Cipramil causing insomnia/anxiety

[cazziep]

Hi

I have had a few bouts of anxiety in the past 8 years - resulting in insomnia (vicious cycle - want to sleep so badly that can't)! I was put on Dothiepin in the past (with Zopiclone to help me sleep). Each bout only lasted a few months, so the drugs worked.

I am now suffering again, but my GP has said that she would prefer me to take an SSRI rather than the Dothiepin, as I have recently been diagnosed with a mild heart condition. I've been taking Zopiclone again for about 5 weeks, with very little effect. I was also using alcohol to get a few hours sleep I was that desperate!

My GP prescribed Cipramil. Started taking 20mg 4 days ago. Took the first dose at night. Not one wink of sleep! Severe nausea/vomiting. GP then told me to start on 10mg and take it in the morning, with food.

I'm still not sleeping! I feel more anxious!...like panic attacks. My arms are permanently burning (I assume this is more adrenaline). Feel weird and don't want to go out! Very agitated. No appetite (which is a symptom of my anxiety, anyway, but now I can't face a thing)! Thankfully, the nausea is better.

I know that it can take at least 2 weeks for the meds to kick in, but can anyone put my mind at rest that there can be a *worsening* of these specific symptoms initially? The anxiety/agitation and insomnia symptoms are particularly distressing, as that is why I was prescribed the Cipramil in the first place! My doctor is trying to reassure me things will get better and has now prescribed me with Diazepam for the first couple of weeks, which I don't want to take, but I'm having to.

Please, is there anyone out there who suffered *more* agitation and insomnia, but it got better?!

Thanks so much for listening to me. I know you have general info about Cipramil, but I suppose I'm after more of a specific answer.

Love and hugs

Caz xx

[nomorepanic]

Hi Caz

I am fairly sure it was Cipramil that I was given about 3 years ago to help with my sleep problems.

I gave it 3 weeks and then stopped it cos I felt so much worse and couldn't stand the side-effects. I was only given it to help with the sleep problems so there seemed no point in taking it when it just made my panic worse.

Nicola

[cazziep]

Hi Nicola

Thanks for the reply. :)

I have just read the leaflet that comes with the meds (was trying not to!) and it states insomnia and increased anxiety as common symptoms which can go away. I think my insomnia is just pure anxiety, anyway!

I suppose it's different for everyone. I will give it a while longer and see what happens, as it's only been 4 days.

Love and hugs

Caz xx

[mjh74]

Hi Caz,

I've been on Cipramil a few times for depression over the past 5 years, each time I went back on them I had different side effects. Most common were fatigue, sweats and nausea. I had been off them for a year and all was well until things started to go bad at work and I started to become really anxious most of the time (November just gone). I had an awful panic attack and have been off work ever since. My GP prescribed me cipramil again as this had worked before, he started me on 20mg (I had previously always started on 10mg with valium to take the edge off the *jitters* when first taking them), after the 3rd day on 20mg with no valium I felt the WORST anxiety I've ever had to date. I went back to see him and told him I needed some valium and that I needed to drop to 10mg and he agreed. After 5 weeks things were better but the anxiety was still horrible. I went back again and he told me to stop the Cipramil for 2 days and start a new drug (Effexor) which caused even worse anxiety! I am now currently withdrawing from those and the anxiety is a lot better.

Hope this helps!

Mark

[blossom]

from Blossom I have been on cipramil for 5 months, and would say the first two weeks made me more agitated and panicy, I could not eat either, but after they changed them to the newer version of the drug called Cipralex, am told by my GP it is a cleaner verson of Ciprimil, and one only has to take 10mgs in the morning after food I take it, I too suffer from Agoraphobia, anxiety and depression,
If you can get over the first 2-3 weeks, you should find it settles down, and I do sleep. It apppears they took an isomer out of the Ciprmil, which was not needed. Called it CIPRALEX, ( Escitolopram.
I wish you luck, from Blossom

[sal]

Hi Caz

Im on cipramil and it the second time around trying it. The first time i was just like you and felt so much worse, so i was reluctant to try it again but was at the stage where i didnt feel i had any other options. I was started on 20mg but aware of the side affects, i took 5 mg then up to 10 mg and so on over a space of 2 weeks. Yes maybe it took it longer to work but then again without the side affects it would probably be equal time.

I take mine in the morning as requested by my doctor and on reading medical books regarding the tablet it has always been suggested that it should be taken in the morning. I hope that can shed some light on how you feel.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[cazziep]

Thanks you so much for your replies. Seems everyone reacts so differently to this drug!

Managed to get some sleep last night! Not so panicky today (still very anxious). Is it me? Is it the tablets? Maybe the side effects are starting to wear off?? Maybe I'm just hoping too much and that this is, so far, just an OK day!

Will stick with the medication for a while longer.

Thanks once again. [:X]

Wishing you all well.

Love and hugs

Caz xx

[sal]

Hi Caz

I hope that you start feeling better soon, just remember the side affects do go away eventually.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[cazziep]

Thank you Sal. [:X]

This is day 6 and somehow I'm not as agitated as I was when I first took the medication. I'm eating a little. Maybe it's psychological, or maybe the first few days are the worst for me on this tablet...will have to wait and see. I'm scared of getting my hopes up!

I agree with you about taking the tablet in the morning. I took it with a few biscuits (that's all I could face)! I don't feel quite as sick as I did.

Thank you so much, again, for your advice. Hope you're well.

Love and hugs

Caz xx

[BigChris]

I have been taking Citalopram for 7 weeks now and to be quite honest I don't feel any better, in fact I think I was slightly better before I started on them. I was put on Propanolol just over a week ago and I don't know if there was some kind of reaction with the Citalopram but 2 days ago I could hardly walk, I looked and felt totaly drugged up, I can honestly say it is the worst I've ever felt, I've stopped taking the Propanolol and cut the Citalopram down to 10mg from 20mg.
I am starting to feel a bit more human now but still tired and a little groggy.
Has anyone known anything like this before.

Thanks

Chris..

[cazziep]

Hi Chris

I was on 10mg of citalopram for 2 weeks (see thread topic for how they made me feel, initially)! By about day 10, I started to feel a bit better in myself and I was sleeping on and off (sometimes for 8 hours, which is excellent for me)! OK, I'm on Zopiclone to help me sleep, but I can be awake all night on that!

Day 14, the doctor decided it was time I was on the lowest therapeutic dose of 20mg. I was terrified as it made me feel awful the first time I took 20mg. I've been on 20mg for 4 days now and it hasn't been as bad as I expected, although I'm not getting much sleep, which is irritating me. I'm hoping that will settle after a while, as it did on the 10mg.

I would go and speak to your doctor re: propananol and citaprolam. Explain how you felt on the combination and see if he/she thinks it could be some sort of reaction. You should perhaps tell the doctor you have dropped to 10mg (think I've read on another thread that you did it by yourself)? There could be a drug that works better for you. I've heard that it can take months to kick in with some people, but I think you have to decide how long you are prepared to put up with side effects etc. before you give up on it. Perhaps have a chat with the doctor about it.

I'm hoping things settle for you.

Love and hugs

Caz xx

[mjh74]

As I think back, when I took cipramil for the first time (for severe depression), I'd been switched between so many different drugs prior to them and felt so ill, I didn't give 2 hoots how these made me feel (was clutching at straws). I remember just feeling tired, having no sleep pattern and sitting awake all night on my own feeling like I should have been in a padded cell. After about 6 weeks, I remember waking up one morning after a full nights sleep and felt as if someone had removed all the pain and felt better than I could have ever imagined. Within 2 more weeks I returned back to work after a year out! I can confidently say that cipramil changed my life back then (sounds very cheesy I know) and I haven't suffered with depression since. As I mentioned earlier in this thread though, I've tried them for this current bout of hellish anxiety and was given them to take with propranolol, the 2 combined made me feel worse than I could have ever imagined. I have been clear of all drugs for nearly 3 weeks now and after seeing my GP today, am about to start Cipralex on a low dose (5mg) with 2mg of valium, 3 times a day and see how I go.

Regards,

Mark

[cazziep]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I remember just feeling tired, having no sleep pattern and sitting awake all night on my own feeling like I should have been in a padded cell. After about 6 weeks, I remember waking up one morning after a full nights sleep and felt as if someone had removed all the pain and felt better than I could have ever imagined. Within 2 more weeks I returned back to work after a year out! I can confidently say that cipramil changed my life back then (sounds very cheesy I know) and I haven't suffered with depression since. <div align="right">Originally posted by mjh74 - 04 April 2005 : 18:48:04</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

I know how you feel re: the sleeping! I try to tell myself not to worry. I try to get up and do something to distract myself, but I'm just too tired to move! It does make you feel like you are losing it!

Glad the Cipramil worked for you and hoping that the Cipralex will do this time.

I got 8 hours sleep the night before last (absolutely wonderful!) but only 2 hours last night. Sat bolt upright at 4.30am. Hoping this is down to the recent increase in dosage from 10mg to 20mg, as people on here have suggested. It's a bizarre feeling. Feels different from my usual sleeping anxiety. Not panicking, just cannot sleep! [|)]

Love and hugs

Caz xx

[yes]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">from Blossom I have been on cipramil for 5 months, and would say the first two weeks made me more agitated and panicy, I could not eat either, but after they changed them to the newer version of the drug called Cipralex, am told by my GP it is a cleaner verson of Ciprimil, and one only has to take 10mgs in the morning after food I take it, I too suffer from Agoraphobia, anxiety and depression,
If you can get over the first 2-3 weeks, you should find it settles down, and I do sleep. It apppears they took an isomer out of the Ciprmil, which was not needed. Called it CIPRALEX, ( Escitolopram.
I wish you luck, from Blossom

<div align="right">Originally posted by blossom - 21 March 2005 : 21:22:55</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

[NeonVenus]

Hey there :)

I also have been on clitramopram I was on it for 4 years and eventually was up to a dosage of 40mg's, which was awful far to much for me and my age.

This was through fault of my doctor who basically paid no attention to the information I was trying to give him and he just kept advising me to take another 10mg.

So I put my foot down and went to another doc in the practice and said I want off of these,now being up at that dosage and coming down off them was like a detox, horrible,but it worked and now im off them,thank goodness.

At first when I started them I personally didnt have any side affects,although im an emetophobe so I will do everything in my power not to actually be ill!

I will say though when I was on the 10mg and 20mg I found that they helped my insomnia and my anxiety also my ocd something that I hadnt had in a while but since they had basically put me on to much I wanted off of them.

I really do hope that these help your insomnia as I know now that again I suffer from it unfortunetly...

Sorry this is so long

Take Care

Neon x