What should I expect if I up my dosage of Prozac/Fluoxitine

[mysterionz]

My doctor suggested upping my Fluoxitine dosage from 40mg to 60mg. If 60mg proves to be ineffective, it’ll be upped to 80mg, the highest possible dosage. I’ve been taking 40mg my whole life ever since I’ve had my anxiety diagnosis. I went off it for about a year but resumed taking it last year. Sometimes I feel like an outcast simply because I rely on medication to get thru my day to day life.

 

[Nitro]

. Sometimes I feel like an outcast simply because I rely on medication to get thru my day to day life.

Na, not an outcast if it is fixing an imbalance, simply an adjustment.

I hope it works for you.

 

[mysterionz]

Na, not an outcast if it is fixing an imbalance, simply an adjustment.

I hope it works for you.

I hope it does. Some days, it works, while some days, it doesn’t and I feel really anxious and giddy at work for no reason at all. It’s possible I could outgrow the meds, but I would need a doctors approval as it’s dangerous to quit taking SSRI’s cold turkey.

 

[Jordy]

You are labeled as "depressed or anxious" because you see and feel what is wrong with the world. The meds are only given to you to keep you content and quiet.

 

[mysterionz]

You are labeled as "depressed" because you see and feel what is wrong with the world. The meds are only given to you to keep you content and quiet.

I’ve never really been diagnosed with depression, more so on the anxiety spectrum. I’m prone to bouts of depression but they’re not severe like my anxiety is.

 

[Rodafina]

Most people don’t experience too many negative side effects going from 40 to 60 or even to 80 mg. The toughest part is in the very beginning when you start taking it, and it sounds like you are already past that. Hopefully, you just have some relief of your most distressing symptoms.

It can be tricky to get the right dosage and balance so try to keep track of what is happening in a journal or with some notes if you can and definitely stay in touch with your prescriber.

 

[mysterionz]

The toughest part is in the very beginning when you start taking it, and it sounds like you are already past that. Hopefully, you just have some relief of your most distressing symptoms.

I was started on 40mg last year and only felt side effects for the first week or so (mostly sleepiness and occasional dizziness)

 

[mysterionz]

keep track of what is happening in a journal or with some notes if you can and definitely stay in touch with your prescriber.

I’ll be doing this as well. I’ll be going back in November for a checkup on the new medications I’ve been prescribed.

 

[Rodafina]

You are labeled as "depressed or anxious" because you see and feel what is wrong with the world. The meds are only given to you to keep you content and quiet.

This is not true. Every case is different and it is dangerous to give this sort of medical advice without any knowledge about it.

 

[Rodafina]

Because you are already used to it, it’s unlikely it will cause big problems for you, it’s just a matter of keeping track since sometimes people can get used to Prozac and it stops having a beneficial effect. Unfortunately, antidepressants sometimes work like that, even when they are prescribed for anxiety. It is very frustrating, but sometimes it takes a while to find the right fit.

Prozac helped me for a little while, but Lexapro was a better fit for me, specifically regarding intrusive thoughts.

 

[mysterionz]

Prozac helped me for a little while, but Lexapro was a better fit for me, specifically regarding intrusive thoughts.

I’m glad you found what worked for you. My doctor said that there are dozens of anxiety meds out there, everyone reacts differently to medication.

 

[mysterionz]

Unfortunately, antidepressants sometimes work like that, even when they are prescribed for anxiety. It is very frustrating, but sometimes it takes a while to find the right fit.

My friend Rey also takes anxiety meds like I do, they began taking the meds a few months back as she has an anxiety disorder like I do. My other friend went off her antidepressants a month or so ago (her doctor said it was OK) and she’s doing better now.

 

[Nitro]

I’m glad you found what worked for you. My doctor said that there are dozens of anxiety meds out there, everyone reacts differently to medication.

I can vouch for that.

When I broke my brain, they tried everything under the sun.
In the end, I stopped taking them and took a holistic approach.

 

[Rodafina]

I’m glad you found what worked for you. My doctor said that there are dozens of anxiety meds out there, everyone reacts differently to medication.

Thank you. It was quite a relief. I hope the same for you, that eventually something helps and doesn’t give too many side effects. I think we have some of the same symptoms when it comes to intrusive thoughts.

But don’t let anyone ever make you feel bad for taking meds. If you decide you don’t want them at some point that’s your choice, but like Nitro said, it’s correcting something in our brains that makes it really hard to function. No shame or weakness in it.

 

[Jordy]

If you decide you don’t want them at some point that’s your choice, but like Nitro said, it’s correcting something in our brains that makes it really hard to function. No shame or weakness in it.

Yes, they want to correct you. Back to being a cog in the machine...

 

[mysterionz]

Thank you. It was quite a relief. I hope the same for you, that eventually something helps and doesn’t give too many side effects. I think we have some of the same symptoms when it comes to intrusive thoughts.

You’re welcome. I’ve heard some meds can give very unpleasant side effects I’ll be keeping track of any changes I noticed.

 

[Judge]

My doctor suggested upping my Fluoxitine dosage from 40mg to 60mg. If 60mg proves to be ineffective, it’ll be upped to 80mg, the highest possible dosage. I’ve been taking 40mg my whole life ever since I’ve had my anxiety diagnosis. I went off it for about a year but resumed taking it last year. Sometimes I feel like an outcast simply because I rely on medication to get thru my day to day life.

You're among friends. I too was prescribed a powerful medication for a few years to help me with a time in my life when I had crippling social anxiety - Mellaril (Thioridizine). Eventually I chose to wean myself off it, when I became much better at socialization, especially at work.

Whatever it takes for people like us to get better....

 

[Rodafina]

Yes, they want to correct you. Back to being a cog in the machine...

Your statement demonstrates that you don’t understand and certainly don’t have the information you need to make judgments. I wanted the correction. And speaking of machines, I prefer that my most important machine, my brain, is functioning smoothly, with all the parts and pieces, including lubricant for the gears.

 

[mysterionz]

Your statement demonstrates that you don’t understand and certainly don’t have the information you need to make judgments. I wanted the correction. And speaking of machines, I prefer that my most important machine, my brain, is functioning smoothly, with all the parts and pieces, including lubricant for the gears.

this 100%

 

[MildredHubble]

If you have been tolerating Prozac well, then it's worth trying a higher dose. If you have noticed any side effects, they may increase, at least in the short term but hopefully the benefits will too.

I can't tolerate SSRI meds, they make me very unwell. I've been taking a beta blocker known as Propranolol (say that 3 times fast lol!). It definitely seems to be helping with the anxiety I experience and probably helped me get through a couple of social situations in the last week that I would have probably found impossible a little while ago.

So there's the possible option of adding something like that if you want to talk to your doctor about it.

It's quite gentle and doesn't make you feel like you have been coshed like other meds do. Side effects wise, all I've really noticed is that I have experienced some mild GI issues but nothing terrible.

I thought I'd mention it at least as I've noticed that the intrusive thoughts I had been experiencing have been reduced as long as I take the Propranolol at regular intervals. So if you are dealing with that sort of thing, I can say based on my experience, it does help