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Hi gbg, sorry your still having problems with this :( I was on them for a long time and didn't have any issues with them. Have you considered trying to take them just before bed instead and this might reverse the insomnia X 

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I had some insomnia issues when I went from 20mg -40mg. Would be tired, go to bed, then wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep. I think it eased off eventually (this was probably 6-7 years ago though, so m memory is a bit hazy). Hope it eases off GBG- it's good to hear that you are getting some therapeutic benefit from these though.

 

 

 

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I agree with Lost, try taking it in the evening/before bed.  This might also help with the drowsiness during the day as you'll be at your highest levels during the night.

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If that doesn't help, you should ask your doctor about splitting the dose (i.e. taking half in the morning, half at night).  For some medications this doesn't affect the intended purpose (treating OCD in our case) but can reduce side effects by spreading out the dosage.  Doesn't work in all cases, but it might be worth asking.

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Thanks dksea, I will give this a try. My concern with taking it at night is that it may make my insomnia even worse if the levels are highest during the night (the NHS recommend taking it in the morning for this reason). Although tbh it can't really get much worse haha! So it's worth a try! 

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19 hours ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

Thanks dksea, I will give this a try. My concern with taking it at night is that it may make my insomnia even worse if the levels are highest during the night (the NHS recommend taking it in the morning for this reason). Although tbh it can't really get much worse haha! So it's worth a try! 

If I take my meds in the morning I feel more drowsy during the day, so I take them in the evening instead.  I sometimes get insomnia, not sure if its related or just my natural inclination of being a night owl :) Hopefully trying them at night will help but if it continues you can always talk to your doctor, might be some things you can do to help the insomnia (avoid caffeine, especially later in the day, breathing exercises to relax, mallet over the head, etc. )

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Hi....I'm on fluoxetine and have been for the past 3 years. I don't seem to have any side effects with it but am often tired but not sure if that's the tablets or just me!! Other than that I am ok with them x

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all.  Just wanted to give you a quick update on this. 

I've been taking fluoxetine now for just over 2 months.  I am still experiencing insomnia although not as bad as it was.

However - my OCD has receded massively to the point where it almost doesn't bother me at all.  This is off the back of an almost 2-year relapse of the most horrendous OCD I have ever experienced.  It almost feels like my brain has just "unstuck" itself, and things that got stuck in the filter no longer do.  The odd thing still comes along but generally it feels right now like I am in an OCD-free period.  Which is amazing. 

Now I am very sceptical about things and I am not willing to definitively attribute this to fluoxetine.  I have also done plenty of CBT and also some real life events of late have occupied a lot of my attention. There is also the placebo effect to remember.

However bearing all that in mind, I have certainly felt much better while on meds than at any point in the last two years (by miles).  I have to draw the conclusion that the meds are helping to at least some extent.

Just sharing my experience in case it helps anyone - obviously it is different for everyone.  

 

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2 hours ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

Hi all.  Just wanted to give you a quick update on this. 

I've been taking fluoxetine now for just over 2 months.  I am still experiencing insomnia although not as bad as it was.

However - my OCD has receded massively to the point where it almost doesn't bother me at all.  This is off the back of an almost 2-year relapse of the most horrendous OCD I have ever experienced.  It almost feels like my brain has just "unstuck" itself, and things that got stuck in the filter no longer do.  The odd thing still comes along but generally it feels right now like I am in an OCD-free period.  Which is amazing. 

Now I am very sceptical about things and I am not willing to definitively attribute this to fluoxetine.  I have also done plenty of CBT and also some real life events of late have occupied a lot of my attention. There is also the placebo effect to remember.

However bearing all that in mind, I have certainly felt much better while on meds than at any point in the last two years (by miles).  I have to draw the conclusion that the meds are helping to at least some extent.

Just sharing my experience in case it helps anyone - obviously it is different for everyone.  

 

GBG, that is really great to hear, I am so happy for you!! I think that you should give yourself credit for all the hard work that you have done with the CBT, though. Medications certainly help and stabilise your mood, but this provides you with extra stability to go out there and face your fears with a clearer head. That is why you usually do meds and CBT in combination. I would say enjoy the freedom you're feeling and just keep challenging yourself. 

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I was on that stuff during my final year at Uni. I was on three tablets a day at one point; I felt very weak and sweated a lot and had very vivid dreams. It took a few months to work properly and we weaned me down to one; by the following January I felt much better. It does work. :)

C x

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19 hours ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

It almost feels like my brain has just "unstuck" itself, and things that got stuck in the filter no longer do.  The odd thing still comes along but generally it feels right now like I am in an OCD-free period.  Which is amazing. 

This is exactly the sort of effect I experienced on Fluoxetine (and on Citalopram/Escitalopram since).  Its like my brain functions more normally, like the gears have been properly oiled.  They still stick a little more than another persons might, but even those are generally easier to get past compared to without the drugs.
 

19 hours ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

Now I am very sceptical about things and I am not willing to definitively attribute this to fluoxetine.  I have also done plenty of CBT and also some real life events of late have occupied a lot of my attention. There is also the placebo effect to remember.

However bearing all that in mind, I have certainly felt much better while on meds than at any point in the last two years (by miles).  I have to draw the conclusion that the meds are helping to at least some extent.

The good thing is you don't need to attribute it to only one thing, and your recovery is probably not limited to one thing.  That the meds help is great, but you can still benefit from CBT and other general well being steps.  In the multiple choice test that is OCD recovery, "D) All of the above" is a valid choice!

 

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