don't think i can do it

[weplant]

I am on a very, very low dose of citalopram..Only 2.5 mgs, started at 1mg. I am very med sensitive. I have been on for a total of 10 days, 4 days at 2.5mgs an I feel awful..I am taking ativan twice a day to help, but it is not doing much..I am so dizzy, a few hours after I take the cit (i take it in liquid form), I feel so weird. It is hard to explain, I fall asleep, feel very groggy, but at the same time feel jittery..I feel like my body is buzzing. It freaks me out then i feel like I can't even swallow..How do you feel groggy and buzzing at the same time..Please tell me this is normal and it will get better and that I should hang in there. I have the worst anxiety/panic..Pretty much housebound..thanks , debbie

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hang in there Debbie, its best if you can brave past the side effects. They will pass.

I was on Citalopram 20mg and it was pretty bad after a week. I couldnt sleep which made it worse. My anxiety was far worse. I had to take sleeping pills to get enough sleep to cope better in the end which helps.


I went on Duloxetine this time. In some respects it was better but for 10 days going up from 30mg to 60mg it really made the anxiety intolerable. I stuck it out though and it started to get better.


I felt like I was losing it and the physical symptoms were all I could concentrate on at that point but it gets easier.


Keep in touch with your doctor with you being quite sensitive to low doses.


Try to keep hydrated and eat well.


All the best.




T

[Marty_67]

Hi Debs, my SEs at this point were pretty bad too. Especially nausea, sleeping and fuzzy head/dizziness.

Hang on in there x

[Gemlou78]

I felt like a complete wreck for the first couple of weeks. I had loads of side effects. My doctor offered to change meds but everyone on here recommend to stick it out and im glad I did.
The side effects did lesson. I'm still very tired and will have a panic attack if I push myself out of my comfort zone too much...but every now and then I have moments where I feel like the old me again.
Try to stick with it for a few more weeks it will get better and you have come this far.
I hope you feel better soon x

[Marty_67]

Hey Gem, glad to hear you are feeling better :)

[weplant]

Thanks for the kind words..I just can't beleive Ican feel this bad at such a low dose. I am exhausted and nervous at the same time. I stay at 2.5mgs till sunday then up it 1 more mg..I feel pressure in my chest all the time. I can tell my body is just clamped down all the time..I feel the depression is getting worse..I miss my son so much (I lost him when he was 11)..I just don't feel present at all..It's like I am in a bad dream all the time..I was on Lexapro, low dose about 5 years ago and it took the edge off the panic..However , I was in a much better place, I had anxiety/panic, but I was still functioning...My doc thought the citalopram was more calming than Lexapro..Any opinions on the difference between them..thanks for your friendship..debbie
p.s. I am also on .5 ativan twice a day..anyway take a benzo with cit...

[angel wings]

I can totally feel for you i am the same im also really sensitive to meds and am on my 2nd week of 2.5mg an feel awful very anxious sick shaky no appitite hoping i will improve soon really horrible starting up on these meds hope you feel better soon

[weplant]

Hi Angel Wings..
Are you also on citalopram..I am so happy to hear from someone that is also on a low dose. Are you taking any benzo's to help..Also, what time of day are you taking yours. I was doing the morning, but was feeling so weird I am trying to move it to the evening. I am taking the liquid form,so it easier to go up real slow. Are you taking if for depression or for anxiety. Sorry for all the questions. Please feel free to pm me...debbie

[angel wings]

Hi debbie
I am on cit the dr has given me some diazapam aswell but i have chopped them into 1 mg have had 3 since ive be back on cit and they do slightly help i take mine at night and got them for anxiety cit worked well for me before but did take a long time for me to settle im also on antibiotics aswell at the moment so they are making me feel rough too really hate taking tablets but hoping side effects will settle soon

[weplant]

Thank you so much..How long are you going to stay at 2.5mg..Do you plan on going higher..I don't think I want to go over 5mg..Especially the way I am feeling. it has only been 10 days..How long before you start to feel some improvement? Do you take your cit at night too, or just the benzos...thanks so much..debbie

[Gemlou78]

Hi Debbie I think quite a few people take it at night. I started taking mine early evening but couldn't cope with how it made me feel. I decided to take it as I was getting in bed to sleep and found that better. Maybe give that a try and see if it helps. Side effects wise it took a few weeks to settle but with your sensitivity I don't know how it will be for you. I took diazepam to help me through. X

[weplant]

Thanks..I took my around 7pm last night and by 9 I was feeling so weird. I took a ativan and fell asleep, but woke up several times feeling strange. I may try taking it right at bed..Do you take your diazepam at the same time, together? Are you still at 2.5mg?..thanks so much , Debbie

[angel wings]

hi Debbie i have been taking my cit at night and it does give me weird dreams i take the diazepam as and when i think i need it still getting side effects and feeling more anxious but am going to ride it out ...it took me a few months to feel the real benefits from cit so was a long wait but in between that time i did have good and bad days and slowly had more good than bad but had had anxiety so long a few months was worth it im just hoping it will work for me again ,i have upped tonight to 5mg so will see how i get on


was on cit last year and stopped in december re-started 14 days ago

[Lucym681]

It made me feel sick and could not sleep. Keep going, it does get easier x

[Marty_67]

It made me feel sick and could not sleep. Keep going, it does get easier x

Sorry, more of the same from me too. But it does get better.

I kept going because the alternative was worse and I'm glad I did.

[SarahH]

Sealant,

It took me 9 weeks to get up to 10mgs....I've been on that nearly two weeks now. I took Lorazepam (I think that is the UK Ativan) to take the edge off the SE's. Try to keep going.:hugs:

Sarah