Some questions and some help needed please

[vti2007]

Hiya,

If you read my other posts you will see I have been suffering from anxiety since March. Finally got diagnosed 2 months ago and have been on citalopram 20mg since. I have been doing well, anxiety dropped right back and have got back to work after months off.

2 weeks ago the GP wanted me to up the dose so I took 30mg for a week and then 40mg for the last 6 days.

Last Saturday I had a "mini" panic attack and felt awful.

Basically I have felt bad since. I am not as bad as I was originally but it is still enough to be driving me mad. I feel spaced out, slightly dizzy, hot and cold, tingling/burning/aching arms and legs, extremely tired, pacing around the house again and not really wanting to go out anywhere :(

I haven't lost my appetite again and the nausea and sickness hasn't returned

Has anyone else had this. Is it normal to get week long "blips" when you are on citalopram? Could it be the dose change that has kicked it off? How long will it take to pass? Could it be me worrying about slipping back that is making it worse? Or is it just to be expected and part of recovery?

Some words of wisdom please, it's starting to really get me down now

[june]

Hi,
I do not take meds at the moment - but I do understand what just happened.
When we are "going along" sorta OK, then we get a mini panic, our nerves are on red alert waiting for the "big one"

I feel spaced out, slightly dizzy, hot and cold, tingling/burning/aching arms and legs, extremely tired, pacing around the house again and not really wanting to go out anywhere :(
I am sure that like me you know that these symptoms are caused by our anxiety it is just a case of making our selves believe that and i find that one of the hardest things to do.
In an anxious person I think our nerves are like "pop corn" symptoms popping up and scaring the wits out of us.
I hope you feel better real soon
june

[vti2007]

Thanks June,

Red alert is the right way to describe it I think. I know where the feelings are coming from but I can't seem to drag myself out of it. I think I get so scared of sliding right back that it causes more anxiety

It is so frustrating to be bumbling along feeling OK then suddenly feel real bad again for days on end. I am really struggling with it at the moment. I know I am nowhere near as bad as I was and everyone around me tells me how much better I am, but like you say, trying to make yourself believe it is hard.

Just want a good day again

[lorac]

Hi

I don't take meds and never have so I can't help you there but I can really relate to what you are saying. I have been plodding along with really little anxiety for some weeks now and recently out of the blue a whole load of anxiety symptoms have cropped up from nowhere. This has been happening to me for sometime now, just as I start getting my life back to how I want it the anxiety creeps back in. Maybe it is becuase we are doing so much more and feeling tired that this happens or perhaps we are still waiting for it to come in the back of our minds. These are setbacks and when they come the least attention we pay to them to quicker they will go and when I come through mine I feel stronger each time. I still find these setbacks so frustrating and I am having to learn to deal with each one and give it time to go but I have found that by getting angry and frustrated it only prolongs them. I guess our minds are still programmed into anxiety and panic and it is going to take alot of time to get ourselves out of this. Don't get too dissappointed coz it doesn't mean you have gone backwards it's all part of the recovery process.

You are still making progress even though you are feeling bad now, it will go again and you are still going forward.

I wish you well.

Carol

[vti2007]

Hi Carol,

Thanks, I am just feeling really sorry for myself after another week of feeling rubbish. Perhaps it is the meds or perhaps I pushed it a bit far I am not sure - I am just so tired of feeling like this

I am still learning how to deal with all this so I know its gonna take some time but it still really gets me down.

I really admire you for not having meds - I got to the point where I felt there was really no choice - I was just getting worse and worse and worse and with the being sick the weight loss and dehydration was starting to become pretty serious. At least that hasn't come back

Thanks for the support

[titchjd]

Hiya m8 ...

as you know I am going through exactly the same ,its so frustrating isnt it .

I take 30mg of citalopram ...I upped it from 20mg a while ago.
Your feelings might either be your upped doses or it may be due 2 the fact that you have gone back 2 work which was a big big step for you and its your bodys way of saying Hang on this isnt right lets pump out a bit more adreneline as thats what you have been doing for so long when off ill ,so now you are back at work and starting 2 take those bigger steps your mind (prob subconcious )will play tricks on you .
Like me I have never ever sufered palps or heart flutters in all the time I had anxiety and depresion ..Ive gone back 2 work and was doing so well till sat when I had constant palps and felt overwhelmed by panic and fear ..Havent a clue why It just came on and has lasted all week also got inner shakes and a feeling of just not bein right .so my thoughts have become negative again ...eg am i going backwards ,I cant cope anymore etc......but WE must carry on with what we have been doing and not let the thoughts or symptoms bring us down and just deal with each day that comes .

I wish u all the best m8y x
hope 2 day been ok 4 u xx
Titch xxxxxxxxxx

[vti2007]

Hiya Tichjd,

Thanks for the reply, Good stuff and its nice to know I am not on my own with this one

[Yvonne]

vti

It's upping of the med I think. Also, going from 20 to 30 and then to 40 only a week later is pretty quick I think. I can't understand why, when you were feeling better and back at work that your doctor decided to increase the med.

The way you are describing how you feel is anxiety - increase in meds - side effects = anxiety.

Hope you feel better soon.

[vti2007]

Hi Yvonne,

I think he upped them because I had a really bad few days before I went back to work but I think that was simply because I was going back to work. I think I might have done the wrong thing by changing the dose.

I think I am gonna drop back to 30 today and tell him when I see him on Monday.

I was doing pretty well on 20 and it has all gone wrong since I changed dose

[caz303]

I know exactly where you're coming from and it's disalusions you a bit doesn't it It can sometimes feel like one step forward and two steps back but I've found that for every 'blip' that I've had for a week or so I seem to come out of it feeling stronger 'that I can cope' and the next one isn't so bad to deal with.

Look after yourself and take things slowly mate and you WILL get there. It's taken me a LOT longer than I ever perceived but accepting the anxiety is the only way forward and I know it isn't easy.

Take care xx