Re: Newbie to Citalopram
So sorry to hear about your panic/anxiety attacks. They're not funny and can be quite scary, but they have never killed anyone yet. You should tell yourself that it's OK to feel the way you do, and it will pass - may take a bit of time, but it will pass.
Everybody who takes Citalopram reacts in different ways. Some seem to experience the A to Z of side effects, others none at all. Your mistake has been in Googling symptoms. Dr. Google's medical qualifications are suspect to say the least, and he is not your friend. Take the leaflet from the box of Citalopram. Don't read it - stick it in a drawer where you can find it if necessary. Should you then feel what you think may be symptoms of side-effects, then take the leaflet from the drawer and check. If the symptom is on the list of side-effects, then that's what it is. If not, visit your GP and get it checked out.
If you're suffering from side-effects, then try to stick it out. It may take a couple of weeks for side effects to start to dwindle away. Could even be longer. On my first session of Citalopram it took around 6 weeks for the side effects to subside, and just over 12 weeks to feel as though the medication was starting to work. You just need to be patient.
Regrettably most SSRIs tend to make you feel worse before you start to feel better. It's just one of those things.
I did 6 weeks with Talking Spaces, with one telephone conversation per week with a therapist. They teach you to regard your thoughts as just thoughts - not 'set in stone' facts. They also teach you to re-frame your thoughts so that you do not catastrophise every negative thought. It can help. My criticism was that it was not face to face, and a lot of information can be derived by the therapist from body language and facial expressions.
I wish you luck on your journey. I would advise that you stick out the medication unless it becomes absolutely intolerable. If that should happen, then re-visit your GP and discuss this. It may be that Citalopram is not for you, and there are other SSRIs that could be tried. But do try and stick it out as much as possible - it does help, and you will, eventually, feel much better.
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Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.