Fluoxetine no longer working.

[Des]

Hi,

I am looking for some advise I am currently on fluoxetine for depression and anxiety which has recently been increased to 60mg a day as my symptoms have increased (I had already been on 40mg for the last five years). I don't feel like it's working anymore, is it possible for this to happen, does anyone else have any experience of this?

Thanks

[Des]

Hi BeHealthy,

Thanks for your reply, I have a similar theory that your body gets used to certain drugs so they stop working.  I have only been on the increase for a month and I think you're right I will have to wait and see.  Thanks for the reply it helps to get my thoughts together with regards to it.

Best Wishes
 

[Kizzie]

Hey Des - just wanted to add my experience with Prozac which I was on for a really long time and had had increases to over the years from 10 to 40 mgs daily.  I have to say it wasn't doing much for me in the end, and earlier this year switched to Celexa which has made quite a difference. 

I don't know if it's because our bodies acclimatize or that the Celexa is just a better med for me though. I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety (which is common in CPTSD) this year and that helped target my symptoms better. Anyway, it's probably best to talk to your GP or better yet a psychiatrist as they are much more experienced in psych meds that GPs. I went through a bit of a crap shoot getting onto the right med with my GP before seeing a psychiatrist and landing on a diagnosis of SA and prescribed Celexa.  Some docs don't fully understand CPTSD - in my case Prozac was prescribed for "chronic depression" until being properly diagnosed with CPTSD and then SA so you may have to make sure your GP/T have the full picture of what you are dealing with.   

Hope you are able to find something that works for you!

[Des]

Hi Kizzie,

Thanks for your help, I have only very recently been diagnosed with CPTSD, chronic depression and anxiety up to then, and I think social anxiety is a big issue for me.  I was diagnosed as having CPTSD by a psychotherapist recently and my G.P is not aware of this yet.  I will try to discuss it with her at my appointment on Monday, although anxiety is making me tongue tied at present.

Thanks

[Kizzie]

Hey Des - it may be that your psychotherapist and GP would be willing to talk to one another rather than you having to try and explain the diagnosis and your symptoms to your GP. Just a thought. 

[Des]

Hi Kizzie,

Sorry for the delay in replying, I saw my G.P and she said meds don't work for me, only dealing with the anxiety works, which is easier said than done . I think it's a good idea to ask my psychotherapist to talk to her and see what happens.

Thanks

[FindingPeace4]

I have been through a lot of different drug concoctions and what has worked for me is 150mg of Zoloft in the morning and 5mg of Klonopin twice a day as needed. I have tried to come down to only 5mg a day with the Klonopin, but the side effects hit me pretty hard. What I mean is that my anxiety came creeping back in pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't good. My psychiatrist recommended that I stay on until things have slowed down in my life.  I've been taking this combination for about four months and it seems to help me focus better. I direct that focus to finding coping strategies for anxiety, depression and PTSD (or maybe now I'm seeing it being C-PTSD). Oh and food! Nutrition has become so much more of a relevant missing puzzle piece. Of course, seeing a therapist and psychologist is a huge help, but also another struggle I had. It was so hard for me to find a psychologist and a psychiatrist that I felt really comfortable with. I went through several until I found what I felt was the right choice.

It is so hard to go through all of this when you would rather just throw in the towel, but the extra effort made such a difference. I have been on Trazadone, Prozac, Xanax and Lexapro at different times, but they never seemed to really help as much as this combination does.       

Hope this helps. 

[Des]

Hi FindingPeace4,

Thanks for your reply it's really helpful and I will mention it to my G.P in the hope that she will listen.  I do feel if I just had something to tone down the anxiety, I would stand a chance on working on the grounding and mindfulness techniques as most of the time I am too anxious for them to work if that makes sense?

Can I ask what you mean by nutrition working for you, is there anything in particular that helps?

Take Care   

[FindingPeace4]

Well this something I have been working on for quite sometime now. Processed foods can really make you feel sluggish and not energized, so I try to stay away from that as much as possible. I increased my vegetable and fruit intake. I eat nuts. I drink water constantly. Staying hydrated is such a hugely important aspect of good health. It helps with everything! I drink chamomile tea every night before bed. I stay away from caffeine as much as possible too, because it can definitely bring on anxious feelings for me. I like to look at my plate as 25%Fruits, 25% vegetables, 25%grains, 25% legumes. I'm not a big meat eater, but if it is on my plate I keep it small. I have read about omega 3's being good to increase as well, but really don't have much experience with it.

When your body is being taking care of properly, it doesn't "cure" your anxiety, but it certainly doesn't enhance it. At least that is my experience. Michael Pollan wrote a book called "Food Rules". It is an excellent outlook on what we eat and what we should eat. Of course after I read it I was so inspired and went overboard. Which then brought me back to old habits. I've learned to change one thing at a time and until it becomes natural. I don't try to add to it with changing other things at the same time. So, it is still something I'm working on.

I started with water. I rarely drank it. Now I try to make sure I drink half of my weight of water in ounces each day. For example, if you weigh 100lbs, you should try to drink 50oz of water each day. Sounds like a lot, but its only 6.5- 8oz glasses a day. Just starting to increase it is helpful.

I also wanted to comment on you stating that you would stand a chance on working on the grounding and mindfulness techniques if you weren't so anxious. I completely understand. It can be impossible to focus on anything when you have anxiety. Your mind is constantly racing. Breath! Breath! Breath! There is no special technique or time needed for that. Be aware of your breath. Take a moment just to think, am I breathing? Obviously, you are, but being aware of that can help you slow down your breathing, which helps.

One more important piece of advice I received one day. Become friends with yourself. I look at it as, when I am feeling really bad, what advice would I give a friend going through the same situation? Then I give that advice to myself. Love yourself and know you are perfect as you are.

Hope my blabbing helps a bit.

FindingPeace4