Week 2, worsening insomnia

Treatment and medication
1

I'm on Day 9 of 5 mg. I started really low due to the bad side effects I had when I started Citalopram 5 years ago. I plan to stay on 5 mg at least a few weeks before moving up to 10 mg.

​I had insomnia for several weeks before starting the escitalopram. The first week, there didn't seem to be any change in the insomnia. Now, last night, it was a bit worse. I woke up several times, and each time it would take me at least an hour to fall back asleep. I am prescribed trazadone as needed to sleep; I did take one eventually in the middle of the night, and that helped a bit.

​For others who have had the insomnia side effect, how long did it last for you? I'm hoping it starts to improve soon for me:-).

2

Hi Kelly,

I would like to ask you for which reason you take escitalopram. Depression or anxiety?

Ask your doctor about remeron. When I can not sleep I used to take 15 mg and sleeping (if I want) 10 hours constantrly...

You told that in the past you used to take citalopram..Had you been helped with anxiety with this?

I had been being on escitalopram for 5 months but now I try to give it up, because it does not help me with negative thought. I think that it helped me with panic attacks a little bit. And I agree, the first 2 months I had terrible side effects. 

Thanks for your response!

 

3

Hi Arietta!

​I take the escitalopram for anxiety:-).

​I'll have to keep the remeron in mind, in case I need to switch to something else. The trazadone does work well for me, but I've been trying to avoid taking it as much as possible so I'll sleep on my own, even if I don't end up getting much sleep;-).  I'm prescribed 2 pills of the trazodone a night, but for the past several nights I've taken just one.

​The Citalopram worked wonderfully for me, for 5 years. Then, it quit working about 2 months ago, so I had to switch to something else. I was on the highest dose of 40 mg, so I couldn't go up to a higher dose.

​What dosage of escitalopram are you on?

4

Hi Kelly, I started escitalopram on February 18, wih 5mg and every week I raised till 20mg. During the first two months I had bad side effects, such as raised and big anxiety,  so from day to day, used to take a bit of benzo. The problem with me is that I am doing a compulsive thought for example, I am talking relaxably to some people and in the middle of conversation, my mind make a klick, and started without a reason to feel a tention. When I am working or selling, I am ok...Anyway,I could not feel any serenity with escitalopram 20mg, yes I can say it was helpfull with panic attacks but not with this negative thought  and gradually I reduced to 10mg and yesterday doctor said to stop it and to replace it with remeron every night 15mg and we will see.

Tell me something..Why do you need to take escitalopram for so many years? I had the impression that we would take these antidipressants for 2 years maximun and then our philoshoply and the thinking would be ok without pills. What is your doctor say about this? You dont have a phsycotherapy at the same time?

Conserning citalopram as it is new for you know, you have to be patient with side effects. You take it in the morning dont you? What is your short of anxiety and you need to take pills for so long? We definetelly need to change the way we see things and not based only to the pills. This is my opinion, what yours?

5

Hi Arietta!

​I'm 41, and struggled with my anxiety on my own until I was 36, when it got really bad, and I was no longer able to eat more than a few bites a day, and no longer sleeping. Unfortunately, when I'm not taking anything that's what happens: my sleep and appetite suffer greatly. I've lost nearly 20 pounds this last bout of anxiety, and, for the last 2 months, have had to take trazadone nearly every night to sleep. I don't want to live the rest of my life this way:-). Especially now that I'm in my 40s, and certainly not getting any younger;-).

​I think some people can come off antidepressants, and do very well for themselves, especially if they were on them in the first place for situational anxiety or depression. But, I know so many more who have to go back on them again, either within a few months or years. My anxiety pops up for no reason, so I think mine is a chemical imbalance that I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. Anxiety runs in my Dad's side of the family, so that's probably where I got it from.

​My opinion is that life is short:-). I'd rather take a daily pill to help me function better, than suffer nearly full time from anxiety.

 

6

Hi Kelly, I am on day 6 on 10mgs of Escitalopram today for horrible anxiety and 50mgs of Trazadone for sleep.i got off Fluoxetine after 10 weeks at 20mgs it did not work and made my anxiety so much worse. I’ve heard good things about Escitalopram and hope it works partially before 8 weeks.

7

Good morning Kelly,

I can feel you so much and agree what you say!

I am 45 and also fight from panic attacks since I was 24. But not constantly. when I was 16-20, I had (because of stong diets) some faints. That period I was not afraid at all. On the contrary I was very cool.

The first panic attack  was the period I studied for my diploma at university and was very stressed for the last difficult lessons before graduation. So I was driving alone to give the lesson and on the way I had the first panic attack and the same symptons of the faint. So " I got married" some phobias. From time to time I used citalopram (for 6 months) then stopped and was ok.

But in the meantime, I got my diploma, I found a good very profitable job, got married and had a daughter and got divorce. Now I have a good relationshiop.  So from 26 till 40 was ok. I had some phobias like feel unsafe, when driving lond distances alone or with my little daughter or travelling alone, but I could enjoye life afterall.

Last 5 years from the time I lost my job (that I had a lot of confidence, money, travels etc) I started to have these compulsive negative thoughts and a lot of stress. So I started to taste several pills (that in the past were very helpfull) but this time are not so helpfull with this anxiety. Anyway, with the years I learned not to be shame about me and to find a way to express this phobia to others so it is not very strong now. 

Last pill I took as told you since February was escitalopram. But does not work well with anxiety (for me) gave it up and started every 15 days a phsycotherapy. But I was prescribed every night for the next 6 months remeron that helps me very well with sleeping and the other day feeling a bit of serenity so maybe this is my pill...lets see...

I think that a biggest part of calming the anxiety has to do with the way that we think. If you think that is a chemical imbalance from your dad's family, for my poor opinion, you attract this thought and you do not help yourself in maximum. 

For examble, Last March till June, I was very exausted from stress and was prescribed ladose and escitalopram. The first two monts I had terrible side effects like bad sleeping and worse anxiety all day. So I gave them up and had the opportunity then to go in my island (I am greek) and take care with my parents the little kids of my sister. So my pshycology changed completely, because my mind was in better activities and on the kids and had forgotten the thoughts and anxiety. I am a very swimming person and was helped by the sea. Of course the evenings had rtelaxable discussions with people and friends there and was feeling you know somehow...but this tension I had was about ok, not so stressfull as the winters. So I understood that is not always a chemical imbalance but a way of thinking and If you have a lot of activities during the day...the mind is not constantly stuck to the phobia, you understand...

So I am very pleased for you  to hear that you live a better life with less anxiety and pills helps you, but in the meantime we have to be very active and not stand only to the pills. By the way, what are y doing generally? Are you working?