Citalopram no longer working?

[apm]

Hi all,

I suffer from bad anxiety and some depression. Currently on Citalopram 40mg daily, which controls the anxiety. Some depression recently, to be honest.

Yesterday, the anxiety came back with a bang! Just like when I first had it- anxious feeling all the time, tingles, heaviness. Also not sleeping.

I reckon that the Citalpram has stopped being effective.

Any thoughts on that?

To move, what's the best alternative? Another SSRI? SNRI?

Any thoughts very welcome!

[Pamplemousse]

I was on citalopram for twelve years and I too thought it had stopped working, so I tapered slowly off it.

After a while I discovered that whilst I thought it wasn't working, it actually was - as I slowly collapsed into an ever darker place, suicidal thoughts started occurring and eventually I started calling the Samaritans.

After consultation with a GP I was placed on sertraline which did little for me other than seemingly raise my blood pressure, so now I am on 10mg of escitalopram. Whilst not making me happy and full of the joys of spring - and I still suffer from anxiety - at least I am no longer thinking of taking my life any more. Switching from one SSRI to another seems to be the preferred option; I still marvel at the world of chemistry where arranging the same atoms in a different order can have such an effect (escitalopram is the S-isomer of citalopram hence the name, if you fancy looking up the chemistry).

I don't wish to sound too much of a doom-monger but certainly I feel I am one of those people with incurable depression/anxiety issues. If you want more than (IMO) useless CBT to help (which is handed out like sweeties because it's so cheap) be prepared to either have a fight with the NHS or go private.

[apm]

Thanks pample, I hope it's not so bad for me!

Doc has supplied sertraline and some zopiclone to help me sleep. Apparently it's normal for the ADs to stop working at some point.

I do feel a bit better, and managed a few mins sleep this pm.

Fingers crossed!

[Pamplemousse]

Fingers crossed for you - yes, SSRIs do just "crap out" on people I'm afraid so good luck with the Sertraline.

If you've not had Zopiclone before, don't be worried if you have a rather bitter taste in your mouth the next morning... it's probably *the* most common side effect.

[rcs]

After 12 years on Citalopram I think it has stopped working for me as well and I have relapsed with bad anxiety and depression.
I did stop and restart twice in those 12 yrs and felt dreadful when restarting but it eventually worked I've had my issues over the years but I feel back at square one with this latest occurrence and getting 5 min phone calls from an impatient GP doesn't really help to change things.
I am feeling better though and I hope you do too.🙂

[panic_down_under]

After 12 years on Citalopram I think it has stopped working for me as well and I have relapsed with bad anxiety and depression.

...I feel back at square one with this latest occurrence and getting 5 min phone calls from an impatient GP doesn't really help to change things.

What treatment has your GP offered to get the anxiety and depression back under control?

[Pamplemousse]

After 12 years on Citalopram I think it has stopped working for me as well and I have relapsed with bad anxiety and depression.
I did stop and restart twice in those 12 yrs and felt dreadful when restarting but it eventually worked I've had my issues over the years but I feel back at square one with this latest occurrence and getting 5 min phone calls from an impatient GP doesn't really help to change things.
I am feeling better though and I hope you do too.

Hi rcs,

I'm not so bad, thank you: I still have the odd "wobble" but I'm better than I have been in a while. Not great, but coping for about 95% of the time. I'm still on the same dose of escitalopram: I am waiting for some one-to-one therapy but I did find that keeping a small pocket diary that I could write my anxieties/worries in and just close the book on them actually helped quite a bit.

Here's hoping you get something positive from your GP - you do have to push at them, I'm afraid.