***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?

OK then Itsa, what do you want me to do!!!!!!
Seriously I cleaned the inside of all the windows and doors, which has taken me about a week, and hasn't been done for a long while.
This morning I washed two sets of football kit by hand, and cleaned two pairs of very muddy boots, and a pair of muddy trainers. And did some ironing, more than I have done in the past six weeks!!!!

Hope your DP gets on ok with his new job, you will be ok with your LO, how old is he?

He's 16 months old, nearly. I might just hide with the dog.

Well the inside of my windows could do with a clean. I did them at the end of last year but not very well and I often look at the smears and think about redoing them.

AWww, hard work then with LO, Lol at you hiding with the dog!!!!!!

Now I've done all the insides the next task is to wash all the outsides, its never ending, anyway tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, but then cloudy again I think.

Good luck itsa, I have confidence in you. I am sure a short time in the garage with the rabbit would not hurt . If it gets too bad just think, you could be 8 months pregnant with spd - like i was when dd was 16 mths old

The rabbit is dead cute, a black lion hair (?) with a little white nose but last night it spent ages banging its feet against the cage walls! It is indoors - in my study - so I was less than impressed with sawdust and straw all over the floor (but dh vacuumed before he went away this morning ) Am now also covered in scratches as the kids keep letting it out of the cage and I have to return it (once it has had a good run around the house first )!

Hi girls, yes I dont have to go back to my other job!!!

Glad you are all busying yourselves and all seem to be so much better.

Itsa you will be fine with your little treasure. Just keep giving him plenty of rusks!!!!

Oh got Spring, am I glad I am not pregant with SPD! I had it when I was preggers, from about 6 months and it was awful. I hate exercise usually, but I couldn't wait to walk again!! That thought has made me feel better, so thank you whenever I feel stressed I will think of what you coped with and then I shall just get on with it
Our rabbit is black too. I've never had an indoors rabbit, but I have heard that they can become good guard animals. Let us know...
Aw I dunno about rusks, Twigy - you have put me off them a bit. We have a load of apples to feed to him instead as he loves them. I don't want a hyper toddler on my hands!

Itsa a donut has 19% sugar, a low sugar rusk 21%. Sorry!!! Just realised that animal biscuits are evil too!!! Have to wrestle them off my LO

but a donut is much heavier and bigger than a rusk.

I know but it is the sugar content. I'm not getting at you!! Just googled it and there were alot of hiddden nastys in food I buy.

How are you today. My little rascal has been really poorly since yesterday, breathing like Darf Vader!

Morning Girls

Have just agreed with my boss that I will return to work next Tuesday, AAAArrrrgggh, but only for 3 hours a day 3 days a week to start with, so that should be good after 7 weeks off.

I do feel ok about it, although I thought she was a problem last year when she wasn't my boss she has been really kind and sympathetic to me.

I know you're not getting at me Twigy the little man seems equally happy with an apple today I did give him a rusk, but he gave it to the dog. Maybe he is trying to tell me something...

kk, good luck for work - are you nervous?

Good luck KK, you will be fine. Glad your boss is really sympathic.

No I'm not nervous, just a bit apprehensive as to how the team will treat me. If you are off with a broken leg then they would just say welcome back, but with depression etc. some people feel awkward especially if they have not experienced it for themselves.

I want to get back as I have been off for nearly 9 weeks because I had leave over Christmas and then couldn't face going back, so need to get back into it - I think I will feel more motivated anyway.

hi, i only joined yesterday but am always reading your threads, i am also on citalopram, could i be a buddy? i have been on for 4 yrs tried to come off without success, was doing fine on 20mg until 4 days ago when things started to get bad again so yesterday my gp increased my doseto 30mg which has really upset me i was hoping to come off but it looks like ive a long way to go

Hi girls!
Well i'm past the not sleeping point, infact I'm finding it hard to stay awake. The problem is I thought I was handling coming off the ad's really well and so I decided to stop them altogether instead of weaning off them slowly (yeah, yeah stupid I know!). Now I'm experiencing terrible headaches and I'm constantly spaced out and dizzy! I haven't taken any for well over a week so I really don't want to go back onto them (not even on a reduced dose). I'm just going to have to stick it out and hope that it will pass soon! I was putting the headaches and dizzyness down to my new glasses as I thought that the prescription must be too strong but now I know it's the ad's (or lack of!) Does anyone know how long I will be like this? I'm on holiday from work this week but I'm not looking forward to going back on Monday if I'm still the same!!!!!
Welcome Zain by the way.
Sorry things aren't great at the moment!

Oh Chubby what are we going to do with you!!!

Im sorry but i dont know how long it will last. How long did it take for the initital effects to go when you started the ADs? Do you think it could be the same when coming off them!! You have done a stupid thing but also a brave thing. Just keep telling yourself that it is the lack of tablets that is make you feeel poorly and good luck.

Hi there Zane and welcome.

Hi Zain and welcome to the nuthouse!

Chubby, did you speak to the doc about coming off the tablets?

Yeah but she just said to keep reducing the dose until I was off them altogether. She didn't say how long that should be spread over so I assumed that after halfing the dose I should then be okay to stop altogether. I haven't felt as bad today I'm pleased to say, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I felt like crap for a while after starting them so I agree it will probably be similar coming off them to when I started them. I've spoken to someone I know has been on and off them and she said that she was ill when she started them but ok when she came off them but she reduced it slowly over several months (ooops, 2 weeks clearly was a mistake then!)

Hi can I join tho I have been off ADs for some years now (fluoxetine) but am trying very hard at the mo not to go back on as it was so hard to reduce dosage before so wouldnt want to start again...
But it got me thro a really grim time in my life having been ditched with two under 5...just pushed everything that little bit further away...
If its any consolation, they seem to have grown up absolutely fine (14 and 12 now) but I am now struggling with the same issues of low self-esteem and sheer boredom as am at home with my latest and last who is 2 nearly 3 and doing my head in with his demands for autonomy ...

Doh - have just realised there is a fluoxetine buddy thread too , dont want to gatecrash.
Dont know if it is also true for citalopram but I had to reduce over several months (had a couple of false starts where I did it too quickly and crashed) and also found the best time to do it was early spring into summer as there was definintely a seasonal problem for me. Good luck to all of you here, hadnt looked at mumsnet before yesterday and cant believe what a fantastic resource and support I have been missing out on

Hi HLG, you're welcome on here anyway, I'm not on citalopram but Cipralex.
I can remember how hard it was in the 2/3 year old stage, they are very demanding aren't they, you need some time to yourself, but its hard to get.

This site is brilliant and I relied on this thread when I felt so bad, the girls are all so lovely and supportive.

Hello HLG3 - I was on Fluoxetine a few years ago. It did get me through a hard time, but looking back I know now that it wasn't the right drug for me. It turned me into a zombie. I remember coming off it slowly over several months. I remember vividly the moment I felt 'myself' again when the drugs wore off. It was just like Sylvia Plath describes in her book 'The Bell Jar' - like a glass jar that you have been living in lifting up a tiny bit and a cool breeze of fresh air wafting in.

kk - don't say mean things about 2/3 year olds - I still have that stage to look forward to

Hi Itsa

I didn't mean to say nasty things about 2/3 year olds honest!!!!!!! Each age though has different things, the baby stage is hard because they totally rely on you, and then the toddler stage because they are developing their personality and are curious etc, and just wait until they get to the teenage years, oh boy, you get some interesting challenges.

I got some good advice a couple of months ago at a parenting workshop for dealing with angry outbursts, one tip was don't take it personally and I have found that really helpful when DS2 is cracking off, and it helps to diffuse my anger when I remember not to take it personally.

Anyway enjoy it as much as you can because when they grow up they become more independent and they don't need you as much and you have to find other things to do, in between taxiing them about and clearing up after them!!!!

most of the time he's adorable but there is now the odd tantrum

Hi all

Welcome HLG and zain hope you are getting on OK

Had a good week except for overreacting at a meeting and having a go at the (very big) boss . My only excuse was they threw a bombshell at us and it was only my third day in the office in 2 months!

Only 2 days in work again as i had Friday off to look after the dcs (half term) - not sure how I will cope with 4 days, may take another days hols and ease in slowly

Dcs have been really sweet this half term - a pleasure to be with - and I think dds tempers are slowly subsiding; she went to friend's house Friday pm and they took her bowling and out to supper and she was so happy I think maybe I do not do enough of that sort of thing with her as ds is still a bit young for it

Dh will be away for 2 weeks from tomorrow but at least we will be joining him for the weekend - altho had not realised it was mother's day, will need to make it up to my mother sometime

chubby - hope you feel a bit better, brave coming off in one go but not something I will try after your experiences

Twigy - hope your ds is better and you are doing well - is your dh home now?

kk - good luck for Tuesday, sounds like you have a supportive boss which makes a big difference. Make the most of tomorrow ...

Itsa - glad you are enjoying your ds, ever since dd was 6 months old I remember thinking that the particualr stage they were at was the best, it only seems to get better (or at least the best bits do the worst are unmentionable lol) Sensible lad to prefer apple to sweet stuff, sounds like my ds - he does not eat chocolate and would much rather have plums, cherries or strawberries than anything