6 days in to fluoxetine when will I see improvement help!!!

Treatment and medication
1

Hi every one

Iv just come of mirt after havin bad nitemares and becoming very depressed again, after giving it a go for 18 mth, but just no good to me..

I went to see my doc last week in a flood of tears as I couldn't stand the depression any more.. he's put me on fluoxetine to see how I go, Iv got to go back to him in two weeks to see how things are going, or early if my depression turns even worse, the last words my doc said, please try and give yourself at least the two weeks on this meds, and the chances are I will become worse b4 I'm better..

So I'm in to the 6th day on this new meds, no improvement as of yet, seem to be feeling more lower since day 4... but I'm trying to be positive and keep thinking what the doc had said, and stick it out for two weeks.. I'm scared to death this med won't work and I'll just be depressed all the time, at the moment all I want is each day to pass by as quick as possible, and live in the hope the next day will be the day that I jump out of bed and the world is a better place😀

I hate this feeling of depression and it's like I'm in a tunnel and it's dark, I can see a light at the end but never seem to reach to it..😩

Can any one say if I just need to grit my teeth as still early days yet, and these will work in the end, I understand that we are all different and what works for one doesn't work for another, just looking for a glimmer of hope that these tablets will kick in at some time, and just stick with it for longer, think we are all the same and just want the tablet to work as soon as we take them, but I know that's not the case... help..😒

2

Hi Dawn,

My experience- I have taken fluoxetine on and off for many years now. I have had various experiences on starting the med. from no side effects to pretty much ticking them all off as I went through them. I'm on day 15 this time having come off them last about 18 months ago (and until fairly recently thinking that I had left depression behind- shows how much I know!!).

Today has been one of the worst days this time round with my anxiety and feeling of nausea being really bad. This had been a feature most days although day 6 was deceptively good and I thought I'd cracked it. It's going to take longer for me and this is how it was last time also- a few weeks from memory before I noticed much improvement. 

For me I know it's worth it as this medication has always worked for me in the past so no reason why not this time. So I'm gritting my teeth :-). 

Keep talking to the Doctor though - they're the experts :-)

Best wishes with this. 

G. 

3

It can take a few weeks to see improvement. You may also need a dosage change. I am almost at 12 weeks and am feeling better but not quite where I want to be yet. Be patient and it will work

4

Dawn, I feel for you. Gotta give it 4/6 weeks b4 you know. If no better after gotta try new med 😣. Have u ever tried Wellbutrin With Prozac or other ? Worth a try. I'm in Same boat as you. Finding correct meds is an ART not a science. Good luck

5

Hi William 

Still a long way to go then lol... I use to be on trazadone for 13 years which worked great for me with no side effects from the start, but they seem to stop working and I became very agitated so doctor said my body was working against the meds now, so he put me on mirtazapine put that was alfull did not help with depression and nitemares came unbearable that I could sleep no more, so trying this one now, some one told me about some meds and to ask the doc about going on them, but he said no, they just don't seem to want to give any more then just one med at a time, so just keeping fingers crossed that these help, don't like this feeling at the mo, just can't stand the wait of not knowing if this will work or not, as feel I can't keep trying new meds all the time and find they don't work, so roll on time, and hope that this med will help..

Cheers for getting bk to me any way x

6

Hi john

I'm glad this med is working for you and your nearly there, I'm going to stick it out for the best I can, and hope there will be a change soon, as feel I can't keep trying new meds and finding they don't work, there's only so much you can take when your stuck in this state of mind ..but I live in hope this will work, thanks for getting bk to me, good look with your meds x

7

Hi graham

Thanks for your reply, I'm glad you seem to know this med will work for you, so did you just come of this med because u felt your depression was fine enough to stop taking them?? 

I'm going to keep trying for as long as I can, as I know it's early days still, just want them to work as had enough of this feeling of no hope, I was on trazadone for 12/13 years and that was great for me, as helped me with depression and sleep to, and they had no side effect for me and worked pretty quick but stopped working so ended up back at docs, so hoping this will start working soon..

Thank you and take care I hope you get what u want from your meds x

8

Hi dawn! 

I feel for you. You're still in the early days, I'm afraid. The good news is that this med is the oldest of the SSRI's and it's tried and true.  I was on another med as well for 16 years until it stopped working for me. So I completely understand what you're going through.  It's not fun at all. I'm currently at 7.5 weeks and honestly I haven't seen much of a change yet. My mood has lifted but I'm mainly on it just for anxiety. So you may have an easier time getting on it if you're taking it for just depression. Depression and anxiety will initially get worse in the early days. But it's temporary.   The doctors really have no idea what they're talking about when they say 2-4 weeks.  It can take months to recover, but not all bad days! Usually people will turn a little corner at 4 weeks, some side effects diminish, feel a little brighter during the day. Then a little more at 6 weeks, then 8. Some people fully recover by 10-12 weeks, while others may need another month on top of that. But I will say that most have found success with fluoxetine, it's just a very slow med to work. Usually, SSRI's reach a steady state in the blood by 10-14 days then will start to work after that, while fluoxetine reaches its steady state in the blood by 30-60 days, and it's usually only after that that the big improvements begin. I'm not even there yet 😩. But trust me, you will get there. Not every day is bad. And even on your bad days, not every hour will be bad. Just keep the faith and know that there's people here that will help you whenever they can.

9

I've been notoriously stubborn Dawn as I don't like taking anti- depressants so have had experiments on and off. Life caught up with me again this time though after a period of feeling quite well without. My wife thinks I should just accept I need them permanently and that's it. She may be right :-).

Good luck. G x

10

Hi Dawn, It's very very early days, and please be aware that there is every chance you will feel worse than you do right now, that is normal, it happened to me when I started AND when I increased from 20mg to 30mg.

Roughly 3 weeks after I increased things started getting better for me, but that 3 weeks were utterly hideous, seriously hideous, this MAY happen to you too, so be prepared, it's normal.

3 weeks after the increase things got better for me, in fact I felt the best I've ever felt in 25 years!, this lasted around 4-6 weeks, sadly around mid June things very steadily got worse again, I've been told that 30mg wasn't enough for me, but the fact I had that amazing 4-6 week period is a very good sign that this is the medication for me..... I sincerely hope the people who said this are correct!

All the very best ......Luke x

11

Hi Laura 

Thank you for your reply your a breath of fresh air, it made me cry when I read it lol..

I know it's early days and I keep just struggling through each one I get, Iv gone bk to bed to try and sleep as that's my way of coping with depression is to sleep then my mind is switched of and the depression is not there when I'm asleep.. I just want to get through the days so maybe I keep thinking tomorrow mite be the day the tablets will kick in..

Only day 8 for me and I know now there's still a long way to go, and have to except that, I'm bk at docs next wensday for my two week review but what do you say ' yeah they are working' which they not yet or do I say ' no still no change'as then I'm scared he will say they not working for me so we can try another one, and have to start again, I don't think I could stand the wait to see what tablets will work or not ..

When I was at the doctor telling him my depression was back , and I was talking to people on a forum about how they feel, he didn't seem happy and said they are not doctors so they don't know... but I did say to him these are people who are taking the same meds as me, and I'm interested in how people have coped... but don't think he was amused lol..

What do you think about going up higher on the meds as at the mo I'm on 20mg? I'm scared as when I was on the the tablet mirtazapine I was on 15mg and then went up to 30 which did not help at all and became very agitated with them, so I went bk down to 15mg which did not help with depression just help with sleep, but the nitemares on that drug was alfull and after 18mth came of it as no sleep  any more with them... so that's y now I'm on fluoxetine ..

Just the wait for seeing if these will work feels like a long battle, that's y I don't want to change again as feel I will crack up if I have to wait again for some tablet to work or not if the case.. 

but any way, I'm glad you are finding that this med is slowly working for you, and each days is a bonus, you sound like such a lovely person, and some one who understands, your friends are looking to have such a positive person in there life... I'm hoping one day I will come out of this dark tunnel and be back to my positive self, that's all I can hope for... thank you for taking some time out to get bk to me.. lovely to here from you 😌X

12

Hi Luke 

Thank you for your thoughts on this med... I never thought I'd be feeling like this again.. I was on trazadone for 12/13 years so thought that was it, they were good and also helped me sleep, so yeah all was great, but unfortunately they stopped working, so here Iam on fluoxetine preying to god that they kick in soon... I'm gritting my teath as I'm quite down today and feeling agitated, and just keep thinking every day will be a closer to hopefully getting better, that's all I can hope, they are long painful days at the moment, and all I want to do is sleep away the depression..

So your on 30mg are you going higher now then, not sure how high you can go on this drug?? But how far can you go b4 it just stops working again then what??, don't think I could face coming of these meds again and starting a new med if they don't work, going through all this again would drive me mad, I'd like to think they will work and at least get another 10 years on them lol😌, prob won't but who knows..

Well I do hope that what ever you do next all will be well for you, and they continue to work, it's nice to know maybe there is some light at the end of a dark tunnel ..

Take care 😌X

13

Hi again Dawn, I will Ben increasing but not just yet, I have a few important dates and trips to do so im going to wait until after those before I increase (this comes from previous experience of an increase!!!).

Apparently you can go to 60mg on fluox, as I'm only on 30mg at the moment I remain hopeful...... and so should you, the more I find out about this illness and the medication etc the more convinced I am that we're dealing with chemical imbalances, i realised that after my 4-6 week good period that I had, I went from feeling suicidal to feeling amazing, but getting the exact medication AND correct dosage appears to be very difficult! x

14

Hi Luke 

Mmm I see what you are saying, so when you increase your dosage it's like going back to the begging again?? Think I'd be scared to go higher at this stage, maybe in time if need be, see how I go with 20mg ..

9 day and still in bed as don't want to doing any thing still, I cry at the slightest thing lol.. but I'm going to keep going at this and hope in the end I win and get my life back on track..

I'm back at doc next week not sure what to say to him as I don't want to come of this drug if there's a posssabilty that it will work for me, so we will see what he says, I do hope when you decide to go higher dose all will work out for you, and things will steady them self out..

Good luk to the furtive hope all will be well for you ..

Take care 😌X

15

I feel your pain Dawn I really do,  do you feel worse now than when you took your first fluoxetine?.... or do you feel the same?

I know it's difficult but please try and get out of bed, slump down on the settee, watch a film..... or even go for a walk, nothing too strenuous 10-15 minutes just to get outside of your four walls and into the world..... small steps first tho, take things easy...... Luke x

16

Hi Luke 

I don't think I'm any worse then b4 I tuk the first meds.. I'm not sure, it's like one min I feel a little cheerful, then in the next hour I'm at rock bottom again, and cry at any thing, even when my daughters phone I try so hard not to let on I'm on a downer, I live on my own u see, two years ago when I was on trazadone I was always out of the house with friends, and taking my dog for long walks each day, but for the last year or so, or since I hit rock bottom, I don't want to go out any more I just make excuse up not to go... I go to bed so I can sleep as then the depression is no longer there..untill you wake again and I just think maybe this day will be better as the meds slowly work, I know Iv still got a long way to go ( day 10 now lol) but maybe at least I know that it is possible it will get better for me soon, this is so stupid really how can the state of your mind cause such missey in your life, I'm alive arnt I, and there's others worse of then me, just wish my brain would think that way 😞 And stop me feeling like crap... any way enough of my stupidness sorry for feeling this way, as it the last thing you need to here..,

I'm just glad the meds do work for you, and seems so many other people say the same that wen they kick in they are good, so that's what I'm focusing on each day is a bit closer to being fine again...

Thanks again for getting back to me, take care and have fun while you are feeling good ..

😬X

17

Hi again!

So far I have stayed at 20mg, IMO it's worth it to stay on this dose for at least 10-12 weeks. You will want to be on the lowest effective dose to avoid the added side effects when increasing. I found this on another forum, and it has really been a good timeline:

Fluoxetine - A Timetable to Recovery

Week 1- can go either way. Either you can feel better straight away, or you get the side effects straight away (see weeks 2-3).

Weeks 2-3: anxiety and depression get worse than before the medication. Other side effects can include: insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, hot flashes, excessive sweating, dry mouth, muscle twitches, muscle weakness and pain, zero appetite and weight loss and negative mental outlook. 

Weeks 4-5: some improvement. Side effects lessen to some point and there's moments where you feel good. Evenings are usually best, mornings are worst. 

Weeks 6-7: more improvement. There are still blips wheee you feel terrible a few days, but not usually over a week. You'll feel 50-70% better than before starting fluox. Hang in there, you're getting ready to turn a corner!

Weeks 8-10: even more improvement! There are still blips but they are less severe and shorter, maybe 1-2 days. Not quite normal yet but getting better day by day. Side effects are usually 75% or so gone. Light at the end of the tunnel!

Weeks 10-12: this is where we see the best results. Quotes like 'amazing', 'feel good' and 'brilliant!' come from people during these weeks. For some it happens at 7 weeks, for others 3-4 months, but 10-12 weeks seems to be the payoff time.

So, it really does vary. As for me, I'm at 54 days today (7 weeks, 5 days) and I haven't seen very many good days yet unfortunately. 14 to be exact. But I'm holding out until the 12 week mark because I know it will work! 

18

Just to answer the question about increasing the dose! For, I would say the majority of people, it goes pretty smoothly, maybe another 2-3 weeks of added side effects. For some others, it is like starting from the beginning again. I've seen it happen to a couple people. But again, for the majority it's not nearly as bad to increase as it is to start the fluox.