Day 7

[danithegirl]

Hi all!

New here. Exactly one week ago I was prescribed Citalopram after being on two different medications for the past 9ish years. Citalopram has done wonders for my dad, and I'm hoping to have the same experience. I'm on 20mg- that's where I started, and I'm hoping that me not "tapering on" is what's causing it to feel worse right now.

Every day I have woken up with almost unbearable anxiety. I know that the best thing to do when I wake up is to instantly hop out of bed and start on the day, but, as I'm sure you all know, it's hard to do when you're physically and mentally not feeling it. What's frustrating for me is that I wake up and instantly feel crappy, and that sets the tone, and then throughout the day I'll have spurts of feeling better, but then I have spurts of feeling crappy again. It's like having hope that I'll get back to my normal self that gets taken away.

So anyway, I wanted to come to a place where others get it and where I can read stories and experiences on Citalopram. My husband and parents are great about letting me vent and cry to them, but I'm sure they can only take so much, haha. Here's to hoping week 2 sees some kind of improvement.

Also, I tend to ramble to get thoughts out of my head, so I apologize in advance if I don't make sense more often than not.

[karenp]

I have just started it too, three days ago but know how much it makes my anxiety a lot worse so have only taken 5mg...still getting side effects but mainly bad heads, tiny spurts of anxiety but I was quite shocked when my GP gave me 20mg pills right away as have been on Cit three other times (and yes, it does work wonders!!) but began at 10mg and needed Zopiclone or a benzo to help me get on it, which this doctor isn't willing to give me hence starting at such a pathetic dose. At least you will get better faster darl and the start up effects do calm down.

[R1CH]

Hi all!

New here. Exactly one week ago I was prescribed Citalopram after being on two different medications for the past 9ish years. Citalopram has done wonders for my dad, and I'm hoping to have the same experience. I'm on 20mg- that's where I started, and I'm hoping that me not "tapering on" is what's causing it to feel worse right now.

Every day I have woken up with almost unbearable anxiety. I know that the best thing to do when I wake up is to instantly hop out of bed and start on the day, but, as I'm sure you all know, it's hard to do when you're physically and mentally not feeling it. What's frustrating for me is that I wake up and instantly feel crappy, and that sets the tone, and then throughout the day I'll have spurts of feeling better, but then I have spurts of feeling crappy again. It's like having hope that I'll get back to my normal self that gets taken away.

So anyway, I wanted to come to a place where others get it and where I can read stories and experiences on Citalopram. My husband and parents are great about letting me vent and cry to them, but I'm sure they can only take so much, haha. Here's to hoping week 2 sees some kind of improvement.

Also, I tend to ramble to get thoughts out of my head, so I apologize in advance if I don't make sense more often than not.

Hey Dani, you've come to the right place! :)

20mg is fine and is the normal starting dose and known as the therapeutic dose. I was started at 20mg as well even though I was hospitalised with side effects 3 years ago. My pdoc is pretty useless though as he started me on only 5mg of imipramine which was an AD I tried before Cit to avoid bad side effects, go figure.

That morning anxiety is awful, just the worst but normal. I take a small amount of diazepam in the morning now to get over this and it helps greatly. I will just stop this when the cit kicks in properly.

Good luck and keep strong, just remember the good days you have!!!!

Rich :bighug1:

[LiveAboveIt]

20mg seems to be fine for a lot of people, but the dose was too high for me when I first started. I always did better starting on 10mg for a couple weeks before increasing to 20mg, otherwise I had a lot more increased anxiety/side effects.

[danithegirl]

Thanks everyone! I'm up to Day 9 and the spurts of feeling like my normal self are lasting longer, but I'm still not quite there yet. Just waiting patiently.

It's much worse in the mornings. I've been waking up every morning a good half hour before my alarm, and I roll over to try and get back to sleep, and continue to wake up every 10 minutes. Eventually I just shut off my alarm and get up. At that point, though, I feel really shaky and the brick in my stomach returns. It's not the best way to start the day because my brain says "It won't get any better today because we woke up back at square one."

Absurd as this sounds, I turned on my Christmas music playlist this morning while I was in the shower, which oddly helped. I'm always in a much better mood in the winter (opposite seasonal anxiety?), so I guess the Christmas music takes me to that time of year.

Anyone else have the awful morning anxiety on this medication?

[Chaos09]

I get dreadful morning anxiety, I think lots of people on here do, isn't it horrible! I love winter too, that sounds lovely haha! I find I sleep a lot on cit even if anxious, it's really really weird, I'm so tired. I thought it would make me sleep and I can never sleep when anxious so it's very odd to me, but I sympathise with bad mornings!

[R1CH]

Yes the morning anxiety is the worst ever. I used to wake sweating and burning and tossing and turning with a rumbling tummy. Rest assured it will go eventually. Morning anxiety for me is the last thing that goes. I still have a tiny amount but nothing like I was having previously.

Stay strong

Rich
:bighug1:

[danithegirl]

You both made me feel better. It's only been almost a week and a half, and I know it's a few more weeks until it kicks in fully. But the fact that it's not just me helps. It takes a few hours into the day before I can kick the anxiety.

I also wake up drenched in sweat- it's so gross! The other day, my husband said that he woke up and wasn't sure if it was him or me, but he was afraid that he'd wet the bed. Completely embarrassing, but at least it's a funny story.

[Mojo61]

I'm on HRT and citalopram and still come out in cold sweats in the morning. I'm on day 19 @ 10mg and really hoping it kicks in soon. Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better :)

[ss2016]

Welcome!! Good luck and we are all here to support you :)

[R1CH]

You both made me feel better. It's only been almost a week and a half, and I know it's a few more weeks until it kicks in fully. But the fact that it's not just me helps. It takes a few hours into the day before I can kick the anxiety.

I also wake up drenched in sweat- it's so gross! The other day, my husband said that he woke up and wasn't sure if it was him or me, but he was afraid that he'd wet the bed. Completely embarrassing, but at least it's a funny story.

HaHaHa :roflmao::roflmao:

[danithegirl]

Thanks guys! Had a pretty bad day today, which sucks because yesterday was okay and had me feeling hopeful. I hate these relapses! Guess there's always tomorrow.