Terrible sleepless night after first cipramil any advice

[breakfastfairy]

I tokk my first cipramil 20mg yesterday at midday for depression and anxiety. I felt dreadful all day and last night lay away panicking and having horrid dreams/memories. Im scared to turn into a zombie on the tablets, I have had some great happy times without them but I am struggling with overload worrying, paranoid thinking and irrational thoughts so it seems I need something. Any advice on these side effects ?

Hi, I took these some time ago now, and spent about 2 hours after taking them panicking and asking my dh "do I look different, do I sound different". It was almost more stressful than being depressed.

Did you read the side effects on the packaging? That would make you anxious in itself.

Other than my initial panic I didnt have any side effects and they really really helped. Definately didnt turn me into a zombie, just kind of took the edge off the bad stuff iyswim.

Is there a chance that your concerns over taking them are making you feel bad rather than the tablets themselves?

If I were you I would keep on with them for at least a fortnight and see what happens.

hope you feel better

Thanks KezzaG for that, I rang doctor and she said perhaps to take half a tablet for two weeks and then raise the dose to 20mg. Is that safe to break the tablet, I thought they had said recently in news that this was not a good idea ? I am sitting here with the tablet in front of me just staring at it ! what shall I do ? I have dropped my daughter at nursery, the house is a complete tip and Im sat here staring at a tablet which scares me witless !

I can really relate to how you are feeling.

I have never heard anything about breaking them, but I suppose of the doctor says it it should be ok?

What about taking it and then going out and doing something, just walking round the shops or going for a coffee. Im sure that being alone and analysing every slight twitch of a muscle or every weird feeling does not help at all.

Just try to remember that even if they dont agree with you, the effects are not forever and you can come off them again.

All I can tell you is that I would not hesitate to go on them again if I needed to, but I do remember how scary it is to take them for the first time.

thanks Kezza, your post helped, I took the tablet well the 10mg and I still feel panicky though I was sort of like that before the tablets ! My brain is so tired of thinking. now Im panicking that 10mg isnt enough and Ill do something crazy, tho I never have before I just panic and ring friends or family. In fact ive asked a friend to come round this afternoon because Im scared of being alone with my thoughts. thats the scary part that fear, did you have that and did it go away, did the tablets help soon, I feel slightly dulled I know its only day 2 but I hope there is some effect.

IMO - having taken cipramil amonsft other ADs, ..20 mg is not an enormous dose to start..if you can bear to stick with it, do so! the side effects will wear off within a week or two, and then you will feel the real benefits.

they are not tranquilisers, you will not become a zombie..they will give you more clarity of thought and stability of mood.

it is crushing not breaking tablets that is an issue....

I was using them to control panic attacks, but the attacks only happneded in specific situations.

I found they helped really quicjkly, literally in a couple of days.

It is quite hard to describe how they worked for me. In a situation where I would normally have had a panic attack, the feelings just never came. I would get a surge of adrenalin and be thinking "oh no here we go" but it never came to anything. It was just like the tablets dulled the sensation of the panicking but not anything else.

Im sure I was taking 20mg too.

I have also taken a different type of ad for depression following 2 mc. again, I wasnt happy about taking them at first but they worked really quickly.

It does sound like you just need to feel more confident when you take them. Is the fear you have a fear of the ad's or are you taking them because you feel fearful in general?

agree with Lulmama, take them for 2 weeks (unless you are really really freaked out by them) and you should definately see the benefits.

KezzaG I am definitly fearful in general and it has just given me something to be more fearful of, though to be honest my greatest fear is losing control, being unable to cope and looking after my little three year old girl whom I normally love to spend all my time with. i hope 10mg will be enough to make a difference, perhaps I should go back up to 20mg tomorrow, call the doctor again ! they will say not this one again !

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Im going to say something really obvious here, but you just need to take them and try not to think about it.

Of course that is easier said than done, but as you say they are just giving you another thing to worry about.

They really do work and it sounds like you need a helping hand with your feelings at the moment.

good luck, I bet you feel better by this time next week.

KezzaG I am definitly fearful in general and it has just given me something to be more fearful of, though to be honest my greatest fear is losing control, being unable to cope and looking after my little three year old girl whom I normally love to spend all my time with. i hope 10mg will be enough to make a difference, perhaps I should go back up to 20mg tomorrow, call the doctor again ! they will say not this one again !

Stick with it. My first day on them I was sure my head (brain!) felt warm and I sat staring out of the window looking at the clouds with a half grin on my face and my DH though I looked 'bemused' the whole time. It was just a silly response - I wasn't doped or anything. I did have a couple of days where i worried that I would look 'medicated' but they really aren't like that. I spent a few hours awake the first night which contributed to the spaced feeling the next day. I did have constant nausea for the first two weeks and I still feel a bit off first thing in the morning but then the dread of another anxious day can do that to you.

Another perspective here, I'm afraid. If you actually think you're feeling worse after a day or so on them, they're probably not the ADs for you. Please don't keep taking them if you're feeling worse.
I stuck with an AD for 4 days before switching. Those 4 days were dreadful (my anxiety levels rocketed).
Then I got put on another AD which had no sideeffects at all and helped me tremendously.

baked potato - what AD worked for u?

I started out on citalopram and they made me feel dreadful...went back to doc who was surprised but then prescribed lophepramine, which he described as a more 'old fashioned' AD, whatever that means! Anyway, the lophepramine haven't given me any probs, so it may be worth going back to doc and trying a different one

earlysbird - citalopram made me feel terrible so i am now taking escitalopram which doesn't seem as bad. the pharmacist told me that escitalopram is a modified version of citalopram. weird isn't it?

I wonder what it is in them that makes you feel weird - I got all sweaty, heart was pounding, felt like it was going to burst out of my chest! I hardly slept all night. What did it do to you, if you don't mind me asking?

I wonder what it is in them that makes you feel weird - I got all sweaty, heart was pounding, felt like it was going to burst out of my chest! I hardly slept all night. What did it do to you, if you don't mind me asking?

oops, sorry!

I'm 30 now & since the age of 16 have been on
7 different AD's.

Since having dd my depression/anxiety is nowhere near as bad as it has been in the past but I felt myself slipping a bit a while ago.

I'm now taking 100mg of Sertraline daily, sounds alot when you think an average dose of Prozac is 20mg. But I told my GP I was b.feeding & she said this dose wouldn't have any effect on my dd at all. You can safely take upto 200mg Sertraline daily, it works for me.

i felt awful. had nighmares, couldn't sleep, was breaking out in sweats. i just felt worse than i orinally felt.

Should have added I have had some V.nasty side
effects with certain AD's (seeing Mr Men & thinking I was driving Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to name but 2!)

It can take a while to find one which suits you.

a few people have mentioned sertraline. it sounds like a good AD. people on here recommend it.
could i ask my GP for this AD. is it the new type ssri?

Prozac & Seroxat were the 2 which really worked
for me. But cos dd is still feeding taking them isn't an option (they are both used by b.feeding mums, but Sertraline is the safeest AD to take when bfeeding, so thats the 1 i'm on)

On both Prozac & Seroxat I felt very wierd & spaced out for the 1st week of taking them, after 7-10 days felt bloody wonderful.

You have to give your body time to adjust to the chemicals floating around in your blood system, if your depressed you have a chemical imbalance, it'll take time for that imbalance to right itself.

I would definately rate Sertraline.

I did not want to go back on to AD's cos I felt i'd been off them for so long, taking them again would feel like weakness.

My quality of life & my dd's quality of life are greatly improved by my now being mentally stable (i.e on AD's) I want to get up in the morning to take her to baby gym & I want to take her to the park.

Taking AD's isn't a sign of being 'Mental' or 'Weak Minded' Depression is an illness, an illness which can kill if left untreated. Seeking the help you need when you feel so low is the hardest & most strong minded thing you'll ever have to do.

sertraline - is it an ssri? and prozac?
ssri's are the new anti-depressants i believe.