I know I'm late to this post, but as someone also on fluoxetine (more or less on my 40-ish day), and as someone who was on zoloft before and made the transition to this one, I just wanted to thank you for writing about this, and also say I totally understand. when I started this medication, it felt normal, harmless, even. the honeymoon period, the first week, like you said. and then it hit me so hard, in such a violent way, that I didn't even know if it was possible. I didn't know that it was possible to feel that horrible again, and, in fact, more horrible than I'd ever been. I felt furious, betrayed, enraged all the time; horrible nightmares and allucinations through the night made my sleep even shitier; I cried all the time; my motivation and energy became zero. just the idea of having to get up and go downstairs was enough for me to cry out of tiredness. maybe this is not very hopeful. but it's just to say -- I get it. and to say that I firmly believe it will get better. I'm sure you heard a lot of stories yourself, but I know some people who went through this hell but then reached the other side and felt better than ever. and that was the beginning of them taking back their life. so. I'm not sure of the usefulness of my comment, but here I am. thanks for writing this piece 💗
Carolina, I’m so grateful that your read and commented, sharing your experience! I wish I’d known that it’s “normal” to crash on fluoxetine! That would’ve helped A LOT! The psychiatrist switched me to sertraline and then bupropion bc of the sex side effects but I would’ve stayed on. It’s been 6 months trying out different meds and the only time I felt different/great was those first five days on fluoxetine. Oh well. There really are so few quick fixes in life. But I’m going to keep on keeping on; I made a commitment to testing out medication for one year for my depression and I think I’ll be able to do that. I so appreciate your support and connecting. Thank you!!
ps. e só agora percebi que és brasileira!! nossa, que lindo. portuguesa aqui, fiquei emocionada, talvez não faça sentido nenhum ter ficado ahah, mas bem, decidi comentar 🌷
Oh, I'm so happy to know that me commenting has made some difference! And I totally get you - I was lucky enough that both my psychiatrist and psychologist warned me (even though I was expecting ALL THAT at all, it was so sudden and so intense that they couldn't have prepared me no matter how much they tried) that it would be quite rough. Still, when it hit, it completely threw out of balance, it was really horrible. My therapist actually said something that describes well the experience with prozac - she said it's not a matter of going from 8 to 80, but of going from -800 to 800. That's how extreme it is; I know you know if perfectly, but it felt good to have someone saying it, and not assuming it was an "exaggeration". She told me a personal story of someone close to her who was in a really dark place and Prozac made her turn into the worst; but she also said that the woman who that person eventually became, after compromising for a while to the medication, was the best she had ever been. So I'm trying to stay helpful. I truly hope things get better for you 💗 I also have a long journey of chronic depression, and, more recently, burnout, and tried a couple of antidepressants during my life. But I want to believe that with this one, we'll both get to have many, many more days like those first five you had :) feel free to reach out whenever you feel like it; I was precisely looking for someone on substack who had written about the subject when I found your post and felt really understood. So thank you! I'm glad it made you feel a bit more supported a well!
I know I'm late to this post, but as someone also on fluoxetine (more or less on my 40-ish day), and as someone who was on zoloft before and made the transition to this one, I just wanted to thank you for writing about this, and also say I totally understand. when I started this medication, it felt normal, harmless, even. the honeymoon period, the first week, like you said. and then it hit me so hard, in such a violent way, that I didn't even know if it was possible. I didn't know that it was possible to feel that horrible again, and, in fact, more horrible than I'd ever been. I felt furious, betrayed, enraged all the time; horrible nightmares and allucinations through the night made my sleep even shitier; I cried all the time; my motivation and energy became zero. just the idea of having to get up and go downstairs was enough for me to cry out of tiredness. maybe this is not very hopeful. but it's just to say -- I get it. and to say that I firmly believe it will get better. I'm sure you heard a lot of stories yourself, but I know some people who went through this hell but then reached the other side and felt better than ever. and that was the beginning of them taking back their life. so. I'm not sure of the usefulness of my comment, but here I am. thanks for writing this piece 💗
Carolina, I’m so grateful that your read and commented, sharing your experience! I wish I’d known that it’s “normal” to crash on fluoxetine! That would’ve helped A LOT! The psychiatrist switched me to sertraline and then bupropion bc of the sex side effects but I would’ve stayed on. It’s been 6 months trying out different meds and the only time I felt different/great was those first five days on fluoxetine. Oh well. There really are so few quick fixes in life. But I’m going to keep on keeping on; I made a commitment to testing out medication for one year for my depression and I think I’ll be able to do that. I so appreciate your support and connecting. Thank you!!
ps. e só agora percebi que és brasileira!! nossa, que lindo. portuguesa aqui, fiquei emocionada, talvez não faça sentido nenhum ter ficado ahah, mas bem, decidi comentar 🌷
Oh, I'm so happy to know that me commenting has made some difference! And I totally get you - I was lucky enough that both my psychiatrist and psychologist warned me (even though I was expecting ALL THAT at all, it was so sudden and so intense that they couldn't have prepared me no matter how much they tried) that it would be quite rough. Still, when it hit, it completely threw out of balance, it was really horrible. My therapist actually said something that describes well the experience with prozac - she said it's not a matter of going from 8 to 80, but of going from -800 to 800. That's how extreme it is; I know you know if perfectly, but it felt good to have someone saying it, and not assuming it was an "exaggeration". She told me a personal story of someone close to her who was in a really dark place and Prozac made her turn into the worst; but she also said that the woman who that person eventually became, after compromising for a while to the medication, was the best she had ever been. So I'm trying to stay helpful. I truly hope things get better for you 💗 I also have a long journey of chronic depression, and, more recently, burnout, and tried a couple of antidepressants during my life. But I want to believe that with this one, we'll both get to have many, many more days like those first five you had :) feel free to reach out whenever you feel like it; I was precisely looking for someone on substack who had written about the subject when I found your post and felt really understood. So thank you! I'm glad it made you feel a bit more supported a well!