Hi everyone, I'm back!

[Jefferiah]

Morning people - hope you're all well.

I'm David - 31 year old guy from Newcastle. Hi!

So, I was a member here through my struggles with anxiety and panic disorder; must be about 5-6 years ago now. I wasn't the most frequent contributor, but the forums help so much to comfort isolation worries, so thank you everyone!

I have started to feel quite low and anxious again over the last year with relatively mild panic symptoms,. So, just over 3 weeks ago, I decided to visit my GP and request that I be placed back on citalopram, which I was prescribed all those years ago, and it did end up helping.

The problem I'm facing now is that the side effects are really debilitating, especially since my circumstances are significantly different. Last time round, I remember the side effects made me feel a lot more down, and massively increased my anxiety and panic disorder, to the point I couldn't leave my bed for around 4 weeks.

This time around, very similar side effects, my panic attacks are quite frequent, particularly at night - I'm waking up multiple times during the night and immediately commence a panic attack upon waking. Fortunately, I've learned to "control" these quite well now, but each time is still provoking doubt that I will ever get better, and that the frequency of panic isn't getting better with time, but actually worse.

Anyway, very aware I'm rambling here - sorry about that :D

Just wanted to drop a line to say hello to everyone, and to say I'll be frequenting the forums again. Keep up the good work everyone, let's beat this!

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Jefferiah and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[Chick100]

Morning people - hope you're all well.

I'm David - 31 year old guy from Newcastle. Hi!

So, I was a member here through my struggles with anxiety and panic disorder; must be about 5-6 years ago now. I wasn't the most frequent contributor, but the forums help so much to comfort isolation worries, so thank you everyone!

I have started to feel quite low and anxious again over the last year with relatively mild panic symptoms,. So, just over 3 weeks ago, I decided to visit my GP and request that I be placed back on citalopram, which I was prescribed all those years ago, and it did end up helping.

The problem I'm facing now is that the side effects are really debilitating, especially since my circumstances are significantly different. Last time round, I remember the side effects made me feel a lot more down, and massively increased my anxiety and panic disorder, to the point I couldn't leave my bed for around 4 weeks.

This time around, very similar side effects, my panic attacks are quite frequent, particularly at night - I'm waking up multiple times during the night and immediately commence a panic attack upon waking. Fortunately, I've learned to "control" these quite well now, but each time is still provoking doubt that I will ever get better, and that the frequency of panic isn't getting better with time, but actually worse.

Anyway, very aware I'm rambling here - sorry about that :D

Just wanted to drop a line to say hello to everyone, and to say I'll be frequenting the forums again. Keep up the good work everyone, let's beat this!

Hi David.

Its very disheartening when we feel ourselves going down the slippery slope again, but you came out the other side once already and you can do it again. You can and you will. Dont listen to that voice telling you you can´t go through this again, its just a trick and not the truth.

It´s horrible when your sleep is interrupted and by the sound of it the shock of waking is all it takes at the moment to catapult you into panic. Its what Dr Claire Weeks describes as the dreaded morning feeling, and you are getting this many times during the night. Not nice.

Its possible that the drugs you have been prescribed haven´t properly started to take effect yet and you are only feeling the side effects, but they will fade and so will your anxiety in time I´m sure.

Please try and get hold of some of Dr Claire Weekes self help books, I highly recommend " Self help for your nerves". Maybe your doctor or mental health team can also give you a relaxation exercise CD. I have found those to be very relaxing once you get into them and keep doing the exercises which you are talked through.

Anyway nice to meet you David, shame about the circumstances. Hope you start to feel better very soon. :hugs:

[EmmerLooeez]

Hi David,

I want to say welcome back, but I'm sorry that you're struggling enough that you have to come back. I'm going through a bad period myself at the minute and the forum has been invaluable to me and my recovery, I hope that you find this the case for you too.

Feel better.
Emma
Xx

[Lilliput]

Hi David.

I've only been here a month because my life-long anxiety has had a bad flare-up recently.

I have found very useful advice here - you already know this.

I don't know if cbt4panic was available last time you needed help; it's definitely worth a read through. I go back to it frequently and am working on some of the earlier steps.

To quote Winston Churchill: "If you're going through hell, keep going!"

All the best :)

[Jefferiah]

Thanks very much for all of the well wishes guys, much appreciated.

I'm 24 days into citalopram at 10mg and that seems to be causing me more problems than anything. The first 10 days or so were absolute hell - constant panic and anxiety which never faded.

Now, I'm controlling it well during the day, but night times are awful and I wake multiple times during the night which immediately sparks off an adrenaline rush/panic attack.

I'll have a good browse through the forum and I've no doubt this will prove a great resource, as it has before!

Be well guys.

[Ethansmom]

I was on citalopram for 6 months, and it didn't really help me, and I had to take a daily benzo for the panic attacks. The doctor switched me to Lexepro, which is a very similar drug and that's not helping much either. So i'm sort of stuck as to what to try next. I need to get this under control.