Been on citalopram for 4 weeks now. Still very up n down, mainly anxiety. Can anyone offer any encouragement that the next few week might improve...?
Hi Tim
I'm at the exact same stage as you, so can't offer much input, but can offer my support, as I know how you feel, what dosage are you on,?
Iv read on this it can take 4-6 weeks to even get the benefits of this meds, but I'd like to follow this and see what else is said,
Keep your chin up,
Wendy x
Thanks for the encouragement Wendy. Every day is a battle at present. Trying to manage the anxiety and panic. Evenings are better as is expected. Try to get out and about most days as that helps. I'm now on 30mg, have been for 5 days. I could be experiencing the side effects of that or just the vile anxiety anyway.
Hi, I was told when I went on them that it would take at least six weeks before I would start feeling the benifits, and it was not far out. Buit can vary with different people.
Hope that you soon start see an improvement. Hang on in there.
I am on week 5 of my increase!!! Week 4 was horrible but this week has been way better!!!! There is hope babe in there!! I started going for walks with my dogs and kid this has helped me so much to quit thinking all the time..
I have been on 30mg for just over 6 weeks now and had some good days but bad the last few again. Crying a lot and s anxious can barely eat. Don't know why its so bad still for me.
I would like to tell you it will be better in a couple weeks, and keep positive. But for myself I am finding it hard to be positive and not sure if I should still be feeling this 6 weeks in. I feel scared
Did you start on 30mg?
No,beginning of April I was on 10mg for two weeks then the doc increased me to 20mg and I was feeling great on it until end of august where the anxiety came back bad and was all day and night and I waited and then saw my doc Sept 19 where she increased me to 30mg and been on that since. I thought by now my increase would be leveled out?
I see my doc tomorrow... Afraid I'll have o go through more side effects if I have to higher or lower dose again etc. Can it take longer than 6 weeks to feel ok? I can't remember how long it took for me to feel good on the 20mg
Yes it can when I first started it took me 3 months. I am very sensitive to meds!
Most people are up and down all throughout recovery, but your body will be healing all the time even if you don't notice it. It does take a while - the first few weeks are the worst.
Recovery often creeps up really slowly - it'll start to happen and probably disappear again (the up and downs again). Don't worry as it'll come back and the ups get longer and stronger.
You will get over this - just keep going, through everything. The wait is worth it.
K xx
Dear katecogs
Thank you for those words, of comfort, as the same as Tim I'm 4 weeks in and up and down, but it's good to hear that it's part of the recovery as sometimes I feel Iv went right back,
It's also good to read that our bodys are healing even when we don't notice or realise, as sometimes it doesn't feel like it to us,
Thank you again just what I needed to read, which will keep me going and means a lot.
Wendy xx
Give it a little bit more time say two weeks if you feel it is not working your GP MAY CHANGE THE DRUGS.
Yes it will get better. Your almost there. Hang in there, you'll start noticing an improvement soon.
Hi Wendy
Yes not only is the illness tough to cope with, but the meds are too. It never feels like you're getting better or the meds are working, but you are, and they are working too - you just won't see it for quite a while yet. Yes you will feel like you're back at the beginning many times - its always 3 steps forward and 2 steps back each time. You'll despair many times ....... but just keep going.
Everybody takes different times to recover too, as we're all individual. Some people take weeks and some take months. Just let the meds work for you and don't go chasing it - you can't hurry recoverey, it'll happen for you in its own time. It doesn't matter what dose you're on either - you'll still get this low time.
I recovered on 20mg. It was about 3 months when it started happening for me and I'd recovered by 6 months, and improved more and more following that.
You'll get there. Keep in touch xxxx
Hi katecogs
I can't thank you enough for your input and words of encouragement Iv read them over and over and I will go back to them when I need reassurance, as your words are exactly how I feel when going through a tough few days,
At the moment it's maybe 2-3 manageable days, and then 5/6 down days, but at least everyday isn't a down day.
Nights are always better, sometimes at nights I feel "normal" but I'm glad you say the meds are still working even though I think they are not, Iv managed to go from 10-15 mg for the last 4 days ant touch wood so far it just an awful headache I'm suffering with, today isnt too bad, I'm a bit anxious but I think that's because I have to go to hospital for surgery on Monday, it's not a big op, but I'm getting put to sleep, and it worries me, I think only because I'm a single mum of 4 and they only have me!!! But I'm sure things will be fine,
I know what you mean about can't hurry recovery! Iv tried many times and failed or made myself worse, for many months I beat myself up because I though I "should" be better by now! I know I'm too hard on myself a lot, I'm my own worst critic,
Thank you again for taking the time to get back to me it has helped me a lot,
Wendy xx
Hi Wendy
I struggled with this illness when my children were small, and it was a really tough time, so I know exactly what you mean. Having an operation can be a bit daunting at any time, and having to cope with children too can feel a bit stressful at this time. Do you have help after your op? You'll need a bit of rest I expect.
When I recovered I noticed I started feeling normal in the evenings, but I'd wake every day full of anxiety. Again when the evening came, it'd ease off and I'd feel relaxed. That slowly crept into the afternoons, and then the mornings, though each morning I'd still wake with anxiety. Eventually I started waking with no anxiety. Throughout that process, I'd still get bad days. Eventually I'd feel well for days, followed by bad days, but slowly the bad days got less and less until they finally stopped. You can get the odd bad time months after you think you've recovered ....... but let it be, it'll go.
Anxiety thrives on stress. Many things can cause anxiety, though often it leads to stress which is a big cause. Then when you're anxious, you get stressed, which causes more anxiety. You get stuck in a viscious cycle causing depression, weird thoughts sometimes, anxiety, more stress. We then start rushing about trying to get rid of it, keep checking to see if 'its' still there, despair, get angry, upset etc etc.
When you're stressed your body goes into 'fight or flight' and tenses up. Your nerves become trigger happy, and fire off at the slightest provocation, giving you pangs of anxiety, it affects our sleep, appetites and above all makes us very tense.
Keys things to help is to accept you're feeling ill and that it'll be there for a while yet - Rome wasn't built in a day Relaxation - try and let the feelings just be there, don't fight them, accept them and try and relax / let go of that tense anxious knot in your tummy. Relaxing doesn't mean flopping in a chair, but it means to stop rushing about / running away, slow down, walk slower, drive slower, try not to get angry and uptight at things, let go of the tenseness in your body (if you check you'll probably find you're clenching your teeth, holding yourself ridigly). Exercise gently - take a walk every day - being outside is good for the soul and exercise helps burn up excess adrenaline (don't exercise vigoursly as if often means you tense whilst doing so). Eat healthily, go to bed at a decent time and sleep (if you can), and socialise if you can too (it helps to get out and be with friends). Lastly understand it'll take a while to feel the benefits of learning to relax - it doesn't just happen, and it takes practice. Doing all this will help your body begin to calm down whilst you also wait for the meds to start working.
But yes you're right - we do beat ourselves up expecting to be better - I've done it myself. This of course causes tension. Learning to adopt the relaxed attitude above is the better method than trying to hurry recovery
Good luck with the surgery, and wishing you a speedy recovery. You will also get over this anxiety ..... maybe not so speedy, but it will happen for you.
K x
Thanks for the feedback.much appreciated
Hi katecogs
you always have great output and make people feel better, I am on10mg and have been for 12months, I felt better in April and then had a stroke which I believe stressed me again, I don't want to increase my dose or change my medication, but when I told the doctor that some had recovered in 6 months he questioned that and said cit was not a cure all, I feel better with the anxiety in the mornings, but still get depressed for no reason and still get the anxiety and scary thoughts in the afternoon, not sure if I should carry on with cit or slowly withdraw, thanks sx
Aww thanks Susan x
Am sorry to hear you had a stoke - indeed a stressful time for you. Having a health issue is bound to have had an effect on your anxiety ..... lots of things upset our rhythm.
How long have you been feeling anxious again? Is it since April? Scary thoughts are really nothing more than side effects of anxiety (I had my fair share of them), however ... they're still scary nonetheless.
I’m surprised your doctor questioned the recovery time for some people - the proof is here on this site - so many have recovered within and beyond that timescale. True that Citalopram isn’t a cure all ….. for some ….. but for many it is.
When I was recovering I was worse in the mornings but better by the evening, so the other way round to you. Everyone is different and we often have different experiences of getting better. It does sound like the meds are working for you though - with me the good times I felt during the day slowly increased over weeks / months even, until I began to feel well most of the day.
What dose are you on now?
K x
Hi Kate, thanks for your reply I am only on 10mg but I was on this dose 7yrs ago and recovered much quicker,perhaps age is a factor,,I am trying not to lose heart and do get good days but like 2forward 3 back, I try and go out more and work through it, really don't want to increase can they stop working I wonder? Thanks xx