***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?

kk i think it was allgonebellyup, i could be wrong, who had some terrible reaction to Citalopram, however they did abate, quite out of the blue. I can't advise you what to do - what would get me through the panic attacks was repeating to myself over and over again, its the tablets its the tablets, and breathing really slowly and focusing just on my breathing.

I hope you feel better soon. Go back to your GP tomorrow, insist on being seen.

kk i think you really need to talk to someone. Why dont you try councelling like Autum?

You deffo need to talk to your GP and go with their advice re tablets.
Do you have much company during the day when everyone is out?

Hi

I have been on the tablets, well yesterday was day 6. GP wants me to come off and see here next week, to see what to do.
I have a better night sleep, calmer and feel a bit better today. Asked DH whether i should take tablet but he said no, so I haven't. Just went back to bed as DH is home with me.
I think I have to ride it out, see if I can get some other tablets to calm me down.

kk hang on in there. Give that DH of yours a big cuddle - make sure you see the doctor sooner if you feel like shit, do not be fobbed off. Please keep posting

kk hope you are ok x x

i went back to bed from 8.30 until 10, i do feel all in, slept quite well. DH has made a list of all our problems, quite long, sorry next doors cat 0is on my lap headbutting me for attention and we have made a plan. Bless him I don't think he knows how hard it is to do the simple tasks atm. Anyway don't feel drugged up and out of it today, will have to stick with it.

So grateful for all your support and caring, it really means the world to me to be able to say how i feel and get your experiences, especially as this is all new to me, I guess once you have been through it and come out the other side, you are stronger and know what to do and when to deal with it.

XX

Kay

Your well on that road kk.

The fact that you and your (very caring) hubby have wrote a plan of problems, I noted you didnt write a list of good things, bet there would be loads on that list!!

Take baby steps, glad you had a rest. Spend some time with that hubby of yours and start on that list tomorrow.

Well done glad you seem more positive today. Have to say you did have me a bit worried yesterday

xx

Oh thanks Twigy and Itsa and LucyEllensMum.
Honestly even though I don't know any of you in RL you have been so brilliant, I am a very proud controlled person who doesn't like to ask for help, but I couldn't cope without this site, and I hope that I can help and support you too, with this awful illness.

Take care

I'm hungry now so am off to find something to boost my strength

This site IS a lifesaver KK. It gave me the strength to ask for help - i shudder to think where i would be without it.

Cherish that man of yours, he sounds like an absolute star. He is like that of course because he loves you, which speaks loads about what a great person you are.

I really admire your bravery - keep it up.

I wish i had found this months ago. I have found this all quite lonely, but chatting to you lot makes it better.

Im sending out BIG HUGS to you all xx

God I had a bad afternoon today - very panicky. Seems to have passed now but lasted for longer than before.
It's so reassuring to know that you're not alone, though, isn't it? I'd think I was mad otherwise.

I haven't been able to get near this computer tonight.

Itsa sorry to hear your afternoon wasn't good, why do you think you felt so panicky.
No, you're not mad, and def not alone, and we are lucky to have this website so that we can get support and help from people who understand.

My DH rang my boss yesterday, and all boss was worried about was will I be back next week or in two weeks, he obviously hasn't had any experience of this illness, and no-one as far as I know has phoned to see how I am (I leave my voicemail on and only pick up if its friends etc, so they make have rung and hung up)

Take care, heres hoping for a good nights sleep, DH went to take sick notes in and was told he has until tomorrow to decide whether to stay in his current job or move!!!

Oh gosh you don't need added worry of DH's job as well, do you? I haven't heard from work since midlast week but I know they have a supply teacher in to cover me so they must be expecting me to be off for a while. How long have you been off kk?

I don't know why I felt bad this arvo. Maybe because we were out of the house for a long time?

Hi Itsa, DH has to make a decision today and with all this going on with me doesn''t know what to do for the best. I have been off since 19th December - I was on Annual Leave until 7th January when I felt I couldn't go back.
How long have you been off?

Had a bad night last night and felt terrble first thing, so exhausted so went back to bed couldn't sleep though, am a bit better now, but with DH going over and over the job just makes me more anxious

I have been off tablets since Monday morning, don't know how long before out of my system, had such a good day yesterday.

I have been off work for two weeks. I am a teacher though and only went back for a day and a half after teh Xmas break, and I had been off for two weeks before Christmas, so I actually have been off a lot longer. I started the tablets two weeks ago tomorrow.

Do you think you'll feel less anxious when your DH has made a decision?

Hello,

I have just started taking Citalopram...about 20 minutes ago in fact. How should I expect to feel over the next couple of weeks? The doctor says I might feel worse until it kicks in properly, which kind of worries me a little.

Hi guys and welcome Squirdle

I have had a bad couple of days but coming out of it nicely now. Seems to go in fits and starts but at least each 'down' is not as bad or as long as the last so I should get somewhere eventually! Doc has signed me off for another 2 weeks and the sun is was shining at last!

Itsa - rememebred that I said I would talk about counselling. It started slowly as i am never the most communicative with strangers; she mentioned all about confidentiality and said if we met 'outside' she wouldn't acknowledge me to avoid questions! She then asked what I assume to be standard questions about what I am doing, what i see as the current problem, what I hope to achieve, that she wouldn't press me to say anything I didn't want etc
Over time as she got to know more about me she would piece things together and come up with some startling insights which I had never thought of, or ask a simple question that gave me a 'eureka' moment of understanding about things. It was all very gentle, and geared towards me (she got to know me pretty well after only about 4 or 5 sessions). Although initially there were things i did not intend to mention I realsied that I had to, so it is best to be completely honest to get the most out of it. It is amazing how doing this hasbrought back memeories Inever knew i had but it has certainly helped tremendously. I hope you get some sorted soon.

I go back to the doc next Thursday and I will ask.

Hi Squirdle. When i first started the cit, i felt a bit rushy and sick and these are quite common side effects. I also had a few panic attacks which were extremely unpleasant, but managable. I think they do tend to make anxiety a little more accute in the first few weeks. However once they kick in, the anxiety does seem to subside.

Keep posting, then you can look back and see how you managed, it might help when you are having a shit day.

Thanks for the welcome.

Right, so bearing in mind I only took the first one 3 hours ago, I am feeling incredibly tired and ...well not light headed, but kind of that 'woken up and not had enough sleep and could just sleep for another few hours' kind of head. Surely it shouldn't be affecting me already! I am really struggling to stay awake and I have 3 yr old DS here and need to collect 5 yr old DS soon! Maybe the walk up the hill to school will help.

I can't stop blinking yawning!

Hi guys. having a shit day so thought I'd post again.. not been on for a while.

Am utterly fed up.

Twigy - you're not twiglett, are you?

yawning is quite a common side effect too, apparently. I think i do feel tired on them to be honest, but i also am shattered due to the depression anyway. If you find that you get really tired after taking them then try taking them before you go to bed. Some people do complain of insomnia, but we all seem to react differently, it is just a matter of what suits each of us.

Enjoy your walk

Mascara, I'm sorry you are having a bad day, I hpe it improves.

Lucyellensmum, thanks, it's probably a good thing to know this is normal! Gawd, I'm tired enough chasing 3 boys around. I'm only on 10mg a day atm as the doctor felt that due to the side effects that many of you have mentioned, it's better to go in slowly and increase later if neccesary.

I'm not sure if it is for anxiety or depression, probably a bit of both. All I know is that for quite a few months now I have felt angry, upset, worried and scared to name just a few things and on Friday I went to my first support group meeting for women who were abused as children. It's the first thing I have actually done to try to sort it all out in my head and deal with it. It wasn't a particularly intense meeting this time and I thought I was going to be ok, but when I got back in the car to go home it kind of hit me and has really knocked me for six, and no it's in my head constantly. Understnadable I suppose, but bloody annoying and upsetting.

Anyway, what with the way I have been feeling about that and everything else, I felt it was best to seek some help medically and feel relieved that I have, for my families sake more than anything.

I have had many awful things happen in my life and I now have a wonderful husband and 3 fabulous boys and all I want to do is enjoy them.

I did take Prozac for a year and came off them around 14 months ago...maybe I should have stayed on them.

And yes, I will take it around 7 ish tomorrow evening I think, sounds like a good idea.

Hi Squirdle pleased to meet you.

No Mascara im Twigy the new girl.

I have had a shite few days and am not looking forward to going to Ireland with the Lo tomorrow now.

Been crying alot for no real reason, think its because my little brother is moving back to ireland on friday for good!!

KK you sound so much more positive now. great.