Huge increase in anxiety on day 5 of Citalopram

[veebea]

Hi everyone
I'm new to the forum but am looking for some support. I'm on day 6 of taking citalopram for my anxiety which has gotten out of control in the past few months. I am only on a dose of 10mgs as I'm still breastfeeding my son. I felt great for a few days, a result of actually beginning to address my problems I htink, but yesterday I woke up at 5am in an absolute panic which lasted all day, and today has been the same. The physical feeling of anxiety and fear is overwhelming me and is far far worse and much mor e'real' than any anxiety I've experienced before. I haven't been able to eat since starting citalopram and I'm aware that probably isn't helping. I also don't want to get up and out of my house, which was never a problem before- if anything my anxiety made it difficult to stay in myt house but now the opposite seems true. I don't want to stop without giving the pills a chance to work, but I cannot live with these side effects :lac: Anyone experienced similar?

[sue.b]

Hi Veebea

I am not on Citalopram but i am on sertraline another SSRI antidepressant. One of the side effects can be increased anxiety. This and other side effect ususally disappear after 2-3 weeks.

If you look on the main menu on the left hand side of the page at the medications heading you will find posts from others on Citalopram. Hopefully this will help with your concerns.

Take care

Sue xx

[mum to three]

Hi Veebea

I am on day 14 of 20mg citalopram and it has been a struggle, i have never been on AD's before so it was a complete shock to my system. The anxiety and feeling on edge that i have experienced since being on these meds has been overwhelming but i can honestly say the last couple of days i have noticed an improvement so fingers crossed things are starting to settle. Unfortunately increased anxiety, amongst other symptoms, is a common side effect of this medication, but i would say stick with it and hopefully you will start feeling better soon, take care xx

[Stefan P]

Hi there,

I came to this forum today because I'm also on day 6 of citalopram (20mg) and its making me feel rather iffy also. The doctor told me that feeling "spaced out" was a common side effect, but I've taken citalopram before and I am just waiting it out until it takes effect, which it will since its worked before.

Just hang in there until the side effects go away! They will do soon enough and you'll feel better once the chemicals are all balanced up.

[chickpea]

I started taking 10mg a fortnight ago, and had the worst side effects going - I really thought I was going mad.
My anxiety levels went through the roof. I couldn't bare to be alone, I couldn't face even going out for a walk with the dog.
Before taking the pills, I had been having minor moments of panic when being driven by someone else, or falling asleep at night. The panic I felt in the first week of anti d's was far,far worse.

However, the last 4 days have been panic-free. I am sleeping well at night, doing all the normal things I need to do, like the school run, seeing people, working etc.

It IS tough in the beginning, but be assured that it gets easier every day and one day, you'll wake up and realise you're not even thinking about it.

I now have to remind myself to take the pills - because I feel so normal!:)

Stick with it - it WILL get better with time.:hugs:

[eightball]

Thanks guys. im on 10mg of Citalopram and am feeling the same. Thanks a lot for making me feel better. I take them for Health Anxiety! Anyone else take them for that? I have the option of going upto 20mg but am a bit "anxious" about doing that... Any suggestions?

[melmulley]

Hi, I can SO relate to feeling awful side affects from starting Citalopram. I am on day 13 & had a meltdown in the doctor's this morning. My doctor wants me to stick with them for another 2wks as I've had them in the past & they've worked well. I think what's hard to accept is that you go on these tablets because you are at your wits end with symptoms. The last thing you need is your anxiety increasing. The tablets do take time to work so we will have to be patient. But the road will be much easier once our levels balance out.

Take care
Melxx:yesyes:

[veebea]

Thanks everyone :)
I went back to the doctor today and got a new GP who was being supervised by my usual GP so I got two doctors for the price of one :yesyes: It turns out that despite a long appointment last week with a doctor I'd never met, where I absolutely poured my heart out, she still misunderstood my problem and put me down as being depressed rather than suffering with anxiety. I had to do a questionnaire today where I scored the maximum for anxiety so I am waitign to be referred to the mental health team. In the meantime, I have been told to stop the citalopram and have been given 150mgs of Trazodone instead. My doctor advised me to take them at night but by the time I got home i was in such an anxious state that I took one straight away. No lie to say I was completely out of it within about 10 minutes :scared15: and had a good long sleep. I do feel much less anxious though, but I htink I am going to half the dose for the first couple of days- I feel wrecked and so so tired despite having a million and one things to do :shrug: Glad to say that by the afternoon I had my appetite back too, we'll see how the night goes.
I'm glad I've got this sorted out but I am so angry that the first doctor obviously wasn't listening to me. My doctor said that I should never have been prescribed citalopram when I was already presenting with such bad anxiety.

[chickpea]

Eightball - I'm sort of taking citalopram for health anxiety.

Basically, I went to my GP with bowel problems about 6 weeks ago - loose stools with blood and severe rectal pain. She sent me off for every test going - bloods and stool samples...all normal.
That sounds good, but I really wanted them to find out that it was something fixable - like salmonella etc.
Every time another test came back fine, I got more anxious until I could barely get out of bed in the morning.
I finally saw my GP again and asked to be put on medication, to take my anxiety to a reasonable level so that i could consider the next step - which is a sigmoidscopy/colonoscopy.

I should say that the health anxiety is actually caused by more general anxiety - I lost my dad to pancreatitis at the end of last year, after 6 months in ICU. Previous to that, I'd lost an uncle to oesophagus cancer, a friend's husband to liver cancer, another friend's husband to oesophagus cancer and my best friend's aunty to ovarian cancer...all in the space of a year. In the same year, I was also carjacked at knifepoint.:weep:

I didn't recognise the signs of anxiety until I went to the doctor with my bowel problems.

[Panic33]

I'm on another SSRI and my anxiety went through the roof for the first week it did calm down afterwards but unfortunately I'm not feeling any real benefit nearly 4weeks in. Anyone got experience of anxiety increasing again if increasing a dose of SSRIs afetr letting the initial side effect calm down?

[NoPoet]

I found that my anxiety became worse after starting citalopram but it started to back down after 3 weeks. I still occasionally get it now after 7 months. On the other hand I think the NHS has failed to support me otherwise I might have been a lot better by now!

[eightball]

I have been taking them for a week (10mg) but decided that on day 5 to take 2 as the doctor said I could go to 10mg if I wanted. the day after I felt rough as though all me SE's were back but worse so I decided to go back to 10mg. I have had terrible nervous energy and major anxiety for the last 2 days and it is only just calming down. I had major constipation then diarrhea... which isnt great for my health anxiety... WHEN WILL THESE PILLS START TO WORK.. LOL!

[eightball]

Hi...
Has anyone felt shaky or trembling on Citalopram? ive been on it for about 3 weeks an the trembling started about a week ago mainly in my hands... And I am getting fatigue around my jaw???
Anyone?