Citalopram for anxiety - success stories!

[Bex77665]

I’ve finally decided to call my doctor and ask for some anxiety medication today …previously very against anti ds (for me personally) and desperate to crack it with yoga, exercise, meditation etc but I’m now having bad health problems. Cardiologist thinks I have POTs (bp and heart rate gone haywire) so multiple near fainting spells per day and basically developed really bad health anxiety and scared to leave the house.

I’ve got two young kids so obviously this can’t continue. I can’t tell which is a POTs symptom and which is stress, anxiety or panic attacks at the mo so figure if I can at least take some of the edge off it will help.

if anyone could share their success stories I’d really appreciate it..:very nervous about side effects or feeling worse so please just positives!

It helped me when I was very, very low. Even just being able to admit I needed it and crying on the phone to my gp in desperation felt like an important moment. I stayed on it as long as I felt like I needed it, I know you only wanted positives but it affected my sleep so I didn't want to be on it long term. I still do the other things you described, and I have therapy. It has been a combination of things for me rather than one solution.

Thanks @coffeeisthebest ..how long did it take to kick in for you? My sleep is already pretty bad so got nothing to lose in that respect!

I found that citalopram gave me insomnia years ago.They put me on Escitalopram which the Dr described as the better version.
It works for me been on it years.

I started taking it about two years ago at a very low point in my life. Like you, I had resisted for a long time.

Within a couple of days of starting taking it I did start to feel more anxious and have a bit of low level nausea. I wanted to stop taking it but forced myself to continue. By day 9 all side effects had passed. I realised it was working when I was in a stressful situation at work and I realised that my heart wasn’t racing (like it would have been normally). It calmed me down enough to respond to stressful situations without spiralling out of control. I stopped biting my nails. I felt happier than I had done in a long time. My marriage improved. I’m a better mother.

I think I’ll take it for the rest of my life. The benefits are huge for me.

Five years ago my DH had dreadful health anxiety and debilitating panic attacks. After much resisting he finally took Citalapram out of desperation and because it was becoming increasingly impossible for him to lead a normal life. Twice passers by in the street called an ambulance as they thought he was having a heart attack - it was panic attacks, but very scary.

He didn't really notice side effects, but to be honest he was in a terrible state and so would have thought they were anxiety related anyway. Within a couple of weeks of taking the drug he found a balance and a little peace that enabled him to really focus on a range of things that, on reflection, all combined to help him back to wellness again. We walked in nature, worked together on our allotment, he swam, relaxed with relaxation tapes, had group and individual talking therapy, stopped drinking alcohol and ate well.

After about six months he weaned off of the Citalopram and has been 100% well since. I think the combination of things he did helped him get well but before the Citalopram he just couldn't get to a stable plateau where he could even consider taking positive action. We never take his mental health (or anyone's mental health) for granted now and it's always a priority.

I feel for you as what you're going through is really horrible. I hope you're on your own journey back to wellness very soon. A big hug to you.

@SeaPool thank you for sharing your story about your husband, that sounds really positive and I’m glad he managed to recover and even wean off the medication. I think part of resistance is was worry that I would never ‘get off them again’ but then if it means not feeling like this maybe that’s not a bad thing.

@DrRichardWebber thanks for sharing it sounds like it had a life changing impact! I know there’s a chance I can feel worse before better and that terrifies me but I guess I’m the grand scheme of things it’s better than feeling like this forever potentially

It's been very good for me, although sometimes think I should increase my dose as I'm only on 10mg.

You can titrate up slowly if you're concerned.

I started on it 2 months ago after starting a new job I hated while also dealing with the menopause. It’s honestly been a game changer. Feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. I’m sleeping much better, no feelings of anxiety and can now see more positivity.

It worked for me to get me out of a very dark place, some years ago. I would recommend avoiding alcohol when taking this though as I had a couple of instances that are a complete blackout to me and, apparently, I was acting...out of character.

@Bex77665 , if you start to feel worse it’s worth reflecting that it’s just the drugs starting to work. I thought of it as a passing cloud before I could see the sun again.

Citalopram was the first AD that my daughter tried. It worked brilliantly for her anxiety! No impact though on her depression, so we've moved on since then.

Well done for getting help OP! I’ve been on it for about 3 months for PMDD. Although I am a naturally anxious person and I wish I’d started taking it sooner! I’m not worrying about half the things I used to and generally feel much calmer (it’s helped with the PMDD too!)

My side effects were dry mouth, drowsiness and excessive sweating for about 2 weeks. I was warned of anxiety getting worse at the start and potential suicidal thoughts but I didn’t have any of that.