well here I am again hoping somebody somewhere has experienced this ! I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression in January after a relapse of my m.s and being in hospital for stomach pain for which they found no reason and becoming suicidal , since then I have been on sertraline amitryptiline cymbalta and trazadone , none of which suited me ! I started on citalopram 3 weeks ago and although my depression seems to have lifted my anxiety is through the roof ! Along with this my mind feels foggy along with my eyesight , I get confused easily and can't concentrate , I wake up with stomach churning every day , everything takes so much effort and I am really forgetful , forgetting appointments , conversations etc , I am even scared to drive and get frustrated when thinking about doing things , I'm scared this isn't normal ....... Am I going mad ? Or do I need sectioning ??
Hello Gary, I have replied to you on the other thread.
Elizabeth.
Hi Gary I think you should go back talk to your doctor see what they say
I am going to come back in now. You are probably wondering who the hell is this woman called woowoo!!
You deffo make appointment to go back and see your gp. Did she ask you to go back and see her after you'd been on them for so many weeks? Mine said 3wks, but you need to go back tomorrow and speak to your gp. You should not feel like this at all. Im thinking that maybe the Cit doesnt "go" with all the other medication you are taking. Sometimes gps forget this. But definitely tomorrow morning. Then you can report back here tomorrow afternoon.
Yes, I am BOSSY!!!!!!!
I'm going to say I still think it's early days. It can be 4-6 weeks or longer for things to settle. Some people take longer to adjust than others. My son started Fluoxetine last August (slightly different SSRI I know) and after going through hell on them it was around January he started feeling more settled. That was 5 months, and was off work for 4 months.
But as woowoo says, you should be having follow up appointments with your GP every 2 or 3 weeks so he/she can monitor your progress.
Anxiety does go through the roof initially, head does become foggy, concentration is poor, stomach will be churning etc etc - usually just when you think you can't stand it anymore, you turn a corner and start feeling more settled.
This medicine takes a lot of perseverance, so don't give up too soon.
You definitely need to see your doctor though too.
Thanks for your reply Im not on other meds , ive had this fog and memory issues since my anxiety/depression started , its that thats bothering me the most , it the fog would clear and the memory/concentration bit id cope but not sure as i was really depressed/suicidal until starting on citalopram
Now im not as suicidal but still really anxious and the mind fog is debilitating , someone talks to me and im not really listening or it doesnt make sense ........ Aaaaah x
And i dont know if its coincidental that i was diagnosed with clinical depression at the time my fog started or its the depression anxiety causing it , i lose track of what im typing !!
So you think foggy thinking could be depression / anxiety and the meds will help ? X
I will be ringing tomorrow , they were meant to ring me back on friday but didnt , its the concentration memory and mind all mixed up thats the worst of it x
Paid you have the foggyness before you started Citalopram?
There's some books written by Dr Claire Weeks one of which is Essential Help for your Nerves, where she explains that brainfag (foggyness) is part of depression and anxiety as you become fatigued mentally, physically and emotionally. An interesting book.
The medicine can also make you feel depersonalised, but that should wear off. Everyone reacts so differently to the medicine, but I'd give it much, much longer before deciding if it's for you.
Oh stupid typos again! Not 'paid' ...... 'have'
Lol x
Yes , noticed the fog when i got admitted to hospital for the stomach pain when i was at my lowest , as i say tried four different meds before cit , although the cit has reduced my suicidal thoughts quite a lot it has not lifted the fog and my stomach is so achey every day . Worse first thing in the morning , i take my sit after tea x
And the bubble issue like being detatched and impaired is awful . Really awful
I used to get a dreadful churning stomach which was worst in the mornings. As Cit kicked in, this was the very last 'ailment' to go.
Yes I've had the 'bubble head' feeling too. People would talk to me and I'd feel as though I was wearing a glass bowl round my head. This did wear off for me.
Glad it's helped already with the suicidal thoughts.
This meds is good for intrusive thoughts ...... I had them constantly which bounced around inside my head for years. Again when the Cit kicked in, my thoughts calmed and eventually didn't bother me.
You need so much perseverance on these meds before you can tell if they'll suit you. People often give up too soon.
Its such a horrible illness to have, and hope the meds start working for you soon.
K x
Really ?? You had the feeling in a bubble thing ?? Like your disconnected and things arent as sharp or real ....hard to explain sorry xx
My head feels so mashed up , like everything is sooooo hard to do and i dont have any motivation to even get myself presentable and yes the churning stomach xx
When you say perseverance ..... How long before your bubble got better ? X
Yes I've felt detached before, and it was worse if I'd had an emotional time. My head just felt weird, I felt slowed up, and it was a big effort to do anything as nothing felt interesting anymore. This is definitely symptoms of depression - and yes the meds can emphasise this feeling more initially.
Yes persevere, even if you feel you aren't getting anywhere yet. The medication will be working even if you don't feel it yet. I reckon it was 3-4 months when I really noticed improvement. It crept up so slowly ..... just little things I began noticing - my mood felt lighter, I didn't feel emotional, the brain fog felt lighter - lots of little things. As time went on I felt better and better.
K
Sorry to prattle on . I'm just feeling like I'm getting nowhere , I know it's early days but the mornings are so hard , having a really bad "hangover" every day is horrendous , just really want it to lift . Maybe get a bit easier xx