Is anxiety making me feel constantly ill / run down?

[OliverMatthew]

Hey guys this is my first post here and im hoping i might get some insights from the people who have been here.

i have now had PTSD , AGORAPHOBIA and anxiety disorder for two years.
the problem im currently experiencing is dizzy bouts. it feels like im going to instantly faint , the weird thing is it lasts at max a second. and i get this around 20 times a day. i have been on citalopram 20MG's for 2 months now and seem to be getting along OK with them , but is it possible to now start getting side effects after so long?

i also have one more question.
i have no idea if this is some sort of disorder , but im 21 , and i sleep around 11 hours daily. and if i get any less than 11 i feel really ill for the rest of the day , like hot flushes , more dizzy spells , loss of hunger . can loss of sleep cause anxiety levels to seriously rise? its currently ruining my life :unsure:
feeling very lost and confused at the moment.
any help is appreciated , thanks alot guys.:weep:

[Catherine S]

Hi Oliver, anxiety can deplete our energy for sure but Maybe the meds are working against you too? Many meds have side effects but not everybody feels them, however...some do so it might be wise to ask your doctor about this first to be honest.

[OliverMatthew]

Hi Oliver, anxiety can deplete our energy for sure but Maybe the meds are working against you too? Many meds have side effects but not everybody feels them, however...some do so it might be wise to ask your doctor about this first to be honest.

thanks for your reply.
if the tablets would to work against me , would it of happened at an earlyer stage like when i started taking them? or is it possible for the citalopram to start giving me side effects 2 months later?
thanks

[MyNameIsTerry]

They say 3-4 weeks until you settle into SSRI/SNRI's but I don't think they really know much about how they affect people since some people have no problem going on them but struggle with withdrawal, others follow the traditional path of suffering going on and not much withdrawal, some people are ok after 10 days, some people have more than a month, sometimes short can mean more intense & longer can mean less intense. It's a bit of a minefield.

I don't know about the 1 second dizziness thing, although with anxiety there are ways to experience dizziness more when performing certain movements.

For the sleep thing, anxiety can definately do this. Something I have had a real problem with in the past is if I didn't get my X hours, I would become anxious and think it's going to be a bad day. Is it this?

[OliverMatthew]

They say 3-4 weeks until you settle into SSRI/SNRI's but I don't think they really know much about how they affect people since some people have no problem going on them but struggle with withdrawal, others follow the traditional path of suffering going on and not much withdrawal, some people are ok after 10 days, some people have more than a month, sometimes short can mean more intense & longer can mean less intense. It's a bit of a minefield.

I don't know about the 1 second dizziness thing, although with anxiety there are ways to experience dizziness more when performing certain movements.

For the sleep thing, anxiety can definately do this. Something I have had a real problem with in the past is if I didn't get my X hours, I would become anxious and think it's going to be a bad day. Is it this?

it is slightly yes your getting the idea.
but the thing is it makes me physically ill. im sensitive to the light for the rest of the day , im constantly yawning. i feel " on edge " constantly and its very draining. i also feel like even going to the bathroom is completely draining and my legs just feel like dropping. it causes my body to have hot flushes. its like the flu , but its actually not a flu as it only comes on without at least 10 hours sleep.:weep:
sorry if this sounds a little confusing , its very hard to explain

[MyNameIsTerry]

No, thats not confusing at all because I know what you mean. I don't get this much now but it did used to be a problem for me.

When I had my relapse I was waking up about an hour before I needed to and I never had more than say 6hrs anyway. In truth, I could survive on it, but my mind was saying it's a bad thing, how will I cope, etc hence the anxiety started up. It came and went for months and then I had a long spell of it back to back whether going to work or a day off and it finished me off. For ages after this, if I had less than the X hours sleep I thought I should have, I would be very anxious, I would be drained, the light would bother me, etc. Aside from the anxiety itself, it was a general feeling of being unwell, like the flu.

I'm much further on now but it still stings me from time to time. The only way I think I got out of this stage was to start taking more exercise, practice relaxation techniques and stop clock watching. You also need to practice telling yourself that it won't harm you, you will just catch up another night, accept that you may feel a bit grotty and try and plod on. You don't need to be pushing yourself a lot on those bad days, just try not to let it stop you doing what you normally would and slowly you will work your way out of it.

I've found everything in anxiety & depression is about stages. Each stage is different but retains elements of the previous ones, they just get shorter or less intense as though the anxiety is slowly filtering out of your body. It's not quick though in my case, but I did quick the first time and that just put me back here.

You might want to consider your nutrition, vitamins & minerals, iron, etc.

Do you have issues with sleep & sleep routine? We can sleep 12hrs and it still hasn't been deep enough so you feel languid half the day. If this is the case, establishing a better a routine and getting regular fresh air and exercise will help. Exercise has been proven to help you sleep deeper.

[OliverMatthew]

aah yes i understand.
yes i have an awful sleep routine , i go sleep around 4AM and wake up around 2PM , sometimes even 3... :scared15:
ive tried to change my routine andgo bed earlier but im just not tired and find it veryy hard to fall asleep.