My mum has been taking Fluoxetine for 8 months and Olanzapine for around 20 months now. She started at 20mg of Fluo, then went to 40mg and now 50mg. Since the last increase, her anxiety has gotten progressively worse and now, at week 11 since the increase, it is so bad that she is having to take Diazepam every 4 days or so to bring her down and her panic attacks have become impossible for her to control. Is this normal? Will it eventually settle in her system or is 50mg maybe too much for her?
A little information about her: she is 67, five foot one inch and weighs around 8 stone. She was diagnosed with GAD and Panic Disorder, as well as psychosis (which the Olanzapine 10mg has helped with)
I'm very concerned as this is making her life almost unliveable. Also, the Olanzapine seems to have stolen her personality, as she is now almost the opposite to the person she was. Is that a normal thing? Starting to worry that I'm never going to get my mum back, she seems almost beyond help at this point?
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Answers
PO
popcat
16 Dec 2021
I was put on Fluoxetine for GAD & Panic disorder several years ago & a couple of weeks into starting on a low dose suffered incredible agitation & anxiety. Like your mother, I found it impossible to control. My GP advised me to continue with the tablets & said the anxiety would eventually reduce. It didn't, so I made an emergency appointment with another GP, who said I was suffering a typical adverse reaction to Fluoxetine & to cease using immediately. The anxiety subsided quite quickly & I am now on Venlafaxine & propranolol which have combined to help my condition.
Votes: +0
SW
Sweenaldo
16 Dec 2021
Did you find that you had any side effects coming down off the fluoxetine?
PO
popcat
18 Dec 2021
I didn't get any side effects when I discontinued Fluoxetine
