Swooping from citalopram to escitalopram

[Allysunflower]

Please can anyone help here, I'm in such a state still having swooped from citalopram to escitalopram, the nausea is horrendous, can barely eat, I'm heaving lots and this will be now 2 weeks this last Tuesday I'd been on 20mg citalopram and then since Tuesday 10mg of escitalopram, my anxiety is through the roof over this, shouldn't I be seeing some improvements? I'm that low, I'm under the mental health care but it's not that great, dr wanted an emergency appt last week but they didn't ring me back and it's not till next week, I just feel like I can't cope feeling this ill it's been going on so long now? can anxiety really do this? or is it the meds as well? I'm so sad:(

Check in again with your GP-sadness, anxiety & nausea sounds horrible, let them know its not tolerable- you need to be really honest so they can help you Allysunflower
Sometimes the meds may make you feel worse first, then settle.
I hope you feel much brighter soon Ally
x

Thank you it is:( I've asked the gp and psychiatrist but no offer of help for it:( I'm feeling really ill now and very low? there is just no let up of the sickness and the anxiety? are they linked? Can't go on like this x

Hi Ally sunflower-Hope your day is any better?
If nausea hasn't settled by your appointment, tell Dr you need to be able to eat- Keep a diary of what you've eaten the last few days/weeks to show how much the nausea is affecting you.(Dont have to show it, unless needed). Very important the nausea settles. Hope it turns around for you , but if not at least you can show the Dr how much impact the nausea is having, and see if any alternative med is possible? x

Hi thanks for your message, I have mentioned the nausea so many times to the gp and psychiatrist, but they are saying its the anxiety causing it? Got an appt with the psychiatrist tomorrow, he's already mentioned about adding another tablet to it, it's an anti psychotic drug called seroquel? Says it can be added to boost the anti depressant, I'm not sure what to do, I'm so worried about taking more things, but I can't go on like this either, the anxiety is do bad today and I'm do agitated and feel so sick, took a Valium but its not helping me, I'm exhausted and just feel like this is never improving, all I do is cry:( x

Wish I could suggest something stronger than a ginger biscuit, but they do help with nausea. It will get better eventually, but always difficult changing medication.

is the nausea relenting at all Ally sunflower
hope you are feeling better

Hi no its not at all:(? See psychiatrist this morning I'm in a terrible state, don't know what to do? the anxiety is so bad, I've noticed it's so much more worse in the morning? I take the escitalopram at night? nausea is not going? I feel so desperate:(

Hi saw the psychiatrist stressed again about the nausea:( he wants me to double my dose of escitalopram to now taking 20mg as he feels I'm not on the right medicated dose to treat how severe my anxiety and depression is, I'm really worried about this as this adds to my anxiety, he doesn't really want me on anymore diazeprams than im taking, which varies from 1-4 5mg daily, but it's not him that is suffering, he wants me to try all this for 10-14 days and if no improvement he will add something called seroquel which he says can be given in low doses as an add on to boost the escitalopram and help calm the anxiety, I'm worrying about the nausea so much but he says he thinks it's mostly caused from the anxiety not just the tablets? my problem is I don't know when to take this tablet now does anyone have any advice? I'm taking it at night at present? But noticing I'm not resting well but we do have a 2 year old that doesn't sleep either? god I wish this would let up and I could see some improvement:( I'm so desperate:( so any advice on when to take it would be helpful I'm so agitated as im writing this:(

AllySunflower sorry to hear it has been so awfully difficult for you.
I have no idea when to take the meds for reduced side effects, but that is very important to know, and I hope you can make a Dr appointment to find that out.
With your severe anxiety & sadness/worrying, are you able to book into some kind of respite for you and your child, or is the waiting list too long.
We have respite for mums and babies up to 2 y.o. in Australia and I did go with my first baby when he was around 10 months and I was pregnant with my second, as I wasnt coping with the lack of sleep also. Can you ask through your local nurse or 'health visitor' to go on a waiting list for any kind of counseling/respite/support? Also can you think of any new activity to start up to help the effect of the meds along, like daily 20-40 min walks with toddler in stroller/joining local meditation/yoga/tai chi/other group? For me, walks, long baths and meditation /yoga help very much. how about you? What gives you a little relief/respite from the anxiety? Maybe can you make it a priority for your daily routine x

Hi thank you for your message, we have such limited help over here it really is bad:( you have to wait for months for CBT and there aren't any respite homes for mums and babies etc, there is only one 4 bed house they don't have trained staff there just a place to come and go? I will be worrying more I think if I'm away from the children, I've made some enquires into a place called mind and they did ring back and after speaking to a lady she did say she would get their psychotherapist to give me a call about one to one, but not heard back again? you get your hopes up and then are left again waiting, I find it do hard to relax and switch off huni, there are no yoga classes locally and I'm not good with driving at the moment, I've ordered a cd on relaxation to try, I just I'm finding these side effects as in the nausea such a struggle to be able to focus on things, it's just quite unbearable and being going on for weeks so obviously makes me more down, and then the anxiety gets bad, is this just a visious circle, I know I need me time, x

Hi I had terrible trouble with anxiety linked to depression too, in my children's early years. for me, there was no easy answer, but I did find the anxiety really settled on sertraline (also called Zoloft) antidepressants. Sertraline has been around a long time, and even safe for teenagers to take, should they be unlucky enough to be troubled by anxiety/depression. It does make you al little nauseous too, but after 2 weeks that dramatically improved for me. Dont know how the GP would feel about trialling a dose of that instead of serequil first? Depends, on your individual symptoms and concerns/how you are managing with your paid job at work/your unpaid job at home! and your personal life!
Its such a tough time when they are young for many mums, especially when lack of help/respite as I had also. The waiting list was becoming even longer to get respite here around 11 years ago also. There are more and more mums suffering mental health issues/lacking support here too. You know, the children will really be OK if you go just for a short break and you will benefit immensely- part of my anxiety was I was very worried to leave the children which actually made everything so much harder for me. If I could change anything back then now, (my eldest is 13) I would tell myself to go for respite as long and as aften as needed to get back to my cheerful, carefree self again. Living with anxiety is no way to live- so I guess I really feel for you, darl, and hope you can be brave to organise the children and take lots of little and even a few long breaks to get back on your feet. See it as a need, not a wish, Sunflowerxx

Hi thank you for your messages, I'm having such a bad day today again, lots of crying, the nausea is really getting to me, Its been 4 nights on new dose of escitalopram, we've no family support and friends well they say things but never act on them, I feel so low again and fed up I just wish I could make some improvements, but it's like I'm going backwards, feel so bad and lonely:( x

you poor thing, i went from citalopran to escitalopram and had no improvement whatsoever, in fact it made me worse. I have now been on venlafaxine for 6 weeks and can honestly say I feel like a different person. maybe go back to your gp?

Did you have similar side effects on it? The thing is the psychiatrist probably will say I need to give it more time? he had once mentioned that drug your taking now, but because I'd had citalopram in the past and it suited me we asked if I could go back on it! there's been so much swooping and changing meds that I'm not sure what to do? it seems I'm highly sensitive to tablets and they say it's my anxiety too causing the nausea? I really can't remember being as bad as this on citalopram first time round but really can't remember how the nausea was but it must have settled at some point because I was on it for 4 years+? so I just don't know what to do, I feel really flat too if that makes sense, crying lots one minute and nothing the next? :( I'm glad your improving:) x

How was your day, hope a little less nausea and tears?
How about telling the psych you've heard great things about venlafaxine (as worked well for hurryup), especially since your psych mentioned it already. Hope you had a reasonable day, despite symptoms of anxiety/depression/nausea side effects.xx
P.S.with no family support, you absolutely need to get other forms of respite until back on your feet- this is a big part of the problem, are you able to discuss with your family how unwell you are and arrange a break/something else to gain support?xx

Hi have woke up again all anxious and horrible haven't managed to face anything yet, just really panicky, and nauseaous all here again:( I don't know what to do cause like i said the psych will probably just want me to give it a little longer? as for a break do you mean on my own? I really panic on my own, we have a caravan that hubby has booked a weekend away in in may? then I worry about still being like this, I'm a mess aren't I and spoiling it for others, I just can't stand the thoughts of another day the same, ive taken one diazepam already but not doing a lot, it's just crap, thank you for caring xx

Hi how about you have a long bath every day with lovely scent and/ or go for a 30 min stroll every day, see if that helps after a good week.
Can you try this week something like tai chi, meditation, walking, or whatever on a daily basis.
I have a friend in England who finds tai chi really helpful, and she joined the local ramblers club which has lots of oldies that she says are really gorgeous. There is lots that may be of some benefit, think of one or two things and make a change just for you- you deserve it, AllySunflower. You are not messing it up for others- this sort of thinking often comes from a childhood where you may have felt alone/in the way/misunderstood Keep going with whatever helps you feel a little less anxious. Remember many of us have been or are now going through similar stuff also. xx

Hi thank you, I just sound so negative I know, if I could feel like this nausea was going or gone I think I could face more, I just feel so crap with it that it stops me, then I worry more because it's not going away, it's alright blaming the anxiety the drs say but it's not them having it is it, I know what your saying tho, I've got hold of a cd not sure what it will be like for relaxation, it's such a visious circle, I've been keeping a diary of things I've attempted to do or done, it's just this side effect that is going on n on, do you think it's anxiety based, I've found I've now become obsessed with food as its such a problem for me, surely the tablets would have settled by now? I can actually feel my heart palpitating even now when I'm sat down, did you have side effects that seem it last and last? one minute I'm crying then I just feel numb? Try my hardest to enjoy my gorgeous little 2 year old boy, so hard :( x x

Hi again,
I did have side effects of nausea/numbness or zombie feeling/trembling that wasn't there prior to tablets but most of this only lasted maybe two weeks at most and then felt really much less anxious and brighter, able to enjoy life more.
As consumers of the health system, we can always seek a 2nd opinion/seek more info, as needed.

Hi that's what's worrying me I don't see much of an improvement? Tonight will be the 7th night on newer dose, see gp tomoz but don't hold out much hope as he just says its me!! I'm trying to focus on other things but it's so hard feeling like this, what meds are you taking if you don't mind me asking? I'm not sure swopping and changing is my answer tho as I get anxious about that too, I guess I'm just so low as I can't see a way out, the other thing is I've noticed my mood lifts better in the early evening? nausea is still there but just wondered why this was, psych said a lot of people report the same thing, I take my tablets at night and still don't know if that's a connection or nothing to do with it, did you ever notice similar? sorry I'm so grateful for your messages, I'm crying again now as I feel so lonely and down, xx

hi again,
Meds I used to take were called sertraline.
i dont remember whether I took them at night/morning.It is good you feel some relief in the evening. I feel best then, too, I think that is common with depression, as your GP states. i also feel so much better when exercising, and because of this have got back into it recently, gradually building up my walking/gym sessions/zumba. Hope your appointment went well and you are on the road to some improvement soon.xx