Really not happy with the progress on the fluoxetine, I'v been on 20mg now for 7 weeks and was hoping to be back to my normal self by now. I am also on 80mg propranolol. Is it too early days to change the dosage or meds really hoping for more improvement.
Thanks
My ot told me to give it 6 weeks so maybe tome for you to speak to ur gp . Have u always been on 20mg and have u seen any improvements ? Or side effects ? Is it depression or anxiety . I take it for anxiety and they have advised me i will probably have to go up to 30 or 40 mg . Hope this helpee a lil
Good luck
Thanks for the reply. I have had a review and I think my gp was keen on me to up to 40mg but before she could really suggest this I had already told her I didn't want to because I had read it can take upto 8-12 weeks and if I up it too 40mg I can start from scratch again.
The gp told me the first time I saw her I have GAD then my therapist thinks I may have depression and anxiety.
7 weeks is still early days - these type of meds can take months (took my son 9 months to recover and myself 6 months on a different type).
Everyone is different of course, so you shouldn't base your recovery on anyone else's timings or that your doctor may say 6 weeks etc. The meds works differently for each inividual so it could take some weeks or many months.
You usually get side effects with each increase, but it usually only lasts a week or so.
Don't put a time frame on your recovery - just let the meds to their thing for you in their own time.
You need a lot of patience and perseverance with these meds.
K x
Thanks for the reply just really struggling at the minute feel like my life has been put on hold.
Its not easy I know - we've all been there. It does get easier though xx
Hi I've been on for roughly 4 weeks longer than you and decided to taper off by taking one every other day, please take my advice and see your dr before changing as I have just been off for one day and I feel worse than ever. Seek medical advise and take care
After 7 weeks does anyone think I should change the dosage or stick with the 20mg. Has anyone upped their dosage from 20mg to 40mg if so at what stage not sure if 7 weeks is still early but I don't know what to expect like is this it? Just really confused how will I know if the fluox is working at its full potential
Abi28 stick with 20 for now, I've been reading all the replies and I'm so glad I found this forum, it's made a real difference to me that I'm not alone in this. Thanks to all, I don't think any of us really want to depend on these medications but thank goodness they are there. Best wishes to all.
I'm trying but it's so up and down today my anxiety is through the roof and I don't know what to do to lower my anxiety levels
I feel like my low mood has improved but my anxiety seems worse for some reason. So it feels like as my mood has lifted the anxiety has increased which brings my mood back down but not as bad as I was, I also feel like my negative thoughts and worries don't effect me as bad but are still there and very strong.
As the time goes on does anyone know if my anxiety will improve from the fluox?
I hope so I want to get on with my life and live with partner up our house that we brought ☹️
I too felt my low mood improve, but anxiety seemed to worsen as I got used to it. I have been on fluoxetine for almost 10 weeks now. I keep holding on to hope that it'll get better, but since of course everyone's journey is different, I don't know how much longer it'll be until i get MY breakthrough.
I have to mention that I started working again and I am drinking a cup of coffee every two days or so and it really has sent me over the edge. I need to go back to never ingesting caffeine as that is the safest thing to do (no matter how tired I get during the day). I am tweaking over here. Caffeine for me really messes my nervous system up on this medication.
I think I might be on week 8 now, Im actually losing track when I started! Given the OP was 8 days ago, im assuming we are roughly at the same timescale.
For the last week/ten days I have been feeling a lot better, indeed Ive almost convinced myself Ive at last turned the corner. There has been a couple of blips, but for the most part Im functioning well, back at work and slowly the side effects (and they were horrendous!) have been dissipating.
However, the last two days there has been a creeping anxiety - like a constant nervousness - that is following me about, like a sneaky wee panic attack sitting on my shoulder waiting to pounce. Its been there from the minute Ive woke up, and still there by the time I get home from work. Only by bed time its started to back off. Im moving house on Friday, so that will be the reason (I hope!), and praying that next week should see a big drop in the anxiety.
Reading Katecogs comments are always a help and reassuring that even if it is still there, it is likely to be the side effects desperatly clinging on, and they will go away eventually.
I think what im saying is I wouldnt change meds yet, you could be sooo close to breaking through. My good days are starting to outnumber the blips now, and from what Katecogs and others describe, this is classic signs of the meds starting to do their stuff.
Progress has been painfully slow, and I thought I would never get better. Ive been reading how some people have been 100% better after just a few weeks, and how others take months. One thing I havent read though is no-one who has come off the meds or suddenly changed dose have got better "quicker". Hang in there Abi.
I have been working too I dropped my hours and feel like going work helps me.
One minute I think don't increase and the next I think yes do increase it could really help.
Thanks for the reply.
It was week 8 yesterday for me and I had a ok day but I feel like I could really easily spiral back down once I start worrying.
Just wishing the days away and hoping soon all this will be over and I will be able to get in with life.
Hi please could someone advise me.
From my first post 11 or something days ago I feel like I have had moments in the day when I feel like my old self and can even laugh again which sounds stupid but is a massive thing because iv not laughed since around December.
Is this a good sign?
Does this mean the 20mg will be enough?
Really scared to increase it's been over 8 weeks now so hoping there will just be more and more improvements?
Yep, a good sign - that's exactly it. Having those 'glimpses' of your old self is how recovery starts. Those moments will grow over time, still mixed with blips / setbacks ....... but its starting. Can take a long time still, but let it happen.
Sounds like 20mg will be enough. If you've seen signs its starting then I'd stay on that dose.
K x
Thanks so much for your reply katecogs you do really give me hope.
I have a review with my gp in ten days so I'm hoping by then I will still be having moments when I feel like me and will get a definite yes or no from her wether to stay on the 20mg because last time I think she was keen for me to increase but I had already told her iv read it can take over 12 weeks.
Just hope that when I go back to the house it doesn't all resurface this really petrifies me but I don't want to live with my parents forever, I'm 26 now and feel like I shouldn't be living with them.
Thanks
X
The glimpses can come and go, so don't worry if they don't appear for a while again. I started with these and then found my evenings started being good which slowly crept more into my day ...... I still had awful mornings, but it would wear off. Then one day I woke up with no anxiety. I still had setbacks occasionally but they eventually petered out too. This took me 6 months.
Personally I'd stay on 20mg - its a fairly low dose, but if its starting to work then why not. You doctor will advise, but at the end of the day its up to you. If you've started seeing changes, then the meds are beginining to kick in. My theory is 'why take more meds than you need to'.
K x