Citalopram increasing anxiety

[bluebell68]

Hi i am new to the site although i did stumble across it a couple of years ago when i had my first full blown anxiety/depression episode.
I have just started to take Citalopram again @20mg, having taken them up until xmas. The withdrawral symptoms were not very nice when i came off them even tho i slowly decreased the dose. Having crashed last week and found myself in a total state of panic for three days i saw my GP and am going back on them. Maybe i was lucky the first time but i am a week in and am finding my anxiety is raging. I know what has triggered it again, i have gyne problems and so obviously i am convinced that its gonna be the worst possible outcome...but even understanding anxiety this time isn't helping. The mornings are awful and by the evening my body is so exhusted from all the terrifing thoughts and feelings, that all i want to do is sleep.
Was i just lucky the first time??? is it normal to feel worse at the start and how long does it take for them to kick in???
Thanks Guys

[willitstop]

Hi im on citalopram i to suffered with higher anxiety but it does go you just have to give it time everyone is different and you may be lucky and suffer just a few day
hope you feel better soon xx

[bluebell68]

hi... thanks for your reply..... i am only one week in so i suppose its still early days but its just so hard! i struggle to remember ever feeling any different....i know that when i took them before i did feel better but everyday just seems like a struggle....i wake up with a sick feeling in my stomach and it takes all my energy to get up, to get dressed, to take my daughter to school and i am trying so hard to hide my fears from my her. I go to work and every task seems like an impossible mountain to climb, im sure people are wondering whats going on. If i told them, they would either not understand and be really uncomfortable or feel sorry for me....its not something thats easy to explain to people who have never experienced it....so i don't say anything... Anxiety is sooo lonely, its like a prison. Anyway, Im gonna carry on with the pills and hopefully in a week or two i'll be feeling halfway normal again..
Bluebell68

[mandie]

Hi Bluebell

I am back on citalopram after coming off them in september last year. I went back on 10mg for 6 weeks and then because of a bad panic attack, went to 20mg.

Iv been on 20 for 3 weeks now and the anxiety has got worse for me.

I wake up in constant fear and am anxious all day.

I not sure if its the tablets making me like this or the fact that im so scared of having another panic attack.

I spoke to my dr yesterday and asked if i could reduce to 15mg.

Maybe i should of carried on with 20mg but i just didnt feel good

Hope yr feeling better soon

love mandie x

[bluebell68]

Hi... i might have a word with my doctor too... i'll give it a few more days but if its no better i'll ring her..my doc seemed to think that cos i had been on them before that i wouldn't get any side affects but i guess she was wrong.

I hadn't considered reducing my dose as an option, so thanks for the advice.
:) Bluebell68