Too scared to start taking citalopram.

[prettypurpledaisy]

I have been having panic attacks and have been given citalopram to help but having read the side effects I am too scared to start taking them. They are 10mg. Anyone got any advice for an already anxious woman?

I actualy sat and cried when I got them. But they helped so much. Like sparkling says theres always someone ready to listen

I have been on a lot of different anti depressants and IME these are the best. No drug is a cure all but they do work and they keep me out the nut house with no side effects now.

The side effects I did have, feeling sick, clenching jaw and feeling spaced out were not pleasant but so worth it to feel normal and able to cope again. They only lasted a couple of weeks.

Like others have said, get through the first few weeks and it feels like a weight has been lifted.

I was on them for six months and it was the best thing I could have done, I didn't have any side effects at all which sounds rare based on others experiences on here and the benefits I felt were the same as other posters, the awful anxiety I was suffering went away and I gained some perspective, they just took the edge off.

How did you know it was time to stop Susie? Did the anxiety come back at all?

I was due to start a phased withdrawal in consultation with my gp when I found out I was pregnant so I just stopped, I didn't seem to have any withdrawal symptoms but these may have been masked by pregnancy stuff taking over, the anxiety didn't come back when I was pregnant and hasn't since I've had the baby, if I did start to feel the same way again which was truly vile then I wouldn't hesitate to start taking them again.

That's great to hear Susie. I have dropped from 40mg to 30mg this week and haven't noticed any difference. I am a long way from stopping them but I would like as lower dose as possible ideally.

Hope it goes well for you sparkling

I took the first one yesterday night and didn't sleep all that well, but if anything am feeling even more anxious this morning. I feel very odd today but that may be all in my head. Have got to drop my 24 hour urine sample off at the dr this morning and am worried whether I will be able to do it.
Hopefully this will pass but the dr did warn me I may feel like this for a day or so :(
Onwards ever onwards!

Yes, nothing out of the ordinary pretty. each day is a step towards feeling back to normal. Anxiety levels will increase for a time. You have taken the first step-that's important. x

If it helps, looking back, I had almost zero side effects. Apart from one day when I literally couldn't stop yawning and getting a headache on the first day (which was probably a coincidence since I have them all the time anyway) I had nothing else. They just made me very very calm and even more numb, which I don't count as helping.
You just need to ease into it. I had no effects from upping to 20mg and then 30mg. Dr. was talking about upping to 40mg and I'm not worried about it.

Thanks ladies, I am pleased I have started and will continue on. Thank heavens the olympics are on and I have a distraction :) My DD is making me take the dog out for a quick walk everyday which is making me face going out and my friend is taking me to the dr this afternoon so all is well :)

Yes, I remember my Mum coming round and actually dragging me out of the house because i didn't want to go out/do anything but sit on the sofa until the tablets worked. I had to force myself to do the necessary for the children too.

The walk is an excellent idea. Gives the adrenalin somewhere to go.

i was given 10mg to begin with specifically as this dose is low enough to have minimal side effects and then went up to 20mg after 14 days

i felt bit very mild nausea and bit tired.the benefits far outway such minor discomfort.ive taken others but this slow dose increase was definately the way forward for me

lots of positive vibes sent your way

I'm always surprised when people say that a walk is really good for lifting spirits- all it does is make me exhausted. In fact I tried it at the beginning and it was the worst thing to do, I felt like a black veil was falling, because I could see how I'd have loved it before and that now I was feeling nothing, just wanting to go home and sleep. Now I don't want to go near the place I walked through. I went on lots of walks this summer and it was in the countryside and very pretty all around, I could see lots of little things which would have had me almost drunk with pleasure before, but often I just gave up and turned round because it felt hopeless. When I was with other people I was distracted at least but I still dropped like a fly when I got home.

God what a self centred creature I am being. Does sport really often work?

It's what I keep being told quirrel. I put my Ipod on and do about 3 miles on a good day. It's been too hot lately though and I have been really tired.

A few evenings the Mum from down the road has dragged me out for a walk down the canal, we were so busy chatting I didn't really notice the walking, and I did feel better when I got home as I hadn't lounged about all evening.

susieloo So jealous. I had to reduce when pregnant and I suffered terribly. I got more side effects from going down a dose than I did when I started them. I managed to go from 40mg down to 10mg but I got really depressed and gradually went back up to 40mg whilst still pregnant. I was really upset about having to take them whilst pregnant but apparently they are safe in pregnancy and breast feeding.

Hope I will be able to reduce the dosage sometime soon.

I've had my prescription since Feb and was reluctant to take them...I have started taking them this week though...

having read some of the posts here...I now know why my jaw is causing me issue's....clenching and stuck feeling...it's horrible and quite uncomfortable too...hope it stops soon

and too hot...esp in bed. Though my sleep is evading me alot...tossing and turning for hours

whatthe Yeah the whole clenching jaw thing isn't pleasant. I take it in the morning, I find if I take it later in the day I can't sleep either. The side effects are only temporary. Hope you feel better soon.

thanks panda

...I've been on and off AD's for years...I think what I need to do is get back on track and eventually find a balance to maintain things on...I should probably be accepting that I will always need this medication so I'm not yoyoing anymore...

I seem to go in cycles and I'm now convinced that I need to be on AD's for the foreseeable and long term future....

I have argued (mostly with myself)that my depression is 'situational' rather than a chemical imbalance...but now believe it is both and I have not been best serving myself before now

This realisation in itself is helping me feel a bit better about things

Ah whatthe hugs. Same here. I was first prescribed them as a teen, am now early 30's and I can't ever see me being free of them. I too have battled it out in my head thinking its just circumstances but now I think its just part of my genetic make up.

Taken me a long time to make my peace with that. My GP is lovely, she really helps. She said if you had an illness such as diabetes would you stop your meds just because you felt well? Obviously not because its still there. Well depression is kind of the same, lurking about unheaded, until it hits u like a ton of bricks.

I would do as u said and try and find a balance.

I think one of the main issue's I have too is that we have moved home a couple of times and I haven't found a GP that I've felt I can talk to...and I tend to avoid going at all....I've been registered with my current GP over a year now and been 2 times...
I haven't experienced a good feeling with either of the doc's I've seen and my friend has recommended her practice to me...I am within their catchment area too, so am planning to re-register with them and see someone soon...

I've been wondering about CBT and whether it would be helpful so I'm going to ask about this and find out what might be best for me

So far so good for me, had a really good day on Tuesday no panic at all but the last two days not so good but have been out somewhere everyday but still not driven.
One day at a time I suppose :)

Yes, it will be a bit up and down pretty. But just going out is a major achievement at the moment. Do what you can when you can.

I remember in the early days my Mum asking if I wanted to pop to the shops. She picked me up but when we got there I didn't want to get out of the car. You just get braver over time.

I hope you are right Sparkling, I feel like a complete idiot at the moment as i am normally so confident. My DCs are being really supportive though which is great. Feel extremely anxious today but am so thankful I am not at school and have 4 more weeks to get my act together.
Thanks for the support :)

Do you have a GP appointment before you go back to school pretty? It may be worth getting one, just to have a chat to see if dosage is correct etc. How was today?