Physical symmptoms of anxiety, how soon do we get relief?

[Naro1]

Hi All,

It's been 14 days since my pdoc put me on 10mg citalopram and 3mg lorazepam for PD/AD.

Not to mention the SE of this med, I have getting positive results since day 10, mind more clearer, more focus, intrusive thoughts lessened.

But I'm wondering when would the physical symptoms of anxiety settle? The shakes? The tensed muscles? Leg weakness like jello, etc??

Thank you in advance for your replies!

Naro1

[oldtime]

Everyone is different, but these drugs are pretty slow to work, for me it really took 3 months before I started to improve and 6 months before I felt I had recovered.

Try to ride out the anxiety and let time pass, you can recover and feel completely normal again.

[Naro1]

Thank you oldtime.

True, it is too slow to work and I'm beginning to get impatient. I have put off plans indefinitely for now!

I'm glad that you are doing well. Looking forward to be myself again too, soon!

Naro

[morning_blues]

Took about 2 months before i stopped being sick and clenching my jaw...
Good luck - sounds like you are going in the right direction!

[bignik]

I started on Cit 3 weeks ago 20mg dose , and nothing yet on the anxiety front , still anxious every day , but I have notice my mood pick up , I know only 3 weeks , but it seems to have topped up where the mirtazipine that I also take was lacking.

Not getting much sleep how about you ?

[Naro1]

Im on day 17- 10mg citalopram

For the last three days my anxiety's severe, ativan 1mg doesn't even take the edge off it! I am shaking right now as I'm posting this, with sensations of hot and cold flushes, palpitation and racing heart. Nauseous too!

Morning Blues I'm glad that you got through the side effects, but 2months was a long time, I admire your courage and perseverance. How are you doing now?

Bignik, my mind is much clearer, but when anxiety is at its peak, mind is affected too with irrational thoughts and negative thinking! As for the anxiety, these past 3 days are the worst, and I'm beginning to question the effectiveness of this meds! I know it is too early for me to judge as some of us here in this forum says it will take time to get relief, and then months to fully recover. No good sleep either, there was one time I stayed up all night, other nights I'd be lucky to get 3-4hrs sleep. My pdoc gave me trazodone to help me sleep but didnt work, I slept probably an hour with vivid horrible nightmares!

How are your moods Bignik and Morning blues??? Mine is like roller coaster, mostly down when anxiety is severe!

I hope to hear more experiences, i know we react differently on this meds but it would be nice to know that you succeed over the SE's! That would inspire me to push through!

thanks.

Naro

[bignik]

yes about 4 hours for me too , nightmares and irrational thinking etc also Im just trying to make sense of it all and hanging in there best I can. I had diazepam on a need to basis but havent took one for over two weeks , I was addicted to them last year and know the dangers and withdrawal just not worth it imho.

hot and cold I have also , mood is ok , mornings are bad anxiety at its worse and trying to work thro also best I can waiting for the Cit to hopefully help

[Naro1]

anybody getting the shakes??? and yeah i clench my jaw too!

[angel wings]

Yep naro1 still getting the shakes on week 5 10mg went to the drs yesterday and he gave me a beta blocker to try to stop the physical symptoms , but dont know if i want to take them ....thought he was just going to say up the cit,might just carry on a bit more with the cit and see how i go!!!
hope everyone else is ok

[bignik]

yep I get the shakes also ... not a good feeling is it :blush:

[Mountainclimber]

I get the shakes, but ignore them and they pass, I tell myself im safe nothing can harm me,, If i think of them they get worse. Its a build up of adrenaline that the body is getting rid of. I also eat after the shakes, only a snack as the shakes burn me out and feel tired. It also takes my mind off the shakes. Good lucl:)

[Naro1]

Hi Murphys Law,

I do keep myself busy when the shakes are bad, chores, tv, computer just to try to distract myself from it! The shakes are fine for me, but it annoys me when it comes with heightened anxiety, that's when I pop a pill 1mg of ativan.

I eat regularly too, meals are on time, light snacks in between. I noticed too that the shakes make me exhausted. Thank you for pointing that out!

How is your progress with the meds? I hope you are doing well!

Naro

---------- Post added at 22:24 ---------- Previous post was at 22:18 ----------

Hi Angel Wings,

How are you doing on your 5th week with the meds? Any progress that I can also look forward to?

Do you plan on increasing dose? Im also on 10mg. helped in mental clarity but nothing yet for my anxiety, in fact it worsened my anxiety but I understand this will pass so with the other SE's.

I hope you are feeling better this time!

Naro

[morning_blues]

Naro how are you feeling today? are you having any other treatment apart from medication, e.g CBT/therapy?
My counsellor said something interesting about the shakes - that it is the heightened adreneline trying to find an outlet. She advised a quick run up and down the stairs to get it out of the system! let me know if it works!
To give you encouragment, I started cit on 13 Dec, so less than 3 months ago, and I would say that I am pretty much feeling back to myself now. It really is a gradual process. I started to pick up and start functioning again after 10 days/2 weeks (like being able to leave the house), then was back at work full time after 4 weeks and have been fully functional ever since. It took a while for some of the more persistant symptoms to wear off, particularly the morning retching and jaw clenching, and my moods were quite up and down for a while.
It does take a while and I hope you are going in the right direction. If you are really not noticing a significant improvement then it might be that cit isn't the one for you, but I think you need to give it at least a couple of months to give it a chance.
Sorry that turned into a long one - good luck!
:)

[angel wings]

Hi naro

Still much the same really , not seeing much improvement unfortunatly but stopped amitryptline 2 nights ago and been on it for a few years so may put me back a bit,also went to the drs on wednesday to see about getting an increase i explained i was still getting the shakes and he said not to up the cit but try a beta blocker alongside to get rid of the physical symptoms but havent tryed them yet chickened out !!!! :ohmy:
will see how i go but havent had the shakes today so thats one good thing lol !!
hoping to get back on track soon.....

[ZD]

Citalopram relaxes the mind the rest you have to catch your self doing and put a stop to , I found it worked after 2/3 weeks but keeping your self busy is the key then gradually symptoms reduce , I found myself clenching my jaw and did not
Know I was doing it , I still do it now but I know that I m
doing it , my new one is wrapping my arms around myself do tightly my ribs ache , how long I ve been doing this who knows except the other morning I woke up like this and realised why my ribs ache . Keep your self busy and before you know it you ll
be fine .
Good luck
Zoe xxxx

[Lost_L]

Naro - I had 2 weeks of 10mg Cit and now just done my first week of 20mg. Didn't feel too bad when I first started taking the 10mg but felt pretty rough for a couple of days when I increased my dose.
I see a lot of people saying they can't sleep but I'm the opposite, I could sleep all day, needing at least 10 hours a night and used to be able to survive on 5-8.
I have noticed a change though, today I went out to two places that I haven't been able to go in weeks/months and my mood has lifted. Don't feel great all the time but it's a start!
Hope they work for you :) x

[Naro1]

Hi ya all!

Still feeling bad especially in the mornings! I'll see my pdoc in 2wks, we will decide then if I need to raise my dose or change it! I've been on 10mg for 4wks and havent touched my anxiety yet, in fact my anxiety heightened on a daily basis.

Thank you for all your replies, Im glad you are all doing okay and that the meds worked for you. Its good to come back here and read your posts specially when Im losing faith and hope.

:hugs:to all!

naro

[Tattooz]

I've just started taking cit 20 mg I get panic attack after the first hour of tAking it they only last 20 mins or so a also get the shakes in the evening and can not seen to stop clenching my jaw which is now coursing me some aches but the good news there not ment to last long hopefully hope this helps

[Naro1]

Hi Tattooz,

Yes, the jaw clenching is typical, I have it too and make my teeth and gum hurt. It is not constant for mr though, I noticed I clench mine when anxiety is severe.

As for the panic attacks, I havent got one since I went on Cit, but morning anxiety is my constant companion that I hope Citalopram will kick out soon! Im taking ativan just to get me through until the meds kicked in full force!

[Kendra]

Hi,

I'm on day 18 of 10mg of CIT. I take them on a night just before I go to sleep in fear of the side effects. I did wake up with anxiety during the night and in the morning but the during the night has stopped now! Last night was my best night so far so the meds must be kicking in.

I have also woke up less anxious this morning. I think anyway!

I haven't had a panic attack since being on these either its all been anxiety mainly bad on a morning! But seems to have eased off today!!

I am still clenching my jaw to but I have always done that so I cant really blame the meds I just notice more now after reading people doing it on here!

I wish you all well.

Kendra x