Starting out with Cit

[CameronG]

Hi guys, im new here, been suffering with anxiety / panic attacks for around 7 year, anxiety more than the panic attacks, been reading the forum for a few days now...

i decided to bite the bullet n go see the doc as i felt the anxiety was affecting my work, having had to self assert for a week, the doctor has diagnosed me with 10mg of cit.

my prescription has been sitting there for 2 days now, as people know, people whom suffer from anxiety are worriers, i googled cit which i wish i never did, this has now made me scared to take them!!

Advice please....:D

[nicola1980]

Hi, im not going to lie to you the first couple of weeks can be rough going but im saying can cause some people don't get any side effects at all! the main side effects for me were heightened anxiety which the doc gave me some diazepam for, nausea, headaches and tremors, if you do get any side effects they only last a couple of weeks but it can take anthing up to and beyond 12 weeks for you to get better, its not a quick fix at all but it is worth it in the end, good luck xx

[CameronG]

thats what i worry most, the heightened anxiety, dont think i could handle it lol..

[nicola1980]

you might not get it?? could you ask your doctor for some diazepam to help you out for a week or so, alot of us on here have used it when starting cit xx

[CameronG]

i never really discussed anything else with my GP, she just said that she thoiught CIT was best for me n that it may cause hightened anxiety - she recoemended taking them on a night before bed, when do you think is best?

[nicola1980]

I take mine in the morning as they can act as a stimulent and keep you awake? plus id rather suffer any side effects in the day than struggle through the night with them! its just trial and error as to what works best for you but id recommend taking them in the morning after your breakfast as that helps with the nausea xx

[screwpanic]

At the end of the day the longer you prolong taking it the longer you will have to wait for a positive recovery. I started on 20mg and did suffer for a couple of weeks but this forum helped reassure me and in the end the side effects soon began to wear off and the positive effects gradually kicked in. On 10mg you are less likely to suffer any side effects and as nicola says there's probably loads that suffer none. All the best.

[CameronG]

cheers guys, ill go get them and start in the morning.

[morning_blues]

Good luck with it! just be aware that you might feel worse before you feel better - but you WILL get better. The docs signed me off sick for 2 weeks when I started, and with hindsight I wish I'd asked for diazepan to help with the worst of it - if you're struggling, demand it! Hopefully you will be fine - it's different for everyone.
And I take them in the morning too - tried switching to evenings but couldn't sleep and felt wiped out all the time.

[CameronG]

What doesage did u start on?? I'm just worried about the side affects but no I need to take them to get better....its a right vicious circle

[nicola1980]

Good luck for tomorrow and keep posting on here and we'll help you through :) xx

[CameronG]

I've decidef to start Friday so that my partner can bb around as some ppl advised this lol

[nicola1980]

Thats a good idea when i started them i went to stay at my mum and dads for a bit as my hubby works nights and i didn't want to be alone with my son incase i panicked!! xx

[CameronG]

IV only recently told my partner what I'm going through, maybe I could go alone with tablets too??

[nicola1980]

you might be fine and not get any side effects, in my experience my side effects kicked in properly around day 4 when they got into my system so maybe you could start tomorrow?? the thing is we always tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow and then the next day and then the next..........ive just brought some vit b complex to take and im scared to death about starting them and for gods sake there only vitamins lol!! xx

[CameronG]

Your right, I have my daughters over tomorrow night, would the side effects make me ignore them lol xx

[nicola1980]

lol im sure they will take your mind off things!! just bite the bullet and take it tomo morning xx

[CameronG]

Oh right I will do, how long you been in them x

[happycamper]

Hi Cameron,
I remember the anxiety of just the thought of starting on cit, but very glad I did. The things I remember most was a fuzzy head, mild but annoying headache and felt nauseous for a few days, but not enough to stop me eating.
Good luck and try and relax. I had a few days off work over the weekend, but managed to care for my active sons as usual.
Have you checked out the Citalopram Survival Guide...?
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=46980

[morning_blues]

What doesage did u start on?? I'm just worried about the side affects but no I need to take them to get better....its a right vicious circle

Oops sorry - started on 20mg. That was 2 months ago and I'm doing really well now. I did have my mum to stay with me at the start as my other half had to go to work and i got really panicky about being left alone. Lots of people seem to have started on 10mg so if you struggle you could take 1/2 a tablet until you get used to it.

[nicola1980]

Oh right I will do, how long you been in them x
ive been on them since sept and gradually increased to 40mg but that dose was too high for me and gave me adverse effects :ohmy: so im now on 30mg, 20mg is the maintenance dose of cit xx

[Sophie123]

Just try it Cameron. I was exactly the same as you and I am going to be honest the first 2 weeks were really hard. I have now been taking them for 3 weeks and I am slowly beginning to feel myself again with not so many anxious moments as before I started taking them. I have found nmp really helpful and all the support on here has really helped me through x

[CameronG]

Thanks for the kind words ...ilk let yous know how I get on

[CameronG]

Took tablet 3 hours ago, feel slightly tired n heavy headed so far

[screwpanic]

congratulations on your first dose, did you opt for 10mg to start?

[CameronG]

Yeah ten mg

[screwpanic]

good choice, hope it goes well for you, before you know it you'll be a month in and feeling much better.

[CameronG]

I certainly hope so

[nicola1980]

yay well done :yesyes: you've taken the first step to recover from this bloody awfull anxiety/panic!! xx

[Cjo20]

I found that the first 3-4 hours after taking the tablet are the worst, and then I start to feel better over the rest of the day. I spent a week on 10mg, and I'm now on day 12 of 20mg and I'm really starting to notice a difference; much much calmer and my anxiety is much easier to deal with.

[CameronG]

That's all I had so hopefully that'll b it

[avasnana]

Hi,

Well done for starting, I have had my tablets in my bag for the last month and keep finding an excuse for not starting them. I work full time and so need to be able to function at work.

I'm glad u haven't had any bad side effects today, keep us posted on how ur getting on:)

[emmat]

Hi,

Well done for starting, I have had my tablets in my bag for the last month and keep finding an excuse for not starting them. I work full time and so need to be able to function at work.

I'm glad u haven't had any bad side effects today, keep us posted on how ur getting on:)


hi , i was the same , i work full time and have battled for years with depression / panic attacks /anixety . i started taking them a month ago . i take them in the night now because i was so tired , i do have very wild dreams now but thats ok .:)

[avasnana]

Thanks emmat, I took my first one at 8am this morning and am now feeling quite tired so thnk will swap to night time :)

---------- Post added at 11:12 ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 ----------

How r u getting on CameronG?

[CameronG]

Hi Avasnana, only just saw your post, sorry, Erm well since this post, i didnt notice any difference with the 10mg, obviously i wanted to see the doctor i saw originally so not to explain myself over & over again, unfortunatley she only worked 3days a week so i only got to see her yesterday, we have upped my meds to 20mg which i started yesterday, i will see how these go then let you know, how are u doing? xx