Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Original poster

PND - need support please

7 replies

elliederby · 13/01/2009 17:52

I am really struggling with the horrible constant anxiety caused by my PND. I have started taking Citalopram for the last 5 days and obviously don't feel any better yet. I know that it takes two to three weeks to start to feel better but at the moment two or three minutes is too long to feel like this. I really feel I am going mad. I have no appetite and have to force myself to eat anything. I also have frequent diarrohea and feel nauseous all the time. Is this all normal? Will it go away? I am desperate....

OP posts:
Sarahpo · 13/01/2009 18:24

Hello I am not sure if this helps at all elliederby (i was born in derby!) but when I took Citalopram it 'sped up' my system at first and i was very nauseous couldn't eat at all and had the trots....i remember being quite jittery and then suddenly it kicked in BUT i think if you continue to feel like this much longer go back to the doc's they can either give you anti nausea tabs or give you something else without those side effects hope this helps a bit and sorry you are feeling so anxious

muppetgirl · 13/01/2009 18:41

I am so sorry you're feeling this low...
Are you having any other therapy than just the Ad's? If not do you have anyone you can talk about the anxieties you have?

Things that helped me

  1. I had a notepad that I wrote everything down in. Things that were going round my head that were real anxieties and any other nonsense that was there too (there was a lot!) This helped me to get the thoughts out of my head and seeing them kind of made them more real. I used this to let dh know what I was thinking as it was sometimes hard to talk to him. He wrote back if I felt I couldn't talk or at the very least it just let him know what was going round my head.

2.Let close and trusted friends know what is going on. I didn't and my behaviour became slightly starnge in that I would dodge phone calls, make plans and not turn up due to not being able to phone or either do the journey.

  1. Keep in regular contact with your dr at first I saw the helpful one (not the one that gave me 12 months worth of ad's on prescription with no check up app)
  1. Try to find triggers, is anything particularly making you anxious? with me it was work, then the house was a mess then I couldn't ring anyone, answer the door etc. My world became smaller and smaller until I couldn't leave the house through anxiety. Now I know new situations will make me anxious, plans that are in the distance. I am better with off the cuff arrangements as not time to panic. When I am stressed I clean and dh recognises this and tries to talk earlier rather than later. We have an agreed kind of code in which he can say (and I don't shout at him) what are you anxious about as you are cleaning?
  1. If you can, try to get out of the house everyday even if it is just to buy a paper. You will still be getting out and about and meeting new people ect.
  1. Exercise is fab for Depression. It releases natural highs, gets you healthy and will give you an appetite.
  1. Don't be afraid to talk to anyone and everyone even if you don't make sense or can't express what is actually the problem. You're at the beginning of treatment so don't expect yourself to do anything other than get through the day.
DontCallMeBaby · 13/01/2009 18:57

Had a quick look and the side effects for citalopram look very similar to those for fluoxetine, which I was on for a year after having DD. The effect varies hugely from person to person (fluoxetine for instance did my mum NO good at all) but fwiw the really bad anxiety wore off for me quite some time before the medication really took effect. Does that make sense? I mean that although it could be a couple of weeks until you start to feel better, depression-wise, it may not be that long until the anxiety passes.

Nasty digestive side-effects didn't last too long either. Good luck.

Original poster
elliederby · 14/01/2009 19:02

Thanks for all your advice, I am just hoping that the side effects go away soon and the anxiety eases off a bit. Its really hard to stay positive when I feel so awful. I tend to feel better in the evenings. Is this normal? The CPN from the perinatal unit is coming to see me tomorrow and I am going to start counselling so I hope that will help.

OP posts:
muppetgirl · 14/01/2009 19:44

Fab you came back, I was thinking of you today...

Glad to hear you are being offered counselling. I was on the perinatal path and was followed until 6 months after having my second son with weekly psychology sessions. I was seeing the psychologist for about 6 months before I became prgt so about a year in all.

If you feel that the anxiety is becoming unbearable or your aniety turns to more sinister thoughts you need to go back to the Drs immediately as this drug can be fab but it can alos give you the symptoms of aniety so it may not be the one for you but don;t worry, there are others you can try! I had fluoxetine and as this is a form of prozac this is why it can make you anxious. How was today?

Original poster
elliederby · 14/01/2009 20:04

Hi muppetgirl, thanks for your reply. Today was pretty horrible up until about 4pm when I started to feel a bit better. I managed to go out for a walk with DD in her pram and then did her bedtime routine to give DH a break. He has been amazing - he has taken a month off work to look after us both which is brilliant as I couldn't have coped on my own feeling like this. I am already dreading him going back but trying not to think about it. The main problem is we live in Scotland and he is working in Liverpool at the moment so is away mon to fri. I am hoping once I am a bit better to get out more and go to some baby stuff with DD. Its so lonely being at home all day and night with a little baby doing everything myself. I have good friends but they all work and none of them have young children so no company during the day. Did you find the counselling was useful?

OP posts:
muppetgirl · 16/01/2009 11:49

Hi, sorry not to check in have had tertible tiredness and headaches so have been in bed!

To be honest the couselling didn't help but that was due to reasons of budget constraints rather than the sessions not being any use. I had a session once a fortnight which I discussed stuff that was very upsetting and was then left nearly 2 weeks before seeing her again which meant I was generally in a bit of a state...

She was overworked and had too many clients so it really wasn't her fault.

You sound like you're in a tough situation with dh working away but I suppose there's not much you can do about it in the currrent climate. Great he's taken some time off though.

Is there a mums and babies group near you? Local schools might know of some or your health visitor? Might be good to investigate while dh is off so he could come with you so you're not on your own.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page