b022xx

Hi Guys,

Some of you may recall a post i put up a couple of weeks ago regarding sleeping and depression.

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=481718

Well the upshot of it was that I went to the doctors with the problems that I explained on here last Monday and was prescribed 20mg Fluoxatine tablets to take one a day.

Just wondered if anybody had any experience of taking this sort of medication? Is it true that it can get worse before it gets better on the meds?

One of the side effects that it mentions on the leaflet with the tablets is insomnia. After starting the tablets a week ago, they started off okay but since the weekend it has been a struggle to sleep (more so than how I was finding it in my original post)

Went back to the docs last night and she has prescribed my a sleeping aid as she could see I was becoming visably distressed. I didn't take it last night and instead took a herbal remedy called valerium??

Result - Not even 5mins sleep the whole night

I realise that this is probably not the best place to talk about this but i'm sat at my desk at the moment worrying that i'm turning into an insomniac and posting this seemed like a good idea.

sorry for bringing anyone down

amazinggrace

Are you taking the Fluoxatine Morning or Night? Take them in the morning. What ever you do don't get into the circle of sleeping aids on a night time or then you need pro plus to get you up in the morning and it goes on and on and on and on..........

It gets better, honest. And don't believe all the bullocks about getting hooked on them either. One day I woke up feeling fine, stopped taking them and never looked back!

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

When I was first diagnosed with depression - I was prescribed prozac - only took it for two weeks as I suffered bad side effects - insomnia being one of them.

I finally ended up on venlafaxine for about 2 years. It seemed to work but be warned, and I mean this very seriously, the side-effects from trying to come off them were horrendous.

I ended up having to take a week off work and just do nothing - you get massive electrical shocks running through you everytime you move your head etc (well documented if you search on the internet).

For some reason, I cannot remember which part of the day I took them in but I do recall that I didn't suffer from sleep deprivation while I was on them.

Nezz10

Valerium is one of the active ingredients in Calms, the stress relief tablets.

I was on Flouxatine for about 6 months and suffered no side effects, when you come off you start taking one every other day then non at all.

I never suffered from sleep problems when I was on them.

SiPie

Glad we have a resident authority on SSRI's here

Personally I had a pretty tough time coming of these (Seroxat)

Some do and some don't

Suggest you do a check on the web to see other people's experiences.

New research is pretty frightening (especially the suicidal idealisation) that is now linked to Seroxat....

Valerium has it's own addictive properties and it's not recommended to take for more than 2 weeks, effectively it's a herbal valium.

rotty

as above I had a bad time coming off Seroxat , the "electric shocks" as mentioned by someone above

This was about 6 years ago and I still occasionally get one of the shocks ( maybe only 1 a month as opposed to one every few minutes when I first came off them )

b022xx

I'm not sure whether the tablets are the cause of the sleep problems or not. At various times in my life I have struggled with sleeping but have never experieced it were by I did not sleep at all. It is a really destressing time for me at night when I can't even escape the depression by sleeping - which is why after all these years of depression and never taking any meds I am now on fluoxatine and have picked up a prescription for a sleeping aid.

I think i will have to try the tranquiliser and hope for the best.

Sorry again to bring everyone down

eldudereno

Agreed, take them in the morning, I never had any sleep problems when taking them at this time. In anycase, the side effects, if any, will normally wear off after a few weeks once your body gets used to them.

I'm now on Seroxat and to be honest I feel great.

Take it easy dude, you're not alone, you will feel better!!!

richiewong

Prozac has loads of record side effects most common are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, diarrhoea/constipation, dry mouth, anxiety, hallucinations, insomnia and many others.

Also linked with suicidal ideation but not proven.

Usually start on 20mg in the morning and can be increased to 60 mg daily.
As mentioned above, careful withdrawel is required.

Brendan Hughes

Have you changed your counsellor/therapist yet?

b022xx

Am waiting for a referral through the GP, really do feel that i need that extra bit of help from some meds this time though.

There is so much conflicting info I really don't know what to take as fact and what is just hearsay.

SiPie

If you trust your GP (as I suppose you should) then go with what he says, as opposed to people's opinions on a bbs

Good luck

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

How old are you mate?

NS04

MJW

I was on them for 6 months and the only bad effects I really had was feeling sick for the first couple of weeks. Didn't have any effects when I came off them and they seemed to do the trick at the time.

b022xx

22 yrs old

I don't think i'll stop taking the fluoxatine unless the doctor says to do so. I am worried that its a bad idea taking the tamazipan sp?? However I think it may be the lesser of two evils. Not sleeping being the other one.

Have just told my boss at work as I think my work is suffering.

Abdabz

I was on citalopram for 8 months and I was a tad light headed for while, suprisingly didnt react well to smoking da weed and seemed to have the pot noodle horn more than usual...It was like viagra! But enough of that...
I have found that my depression (which comes back from time to time) can lead to insomnia. My last bout being 18months ago...
I dont know much about the tablets you are on. Are they an SSRI? ANyway I hope you sort it out...
Its a toughie because if the tablets are aleviating the depression but making you not sleep, a change may have the opposite effect..Which could be interesting!
P

matchmaker

Seroxat - hellish stuff. It made me feel worse. My doctor then put me on Efexor (Venlafaxine) - it helped me.

Crapaud62

Agree with post above.

I've been on all of them over the years. First Prozac for years which wasn't too bad then seroxat for many years which had lots of horrible side effects. When on to something else whilst I was in The Priory but can't remember what. They then put me on Efexor/Venlafaxine 150mg of a morning and 75 mg at night and that has been a huge improvement. Still taking same dose today two years after discharge.

I was only on sleeping tablets for a short period whilst hospitalised as I didn't want to get hooked on those. The tranquilisers Diazapan/Temazapan (Sp?) just turned me into a complete zombie and are best avoided apart from in the worst cases. My situation is probably worse than most others on here as I was locked up in special suicide proof room for weeks at my lowest point. The good news is you do get over it and I fell relatively "normal" now

Brendan Hughes

(Was Dakar good?)

b022xx

I really don't know what to do with regards to the tranquilisers - I don't want to get any worse but I need to sleep or don't know what i'll do.

Thanks for everyones responses.

stubarru

Hi there


Just been percribed the exact same for me. Surprised to find that with only a 5 minute chat with my doctor the first thing she does is these. Thought there would be a lot discussion about why I was depressed rather than "oh your feeling low so take these!" Well that is how it felt.

Anyway after buying then decided that perhaps it was not the best course of action for me so they are still sitting in by bathroom cabinet. Hope everything goes ok with you

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Do be aware mate that Prozac can take up to a couple of weeks before it starts to exert a significant effect. Don't get more dispondent if they don't seem to have a noticable effect right away.

There were concerns at one point about increased risks of suicidal behaviour amoung children and young adults on Prozac; the numbers are indeed higher, but this is now thought to be a reflection on patients' typical condition upon seeking medication and thinking they've exhausted their last resort when it doesn't work straight away.

Do sort out the counsellor situation. Remember my advice about seeking the help of a chartered Psychologist.

Hang in there. Depression is known as the common cold of Psychopathology for good reason.

Best wishes,

Paul.

SiPie

Not surprised but sadly disappointed ... all too common these days.

GP's far too happy to offer the quick 'fix'

I know it's not their fault and GP's time is precious, but it's sad too see so many people palmed off with what I feel is commonly the wrong treatment for depression

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

I have to agree that GPs all too readily reach for the prescription pad instead of taking to the time to talk and listen (patient targets to be met??).

My depression was at it's worst towards the end of 2004 (I'd been suffering for about 7 years) and drastic events in my life led me to start seeing a counsellor at The Priory (paid for by my company Bupa).

The treatment I received there was fantastic and I realise that I'm in a priviledged position to be able to get such treatment. I had received treatment from both my company's occupational health division and the NHS previously but it does not compare (although I truly believe they offer the best treatment that they can).

I gave up anti-depressants about 4 years ago and would never consider taking them again - it's a quick fix, it alleviates the syptoms but doesn't solve the issue.

JDMCTR

See this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4610998.stm
re: depression.

Chip

I'm just very surprised to see that so many people suffer from depression.

Chip

De Warrenne

1 in 3 suffer mental health problems at some point apparently (and I've been one of them) one of the worst things (possibly made worse as a man?) is the feeling of loneliness and despondancy that comes with it. Not surprised so many want to give a bit of the moral.

FWIW - I took prozac for a short while, but, and more importantly, changed my situation while on them, which made me feel as there was no more need for them, which made stopping simple.

good luck mate, hope the doc's (or whoever) can help you out

john banks

I'd love to prescribe a personal trainer, a counsellor, The Priory, a dietician and a community psychiatric nurse. The treatment in the Priory can be very good, but the costs are considerable and the private insurance policies tend to add exclusions as time goes on if you want repeat visits there. Perhaps different if you are in an occupational scheme.

Under the NHS I have referral access to community psychiatric nurses and psychologists, as well as psychiatrists. Problem is the waiting time for the psychiatric nurses is about four months, psychology is over a year.

I offer what I can which is an initial appointment (often as an "extra" same day appointment at a time of disaster). From the history you can tell the duration and severity of symptoms and hope to identify some of the triggers if there are any. Sometimes it is more than obvious that the patient will benefit from an antidepressant and they will be offered one there and then, especially if they had that in mind before they came. I then see them a week later and then at four weeks for follow up appointments, thereafter determined by response.

I am not a counsellor, although informally I end up doing a lot of counselling to fill the gaps of other services. Often the patient is better before their access to other services is possible, through a series of ten minute appointments and sometimes a medication.

Speaking of targets, they are to be added for depression from April this year.

http://www.clinicalevidence.com/cewe.../1003/1003.jsp

Above link gives a good quality summary of the effectiveness of various treatments for depression.

Simply Reg

Weird to hear citalopram being referred to as "like viagra". When I've taken it it's had a very detrimental effect on my sex drive. It's good for depression, though.

Weird also to read the list of side effects on these things. The symptoms of depression include:

Loss of sex drive

Loss of appetite

Disturbed sleep

Anxiety

Thoughts of suicide.


Why they should be listed as side effects of the drug is beyond me.

john banks

The nature of some of these side effects is that they are a bit "soft" (no pun intended) in terms of measuring them in groups of people, although I'm sure they are not so to the person suffering them. It is rather "easier" to get your drug's side effects into the Summary of Product Characteristics than it is to get your indications or licenses for particular usage. Side effects should be over reported, indications should require robust evidence.