Getting medication right can be tricky. I’m waking up each morning feeling sedated. I’ve been on Fluoxetine (Prozac) for a little while now, and had different experiences on different doses.
Medication can be varied in so many ways, and each variation can affect you in a different way. For starters, there are different types of anti-depressants that work in very different ways. Then, there are the multitude of similar anti-depressants, working in a similar way and interchangeable, but each with its own set of side effects. Then of course the side effects will affect some but not others; there is no telling until you try them. Not only that: the side effects at the start of treatment can be more pronounced, and subside as treatment goes on. I remember my first few days on Mirtazapine; I slept for about four days continuously under its sedative influence. Finally, the size of the dose and when they are taken can be varied. On 40mg of Fluoxetine I was waking up at 5am, but also feeling aggressive and picking fights with complete strangers. On 20mg I am sedated in the morning… but on a more even keel.
If you are someone who has just started on anti-depressants…. I would say go with it… please keep communicating your side affects to the person who prescribed them (sleep, anxiety levels, aggression, etc)… and if one particular combination doesn’t work for you… don’t give up on medication all together.
I don’t like waking up feeling like this. I am out of it, and when I’m asked simple questions I can see the answer forming in slow motion in my head and feel my inability to react in ‘normal’ time. I preferred how I felt on 40mg. But as Alicia will tell you, when the so called red mist descended and I flew at some stranger, there seemed to be no stopping me. It is early days on this dose… so I’ll keep going and be careful not to draw any conclusions too early. The early side effects may subside as my body gets used to this drug.
It’s interesting to me how aggression can be simply a bit of chemistry. How a drug can be administered to a normally placid person and turn them into an aggressive adrenaline junky. Believe me, feeling adrenaline flowing through your angry body makes you feel really alive. It makes me think a couple of things in response: Firstly that it is hard to pin down a person’s character from just watching their behaviour… because behaviour is so easily varied by chemical meddling. Secondly, that out there in the big bad, beautiful world we should be careful about getting into conflicts with strangers because we aren’t all being governed by the same restrictive chemical codes of conduct. And there is no way of telling if you are dealing with a crazy, like me, until you poke us with a stick!
And now, for coffee.
I don't know if this blog is still going, but I've been on fluoxetine for just over 2 weeks now and don't notice any difference at all, and the side effects are minimal. Most days I feel sedated but not in a good way, in a lethargic and frustrating way.
ReplyDeleteHi topsy. In the world of antidepressants two weeks is too early to tell. It's great that you are so aware of how the medication affects you - it varies so much from person to person so communication with your doctor is essential. Let them know how you are affected and keep track of this if you can. Further down the line if the cons outweigh the pros don't be afraid to ask your doctor for an alternative. By the way, fluoxetine should be taken in the morning with food but not all health professionals make this clear at the time of prescribing it. Wishing you well. Med
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