Hello I have only recently started citalopram and I am having a nightmare ! Constant anxiety so I started taking it in the evenings about 7pm felt OK slept ok but now I'm finding about 11am the following day I get bad anxiety as if I'm going to have a panic attack. I feel like this constantly for the rest of the day and then it eases a little bit in the evening. I've
Meant to add that I am also getting hot flushes and weird light headed feeling at times
Kath what dose are you on and if you don't mind me asking
why you were started on them.
It is tough at the beginning Kath, and the anxiety and sleep problems are a side effect - it will wear off though. Side effects can be insomnia, increased anxiety (oh yay), sweating, light headedness, headache, trembling amongst other things. The Patient Information Leaflet that comes with the meds should help.
It can be some weeks for the side effects to wear off, and it can be some months before you start feeling any benefit from these meds. Recovery from anxiety and depression on these meds often comes in waves too - so you'll be up and down for a while, until the ups get longer and stronger.
It does get better.
K x
Kate all the things you describe should persuade anyone NOT to
Take theses tablets. I was on them for 5/6 weeks and I promise
You getting on them is just as bad as what I have now getting off
them-it might be even less I don't know I'm only five days off but
given it was 10mg over a short time I might have lessened the
withdrawal symptoms.
I fully appreciate you are saying give the tablets time and it will
get better but sometimes you need to admit that citalopram is
not for everyone and have the strength to go back to the doctor.
Hell mines asked me FIVE questions off his screen and decided
I was suffering from depression and anxiety. Not one word about
the effect these things can "potentially " have on people.There
are other AD's out there just so happens citalopram is the drug of
choice right now.
Kath seriously weigh up your options NOW. Citalopram may help
-as it has millions-and it may not. Only you know your body
and mind not doctors and not people on forums, like me.
Good luck and Find the strength. We all have it unfortunately
it's just temporarily buried right now.
Hi Colin
Sorry you've had a struggle on these meds Colin. They are tough meds to take, and all doctors should point out exactly what to expect, but sadly they don't. They come with a leaflet outlining all possible side effects, but its not often read by patients - myself included ;-) Doctors do also prescribe these meds too easily too - but for many people, they're a lifeline. If my doctor asked me 5 questions then prescribed these, then I'd change my doctor.
No they don't suit everyone, and 5-6 weeks isn't that long either being on the meds. Everyone reacts differently to them and all other SSRI's. Also increasing a dose too quickly will make tolerating these meds much harder. Meds should start at a lose dose and eased onto over many weeks - months even for some.
Personally for me, I'd been ill for 15 long dark years on and off with anxiety / depression - tri-cyclic antidepressants, tranquilizers, counselling and hynotherapy did not help. As soon as I was started on SSRI's I recovered within 6 months and have been well ever since (20 years now). These meds were a miracle for me. SSRI's, SNRI's, Tri-cyclics and other types all work in different ways and on different neurotransmitters - its a question of finding the correct meds to suit your body type. SSRI's work really slowly ... really, really slowly ... and that's why you have to give it time. You cannot tell if they'll work for you after a few weeks.
My son sadly fell foul to the same illness 2 years ago and was put onto Fluoxetine (a different type of SSRI) and went through absolute hell, and couldn't work for 4 months. It took our family to the brink and I had to return to Citalopram as it took its toll on my health again. It took 9 months for him to recover completely and is now back to a happy young man again. I'm also back to full health once more which took longer than 6 months this time. Its one thing to suffer this illness yourself, but to watch your child is a completely different matter.
These meds are tough. Really tough and never to be taken lightly. But ... they do work. Each different SSRI works differently for each person, and its trial and error finding the correct one to suit you. Easing onto them with a small dose and staying on that dose for weeks before even attempting to increase is the way to go.
I've withdrawn from these twice. First time was tough, and the 2nd time I slowed it down even further which has taken me a year so far. This time around I've had no withdrawal effects (unlike the first time). Withdrawing off them if best done by 5mg a time, and staying on each dose a month or 2 at a time before further reducing, and so on. The last 5mg is then taken every other day, then every 3rd day etc etc until you're off completely. You should never come off these meds quickly as you'll suffer the consequenes. I'm currently on 5mg and will take until the end of this year to completely be off them.
These are the drug of the choice now, because they've proved to be more successful than older tri-cyclic types. But ... they are not for everyone, and sadly many doctors need to be better trained in prescribing these, and discussing all possible side effects. Equally each patient should read the Patient Information Sheet that comes with the meds.
During my illness I read many books on this subject and it helped to take some of the mystery and fear out of it and for me to understand.
Taken correctly, these meds do work.
When completely off these meds I'd can thoroughly recommend a natrual SSRI called 5-HTP and l-tyrosine (both bought over the counter). They have no nasty side effects and no nasty withdrawal effects and can be started / stopped whenever without any effects. These must not be taken with a prescribed SSRI.
I hope you are soon feeling well again.
K x
Typos .... low dose, not lose dose ???
This is usual for Cita, but once it has treated the anxiety it can proceed to repair the rest that needs repairing. Try moving it up to bed time so it can carry on the repair at night, but gives you more of the day angst and panic free. It should soon pass.
I will just mention one more thing and that is Katecogs is, in my mind, the best person to listen to because she has a wealth of experience and shares in a way we all understand with relative ease.
Good luck, just hang on in there!
Regards,
David
Kate thanks for the reply although you did scare me a bit with "you'll
suffer the consequences " . You sound like a very intelligent
thoughtful and well read woman so I trust what you say ,so it's
only fair to try and explain why I took the decision(and it wasn't an
easy one) to stop the way I have.
Three months ago I suffered a virus which led to both ear drums
bursting and complete loss of hearing.The only sound audible was
very loud ringing-tinnitus to give it its medical name. I'll come back
to it later.
Over the first month I was pumped so full of antibiotics, pain killers
you name it the doctor and ENT specialist prescribed it.Anyway
the hearing very slowly came back but the ringing never went away.
Still off work the tinnitus got a grip on my mental wellbeing and I
went to the doctor who gave me a weeks worth of diazepam and a
month of citalopram with a hearty cheerio and come back and see
me in a month.Which I would have done if I could get an appointment
I was so desperate at the time and still am to a certain extent I
would have taken anything. My wife who is a nurse of 28 years
explained it would take around the four week mark to maybe notice
a change in mood. By the four week mark I had completely given
up and was thinking things that someone with a fantastic wife good
job and three brilliant kids shouldn't be considering. My wife
suggested going back to the doctor to up the dose but I was going
on a family holiday in two days so circumstances dictated I never
made the appointment.
Anyway fast forward to first day on holiday and I felt like someone
with no emotion and unable to think for themselves. Couldn't even
remember what happiness felt like. At this point I just wanted to
give myself a chance and rightly or wrongly the citalopram had to
go. By now I had also done a lot of research of the link between
tinnitus and citalopram and it just made my mind up. Right now I
have "the consequences" but you know what-I can think clearly for
the first time in weeks and I might(just might) be able to tackle
the underlying problem which is the tinnitus.
It's only five days but I need to persevere but no way would I
condone what I'm doing and it is personal choice.
When I think of the fifteen years on seroxat and not one word from
a doctor on how I was doing I had to kick that myself.
Anyway good luck to you and yours Kate and happy health.
Thanks for taking the time to care it's appreciated.
I'm only on 5mg believe it or not and I tried taking them before bed and am just the same . I know 5mg is slow dose but I've gone from on and off anxiety during the day to more or less constant 24/7 anxiety since I started them. I'm worried it means they don't agree with me ? As others I know on citalopram didn't get all this and just felt tired on it.
Good reply
I was on citalapram years ago and they worked well then I tried them again and it was a real bad 6 months all I can say is don't listen to people to much on forums just remember EVERYONES DIFFERENT people just kept saying to me give them time I gave them 6 months and felt no better go with your gut instinct that's usually right my advice would be that if there is no improvement by week 12 then their not for you don't keep going on and on because people say so keep in touch with your gp don't do what I did and suffer for to long
Good luck
Sorry, suffering the consequences purely meant that if you withdraw off the meds too quick then you can feel quite ill.
Sympathies for the ear problem - I've had an ear virus years ago and it was a very painful experience, affecting my neck and jaw too. Must be doubly unpleasant having it in both ears! The tinittus no doubt caused you to be stressed? Yes, tinnitus can be a side effect of these meds, and of course if it becomes really problematic then meds should be withdrawn.
Oh tell me about trying to get an appointment ..... they're like gold dust aren't they.
Thinking things - I've been there in my desparate times ..... a very emtional time.
Some people feel some benefit after 4 weeks, some earlier and some much longer. A bit like 'how longs a piece of string'. Again it all works differently for people. Upping the dose doesn't alleviate the side effects or make recovery come any quicker. The dose has to settle before deciding if a higher dose is needed.
My first medication was Seroxat which I stayed on for about 2 years, but though that's the one I initially recovered on, it didn't agree with, gave me problems and was changed to another ..... which was discontinued and withdrawn from public use ..... and then 3rd time lucky it was Citalopram.
I purely like to encourage people when they doubt the meds and feel down and worthless about it all. Some people do give up too soon though, and that's what I encoursage ..... try and stay a little longer if you can. Just that little bit longer .....
Hoping really hope the tinnitus heals for you.
Taking these meds does heighten anxiety initially - but it does wear off. If you can, try and give it longer just on this dose and see if it does stop. Only then when its calmed down should you consider increasing by another 5mg maybe and again waiting for the side effects to settle. Obviously speak to your doctor too when doing this.
Everyone has different experiences with this meds. I've taken this twice now and both times I had a different experience.
We all doubt this medicine when first starting out on it. I had different side effect each week that passed ...... It's just your body adjusting to it.
K xx
Thank you I appreciate it. No one knows what it's like unless they've been there