any advice please

[alwaysanxious]

HI, Ive been off cipralex for 6 months now,i was on 10mg for 5 years.... The problem is ive been having panic attacks again due to one reason and another and the doctor wants me to go on cipralex again,, but only at 5mg ...The probpem is im scared to take them as i hated the way they made me feel . do u think ill have a problem starting on 5mg ??????? i am really worrying about this but im torn with not taking them and taking them.. please help....



lisa :weep:

[Whitetrash]

I'm in a similar quandary at the moment... What are the positives and negatives for you?

[alwaysanxious]

positives in time i hope i can feel normal again without worrying or stressing over stupid things,, negatives im on my own alot and am scared that when i take them i havent got anyone around to reassure me when im feeling weird.. i asked my doctor to give me 5 mg instead of 10 as thats what i was on before, but then work my way upto 10 again... oh god why do they make you feel bad when you start them i cant believe im scared to take them again after being on them for 4/5 years only 6 months ago!!!!!!!

[karenp]

It's normal to feel this way darl, no one wants to experience the horrible side effects starting up. I started out on half a 5mg pill for about ten days or so before going up which seemed to help though I still did get side effects but much milder and I had Lorazepam to help too with any increased anxiety.
Hope you feel much better soon. How long did it take you to feel completely normal on 10mg's as I have been on that dose for a couple of months I would say now, first starting back in November at the real min dose but I am getting very good weeks and then blip weeks where I still feel anxious and low. I've been advised to go up but only on a temp basis and ten back to 10mg which my doctor would prefer me to be on. I was on Citalopram last time I suffered with GAD but that took a good 6 or so months to get me completely back to normal too.
Any how, all the very best starting up again, I hope the side effects pass quickly if you do get them and come on here whenever you need any one to chat to xx

[bab]

Hi there
Its always horrid starting up again but the start up only last for a little while and does eventually pass. Have you had success with any other meds or are you sticking to cipralex?

[alwaysanxious]

Hi Karen and bab

i havent tried any other meds i totaly trust cipralex ,but oh my god cant believe im scared of that little white tablet. i just keep stairing at them... they were brilliant once they in your system last time it took about 6 weeks before i felt normal... im just trying to do it on my own still at the minute ...i just feel realy low and sad circumstances in my life is making me feel like i am thats all and i dont know how to change it.... i knoe eventualy i will take the tablet just takes me ages to pluck the courage up,,, i realy appreciate your advice thankyou.theres never a day goes by where i dont come on here,,,

[karenp]

It's an incredibly hard step I know as ad's do make you feel even worse before better and I have felt like you every single time I have had to start an SSRI. It's hard to imagine one weenie white pill can make you feel so odd hey. I literally chopped my 5mg pill in half the first few days, which I think I mentioned above, I still had side effects but not half as bad as when I took Citalopram and other ssri's. You were ever so lucky to feel normal after 6 weeks last time, I hope it works as quickly for you again...I'm on my 5th month now, currently on 10mg's and still have blippy days. Very good ones too though (:
I tried to go medicine free when I started with my anxiety last May time, I told my self mind over matter but my marriage broke up and I really couldn't cope without the medication in the end.
Do you get increased anxiety on start up? Would your doctor prescribe you something to help even just short term??? I take Lorazepam and then taper off it once I feel I am 100% well again. Good luck xxxx

[alwaysanxious]

hi karen so sorry to hear about your marriage breakup,, :hugs: I do get anxious as soon as i taken the 1st pill in the past of fainted lol. how stupid thats cos ive known ive took it and waiting for somithing to happen derrrrrrrr how stupid.... Well i think im having panic and anxiety now because im bord i work part time but im not getting stimulated enough at work. i havent got any friends because my best friend moved away yet i love mixing with people, plus i work on my own in an office. i feel a big part of my anxiety is bordem.... if i could just have the know how of what to do as my confidence is so low ,then i dont think ill need my meds again if i can fill my life a bit more ..... Do you understand that.???

[karenp]

Yes that makes perfect sense...if you are occupied you are less likely to be even thinking anxious thoughts. :)

[footballking]

good luck, i'm also scared to start it.

[karenp]

Don't be, it does give you side effects like every AD but I found Escitalopram nothing like how terrible I felt on Citalopram. The first day I had no anxiety or effects at all, then had hot flushing during the night, didn't feel hungry but wasn't really sick as such but I just felt off it if that makes sense, I had head ache, struggled sleeping yet wanted to sleep during the day because I felt really tired, when I first woke up I had irritability and one of the worst side effects was feeling flat but these effects soon passed and were never extreme and on other ssri's, mainly the Citalopram, I used to feel like my head was going to explode off my shoulders after one pill and I had anxiety all day long, even terrible panic adjusting to the medicine but though I did get nervousness, I have only had 2 panic attacks since November when I started Escitalopram. I do take Lorazepam and sleeping pills though but am now trying to eat a lot more healthily...I have bought vitamins and bananas, I hate bananas too but they are meant to be so good for depression and the nervous system, I might evenforce feed another for lunch, ha ha ha.
Seriously, I felt exactly the same when I first got prescribed my Escitalopram but the more you take it the better it gets, you will have yoyo days and blips but I am generally so much better for being prescribed it and feel in time I will be 100% better again. I am def getting there (: