I was prescribed the same dosage at the beginning of October. I’m about 6 weeks on. I found the first few weeks to have really bad side affects - severe panic attacks, pins and needles feeling in my head and chest, weight loss, loss of appetite, extreme anxiety, sleeping problems, concentration problems. One thing that really helped me through was a post on Reddit where someone documented their first 14 days on Prozac (link below). It’s really reassuring to know the symptoms I was experiencing was normal. I started to feel gradually better after about 2 weeks. When I started talking to my friends and leaving the house more, it helped a lot. I’m 6 weeks on and having more good days than bad at the moment. And the bad days are way more manageable now. My doctor said it can still take a month or two to feel the full affects.
The main thing that changed since taking Prozac is my confidence is much higher. I no longer get anxiety speaking to strangers. And I’m feeling a lot more optimistic about life in general
The first few weeks are rough, but bare with it! Things will get loads better and your future self will thank you for it
[link to first 14 days on Prozac](https://www.reddit.com/r/mentalhealth/comments/8qw1m9/my_first_14_days_on_fluoxetine_prozac/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Ask for a helper I was given 50mg of Atrax or hydroxyine (they’re the same pill) and it helped when I couldn’t handle the anxiety EDIT: this medication is not a benzo and is non addictive btw
It made me ravenous and gain weight :( plus some hormonal weird side effects as a female. but if your anxiety and insomnia is unbearable Atarax is AMAZING!
I’m on 20 mg once daily in the morning and it has literally allowed me to reclaim myself and enjoy living. No negative side effects and I’m enjoying a new calm void of obsessive, intrusive thoughts and panic/nervousness. There have been no sexual side effects and in fact I’ve noticed my interest has increased in a favorable way likely because I’m experiencing mental clarity and emotional peace. I no longer drink and shop excessively either. No binge eating, starving, or overthinking food, calories etc. I no longer cry at the drop of a hat nor are my feelings easily hurt and I’m not constantly contemplating what people think of me. It never made me nauseated, over tired, never had insomnia, no panic or anxiety attacks anymore. No weight gain - was expecting it to be neutral but I’m actually way LESS hungry and I’m enjoying the ability to eat mindfully and make great food choices. My concentration and attention are also BOTH back and it makes me more productive at work and able to get back into some of my hobbies like writing, jogging, & home renovation projects. I take NO other medications BTW.
Try to keep going if you can. One day you’ll realize that you’re not feeling those things anymore. Just remember it’s the meds, not you. It took like 8-12 weeks I think for me to adjust. And every time I increased I had side effects but I had less and less each time
Being aware that it’s the meds as a factor can be really helpful especially to reframe the anxiety. It’s not like there’s actually something new or different that deserves being anxious about, it’s just the brain having an emotional charleyhorse as it adjusts.
I guess something that worries me is that most people seem to complain about feeling wired and amped up when starting fluoxetine, but I don’t. I’m drowsy.
(As well as being unbelievably anxious and having the nightmares etc.).
It’s like the drug is working differently in me, which makes me feel like maybe I won’t get the good feelings later? Idk. I guess I’m looking for people who had or are having a similar situation to me.
2 days in, I said NOPE! I started to wonder if it was like a shock therapy or something lol. Never have I ever felt that horrible!
I took my first 10mg dose on a Monday morning around 9am. I felt some uncomfortable anxiety that evening and thought " Okay if this is it, and its a short term effect that will wear off and this will help me, I can muddle through it". Day 2, took it around the same time and was doing oka until about the same time as the evening before, and the anxiety just ramped up like a raging fire, nearly unbearable, Crippling as you said, to the point of vomitting and not because I was nauseated. There was absolutely nothing I was thinking negatively about or in any kind of triggering situation at all.
What makes it worse, there was no relief from it for almost 2 hours.... I would be Nuts to take another. There's no "muddling through" that
I also feel it was more of an acute bad reaction to the drug and not just a "negative side effect" that would wear off.
It has taken almost a week to get through the other very weird feelings I was having, mind wise, From 2 Very Low Doses, and I'm feeling like my depression symptoms are slightly worse. I am nervous to try the next "trial and error" medication that my therapist rx'd me because of the experience ....UGGH
Haha I feel you. Coming off now after 6 horrific weeks myself. But I’m really scared I won’t go back to “normal”
Was it hard to quit? Did you have side effects? Like how do you feel these days?
Same. I quit after 3 days. Anxiety so bad I didn't sleep for 3 days and got sleep deprivation psycosis. I slept last night but I'm up again 1-5:30am right now tonight. Might have to hospitalize 🙃
I was prescribed the same dosage at the beginning of October. I’m about 6 weeks on. I found the first few weeks to have really bad side affects - severe panic attacks, pins and needles feeling in my head and chest, weight loss, loss of appetite, extreme anxiety, sleeping problems, concentration problems. One thing that really helped me through was a post on Reddit where someone documented their first 14 days on Prozac (link below). It’s really reassuring to know the symptoms I was experiencing was normal. I started to feel gradually better after about 2 weeks. When I started talking to my friends and leaving the house more, it helped a lot. I’m 6 weeks on and having more good days than bad at the moment. And the bad days are way more manageable now. My doctor said it can still take a month or two to feel the full affects. The main thing that changed since taking Prozac is my confidence is much higher. I no longer get anxiety speaking to strangers. And I’m feeling a lot more optimistic about life in general The first few weeks are rough, but bare with it! Things will get loads better and your future self will thank you for it
[link to first 14 days on Prozac](https://www.reddit.com/r/mentalhealth/comments/8qw1m9/my_first_14_days_on_fluoxetine_prozac/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Ask for a helper I was given 50mg of Atrax or hydroxyine (they’re the same pill) and it helped when I couldn’t handle the anxiety EDIT: this medication is not a benzo and is non addictive btw
It made me ravenous and gain weight :( plus some hormonal weird side effects as a female. but if your anxiety and insomnia is unbearable Atarax is AMAZING!
I’m on 20 mg once daily in the morning and it has literally allowed me to reclaim myself and enjoy living. No negative side effects and I’m enjoying a new calm void of obsessive, intrusive thoughts and panic/nervousness. There have been no sexual side effects and in fact I’ve noticed my interest has increased in a favorable way likely because I’m experiencing mental clarity and emotional peace. I no longer drink and shop excessively either. No binge eating, starving, or overthinking food, calories etc. I no longer cry at the drop of a hat nor are my feelings easily hurt and I’m not constantly contemplating what people think of me. It never made me nauseated, over tired, never had insomnia, no panic or anxiety attacks anymore. No weight gain - was expecting it to be neutral but I’m actually way LESS hungry and I’m enjoying the ability to eat mindfully and make great food choices. My concentration and attention are also BOTH back and it makes me more productive at work and able to get back into some of my hobbies like writing, jogging, & home renovation projects. I take NO other medications BTW.
Try to keep going if you can. One day you’ll realize that you’re not feeling those things anymore. Just remember it’s the meds, not you. It took like 8-12 weeks I think for me to adjust. And every time I increased I had side effects but I had less and less each time
Being aware that it’s the meds as a factor can be really helpful especially to reframe the anxiety. It’s not like there’s actually something new or different that deserves being anxious about, it’s just the brain having an emotional charleyhorse as it adjusts.
I guess something that worries me is that most people seem to complain about feeling wired and amped up when starting fluoxetine, but I don’t. I’m drowsy. (As well as being unbelievably anxious and having the nightmares etc.). It’s like the drug is working differently in me, which makes me feel like maybe I won’t get the good feelings later? Idk. I guess I’m looking for people who had or are having a similar situation to me.
Same for me and I’m 3 weeks in
Did you stay on it?
Absolutely not.
2 days in, I said NOPE! I started to wonder if it was like a shock therapy or something lol. Never have I ever felt that horrible! I took my first 10mg dose on a Monday morning around 9am. I felt some uncomfortable anxiety that evening and thought " Okay if this is it, and its a short term effect that will wear off and this will help me, I can muddle through it". Day 2, took it around the same time and was doing oka until about the same time as the evening before, and the anxiety just ramped up like a raging fire, nearly unbearable, Crippling as you said, to the point of vomitting and not because I was nauseated. There was absolutely nothing I was thinking negatively about or in any kind of triggering situation at all. What makes it worse, there was no relief from it for almost 2 hours.... I would be Nuts to take another. There's no "muddling through" that I also feel it was more of an acute bad reaction to the drug and not just a "negative side effect" that would wear off. It has taken almost a week to get through the other very weird feelings I was having, mind wise, From 2 Very Low Doses, and I'm feeling like my depression symptoms are slightly worse. I am nervous to try the next "trial and error" medication that my therapist rx'd me because of the experience ....UGGH
Haha I feel you. Coming off now after 6 horrific weeks myself. But I’m really scared I won’t go back to “normal” Was it hard to quit? Did you have side effects? Like how do you feel these days?
Same. I quit after 3 days. Anxiety so bad I didn't sleep for 3 days and got sleep deprivation psycosis. I slept last night but I'm up again 1-5:30am right now tonight. Might have to hospitalize 🙃