Starting Week 3 More Anxious

nh_user_1477379
Fri, 01 Dec 2023 19:44:46 +0000
Treatment and medication

Around the 18th of September I started to develop Tinnitus, I had stopped taking Sertraline a few months before and this noise as well as certain other health issues caused utter hell to my anxiety.

I stopped taking Sertraline because of how tired it made me.

My doctor prescribed me 20mg of Fluoxetine, it’s supposed to be “activating” so I hoped less fatigue than the Sertraline.

I must have had every side effect. I took this for eight days then stopped as I heard it can make Tinnitus worse. Well stopping it didn’t stop the Tinnitus (I still have it) and spent 7 weeks suffering. I wish I just kept taking it. I was also on antibiotics for the first seven days whilst taking it, so now I am worried the antibiotics have interfered with it.

I am back on the Fluoxetine and have been on it for about two weeks.

I am in hell, I have massive health anxiety and feel more anxious than ever, I have no appetite and am exhausted. My anxiety is worse in the evenings.

I am wondering if anyone has had these kinds of side effects:

shaking/trembling, pins and needles, shortness of breath, dry cough, left leg pain (around the calf accompanied by tingling), hunger but no appetite, insomnia yet severely tired, irritability.

Something else I have noticed is my brain keeps bringing up random old memories, be it life or something in a video game or on TV or a random song getting stuck in my head. Sometimes when I try to sleep I get a sudden jolt of anxiety as I’m starting to fall asleep.

Every sensation drives up my anxiety, I keep thinking the worst such as “Oh god I have MS! Cancer! Blood clots!” I can’t seem to get this thinking under control, I have been to the doctors a few times, tests always come back fine. But my mind jumps to a new issue, even if I try to rationalise it, I have OCD so it’s even more difficult.

I hear that weeks 2-4 are the worst, but will it get better? I just am so tired and desperately want this to work, it feels like the universe is against me and etc.

I am frightened that stopping then starting may have messed up the chances of it working, like my body is going to be immune to any good it does.

It would be nice to know if people here have or have had similar experiences. I will try to update regularly to monitor my progression.

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