So after 4 months of been on fluoxetine 40mg my anxiety and panic attacks are not where I would like them to be so after speaking to my GP he has suggested coming off the fluoxetine and trying venlafaxine as i also have constant stomach problems with fluoxetine.
I start down to 20mg tomorrow for a week and then everyother day for a week and then every 3rd day. Starting venlafaxine on the week I drop fluoxetine to every other day ??
Has anyone else been on venlafaxine and what are your opinions?? I been offered benzo''s but don't really want to start taking them
Thanks Shane
Hi Shane l am on venlafaxine and it has been the only antidepressant that has ever actually helped me.Same side effects as any of them should see an improvement in about 6 weeks on them so be patient.
Thanks for your reply I'll try anything to get over this anxiety for good.
The fluoxetine has really helped my depression but not really done anything substantial for my anxiety and after 4 months I don't expect it to change so I think it's time for a change
Hi Shane I'm on Fluoxetine and they make me feel terrible, I'm afraid to go to sleep as I think I won't wake up, I feel horrible in the day (possibly mainly due to sleep), I have occasional horrible suicidal thoughts running through my head, my depression seems to be worst and my anxiety seems to be worse and I feel anxious, agitated, etc.
I ended up ringing 111 last night for advice and I ended up going to A&E to see a Mental Health Liaison which kind of helped.
She said to stick with the fluoxetine as it takes time to get used to it and it does make your anxiety and depression worse to begin with but she said it will get better over time.
I'm just scared that I'm not going to be here and I'll miss my family and pet dog.
I used to be on Citalpram (started on it at aged 19) and the doctor said my brain has gotten used to it and so they don't work anymore and I've been put in different tablets ever since.
I've tried Sertraline, Mirtazapine and now Fluoxetine and I feel worse than when I was on Citalaoram (which thinking back also needed time to work, I don't know what to do.
His Craig sorry your having a rough time I too have been on paroxatine for years and they stopped working for me.. since then I have tried mertazapine and sertraline with propanalol but had bad reactions to them so was put on fluoxatine..
Don't get me wrong the first 10-12 weeks were horrible but after that they did lift my depression and anxiety to some extent.
I just don't think there working on my anxiety enough, I still have panic attacks with health anxiety aswell and I'm starting to develop agrapgobia from having thsee attacks so I need to try something else to better my anxiety.
I also start CBT therapy in the morning which I'm looking forward to..
The fluoxatine does get better so hang in there, I just don't think it's the right one for me
I keep thinking it's not right for me too and they're making me feel worse.
It's strange because I was on holiday two weeks ago and I was taking Fluoxetine then and I managed to come home, it's just my mood has been affected and I feel like I haven't been away and I was happier and coping better on holiday.
Fluoxatine is a really slow acting medication for most people, can I ask how long you have been taking it and what dose you.take
I've been on them since the 12th of June and I'm taking 20mg.
I do know a lot of it is due to anxiety but I can't seem to tell my brain that lol.
I started on 20mg and the first 6-8 week's were hard but I assure you it does start getting better after 10 week's I moved up to 40mg although I did get some slight side effects again with moving up but they only lasted a few days...
I know exactly how you feel it's hard to believe that all these things can be caused by anxiety.. have a look online about hour adrenalin and the "fight or flight" part of our brains effect the body it helped me with some parts of my anxiety..
The irrational thoughts I have like " what if my hearts stops" or " what if I forget how to breath" are constant for me everyday and I'm hoping the CBT will help with this ..
Just remember your not alone going through this even though it feels like we are at times. Keep coming on this site and posting, this site really does help .
Yeah I've been worried about my heart and breathing too (I have asthma which I've had since I was 18 months
At the moment I'm worried about going to sleep and it's a scary process.
Anxiety is basically fear.
And fear stands for;
False Evidence Appearing Real
Anxiety can make us think and feel weird things it definitely does with me we can get through this
I also have athsma it sucks
Yes it does, I can seem to keep it under control and the doctor changed my inhaler because the one they changed it with was cheaper lol and it wasn't working for me and so they put me back on the other one.