# starting on fluoxetine (lovan)



## super (Sep 9, 2009)

hey 
well im new to the forum its my 2nd thread thought id sayy that.
anyway in the past year and a half ive been in and out of depression i dont know how to explain it. I've also got generalized/social anxiety and it can get pretty damn bad it ruined my social life for a while and i stopped going to school.

so now this is my last resort starting up on anti depressants and getting therapy if this doesnt work im going to have to do home schooling or drop out. im going through way to much from the problems at my house to my social life outside. ive also stopped going out too , i rarely ever go anywhere unless its to go party and even then i dont always go for fear of my anxiety.

so yeah its my last resort and i really do hope this works , its been 2 days since i started taking it

thanks for listening  oh and is anyone else on this pill?:um


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## arth98 (Nov 30, 2009)

also called prozac it will be a big help if it works for you, usual dose range is 20 to 80 so start at 10 and work it up to 20 or more over a few weeks, expect some early side effects

are you having panic attacks? lots of info about them and coping on the net
it also helps to learn new ways of calming and relaxing yourself


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

arth98 said:


> also called prozac it will be a big help if it works for you, usual dose range is 20 to 80 so start at 10 and work it up to 20 or more over a few weeks, expect some early side effects
> 
> are you having panic attacks? lots of info about them and coping on the net
> it also helps to learn new ways of calming and relaxing yourself


yeah, currently im doing 10mg and starting on that 20 in a few days time as i dont have a lot of time right now.

im not sure if this is placebo and i know it takes 3 weeks minumum but i feel something happening and i dont know...i feel the slighest of slight better.
it may or may not be placebo but its doing something 

yeah i do suffer from them when i go into places with alot of people one of my psycologists told me a few exersizes and they have helped abit...im starting up on working out to i know that helps alot


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## Raptors (Aug 3, 2009)

This drug did wonders for me. 

I felt SIGNIFICANT effects after 9 days on 10mg 

I'm a 195lb male and 10mg was all I needed. 20mg increased a whole bunch of side effects


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## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

I just started this about two weeks ago. I don't notice significant effects, but I _THINK_ I am a little better. I'm on 20mg. It's kind of hard for me to tell. I'm still a bit uncomfortable around people.

I got headaches for a few nights in a row, but I think that's over. If things don't start improving more I'm going to ask to up my dosage, but I'm hoping for more improvement :/

...speaking of which, I need to take that **** right now, lol

(I'm 135lb female, 5'5)


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

Raptors said:


> This drug did wonders for me.
> 
> I felt SIGNIFICANT effects after 9 days on 10mg
> 
> I'm a 195lb male and 10mg was all I needed. 20mg increased a whole bunch of side effects


oh wow thats heaps good
well its day 4 i think and what i noticed is that my appetite is really bad , i had some fish and chips and as soon as i started eating, it was hard to keep eating..well thats a good thing as i wanna lose a few kilograms  
also i do feel slightly different because ive got a bit more motivation to do things and im going out yesterday and today which is rare...so yeah

it seems like its looking good

oh and i see you like kid cudi  hes dope


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

mcmuffinme said:


> I just started this about two weeks ago. I don't notice significant effects, but I _THINK_ I am a little better. I'm on 20mg. It's kind of hard for me to tell. I'm still a bit uncomfortable around people.
> 
> I got headaches for a few nights in a row, but I think that's over. If things don't start improving more I'm going to ask to up my dosage, but I'm hoping for more improvement :/
> 
> ...


haha yeah hopefully it gets better for you , keep me posted on how you feel in the next few weeks if you can ? 
good luck


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

IF it does not work, bare in mind there are newer more effective medications for anxiety and depression. For me fluoxetine/prozac was awful, i put on weight and lost focus and motivation, there were no horrendous headaches though or withdrawals thank god but they did not work properly for me.

If they work for you and you do not gain weight and feel lethargic then stay on them, cuz they are obviously working, but if they do start to make u feel well a little off and you start experiencing unwanted side effects there is always an SNRI as they are very good and work wonders but they take longer to work than an SSRI which is what you are on now


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

Arisa1536 said:


> IF it does not work, bare in mind there are newer more effective medications for anxiety and depression. For me fluoxetine/prozac was awful, i put on weight and lost focus and motivation, there were no horrendous headaches though or withdrawals thank god but they did not work properly for me.
> 
> If they work for you and you do not gain weight and feel lethargic then stay on them, cuz they are obviously working, but if they do start to make u feel well a little off and you start experiencing unwanted side effects there is always an SNRI as they are very good and work wonders but they take longer to work than an SSRI which is what you are on now


yeah thanks ill keep that in mind 

right now i do feel sleepy but i think this is because im changing my sleeping pattern drastically (always used to sleep late)
i know its only day 5 but the funny thing is that my sex drive is gone pretty much , i tried eating tastey food and my appetite was gone , i also feel happy and 'different' i cant explain it but i have more motivation so yeah...weird


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## Himi Jendrix (Mar 24, 2010)

I take fluoxetine. I cant really tell if it works, if it does its really subtle. I have been on it since last summer and I take 20mg. 

I really only take it to potentate the effects of Xanax and alcohol cause my doctor is a bit tight with the script pad. I take .25mg 4x daily and it still works after like 6-8 months daily use.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

super said:


> yeah thanks ill keep that in mind
> 
> right now i do feel sleepy but i think this is because im changing my sleeping pattern drastically (always used to sleep late)
> i know its only day 5 but the funny thing is that my sex drive is gone pretty much , i tried eating tastey food and my appetite was gone , i also feel happy and 'different' i cant explain it but i have more motivation so yeah...weird


ah then the pills are working 
Decreased sex drive and change in appetite is actually a positive sign
you see i did not get drastic side effects except the lethargy and desire to eat and eat and eat, obviously they were wrong for me but the symptoms you describe are quite normal of fluoxetine users so to me it sounds as though its working for you

give it time and your sex drive and appetite will return to normal 
all the best


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

Himi Jendrix said:


> I take fluoxetine. I cant really tell if it works, if it does its really subtle. I have been on it since last summer and I take 20mg.
> 
> I really only take it to potentate the effects of Xanax and alcohol cause my doctor is a bit tight with the script pad. I take .25mg 4x daily and it still works after like 6-8 months daily use.


hmm thats good that it works for you, were the side effects present when you first started?

i wish i could take valium or xanax to help me with anxiety when i go out but over here not many doctors will prescribe it because im 16.


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

Arisa1536 said:


> ah then the pills are working
> Decreased sex drive and change in appetite is actually a positive sign
> you see i did not get drastic side effects except the lethargy and desire to eat and eat and eat, obviously they were wrong for me but the symptoms you describe are quite normal of fluoxetine users so to me it sounds as though its working for you
> 
> ...


yay haha 
my appetite keeps comming and going though , thats the weird thing oh well.
thanks for the help you seem to be pretty experienced 

oh and one more question is it normal to not be able to get any sleep? i only get 3 hours of sleep max and i wake up  its annoying. im sleepy but energetic its weird haha

thanks for your time


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## Lacuna (Mar 31, 2010)

Wanted to comment on this because I'm in the same boat. I've been on 10mg for 5 days and am switching to 20mg at the end of the week. I also have 0.5mg Klonopin to use as needed.

Can't really say that I feel much improvement yet from the Prozac. Maybe a little bit more positive, but I can't say that's not just a psychological boost from being on meds. Definitely isn't helping the anxiety at all (the Klonopin does, but only barely). Fortunately, no real side effects yet, just a couple headaches and maybe a little increased hunger. We'll see what happens.


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

Lacuna said:


> Wanted to comment on this because I'm in the same boat. I've been on 10mg for 5 days and am switching to 20mg at the end of the week. I also have 0.5mg Klonopin to use as needed.
> 
> Can't really say that I feel much improvement yet from the Prozac. Maybe a little bit more positive, but I can't say that's not just a psychological boost from being on meds. Definitely isn't helping the anxiety at all (the Klonopin does, but only barely). Fortunately, no real side effects yet, just a couple headaches and maybe a little increased hunger. We'll see what happens.


oh yeah im getting switched up to 20mg in 2 days as well so it should be interesting to see how i go.

hmm if the prozac doesnt work in 6-8 weeks time ask your doctor for another anti anxiety/depression pill and it might just work.. its a hit and miss as you probably know.

its weird because today i dont feel any side effects except for a sharp 1 second headache and abit of sleepyness which is weird because all the other days i was pretty sick sort of so yeah
i will see how it goes


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

super said:


> yay haha
> my appetite keeps comming and going though , thats the weird thing oh well.
> thanks for the help you seem to be pretty experienced
> 
> ...


haha you're sweet thank you
i just know the effects because i have been on them
sleep problems are very normal with antidepressants so do not let anyone tell you otherwise
i have had sleep problems when starting most medication but eventually your sleep patterns will return to normal and in some cases, they improve with better medication

i found myself ever so tired all the time on prozac so sleep was not a problem for me. the weight gain and lethargy was though
but your appetites changing and thats good, they are definitely working but do not feel this is it for you, if they do not help then you can always switch but be careful when switching that its gradual and you go onto a new medication better

its a matter sometimes of trial and error
i hope i was helpful


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## Himi Jendrix (Mar 24, 2010)

super said:


> hmm thats good that it works for you, were the side effects present when you first started?
> 
> i wish i could take valium or xanax to help me with anxiety when i go out but over here not many doctors will prescribe it because im 16.


Side effects present from the first day. They weren't too bad however. I believe I had a headache and very strange dreams for awhile.

They go away after 3-4 weeks regular use. Except for sexual dysfunction. I have taken all of the SSRI's and Celexa was the best, followed by Prozac. I grew tolerant to Celexa however.

Prozac has many drug interactions and this is part of the reason why it is such a good drug. Also, its the only SSRI that is a 5-HT2C antagonist. This is good news because 5-HT2C mediates dopamine release in the brain. Some dispute that the SRI properties of Prozac cancels out the 5-HT2C antagonism but this would still produce different effects from other SSRI's.

You could only get a benzo at the age if you got panic attacks. Its best not to do physically addictive drugs till at least 18 anyway. lol


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## taniala (Sep 6, 2010)

*Lovan*

hi I,m new to this, anyway been on Lovan for 2 months , but only for 8 days when needed. Dr said cause i get bad pms i can take it for 8 days and then when i get my period stop taking it. I"m also on Yaz to help contoll emotions.I"m 4 days into Lovan and I feel sleepy lazy, and my apetite for sex is no where to be found.:afr
I want to stop taking it but i have to wait see the Dr.wonder what would happen if I did ? any thoughts out there ?


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## super (Sep 9, 2009)

taniala said:


> hi I,m new to this, anyway been on Lovan for 2 months , but only for 8 days when needed. Dr said cause i get bad pms i can take it for 8 days and then when i get my period stop taking it. I"m also on Yaz to help contoll emotions.I"m 4 days into Lovan and I feel sleepy lazy, and my apetite for sex is no where to be found.:afr
> I want to stop taking it but i have to wait see the Dr.wonder what would happen if I did ? any thoughts out there ?


wow i havent been on here for ages and i saw this haha, good timing

anyway your sex drive will die with anti depressants, sex wont be as good.

things will be rocky for few weeks but hang in there, might or might not work for you and thats the harsh truth

im off them now, trying herbal stuff at the moment it was a ****ing rocky ride for me and i didnt like it , there were times wher ei felt amazing but it went away, i felt really comforable but numb. it was horrible to be honest lol

good luck


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## slipperygypsies (Mar 23, 2013)

I've been on 20mg for about three weeks now after being switched from lexapro. It seems like it's working better for me but I'm getting awful headaches  And my appetite is basically nonexistent. But it's been like this for a few months now, almost a year but I need to stop losing weight...


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## osiris81 (Sep 11, 2013)

I am currently taking Lexapro, I won't to stop. I find that my meds don't have an effect, but if I miss a day or two then I begin to stressed out about nothing. And it happens really easy. I was told to not stop taking it abruptly, but I think that I am stuck taking them otherwise I do thinking "dangerous" thoughts :|


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## Notionama (Sep 7, 2013)

Hello, I had turned to fluoxetine 20mg and had a pretty bad experience. I really hope it works well for others, but for me it actually lead me to become really empty and for some reason i got paranoid. The first month on it was fine, but later in the months i actually began to do these really weird OCD - like tasks where if i didn't do something right it'd break me apart. I used to have to turn off the radio in at certain times due to the lyrics thinking if i listened to the song it'd happen... It was pretty nasty but after i turned away from it my life has gotten better but i am still cynical and socially awkward again.


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## donnamont2 (Dec 30, 2013)

*Worried Mum*

Hi I have never used this forum before or any others in fact, was just looking up side effects of Lovan and found this website by accident. My 16 year old daughter has just started taking the drug, would like to hear from others who take it and has it been successfull.
Regards Donna ( worried mum)


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## Miaa (Feb 24, 2014)

*HELP*

Okay so I started on Lovan 3 months ago, and something is going wrong! 
I've lost 20kgs
I can't sleep
Suicidal tendencies are at a max
I feel sick
and ITS NOT WORKING.
I am just as, or even more so, depressed and anxious than I was before I started it. And I was a mess!!!
Help!!!!


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## Rickets (May 5, 2014)

Been on this for a few weeks, very marginal difference in anxiety and compulsions, luckily no side effects yet.


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