Hi everyone I went to the doctors last week to see if I could up my dose of citalopram from 10mg to 20 mg because I was feeling depressed, anyhow depression has gone but I have crazy anxiety like my thoughts are scaring me; every waking second is unbearable and I'm feeling so detached from everything! I've tried yoga, meditation and breathing techniques, it works for a few minutes then bang my anxiety hits me like a tonne of bricks! Haven't felt my old self for several weeks, I think I'd rather be depressed then have this horrendous anxiety! I do have GAD but it's normally under control, I dred waking up in the morning to face another day with this horrible anxiety! I feel like im going crazy! 😯😯😯😯
How long have u been on 20milligrams? Because when u up the dose the cycle starts all over again...take care
For over a week
Read katecogs post...u will definitely understand how this med works..she has the most logical explanations.....
You're not alone, since I've started Citalopram, my anxiety has increased drastically. I recommend you talk to your doc about the anxiety issue, since the meds are helping with depression. Maybe they'll prescribe something to help with the anxiety until your body adjusts to the medication.
Where can we find katecogs post?
On the search box ...on top of this forum just type katecogs .
Awww thanks Lois
Hi Lattifa and Pamela
Yes when you increase the medicine you will feel anxiety again - every increase will heightened the anxiety, but this is temporary and will ease off as your body adjusts to the doseage.
Pamela - doing yoga, breathing exercises, meditation etc won't stop the anxiety in its tracks. These methods are absolutely brilliant for anxiety, but it takes more than one session to ease anxiety. Sometimes people rush about frantically trying to rid themselves of this feeling, and end up getting frustrated and adding yet more anxiety onto the anxiety they already have.
You can't stop anxiety dead. It takes a long time for this to ease, so acceptance and understaning this helps to not have false hope. You can ease a panic attack but not that constant anxious feeling.
But that doesn't mean it won't go ...... it will. Its our attitude towards anxiety that keeps us in this fear / anxiety / fear loop. Because you fear it - you produce it (and all its side effects). Your body's natural instict is to run from it.
There's a great website and book I'm always passing on to people which talks more about this and how to pass through anxiety instead of fleeing it which in time your body relearns how to become unafraid. It was written by a man who had suffered for 10 years.
Understanding this method plus medicaton is how I recovered.
I can send you the link.
K x
Well said again Kate.....
Can you tell me the name of the book plz? X
I'll private message it to you Lattifa as links and book titles aren't allowed to be posted on here (they'll get deleted).
K x
Hi, maybe you can answer this question for me. I read everyone's experieces on the Celexa. I get it that it gets worse before it gets better. My son is autistic and cannot tell me how he's feeling or how bad. All I have is to go by his actions. His doctor told me that everyone has their 'sweet spot'. He suffers from seizures and has severe PTSD. His anxiety is so bad he can easily never leave the house. Before the trauma we used to go everywhere in the world, this has been going on for a year now. When he started 5mgs.. his anxiety immediately started getting better, 10mgs even better, 20mgs ever better... but still so far from where he needs to be. So his doctor put him on 30mgs and his seizures got really bad, so bad he needed to go back down to 20mgs. He tried something else and it made his seizures even worse so he got off of this other med and went up to 25mgs of Celexa. It was the best 5 days he's had in a long time.. then day 6, 7 and 8 he's had horrific anxiety. Unfortunately his doctor is on vacation at this present time and I am hoping to get opinions here. On day 6 of the 5mg increase, would it most likely be the side effect of getting worse before it gets better or it aggrivating his seizure activity? He has never experienced any side effect being on 5mgs or 10mgs or 20mgs. This is why I have to lean more towards the seizure thing.
Any and all opinions are welcomed.
Thank you...
Hi jojo
When did your son start taking the medication?
Sometimes people do feel better at first and then the side effects kick in along with the heightened anxiety - and some people get side effects from the first tablet they take. Everyone reacts differently.
I'm assuming though your son has been on the meds 8 days (or is this just the increase)? If only being on the meds 8 days I'm thinking that the side effects have just kicked in after the 'honeymoon' period which a some people do experience.
If he's been 8 days only on the increase of 25mg then it could be that some people find they can't take a higher dose which could be 40mg, 30mg etc so it could be that 25mg might be that little too much?
The side effects do wear off though it can take a little while - so it might be worth him hanging on a little while to see if they pass.
So yes, it could well be the anxiety being heightened at the moment.
K x
He's been on it for about 2-3 months now.
How many different dosage changes...in the 2 to3 months???
I replied back with all these details and my internet went down. He's also on Zypexa 20mgs. When he went up to 25mgs and then 30mgs it backfired on him. He's back down to 20mgs of Zyprexa. It's almost impossible to know what the right decision is to make when the side effects on Celexa are so all over the place.
At the present time he's still sleeping. His anxiety was so bad last night he couldn't fall asleep until late. This poor kid, it brakes my heart. I'm going back down to 20mgs today. If 20mgs IS his sweet spot like the doctor likes to call it, should he start feeling better tomorrow?
And thank you very much for replying back to me so quickly
Joann
5mg to 10mgs to 20mgs to 30mgs ... REALLY BAD REACTION.. back to 20mgs. All was good then up to 25mgs and bad again.
You have to understand these meds take along time to work ...it took me months not weeks..I feel for your Little one...20mill. was too much for me ... I'm on 10mill.for 14months now...but everyone is different..n I know from experience celexa cause me horrible anxiety etc.but I preservere...take care
Thanks.. I'm thinking 20mgs is it for him. When you upped your dose what were you feeling that you knew it was too much?
Hi jojo
Forgot to say that I was only ever on 20mg maximum, and after I recovered I reduced to 10mg and stayed on that for years.
A bigger dose doesn't mean you'll recover any quicker than if you were taking a small dose, and you can't hurry recovery up either with taking a large dose.
When you find the dose that suits you then stick with it.
2-3 months I'd say is still fairly early on the meds. If he was fine on the 20mg and isn't yet feeling 100% (but is feeling some benefit) then the meds and that dose still have more to unveil for him. Usually you start feeling better (a lot of people often have dips too) but you haven't yet peaked at the full recovery, and it isn't a larger dose that will do this but its time. Though it took me 6 months to recover I still further improved after this time too.
Sounds like the 20mg will be fine for him and you now have to play the waiting game.
How old is your son by the way?
K x