View Full Version : 6.5 weeks
Hi, hope everyone is doing okay. I'm currently at 6.5 weeks and although I am definitely better than I was, am feeling a little disheartened today. Was so much better at the weekend and even managed to attend a Christening as godmother. Have been thinking about phasing back to work soon and am back at docs this week. The anxious feelings haven't gone away completely, however, and today I have felt very panicky, dizzy and have had tummy cramps. I'm worried that at this stage I should be feeling completely better as I have passed the 4-6 weeks mark where I've read the meds take full effect. Is this the best I will feel? I'm scared about going back to the docs as she suggested I switch medication or double to 40mg after only 3 weeks and I didn't take her advice. Compared to how I was I can see a huge improvement, but I know I'm still not 'better'. Any advice / reassurance would be much appreciated. :shrug:
HI Snoopy, I've never been on Prozac but have been on Citalopram 3 times and def was not 100% better after the 4-6 week mark, it took me about 3 months if not a bit longer to really feel well so don't give up hope just yet. (:
Relax :) wait at least until you have been on it for 8 weeks. I recommend Claire Weekes' books on anxiety in addition to medication:) and CBT
Snoopy I felt really well at five and a half weeks and have continued to do so however you do get a couple of days when you do not feel so good at times so don't lose hope look at how far you have come.
Thanks for your replies. I feel worse today :-( last night I felt achy all over like I was coming down with something and today I have has an upset tummy. I also feel really low todayWhich is especially horrible as I thought the worst was over. I'm not sure if I am coming down with something or am just anxious about seeing the doc tomorrow. Last time I saw her she wasn't very suportive. I had been to see her weekly for three weeks and was still very anxious and got upset. After talking to her for about 20 mins she said that I should switch medication or double it and that she didn't want to see me again for another 3 weeks. I tried to explain to her that I was too anxious to mess with medication as I had previously had a reaction to citalopram but she just said that I had taken up too much of her time and that now she was stressed because now she was behind with her appointments.
I haven't been back since but I have to go tomorrow as my sick note has ran out. I'm so anxious about seeing her and today I feel that I'm almost back to square one. I had been making good progress but am so worried and down today. I wish this would just go away.
That doesn't sound like a nice doctor. No wonder you're anxious. Please give it a few more weeks:)
Just to update, I went back to the docs yesterday and her approach was totally different. I was so anxious about seeing her that I brought in notes ( now she definitely knows I'm crazy:-) ). I went over how I felt last time and how I feel now and explained my worries. She actually said that I did the right thing not increasing the dosage! She said that I am 60% better than last time she saw me and that I should be proud of myself. It's hard for me to see the improvements as I still don't feel like me and I am very impatient. I am thinking about phasing back to work for three mornings the week after next before I break up for Christmas as I think a lot of my low feelings may be as much to do with my situation of long days on my own waiting for the kids to come home from school as my condition. I'd be really grateful to hear how others managed to return to work and get back to 'normal'. Xxx
Kayleigh100
07-12-12, 11:35
I'm at 4.5 weeks and defnitely not fully better but am getting there. I find treating one day at a time the way to go.
I've not had time off work. I'm self-employed and if I did, I would lose my business as well as my income. Obviously that major disadvantage comes with the major advantage no one will sack me and I can do what I can when I can. I think a lot of ir depends on the type of job it is and what your employer is like.
For example, I cannot imagine being able to be a teacher (which I am not) with the health I have now. Impossible, I woud say. But I can do what I do because it isn't facing 30 teenagers and I can sit in my office and shut the dor if I want and qietly get on with things.
I think for a return to work all those things need to be weighed up first.
Kayleigh100
07-12-12, 14:52
Would love to have been able to reply "I'm a self-employed clairvoyant" LOL
I wish I was, then I'd you know long this crappy time would last!
Just wanted to post another update. I know I avidly read how others are getting on so it may be of interest to someone else out there. I'm at 8 weeks now and although still up and down, I feel like I'm settling a little. Had a tough time last week which peaked on Saturday until Janine calmed me down (thanks! :-)) and then this week I was upset on Wednesday morning but otherwise I have been trying to take things hour by hour instead of looking forwards too much. I am still forcing myself to do one thing each day out of my comfort zone and as a result have done the bulk if my Christmas shopping and wrapped it. Result! I have more of a calm feeling in my head instead of feeling like a tunin g fork that keeps being constantly whacked! I have decided not to phase back to work next week but to see how I feel after the Christmas break. Every time I speak to work I fall back into a state of panic so I think it's best to stay away for the time being. I went to see cbt counsellor yesterday who was pleased with progress and thinks that I should go back after Christmas. The main improvement for me is that when things were really bad I was desperate to go back just to make things 'normal' again but now I want to be a little stronger before I contemplate it. I am still having tight throat and flippy tummy but most other SEs seem to have settled. I feel calmer but frustrated still. I am sure that something is working, whether it is the medication or not is not quite so important to me as long as I get better. I must remind myself of this when I have a blip as my fallback thinking is that it's not working and I'm never going to get better.I know this is a lengthy post. I hope this is all normal part of recovery and that if it is it helps anyone else who is going through similar. Xxxxx
Good news, just keep taking it a day at a time, look at how far you have come an what you are now achieving, it does take time but you will continue to improve, I have been out all day today and a few weeks ago I did not want to go anywherexxx
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