citalopram and other things

[worrywuss]

hiya ive been reading a few posts about citalopram through various links on this board and the general message is that ad's do not cure the underlying problem - just mask over it.

i was given 10mg citalopram the other day from my doctor and do intend on taking it straight after xmas is out of the way but my problem is what happens AFTER i come off them??

i do not know what started off my health anxiety attacks so i cant pin point the underlying cause really so how can i work on it!!

also my boyfriend is not happy that ive been given these tablets and refuses to discuss my problems anymore, hes put up with alot from me and doesnt understand why i get like i do, even when the doc tells me theres nothing wrong i refuse to believe him and hes despairing of me now as i used to be so strong ( not really, i was just hiding it! ) and now whenever i get ill im a jibbering wreck!!

i initially went to the docs with pains at the top of my stomach which he said was acid and prescribed some tablets which didnt help one bit. i also took gaviscon which didnt make any difference whatsoever either so i went back and told him it wasnt acid, burst into tears and told him i thought it was serious like cancer [:I]

he said he'd be amazed if it was and told me it was anxiety, gave me the citalopram and sent me off saying something about cognitive therapy in the new year as i was going out the door.

this was 2 days ago and now the pain is still there plus has spread further down too and my gut is rumbling like crazy. ive also got a bad chest with pains in the center so im going back for a second opinion tomorrow from another doctor and if she tells me the same thing i'll just have to try and accept it but it wont be easy [Sigh...]

sorry that this message is long winded and a bit jumbled, i just had to get my concerns out :)

[kittykat]

HI there,
First of all acid can be really painful, i think thts what started my health anxiety off. I used to have frequent attacks of really bad gripping pains in my top stomach , so bad tht i was doubled up with the pain.
My doctor done a test for helicobactor pylori which came back positive and was put on a course of antibiotics to clear it. Have you been tested for this??
This still didn't solve my problem and my next thought was stomach cancer......was sent in for an endoscopy and it came back clear, so my anxiety certainly doesn't help my tummy as i still get attacks but by taking my omeprazole it seems to keep it at bay. So dont worry ask your doctor about these things you do have to keep pushing.
I too used to hide a lot from the doctor , so your not alone but it got to the point tht i just couldn't anymore. My husband despairs a bit with me as well when i go off on one i do drive him insane but i dont think unless people have suffered from this they dont fully understand what your going through.
My concern at the moment is ovarian cancer and im really scared , damn google.
Feel free to pm me at anytime if you want to chat ,and im sure its acid so try not too worry too much. Take care xx

[worrywuss]

hiya kittykat, thanks for the reply [:X]

ive not been tested for anything, the doctor just felt round my stomach and he said it seemed to be fine.

im a bit scared that if i keep on going back they'll get fed up of me but i'll go back tomorrow to see the lady doctor, she seems to have a bit more patience than he does lol.

what does a helicobactor pylori test involve and should i ask for it doing do you think.

the 'pain' i have is constant, never going away but sometimes worse than other times and its not like a pain as such if you know what i mean, more like a very warm feeling and sometimes like theres something stuck there like when something goes down the wrong hole lol. my stomach also feels very tender to the touch but when the dr pressed down on it i couldnt feel anything - very strange!!!

i agree with you about the google thing, my other half tried to block the NHS direct page for me last night but he couldnt do it so i'll have to try and rely on my own willpower ( yea right! ) to keep off of it [8)]

[jo61]

there's a blood test they can do for helicobacter pylori. if your doctor won't order, I saw them in my chemist the other day.

Jo xx

[kittykat]

Hi again,
The test for heli is really easy, you dont drink or eat the night before , then you get a liquid to drink at the docs , give a breath sample then i think, go away for 45mins roughly and then give another breath sample. You then phone up for your results , loads of people have this bacteria in their tummys and dont even know about it so its defo worth getting done anyway, plus if you have it and dont know you have a SLIGHT increased chance of stomach cancer, but when treated with antibiotics your risk is the same as anyone else. Hope tht helps a bit xx

[jo61]

Thanks Kittykat, that's interesting about the breath test. I didn't look too closely at the one in the chemist so wrongly assumed it was a blood test. Last time I had tests for an ulcer it was the old way, cameras going places where they don't naturally fit lol.

Jo xx

[kittykat]

Hey Jo ,
If the doctor suspects an ulcer he'll do the test first to see if it is helicobactor ,then he'll see if the antibiotics and ppi's heal it first, then if not you probably have to go in for an upper endoscopy which is the camera thing............xx

[jo61]

when I had the tests, it was early 90s before I ever suffered from depression. They hadn't identified helicobacter at that time as a cause of ulcers. The cameras were not very nice, and they put them in both ends though not at the same time lol. If it's ever suspected, I look forward to a breath test instead!


Jo