Reassurance Needed - citalopram 10mg

[Kendra]

Hi,

Sorry to keep going on but currently on day 9 of citalopram and still suffering sleepness nights, early mornings, anxiety, fuzzy head, retching running to the toilet etc. Although I am eating a lot better which is good.

I was just wondering if anyone can remember how, when and if they started seeing any improvement. I know we are all different its just I need a bit of reassurance that I am on the right pathway to getting better.

Has anyone had any luck on being on the low dose of 10mg? And if you did have to up the dose did all these side effects come back??

Also and tips for helping yourself along with taking this med such as exercise, best food to eat etc?

Just feeling like I need another boast along the way today.

Thanks

Kendra

[laalaa78]

hiya kendra

i hope ur feelin a little better :)


10mg citalopram is a really low dose i thought the minimum dose was 20mg

i was on 20mg for 3 years and at 1st i felt great, never had any side effects at all i always took mine in the morning, so slept fine wen u taking yours??

i felt them work within 1-2 weeks of starting. i took them for panic and anxiety if u dont mnd me asking what r you taking them for?

love leigh-ann <3

[lauz_lea]

Hi Kendra, I haven't tried cit, but a friend of mine is on it and has never needed anything higher than 10mg.

The worst of the side effects of most AD's usually pass within 2-3 weeks. What dose are you currently on?

[Kendra]

Hi eveyone,

I am currently of 10mg for panic and anxiety. Which I think has been brought on due to having to reapply for my job. I have been constantly been thinking about it chewing myself and being very very negative. Hence before chirstmas started with the Panic attacks. Took Prozac as it worked for me the last time but couldnt stand the SE and came off it. I have suffered this beore 12 years ago due to my parents splitting up.

Today I am just so tired and feel so fed up of feeling this way I just wanted someone to reassure me it was all going to be ok eventually.

I have been given an interview date for 20th March and I am panicking about it already. "what if I don't make it to the interview" "what if I have a panic attack and have to run out" "what if I cant answer the questions" etc etc.

Stupid I know and I have been doing the job for 6 years anyway!!

Got myself in a right state.

God just want to be normal again!!!

x x x x

Oh I take them on an evening as I have a 2 year old to look after and need to be in some sort of fit state to do this!! x x x

[anowlwithknees]

Hi Kendra,

I am sorry to hear about the severity of your side effects! I had been on cit a year or two ago,went off cause it I felt I didnt need it and recently went back on (for anxiety and general stress due to life changes). My doctor started me off on 20mg, but I found this was too much of a starting dose and caused powerful side effects, or could have been simply anxiety mimicking side effects (they can b quite similar). My GP suggested I halve the dose for a week or so and see how I respond. I still have effects but they are more manageable. Perhaps if you halve it to 5mg?

As for previous experience with cit, I find that the symptoms dont simply and suddenly disappear, they gradually lessen and at some point are manageable then wholly ignorable. This took about 2 and a half weeks for me last time I was on cit to become tolerable. This go around it seems a bit quicker to lessen the effects thank goodness, But remember cit is a slow acting drug. It takes frustrating weeks to begin to work. But by this point, you have well earned the benefits of it, and should be proud of your resilience! It really had pulled me out of a bad place once it worked for me!

As for advice, I have found playing around with the time I take the cit helps with sleeplessness, eating good amounts of fruits and veggies with a multivitamin works, even if I am not hungry (also a side effect of cit!). For anxiety, I really find that chamomile tea does wonders for me, especially if I am experiencing sleeplessness. I have also found that early morning stretches really help when I wake up with anxiety.

I hope this can offer you some help! Just remember that if you stick it out, by the time it begins to work and the side effects lessen, you can stand tall knowing that you have some remarkable determination and are more mentally tough that you think!

[Kendra]

Hi,

Thank you so much for your reply. Everything that you said makes loads of sense and I hope that I will start to feel better over the next few days then.

I get myself in a right state thinking I should be starting to feel better etc..

Your post has given me hope that I will start to feel better soon.

I hope you are also feeling better soon!! x x

[Ingenious]

I started on a much lower dose (2.5 or 5mg I can't remember now) and it hit me like a train, made me feel pretty rough for a week or so. Please don't give too much weight to people telling you this dose or that dose is "low" because we are all different and all react differently. I should imagine you will start to feel brighter in the next week or so. In the meantime be easy on yourself, remember these are just side effects and will pass. Speak to your GP if you're still concerned about the side effects.

[Kendra]

Thanks Ingenious, feel a bit better today. I know I have to just ride it out just get worried a bit now and then!! Hope you are feeling ok? x

[Naro1]

Hi Kendra, Im on the same 10mg of citalopram. I saw my pdoc a week ago and he said I was looking better so upping the dose was not necessary as he thought it's doing its job! He said to wait until after 6wks, and we will decide then to raise the dose depending on my progress!

It is already 4th wk for me, but mornings are still the most difficult. I am even questioning if cit is really working! But I find myself better in the afternoons, that is when I can do some house chores and go walking 3km.

I just hope the interview schedule will fall in your most convenient time, when you are more relaxed and feeling yourself! Do you have some anti-d meds like lorazepam or alprazolam that you can take before the interview?

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

[Kendra]

Hi Naro1,

Mornings are the most difficult, its the waking early with me and retching. I do feel better after a while of being up though.

My interview is on the 20th at 13.45 so I am quite pleased about this as it is in the afternoon.

I have diazipam but I am too frightened to take any. Still got the full box in the cupboard.

I am hoping that once the job situation is sorted out that I will start and feel better as this is the cause of all this.

I am due back to the docs on the 19th so will see what they say!!

Thank you for the reply.

Take care

Kendra x

[Naro1]

Hi Kendra,

I just want to tell you a little story why my psych doc gave me ativan with the citalopram. When I went to see him the first time I was shaking very badly, wobbly, cant walk straight and was too emotional!! I was crying while in his office and poured myself out!! He probably saw that my anxiety was so bad! He prescribed to take 1mg 4x a day, he said that this is a low dose and it is fine to take for my initial anxiety and to counter side effects of CIT. But I only take 1mg 3x a day, I reduced his prescription by 1mg.

The 2nd time I saw him was after 10days from my intial visit, I was much in a better state of mind and mood. I mentioned that I sometimes played with the ativan dose, taking only half tab when anxiety is high, I would end up only a total of 1.5mg to 2mg a day of ativan. He said not to do that because the ativan dose has to be maintained for certain period of time, which would help our body heal from taking a rest from the stress and anxiety. He said he would tell me how to taper off from this meds when im ready.

I guess your reason for not taking your anti-d is bec of the risk of dependence. If we are taking it as prescribed, I wont worry about it.
If you decide to try though during high anxiety, I would suggest that you start from the lowest dose, and if it helps, then you can maintain that dose and stay on that until the full effect of citalopram kicked in! It will make a difference in mood and anxiety when you are on anti-d's. But it is still your choice of course.

So far, my anxiety hasnt been touched by citalopram yet, but I didnt have any panic attack since I'm on it... so that is one positive thing. My mind is also clear most of the time, but then again mornings are a killer, waking up with racing thoughts, fuzzy head, and high anxiety. It probably is not to far away now, that I would wake up feeling better one morning!

Good luck Kendra!

[Kendra]

Thanks Naro1,

Still to frightened to take them. However I do understand the need for wanting the body to rest.

I can feel a difference but not a lot. Yesterday was an ok day but today isint as good. But I am still only on day 11 of cit so really need to give them time.

After reading other posts on here I thought maybe my dose was too low but everyone is different and these probably just need to get into my system more.

I have a lumpy feeling in my throat was told it was stress but I am thinking maybe it is indigestion do you get this at all?

Thank you for being in touch with me.

Come to think of it I haven't had a panic attack since being on these either. Its all just been anxiety. Its a horrible thing isint it?

Good luck to you to.

Kendra x

[Naro1]

Hi Kendra,

I am glad you are seeing a positive effect from your meds! One day soon you will wake up free of any symptoms, that is my dream as well!

Yes, lump in throat feeling, indigestion, sour stomach, upset stomach, diarrhea, you name it! But oddly enough these started about 3wks on the meds! I think my digestive tract has a late reaction to the meds! initially on the first few days i suffered from nausea. And then like in the 2nd week it went away! But nausea is back now with the tummy discomforts.

Well, isnt it a fact that we react differently with AD's? Im glad side effects are easing now with you. Very diff in my case as some side effects came in late when I am thinking that my body is already getting adjusted to CIT.

Good luck.

XXX
Naro

[Kendra]

Morning Naro1,

Not feeling to bad this morning. Slept ok was still wide awake at 5.30am this morning but at least last night I had a decent nights sleep.

I know its a long process on the road to get better i'm just very impatient!

This week I am going to try and get out and do different things visit people and have loads of fun with my little boy rather than sit in the house making myself worse.

I am expecting a bit of a bad week with the build up to my interview next Tuesday so really need to take my mind of it!!

Thanks Naro hope your feeling ok today!!!

Kendra x

[Gopala]

I have takeing CIT 20 MG and Mitrazapine (helps me sleep) 30 mg for about 12 days and starting to feel a lot better. Not 100% but the naxiety seems to have redcuced lots. I didnt have any major side effects just a clenched jaw for a few days and feeling spaced out. Hang on in there and speak to your doc again. I found once i started sleeping again everything became more rational.

[Kendra]

Thats given me hope!! Wish I could fast forward to being and feeling normal again!! But then again don't we all!!! I hope it all works out for you!! It is sounding very promising!!

Kendra x