I still don't get why folks want to ruin a good thing with wanting to wean off a medicine that's making them feel good..torture is not very pleasant..yuck .
Lois,
I agree with you 1000%. I’m on this for life. I really wish I had found this 10 years ago. I’m amazed at how focused I am. And my aches and pains have deminshed. I finally go this Friday for my permanent cap on the tooth. That really had freaked me out all that pain and none of the doctors found it. They all point fingers 😠😠😠🤐🤐🤐.
Will😎
Ditto will..all of my pains have also diminish ..for thirty years I suffer because I thought I can fight it..boy was i wrong.. celexa save my life ..and I will never give up on her..lol
Hi everyone
I'm day four of my migraine and am so confused right now. Apart from headache, eyes aching I am giddyish at times. I'm on day 11 of increasing to 10mg and I suppose that could be still causing the giddiness. I try to carry on doing what's needed to be done but it's a struggle. Sorry for the whinge. No one to talk to about it. Hope you are all coping OK.
Best wishes. Leanne
Hi there - I wonder if what you are experiencing is hyperventilation making you feel lightheaded and dizzy. I also struggled with this for a long time and after much searching I realised it was just that I was hyperventilating and apparently it is VERY common with anxiety. So when you are feeling nervous or anxious you tend to shallow breathe and breathe too quickly, meaning not enough CO2 is staying in your system (cause you are blowing it all out) and therefore it causes you to feel lightheaded.
What really helped me with this is doing daily slow breathing exercises (download the 'Calm' app and use the slow breathing tool). Try to see if this helps - it definitely did for me. Also - this YouTube clip is really helpful at explaining how anxiety causes dizziness
Hang in there - it will pass.
Moderator comment: I have removed the link(s) directing to site(s) unsuitable for inclusion in the forums. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.
Sorry to confuse, not using nickname anymore Lina
Hi again - sorry not sure if my last reply went through! it said that it was being moderated but never showed up. What I had written is that the same issues happened for me - and it was 100% anxiety. It was due to constantly hyperventilating. You may not think you are doing it - or even are doing it consciously, but when anxious we tend to shallow breathe and breathe too fast - meaning not enough CO2 is getting into our system. Not enough CO2 to the brain then makes us light-headed and dizzy! It is apparently very common. I would strongly suggest doing daily slow breathing exercises. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 6 seconds, hold for 2 seconds and repeat - after a few minutes you should actually feel a bit better. There is a great Youtube clip which explains how anxiety causes dizziness - just search "Dizziness, Lightheadedness & Off Balance - Anxiety Symptoms 101" and its the first result that comes up. Don't worry, it passes!!! It is just a sensation.
Thank you for taking the time to reply and explaining all of that. Did the dizziness happen to you when you were changing citalopram doses and if so, how long did it last for?
I think my anxiety has increased with the migraine but it's coping with that and the withdrawal /increase effects of citalopram that's the problem, or whether if in fact the migraine is also an effect of the citalopram increase...
Hey there, hang in there, it gets better. I'm nearly at 4 weeks of 10mg and the light is beginning to come back. Still have occasional stressy days, when it actually feels rather like my brain has gone out of control, but overall, much much better.
Honestly, your symptoms are the result of increasing and increasing again. Same happened to me, over June July and August. Wasnt until the last three weeks that I began to feel like I'm getting some benefit from being at 10mg.
Youre going to feel better, it's just horrible whilst waiting. Seriously, try not to increase any more. Your nervous system is sensitised when you cut dose and then increase, and it's a waiting game.
Hi Ruth
So pleased that you are starting to feel better, it gives me hope and no doubt others too. I think the migraine has just thrown the spanner into the works causing some anxiety. Tinnitus has been a nuisance also, really whooshing away.
Yesterday, for the first time I took a shower with a clear head since messing around with my dose weeks ago. I noticeably felt better 2 hours after taking my med at 4pm, I felt like my old self for a while but the migraine came back later that evening. It felt like a glimmer of hope and it felt great. Today I've been muzzy headed all day, I ruined tea trying to rush it so that I could lay down again. I think I need this med more than I thought but I'm staying on 10 mg. Hopefully tomorrow my migraine will have gone so I know what is what. Sometimes they go into a fifth day though.
Thanks for the reassurance again.
All the best Ruth
I have just realised that its you Lina, you and I seem to be going through similar. I know for a fact that my migraine is caused by dose changes, and like you am very dizzy and nauseaus at the moment. I get hemiplegic migraines which do not always give me pain in my head, but my head and neck at the moment on right side hurts alot. So your not alone in this and both of us are going to be ok soon. X
Hi Paula
Sorry for confusing you and anyone else. It must be my state of mind why I stopped using my nickname. Perhaps I'm losing the plot lol.
I can't imagine what hemiplegic migraines are like, sounds very scary though. I hope you are feeling better than you were a couple of days ago. I know you've been through a lot from reading your posts.
I hate this dizzy feeling. I'm hoping some of it will go when my migraine goes. I'm like a hermit at the moment. There's so much I want to do but can't. I look around at everyone going about their business and cannot understand why I cannot do what they are doing. Even my 98 year old neighbour is still going to the cinema and dining out lol. I asked her what her secret was, she said dark chocolate, all her life she's eaten it.
When in this situation you have too much time to think and that's my problem, over thinking things. I keep thinking about serotonin syndrome because I wouldn't know if I have it or not. I've been taking paracetamol for my migraine and it feels worse after taking them. It could also be me over thinking again. I read somewhere that paracetamol can increase serotonin levels so it stuck in my mind.I
Hopefully tomorrow my migraine will have eased. Hope yours does too. Thanks for replying.
Take care ☺🙏
Lina, how long have you had this migraine? Do you get any neurological symptoms with it? And does it feel like you are going through different stages of symptoms? The reason I ask is because alot of people mistake tension headaches which can be extremely painful as migraines, and if I am not mistaken am I right in saying you have had this attack for quite a while? there is a migraine forum on here that I used to belong to and found it really helpful.
My type of migraine mimics strokes, used to scare me, no longer does, I just have the after effects now which can take anything from a week or more to disappear. I try to stick to one paracetamol rather than two and avoid taking any if I can, It seems to be the safer of all painkillers.
I forgot to mention, the first thing I do when a bad head comes on is press certain pressure points with a tennis ball to get rid of any tension(I have a chiropracter friend who has given me amazing tips) and can actually get rid of one. Deep tissue massage is the best, I have thai massages, I cant recommend them enough.
Hi Paula
I've had this migraine for four days. I haven't woken up with a headache today so that's a good sign. I've had them for years and they usually last for four days sometimes five. Always top right of head. They affect my eyes, that's when I can tell it's starting, vision not so good . I used to be a lot worse with them than I am now. I'd have to stay in bed for the duration but I manage to pace myself these days and I'm not sick with them any more. I too try pressure points and they do help, found them online. I wondered if my recent one was a tension headache because they can last for several days too. I have been wearing the wrong contact lenses for a fortnight due to a mix up so that may have triggered it.
I tried migraine tablets years ago but they didn't help, I think I'm sensitive to a lot of meds. Even paracetamol makes me feel sick if I take two.
Hopefully when I stabilise on 10mg Citalopram a lot of my symptoms will improve also.
Thank you so much for your help and support Paula. I hope you are feeling better today. x
The dizziness has been prior to taking citalopram, however its increasing at the moment because I am 1.5 weeks into starting citalopram so my anxiety has increased and therefore so has my shallow/fast breathing!! causing me to feel light headed and dizzy quite a lot.
I think we are all guilty of over analysing symptoms with anxiety (and why we are all coming to the forum).. I would defiantely recommend you do some guided relaxation meditations, and see how they make you feel - if you notice the dizziness subsides and so does the headache, then you can probably be sure it's the anxiety thats causing it. I know for me - all the physical symptoms I think I have subside after doing a nice long mindful meditation and slow breathing exercise - but dont worry if it doesnt for you straight away - takes awhile to really settle down.. let me know how you go!
Thanks for this. I'll give it a try.. Having problems with Internet connection at the moment.. Regards
Hi Lina, I hope your feeling much better today, it sounds very much like its your wrong contact lenses that may have triggered your migraine like you say. I know what you mean about paracetamol, my heart goes out to you suffering with these, a lot of people have no idea what its like, the neurologist tried to put me on gabapentan and I refused am so relieved I did now. I still have a dull head, and my right side is very weak at the moment, pain in my face since the numbness wore off and parathesia down my right side, drives me nuts lol! hang in there with the citalopram, for future reference if you switch does try to do it in small amounts to avoid triggering your head.
typo meant to say if you change doses not switch does (oooops)
Hi Paula
Sorry to hear you're still suffering, how long do those symptoms last for? Was it brought on by the increase in citalopram?
Migraine gone but muzzy head still there with light headedness at times. Tinnitus also raging. Felt so low yesterday, tearful, more anxious than usual and so fed up. Am on 12th day of increase was hoping light headedness would go by now.
Internet connection keeps tripping out most of yesterday and today, using phone for this but too small for texting.
Thanks for keeping in touch.
Take care Paula x