awful effects from Fluoxetine! will they end?

Hello.

Though it is recommended that an SSRI should not be stopped abruptly, looking at the side effects, relatively long half life of Fluoxetine, and most importantly, the number of days you have been taking it, it appears you won't have the dreaded discontinuation syndrome. Seventeen days is too short a period for you to experience discontinuation symptoms. If you do stop the drug, please do so with your doctor's knowledge. Xanax might come handy for any discomforting symptoms after you stop Fluoxetine. The side effects you are having now are not expected to last for a long time.

Hope this helps.

Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD


(This post is for the purpose of providing medical information and is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a doctor. This post is not intended to give or rule out a diagnosis, create a doctor-patient relationship or replace an existing one. I am not able to diagnose medical conditions online. Please consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options)

Thank you so much for your reply. I discontinued the use of Fluoxetine day before yesterday and feel completely reinvigorated. I have had a couple waves of symptoms from the drug return in short bouts but the two and a half weeks on the drug was literally the most difficult time I've ever experienced, mentally and physically. I saw three different doctors at a med center during the course of taking the drug and now know much more about what I need to look out for concerning when to stop an SSRI. Thanks again for your help!