Hi I am 25 years old I suffer from severe anxiety out of the blue one day and now I cannot fuction throughout the day. I recently started 10mg of citalopram. I noticed a difference after the very first pill even though I keep getting told it takes at least 2 weeks. I am on day 7 they seems to help take the edge off during the day but I still have the anxiety all day until roughly 7 - 10pm it's like all at once I feel completely like myself and no sign of anxiety at all. But when I go to sleep and wake up it at starts all over I have anxiety again all day. I even get random bursts of of panic attacks. I'm so confused on when this will finally work and why it only makes me feel good at night. I take the pill rite before I go to bed at 9pm. Please anyone know what I'm going through???
Hi Scott
This is normal during recovery. It often takes months to start feeling better, not weeks, but feeling good this early on does happen.
Often people get worse before they get better - but that's often the side effects which do wear off.
If your doctor says you'll feel better in 2-4 weeks, count that as 2-4 months.
Recovery often comes in patches - feeling good for an hour maybe, ill again the next day, and so it will increase over time - feeling good for a few days, then ill for a few days, then well for weeks or months maybe followed by feeling ill for a few days or so. As time goes by, feeling well will last longer and get stronger, whilst feeling ill will get less. Don't be too surprised though if you're suddenly hit by a really bad period out of the blue. It can happen. But, all the time this is happening you're recovering, and some day you won't feel ill anymore. This can take months and months ...... but don't worry, you will get there. Just keep persevering.
People often mistake this up and down period as their medication not working and either stop it or up the dose. Your meds are working, and this is a normal routine.
I experienced exactly what you are - I'd feel well at night only to feel dreadful and full of anxiety the next morning. Morning anxiety was the last thing to disappear for me.
So ... yes it's all perfectly normal. Just keep on. It's a long road but so worth it. The end result is great!
K
Thank you so much for your fast response. I'm glad to hear this is normal. I just feel so weird like this is not me. I don't understand how how this has happened to me. When I start feeling better in the evening I feel like I can conquer anything and that the next day I can fight this anxiety but the next day when the anxiety hits I feel like I have no control and I'm losing my mind. I just want to be me again.
Thank you so much for your fast response. I'm glad to hear this is normal. I just feel so weird like this is not me. I don't understand how how this has happened to me. When I start feeling better in the evening I feel like I can conquer anything and that the next day I can fight this anxiety but the next day when the anxiety hits I feel like I have no control and I'm losing my mind. I just want to be me again.
Hi Scott
know what you are going through, on day 2 citalopram. It may be an idea to take the tablet in the morning if it makes you feel better, you may get some benefit then.
Keep your chin up.
K
K
Poor you 😞 Katecogs is right, she gives totally the best advice xxx have you got any Diazapam? It'll take the edge off the awfulness for the next few weeks, it's helped me immensely and I barely use it now (I'm on week 6 today) xxx good luck xxx
I think u need to go back to your GP and increase your dose, bcz 10 mg is not much, l am happy its working a bit, it does work believe me, it worked for me.
I thought I needed to wait before increasing the dose to let the medication work its way into my system and see if it works? I'm still very early in the medication only 8 pills in now. Is it too soon to tell?
I increased mine after a week to 20mg and it helped me, also felt better after 4 days taking them, 10 mg is not a lot, but we all differ.
Yea my problem is I feel really good and normal but not until the pm. During the day it it's very hard for me. I keep getting told that it's going to take a long time for me to get back to me again.
Hi Scott/Katecogs.
I have been on Cit 20mg for 6 weeks plus 2 days now. Like you Scott I'm a fun loving happy 32 year old woman with three children too look after. Anxiety hit me out the blue and completely knocked me for six mine came from when my grandfather passed away a few months ago I started to wonder about my own mortality and then every little twitch I felt I thought that I was gonna be really poorly or worse still, die, my friend encouraged me to go to the gp and she prescribed Cit. I was really worried about taking it. But I knew I had too as I need to be me again. I'm not gonna lie the side effects were horrendous and I still had to carry on like I'm ok, when I wasn't. I'm 6 weeks in and from then till now I'm so much better. I'm still suffering the side effects though, not many just feeling a little fuzzy/dizzy sometimes. I find that doing excercise helps. I want to be back to my old self and was under an illusion that this would be a quick fix cause it's not and its still tough. Just want to feel good. Thank you for Katecogs ur post was very helpful.
Well I have a doctor's appointment today I will talk to her and see what she says. I take the pill at night to avoid all the side affects. I was taking it in the am and it really screwed me up. I guess this is a waiting game. I'll have to take it day by day. I need to get back to work I have been out for 2 weeks. This has deeply affected my life.
Your thoughts were exactly mine when I was ill. I felt weird and also couldn't understand how I'd got myself into such a situation.
There is no quick fix. You can't rush these meds and increasing your dose won't make it happen any quicker unfortunately. Everyone needs a different dose, but you need to give the dose you're on time before you can decide if you need to increase. Increasing also gives you side effects again.
You can't avoid side effects either, no matter when you take your meds. The only answer is time ...... take your meds regularly and just waiting for the healing process.
You will get over this. Just remind yourself you have an illness, you're doing the right things, and time will be a healer.
Seems you're feeling the start of healing already with patches of feeling normal. Just carry on - you will get better.
K xx
Thank you so much for your support your answers seem to make tons of sense. Do you think I should try to get myself back in my old routine? Do you think this.would help any? I have to get back to work I can no longer afford to take time off and I definitely need to if I want to provide a Christmas for my family.
When I was recovering on these meds, I just carried on with life (the best I could) and yes, kept my routine going, even though the enthusiasm wasn't there. Keeping everything as normal as you can is best. Over time I suddenly noticed I hadn't thought of 'it' for a while and had been feeling normal. The next I'd wake with dreadful morning anxiety again, but as the day wore on I had short periods of feeling good. Didn't happen every day, but it increased over time.
Exercise is good too - it helps burn excess anxiety and raises the endorphins helping to make you feel better.
It can be tough trying to carry on as normal, and I often had tears of exasperation. I found being with people helped, and though a struggle to go to work, it did help.
Could you have a word with someone at work? You wouldn't be expected to carry on with normal duties if you had any other illness.
You will get better - but let recovery come to you in its own time. You can't rush it.
K x 🙂
Glad you found my post helpful 😄
I was was the same when I first encountered anxiety - absolutely floored me! Glad to hear you're feeling better than you were - it is a long haul. Alas a lot of doctors do seem to give patients the idea they'll be better in a matter of weeks - they should try taking it.
I recovered from years of illness on these meds and have been ever since.
Youll get there too xx
Oops missed a bit ....... 'and have been WELL ever since' 😄
Surprising how one word can make a difference! lol
How long did it take for you to finally feel back to your self, I went to the doctor last week as I felt so fed up with feeling down, he told me to hold on. Just want to wake up and be like yes I feel good for more then just one day at a time and then a hick up the next. I feel good in the evening, take my tablet in the evening.
Thanks for all your advise
Sam xx
I've been on these melds twice and think it took longer second time. First time I reckon it took 3-4 months, then after a break I restarted last August and was better by around February/March? I didn't feel really ill all this time - the anxiety stopped but I felt flat for a couple of months before finally feeling back to normal again.
Taking these meds isn't compatible to maybe taking painkillers and feeling better in weeks, it's more like recovering from a broken leg which will take months and months.
You will wake up feeling good. But it takes time. The last thing to disappear for me was the early morning anxiety. It's really difficult trying to be patient, as that's the last thing we want. We just just to escape this intolerable feeling.
It will happen. It happens so slowly you hardly notice it. But it will get better and better.
K xx
Meds not melds ??