Hi everyone, I posted on here the other week regarding my increase from 10mg to 20mg.
I thought my side effects were starting to calm down however today after taking my tablet I am feeling very dizzy & spaced out. I am into my 3rd week of the dose increase. My tiredness & headaches are easing but I can’t shake this light headed feeling. Should I maybe try taking the medication at night time?
Thanks - laura 😊
You can take it at night to try to sleep thru the side effects..other than that is still so early for you still..to feel the benefits...
I switched to night time around week 6 ish after suffering awful side effects during the day. The first week or so I felt great but after that the side effects came back especially in the morning. I'm now on week 10 and apart from having the odd bad day (like today and yesterday) im definitely starting to feel the benefits. My advice is it's entirely up to you when you take it, I don't think it made much of a difference and we just need to ride out these side effects
Hi Laura, I am on 20mg and it knocks me out, so have no choice now., but to take in the evening, i do wake up with a fuzzy head though. Am in withdrawal from another med so could be that.
I also found I was dizzy and light headed for a couple of weeks, even without a dose increase. It did go away though! I’m still having the tiredness and morning anxiety but that’s about all (I’m on week 4 on 10mg)
Thank you all for your replies, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one.
It’s such a strange feeling isn’t it, the side effects in itself make me worry more. I think I may try switching them to night time & see if that helps me through the day.
I’m also really worried about returning to work, I don’t really know why as I have worked with people for over 10 years & have some really good friends. I just worry I’ll go, become anxious & feel like I’m about to collapse! - anxiety really is a b***h!! ☹️
Just don't rush back to work. I made that mistake and ended up back on the sick after one. Saying that trying to get back into a routine is meant to help but I just found my side effects were to bad in work. You might be different
Hi Laura, I was exactly the same and now I have no side effects now from my 20mg of citalopram. It gets better over a few weeks but I would give taking them at night a go before you return to work. I went back too soon and had to go on sick again as how I was feeling was affecting my anxiety. Just take it easy until they settle in, it won’t take long and you’ll soon feel better.
Thanks for your reply Gemma, glad to hear it’s not just me who feels like I’m on a rollercoaster all the time! - I switched to taking them on a night yesterday, I had a good day yesterday, no anxiety & almost felt like myself again. It’s defo helped taking them at night when I don’t have to do anything. I actually think my anxiety now is because I’m anxious about the anxiety kicking in, if that makes sense. It’s as if I’m anxious about been anxious. X
That’s my problem too, I think when you’ve been through a difficult time with strong anxiety that leaves you with physical symptoms too, it’s completely normal to feel afraid of it as no one would ever want to live like that. But as hard as it is we have to not fight against it instead try to accept it and remember it will pass and it can’t hurt you. Once you stop fearing the anxiety it can’t get to you anymore and it will ease off but it is a slow process for us all but we’re getting there and you will too in time.
That’s all I try to think when I feel the anxiety coming on, ‘it can’t hurt me, it will pass over’ - seems to be helping. I managed to go out to watch the football in a very crowded bar at the weekend. Felt slightly anxious when I first arrived but I settled down. I only hope It’s the same when I return to work. I’m dreading it! X
As hard as it's is, try not to fear it, make sure you tell others at work about how you're feeling because having their support and understanding will help u a lot. I think you may feel better once you get back into it. I think my anxiety would b worse if I stayed at home or had too much time to think about it. Just take it steady and too push yourself too hard a thing work by taking on a larger workload or more responsibilities until you're feeling better. Thinking of u.x
Should have been don't push yourself too hard.x
Thank you Gemma, I really appreciate your replies. I’ll let you know if I decide to go back & how I get on. X
That’s okay, we’re all here for you but yes keep me posted on how you get.x
Hi Gemma. So I went back to work yesterday on reduced hours. 3 hours yesterday & today.
Yesterday was ok, i obviously felt anxious but I felt like I could handle it. Today, not so much! I had clammy hands, tension headache, dry mouth, mind working ten times over! - just went to do a bit of shopping afterwards & couldn’t get out of the shop quick enough. I’ve been taking my citalopram last thing at night but I’ve had to take it early today to see if it eases my anxiety.
I’m a loss of what to do now, do I go back to work Monday & hope it’s a better day! - it’s like 10 steps forward, 9 steps back! 🙁 x
Hi Laura, how were you feeling on 10mg? The anxiety symptoms could be purely down to the increase and if so will settle down. Try not to let them scare you. My side effects of these are physical anxiety symptoms and fuzziness everytime I wake up and start to subside early afternoon. What helps me is to just accept it, easier said I know and we are all different. Also, when going to work, try to focus on the moment and break the day down for example, morning routine, travel to work, the first hour at work, take frequent breaks that kind of thing it can make it less overwhelming.
Hi Paul, I didn’t feel to bad on the 10mg, I think it was when I actually stopped them (after Doctors advice) that I really struggled. I originally went back on 10mg however my anxiety was at its worst so doctor prescribed 20mg. Ive had some really good days but equally some bad. It’s very unpredictable & I hate that I can’t plan anything in advance because I’m not sure how I will be feeling that day. I have come to realise when been thrown into situations that i cope a lot better than having something planned for weeks in advance, I sit & over think about how I’ll feel or if I’ll feel ill when I go! It’s horrible.
I know exactly what you mean about not knowing how you will feel going from one day to the next, I lead a very simple and easy life at the moment to assist me with the horrible stuff. Am thinking you going from 10mg to 0mg back onto 10 then onto 20mg is definitely what is causing you all these problems.
Totally agree with you Paula..