First day on Fluoxetine (prozac) in treatment for anxiety and anxiety attacks

First of all just take a deep breath and relax! You're only going to fuel your anxiety with thoughts like these!

With all SSRI's it's quite likely that you'll feel **** for about 10 days but it will pass, I can promise you that! It's expected and you're not experiencing anything unusual or unexpected so you're doing just fine

I remember when I started Citalopram, similar to Fluoxetine, back in my 3rd year at Uni and I couldn't leave my bed for the first week and that's honestly not an exaggeration. I felt like I had the world's worst hangover 24/7 and I couldn't shake it, but it passed in time!

You just have to appreciate and hold in your mind that this is likely to be just temporary whilst your body acclimatises to having the drug in it's system, once it does you should hopefully start reap the rewards

The mental health support on TSR is great, IMO. From complex discussions on how certain drugs work, to threads where people just want a whinge, the support is good. If you feel like just venting your anxiety on this thread, or have any questions, don't feel shy to do so! It's what the forum/others like me, are here for. I'll keep an eye out on this thread and can hopefully answer any questions you have.

Can I just ask how old you are, and why you're taking the oral liquid solution as opposed to capsules?

Keep your chin up

Thanks I really appreciate you taking the time to read my thread and to reply!!! I feel much better after reading your reply, it's my second day and I'm just super sleepy I'm just waiting for the side effects to occur lol

I am 17 and my psychiatrist put me on 10mg first and that can only be taken with the oral solution as there's no 1mg capsules (the oral solution is 20mg but I only take it with the small end of the spoon which makes it 10mg it says on the instructions)

No worries... 17, I'm surprised they've allowed you to be put on Prozac! Most people have the agonising wait of their 18th birthday to be put on it, despite their own personal circumstances.

I've not taken it myself but I'm sure Prozac comes in 10mg capsules!? I'll wait for someone else to confirm that though. Also, if you're taking it in a liquid solution I'd avoid using a spoon, as it's so inconsistent in administering correct and consistent doses. It's quite easy to take 7mg in one dose or 13mg in another if you're in a hurry. I use a syringe to take oral morphine in small doses (10/15ml) since they're so much more accurate. Most pharmacies will give you one for free or you can buy them online.

I was super sleepy too, just slept about 20 hours per day! Hows your appetite? Are you planning to stay on 10mg or is that going to be increased at any point?

Thanks I really appreciate you taking the time to read my thread and to reply!!! I feel much better after reading your reply, it's my second day and I'm just super sleepy I'm just waiting for the side effects to occur lol

I am 17 and my psychiatrist put me on 10mg first and that can only be taken with the oral solution as there's no 1mg capsules (the oral solution is 20mg but I only take it with the small end of the spoon which makes it 10mg it says on the instructions)

Really? My Psychiatrist was more than willing to he just said it would have to be small doses since I am under 18

Well a double-ended spoon came along with it and it said to use the 2.5/small one so I am just doing that so I think it's accurate also!

My appetite has decreased so much, I feel like I can go the whole day just eating twice whereas this time last week I would have probably eating 1200 calories worth of food by 1pm lol I had to force myself to eat something this morning before taking it

My psychiatrist said that after 10mg with the oral solution (7 days) I will move onto the 20mg capsules for 30 days (from friday) and on thursday I have a check-up appointment with him

I'm more worried on how this will effect this week of school as I have so much work to do especially chemistry and it stresses me out so much

Yeah I lost my appetite too, which is why I asked. It's important to try and make sure you keep on eating otherwise you'd feel even more fatigued/lethargic/tired.

That's fair enough if you're moving up to 20mg per day then, that's the usual dose. It's good that you're taking it easy to start with, so many people are just put on 20mg as it's considered the lowest therapeutic dose and they feel like they've been clubbed round the head with a hammer and just don't continue with the medication.

Don't worry about School, you're entitled to feel like ****, put your feet up and snuggle about for a week or so!

Can you explain a bit more about how your anxiety actually affects you? Have you tried talking therapies such as CBT?

It's pretty common to have a rough few days when first starting things like anitdepressants. I was quite lucky in that I was tired and woozy for only a couple of days before I went back to feeling 'normal' (as normal as possible when severely depressed, anyway). I also didn't notice any real increase in my anxiety when I started, although I know that's pretty common too.

Starting on a low dose like you have should reduce how bad the side effects are and how long they last. Just give yourself a break for a few days, try not to stress about whether the side effects will last long or whether the medication will work. Do some calming, easy things that make you happy - like watching favourite films. You are perfectly justified in wanting to do nothing but flop around for a while.

Okay I will worry less about school then >.<

Umm well the main things are that I can hardly do the things I want to do, its gotten to a point where I get anxiety attacks everyday now and they're not pleasant and it's hard to deal with in places I cant leave such as class etc
I never go outside or anything when I do it's usually going to school and coming home from school (even then my mum drives me)
And the thoughts and feelings I get are just not pleasant at all I could reallly do without them I am more worried though about if I don't get into/an offer from the uni near me as that means I will have to leave home and that's going to be so hard

I am doing CBT along with my medication, my psychiatrist said I could have medication whenever I wanted and then I was like okay I'll have it now then, since I am going on holiday in december to the country my family is from and I get anxiety attacks sooo badly there and even little things like sound, people talking, TV, cars etc can make it worse once I am having the attack (where I live here in the UK is super quiet and really relaxed/calm) and when I was there this august I thought I was going to die or go crazy multiple times and all I did was stay in the house for the whole month too, when I did go outside once I almost collapsed from having such a bad anxiety attack and I need to see my grandma because last time we were there (before this august it had been 2 years) she suffered some kind of temporary memory loss and she really wants to see us again along with my mum ofc so we're going in dec and I would feel bad if i didnt

So will this woozy feeling and tiredness wear off? I hope it does >.<
Now I am actuallu more stressed about all this work I have to do at school tbh like I feel like I only have energy to be lazy and even that feelings like it requires loads of energy

I suffer from General Anxiety Disorder so I don't get 'attacks' per say... just general anxiety, funnily enough!

Have you talked about the use of Beta Blockers or Benzodiazepines to use for attacks? Due to your age I'm not sure they'd be comfortable in prescribing you the latter, but they're very useful medications in managing attacks.

I think it was a fair decision to start now if you've been given the option to start at any time. Sounds like you're having quite a hard time and it's having quite an impact on you, so if medication helps, then so be it. How are you getting on with CBT? If I'm honest, CBT and other talking therapies never really did much for me, but I've known others who it's literally transformed for the better.


Yes the wooziness and tiredness will wear off so just hold on in there! It'd be abnormal for it to stay for longer than around 10-14 days. You kinda just have to hold tight, weather the storm and keep your chin up! It's a horrible feeling and I really sympathise with how you're feeling - especially when others around you just don't understand how you're feeling. That in particular I found quite annoying. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder and Clinical Depression around 3 years ago and my Dad still doesn't really get it... he's adjusted but just still hasn't come to understand why I feel like I do sometimes.

Well I think my psychiatrist likes the idea of prescribing me fluoxetine as it worked really well for my mum so it looks good for me

Yayyy I cant wait until I feel more energetic, right now it takes me energy to talk , seriously sucks so much

Yeah it blows, well tbh my friends dont even try to understand its like they dont even care ugh

Ah man that sucks!! But I get it kind of... my dad thinks I am over exaggerating my anxiety and he just doesn't understand that its all mental and that I cant help it and all that, I think it's because "anxiety" sounds like the "nicest"/"easiest" mental disorder (to deal with etc) compared to ones like OCD, depression and schizophrenia

I also feel that my anxiety levels in general are now really high, like right now I am anxious to go to school and thats tomorrow ... lol weird huh

I was on SSRIs, NEVER AGAIN!!

How you feeling today?

Yeah the success rate for Prozac is pretty high so it's a good one to go for, there's a possibility of me swapping over from Agomelatine to Prozac next month, which will have it's pro's/con's so I'm not sure what to do! Not costing me £70 per month for Agomelatine would be nice for starters!

Honestly, some of your friends just wont get it, and those that say they do - probably don't. You're at a very young age and it's incredibly likely that not a single one of them has felt true anxiety in the form that you're experiencing. Your mum sounds like she'd be good support though, that's super important for a parent to understand you.

It's quite normal for anxiety to peak during acclimatisation of Prozac so try and hold on in there!

Chin up!

Why? Is this fluoxetine experience?

I take 20 mg of Fluxetine, been on them for about a week or a bit more. I take them before bed, and they have not messed with my sleeping patterns at all. Tbh I havn't seen much change from them in any way good or bad yet. I would try to take them in the evening and so if that makes a difference, as they do not interfere with my sleep. I have not been on anything prior either, if you were wondering.