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!

Does anyone have any experience of citalopram and alcohol?

its 2 weeks today and I haven’t had any alcohol. I’m ok with alcohol free stuff for now, but would maybe like to have a glass of wine- but unsure if will be ok or not.. It would only be 1 small one…

It’s fine x

Thanks 🍷

@Chloe18x @Yarnle how are you ladies doing now?

i had a good few days- the anxiety eas reduced and I had some feelings of ease, positivity and hopefulness.

We’ve had a difficult weekend admits 10yo daughter and my anxiety is much increased.

not sure if it’s a blip in meds working or daughter or both combined- but feeling a bit 👎today.

i know it’s still early days but was hoping that I’d be one of the lucky ones who it worked for at 2 weeks

@Monkey130
hey lovely!
yesterday I had a really good day. I managed to drop my daughter to theatre school and take her to a party. Which took all my energy but I made it and done it so was positive!
today I’m not feeling 100% again. So just taking it slow and easy.
I am much better than I was at the start of the tablets though.. but still have almost waves. A few hours in the day I’ll feel great.. but then a wave on anxiety comes across again.
but I’m putting it to the meds still settling.
Im going to try and get into work next week so I think that’s hitting the anxiety a little. But being self employed I’m struggling to have another week of no earnings 😢

how did you feel after your glass of vino?

xx

@Monkey130 ive just completed week 5. Like you having some really good days / moments but then also some moments and waves of anxiety / feeling low. Just waiting for the good days to outweigh the bad but overall I’m in a much better place than before I started the meds so I guess it’s working.. just taking time.
sorry to hear you’re having a difficult time with your 10 year old! Praying meds kick in ‘full time’ for us soon. I think I need to increase but I’m doing that VERY slowly as I’m extremely sensitive to my sertraline it seems!
may I ask how it was decided you were to start on citalopram over another AD? Very curious as to how these decisions are made as I’m always thinking would I have been better on a different one! X

@Yarnle - I was started with anxiety which I’ve had for months, probably years- which got worse after restarting the pill and I ended up having 2 quite severe panic attacks. Years ago I had tried sertraline but have really bad side effects after 1 day ( at the time it was prob severe anxiety) so go just suggested citalopram. I’m on the lowest dose of 10mg an holing I can stay on that - I also seem to quite sensitive to starting meds!

@Chloe18x
good that you’re starting to feel better for some of the time.

i had a day like that on Thursday- I managed to drive to a cross country race by son was doing and even managed to talk to the other mums- I felt shaky but less anxious. This weekends been tough.

i think I also have in the back of my mind that I only have 2 weeks of sick leave left, I am hopping the gp signs me off again- I work in healthcare and don’t think I’d be ok being patient facing at the min- but I have this constant feeling of guilt as I had only just started my job.

hoping this is just a quick blip.

@Monkey130 ahh I see. Thanks! How are you doing today? I’m having a good day today even with my 11week old waking me up at 4.30am for a feed! It’s getting easier for me to get out of bed and function again so praying this sticks for a longer period this time 🙏🏽

@Yarnle - that is an really start! I do remember those days.

glad you are surviving it though. That’s good to hear that getting out of bed is getting better. I do find that hard at the min. Although I was up and out for school run for 8.20 this morning, and went for a walk Afterwards which was nice.

have you stayed on your original dose, or have you increased?

@Monkey130 well done for this mornings activities, feels good to get out doesn’t it! I’ve stayed on my original dose for now so 50mg, my doctor said to give it till Friday and then increase if needed. I am reluctant to increase if I’m stable on this 50 though! We shall see…

Hey @Monkey130

hows your day been today?

xx

@Chloe18x
im doing ok today actually. I felt quite good getting out of bed, tired but went for a walk with a friend and then went to the shops, got the kids and made dinner. Felt slightly anxious a bit earlier and had tight shoulders but had a bath and that all relaxed. i hope it continues like this. It’s day 18 today..

I am also seeing a clinical psychologist who has suggested I look at the dropping anchor method to help when I feel anxious. It’s been quite helpful. I found this on another therapists website which explains it quite well…https://www.flourishmindfully.com.au/blog/dropping-anchor#:~:text=Rather%20than%20be%20tossed%20around,re%20less%20affected%20by%20it.

how are you doing? Did you get back to work this week?

I’m day 19 today which I know in the scheme of things it’s still early days. I have been much better and the side effects are slowly going. The anxiety hasn’t gone but it’s improving.

although I’m still so tired and for most of the day I have this terrible shakey feeling. Feels like I’m starving with hunger or my blood sugar is low. I am eating better now so I know it’s not that.

Will this go away the longer I’m on it?

so my period started today- which I wonder if this explains why yesterday and most of today I really felt rubbish. I hadn’t really been expecting it as had messed about with the pill for a few months and then stopped.

It feels like the citalopram has amplified the pmt - or maybe I’m just analysing things too much and it’s just early days citalopram still as it’s only just 3 weeks today of 10mg. Gp is keen to keep the dose the same for now

I was really hoping that by the 3 week mark I would be better. I know it’s not a magic pill but I did hope.

the anxiety is somewhat better but I still have the horrible tense feeling in my muscles - neck shoulders chest and also the jittery butterfly like feeling inside my body.

It’s half term so I have the kids at home- so maybe that’s contributing but really hoping things improve soon.

@Monkey130 Keep going. I don’t think I felt really better until week 6 xx

@ShortHairedCat thanks. Did you stay on your original dose or did you increase before the 6 weeks?

Started on 10mg then went up to 20mg about 5 months later. They are so effective I can’t even remember why I felt the need to increase, if that makes sense. Honestly, give it til 6 weeks then speak to your GP if you’re feeling no better x

@ShortHairedCat thank you. I am also on 10 and gp was keen for me to stay on that for a bit longer- so I will persevere. I am just desperate to feel a bit better - but maybe that’s part of my problem- I need to stop rushing things and take life slower.

thank you for your reassurance ☺️

You’ll be fine @Monkey130 You just have to keep going and ride it out. If you go up to 20mg the increase will also take a while to settle but eventually it will. I could hardly function before the citalopram. Lots of things happened and it was kind of a perfect storm. Now I don’t sweat the small stuff. I do still feel anxious in challenging situations but I’m able to cope. I’m nicer and calmer and better able to rationalise. X

@Monkey130 Hi Monkey; hope you’re doing ok right now. Please don’t forget my last post about six weeks before I felt better. Kindly (and I so don’t mean that in that faux caring way it can sometimes be meant/or not meant) kindly, I truly believe you might feel better if you stop measuring.
Stop measuring, is today better than yesterday, might it be better than tomorrow, how will I feel in two weeks, or six weeks, or five days or two. When will this stop? Will 20 mgs mean it stops earlier?
I absolutely understand that you just want it to stop. That ycu can’t live like this, but you won’t. This is not how you will live for ever. Something will work if you accept and understand you have poor mental health right now. That something might be EMDR or CBT or, in my opinion, waiting for the medication to kick in, but, you have got this mate, you will improve , things will get lighter.

i will also reiterate, at week 3/4 I believed I was one of the few who would never be lifted by ADs, should I ask for a higher dose, should I ask for a psychiatrist, would I ever make another decision about anything (the classic we “laugh” about now is how many sausages my husband was going to cook me for a dinner I had no interest in) BUT as I said before, at six weeks, it lifted. Everything changed, the anxiety decreased massively, I started to look forward, I could think again without ruminating.

This is the worst of times for you, I have been on 10 mg since the start. Totally thought at week 3/4, I needed much, much more. I didn’t, I just needed time.

@MyAmaryllisSeemsDead thank you! You are right I seem to have got myself in a bit of a state overthinking this, and waiting to feel better and over analysing everything. I’ve been reading so many forums and I need to stop.

i am off work for another 2 and a bit weeks-and I think I am quite worried about how I will function when I go back, but I prob need something to occupy my mind and distract myself. I have been going out for walks etc, but other than that I am struggling to find motivation to get off the sofa. I’ve had my mum here for moral and practical support- but I can’t find the motivation to do anything.

im hoping the motivation comes back- i was def more motivated to do stuff before i started taking this.

I really appreciate your post and it has given me the courage to keep going. Thank you

@Chloe18x how are you doing now? I think you were just a few days behind me?

@Monkey130 hey hun!

yes I’m on day 23!
sat/sun/mon i had 3 amazing days!! Woke up feeling great! No anxiety and even drove on the motorway for the first time in nearly a year! So I really thought I was out the other end.. but the last few days especially today I had quite bad anxiety - racing heart and worry and fear for no reason.. so I feel a little deflated again after a few good days!
I went back to work this week but only doing a few clients a day (self employed hairdresser) but I just have a fear every morning of not feeling good then having to try put a brave face on whilst doing clients hasn’t been easy this week. I get very lightheaded and shaky. But keep telling myself the tablets still need time to work. These are the times I wish I was employed to get a doctors note. As it’s even more pressure for me to not let my business down!

how have you been feeling?

xx