Fluoxetine - anti depressant.

[Meg888]

I was prescribed this Dec 2009, with a view (mine) to only staying on it 6 months or so. It did its job and I felt great - if not a little de-sensitised, though I didn't feel ready to come off after 6mths. I attempted to come off them early in 2011, but found myself climbing the walls as I was under a lot of stress anyway at the time.

For the best part of the last 6 months, I felt this boiling anger if someone upset me, it was so bad I used to physically shake and struggled to speak as I was so upset, yet it didnt take a great deal to get me into that mode. Plus once I was there, it was hard to come out of - I would stew & chew over things in my head for ages. I never lashed out or hurt anyone. I was also convinced I was menopausal, as I 'had' all the symptoms despite the doc's checks coming back as negative.

I started to forget to take them as regular as I once did for a few months, and was probably taking them every 2 or 3 days for the last couple of months on them. I gave them up altogether - by accident just before Xmas - when it occurred to me I hadn't had one in more than a week, yet I felt great, and have done ever since. I've had no 'rages' I get upset like normal people, I've had no 'menopausal symptoms' and I am coping very well and feeling generally happy. Could it have been those what caused that anger boiling up in me - like I say, they were great for the first year or so, and then I had a load of upset last year, over lots of things - family illness/death/money worries, yet they seemed to make me worse at handling them. I've still got a couple of the worries, but I'm handling it much better off the pills than on them. TIA

[Meg888]

PS prior to my 'meltdown' (as I call it) of 2008/09 - I've never had a history of mental health nor took any pills of any sort for this sort of problem

[sasskins]

As someone who has been on anbti-d's for years, how xan you accidentally forget to take them?
//I started to forget to take them//
What a load of bollucks.

[divegirl]

Wow...how rude are you! I totally understand where Meg is coming from, as you lose dependence you do forget to take the drugs...I'm sorry if you have not been able to reach that point in your treatment but theres no need to be so dismissive of the OP's experience!

Hi Meg, I took Fluoxetine for around 18 months and understand the rages that you talk about! You have to remember drugs work differently for each of us. I changed to another [name escapes me right now] and the anger went! Glad to hear you are feeling better!

Lisa x

[picturepost]

this is not quizzes and puzzles question

[jakep]

Sasskins - you must be very happy!
After all, ignorance is bliss.

[lcg]

no - probably a mixture of stress and the menopause made you hot headed. i wish i could forget to take my pills...but then i'd end up more unwell than i am now! if you feel fine, then don't worry. if the symptoms come back, go see your gp again.

[Meg888]

Thanks for your answers. As an example, I would have reacted badly to Sasskins post a few months back, I probably would have wrote some very long rant on them slating their answer!!

It's like Divegirl said, they were my priority when I wasn't too good, but the dependancy ceased as I started to get better. Obviously, if it was to be a long term illness, then I would have had no choice but to continue - but this was obviously not the case.

My sympathies are with anyone who has a mental illness, it was an awful period in my life which is hopefully gone for good. As I said, I've been checked for the menopause, I'm not going through it yet, and I no longer have any night sweats, anxiety or any of the other symptoms related with it. I'm also much better now when I have a drink, I could get blind drunk on just a few glasses - whereas now, I am much more in control.

[sasskins]

Serious congrats meg _ when I sad what I said, I wasn't being flippant or rude. It was a serious Q.