citalopram

[MissAnxiety]

Hi I've decided today I can't resolve this H A on my own and need something to help. The doctor has given me 10mg of citalopram.
has anyone else taken this, did it work for you?
Any replies will be really appreciated x

[tharidler]

hi there I was prescribed citalopram some years ago and it did not work for me having said that a family member uses it and it has helped them a lot I know that doesn't help much but we are all different and sometimes you may have to try a few meds before you find the one that works for you
good luck

[MissAnxiety]

Why didn't it work for you? Was it the side effects or just didn't work? Sorry to sound thick. I'm just normally the one that stays well away from meds, but I've tried my hardest and it hasn't worked so need extra help.
when you take your pills, does it stop the anxiety? Does it get rid of the constant sickness and dread you feel? Xxx

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your problem.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

[MissAnxiety]

Sorry NMP, didn't realise there was a forum just about medication, I'm so used to posting in health anxiety forum. X

[Jubnut]

Hi,

Im now maybe on 4th time on cit and it indeed helped me in the past.

The worst thing about cit especially with HA is that it seems to heighten the symptoms at first and it takes a long time to work. I have a family friend who is a physiatrist who said that they actually sometimes refer cit as semiplacebo drug as it takes so long to work :D if your mind is focused on getting better it seems to lower the side effect side as well.

Im now at 20mg 4 and half weeks (started 10mg for one week before that) and it seems to slowly help my HA. My wife says that the last time it took me for more than 4 weeks to affect me properly.

Only side effects that seems to persist is brain fog and dizzyness during the day.

And it's funny that the older i get the more side effects and slower the effect on me :wacko: im 29.

But all in all, it indeed does work. Just hang in there if there are any side effects as they are dreadful and will go away at some point. The effect is not instant, you don't wake one day and feel normal, it slowly takes the anxiety away and one day you realize that you havent been thinking about HA for awhile and feel 'normal'.

Good luck, trust the drug :)

[SarahH]

Take a look at Citalopram on the "medication" threads....... you will get loads of support on there.

sarah

[MissAnxiety]

Thank you for your replies. I took my first 10mg tablet last and have woken up today feeling slightly sick and have brain fog. im willing to keep going with it as I would do anything to get rid of my HA. I have already been told my someone that I'm not looking well today and did I have a late night last night lol so something must be working. When do you take your tablet, morning or night? Xxx

[SarahH]

I take mine in the morning as it can disturb your sleep. Stay at the low dose if you acne tolerate it for a few weeks before you go up. I had to start on 2.5mgs (yes you can cut the tablets with a very sharp knife) as I have terrible start-up side effects. But if you can persevere then keep going. It will not magically make you better overnight it is a slow process that could take weeks. Good luck

sarah

[mark84]

I'm on day 8 of 20mg cit here, I felt sick a fair bit (though not actually been sick), and woken up at weird times, other than that seem ok. No improvement yet but I wouldn't expect there to be- my advice to you is don't look at what other people are saying, not all - but a lot of the people that say it doesn't work for them don't stick with it long enough, they try it for a month and give up before the benefits are felt.

[dafni]

if you re life is not threatened by depression and anxiety i would say stay away from SSRI or whatever shrinks prescribe.

[MissAnxiety]

Thank you Sarah and Mark, do any of you take it for Health Anxiety? I really don't see how it will stop me worrying all the time? One little pill to get rid of how I feel? Sounds to good to be true, how long did the sickness last with you? Mainly asking as I live with my partners family and they don't know anything about my anxiety and at the moment I am telling them that I think I got the start of a sickness bug lol xxx

---------- Post added at 14:35 ---------- Previous post was at 14:34 ----------

Why do you think that dafni? X

[Jubnut]

I take it in the morning as well and i take it for health anxiety.

For me the nausea lasted 3 days, it can take longer or it can manifest differently for others such as dizzyness. It is always good to not take it on empty stomach as it can help with the nausea to eat a little before taking them.

I was skeptical at first but if you manage the side effects and stay for it for couple of months it will help. You can feel that You actually have Your normal self back again :) that said, the drug itself cannot complitely remove anxiety, it removes most of it and the rest is up to you.

I don't share dafni's opinions, as i do believe it is matter of life quality for me. I can of course not take them and suffer the horrible anxious thoughts but these make me better. There are always other roads such as cbt which for me did not make me permanently better. My ha flares always under high stress but with the help of cit i can soon forget it and just end the cit when it is gone. The if it ever comes back, i know something can help me that other ways do not.

[weplant]

Thank you Sarah and Mark, do any of you take it for Health Anxiety? I really don't see how it will stop me worrying all the time? One little pill to get rid of how I feel? Sounds to good to be true, how long did the sickness last with you? Mainly asking as I live with my partners family and they don't know anything about my anxiety and at the moment I am telling them that I think I got the start of a sickness bug lol xxx

---------- Post added at 14:35 ---------- Previous post was at 14:34 ----------

Why do you think that dafni? X
I also suffer from extreme anxiety/panic disorder..I also have HA..I think I am going to die everday..I am sure I am having a heart attack, then I know I must have stomach cancer,etc.,etc. I am also paranoid of meds..I started taking cit at 1mg (liquid), I am now up to 10mg and it has helped a little..I am still very anxious, wake up in a panic and dizzy all the time..But a least I have gotten out of the house..It takes time..Start slow and give it a fair chance...Debbie

[MissAnxiety]

Thanks everyone. This is me second day and I woke up with a burning pain in my stomach but just had something to eat and it's gone. Not feeling so sick today :-) feeling weak though, don't know if that is a side effect or my anxiety playing up . I've got a fear of my stomach bleeding thanks to my HA so that might be why I'm feeling like I am, who knows. Love hearing your stories as I don't know anyone else who has anxiety and know one knows I have got it either. So really good to be able to talk to someone about it. Xxx
I

[Jubnut]

I too suffered from weird stomach sensations at the beginning, im sure your stomach is just fine :)

Fatigue/weakness/general "bleh" feeling is common at start i believe. For me it went away after couple of weeks.

[MissAnxiety]

Not being rude but did you get loose bowels? I've been twice in the last hour xxx

[Jubnut]

Yup, that did last few days as well and it then seemed to go away.

And just for more info, the second time I took cit was HA with intense fear about stomach/bowel cancer. I had all the symptoms there could possible be, loose bowels, stomach pains, constant nausea that was so bad I could not eat well for two weeks and so on. Having to go through all horrible tests (gastroscopy and others) and when they all were clear I admitted to myself that it was all in my head. I was given cit and then slowly it all went away. Now my problems are related to brain cancer fear - there is always something with ha aint it :D

[MissAnxiety]

Yeah mine is brain, breastfeeding, cervical, lung and bowel cancer. Does the cit help get rid of HA then? I'm all brain fog and dizzy today but it will all be worth it if it helps me xxx

---------- Post added at 12:26 ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 ----------

Breast not breastfeeding lol xxx

[Jubnut]

For me at least it went away. Still waiting for the results from this batch though. It the past it has slowly taken away the constant anxious feeling and you tend not to think about health issues all the time. Then with time you forget them and start focusing more on other stuff.

[MissAnxiety]

I'm really praying this works, can't remember the last time I had a anxiety day free. These side affects are really not helping as I'm already thinking what if this isn't the cit and I really am poorly. Stupid really xxx

[aprilmoon]

Hi
I think its easy to feel like this when you're starting up with a med.
How long have you been taking them?
Its horrible feeling anxious every day,I know.
Hopefully you'll be feeling much better soon :)