Anyone else had this?

[madamgg]

Hi all
I just wanted to share an experience and see if anyone had anything similar to report.
I was prescribed citalopram a few years ago for anxiety and it did not agree with me i could not sleep naturally for the 2/3 weeks i was on it and it was an absolute nightmare. My GP then switched me to Cipralex which worked like a dream within 4 days and my sleep was fine. I've never had sleep problems before even with anxiety so i knew it was the drug.
My anxiety came back a few weeks ago quite mild but i was having horrible 'what if' thoughts mostly about my 4 month old baby so i rushed to the gp got cipralex and started on 5mg thinking great i'll be fine in a few days. That first night i did not sleep was totally wired and knew it was the drug, the same thing the next night so i stopped them as i thought my anxiety wasn't that bad but couldn't cope with the insomnia. I went to see a GP and he said that the cipralex prob had that effect as i poss didn 't need it if my anxiety not that bad therefore my seratonin not low so i've in effect over done the seratonin...made sense to me but now my anxiety is getting worse i do need to go back on the pills but soooo soo worried about the side effects i can't not sleep as i have a small baby to look after.
I just can't understand why cipralex had this effect on me this time and worked so well last time, is my gp right that i just didn't need it intially so that's why i was wired?
I 'm really worried i really thought i'd found a drug that could sort me out if i needed it and now feel i'ts been a kick in the teeth.
I'd so appreciate anyones experiences. I know insomnia can be a side effect so maybe i just need to take sleeping pills till it wears off...does it wear off?
Sorry for the long rambly post, any advice much appreciated.
Jane

[KK77]

It's a decision that you have to thoroughly discuss with your doctor because these drugs are really for major depression and anxiety and they come with potential side effects - some of which can be very disruptive, especially as you have a young child.

Sometimes these meds can affect us in different ways at different times and I've been on the same meds twice with different results so I can understand what you say. But if you decide to go on them you must give them a chance to work properly and in my opinion it's unlikely that they'd start to work in 4 days or so - more like 4 weeks!

Insomnia is very common with these drugs but it nearly always passes after a few weeks, so maybe a sleep aid would help for a while (but be careful with them too!).

If your anxiety is mild, I personally think talking therapies/self-help are much more suitable and offer a much more permanent solution to your problems.

[bellabessnjet]

Hi Jane,
Although not in your position maybe its all your hormones acting up after your baby. I know that since I had my son (7) my entire body's changed, I used to love sunbathing in high temps, now I cant handle it at all. Also what time of day do you take your meds, my Dr advised me evening, and although it took around 8 weeks to settle down, I am now sleeping better. I would go and have a word with your Dr and see what they suggest, but to be honest being a parent is so stressful I still worry all the time about my son its a Mothers duty.
Best of luck
Angela:hugs: