Hello it's been long time ,, I start with celexa 20 back on July,, horrible side effects after two weeks I was feeling a lot better , on September my anxiety came back so I went to 40 and that help a lot .... on January if this year the doctor said that I was doing pretty good so we start going down on the dose.. I went to 30 and everything was ok ,, February went to 20 and everything good ... march I start with only 10mg and then on March 20 I stop taking the medicine .... now I'm here with anxiety again and really depressed I don't want to feel like this .... shoul I start with the medicine again ??? Help me please ....
Hi think that is a hard one! I have been on 20 mg for about 9 weeks and hoping to cut down to 10mg slowly as always so tried and have had a head ache for about 3 weeks now. It seems that the anxiety still is there but the tablets just take the edge off and all the doctors can do is up the dose when we say it isn't working? Sure the headache is the stress but can't up the dose anymore as will be feeling spaced and unreal. My kids keep commenting that I am not concentrating when driving which is a worry. Off to doctors later to discuss
Think that if we suffer with anxiety it is just in us and may be we need to try and live and cope with it.Not easy is it!!! Your not on your own with these feelings, lots suffer . Good luck with your outcome x
Yes I have headaches too ... it's so sad I was feeling so happy cuz I thought that I was going to make it without the medicine ... bt the symptoms are too scary
It seems that the Meds sort the anxiety but leaves you will other symptoms. I now have constant headaches every day , do your headaches some and go or are they always there in the background like mine. Wondered if it was a side effect?
I did not have headaches when I was takin the medicine.. bt know I have them everyday!!! Always.. I just have to ignore them... I'm going to start takin my medicine again
I've always understood that you should stay on meds at least a year which will help prevent the symptoms from returning (I might be wrong on that timescale mind). Dropping from 40mg to 0 in 3 months is way too quick ..... and could be actually be withdrawl which often appens when you come off them too quick - I spent a year coming off 20mg to avoid this.
Speak to your doctor about reinstating a small amount of the meds, build it up, wait til you're better and stay on them for longer. Then withdrawl real slow.
K x
Hi Kate. I need to cut down on my 20mg as feeling too spaced out and constantly tried. I think 10mg may be a better dose . I was going to cut to 15 first for a week but as I have been suffering with a headache for ages( doctor says it is tendion) do t want any symptoms of withdrawal. Would u say a week is not long enough in your experience. Doctor says I need to stay on them for a while like u said but 20mg is knocking me out as take 10 mg of amptrilynre at night also x
Do you mean amitriptyline? You sure its not that making you feel unwell as I thought you couldn't take both together. Recheck with your doctor, or better still, the pharmacist.
Anyway, cutting down on 20mg - I cut my 20mg into 1/4's (so each piece is 5mg) and took 15mg for 1-2 months before going down to 10mg. Again you should do this with your doctor, not on your own. So no, cutting to 15 for a week before lowering again isn't long enough and you'll get withdrawl which you don't want on top of side effects and a headache.
But do check out both those meds together - though of course you might mean a different meds completely.
K x
Thank you for you advise ! I was feeling so good that I thought that I was ok !! Are you still taking cit?
Sorry Kate hot the spelling wrong . Have taken this for about 10 years at 10mg for ibs and it works. Starting cutting down to 5mg but this may have made headache worse so doctor said stay on it , I feel so out if it @ 20mg doctor happy me yo decrease to 10mg. Assuming combination is making the effects of cit stronger? So would u suggest cutting to 15 mg for longer than a week?? Have been told the headache is tension but can't increase to 30 mg . Have pressure in my temples and neck but have been holding tension in my jaw I think. How long was u on cit? X any advice appreciated x
These meds often fox you into believing you're better, and then you're shocked when you hit a blip.
No I'm not on Citalopram anymore - I came off last year. I took it for many years before reducing for more years and then finally decided to try without, which then took a year to come off. Am still feeling good without them.
Thank you for explaining that ... I think I shoul give them more time I just hope that I don't have the terrible side effects again .. the doctor told me to start back with 20 mg ... I did it today bt I know now that I have to wait patiently to see any results ... it just so scary for me ...
Hi Jayne
I took these meds for about 16 years at 20mg - during that time I reduced 10mg and stayed on that dose for about 10 of those years before coming off some years ago. I restarted due to family illness (stress affected me) and I then stayed on 20mg again for about a year before spending the next year withdrawing.
If you're reducing from 20mg down to 10mg I'd really recommend doing it in 5mg increments, and stay on each reduction about 1-2 months before decreasing again. It'll help prevent withdrawal symptoms. 1 week on each reduction really isn't long enough - your body needs to adjust slowly and it won't in a week.
Yes the combination with the other pill could well be causing your headaches and tension. Something else to consider - do you use a computer / laptop / mobile or similar a lot or even before bed, because these cause a lot of people to have headaches and disrupts sleep, which then gives you all manner of problems. I had neck and shoulder pain for about a year and found it was the way I was sitting and using my laptop too much. Also using a mobile, ipad etc makes you hang your head forward which gives you 'text neck'. The head is heavy, putting strain on the neck.
Just a thought anyway
But yes, definitely shouldn't be mixing those 2 meds, so lowering would be more beneficial.
Hope that helps.
K x
You think is going to take the same time to make Effect ? I was off from the pills only 13 days ... I'm scared of the effects again ;(
No it shouldn't take the same amount of time as from the beginning, but it'll take only a little. Just let the meds settle and don't keep increasing / decreasing ..... your body will adjust.
K x
Update !!! 6 days taking the medicine again ... i feel anxious bt not t like the first time .. is most in the mornings, pressure in my chest feeling my left side numb... I feel weak... I feel sad ... bt I'm also feel scared... I really hope to feel happy again soon
Yes those first few weeks are usually the worst when all sorts of weird and wonderful aches, pains, thoughts, anxiousness, insomnia, nauseau, headaches all happen. Not everyone gets the same. It is a scary business, but just put your head down, tick each day off and persevere on.
This journey can feel like a long drawn out one ..... but just keep going.
xx
Thank you so much for your time and your words Kate ... is so good to have someone who is honest and positive .. thank you 💛❤️
Hi Kate
Thanks for the advice. Have started reducing the dose to 15mg on saturday, so fingers crossed . So far ok xx
Glad I can help Hope it goes well - keep in touch x