New to citalopram- positive experiences

[Monkey130]

I’ve had issues with anxiety - general and health- for sometime. I thought my restating the combined pill it might help even moods out, but it made rhem worse. To the I had 2 panic attacks. I was reluctant to start at antidepressants as when I prev tried ( albeit for only a couple of days) they gave me horrendous side effects.

i reluctantly agreed with gp to being signed off for 4 weeks and starting citalopram.

i am on day 7- first 2 days I didn’t feel too bad- actually felt good and less tense. But since I have had horrendous nausea, lack of appetite and am not eating much. Having loads of palpitations, anxiety through the roof- worse than before I started- especially bad before I get out of bed, and extreme tiredness. I take 10mg and take it on the morning as I am terrified it will affect my sleep if I take it at night. Sometimes it does affect my sleep even by taking in the morning.

i know that these are all common side effects and should pass, but with my health anxiety I am terrified that they won’t get better and I’ll feel this rubbish for ages.

today I got up and took kids to school- with help of my husband - it was my son assembly and I really struggled to sit there for the 25 mins- I was so anxious. I couldn’t speak to anyone afterwards. I came home and went back to bed for an hour.

I feel I can do nothing else other than sit on sofa watching tv. My husband is really helpful and sitting most of stuff for kids- but I need to know this will pass soon!

Hi, took me about 2 weeks to feel 'normal'.
I switched to taking in the evening which really helped and I've not experienced any sleep issues.
I've been on it for about 9 years, made the world of difference to my life xx

I take it in the evening.
It took me a couple of weeks to get used to it but I'm so glad I stuck it out. It's saved my life, literally. I was suicidal.

I've been taking it for several years now.

I really hope you get through this snd it starts working for you.

I found my anxiety was kind of heightened in the first few weeks. Been on 20mg for two years now. It’s been brilliant. Hang in there x

Thank you for your replies- it’s good to hear some positive stories. I’m kinda living from day to day at the min- waiting to start feeling better. It’s really hard

My dh takes it and it’s been literally life changing for him. Previously he was so debilitated by his bipolar and depression he was unable to work and had had two severe breakdowns. He’d tried sertraline and mitripizine (I think I’ve spelt that wrong but can’t remember how you do!) and neither worked - he hated the side effects with both. He started citalopram and yes he did initially have a couple of weeks of feeling a bit rotten but persisted and he is just so calm and so much better on it. He’s been on it nearly 6/7 years now at 40mg (dose has been increased a couple of times) and has been working full time in all that time, enjoying things, no real issues, he says he feels like a weight has been lifted in his mind. Definitely give it a really good go. I’ve also taken it myself for severe pnd and found it worked really well for me too.

You’re doing so well xx

It took me a good few weeks to settle on it. But it really did help hugely with anxiety and panic. Really put a lid on it.

hang in there. It gets better xx

It’s really reassuring to hear these stories. Day 8 today and was secretly hoping to wake up feeling amazing, bug alas the anxiety woke me at 6, and hasn’t left.

it just seems unfair that a drug to help with anxiety actually makes the anxiety worse before better. I’m just worried it’ll not work and I’ll be stuck.

You won’t be stuck. It’s only day 8. Make sure you get up every morning and open the blind or curtains to let the daylight in. Make a cup of tea and try to relax. Sounds a bit silly but it really does help x

I know 😔😔 it’s so cruel isn’t it that you have to break through that awful bit where you know it will be worse. Grit your teeth and just take it day by day. You can do this xxx

Do you do that exercise using your senses to bring you back to the moment? I find that helps when you’re in the grips of panic.
Note to yourself
5 - things you can see
4 - things you can hear
3 - things you can touch
2 - things you can smell
1 - thing you can taste

Slow your thoughts just down to the above and make yourself concentrate on them.

the other things I do is focus on boring memory exercises for eg trying to remember the names of all the most recent strictly contestants. Forcing your brain and thoughts onto one specific topic can be really effective xx

And finally! breathe out for a count of 8 and breathe in for a count of 4 - touch your fingers to your palm as you do it. Repeat and repeat xxx

10mg is a very small dose. It took me at least 2 months before I noticed a positive difference so hang on in there. You may need to increase the dose a little though before it really helps.

It absolutely transformed my life. It turned me into the person I felt I truly was inside, without having to fight through the walls of depression and hair-trigger irritation. And it got rid of that constant nagging, fearful, critical voice in my head which has never returned, even though I've been off it for years. It didn't blunt my emotions, either, so it really did feel like a wonder drug.

But long term it turned me into a sleepy, overweight couch potato so my advice would be to stay on it until you feel really good and stable for a couple of months then gently taper off - far more slowly than doctors recommend.

I've been on it for quite a few years now! I've never had any side effects with it, luckily, and I've found it has helped my mood. I do still have days where I feel really down, but as a whole I'm good. It can take a few weeks for them to work and for the side effects to settle down, but don't feel bad if it's not for you. It's the third antidepressant I've tried. Sometimes the side effects are easier to cope with if you take it before bed. My husband has to take sertraline before bed otherwise he feels really weird. I had the same with fluoxetine, I was a zombie on it unless I took it before I went to sleep.

Is there anything you can take alongside during the time it takes for them to work? I was put on propranolol for anxiety and they helped (more than antidepressants did). I have found that cbd helps with anxiety too, I vaped it as it worked quicker than the drops and having to take a deep breath helped too.

I was on it for around 8 years, now been off nearly 9.

It saved my life.

And with therapy I now don't need it anymore.

So today is day 10 woke up with the awful anxiety again this morning.

i did have a slightly better few hours in evening on day 8 - which gave me hope but it’s not come back.

I am just so tired, and anxious - I feel shaky all the time. I don’t feel quite so sick anymore but still have to force myself to eat.

i was so tired that I couldn’t take the kids to school this morning and this has really upset me - I feel like a useless bag of nerves. Very tearful and feeling sorry for myself today.

anyone also going through this journey at the min?

holding out for feeling better

Although I’m signed off work for 3 more weeks I am dreading the thought of going back. I had only just started a new job and been there a week when my panic attacks started out of the blue. I don’t see myself ever being able to go back at this rate.

Really sorry you’re feeling so awful OP.

its early days - there’s still time for this to settle and really help you.

Try not to look too far ahead if you can. Just take it one day at a time. Keep distracted, get outside, keep your blood sugars nice and level with your diet.

it’s tough adjusting onto new meds but it will get better xx

@Monkey130 im taking sertraline for severe PND (on week 4)and can relate to all your feelings! Not on the same AD of course but am struggling with feeling anxious and not wanting to leave the house!! Feel free to PM me for a handhold as it’s so so lonely

@Trying2bemum After a pretty rubbish morning, I did feel like I could do some stuff around the house and went for a walk which was good- my head still feels full which is weird but a bit of relief from the constant anxiety.

Thanks oh for your kind responses- I have been working on tips you gave above.

@Yarnle
I’m sorry you are also going through this. It’s a tough time. Hopefully you’ll start to feel better soon. I’m day 10 today and just hoping they kick in soon. It’s hard as I have 2 very active and demanding kids 10 and 11 and don’t understand- I’ve had lots of issues with the 10 yo which is part of the reason I’ve ended up where I am, it must be even more demanding with a baby. Have you got some support. my mum and husband have been amazing.

Hello - so great to know I’m not alone..
im on day 6 and have felt absolutely horrendous. My heart feels like it’s going to come out of my chest. And today I have had the weirdest sensation of what I can only describe of freezing cold water going around my body and was all tingly.. has anyone ever experienced this?
it’s totally thrown me today and I was petrified to take another tablet tonight!

@Chloe18x sorry to hear you are experiencing side effects too. I had lots of palpitations before even starting this but the meds have amplified this. I believe it’s a really common side effect, but promotes so much fear.

i did have a few hours last night of feeling a bit normal. Still felt tense but didn’t have the palpitations and shaky anxiety feeling.

I’ve woken this morning with the morning anxiety feeling again but have persevered and taken the tablet.

how are you feeling this morning? Did you take the tablet last night? Hang in there

@Chloe18x I’ve also had that weird sensation- I felt it more like a warm wave/ mild electric shock that lasted a few seconds. It kinda started over my back and down my arms into my tummy. If felt like little waves of adrenaline. I had it loads around day 5 but I’ve not had too many recently. Maybe 1 or 2 yesterday.

It's been about 17 years since I started it, so my experience is a little hazy. I think I started noticing a significant change after a month, I remember the first couple of weeks being a bit rough, lack of appetite, nausea, and increased anxiety. So all normal. I remember being advised to take it at night to sleep through some of the side effects.
It totally changed my life, I was bordering on agoraphobic when I started taking it. Every day was just constant panic attacks and hyperventilating. I'm still on it now, apart from when I was pregnant and had to come off it if taken it solid for that time. Absolutely changed my life. Hang in there 😊