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Fluoxetine- still unsure!- experiences please


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Hi All, 

I'm sure I've asked this before but I decided to delay making a decision about SSRIs. I have a Psychiatrist appointment in March and I'm thinking about asking for liquid suspension Fluoxetine so that I can start on a tiny dose. I did try Fluoxetine 8 years ago now but felt buzzy, irritable and had high blood pressure so stopped taking after a very short time. I'm wondering though whether those were just initial side effects that would have stopped if I had carried on taking it. 

I've read quite a lot of accounts of people feeling flat and emotionless whilst on it and having a difficult withdrawal from it. 

So yeah, just wondering really! I know that meds affect every individual differently but would still like to hear people's experiences. 

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Hi belanna

I took fluoxetine for a few months and I think it possibly helped with my ocd but it also had side effects, none major. 

I have to say withdrawing from it was very very easy I did it over about two months and had no problems whatsoever. 

It must be your decision of course but could be worth a try? 

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1 hour ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

Hi belanna

I took fluoxetine for a few months and I think it possibly helped with my ocd but it also had side effects, none major. 

I have to say withdrawing from it was very very easy I did it over about two months and had no problems whatsoever. 

It must be your decision of course but could be worth a try? 

Hi gingerbreadgirl,

Thanks for your reply! That's great that it helped. Did you decide to withdraw from it for a reason or just because you're feeling better?

I think I will try it! I'm getting older (30s) and 17 years of treatment doesn't seem to have helped yet!

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Hi Annabel,

Having had OCD for so long and no progress with treatment, has nobody ever suggested trying an absolute minimal amount of an antipsychotic?

I found it more beneficial than being on higher than recommended SSRI's, & I felt that it kind of twisted the thought process back towards how it used to be pre-OCD. I also found CBT/ERP really clicked into place too!

The one I take is Aripiprazole, & also a small dose of Venlafaxine, which I gather is unlikely to have any effect on OCD.

 

All the best.

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks Gingerbreadgirl- have you felt any worse since stopping the Fluoxetine or does it seem to have had a lasting positive effect?

Thanks Felix, yes it was suggested when I had an assessment at one of the hospitals that I should be on augmentative anti-psychotic. I am not very pro-meds for psychiatric conditions but would take it if it would make things better. In fact I found that an anti-sickness drug/anti-emetic (Domperidone), which has the same mode of action as some of the anti-psychotics (works on the dopamine receptors) helpful in controlling my Thought-Action Fusion/Magical Thinking BUT it made me very depressed and a bit worried about taking anti-psychotics! 

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6 hours ago, BelAnna said:

I did try Fluoxetine 8 years ago now but felt buzzy, irritable and had high blood pressure so stopped taking after a very short time. I'm wondering though whether those were just initial side effects that would have stopped if I had carried on taking it. 

I've read quite a lot of accounts of people feeling flat and emotionless whilst on it and having a difficult withdrawal from it. 

So yeah, just wondering really! I know that meds affect every individual differently but would still like to hear people's experiences. 

Everyones reaction is going to be a bit different so I can share my experience, but I can't guarantee that it will be your experience.  Unfortunately when it comes to SSRIs you won't know until you try it. 

I took fluoxetine for OCD for about a decade when I was first diagnosed.  I eventually switched to citalopram/escitalopram as I was having some increased symptoms, but honestly I think it was probably related to lack of CBT up til that point rather than the meds being less effective.  I'd switch back to fluoxetine without hesitation if for whatever reason I needed to stop taking escitalopram/citalopram.

Some people experience temporary initial side effects that become more mild or disappear as your body adjusts to the medication and the "new normal" it creates in your neurochemistry.  The buzzy and irritable feeling doesn't seem at all out of the ordinary.  Ive never heard of blood pressure related side effects to SSRIs but I'm not a pharmacist/doctor so I'm not an expert :D  Could be entirely unrelated.  For me the only side effect I really noticed on fluoxetine  was mild drowsiness and (ironically) some restlessness.  My side effects on escitalopram have been similar.

I've been on SSRIs for almost 3 decades now so its hard for me to say what id feel like NOT on them, but I definitely don't feel flat or emotionless, I definitely still have emotions!  Thats not to say other peoples reactions aren't accurate, I am sure they are, our brains are quite unique and complex and we know relatively little about them.  I also had no problems switching from one drug to the other, I did a cross taper so I didn't really "withdraw"  but I didn't have difficulty switching.

For me, medication has been a huge benefit.  While I'd love to not have to need/take medication, its been a small price to pay relative to being able to live my life without being dominated by the OCD.  Its not for everyone and I have the utmost respect for those who choose to tackle their OCD without medication, Im a bit jealous to be honest, but for me this is the path I'm on and it works.  Whatever path you take I wish you the best.

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15 hours ago, BelAnna said:

Thanks Gingerbreadgirl- have you felt any worse since stopping the Fluoxetine or does it seem to have had a lasting positive effect?

 

Hi belanna

My OCD is much better now but I think that is for reasons not to do with medication, if I'm honest.  I certainly haven't noticed it getting worse since being off the meds.   

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I couldn't cope with the side effects of Fluoxetine and am now taking Sertraline. 

The psychiatrist I saw recently was supportive of that for OCD, and my doctor said she didn't anticipate problems with side effects,  and that seems to be so,  and said she felt Sertraline would help. 

I am still working with a psychologist on bringing my anxiety response down so it's early days re what specific benefit from the Sertraline. I will have a clearer idea when that happens. 

But I spoke to various people on Sertraline at the OCD-UK conference and they spoke highly of it being beneficial in helping them with their OCD.

Edited by taurean
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Hi Belanna You have a good relationship with your psychiatrist to the extent that you can request a particular chemical treatment programme. I only wish I had such a relationship with them when I saw them. Having said that, your proposal sounds reasonable. So why not give it a go?

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Been on fluoxetine, for about a year, not a very high dose, main side affect is ringing in my ears, and that may be normal tinnitus, (years of motorbikes, and noisy plant rooms).

I'm not convinced it's doing much, but I'm definitely more "stable" than I was, I think it helps me cope with the CBT, stuff.

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On 25/02/2020 at 12:23, gingerbreadgirl said:

Hi belanna

My OCD is much better now but I think that is for reasons not to do with medication, if I'm honest.  I certainly haven't noticed it getting worse since being off the meds.   

That's great to hear Gingerbreadgirl.

On 25/02/2020 at 14:07, taurean said:

I couldn't cope with the side effects of Fluoxetine and am now taking Sertraline. 

The psychiatrist I saw recently was supportive of that for OCD, and my doctor said she didn't anticipate problems with side effects,  and that seems to be so,  and said she felt Sertraline would help. 

I am still working with a psychologist on bringing my anxiety response down so it's early days re what specific benefit from the Sertraline. I will have a clearer idea when that happens. 

But I spoke to various people on Sertraline at the OCD-UK conference and they spoke highly of it being beneficial in helping them with their OCD.

Thanks Taurean. What were the side effects like with Sertaline? Did you feel sick at all? (I'm Emetophobic (vomit-phobic!). I've been a bit put off Sertraline by reading accounts of people having abdominal symptoms and weight gain with it but I might try it! Were the side effects of Fluoxetine terrible?

15 hours ago, Angst said:

Hi Belanna You have a good relationship with your psychiatrist to the extent that you can request a particular chemical treatment programme. I only wish I had such a relationship with them when I saw them. Having said that, your proposal sounds reasonable. So why not give it a go?

Thanks Angst. I don't particularly know the Psychiatrist that I will be seeing so maybe that will restrict my choice anyway but when I last saw her she just let me choose which SSRI I wanted to hopefully that might be the case again. I'm going to ask for a liquid suspension form of either Fluoxetine, Escitalopram or Sertraline but might ask for her guidance on which would be best. 

5 hours ago, Closed for repairs said:

Been on fluoxetine, for about a year, not a very high dose, main side affect is ringing in my ears, and that may be normal tinnitus, (years of motorbikes, and noisy plant rooms).

I'm not convinced it's doing much, but I'm definitely more "stable" than I was, I think it helps me cope with the CBT, stuff.

That's good to hear that things are more stable Closedforrepairs. I'm not entirely convinced that SSRIs are really the best treatment for OCD- I wish there was a better medical treatment that could be used alongside CBT! 

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1 hour ago, BelAnna said:

Thanks Taurean. What were the side effects like with Sertaline? Did you feel sick at all? (I'm Emetophobic (vomit-phobic!). I've been a bit put off Sertraline by reading accounts of people having abdominal symptoms and weight gain with it but I might try it! Were the side effects of Fluoxetine terrible?

I haven't experienced weight gain or any other side effects from Sertraline. 

As my anxiety levels and OCD issues are reducing from therapy, I am noticing fun and joy returning which I put down to the antidepressant effect of the Sertraline. 

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Just now, taurean said:

 

As my anxiety levels and OCD issues are reducing from therapy, I am noticing fun and joy returning which I put down to the antidepressant effect of the Sertraline. 

Hi Roy, surely fun and joy returning would be expected from your anxiety and OCD reducing from therapy? 

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5 minutes ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

Hi Roy, surely fun and joy returning would be expected from your anxiety and OCD reducing from therapy? 

The antidepressant effect boosts that, as I can recollect from the Citalopram. 

And I think this is what helps people's resilience, and provides the "waterwings" that people say helps them better engage with CBT. 

Some people, such as Whitebeam, Tez, Dksea and PolarBear, have reported that the SSRI has reduced their OCD or - in the case of Dksea - eased the sticking of their thoughts. 

There may be more to come on my experience with Sertraline. 

Edited by taurean
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