please help me

[Iggy131313]

Hi Guys, I think this may be a long post but I really need some help and advice

3 weeks ago I was fine, happy, no anxiety depression etc, I dont have a history of them either but I had poor health 3 years ago.

3 weeks ago I had a panic attack and it lasted 2 days becase I was scared that my illness was returning, it wasnt.

My dr put me on citalopram (which I have been on before when my health was bad) but this time things are TOTALLY different. I know they say the side effects can be increased anxiety but this is something else altogether...

since taking my first tablet of citalopram (20ml) I have been suffering horribly with SEVERE and PERSISTANT anxiety, its unbearable, I have no reason to be anxious and I feel like Im going mad, totally mad. The dr gave me some diazepam to try to keep me going until the citalopram kicked in but it didnt help it just made me feel more out of it and therefore increased my anxiety.

I have a 3 year old son and I cant bear to look at hijm and talk to him I feel like Im someone else since starting on them

I am having all the other side effects too, clenched jaw, headaches and a strange heat that I can feel in my brain. Its been 2 weeks and 2 days and I am thinking of taking myself off them, this is unbearable I cant leave the house, I cant even get up to do the washing up.

Last week I thought I was getting over the side effects but they have comne back with more power this week, I am anxious all day until I cry in the evening which reliefs some of the anxiety for a while, But I was so happy and normal 3 weeks ago.

please help me

Caroline

I also feel I need to add that Im not sure when to count my starting date as because this is how I started out...

wednesday - 20ml in morning
Thursday 40ml (what an idiot I thought it would help)
Friday - nothing
Saturday - split my tablet 10ml morning then 10ml night

from sunday I have been taking the 20ml at nighttime so it would be 2 weeks this sunday

so should I count my start date as wednesday or sunday?

Someone please answer this post Im going out of my mind with worry and has anyone else had the heat in their brain?

[southey]

Just count your start date from Wednesday. Don't worry about the double dose or the missed dose, 40mg is quite safe but you may experience more side affects if your not used to that dose.

What you are experiencing on starting Citalopram is classic start-up symptoms. The extra anxiety is a right nightmare but will subside soon. Your jaw should start to ease up as well and the other sides gradually lessen.

Your about 2.5 weeks in with treatment. In my experience the worst is over and the next week or two you should start feeling better. You say the Diazapam did not help? What dose are you taking of that?

You have come this far in treatment and should be so close to seeing the benefit of Citalopram. It feels like the way you feel will never end and the anxiety can be very draining but it will get better soon. With me the mornings were hell and always the worst part of the day. At around week 3 or 4 those horrid mornings were not so horrid and bit by bit the anxiety lessened and by 6 weeks my old worry free self emerged!

Would not be at all concerned with 'brain heat' unless you can fry eggs on your forehead:D

Steve.

[Iggy131313]

Thanks so much Steve for answering, Im a very slim person 7.5 stone and was taking 2ml of diaz, the problem with diaz for me is a dose high enough to relieve my anxiety knocks me out because Im so slight.

I have noticed over the past 3 days I have started crying alot which to be honest is quite nice, Im not sure if its the citalopram working in a new way or if its just 3 weeks of stress getting to me.

Do you think I should tough it out? Im close to giving in and stopping the citalopram but it would really kill me to have wasted 2.5 weeks in hell when it could be soon that they start to work.

Did you have the hot brain too? It appears in different parts of my brain at different times and is quite odd!!

I HATE these side effects and cant quite believe how powergul these drugs are!

[southey]

Caroline, 2 mg of Diazapam is a small dose. I'm not sure if the dose is body size related? I weigh two of you and 2mg barely takes the edge off my anxiety. Maybe next time you see your Doc you could ask about the dosage. Also is being 'knocked out' a bad thing? I always found sleep a refuge, it was only when awake I felt bad! Of course if you need to be alert during the day that's a different matter?

As to whether you should tough it out? Absolutely! Did they help when you were on them before? If they did they will help again. Can you remember how long they took to work before? I would bet a week or two at the most and you will start feeling better? I know how horrid starting these tablets can be but it's sooo worth it when they work properly:shades:

As for the crying, well seeing as I'm a rough, tough bloke I can't possibly comment:whistles::winks:

As for side affects, well I got my share but side affects have never bothered me, yes they are a pain but I never get anxious over them and I accept them as part of the recovery. Plus for me they all resolve over time anyway as I hope they will for you?

Hang in there Caroline,

Steve:)

[Iggy131313]

would my side effects be reduced if I droppedd my dose to 10ml? Im considering doing that for a week or so, and with the half life would it take around 3 days to see any benefit from that? Sorry

Also I agree with your attitude to side effects, any of the physical ones dont really bother me, the head aches, the jaw, the sweating I can cope with all of them knowing what they are...its just the anxiety that I find it so hard to cope with, I would take all the physical side effects over that 1 emotional one!

[southey]

would my side effects be reduced if I dropped my dose to 10mg?

Possibly? Many people start on 10mg to reduce sides and have good results and stay there. 20mg is the average dose though but how and if the dosage affects slimmer persons (bigger too for that matter) I'm unsure of?

Best to speak to your Doc and keep them in the loop if you think dropping the dose would help with sides. You have done several weeks of 20mg and survived, personally I would give it a little longer unless the sides become intolerable.

Steve.

[Iggy131313]

really Steve I cant thank you enough, you have really helped me.

Since your reply my anxiety has dropped, just a little reassrence goes a long way.

I am going to stick with the 20ml for at least another week and go and see my dr on Tuesday when shes in and if my anxiety is still sky high ask for something to help with that.

Maybe she should prescibe you sat next to me lol!!

Its crazy, when I went on these 3 years ago I was so physically ill that I cant separate the SEs from my illness, but Im sure my anxiety wasnt this bad, but I do remember having a couple of panic attacks and thinking where is this coming from!!!

Oh well, onwards and upwards. xx

[eternally optimistic]

Hi

Like the other comments, you are probably throught the worst of the lows of starting up with citalopram.

I know 2/3 weeks of starting 20mg, my anxiety went from OK to through the roof.

But, that aside, it is something I can more or less forget because of where I am right now.

Onwards and upwards is exactly that - you WILL get there and the side effects really should start subsiding soon.

Best wishes and I hope your Doctor's visit goes well.

Jackie

[Iggy131313]

Thanks Jackie,

can I ask how long you have been taking them and at what dose?

I had started to feel a little better last week but this week I am really anxious again, is that normal?

and when did you notice your side effects going?

My god its a nightmare!!

[eternally optimistic]

Hi Iggy

First time round, dare I say it, I had 10mg which helped and unfortunately,
second time, round, I took 20mg.

I would say 2/3 weeks after starting the 20mg, the side effects dropped off and
quite noticably.

I was like a baby when I started retaking the 20mg, the side effect were bordering on abnormal. Luckily it coincided with me having a couple of weeks off work so, made it a lot more bearable. Would have struggled big time at work.

Having said all of this, I am, fingers crossed very tightly, I am happy with life at the moment.

It may be that the tablets arent for you but, like a lot of the comments, this is reasonably normal, I think.

Dont leave any detail out of the SE you are suffering when you see your Doc.

Hope it all goes well.

Jackie

[Iggy131313]

Hi Jackie, Im wide awake and heaving and anxious, why am I still having these side effects after 2.5 weeks?? I feel so helpless

---------- Post added at 08:28 ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 ----------

Jackie, Im awake and very anxious, heaving etc. why am I still having side effects after 2 and a half weeks? most people say they are gone in 2 weeks?