Hi everyone.
Started to take Fluoxetine just over 2 weeks ago after being prescribed them for depression and anxiety. I'm hoping it will get better with time, but at the moment I'm feeling so tired constantly, and like I've lost all my motivation. I'm also feeling quite self conscious around people, and my anxiety has increased a little. If anyone's had a similar experience, how long was it until you started to feel better? I'm not planning on stopping the medication as I've heard it does take time, but can't help wondering how long I have to endure these exacerbated feelings :?
Hi Gaz
I've been on 20mg for 2 weeks on monday 25th Feb. I also feel really tired all the time, and have lost all motivation. I feel really down, I think Im paraniod as well at the moment.
If you read the comments on here, it can take a month, 6 weeks even maybe 8 weeks before we may start to feel better. Like you I am planning on sticking with them, although I am going back to see my Dr on Monday, as I am feeling so low.
This site is awesome though - to be able to share it all with so many people in the same boat, that understand. One thing I've learnt is that I'm not alone in the way I'm feeling. I dont really know what I would have done without the caring people on here.
Good luck Gaz, I hope they work for you, and for all of us. Let me know, I'll let you know what Doc says Monday
Suz
Hi all, just started Fluoxetine 20mg ( i take at night) 8 days ago after being prescribed them for depression. I do feel tired on these - not as hungary as I used to be - do feel odd at times and my head feels at times all over the placeand also do feel self conscious around people but yeah I have picked up in my self a little and have been told it will take a few weeks before they really kick in, so just going to hold on and see what happens, dont like the idea of been on tabs (my first time) but if it helps why not? wish me luck A....
J.B
Hi John
Good luck mate. My first time too, and feel the same - dont like the thought of being on them, but had to do something as I have never been lower in all my life as now, and it's either this or just not facing another day.
I really hope you, and Gaz, Ang, everyone, all of us, find a way out of the darkness x
Thanks for your replies guys, as you say Suz, it's really great knowing I'm not the only one having these feelings.
From what I've read up on Fluoxetine, it's very common to almost get worse before you get better, so I'm putting my faith in them for now.
Know what you mean though John, it's a bizarre feeling when the mind's all over the place.
Hope your visit with the doctors goes ok Suz. I'm no expert but you'll be better in the long run I would imagine, as a few people have said in this forum, it takes a while for the benefits to override the side effects. Hang on in there, we're all in the same boat! :-)
Good luck..
Gaz
Hi Guys nice to hear others views and how they are doing on flouxetine, I saw my G.P yesterday and did also say things might get a little worse before things pick up, that's what my doc said. He did say I could be on these things from 3 months to 6 months, I like to think they will carry me over this rough patch till I think I'm ready to slowly come off them (that's the plan lol)
Did feel low to day, but made sure I did things around the house and kept my mind active, suzisue i wish u the best of luck u be fine, what u feeling is what we r all feeling and yes it sucks lol but u be fine. And Gaz hang in there like to think we could keep in contact on how we r doing?
Any way take care guys!
J.B
I might be on this medication permanently so I'm hoping it works out ok!!!! My GP suspects I have a serotonin deficiency, as I've had problems for years and no successful treatment from counseling, CBT, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, etc etc.. but hey, as you said John, if it helps me live my day to day life then why not? In can only be a good thing.
It's definitely beneficial to stay active, I've had the lowest days when I've just stayed at home doing nothing on these tablets. But I'm still feeling tired constantly, and like one of Ang's comments, I can't stop yawning! So sometimes it's hard to get motivation to keep active, bit of a vicious circle really.
Yes It'd be great to hear how you're doing, and I'm sure the mutual support will do us good.
Take care, Gaz
Hi Gaz and others? sorry to hear Gaz that u had problems for a few years, i bet u wondering what the hell is going on?
Like your self I did do counseling on 3 different times over the last 10 years and I did wonder did it help? or make things worse in a way? but what broke the camels back u could say was just 11 months ago I moved to ireland from england with my then wife and two children, within a few months my wife left me, I became homeless, I later became a single father to one of my childeren and dont forget you have your every day crap throwing on top of this as well. I hit rock bottom this is why I ended up on fluoxetine its what i need just for the time being to get me through a few months, a sort of pick me up really.
I wouldn't like to be on medication permanently, theres dealing with your self then theres dealing with medication I feel medication is just a short term use to get u over the hill u could say, then face realality and life after wards. I feel its a whole shock to the system to find that you might have drepression and realising you need help then the other side of that coin is tablets that's a new whole ball game, but at this moment I'm happy to take them as I do need them, who knows I might eat my words in 6 months lol.
Take care
J.B
Hi John B, Gaz and SuziSue and everyone else!
Onto week 4 now and it is getting better! Still so tired and not a great appetite but a LOT calmer and more in control :shock: .
Going back to Dr's tomorrow for next months prescription. I'm still not happy about having to be on these pills to have to feel this way so hopefully a few more month and that'll be me.
These little pills do work and it is true, it is worse before it gets better. Stick with them and good luck to you all.
Ang :roll:
Hi ange and everybody else it is true it does take at least 4 weeks to get into the system,i also couldn't eat and i lost quite a bit of weight,i have been on them now for nearly a year and i have put the weight back on and more,i am also very hungry all the time and and suffer from bad insomnia,after hearing the news this morning it has worried me into thinking it is because these pills may be the placebo ones and that is maybe why i am still feeling like i do,any advice would be appriciated.
Good luck to all those people who are taking them
Hi John B, Suzi, Ang, and anyone else reading/posting,
thought I'd give you all an update on my Fluoxetine experience.
I'm starting to feel much better on these tablets, and more in control.
Headed into my 4th week feeling a lot more positive and calmer. I'm not a 100% yet, I'm sure it's going to take a couple more weeks, but I'm noticeably a lot better than the first 2 weeks when I wasn't feeling myself at all.
I wanted to write something positive as there seems to be a lot of negativity surrounding the whole 'anti depressant' issue at the moment. I say if something works for you as an individual, ignore the media BS.
Hope everyone else is ok?
Gaz
Hi Gaz,
Just like you, I'm in week 4, week 5 starts on Monday 03/03. The first 2 weeks were horrid but now, like you, I'm feeling calmer and more positive.
See this issue with the news and all this controversy surrounding these pills; it's just this weeks topic. next week they'll decide that eating mashed potato is bad for you and will shorten your life by 5 years! :lol:
As you say Gaz, if it works for you as the individual, then it can't be wrong. Works for you, me and John-B or he wouldn't be with us, would you John!
Anyway, everyone keep up the good work and IT'S NEARLY THE WEEKEND!!!
Ang.
Hey Ang,
you're absolutely right! The media don't care that they've unnecessarily worried a lot of people who're on medication. It annoys me that people are quick to judge something they don't understand themselves, with their 'pull yourself together' rhetoric. It's always something though isn't it! As you say, it'll be something else that's bad for you next week, like fresh air! :p
As Ang says, keep it up folks.. we'll all get there eventually 
Hi guys.
I've started to take my tablets at night just before bedtime. Feel a lot better for it as I'm guessing the side effects are eradicated in my sleep. Not sure if it's just me, or whether it'll help you too??
I'm off to Devon for a weeks holiday, hope to catch up with you once home.
Hope everyone's ok,
Gaz
Hello. My husband has been taking fluoxetine (this time) for the past 18 months. I had horrendous \"trouble\" with him beforehand, but I am delighted, relieved, ecstatic, even, to report that he has been a changed person, and i am determined he should continue taking the drug regularly. Without going into gory details, he was insufferable before discovering this way forward, and it was impossible to cope with him. Tho, for some reason, I did. I wouldn't have missed out on this past 18 months for the world, as my dear husb has gone back to what he was in the first place - and lives life to the full (extreme sports galore, appreciating our fabulous relationship, and even enjoying staying in, watching trashy TV occasionally!) His mother has just died, suddenly, which is already making things very difficult, but I am optimistic that he will soon start to cope with the difficult situation it has put him in. IF he hadn't been taking fluoxetine before, I would have been completely distraught myself, as there would have been NO WAY to have helped him. For anyone experiencing initial problems with the drug, i would say stick with it if you can - it does change your life, and the lives of those folks who love you. In our case it has been unbelievably good. ps my husband is 45, but a YOUNG 45, if you see what I mean!
Came off of citalapram after quite a long time. Dr put me on Fluoxetine 20 mg two weeks ago today.
Felt very disorinated and awfully low, not hungry . Head feels as if it does not belong to me. But
today do feel slightly better. Dr said it may be 3 to 4 weeks before it kicks in. Can cope if this is correct
wake up in the morning my stomach feels nauseous is this normal anyone?
Thanks, have not written on here before. anything is worth a tryh isnt it?
Hi Hopey
Yup this is quite normal. I think the doc is being quite conservative at 3 to 4 weeks. The side effects took 6-8 weeks for my system to get used to the drug and settle down but everyone is different. Its worth the wait though although you may find that hard to believe now.
I have only ever been on Fluoxetine or flu as it is affectionately known! 9 weeks on 20mg and 40mg ever since - about 4 years now. To help with the nausea you could try some ginger tea or anything with ginger in it. If you get nausea headaches (as i did) i found the only thng that worked was the 4head roll on stick that got rid of the symptoms for a while.
Any questions please ask.
Good luck and best wishes.
MP
Hi, I am now into my 10th week of taking fluoxetine and I never even realised there were so many side effects of the medicine. I looked on here to confirm that I wasn't making the side effects up and thankfully, it looks like I am not alone! Phew.
Most common ones I noticed were:
Agitated and fidgety
Trouble sleeping
Dizziness
Yawning (all the time)
Tiredness in the afternoons (now better as I take them at night before I go to bed instead of in the morning)
Very weird and vivid dream (so much so that I was sometimes struggling to figure out if I had actually lived them or not!)
I had the most terrible time the first 6 weeks of taking these. You definitely hit rock bottom before you start to feel better. Please persevere though, they have worked wonders for me!!!
I must admit, there are still some side effects that I am seeing:
Random bruising and bruising easily (my legs in particular)
Feeling lethargic (once I have done some form of exercise this does subside)
Weight loss and loss of appetite
Forgetfulness and being very very clumsy
I hope these will wear off eventually as the course continues.
I am definitely in a much better replace than I was. I am no longer suffering my random anxiety attacks, I feel like I can now actually go out in public on my own and I have even started to look at going back to work. I also feel much better knowing that people are going through the same thing.
Hello I'm new to this just signed up but basically I have been prescribed Fluoxetine 20mg today.... I have 14 tablets, one a day and then I have to go back for a check up. She told me that there wont be any changes in the first 2 weeks as it takes a long time to effect the body!? if you guys are saying this looks like I should be expecting something to happen 
Any one got any advice or tips on what to expect or how they coped in the first two weeks?
Also she gave them to me as a suffer from severe depression and sever anxiety and have self harmed in the past 2 weeks.
Hello all. I can't believe it's been 5 years since I started this thread! Thought I'd drop in and give an update on my Fluoexetine experience
For anyone new to Fluoexetine it'll be a little worrying to start with, when you're faced with at all the potential side effects when you're already feeling vulnerable. But not everyone's the same. You may not experience the same effects as others. Hang on in there and give it a few weeks. If nothing is changing for you, go back to the GP and have a chat. I tried a few different SSRIs until I found one that worked for me. And listen to them about coming off them too quickly (if you decide to), it can be a big step back if you suddenly stop taking them, for your body to adjust. You should come off them gradually, should you decide this.
I started to take Fluoexetine for anxiety attacks, and low feelings that I had at the time. It took a few weeks for my exacerbated feelings to level out, and I eventually felt a lot calmer. I think I stayed on them for a few months until I got to a place where I felt pretty good and confident to stop taking them all together (gradually). So now, I'm no longer taking any medication..
It may not be a 'miracle instantly feel better' wonder drug, but essentially for me Fluoexetine eventually did it's job. It wasn't the easiest of journeys, but I needed to give it a chance, and the GP was there for me if I had concerns. It's not easy when you're feeling low, but as I say hang in there and give it a chance to work, and hopefully it will, for you. If not, stay strong and go back to the GP and they'll find an alternative.
I hope this helps anyone a little. I'd better get ready for work!
Best Wishes to you all
Gaz