Should I go on citolopram... how long will I depend on it for??

[Rosie...]

Hey all,

After months of 'guest' status, and routinely reading other people's experiences (which I find such a comfort, especially late at night in the midst of panic attacks!), I have decided to take the plunge and start talking myself... as I need some advice...

Basically, after months of intense and frightening panic attacks, coupled with prolonged bouts of extreme anxiety, it all came to a head when I collapsed and had a number of gripping seizures in front of all my house-mates, who called an ambulance as my breathing was so obstructed, and I realised I could no longer go on with out help.

After visiting the doctor, and this is only my second consultation with medical help about this condition, she prescribed me 10mg of citalopram, and I am to return once a week for a few weeks for my dose to be increased. Now, although my panic attacks are frequent and intense, and are virtually ruining my life, I am still reluctant to start taking anti-depressants as I'm only 21. I am waiting for counselling and CBT, but until then, is medication really the answer?? How long will I depend on them for and what will they do to me?

Can anyone help?

Rosie xxx

[esrella]

Rosie, I can see where you are coming from, but from personal experience, if I could go back to when I first had panic attacks(I was 23 when they started), I would go the anti-dep tablet route.

I have had 20yrs of hell. Yes, periods of time when the attacks were under control, but always there, lurking. I tried CBT(good, but does not stop the attacks, just teachs you how to deal with them), councelling, herbal remedies etc, and whilst some things helped, I still found myself self-medicating with alcohol. Not getting drunk, just enough to stop an attack when one came on. I used to carry a hip-flask of vodka everywhere, in case I had an attack.

I have been on Citalopram(20mg) for 4 weeks now, nearly 5, and I am feeling great:yesyes: . Yes, still a little anxiety, but I can deal with it now. Best of all, no more need for alcohol:yahoo: I so wish I had not resisted medication before.

The way I look at it now is, I take meds for my asthma; if I was diabetic I would take insulin; both these I/you would do without a second thought, so why should we feel bad about taking meds when our brain needs help? We should not.

Personally I do not mind if I have to take Citalopram for the rest of my life if it means I can live normally again.

Good luck whatever you decide:)

[Asha1979]

Hi. To answer your questions they will balance out the levels of seretonin in your brain. You wont wake up one day and be 'fixed' but over a few weeks you will begin to feel much much better and more like your old self. You will take these until you are better and feel you can cope without them. This can take anything from 6 months to a couple of years. I found 8 months was perfect for me but had to start them again as I had a major episode of anxiety after drinking too much. Alcohol is a major depressant and should be avoided by people who suffer anxiety/depression. Take your tablets and dont worry about 'when' to come off them. You will come off them when the time is right. In my opinion they are excellent for anxiety and depression. They saved my life xxxx

[Rosie...]

I suppose when you put it like that, you're right- why not take medication to help you just because it's to do with your brain? Still, I feel like there's a massive taboo associated with taking anti-depressants. Every person I've spoken to about them (obviously just close family and friends) is so adamently against them, which has really scared me to start, but it seems that noone actually knows anything about them, or what they do, just that they are addictive and unnatural.
The only thing is, do they not have an adverse side-effects? And can you take them with alcohol? Do they stop alcohol-induced panic attacks? Another major problem I have is that as 21-year-old student I want to be going out and drinking with my friends, but alcohol just makes it so much worse. But staying in and isolating myself from the Uni social life hardly helps matters either!
Why has this had to happen?? I'm so frustrated with myself!!

Thanks again for your advice!!!

Rosie xxx