u/mikenovick

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I'm interested in hearing from people who initially responded really well to fluoxetine, perhaps for OCD anxiety or rumination like me, but then found the benefits faded or seemed to disappear quite abruptly.

If you stopped taking it and restarted it months or years later, did it work as well the second time around? Did it take effect again, work less well, or not work at all? It was the best ssri ive been on (currently on sertraline for years but the blunting amongst other things aren't good for me) but it stopped working pretty much overnight many years ago so I haven't gone back since, but the sertraline is doing my head in.

I'm also curious whether anyone has ever found out why it stopped working in the first place. Did your doctor suggest tolerance, changes in your symptoms, life stressors, or something else?

I'd particularly appreciate experiences from people who had a clear, sustained initial response before losing it, rather than people who never found it helpful in the first place.

Thanks- interested in both positive and negative experiences.

Hiya, so in a nutshell I've been having emdr for sleep anxiety / anticipatory anxiety / hyperarousal and my ocd which we now know thru therapy has been magnified due to my breakdown in 2019, with that period of my life giving me genuine ptsd.

Long story short, for the 1st time since pre -2019, there's been...progress. slight but notable. Last session was the most impactful, including my teeth chattering during the processing which for me, indicates...well, something happening!

Anyway, it has been a good week- I've had a focus and energy to me and the background noise is quieter. But last night it came back with a vengeance, leading to my worst night's sleep in months and the catastrophising, unravelling and now mental post mortem is just like how it's always been.

Trying to stay rational about how I know progress isnt linear etc but it's the fact it came out the blue, no reason. I went to bed fine and then it's like my brain switched back 7 years.

Could this be linked to last week's notable session? It was 7 days after so not exactly in a typical window. Have others had a similar thing where you've had a mini breakthrough, then a good few days and then a significant bump in the road? I WANT it to be this but that's my mental health talking, looking for a definitive reason to ease my anxiety. Maybe...it was just a bad night which millions get each night, but it's what it symbolises to me both at the time and the day after (day ruiner today)

TiA. Would really appreciate a reply.

Has anyone else experienced a noticeable EMDR hangover lasting several days or even a week after a particularly intense session?

I'm mainly interested in the mental effects - increased rumination, anxiety, emotional rawness, feeling wired/hyperaroused, old memories/thought patterns becoming more active, etc. - but also any physical effects such as fatigue, headaches, strange body sensations or feeling generally "off".

I've recently had a couple of particularly intense sessions focused on some significant trauma from 2019, and I've felt noticeably different afterwards. Some periods have actually felt much clearer and more emotionally accessible, but I've also had periods of increased rumination/hyperarousal.

For those who've experienced this, how long did it last, and did it eventually settle? And did you take it as a sign that something was being processed, or simply as a temporary after-effect of an intense session?

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Has anyone experienced something similar with EMDR?

I’ve been having a series of sessions working on long-standing trauma/anxiety about sleep. One recent session was particularly intense, but afterwards I had an unexpected 90-minute window where I felt dramatically better for the first time in like 7 years; calmer, more present and genuinely like myself. It felt like a breakthrough.

Unfortunately, that improvement didn’t last and I subsequently had another intense session. I’m now nearly 72 hours after that session and still feeling worse, very hyperaroused, raw, catastrophising and on edge.

I know EMDR can temporarily increase symptoms, but I’m wondering about the duration.

Has anyone else had:

- A noticeable breakthrough/improvement that then disappeared?

- Several days of feeling worse after an intense session?

- Still feeling rough around the 72-hour mark, but eventually settling and getting more stable benefits?

I’d particularly love to hear from people who’ve had multiple sessions targeting the same trauma. I’m trying to work out whether this is a normal part of the process or whether I’m being pushed too hard.

Considering coming off atomoxetine after 8 months – looking for experiences (especially if you also have OCD/GAD)

Hi all,

I'm looking for some balanced advice and real-world experiences.

I was diagnosed with ADHD (primarily inattentive) via Right to Choose and have been on atomoxetine for around 8 months. I've been on 80 mg for the last couple of months.

The complication is that my primary mental health conditions are actually OCD (mainly rumination/anticipatory anxiety) and GAD. The ADHD is there, but I'd say it's secondary in terms of what impacts my life.

I'm also on 150 mg sertraline.

The reason I'm considering coming off atomoxetine is that, honestly, I'm struggling to identify what positive it's brought. If anything, I sometimes wonder whether it has contributed to feeling emotionally flat or "wired", although I fully appreciate that could equally be my OCD, anxiety or the sertraline.

A few questions:

Has anyone with ADHD and OCD/anxiety come off atomoxetine after deciding it wasn't helping?

Did you stop suddenly or taper, even though it's generally said not to need a taper?

Did you notice any withdrawal symptoms, or was it more a case of your ADHD symptoms returning?

Did your anxiety or rumination improve, worsen, or stay about the same?

If you felt rough for a few days, how long did that last?

One thing that makes this harder is that I previously had a really bad experience switching between SSRIs, so medication changes make me quite anxious psychologically, even though I know atomoxetine is a completely different medication and isn't supposed to have the same withdrawal profile.

I'm not planning to stop my sertraline at the same time, and I only want to make one medication change at once.

I'd really appreciate honest experiences—both positive and negative—as long as they're your own experience rather than horror stories you've heard elsewhere.

Thanks!

Considering coming off atomoxetine after 8 months – looking for experiences (especially if you also have OCD/GAD)

Hi all,

I'm looking for some balanced advice and real-world experiences.

I was diagnosed with ADHD (primarily inattentive) via Right to Choose and have been on atomoxetine for around 8 months. I've been on 80 mg for the last couple of months.

The complication is that my primary mental health conditions are actually OCD (mainly rumination/anticipatory anxiety) and GAD. The ADHD is there, but I'd say it's secondary in terms of what impacts my life.

I'm also on 150 mg sertraline.

The reason I'm considering coming off atomoxetine is that, honestly, I'm struggling to identify what positive it's brought. If anything, I sometimes wonder whether it has contributed to feeling emotionally flat or "wired", although I fully appreciate that could equally be my OCD, anxiety or the sertraline.

A few questions:

Has anyone with ADHD and OCD/anxiety come off atomoxetine after deciding it wasn't helping?

Did you stop suddenly or taper, even though it's generally said not to need a taper?

Did you notice any withdrawal symptoms, or was it more a case of your ADHD symptoms returning?

Did your anxiety or rumination improve, worsen, or stay about the same?

If you felt rough for a few days, how long did that last?

One thing that makes this harder is that I previously had a really bad experience switching between SSRIs, so medication changes make me quite anxious psychologically, even though I know atomoxetine is a completely different medication and isn't supposed to have the same withdrawal profile.

I'm not planning to stop my sertraline at the same time, and I only want to make one medication change at once.

I'd really appreciate honest experiences—both positive and negative—as long as they're your own experience rather than horror stories you've heard elsewhere.

Thanks!

Considering coming off atomoxetine after 8 months – looking for experiences (especially if you also have OCD/GAD)

Hi all,

I'm looking for some balanced advice and real-world experiences.

I was diagnosed with ADHD (primarily inattentive) via Right to Choose and have been on atomoxetine for around 8 months. I've been on 80 mg for the last couple of months.

The complication is that my primary mental health conditions are actually OCD (mainly rumination/anticipatory anxiety) and GAD. The ADHD is there, but I'd say it's secondary in terms of what impacts my life.

I'm also on 150 mg sertraline.

The reason I'm considering coming off atomoxetine is that, honestly, I'm struggling to identify what positive it's brought. If anything, I sometimes wonder whether it has contributed to feeling emotionally flat or "wired", although I fully appreciate that could equally be my OCD, anxiety or the sertraline.

A few questions:

Has anyone with ADHD and OCD/anxiety come off atomoxetine after deciding it wasn't helping?

Did you stop suddenly or taper, even though it's generally said not to need a taper?

Did you notice any withdrawal symptoms, or was it more a case of your ADHD symptoms returning?

Did your anxiety or rumination improve, worsen, or stay about the same?

If you felt rough for a few days, how long did that last?

One thing that makes this harder is that I previously had a really bad experience switching between SSRIs, so medication changes make me quite anxious psychologically, even though I know atomoxetine is a completely different medication and isn't supposed to have the same withdrawal profile.

I'm not planning to stop my sertraline at the same time, and I only want to make one medication change at once.

I'd really appreciate honest experiences—both positive and negative—as long as they're your own experience rather than horror stories you've heard elsewhere.

Thanks!

This'll may sound odd and perhaps my ocd (which is what im having emdr for) talking but im seeing a film like 90 mins after our session. It's a tense / horror film (Backrooms) and ive got it in my head that itll impact me negatively post-emdr with it being so soon after, and that if I sleep poorly that night (im doing therapy for rumination, ocd and anticipatory anxiety overwhelm about sleep) will lead to catastrophising, etc. Is there any correlation? Worth noting I enjoy horror movies and I can get immersed in them (not a given with my ssri linked emotional blunting!) Just wanted advice, I know it is recommended to chill after a session but it IS actually for enjoyment (going to the cinema that is.) TiA.