Fluoxetine 20mg side effects?

Good morning everyone - I am into my 3rd week of taking the above med and sometimes I seem to get really really agitated I think is the best way I can describe it? Very one edge and also physically wanting to hyperextend in stretching - man that sounds weird but I hope someone knows what I mean - almost like a tension build up and have to really stretch out my hands to release it? I don't feel I am explaining it properly.
I am thinking about stopping my meds, I was very reluctant to go on it, and I don't feel like I need to should continue taking it. I talked to my pharmacist about the agitation and he agreed it can be a side affect but he strongly discouraged me from stopping it as did the nurse at my Drs. She thought I might need to be on it for a long time I would love any thoughts as no one apart from my Drs and my husband know I am anti-depressants and I am so not happy about it.

I took this stuff in varying doses for about 20 years all up. The one effect that I noticed was that it dulled my brain, and I was not able to comprehend and had difficulty understanding things I was supposed to do. Other side effects I noticed were hand tremors. Any of these drugs are powerful chemicals.
If you do have to take them I would only take them for a limited time because you build up a tolerance and they become less effective with long term use.
Also combine them with therapy because the purpose of these drugs is to help you face whatever depressed you in the first place by artificially elevating your mood. If you do not then like me you will just learn to live with your pain and the drugs will become a crutch
I stopped taking them 3 years ago and withdrawal was not physically unpleasant but my actions were a little nuts for a while. Made some bad choices
Don't do this without supervision.

Thank you so much for your reply - I will take on board what you have said - by the way I wish you have a happier user name - that makes me sad. I was beginning to dispear that anyone would ever reply as so many have taken the time to read my post but no one had anything to say - thanks again, you have made my day

Another side effect I remembered the other day, vivid dreams which I remember the last ten or so minutes of. My imagination works far better when I am unconscious.
And the user name, it was created on a bad day but if you look at my other writings here you may understand a little better. I'm not suicidal (my faith and belief will not allow it) but I struggle these days to find any reason to continue trying to fix the mess.
Anyway I'm will be glad if my experience can help guide someone else

LV, sorry, I thought I'd posted in your Thread but it must have been a ghost post and you can't read those.

Sounds to me like you're describing something I dread when it happens and which I simply call 'Prozac Yawns.' I dread them because I have spinal chord injuries and they leave me feeling exhausted simply from the effort of them happening. Then again, I'm lucky I can do the Prozac Yawn 'cos it means I'm still moving under me own steam, more or less.

Does anyone need to know that you are taking anti depressants at the moment? Is it their business to know? Are they at immediate risk of harm? Then hon, don't worry about them.

And the anti-mads - they're only pills and we can do pills 'cos they can help us. Tis a nuisance they can seemingly take so long to have a noticeable positive effect but chances are, it will happen.

There will always be smiles just waiting to be noticed, even on our crappiest of days, if we take the opportunity to look.

Take gentle care,

Paddy.

deathsoonplease - I was just thinking the other day that for many months now I do not even once recall a single dream I have had, good, bad or otherwise. Perhaps it is because I do suffer from insomnia and don't get into deeper rem sleep?? I don't know- it's all a guessing game at times.

Paddy - I think my meds are starting to help me, I no longer feel utterly without hope and do not wake in tears every morning so that is a bonus. I love your encouraging posts and love how you telling everyone to "take gentle care" you have no idea how special those words can be in the midst of a bleak day - thankyou

Hi,

I too go long periods with no memory of dreams , and it has to be because we are not sleeping to even get there Im sure. Then, times when I do dream, they arent flowery happy ones...but dam nightmares.

I too am on fluox...and notice I am really shaky the last few weeks. ALso like a cat on a hot tin roof. very restless and agitated. mind not with me.
I had my pills added to just last week and am feeling even worse now that before.
Not easy at all eh.

XO

Hi Apricot
It's such a horrible feeling that agitation aye, just feel so jolly restless at times, tearful and sad at others and then sometimes ok. I don't like this depression business at all, it's just a bit exhausting. I guess it's just a day at a time, and realising this in not forever because feelings they come and they go - it's all too easy to wallow and think "is this as good as it gets"??? Do you have good suppprt Apricot? Only my husband and one good friend up North know, which I guess has advantages and disadvantages - hey it was nice you replied to the thread - take care of yourself xx

I loveroses.

Yes, i do have support, councelor etc, who are really good, just when the crisis hits, you are alone...and it can be so hard. Or its weekend, or the middle of the night, all those times when feel alone as it is...

God knows the depression is bad enough alone by itself, but the agitation takes things to a whole new place.

Total head spin...the other day I took myslef away to a pretty spot that I like, but was so unsetled with in my own self it did nothing to help..

You know the saying, where I go there I am....It was that so totaly.

I just want to run away from it.....

Take care loveroses
XO

Yes I know just what you mean, you describe as one who has/is there can only do - try to explain it to some one that has not and it all sounds too wierd. I don't know what to do with myself when I get like this, it's even like I need to hyper extend the energy out of my fingers even!! So weird and I hate being like this. I don't know if I am doing any better than however long ago it was I started on fluox - I guess most of the time I feel less bleak, but the fact is I still can't sleep, can not watch tv or read a book so I don't feel like I have made progress. I don't intend to ever go to a counsellor so I guess that is not idea in that I am not doing any of the head work that some think is so necessary. I was such a coper so it is a huge shock to acknowlege that may be you are a sufferer of depression - ops I am rambling so I will go before everyone (or the one of you that reads this!) starts yawning
You just want to run away apricot - maybe we could run away together ha ha like that would achieve anything aye Have a nice evening !!

Hi I am new to this forum and soooooo pleased I found it. Have suffered depression and anxiety since an operation which didn't exactly go according to plan in 2008. Mind you it would be fair to say I am a depression sufferer probably from childhood, knowing what I know now... I was on mirtazapine until about 6 weeks ago and asked my Dr if I could change as I was feeling a bit dumbed down so after spending 5 weeks withdrawing from them went onto fluoxetine on Monday, thinking my prayers would be answered... Yeah Right! I felt like fire works were going off in my head, my gut totally ached and I couldn't look at food for 3 days. The fact I have had major small bowel then large bowel surgery probably didn't help... The long and short of it is I went to my Dr today and yes I am now back on Mirtazapine, the lowest dose to start with and we will see how it goes.

Hi Robynrose - welcome on board here - I am pretty inconsistent in checking in here but really feel for you with the hiccups with your meds - I also have had the feeling plenty of times like fireworks going off in my head - explains it perfectly!! Try and be kind to you while you are re adjusting all over again. I bet you feel dissapointed that it did not work out with fluox but the last thing you need is for your body to throw a hissy fit aye.
Have you any nice plans for your weekend ahead? Our weather here today has been amazing and really warm so I have been taking photos
Take care of your self xx

Good morning loveroses... Ta for your reply... Not sure where in the country you are but here in the east waikato a wind is brewing up and over the mountain is looking pretty grey and gloomy. Yay but it isn't raining... a plus. I wouldn't say it is exactly warm here at the mo... My Dr is really great and she has put me on some Lorazepam as well to assist my mood for the next couple of weeks. Along with all the physical probs I don't really need to have things going blah in my head too. I am soooo rapt I have found this site as soooooo often I have wished to talk with people who have been there, done that. I don't feel comfortable talking with friends because as hard as they try they don't quite really get it. It's the old saying "You have to walk a mile in another man's moccasins before you can judge. What type of photos do you like taking?? I find it is soooo important to have a practical hobby to focus on (pardon the pun) and I invariably pick up my cross stitch first or cards or patchwork. Knitting is supposed to be good for re focusing the mind, even if it is for short periods. A lot of study is being done in Britain pertaining to the likes of that and showing good results. I do like to acknowledge something each day that I am grateful for and today it would have to be the support of my dear husband. He sure knows when to come to the party... No we are pretty much Darby and Joan this weekend. DH is making a tow bar to put on the front of the Rav as he is having difficulty towing his vintage midget in and out of the garage. We are taking it to a vintage car show next weekend only in the next town to us. Hopefully we will get to a movie next week. That is only if there is something humorous on. The week before last we went to Hamilton and saw Hope Springs and yep it was hilarious. I feel soooooo good walking out after having a good laugh, something I don't do enough of. Maybe someone will come up with some laughing pills....
You have a good weekend loveroses... PS we recently shifted from Unit 2 to Unit 1, did a revamp of the entire house and garden. I have planted two roses, Mutabalis and Alberic Barbier. I think that is how you spell them. One is a rambler the other a climber and eventually will be glowing over the front fenced.

Cheers R