signed of work for two weeks. (In the last 2 years I have never taken a day off sick)
I feel I have had every side effect going ... Anxiety attacks, low mood, nausea, no appetite, weight loss, body trembling, hot flushes, sweaty hands and feet, shaking vision.
I am now on day 9 and actually feel a lot better .... Not 100% myself yet ... Still a long way to go ... But we actually went to our friends for tea last night and i actually enjoyed it !!! I honestly hope this is the start of my recovery because I cannot go back to feeling the way I was ...
Ah Renee, thanks for sharing that. It's interesting to hear how you felt during the first few days - I also felt amazing for the first 3 days of taking it and set to work on all the jobs I'd been putting off, moving furniture round and feeling fantastic. However, it didn't last long but how I felt in those few days is how I'm hoping I'll feel once the medication kicks in properly (back to my old happy motivated self who I've somehow lost over the years).
Hi Sophia (my daughter's name!), 4wks is still early, in terms of side-effects. I've kept a (brief) daily log of symptoms/feelings which has proved useful - for GP too. I had what I can only describe as a "wobbly attack" during week 8; walking home from work (c 1 mile), I felt so weak and faint that I carried on walking straight on to my GP surgery. They were wonderful and took bloods etc - culprit believed to be low sodium. Those horrible suicidal ideations continued until week 10 and, like you, I live alone. I'm on my 17th week now and, if it helps, the only bad side effects now are jerky legs in the night if I get up to spend a penny - annoying, persisting dry mouth and some definite memory probs (I sometimes fret about dementia). BUT, the good bits: NO more migraines - ever, and weird, but I'm nowhere near as cold as I used to be! So guess I'm saving a fortune on Sumatriptin and heating bills.
Hope this helps
Anne x
Hiya ... Just a quick update for people ... Hope it will bring comfort, reassurance and hope to others going through the same thing ...I am now on day 11 of fluoxetine 20mg . Yesterday I felt very low in mood and depressed ... However Today an amazing thing happened ... It was like my anxiety just lifted, I suddenly felt relaxed and as a result my chest and jaw feels very sore and tender ... I'm assuming that's because i have been tensing my muscles continuously for the past 9 days .... I could actually cry with relief .... These past 9 days have been hell .... The continuous anxious feeling was unbearable .... Just hope this continues as each day seems the bring something different.... Also has anyone experienced shaking eyeballs ??? This has happened to me twice in the past 3 days ... Very scary
I had shaking eyeballs as a withdrawal symptom to a different AD, but I think withdrawal symptoms are similar to side effects going on and common to many ADs. It shouldn't last. I only have had it once, but it sure was strange! The other one is vibrating inside your chest/abdomen.
Thanks for all this Anne, the fainting episode sounds scary - the medication does effect appetite, I wonder if the lack of sodium was due to this. Pleased to hear you are feeling much better and warmer! I've felt so much better this weekend - drove on the motorway, took my son to look for student accommodation for next year, went to a Xmas market, went food shopping and did some housework! That's the most I've done for ages. I'm sleeping so much better and feeling happy and relaxed. Ive also had a strange week where I've come to realise much of the cause of my anxiety which has helped bring closure to a difficult situation. I have my 4 week review with the GP in a couple of days which made me look at my lack of remaining tablets, and on some days I must've taken two. No wonder I was feeling strange!
Recovery sounds a slow process, much more so that I expected and i hope that you continue to improve and wish you well. Thanks again for your lovely message x
You and me both, Sophia - well said. I guess that loss of motivation/sense of fun, is such a gradual process that we don't notice it - until it's just gone. Horrible. I sense that I'm still recovering and that's on week 19 - so it's a S-L-O-W process, grrr!
Anne x
Hi Anne I just want to be cost in bed and I'm finding it so hard to get up and do anything.
Housework is not inviting not is food.
I'm on week 6 7 and all I want for Christmas is motivation and desire to live and be active but mostly feel happy 👍🏻😊
I do feel better once I make myself do things it's just the getting of my Arse to start with feel like I need a rocket up it 😂