Escitalopram.

[hk1993x]

I'm now on week 4 of escitalopram 10mg and still feel anxious and sluggish. Does it get any better? 🥺

hi everyone hope you are all continuing to improve. After trying citalopram for 12 weeks I’m due to switch to venlafaxine, citalopram seems to be as effective as taking smarties to me. Very disappointed and scared to switch yet again. Good luck to you all x

@Catsservant sorry to hear the citalopram has not worked out for you. It must be very frustrating. Hopefully the new medication will be the one, although I know how scared you must be to start off again.

I have had a strange couple of days. Morning anxiety seemed a little better, but in other ways I am feeling worse. Usually I feel a little calmer in the evening and am able to eat a bit etc. But I am still anxious and worried tonight, can't face food and am in a much more negative mindset thinking I am not going to get better. I thought I had put that extreme negativity behind me last week after seeing a small improvement.

@Pineappledancer I actually think it’s normal to have good days, better days and not so good days at this stage. It’s very early days in terms of the full impact of these meds.

I have had a better day but it’s purely because my UTI symptoms are better than they have been. We’ve been to the beach. I’ve eaten well and had a chilled day.

Mornings are still rubbish for me. And I have zero appetite until at least lunchtime at the moment - sometimes much later depending on my anxiety. But it’s better than day 1-10 on the meds when I didn’t want to eat at all.

@Lucillebatwings yeah, I think you are right. I keep trying to think back to when I started different medication originally, but can't remember it so well.

I do remember though that it was 2 steps forward and one step back and was a slow process.

I am really stressed about the thought of going on holiday and also worrying about starting a new job next month. I am desperate to notice a bit more progress so I can tell myself that I will be up to starting the new job. I don't know what I will do if I am still feeling like this.

@Pineappledancer - take it a day at time. Don’t worry about the job until you need to. I think you will feel different by then, I really do.

Maybe holiday and pushing yourself a little each day might help? It has definitely helped me and I felt the same before we left. Even the thought of packing felt too much for me. I just couldn’t be bothered - although this was side effect of the meds for me.

@Lucillebatwings thanks. It is so nice to get a supportive messsge. I am extra anxious tonight which makes sense. I am leaving pretty much everything for my partner to organise. I have shoved some random clothes in a bag and looked out all my medication. I am just dreading the morning. I haven't had to get up and organised in the morning for a bit.

Glad to hear that your holiday was positive and helped you.

Hi @Pineappledancer hope your holiday has been ok so far and that you are somewhere with nice weather.

@Lucillebatwings thank you. We drove here yesterday so at least that is the travel and the first night under my belt. I was very worried about sleeping as I don't cope well with the heat and it is pretty warm here, but I managed. Weather is too nice for me unfortunately, I am hoping it will cool down a bit soon.

Yes it’s warm here in Devon too - far too warm for me! But we’ve had rainy holidays too so this is good compared to those!

If you can, try and relax - being away might be good? I say this as someone who totally understands, not someone who hasn’t experienced anxiety and tells us “don’t worry” 🤣

@Lucillebatwings thanks. It's been a bit cooler today, thank goodness.

I am finding it tough though. Had a very small outing today with the kids and I was a mess before hand.

We have a couple of bigger trips planned midweek and I don't know if I can manage. I feel terrible to be putting my family through this.

I’m sorry you are struggling 😢

I wonder though if distraction like this might help?

What it is that makes you so anxious about the plans?

You aren’t putting anyone through anything - you don’t want to feel this was @Pineappledancer and you aren’t doing it on purpose. It’s a horrible feeling.

@Lucillebatwings @Pineappledancer morning ladies, just to give you hope after 13 weeks on citalopram it’s finally started to work. You both will get there xx

@Lucillebatwings I don't know what makes me anxious. Yesterday we had a really small and simple thing planned and before we left to do it I was wretching violently and running to the toilet with loose bowels caused by anxiety. This makes me feel worse as I had felt my physical anxiety syptoms like this had been reducing a bit and I panic I'm going backwards/not making progess/not going to get better.

I managed once we were there but it was tough. The stuff we are doing tomorrow is way more full on. Like you say the distraction might help, I have found it to be so in the past. I think it might just be a bit too much though. At home I was only managing to do simple things like visit my mum.

I am just already sitting here feeling my heart beating and shaky at the thought. I felt the anxiety all day yesterday, never managed to properly shake it off at all. I have not had many days where I actually feel 'normal' for a bit in the evening and that is causing me to worry about lack of progress too.

@Catsservant so glad to hear you are feeling things working. That is great news. I am so pleased for you. What sort if differences are you noticing?

@Pineappledancer I had really bad anxiety which has definitely improved, I feel happier and have enjoyment in things again also I can concentrate on a book or a film again. I can also go into shops again, before I just had the urge to leave. Im now on citalopram 30mg, mirtazapine 15mg for sleep, and just started pregabalin for the anxiety (although psychiatrist says this takes a few weeks to work). How many weeks are you now?

I must be on day 27 now. I’m glad I started them before I went on holiday now. The docs suggested I might want to wait, but that would have meant waiting almost 4 weeks to start them because they were prescribed over a week before I left.

First 2 weeks were tough though!

@Catsservant im glad things are better for you.

I managed to read three books on holiday and also got a new kindle too. I need to practice some self care I think. And reading is a good start.

That sounds really hard. I’m so sorry.

What normally works to help calm you? A few years back I found progressive muscle relaxation and it really helped me to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety - worth a go maybe?

And grounding exercises too - breathing in for 4,5 or 6 and exhaling for 4, 5 or 6 for example.

I know when you feel in an absolute state of panic there is no desire to do these things but they do genuinely help. It’s just about finding what works for you.

@Lucillebatwings I hope you are having a lovely holiday, you seem to be doing better now hopefully
@Pineappledancer im sorry you had panic attacks yesterday, how do you feel today

@Lucillebatwings that is great that you are doing some reading. Sounds like your holiday was good.

I don't really know what calms me down. This anxiety that I get with the medication is different. I am probably not really helping myself. I have tried the progressive muscle relaxation to help me prepare for bed before so I could try that. I also downloaded a meditation app but have only used it a couple of times. I basically just feel miserable and wish it would pass.

@Catsservant great to here you are able to concentrate and enjoy things.

I have been on 10mg for 4 weeks now.

@Catsservant We went out for a bit today and I was just utterly miserable the whole time. I picked up a bit once we got back. Feeling the anxiety beginning to strengthen now though as I think about the day that is planned for tomorrow.

@Pineappledancer have you got something nice planned for tomorrow or is it just the thought of going out? I’ve crashed again this afternoon. Anxiety and panic attacks again. psychiatrist told me to stop propranolol because it’s indicated in mood disorders so im shaking. Did you find this last time you were on escitalopram is this normal to feel better then dip again?

@Catsservant sorry to hear you have had a tough afternoon.

This is my first time on escitalopram, but I have been on sertraline and fluoxetine. I definitely remember feeling better and then dipping again with them.

It is horrible. Just when you start to think things are going in the right direction and you can relax it seems to all fall out from under you again and you lose that hope and confidence.

It was very much two steps forward then one step back. After some improvement I would have a day or two that were tougher, but them the next few days would be better again. The dips got smaller and less frequent until they had disappeared.

What dose and how often were you taking propranolol? I am taking 40mg daily but not sure if its actually helping at all.

@Pineappledancer im not taking propranolol any more, I was told not to take it as it can cause depression. Its so frustrating isn’t to feel better then dip again. Thanks for that all you read about citalopram is you should feel better after 4-6 weeks they don’t tell you there will be ups and downs, it just feels like it’s not working very well

Morning,

I had an anxious sleep, kept waking up. It’s because I’ve finished my antibiotics for the UTI yesterday and last time that happened the symptoms came back so I am so anxious and just waiting for the same to happen again.

We are officially en route home - stopped over in a hotel last night and going out for a bit this morning to do an activity before driving the rest of the way home.

Overall I did have a good holiday - not quite as relaxed as previous years because of how I am feeling physically and the anxiety that comes with that. And also starting the meds of course made sleep and mornings hard. That got easier over time though.

Last time I was on Escitalopram I did have dips yes - but I have to say I worked really hard at self care after the initial side effects passed. I was trying to walk, was listening to the anxiety guy podcasts, banned google, reduced my screen time at night, tried to read more and did things like meditation and progressive muscle relaxation. I couldn’t have done that in the first few weeks of the meds though. I didn’t have the motivation - I just wanted to do nothing it was a horrible feeling.

Im going to have to do the same this time. I’ve bought Dr Kirren’s book about anxiety and started working through this on holiday. It’s a mix of reading and short exercises.

I will do some on the journey home today I think.

It’s hard though. I know the meds aren’t a quick fix but I’m hoping they calm me enough to give me the space to do some of the stuff above.

@Pineappledancer something that worked for me in the past when I experienced panic was to tell myself inside I am safe, nothing bad is going to happen, I’m going fake it and have fun…over and over.

And also saying “fuck off anxiety!!”

And remember to breathe properly. We don’t do that when we are anxious. I also hold myself very tight - every part of my body I hold and have to make a conscious effort to relax it. Then I realise 2 mins later I’m doing it again!