Hello,
I am new to Citalopram and also new to the website. I don’t know anybody who is going through anything similar on a personal scale and I am searching basically for people who I can relate to. I have found this anxiety/depression to be a very, very lonely illness.
I am a 22 year old female and for around 4 years I have being seeing my doctor/mental health team/counsellors with regards to my anxiety and various other problems which are all related.
For around 2 years my doctor has been trying to prescribe me with medication to keep me calmer & happier but as I was young I refused, up until now.
I started taking 20mg 3 weeks ago, the first couple of days I was actually amazed at how anxious they made me feel, I woke up shaking, unable to breathe and on the verge of a panic attack. Any slight noise or change to my immediate environment scared me half to death. Thankfully that has since calmed down and I am delighted to say that yesterday was the first morning in a very very long time that woke up with a smile on my face. This has given me slightly more confidence as for the past few weeks I was questioning whether they were helping at all or just making things worse (for me).
I fully understand everything is a process and things take time to adjust to and I am more than willing to wait to see results it’s just a few side effects that are getting me down and causing me more stress and anxiety.
Sweating: I would say I was a more than average sweater before I started taking Cit anyway but since I have my sweating is completely out of control. I shower on a night before bed and I wake in pools of sweat (literally) I then have a shower before I go to work and by the time I get to work (30 minute journey) my face, back, hands and underarms are just dripping with sweat. Obviously this is causing much more anxiety as it is a physically side effect noticeable to all.
Anybody experienced this and have tips on how to keep it more under control?
Thrush: This is not something that has ever being a problem for me up until I started taking Cit. A few days after I first started taking it I noticed the symptoms which gradually got worse. I was prescribed the Caneston tablet and cream which I used as instructed and at first the thrush cleared up but after a couple of days it was back again. I haven’t noticed any other posts on this and just wondered if anyone knew if the 2 could be linked? I appear to be fighting a losing battle as it will continue to return if I continue with Cit.
Eating Habits: I have lost 1 stone in the three weeks I have being taking Cit. Admittedly I did have a slight ED anyway as I would often binge till I was sick or starve myself.
I blamed this more on not having the energy to keep preparing meals rather than the desire to be thin as I have no desire to be thin but recently my appetite has disappeared. I have changed my diet over the past few months, but only cutting out junk and sugars, so when I do eat I eat very healthily. I thought these chages would also help inprove the way i feel.
Other side effects (these aren't as persistent or annoying as those above) include:
Painfully tense hands
dead/numb arms
painful pins & needles in my feet
shooting pains up the back of my calf when I walk
very broken sleep - I used to sleep well before I started on Cit.
Does anybody think I would be best suited to another type of medication? When i told my doctor about the sweating - bearing in mind i had sweat dripping of my face whilst i was talking to her - she just told me to get used to it :S
With all the side effects together I am starting to become even more uncomfortable in my own skin.
I have a partner who I can’t get close to because of the thrush, the loss of sex drive, the constant sweating so I always feel dirty and the need to shower (which I am starting to become OBSESSED with)
I just want feel normal and so far it appears to much to ask.
L at the end of my tether with this one
