After a bad experience with Mertazapine and managing without medication my anxiety has returned and this time I'm going to try CBT. However my dr suggests I try Citalapram at the same time to get best result, but I'm loathe to go back onto ADs.
Anyone been in similar situation? Can CBT work on its own or is it better to have Cit as well? The initial side effects sound dreadful.
Thanks
Greta
SSRI's can be a little tough to take, but everyone reacts differently. Anxiety is often heightened to start with and can be uncomfortable - and everyone deals with it differently. Other possible side effects are nauseau, insomnia, aches and pains, headache, loss of appetite, sweats, shakes etc. But don't let the side effects put you off as you can start on a small dose and work your way up (each dose increase can cause side effects too, but if done small enough they're often missed).
For me they were a miracle. After many years of suffering from chronic anxiety I recovered within 6 months of taking SSRI's and have stayed happy and well ever since.
I don't know why some people are loathe to take anti depressants. They're there to help just as any other medicine would - ie diabetes, high blood pressure. Of course everyone feels different about meds.
The trick with SSRI's is to take is real slow, allowing months and months for them to work. Do each increase after a good 4 weeks each time and by the smallest increment to avoid side effects. Don't expect to feel well for a long time - often takes around 3-4 months to start feeling the changes. Expect to have setbacks (blips) and they will happen.
There's many therapies and I'm sure CBT is helpful on its own, but I always think its best to apply more than one (that's just my opinion).
I can also recommend a very helpful website written by a man who cured himself with no medication. Its absolutely true what he says and his view is something I've believed in for over 20 years via another source. I can send the link.
K x
Thanks for your input, that's really helpful. I had such a bad experience trying to come off mirtazapine its put me off similar meds for life. However armed with the info as to what I may expect I'm sure it will help. Forewarned is forearmed. I really don't like the way my life is going at the moment, something has to be done. If you care to send me the link to that web site you mention iI would be interested to see it, although I think I will probably give Citalapram a go.
Thank you
G
Hi g. The problem is if you are on both you won't know which one is working. I had CBT for my balance and it helped initially, but after a few weeks the problem with my anxiety balance problem came back. I have been on 20 mg of vitamin for 3 months and I appear to have more confidence when walking. Hope this helps. There is a book called CBT for dummies that I read to help. Pat
Hi g. The problem is if you are on both you won't know which one is working. I had CBT for my balance and it helped initially, but after a few weeks the problem with my anxiety balance problem came back. I have been on 20 mg of cit for 3 months and I appear to have more confidence when walking. Hope this helps. There is a book called CBT for dummies that I read to help. Pat
Citalopram also has to be weaned off carefully. I've withdrawn from this twice - first time had withdrawl symptoms but coped ok, and the second time I spent a year coming off with reductions of 5mg lasting a month each time. Doing it that way I had no withdrawal at all.
Sometimes you can get so embroiled with anxiety that you need meds to help set you on the right track.
People often get stuck in a cycle of anxiety - fear - anxiety. Anxiety shocks you and so you begin to fear it, think about it constantly, have anxious thoughts ..... all which then produces more anxiety, making you go round in circles. Breaking that cycle is the key. Once anxiety starts to ease, so do all its side effects.
We all start searching for an answer, and I eventually found understanding anxiety helped me so much. It took away a lot of the confusion and then meds helped set me on the right track and 6 months later I'd recovered.
The website explains more about understanding and what to do. Its simple, but not easy.
K x
Hi P. Thanks for your reply, you've put your finger on the one thing that has been bothering me, how'd you know which is helping? I am aware the dramas I've had to cope with in the past four years are causing this, but how to cope with it? CBT would appear the answer but if I'm taking a drug at the same time, that's just confusing the issue.
I've no history of depression prior to this, and I'm 75! So you can see the dilemma. Thank you for your interest, it does help.
G.
Hi Katecogs, I've been taking Cit 20 mg for 6 mnths now and had ups and downs. I;m having a down time now. Is it still possible to recover on this medication or do you think I should be over the worst by now.
Hi Anna
Have you had more ups than downs? It took me 6 months on 20mg to recover and though that's when I just about became anxiety free and over the worst, I still had the occasional blip at times. Some people do take longer.
Do you see any improvement? If not it might be worth talking to your doctor about a dose change? Some people find a change helps.
K x
Hi Greta. I never had side effects when I went into citalopram... and neither did 3 of my friends but I guess everyone is different.
CBT is suppose to be amazing!! I'm reading a book at the moment ' CBT for overcoming anxiety' - I suppose it's down to how YOU FEEL? can you cope longer without going on AD? .. maybe try CBT first for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.. it is up to you end of the day. The 2 do work well together.
I've gotta say... I've been off citalopram for a while... but I'm thinking of going back on a low dose as my anxiety has been awful!
I feel disappointed in myself that I might have to have them again.
But I'm starting to realise I need them.. so my primary focus is to get better... and if that means AD then I'll have to go down that route again.
I get all sorts of opinions and influences from friends, family, doctors, but ultimately I have chosen what's right for me.
Hope this has helped some how.
Hi Katecogs, thanks for getting back to me. I had such a good, long spell a few weeks ago I thought I was better. Had some stresses in my life lately but nothing major.
It's actually 5 mnths I've been on them, not 6mnths - well 6 mnths on the 26th June. How long did your occasional blips last after 6 mnths and did you still have long bad spell around the 5mnth time?
Thanks for the advice, just trying to decide if I do need a dose increase.
Anna x
Yes thats often what happens - you think you've recovered and then find yourself in a blip again. Stress can cause a blip, but it'll pass. When you've recovered your body will cope with stress better, but for now its still is a bit shaky.
After I'd recovered at 6 months I'd still get the occasional blip but they started to not come with anxiety - just a dread feeling (feeling of doom). They lasted a week or 2.
I think if you've had a long spell of feeling well then stick with the dose you're on, as its working. Increasing will give you more temporary side effects.
K x
You really can't imagine how much I appreciate your advice.
Thank you so much.
Anna xx
Hi Angel
Nice to hear you had no side effects when on Cit, I suspect I shall give it a try, mainly as I'm suffering a fair bit at the moment and it will be a while before CBT starts and gets going. Until I try it I'll not know whether it suits me, everyone seems to handle it differently. Trouble is, you only seem to hear the horror stories, that's why it's so good to read a positive post like yours.
Thank you so much for helping.
G
Its good to share
Hi Greta,
I had CCBT (Computer-based CBT, a programme called Beating the Blues) about ten years ago when I had a breakdown due to bullying at work. I was taking 20mg Citalopram but, unfortunately, because I'd spent my working life telling computers what to do, I found it difficult to respond to the computer asking me questions like "Did you write down three things that made you feel happy last week?" or "Didi you look in the mirror and note three things you liked?". I eventually had talking therapy where the therapist said that I might as well talk to my washing machine than a computer because at the very least I would get clean clothes at the end! As far as I know it is usual to be taking anti-depressants alongside CBT but from my point of view talking therapy is far better than CBT. I just couldn't take CBT seriously at the time.
I'm now on 20mg Citalopram for something completely different and am hoping my GP doesn't want me to go though CBT again.
Hi Greta. I tried CBT before cit about 6 months before. Mine was for my balance, but after a few weeks
I started to feel anxious when walking fear of falling . So as a last resort I took 20 mg cit and have been on them for 3 months. However I am now frightened to come off them, so what is the answer I don't know to be honest but in the future I may go back to CBT. Take care x
Hi Pat For what it's worth I have been told it's best to run CBT and Cit together, so that when you eventually come off Cit you will have the coping mechanisms from the CBT to help you through.
Seems to make sense. Maybe relying totally on one or the other is not the best way of doing it. I think that's the way I shall go, not looking forward to the side effects from Cit in the first two or three weeks, just hope I'm one of the luckier ones who escape them.
Good luck.
G.
Hi Greta you are probably right. But I had 15 weeks with a councillor for my balance and he did make me feel better but then it came back when I went on holiday, so I started taking 20 mg of cit. This time on hols !y balance has been better. So unfortunately for the time being I need to stay on them. Hope you get sorted. Take care x
I had a form of CBT group therapy with NHS,
it did help and after 6 weeks I scored really well
However it did not last and I am back on cit since January 20mg
I needed the chemicals in my brain
Basically it's saved my life and I will aim to stay on it forever albeit at maybe 10mg some time in the future
I too was reluctant to go back on them again
I was on them 6 months in 2013. Although It took a year to slowly reduce off them
They do make you feel an awful lot worse before you get better.
I had been through this before remember but YES I was worried too, I didn't want to go through that again. I soent the first two months watching re runs of fave shows on Tv
But I am now fantastic! It's well worth the perseverance