New on Citalopram... Feeling BAD!

[Khadelas]

Hi,

For about 6 months now, I have been suffering panic/anxiety for no apparent reason. I am a 29 years old guy and all is going pretty good in my life. The only thing I can relate my panic/anxiety to is my wife became pregnant at about the same time my condition started. Now we wanted to have a baby. Anyway, I have always been the worrying one and the "what if" kind of guy, always thinking of what could go wrong for no reason. I must also add that every little health problem I got, I always panic and think it's cancer and that I am gonna die...

Now, 6 months ago when it started I saw my doctor and he gave me some Ativan for the panic. Helped when it happened, but I was not going better. Now a month later he gave me Seroquel. I helped me to sleep but did nothing for daytime.

Now he just gave me Citalopram. 10mg for the first 7 days, then 20mg. I am on my 11th day on it. The past 4 days have been HORRIBLE. I have nausea, headaches, but the worst is I am more panicked and anxious that I ever was! Is that normal? I have trouble explaining with word how I feel, it's like I am always on adrenaline or something. I have read a bit on Citalopram and there seems to be some peoples for who the first 2-3 weeks are very hard. Is that normal? Will I get better???

Thanks!

[marymae]

hey khadelas,

firstly, it is completely normal to react that way to citalopram. secondly, my advice would be to stop taking it! i have an inner ear problem that triggers attacks of vertigo nd was prescribed citalopram to help with the panic in those situations. i have never suffered mental health issues before but started feeling increasingly low after i started taking the tablets. i was tired nd irritable nd had no motivation. my memory was terrible nd my job became ridiculously difficult. after a few weeks i decided to stop taking the tablets. after two days of not taking them i felt awful. i had headaches, felt anxious nd very shivery. luckily after five days i felt completely like myself again. i found what helped me to become less anxious was eating healthily nd enjoying regular exercise nd spending time outdoors. it may also be beneficial to see a counsellor as it provides the opportunity to confide in an objective professional with worries that can be difficult to share with someone close. it can be quite expensive but well worth the cost! and finally, it would be advisable to consult your gp about your reaction to the tablet so that they can make alternative recommendations.

i hope this has helped and that you are feeling better :)

marymae

[Flossie11]

Hi Khadelas,
It's really very normal to feel like you do in the beginning. It took about 10 ish days for it to settle for me, though I started feeling the side effects a bit earlier than you. If your gp has prescribed the meds, they did it because they think they will help you. I too started with the Ativan and moved to the citalopram. I've been on them now almost 3 months and they've helped a lot. There is a great citalopram survival guide on here.. Well worth a read through. Helped me get through the side effects in the beginning.
Would be good to talk to your doc about the side effects though, as you might want to settle on the 10 mg before upping it to the 20.
I have stayed on 10 and found it made a significant positive impact for me.
Long story short, don't worry, I know it sucks right now, but it will get better.

[Khadelas]

Thanks Flossie11. I very much hope it will get better as you say. I never thought I could feel that bad honestly. I'm trying to say to myself that it is just the side effects of the citalopram, but I have a hard time believing it, so you make me a feel a little better.

[little scientist]

Just to emphasise what the others say, it can be quite normal to feel rubbish at the start of citalopram :)

[Khadelas]

How would you describe Rubbish?

Cause I feel like it's the end of the world :(

[little scientist]

everyone is different. I felt very low and dark for a period of time, others experience heightened anxiety for a while.

I've been back on citalopram for about 2 and a half months now, and am just starting to really see the benefits. Every time my dose was increased I had a bit of a bad patch, and feeling so incredibly low.

Try to hang on in there, its early days and things can only get better :)

[Khadelas]

I will! I just have a hard time believing it will get better. Well that's what it's all about I guess :huh:

[Flossie11]

I really did feel awful in the beginning. Dizzy and more anxious than I've ever been in my life. I had days I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. That said, it got better. A lot better. I used the Ativan to help get through the first 2 weeks. I haven't touched the Ativan for almost 2 months now. Everyone is different, but I expect what you are going through is very normal. Rest assured, the side effects do wane. My doc said it can be like putting out a fire with gasoline in the beginning.. :) that may not make you feel better right now, but honestly, you are probably close to being through the worst of it.. It just takes time for the meds to settle. Once they do, they can be a great help. I was a mess, and I am now coping a million times better than I was 3 months ago.

[Khadelas]

Thanks you so much Flossie11 for sharing your experience with me. It helps me a lot, really. I will hang in there and hope those nasty side effects don't last much longer.

Also as I have said earlier, we are expecting a baby in March. I have put a lot of pressure unto myself to get well before the baby is born and I think it's only adding to the panic/stress...

Tonight I plan on reading the "survival guide" you mentioned in your post earlier.

[Khadelas]

Past 2 days have been better. Sleeping too. Still, the mornings are awful...

[karenp]

HI, i had panic attacks when I was pregnant too and they went away the moment my little boy was born but I also took Citalopram. I've been on it 3 times and the sart up has always been horrible for me too making my anxiety so much worse but eventually it makes me 100% normal again. I'm taking Escitalopram at the moment, a newer version and it's not half as bad side efects wise. Congratulations on your baby by the way, I relaly was fine once my little boy was born and my hormones all settled down (:

[Khadelas]

Thanks for your input karenp! I am on day 12 of citalopram now and I am starting to feel better after the last HORRIBLE few days. I really hope I will be 100% my old self again soon like you. Hearing other people stories helps me to hang on so much.

Hope you and your little boy are going well :)

[Flossie11]

So glad you are starting to feel better. :) hopefully all the side effects will be out of your system really soon. Did you up the dose to the 20mg?

---------- Post added at 01:08 ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 ----------

Mornings were bad for me too.. I took the meds at night.. Still find they mess with my sleep a bit and it has been recommended I try taking them in the morning...

[nippy70]

taking htem in the morning made me worse,, tired all day , i take mine at 6 on a night then wehn i feel tired i can chill at home and get some sleep x

[Khadelas]

Thanks all.

Day 19 now (taking 20mg at bedtime since 2 weeks ago). I still wake-up at like 4 AM with my heart pounding, kind of in panic and feeling like I won't be able to have a good day and go to work. But I drag myself out of bed anyway and go to work. The days are not so bad but still I do not feel like my 'old self' again.

Any advice? Or is it just too soon and I should let the medicine time to work?

EDIT: I should also add that the PHYSICAL side effects are mostly gone... (nausea, headaches)

[Sparkle1984]

I did start to feel a lot better after 3 weeks, but it took until 11 weeks until I started to feel like my old self again. I'd say to give it more time, but it's good that your physical side effects have mostly gone. You're getting there! :)