***Citalopram Buddies... ;o)***

[ShinyHappyPurpleSeveredHeads]

Well.. jumping in on the act of the other "buddy threads", there seem to a shed load of us on citalopram.

How many of us are there exactly?

What dosage are you all on? Is it working?

I'm on 10mg for anxiety. It certainly takes the edge off the panic feelings and stops me waking up with that dreadful, crippling anxious feeling, as if my stomach's in a vice. But being as things are a bit crap at the moment, I do feel generally down even though I've never been technically considered depressed (just suffering from lifestyle induced anxiety!)

DH is on 20mg. Similar reasons, slightly different symptoms.

We have been on it since June.

I came off mine (sensibly) a month of so ago but the horrid panic came back and I just couldn't face all that again. It makes life "un-do-able" and I have a lot of stuff that I have to get done everyday/responsibilities etc. So not sure what the answer is but I certainly don't want to stay on anti depressants forever and GP originally mentioned a 6 month time slot.

What are other's experiences?

PS I hate the "no orgasm" side effect of citalopram!! It really really bothers me.. main reason I wanted to come off it.. but I hate the anxiety more! Anyone else on it suffer in that way?

elliemac, you don't need to worry about depressing us, we all understand how cathartic it is to write things down and/or get them off your chest. Sounds to me like you need to speak to your gp, or at least ring NHS Direct for some reassurance. I really hope you start to feel better soon.

LEM, I also have loads of stuff that is buried away - not as serious as your stuff sounds but sometimes I do wonder if it is best left undiscussed. It is filed away under "do not open" and doesn't come out. Perhaps that's the route cause of my ongoing depression, I don't know, but it certainly doesn't make me feel better to talk about it.

Thanks so much guys. I felt better as soon as i'd posted. Have been back to the gp today with DH and she thinks i should come off citalopram and try something else. Have to give it another week and see. I just keep thinking that everyone seems to be side effect free within the 2 weeks so why not me? Hope you lot won't kick me out if i get another AD !

LEM - Sending massive hugs back. Get them told you NEED more counselling! Don't let yourself be fobbed off.

To everyone else i'm also sending massive hugs. Hope you're all ok x

Hi,

Can i join too? Was preacribed citalopram yesterday for anxiety but am too scared to take it incase i get some awful side effects or my symptoms get worse.

thanks

Sorry I've been a bit absent from the thread....thought I was doing really well!

Have a really bad back and was given mega-doses of painkillers from the docs. They knocked me out so much and knocked my judgement a bit....so stopped taking the Cit for a few days...great idea! Not!
So, back on them and feeling a bit more level, thankfully.

LEM - I'm a psychotherapist/counsellor and it's perfectly normal/natural/accepted to 'drop' something into a session without warning. Please don't be put off!

elliemac - Have you asked your gp if you can have something to tide you over until the ad's kick in? I was given a beta blocker to help with anxiety for that reason.

Alistair, i am not sure it is wise, seeing as i only have two more sessions left. Also, im not sure if i am wanting to bring it up because im looking for reasons why i am so down on myself, feel like i do. My counsellor asks me lots of questions about my childhood, which wasnt ecstatically happy, it wasnt particularly crap either. The reason i am wanting to investigate this "thing" is because i feel that even despite the depression i am suffering now (i think that was triggered by losing my father) i have done really bloody well in my life and i have recently seen the person involved with the "thing" and i wanted the opportunity to say, hey, look at me, i have a family, a PhD, my own home, effectively Fuck you!! But the person blanked me, maybe didnt recognise me, i have had a few dreams about this person and they have disturbed me somewhat - i dont want to discuss what happened, its not so terrible but it doesnt seem right to bring it up here. Why am i now dreaming about this fucker, like i would actually get some comfort about being around him FFS? But am i being a drama queen, am i just thinking because im in therapy and on ADs that there must be a reason other than chemicals for my feelings. For instance, my dark mood yesterday, and that really is the only way i coud describe it, hit me out of the blue, no REAL reason for it, until of course i started my period today, this has happened before to me., Has anyone else noticed almost uncontrollable PMT since beingt on citalopram, or is that my bastard coil? The trouble is, i dreamt about this person this morning and i almost felt comforted by it, its confusing. I wonder if i am just looking for attention. I am quite confused, am i just making this up?

LAB1009 - welcome

Only you can decide if you want to take these pills or not. I was suggested mine by my GP, i said no thanks, a week later, another meltdown, said OK, didnt collect the prescription for a further week, had pills in the house for another week before i finally took them!! I was terrified, i mean, these things fuck with your mind (Well they dont actually but you know what i mean - they simply restore your seratonin levels to a normal threshold as they become depleted when you are depressed or chronically anxious) I was prescribed them principally for anxiety although that did cause a severe depression.

There is a scary list of side effects, you should read them, and then when you have finnished reading them you should go and fish out the paracetemol or lempsip data sheet and that has quite a scary list too, if you see what i mean.

My doctor told me i was most likely to feel nausea and increased anxiety for the first few weeks. I did feel sick for the first two days, and i felt rushy and had an uncontrollable urge to dance when i heard ANY music (weird!). I have had a few panic attacks but i knew it was down the the pills. Apart from that i dont think ive had any side effects. I do think im in a minority as most people on here seem to have suffered some effects and the pills took a while to kick in. I think i went a bit manic when i first started taking them and was on a bit of a high, but that soon settled down. I do think that whilst they are not miricle drugs (i clearly still have major issues) they have effectively saved my marriage and even my life, i was on a slippery slope and i dont want to go there again. I have had to have my dosage increased and im thinking about going back to the doctor because again i feel im slipping but i am in counselling and its opening some doors i might want to leave closed so maybe its that.

That is my experience. If i were giving you advice, id say go for it, you are informed about the side effects so you will be prepared and can say, as i did on my first panic attack "its the pills its the pills its the pills". It made me feel better to drag DP to the doctors with me and ask the doc to explain the side effects and what to look out for, i asked him to keep a close eye on my behaviour, it wasnt neccesary but it reassured me.

Good luck with it all and i hope you feel better soon.

Interesting about the PMT LEM (acronyms ahoy!), I have noticed that mine is much worse, only I attributed that to being a post-birth thing. My periods returned and I started taking citalopram within a couple of months so it could well be an effect of the medication although I hadn't thought of that . I never really suffered from PMT pre-dd but now I really notice that I feel a lot more intolerant in the run up to my period.

I have weird dreams too - that I am madly in love with people I don't even fancy in RL... I am very comforted by this mutual adoration in the dream and then when I wake up I feel strangely hollow. Very very odd.

LAB1009 - I didn't really suffer any extreme side effects when I started taking citalopram but I have a few ongoing ones. A lot of them I attributed to a symptom of my depression rather than side effects, talking to people on here has helped me to sort out the difference. I would suggest you try them, maybe on a low dose initially, and if the side effects are too much to bear you can always stop taking them. My experience is that the benefits of the medication far outweigh the problems - I simply can't function without them.

Hiya guys - Same here with the PMT by the way. Mine came this morning and i've spent most of it in floods of tears and having anxiety attacks. I'm having hot flushes which are obviously menstrual but me being me i'm terrified i faint. This anxiety gets so much worse at this time of the month and like some of you it all only started after having DD. Why can't men have the babies. It doesn't half do strange things to your hormones! I've only to take the citalopram every 2 days now for the nexy week and then start with the new ADs straight away. Have also seen about CBT so fingers crossed. Thing is now i'm shitting myself incase i get withdrawal side effects. I can put up with anything though apart from being dizzy. I hate it!! Take care everyone. Hope you're all doing ok. Sending big hugs to you all x

Hi

Hope its ok to join in here - this is my very first post on mumsnet. I am 32 and have a seven month old son, I have been on citalopram for 3 months as i have had a touch of pnd. It is really comforting to find this thread and realise I am not alone. Just wanted to say hi!!

Hi Broody

Welcome to mumsnet And welcome to the "club" Both the mummy and meds clubs
This site is fantastic and this part in particular very supportive, so if you feel like a rant then here is the place. I am just about stopping getting surprised by peoples need for "help". You are most certainly not alone, i sometimes think we outweigh the "happy" folk. I spend alot of time comparing myself to other mums, thinking, why cant i be like you, why cant i be "together" anyway, turns out that one lady who i am particularly envious of (she is lovely too) is on a heap of meds just to keep her head above water! Just goes to show.

A word of caution: The AIBU threads are fantastic for a rant and to let off steam, but dont do it if it is a subject you are sensitive about because it can be a free for all and once you realise that, it is great as you kind of go there looking for a fight, because you will get one, its sort of a no feelings spared bit of the forum. Its a great laugh but can be a bit daunting if you post a genuine greivance and end up being told you are shit by all and sundry. Have a look at some of the threads, you'll see what i mean.

Hi guys. Welcoem Broodymomma.

Nothing to post about really am on a plateu at the moment I think but wanted to stop in and say 'morning'.

How are you all doing?

Hi everyone! Have actually had quite a good day today. This is my second day without citalopram and its going well so far. Just a slight bit of nausea today. My new drug is called Sertraline. Does anyone know anything of this? Am nack to square one again cause i've read so many horror stories about this one on the web that i don't want to take it! Anyway enough about me how's everyone doing?

Hello .

I haven't posted here for a bit - last week I got worse, went to the docotr and have had dosage upped to 40mg and have been signed off work for a few weeks.

Am feeling generally a bit better now - it is good to have one fewer thing to worry/think about. Am determined to get better now, which is a good thing.

Elliemac, I took sertraline for just over two years and had no problems with it (apart from nausea at the beginning). I was pregnant when I started taking it and breastfed DD until she was 11 months during it. I really woudn't be concerned about it, based on my experience.

Thanks for the welcome!!! I have been lurking for a while before registering and had noticed that about the AIBU section so will stick here for now I think.

I guess I should give you some backround seeing as we are all buddies now. I am a new mummy after ttc for 3 years I finally got my little miracle boy through ivf. I had 3 cycles of ivf and the second resulted in a miscarriage. At the same time as my loss my fil died of cancer and both my parents were diagnosed with serious medical conditions. I was pretty much depressed before even falling pregnant with my son. 2006 was the hardest year of my life and I just cant seem to get the old me back. Being a mum is what keeps me going and my little boy is just adorable. I constantly feel like he needs a better mummy than me and that my husband just has no interest in me anymore. I need to find a way to shake myself out of this. I have an unhealthy need to be with my son constantly and worry sick whenever he is away from me. I think I need him more than he needs me!!

I have been on the meds for a few months and to start things felt better but I seem to be slipping again and am not sure why. I am on 10mg and am thinking it may need increased. I feel such a failure and all that keeps me going is my son.

Well enough of my moans - am looking forward to getting to know you all and hope I can lend a sympathetic ear when and if you need one.

just seen this and thought I'd join in too

I'm on citalopram now for the second time in my life. I'm on 20mg daily for depression. Same as my previous time, I stopped my last course about a year ago - with 20/20 hindsight I should not of stopped then. Life has just slowly spiralled downhill again since then.

So back to the quacks and back on the happy pills.

Will have a proper read through all the previous posts and then post more...

So a bit more info.

Side effects. Last time just about nothing at all - maybe because I swapped from prozac to citalapram as the prozac just stopped working.

This time lots! Sleep. Very little at night, fortunately having a very supportive dw Ican sleep during the day when I need to. This varies between nothing and nearly all day. But then if I sleep all day I can then sleep all night too - weird!

Interesting to hear of orgasm problems. I have had an on off problem with premature ejaculation all my life. Just now it is very much NOT a problem.

Alcohol - find that a few glasses of wine can help with sleep sometimes, but not always.

I guess I've suffered from depression at some level now for nearly all my adult life, but ignored it most of the time. The thing that finally persuaded me to deal with it was that I was becoming increasingly snappy and irritable, and shouting at everyone that pissed me off - which was everyone I came into contact with. Therefore I hardly left the house, so dw and dd's were getting it in the neck all the time. Thankfully that seems to be a lot better now.

Sure that I'll be back with more.

Hi guys, I'm still pretty much feeling fine and feel back to my old self to some degree (I even forgot to take my tablet yesterday which must be a good sign).

Hello and welcoemt o those who have posted for the first time

Hi Broody - you sound very similar to me in many respects. You have had a lot to deal with in a short time. Its like, I could deal with one of the shit things that happened to me at once, but to have one thing after the other after the other, its bound to have an effect. I think that people become depressed for many reasons, some people just are, others its a series of events.

I totally empathise with the "old me" comments too - i feel like that all the time. Honestly, the details are different but i could have written your post.

I have to say, i think your dose rate is too low. From what i understand most doctors start their patients on 20mg (10mg tends to be prescribed for anxiety alone). I started on 20mg and it worked for a while but then i had to go up to 40mg. I am a bit worried that i am slipping again so i might talk to my doctor about another SSRI or something to supplement it with.

Do keep lurking though and enjoy the AIBU, albeit from a safe distance

Ive had a shit weekend - fun fun fun for my counsellor today then

broody - another thought, for me, most of the shite i have had to deal with has passed, i was able to cope when it all happened (well sort of) but it was when things calmed down that i fell to peices.

LEM I so agree with the end of your last post - when things are actually happening I seem to manage to get through them, but then when it stops I fall apart.

LEM and Idristhedragon - I totally relate to that felling too!

I was so prepared for ds's birth, knew what to expect etc. but found the reality very different.
It wasn't until I drove past the restaurant that dp took me to the night before the birth and I found myself in tears that I realised what was wrong. had handled it all fine at the time.

Idris - i just sneaked a look at your profile - i love brief encounter too

hi ive just been put on this is there anything i need to know? i used to be on 40 mg of floxetine

hi there dressed up. I think citalopram is a very similar drug. It is certainly in the same family - apparently it has fewer side effects. Did you change straight over?

I can't remember if I took my tablet today. last ones I had were printed with datys of the week on but these aren't. shall I take one?

I think I took one yesterday - argh! this happened to me before but not until I'd been on them for about 5 months.. I just forget.