Fluoxetine a little bit of hope

[nh_user_1168242]

Hi there,

I thought I would write and try and give some people a little bit of hope when starting out on flu as I know it’s what I really needed to hear when I started.

I have now been back on flu for 35 days and let me tell you it was a bumpy ride.  I was first on flu in 2016 for severe post natal depression after the birth of my daughter and came off it after exactly a year.  Unfortunately after being med free for 8 months it all got too much and I hit a massive low with all my issues dragging me back down, I was a anxious depressed mess.  So back to the drs and back on flu as it worked for me last time.  Now let me tell you up to day 21 ish it was absolute hell I had every side effect going insomnia, nausea, no appetite, diarrhoea, the shakes, ridiculously raised anxiety, headaches, fatigue honestly awful awful awful, I couldn’t get out of my bed as it was so bad I had to take 3 weeks off work I just couldn’t function at all I honestly thought it was never going to end, I even went back to the drs and they wanted to change my meds to sertroline due to the bad side effects I was experiencing I even filled out the prescription but the more I thought about starting all over again with a new med the more I panicked so I decided to stick with flu for at least a month.  So glad I did.

So here’s the good part I’m now on day 35 and I feel soooo much better I am functioning almost completely normally I’m out of my bedroom and even back to work I can’t say I feel 100% better but compared to how I was before starting back on flu and during the 1st three weeks of side effects it has been worth sticking it out I don’t really have any of the awful side effects now they all wore off about the 2.5 week mark and my mood and anxiety started to improve each day from about the 3 week mark (the mornings I know are sooo hard unbearable almost but they do get better)

So If you can get through the first three weeks please know you will start to feel better each day I know it seems impossible and you want to give up but please stick with it you will be so thankful you did. I hope this little post helps someone struggling with the start up as I know I was googling everything and glued to reading posts and the positive ones really helped me.  

One more thing I will say is please don’t struggle in silence speak to your family and gp they are there to help and if you really can’t handle the side effects have a chat with your gp as flu isn’t for everyone, but I will say try giving it atleast a month before you change meds as it’s a slow med to kick in.

Wishing you all good luck on your flu journey and hoping you feel better soon ( which I know you will) . Xxx

[nh_user_1163623]

Thanks for the encouraging post. THis will give a lot of people hope and motivation to stick it out.

[nh_user_629104]

When I first took it some years ago the first 3-4 weeks was intense. Everything was spinning and I was not able to focus at all. When I would sit infront of someone and try to talk to them it was very hard as the spinning/swirling type effects were making it hard to sit still and remain attentive. After 5-6 weeks the drug started kicking as my body started coming to terms it. It made everything seem so much better, it was impossible it cry, there was like a block in my brain which disabled me to get upset about negativity. I had this view that everything was either happy or neutral. I could stand up for myself, take insults and negative comments like a grain of sand and was energetic and positive.  The downsides were insomnia, constant restlessness (always shaking my leg, couldn’t not stop twitching even in bed, inability to sit still - all voluntary but I could not manage to stop). It also made me incredibly thirsty 24/7, which is a common side effect. I always had a dry mouth and my tongue would go white - this happens to me when I am chronically stressed without meds anyways (fight of flight/sympathetic nervous system response). I would get mild to medium headaches often and sometimes I would lose my personility, as in be unable to react to extreme moments and just appear stoic, which people definitely picked up on. I really do think this drug will interact with each person differently and I do believe your personal circumstances and environment will interfere with the results too. One definately needs to give it at least one month to see positive effects. If you’re feeling so down and can’t manage to pick yourself up, it’s definately a drug to consider with your doctors advice. Just use it as directed and don’t ever just stop taking them suddenly. Thanks for your input Hollie, it will definately help people along their journey