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Fluoxetine Internal Vibrations…Why?
Hello. I have been trying to research what I can do to rid of Fluoxetine related internal vibrations with not much luck. Hoping someone can lead me in the right direction.🙏🏻
I have internal resting vibrations pretty much 24/7 since taking 10mg of Fluoxetine for a total of 13 days in January 2021. After the first dose, I couldn’t focus or concentrate on my pool shots. I decided to stop taking the medication. Then, 3-7 days later the pharmacy nurse called to followup on the medication. Told them what happened and they convinced me to start taking it again. Resumed taking for another 12 days and stopped. Have not taken any since.
The last day I took the medication: Pre-medication I played a guy in pool that made me shake (intimidation) on two different occasions and the shaking went away in about an hour or so. When I played him while on the medication, the shaking did not stop for 2 weeks straight (my level 5). I had a very hard time getting to sleep. I thought about being seen, but appointments take about 3 weeks and figured it’d be gone by the time I got in. I wasn’t dying, so I didn’t go to the ER. After about 2 weeks, the shaking finally went down to level 3.
I didn’t seek help for side effects until I went to recite a prayer from memory one night and couldn’t remember what I had just said, where I was, or what came next. After watching a memory video online months before, this was concerning to me. My PA declined my request to see a neurologist and referred me to a psychologist.
OTHER SIDE EFFECTS (that are gone as of May 2022):
- Urgent urination (varying amounts)
- Cold chills to bone at night, waking up with sweaty chest (rest of body was warm). This was less frequent during winter. Started in February.
- Lost motivation to do things…even family events (motivation is back).
- Cried less (watching sad movies)
- Would get depressed sometimes before medication, but that’s gone
OTHER SIDE EFFECTS (persistent)
- Internal vibrations (eyes shake when closed also)
-- Circadian rhythm was way off, but getting better
-- Vibrations made me not tired; slept less, but sleeping ok now
-- I occasionally wake up feeling the vibrations
- Mind goes blank sometimes when trying to think about something
- Memory lapses like trying to put cereal in the fridge…I have to concentrate more on simple tasks, but getting better. I’m more forgetful and sometimes get confused easy
- Tinnitus is more evident
- No sense of hunger for at least 8 months (would feel sick or weak and realized I hadn’t eaten); I get hungry now, but I still forget to eat sometimes
- Treadmill in April 2021 - felt extremely weak in less than 5 min walking
- Treadmill in January 2022 - Excessive yawning after about 5-10 minutes walking and right side ache
- Scared easily
WHAT MAKES THE VIBRATIONS TEMPORARILY WORSE?
- Exercise
- Deep breathing
- Cold temperatures
- Nicotine
NOTE: Alcohol does not lessen them
The vibrations are between level 1 and level 3. They are coming from my chest area. They make my head shake. Can feel them in my tailbone if sitting on a hard chair. Feels like a phone buzzing in my pocket when there’s no phone in my pocket!
NOTE: I have hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, low RHR generally 52-56
AS OF MAY 2022:
- I’ve had appts with two PAs since the vibrations started and the psychologist and they all agree the diagnosis is Anxiety. I have researched this extensively and cannot figure out what the issue is. I disagree with the “Anxiety” diagnosis. Anxiety may have initiated it, but can’t see it as a factor in continuing it. I’ve talked with multiple people who have anxiety and none of them have constant vibrations. I was in the military for 24 years and have never had any internal shaking like this. The shaking I experienced was more external shaking. When I get nervous sometimes (occasionally playing pool), it’s more of an external feeling. For “that shaking” pursed lips breathing helps.
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No, it has nothing to do with being vaccinated. Coming off antidepressants like Prozac (fluoxetine) and Effexor (venlafaxine) can normally cause internal vibrations or feeling of electrical "zaps". They eventually go away.
Well, it’s June of 2023 and my request to see a neurologist at Mayo in Rochester and was denied. I’ll try another hospital. If I get denied again, I’ll just live with it.
How many years does that take? It’s been two years for me and they are still there.
This is not applicable to me.
Yes, the Fluoxetine caused the low appetite. Had no appetite in the beginning, but then I started getting a sick feeling, which prompts me to eat. I ate well over the past few days spending time with family, but it did not stop the tremors. The only thing that helps me “not feel the tremors as much” is moving…but sometimes that makes them worse. I also have Hashimoto’s and I rarely get food cravings. I buy things I like and don’t have the desire to eat them when looking for something to eat.
It took about 2 years for mine to go away. I don't know if there are any studies on this. Good luck dear. 😔❣️
@wisusa... I will chime in here way after after reading this thread. I have some anxiety and several years ago when the dr would review a quick anxiety scale in my annual review thought possibly a little medication could help take the edge off. I tried a a few different ones in the SSRI category (Zoloft, Cymbalta, Prozac) over the course of a few years and each time I hated how they made me feel. It was that internal feeling of jittery shakiness, uneasy feelings , and sometimes I would go fast walking as I felt like that helped the unrest and uneasy feelings. After about 2 weeks, or so, I would quit the meds because I felt overall I did better without them. Then a few years later I had an anxious time that led more to a depression period. I felt I was in a worse place so sought the help of an actual mental heath professional. She too put me on some meds and this time insisted that I needed to get through at least 6 weeks, cause it sometimes takes that long for you to adjust and to feel the beneficial effects. I persisted this time and was convinced to go 8 weeks. It was awful !! I remember cooking dinner and having soo much of this internal shakiness and unease I eventually called her to explain I couldn't keep doing this. She told me I apparently was sensitive to the Serotonin type drugs and to know that going forward, and to avoid that class of drugs in the future. She then went to Gabapentin, it has an anti anxiety effect, and later switched to Mirtazapine. Over time I reduced the dosage and have been off anything since. That all ended in 2015. I do struggle at times with anxiety and have Xanax for the occasional use, of which I forget I have. I guess my BIG POINT is that some people actually can't take those meds. this may not apply to you, but it's food for thought!!!
I hope you have found a solution to your issue and are in a better place now!!
Hello. Do you feel this vibrations in your complete body?to me, it Feels like the brain is sending wrong signals. Its even hard to describe. No pain, tho.
My sensorial feeling has changed, since the vibrations. Its stronger, a simple touch or washing hands , or touching a device that vibrates feels different.
I got them without taking any AD. I feel them stronger when I am stressed out.
Feeling it at the tailbone too. Like pulsating.
I was at the Neurology and did an ENMG. everything was normal.
UPDATE…
Whether this is a true/false diagnosis is yet to be determined...
I finally saw a neurologist at Gundersen in LaCrosse on Monday, 23 Oct 2023. He told me I have essential tremor and a mental health issue.
He told me essential tremor. generally affects the hands, but for some reason mine affects my head.
When I asked him about the eye tremor when closed, he told me I was doing it on purpose and that I have mental health issues. I am not making my eyes tremor! My head tremor sometimes slows or stops if I move my eyes a certain way, so I think it could be related. Forgot about that during appt.
NOTE: My online search (NCIB) says ET with eye tremor may indicate cerebellar dysfunction.
When I asked him about all the other side effects, he said he didn’t know why I had/have them.
My low motivation switch after Fluoxetine is working against me. Getting it back slowly, so hopefully that progresses and I can care more to do more.
Living with this until I figure something else out…and have the motivation to execute it. I just keep reminding myself that other people are worse off than me and it’s not that bad. Also, I figure either I can live with it or something will eventually break enough for them to do something about it.
LESSONS: Take it one day at a time. Stay positive even when every door you try open gets slammed in your face. Truth is always better than a lie. Keep your honesty even if the so called “experts” don’t believe you. Don’t give up hope.
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