Does this really work

[TRISTAN]

Does citalipram actually make people feel better and anxiety free ? Keep reading about blips and feeling ok for a while but then crash , but then you read about coming off withdrawal and bad times after a few months and side effects , only been on it 3 weeks and getting bad side effects and not sleeping but am also coming off venaflaxine as had no joy After 3 months . Guess I just need some posative story's

[nicola1980]

Hi cit was an absolute godsend to me for years, i lived a completely normal anxiety Free life whilst on it so much so that i weaned myself off 2 years ago but within 2 months id crashed again and when i tried to reinstate cit it just didn't work second time around, infact it made me worse, i really wish i had stayed on it and not weaned off as it was obviously keeping me stable and doing its job! so stick with it cause it really is a good med for anxiety although the first month can be tough with side effects but its worth it in the end x x

[TRISTAN]

What are you on now ?

---------- Post added at 07:33 ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 ----------

And is it working

[nicola1980]

Hi funny enough Im actually on venlafaxine 187.5mg it took a while to get the dosage right and for the side effects to wear off but Im alot better, i tried mirtazapine and Imipramine first after cit but they didn't help at all so was eventually put on venlafaxine x x

[teej]

Does citalipram actually make people feel better and anxiety free ? Keep reading about blips and feeling ok for a while but then crash , but then you read about coming off withdrawal and bad times after a few months and side effects , only been on it 3 weeks and getting bad side effects and not sleeping but am also coming off venaflaxine as had no joy After 3 months . Guess I just need some posative story's

I'm definitely feeling some benefits Tristan. I'm climbing slowly out my blip late last week. I wouldn't say everything is perfect by a long shot but the citalopram seems to be scraping on the edge of the anxiety now.

Positives I can definitely notice now are that the chatter in my mind is greatly reduced. At the morning meeting at work today there was just silence in my mind. My anxiety seems to have overall dropped and my wife says the change in my demeanour is greatly improved.

I think thinks working in my detriment are the old addictions. The devil telling me to take a drink is still there and this morning I had a massive craving for strong black coffee. I don't think any of this is helping. I do wonder if the atarax I'm taking to help me sleeping is actually making me feel hung over in the mornings!! :wacko:

I've got a chat with my doctor today at some point and am going to ask about possibly moving up to 30 mg sometime between now and next year - even if I go 20 -> 25mg -> 30mg.

I think both of us have such crazy stuff going on in our bods right now it's no wonder we feel crazy.

So I'm in a positive mood about citalopram this morning. Stick with it!

---------- Post added at 13:16 ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 ----------

Just been put up to 30mg... could be interesting!

[mollys]

Does citalipram actually make people feel better and anxiety free ? Keep reading about blips and feeling ok for a while but then crash , but then you read about coming off withdrawal and bad times after a few months and side effects , only been on it 3 weeks and getting bad side effects and not sleeping but am also coming off venaflaxine as had no joy After 3 months . Guess I just need some posative story's

Hi ,I am Molly ,stick with it the first month is the worst for side affects ,my Doc gave me Valium to help for the first Month and they helped too.So there is hope so stay going you are doing well now.Ask your Doc for a little something to help you over the bad days.:yesyes:

[Anti-socialbutterfly]

Yes it does :-)

You know I'm two days behind you and only having lack of sleep with no other side effects. It'll be the combination of coming off one and going on to the cit.
if you're really struggling then see if the doctor will give you something to take the edge off it.

Keep going! x

[teej]

I'm up and down like a damn roller coaster on cit today - at week 7. Felt spaced but okay this morning up to lunch time, massive panicky episode this afternoon which I've actually worked out the root cause for and managed to calm down to now and looking forward to heading home.

Crazy!


if you're really struggling then see if the doctor will give you something to take the edge off it.

In my case chlordiazepoxide which I came frighteningly tolerant to very quickly.

Now I get hydroxyzine which just puts me to sleep.

[joanne1967]

Stick at it side affects are horrendous but do calm down after 8 weeks cit hss changed my life x

[teej]

What dose are you on joanne?

I'm so worried that beginning week 7 I'm still so up and down.

[TRISTAN]

Think my biggest problem is I am always thinking about how I'm feeling and then dwell on it then get scared and worried it will never pass and so on , have tried a few meds now and starting to give up hope , never suffered with this b4 march and been a long 9 months .

[Anti-socialbutterfly]

I know this might sound silly, but it's something which is really helping me. I've started to read a book which is being very helpful in allowing me to get rid if some of my internal negative thoughts (they keep me awake and torment me at night!) it's called:

The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness

It was written by the guy who was the psychologist for lots of famous athletes and is pretty easy to read. Maybe you could give it a go? It helps me to stop and 'box' my very negative thoughts and might be worth a try x

[joanne1967]

Believe it or not im on 10 which seems to suit me and I was bad before I went on them checking my pulse having panic attack after panic attack now im like a different person back to work and smiling again it did take at least 8 weeks so stick at it you get there x

[TRISTAN]

I check my pulse every half hour just incase :( just bought some complan milk shake to try and get something inside me as not really eating which doesn't help , thanks for post as gives me hope x

[teej]

I would have no idea what my pulse is supposed to be? Mine's 64 according to the "Free Instant Heart Rate Monitor" on my Android.

[TRISTAN]

Really bad day today :( when will I ever get any luck !

[teej]

I've had a good morning but getting worked up about coping over the weekend now so sunk a bit. I think adding sleep deprivation to my list of problems hasn't helped.

Although I have to say I thought I was heading into a blip over lunch and I tentatively seem to be pulling myself out of it this afternoon.

How many days have you been on what now Tristan?

[TRISTAN]

Was on 10 for two weeks and 20 for a week but also coming off venaflaxine slowly , was thinking of stopping it all and see what happens

[teej]

You're 3 weeks in citalopram now though... I don't think I was having a great time at three weeks either, especially since you've only been on 20mg for a week. That's double your existing dose.

I wish I could somehow transmit my feelings to you today because I am coping so much better right now. My usual Friday afternoon blip (which normally turned into Saturday and Sunday and half the rest of the week) has just come and gone. I just have so much more control over my mind right now.

Alright it's not all roses but what could have been a full blown blip seems to have been fairly minor.

How far are you to coming of the venaflaxine as I'm sure that's not helping at all?

Have you mentioned to your Doc or are they just saying stick with it?

[TRISTAN]

Every one is just saying stick with it and I'll be fine , doctor said it was my choice to change so just stick with it but didn't help that doctor screwed up my pills and has only given me enough to last till Boxing Day :( I know it's early days but lost all faith in meds and forgot ton what normal feels like

---------- Post added at 18:25 ---------- Previous post was at 18:19 ----------

I am only on low dose on ven now but every time I lower the dose the withdrawal gets worse ,not seeing doctor till7 jan

[Sedaw1]

Hi - my doctors have told me that every time you up your dose, the body has to go through the entire process again of trying to adjust. I had the option of starting low and increasing every 2 weeks or just hitting my dose in 1 go. The problem with slowly increasing is that it takes a lot longer to overcome the side effects. Although you have been on them for 3 weeks, you have only had 1 week at 20.

[TRISTAN]

I have got to the stage where I can't calm down today and also getting worried about Christmas as my 3 boys are so excited and I'm just not :(

[teej]

Yeah - I've hit the Saturday blues - routine changes from the week and bam. I'm feeling quite anxious. In fact my Christmas anxiety has hit an all time high today I think. I've got two small 'uns too who are getting incredibly excited and I'm just agitated. Thankfully the missus is full of cheer. It's just Dad who's feeling ill.

I think Christmas can be harrowing when not well. Swine flu a couple of years back was bad enough.

I've put off moving up to 30mg until I have time to deal with the startup symptoms again.

I'm also ditching the hydroxyzine I've been taking as IMHO it's making things worse.

Are you still able to take the diazepam?

[TRISTAN]

Yeah but doesn't really do much , my wife is finding it hard as been where I am but not quite as bad last yeah and her dad's cancer has got worse and worried she will fall again .

[teej]

That's a shame about the diazepam. Have you taken it long then? I know the effectiveness in some people diminishes with time.

I can only deal with each day as it comes. As another comes to an end I'm celebrating small but notable victories. I have to otherwise this would all be too hard. :weep:

[TRISTAN]

Been on it for 7 months but onl 2 mg as needed up to 3 times a day , when you say your not aloud it due to abuse what did you mean as doesn't really do much for me , maybe I should take more ?

[teej]

Tristan,

I'm not prescribed diazepam because I'm a problem drinker and diazepam has significant abuse potential. I've abused alcohol significantly in the last decade due to my GAD so the risk for me is high.

Do not under any circumstances start taking more unless your doctor says so. If you get hooked on a benzo like diazepam , from what I understand, you're in a world of hell no-one can release you from.

T

[TRISTAN]

Might be to late as 7 months is a long time to be on it but doctor just keeps giving it to me , got zopiclone now for sleeping , feeling quite calm tonight but don't want to go to bed as I know I will have to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow , prob at about 5 ish

[Tero]

Probably. maybe. :D