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skyblue
12-05-09, 11:32
been to see GP this morning,and he has prescribed me escitalopram,...:ohmy:

this is to someone how has big medication phobia!!!! terrified of taking tablets, to the point where iv tried to make my self sick.

i understand what he was saying that i need help to get out of this spiral,but a ladder would be better.

he knows what im like,and said that id taken iron tabs before,but to me thats not the same.:lac:

would be greatful to hear from anyone who has taken this,and their experiences of it.

i worry about the side effects,and as soon as iv taken it MAJOR PANIC so i feel i dont want to put my self through more stress than is neccessary.

then i kick myself for being stupid,and think well theres no helping you so get on with it....

love skyxx:blush: :flowers:

alias_kev
12-05-09, 21:50
Hey Sky, try not to worry - I know that's not easy and its why we all here but its really worth taking the chance.

First thing is to try and beat your phobia with some logic:

1. Write down on a sheet of paper how you feel ALREADY everyday. (ie. anxiety, depression, fear, stress, physical symptoms.

2. Think about if you could really - in a practical sense - feel much worse!

In my case I decided I could not - and that's what got me to the doctors in the first place! I was past embarrisment and fear of needing pills/help forever. And the side effects were not too bad for me as I felt so sh... bad already.

3. Hopefully this reality will help you fight the phobia.

There are plently of anecdotes that Escitalopram can be a friendlier medication than some of other SSRIs. It seems very rare to have a dangerous reaction - although clearly some sideeffects can be unpleasant.

I assume you are starting on 10mg Daily (or possibly 5mg). As I say if you feel bad enough already the side effects can be minor. If your condition has few physical effects then you probably will feel some as the medication is after all changing your brain chemistry. And like the rest of us you need it to. I realise its extra tough as you have a strong medication phobia but its very unlikely that the medication will actually do you harm, like panic attacks the horror is in the journey/experience the actual real danger is pretty small.

Most likely side effects are: nausea, headache, lethargy. Its also fairly common to feel times of worse anxiety which I theorise are caused by the brain chemistry changing up and down until the medication reaches a more stable level in our bodies. It may even be that we feel better for a bit but only notice when the original problem returns, making it feel a bit worse.

If you are brave enough to move forwards then you only really have self help, counselling/psychotherapy, or medication to try and meds are much easier to get hold of! When you start taking these (and most) medication you need to take it EVERY day. Its pretty guaranteed (by the maths!) that you will feel worse if you skip days.

Ask your GP about getting some CBT - this can help to give you the tools for fighting the phobia and perhaps your other problems too. Some PCTs will get you some free. Groups like AnxietyUK, Anxiety Care, NoPanic run CBT and other help either in person or online or by phone, so consider that too.

Your best plan is to calm yourself as much as possible before and after having the medication. To fight both your phobia and panic. Look up ideas like "square breathing" and "progressive relaxation". If you can't find anything say and I'll try to find some links.

The other things I found helped with Escitalopram were taking it AFTER breakfast and having a supper so my blood sugar did not drop too much overnight. Mine was bit wobbly anyway (despite a blood test) and the Esc seemed to make this worse or me more sensitive to it.

I've posted about Esc' before so maybe search for some of my other posts. If you have any specific questions then post again or PM if you need privacy. Gotta Dash - if you need more help - Ask.!

suew
13-05-09, 15:36
Hi Sky

I guess by now you will have made a decision, having been on anti-depressants before I tried to fight this on my own for about 5 weeks. I finally gave up and admitted I needed some help and went to the doctors. He prescribed escitalopram straight away and I have been on them just over a week now.

Like you I was worried about taking it, my previous start-up experiences were not good, but this time it has been a lot easier. Within 6 days my depression started lifting to a point where I could focus on other things rather than just how down I felt. I am left with anxiety which is horrible but then I had it before taking the pills so I am no worse off.

I am having counselling too as I need to get to the root cause of this, but as my friend says (who has been on these for about 3 years), if you had a headache, you would take a pill so what is the difference.

Let me know how you get on.

skyblue
13-05-09, 15:48
thnks guys for taking the time to post,and what you are saying,makes perfect sense,and i am considering it.

i was on meds about 7 years ago called nardil where you have to follow a special diet. these did help

and nothing terrible happened.

love sky

alias_kev
13-05-09, 20:32
Hey Sky. I do know its tough, my problems are different in many ways but the core difficulties are the same: fear, avoidance and being blocked in life.

If its any help I was on Escitalopram initially at 10mg and then on 20mg (ie. max dose). Having trouble with the start date but it was from at least 15/8/08 until 10/4/09. So almost 8 months - wow didn't realise it was that long.

Bravery, Controlled Relaxation - like square breathing, and avoiding Negative Rehearsal are probably the key for you and indeed for most of us.

Nutmeg
13-05-09, 23:09
Hey I know that that medication can be scary but before I started on Escitalopram I wasn't functioning then I was put on 5mg and it didn't really do much at this moment I'm on 10mg and I can function again I'm still really panicky but I can function. I'm upping it next time I go. But honestly without it I would have had a complete break down.

sunndyd
09-06-09, 22:30
i have been put straight on 20mg and get panicky about certain meds looks like especially antidepresants i have got myself worked for it and have been having panic attack on an of since. ad to take an extra diazepam and propranolol, so tomorrow i have decided to pursue it but try in the evening i had to take the risk cus i feel like im heading down ward,oh the is a cipralex web site i have joined they can give you advice on there oh and the is a feeling diary 2. just need the batch number on your cipralex:)

sunndyd
10-06-09, 18:28
ok im a chicken the dr aid i can have the 20 for a couple of days as im scared to take them after havin a panic attack not long after taking the whole one :O(

pete69
21-06-09, 10:57
thnks guys for taking the time to post,and what you are saying,makes perfect sense,and i am considering it.

i was on meds about 7 years ago called nardil where you have to follow a special diet. these did help

and nothing terrible happened.

love sky

sky,
you will be fine,you may get a few periods of tension and slight increase in anxiety-but as others have said-how do u feel now?this anxiety stuff doesnt go away by itself sadly.
i was interested to see you was on nardil 7 years ago-ive just started my journey with it-up to 45mg now..no bad side effects like i got on the ssris,diet stuff is very outdated-shrink said redwine n marmite were the worst culprits to increase blood pressure-ive had cheese, lager,etc been fine.
maybe if you are so worried about the escitalopram see iff you can go back on the nardil? why did you stop it and what dose were you on.
supposed to be the gold standard med for SA but i think my dose of 45mg is a bit low-good luck in whatever you decide
pete

TomMcHawk
22-06-09, 22:07
Hi Sky! I suggest if you strat to go really slow. By slow I mean starting at even 2.5 mg and increment it every week or two. Especially if this is your first time.