I felt the same - every day I woke I couldn't bear another day having to endure the pain of anxiety and wanted it to go in an instant. The years I spent ill I had many dark times and never thought I'd be free of it. I didn't realise I was recovering - I thought it was just another pill I was given and surely it couldn't make me better? So, was surprised when things started happening ...... and though it took 6 months I think that's relatively short compared to how long I'd been ill.
Those highs and lows will come, but just try and ride through the lows. They'll get easier and will eventually stop.
Hi Danny, I know, if feels so discouraging when the blips come! I always start fearing it will go back to the same as at the beginning of the meds and recovery will never come. I am 8 weeks now, and I had a bad blip yesterday again; today I feel like I want to do something to help myself out of the blip - talk to the anxiety and tell it I know it is just temporary and it will pass, also thinking to go for a short run and maybe give myself some small targets with some little tasks I have been postponing due to depression...it feels really hard though. Kate is right - even if 2 or 4 months on the meds seem like a long time to us in recovery, it is still a little time compared to being ill for long periods of our life, and we are taking steps to recover now, and maybe need to be more patient with ourselves. It is not a straight curve up with the recovery. I hope today and weekend will be a little better for us!!!
Thanks Kate. This blip came after a change at work. Will it still eventually level out? I guess I worry too much. Which is easy to do when I'm not feeling well. my evenings are better. But I get some blurry vision in the evenings as well. Is this all common?
Ah ..... yes blips notoriously happen if something has happened which upsets our rhythm, even if you don't feel it at the time. Yes it should level out again. Its only natural to worry - your body is anxious, so it stands to reason your thinking will be anxious too.
Glad the evenings are better ..... they will improve over time too. Blurry vision is a side effect of the medicine - it could also be stress, tired or even TV, computer, phone, work ....... all leading to tiredness? Always best to get it checked out. But yes, I've heard others say they've had blurry vision.
I get blurry vision every day too, and it gets worse in the evening, always comes with a head pressure and sort of a head fog. Very annoying. I had to stop cycling because of it. I think it is a common side effect.
Thanks Kate. Was it fluox that you were on also? Sure appreciate your encouragement. I've cut all caffeine, sugars etc out and trying to eat right. Hoping this helps.
No I was on Citalopram ...... my son was on Fluoxetine (a right pair) ... but they're pretty much similar with the same side effects and withdrawal etc. Both SSRI's but just a different type.
Yes eating healthily really helps - so does exercise, as it helps burn any excess adrenaline and also releases endorphins, making you feel good.
Thanks Kate. I was on citalopram also for 6 years. Can't really remember how long it took sure wish I could. I do remember that it did take some time but can't remember how long. Did well on the citalopram. I just hope and pray that this fluoxetine picks up and does as well also. My evening yesterday was much better. Just wanna be able to function again. After the month of feeling better had 8 days of down and anxiety then three days ok and now 8 days down again. It's weird I don't remember the cycle of citalopram when beginning it but sure hope the chances of this picking up are good.
Why were you put onto Fluoxetine if Citalopram had worked before? I've been on it twice and both times I had a different experience starting up ..... the second time it took much longer.
Yes that does sound typical of these meds - up and down. I also had good evenings but really bad mornings.
Sometimes life events can also upset our rhythm when we're recovering - could be anything from a birthday party to moving house These often result in down days.
No I don't remember exactly my first time starting up on meds - not in detail anyway. I remember the timescale, being up and down, good evenings / bad mornings - and didn't even know I was recovering. It was back in 1997/8 anyway.
Oh I was on 20 mg. of citalopram and did fine. Had a traumatic injury in summer 2014. Five surgeries dosage of citalopram varied over next couple of years. I tried to cone down myself and it messed me up then last year was switched over to name brand Celexa for 4 weeks at 60 mg. Didn't settle. So they divided that the cit or celexa wasn't working with me anymore switched over in Dec of this past year and here I am. Was on 60 mg of fluox as well. But it had amped up pretty bad so was reduced to 40 mg. About 16 weeks ago. Have had those good weeks but today has been awful. Just crying and feel helpless.
When I was reduced to 40 mg (16 weeks ago) I gave two weeks for the 20 mg to get out of my system and then started counting weeks for adjustment. So 14 weeks and some days after the two weeks allowance for the 20 mg to leave my system. Just afraid I won't ever feel better again. Afraid my mind or brain won't ever get back to normal. Today has been the worst in weeks. Yesterday evening wasn't too bad at all. But today this morning. Just awful
Thanks lookingonwards. I'm praying it settles. It's not as bad as when I started up on them. Just a constant feeling of lesser anxiety than before which I guess is good. But I suppose more time is needed. Just wanna feel well again and when I'm down it seems like the worst is here. I remember you saying you switched from citalopram to fluoxetine as well. Did it take a while for you to start settling and are you better now?
Gosh you have been through the mill, haven't you!! Having an injury and surgery and then having your meds changed is a lot to cope with. Must have been very hard for you
Mmmm they can do ..... though the general trend of blips to decline, they don't always get weaker with each one. Sometimes there could be a bad one crop up in amongst a fairly manageable one. They're as unpredictable as side effects and recovery ..... everyone being different.
Yes to say the least. I'm sure wanting to feel well again. I know I'm blessed to have survived the fall that I took. Surgeons and drs. said I just landed right. But this is overwhelming. Feels like and I'm afraid - is this the best it's gonna get? I know those are thoughts and worries. But this is the realm of thinking when I feel this way. I go to the dr tomorrow.
Hey Kate. I look back and just switched over medicines around four months ago. I guess I'm wishful thinking about getting well sooner than this but is the transition from one medicine to another always hard? And could the old med citalopram still be having an affect on me?
So did you switch straight from one to another meds with no withdrawl from Citalopram? I switched over from 1 meds to Citalopram years and years ago and really can't remember how it went - think I did a straight switch. I'm sure if I'd had an adverse reaction I'd have remembered it too, so I'm guessing I didn't. I've never switched from Cit to Flu though. We are all so different.
4 months is early for many people too though - its just so hard to tell until you've given the meds a long time, and if in that time you've had no good spells (whether that's an hour, an evening, a day etc) then that's how I'd gauge progress. If you've had good spells then the meds must be working and settling still.