Best time to start taking citolapram?

[WackoJacko]

Hi, i have sufferd with anxiety attacks for almost a year now and still have no idea why they just spring up for no reason it has slowly become a daily thing that i have to deal with. I dont no if annyone else gets this but when i feel anxiety coming on i allways feel sick and sometimes even heave violently i have not yet actualy been sick but i think it is somehow linked to my anxiety as i have had a gastro scan reasently and everything was fine. I have had countless seshions of cbt but i feel like its just pointless because my anxiety is unprovoked i can just be sat there watching tv and for no reason get realy nervous and shaky and paranoid.

It hasgone on that long that i have finaly given in and have been prescribed citalopram 10mg from the dctr they have tried to give themme a few times but ive allways been to scared of taking antidepresents not only because ov thebad story's u here but because i dont like the idea ov getting worse before they do what they are ment to do.

but i did notice that a main side effect to them is feeling sick or vomiting so do you think its wise for me to take them if i allready have a sickness side effect from my anxiety or would it not make a difrence?

my other worry is i have been out of work over 18mnths and reasently have got a job at b&q so i dont want to be ill for the loading phase of the citalopram as it may get me sacked. i have noticed that wen im at work my anxiety is less intense but is still noticable so i feel as tho its only amatter of time before my anxiety increases at work

imso confused at weather or not to start or if it is werth the risk to start taking my meds

has annyone got anny advise of ware to go from here please??

[Ingenious]

scared of taking antidepresents not only because ov thebad story's u here

Please understand that the bad stories on this or any other site are only reflections of what happened to the people posting and are certainly not guaranteed to be the same for you. For example, I have two friends who have been on and off Citalopram over the years and they don't get any side effects at all, but they don't post here about it.

However, the nature of these medications are they can make you feel a little rough and some people report getting a little worse first. But on balance, isn't it better to have a bit of a rough start then potentially be cured in the long term? Never, ever, let perceived side effects put you off taking your medication :)

If it's any help, I'm as sensitive as they come with these sorts of things, I felt sick on the first couple of days (after that it was manageable) so a couple of suggestions if you are still worried:

1. Take your medication at night
2. Take them starting on Friday (or whenever your weekend off work starts) to get the worst done while you're not at work
3. Book some leave or time off and start then
4. Speak to your GP about starting on half a tablet (5mg) for a couple of days to give you a more gentle start.

Good luck :)

[kestral]

hi there, sorry to hear of your dilemma. best thing to do is trust your gp, if hes advised you to take citalopram id go along with him. i too get the panics from what seems nowhere but its coming from inside and building while your thinking its normal for you. its not acceptable, it needs changing. if you get the feelings there real to you and wont just go away. let the treatment take its course. yes there are some unpleasant side effects but after a couple of weeks they begin to get less. also once they do take effect keep on them unless your gp tells you otherwise. i took that option so now im having to do the hard miles again for it to get back into my system. i take my medication about 8-9pm but some prefer the mornings.
alan.

[WackoJacko]

thanx for the advise i will have to book a week of work then because just thinking about taking them is making me more anxious but i do feel alot better about the idea of half a tablet on the 5mg to start. im not as worried about that because it sounds like a good plan of action.

I just hope these work az i realy am using them az my last resort nothing else has worked and i get annoyed with cbt because it just isnt making me understand my anxiety like i thort it would

if they do work do you have to stay on them for life?
and does it make you feel normal again ordoes it make you guidy or over happy if that makes anny sense, reason i ask is because im almost sure im not depressed but they are after all antidepresents so would they make u happy all the time or over excited?

stupid questions most probaly lol but i realy dont understand what antidepresents do...

[eternally optimistic]

Hi and afternoon

That is a good idea, taking a week off work.

Although, I think when I started taking mine back last year, it was about the second week that I got iffy.

You really dont need to be on them for life. I am at that point now, though, that if it gives me a more consistent life, then it is worth it.

I am taking mine now, 20mg, and the first time around, they gave me the break in cycle of not being so wound up which resulted in extreme exhaustion hence, more anxiety.

I dont think everyone needs to return to taking meds, sometimes it is just till you sort yourself out.

You sound very level headed about it all, which can only help your "recovery".

Best wishes and good luck.

[Ingenious]

The hope with a medication that suits you and at the right dose is you just feel normal. How long you are on them depends on how quickly you recover and whether you feel like you want, in time, to come off them. Usually recovery is a gradual process and at some point in the future you'll think "You know what? I've been feeling great for a while now and wonder if I should come off them". That's when you speak to your GP about it.

Although it's a worry to you now, once you settle on your medication and it becomes routine, and in particular when you start to feel better, you probably won't even think about it. But so many people do feel quite frightened beforehand, so you're not alone.

[LAURA48]

Hi - people do get scared when starting new meds that is normal but totally agree with Ingenious see if you can start really low 5mg to minimise side effects - once in your system you can then start increasing the dose.

Think the thing is, especially with these sort of medications, doctors start you off too high - this could be avoided if we all started low, etc.

Hope that helps.

Laura

[WackoJacko]

thx for all the advise i will go and get the dctr to give me the 5mg instead of 10 and start off on the lowest dose

allso is it a common side effect to feel or even be sick when you feel anxios??