# Help and Advice > Related Illness/medication/alternatives >  Different brands of antidepressants

## purpleheart

Hi,
I have been on 20 mg of fluoxetine for about three months, and after the initial side effects faded I began to notice such a big difference. After many years of feeling very little, and then due to a traumatic event becoming very, very down, I was beginning to feel normal things again! I felt happy, I felt sad, I felt angry, all these things I hadn't really been feeling for I don't know how long. I thought now my journey would be learning how to handle all these emotions!

However, when my second box of medication was coming to an end I was having trouble getting my repeat prescription and had to go some days without my meds. I ended up having a bit of a breakdown at work with my boss which wasn't pretty, and was feeling like I just wanted to ram raid the pharmacy with my car to get my meds!! (Wouldnt actually do that of course!)

Thankfully I got hold of my meds and now back on them as normal. However, I'm not feeling as stable as I was before. Today I had a particularly bad day where the negative thoughts were creeping back in, the extreme sense of sadness for no real reason at all. My house mate (also my boss!)  was pestering me as to what's wrong, in the end I had to text him and admit its the depression which I just find embaressing becuase it's something he really doesn't understand. I know, I know I shouldn't be ashamed but don't want to seem like I'm being a downer on a Saturday night! 

Anyways, I am wondering if its just where the meds werent in my system for a few days, do I just need to wait for them to kick back in? Should I perhaps consider going on to something stronger? Ive been popping a couple of pills a day recently becuase I felt like I needed the extra boost. Or I read someone say in another post about different brands making a difference, and every time I've got my meds they're been in a different box so could some be less effective than others?

Thanks in advance. I've just had a promotion at work and am going to be managing a shop of my own next week, so I want to get this under control, I want to do well in my new job and not have this get in the way.

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## Jaquaia

You really need to be compliant with your meds. Being without your ADs won't help, it takes 4-8 weeks for a medication to get up to therapeutic levels and take affect. Missing doses will affect this. 

Also, if you feel you need to increase the dose, you should really go back and speak to your gp and not self-medicate. You will end up running out early and be unable to order them again and so be without again. For your ADs to be effective, you need to be consistent, they don't really work as an instant boost.

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## Suzi

Jaq's right and fluoxetine is one of the ones which takes longest to get into your system and each dose change takes the same length of time to work too. Each missed dose will have repercussions, on the day, but then also much later on. 
It's really important you go and see your GP if you don't feel they are working for you though. Why were you having problems getting your next box of meds?

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## purpleheart

Thank you, I will try and keep it regular and when I'm getting near the end of this box if I haven't stabilised I will go back and speak to the doc.
I had problems becuase I asked for my prescription to be sent to my local branch... It got sent to another branch though and I couldn't figure out where it was for ages and then when I finally did, had to wait for them to send it over... It's difficult for me to collect becuase I work full time. 
I had problems the first time I got it though becuase the Dr prescribed me 10mg...turns out no where does 10mg! Which I didn't discover until having visited several pharmacists! So then there was a whole palava of getting it changed over to 20mg, its like... Come on I really need these tablets it shouldn't be so hard! :'(
I've woken up feeling so much better though so just trying to figure out the reason for yesterday... Whether it is to do with the meds, or maybe becuase I'd only got five hours sleep the night before... Or becuase I'm due on, I always have a' bad day' around that time of the month... I guess I just need to figure out if there's a pattern...

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## Suzi

Or maybe because you've started talking about how you are feeling?  :):

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OldMike (25-02-18)

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## OldMike

I found missing the occasional dose of antidepressants (Sertraline) doesn't have much effect but if you miss a few days I can see there being a problem.

If you can keep taking your meds regularly things should stabilize again.

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## purpleheart

Yea I was taking it like every other day for nearly a week... Both could be possibilities! But I will stick at it and hopefully this was just a blip  :):

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## Suzi

Hopefully. I know fluoxetine really helped my husband for years.

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