citalopram 2 weeks now and not going well

[sweet_venus666]

hi im laura, i have been viewing this site over the past 2 weeks since i was prescribed 20mg citalopram and deciced to join today. I too had very bad side effects for the first week - feelings of loosing control, suicidal thoughts and the general fuzzy head, loss of appetite and nausea. i started to feel well again at the beginning of this week but was horrified when the side effects came back worse than ever last night after having a super day. Reached crisis point today and needed to talk. Has anyone else had a major blip like this after 2 weeks ?:weep:


thanx xx laura

[CosmicOrange]

Hi Laura,

I'm not as far into it as you are. I'm nearly 1 week in but already I get tiny moments of feeling like something's lifted and then bang, I'm worse than when I started. I guess it's gonna be a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the first month or so. Hang on in there and it'll get better.

Have you checked out the Sticky at the top of this forum, "Citalopram Survival Guide".

Jon

[sweet_venus666]

hi jon, read the survival guide and now im feeling more positive. thanx for the post, its nice to know that theres others going through it aswell. It just seems like i was better before starting the meds, but after reading other posts it seems like it is common to get worse before getting better. I was prescribed the cit for anxiety after coming out of hospital with a pre-existing medical condition and after reading the guide im under the impression that it could take longer than i thought to improove. Due to start back at work on monday as a teaching assistant so hopefully will be having a gud day then! x

[moks]

Hi Venus,

Today is Day 8 for me. My side effects were never horrible, but I'm early in (20mg too) Day's 4, 5 and 6 for me were crazy because I had hardly any side effects and moments of pure elation. I almost felt like I was stoned. Laughing, big grin, general feeling of happiness. Yesterday was a little different, the strong feeling of joy was not there, but an up and down High then Low feeling. And then headache. From everything I've read and everyone I've talked to, the first few weeks of CIT is am absolute rollercoaster, but if you can wait it out, and then meds take, then it's worth it. I know that when the pills have me feeling levelled out, almost happy, well, it's a great feeling. I come here multiple times a day and post my thoughts, and side effects and it really helps to vent and get peoples support. Please keep coming on and let us know how you are, we're all in this together! :hugs:

[RichW]

Hi Laura

Just wondering how you're going? I had a major setback today and today is 3 weeks exactly since I started on Cit. Yesterday I was even contemplating going back to the gym, today that idea is totally out of the window. Major light headedness/ fuzzy head/ depersonalization too. Hope you're doing good.

Cheers


Richard

[Thumbelina]

Hi Vinus, Richard and all others,

I had (stil have prob) GAD and I have been on Cipralex (the same tabs as you are on) for 4 years now. 20mg
The past 6 months I was taking them not every day, sometimes missed a week.
I wanted to stop them.

My adjustment to them 4 years ago lasted for months, maybe 3-4 months.
I was worse with them then without.

I work, have 2 kids, husband. My husband is not supportive when i am not well, he actually freaks - he is scared.

for the pat week first time in almost a year i am having anxiety and low mood boost caused by my flu.

I know the reason, but it doesnt help, i feel a bit a failure. I want to do the things i have to do, but I cant i cry, i cant breathe, i am not at work, and cant do muc in the house, which makes my husband mad.

I wish it would all go away....

[cornishmaid]

i have the 20 mg tabs of these but am too afraid to take them:weep:

[auricula]

Hi guys I was on Cit 20mg for 3 weeks bad highs and lows,sweats at night, now on Cit 40mg for past 2 months Feel great, back at work,mood stable, but some wt gain, stick with it, the results are well worth. I now have no side effects but the night sweats,worth it fot the benefit, Life gets better.

[davelee]

hi im laura, i have been viewing this site over the past 2 weeks since i was prescribed 20mg citalopram and deciced to join today. I too had very bad side effects for the first week - feelings of loosing control, suicidal thoughts and the general fuzzy head, loss of appetite and nausea. i started to feel well again at the beginning of this week but was horrified when the side effects came back worse than ever last night after having a super day. Reached crisis point today and needed to talk. Has anyone else had a major blip like this after 2 weeks ?:weep:


thanx xx laura



hi....
i have been taking 10mg for nearly two weeks now and am still finding it hard to sleep,

i have ok days and horrible days yesterday was so hard my body has never felt so bad but i believe these effects to go.

[Bakerboy3685]

I started taking Citalopram on 8th March, told to take 10mg for a week and then up the dose to 20mg.

After 2 days of taking the 20mg dose I felt so on edge and in a panic, it was horrible, going to work was so hard on the second day of taking them. I have as a result gone back to taking just 10mg again and although I should try and up the dose again to 20mg it has left me rather scared!

I'm surprised reading on here that so many people are starting on 20mg as that seems an awful lot to me since I found the jump from 10 to 20 so noticeable.

[annette1]

Hi everyone

I started taking 20mg Citalopram a year ago &experienced some side effects - nausea, insomnia, headaches, dry mouth & it took 6 wks for me to feel benefit of them. then in October I increased to 40mg to help with reducing my daytime anxiety to help me sleep. Although my sleep didn't improve I have very little anxiety now have been able to return to my job full time.

I hope that gives you some reassurance that its worth getting through those first difficult months with Cit. It has made a real difference to my anxiety.

Rosie

[RichW]

[QUOTE=Bakerboy3685;637199]After 2 days of taking the 20mg dose I felt so on edge and in a panic, it was horrible, going to work was so hard on the second day of taking them.QUOTE]

Hi Mate

You must be a warrior of note! I couldn't contemplate going shopping let alone going to work during the first week. How did you do it?

More power to you...

I started on 20mg and had no idea how bad the side effects would. Twas naivety that got me through it.

Take care


Rich

[RichW]

Hi everyone

I started taking 20mg Citalopram a year ago &experienced some side effects - nausea, insomnia, headaches, dry mouth & it took 6 wks for me to feel benefit of them. then in October I increased to 40mg to help with reducing my daytime anxiety to help me sleep. Although my sleep didn't improve I have very little anxiety now have been able to return to my job full time.

I hope that gives you some reassurance that its worth getting through those first difficult months with Cit. It has made a real difference to my anxiety.

Rosie


Thanks Rosie for your words of encouragement. Determined to stick with it as I feel there are no other options for me.

Take care


Rich

[Bakerboy3685]

[QUOTE=Bakerboy3685;637199]After 2 days of taking the 20mg dose I felt so on edge and in a panic, it was horrible, going to work was so hard on the second day of taking them.QUOTE]

Hi Mate

You must be a warrior of note! I couldn't contemplate going shopping let alone going to work during the first week. How did you do it?

More power to you...

I started on 20mg and had no idea how bad the side effects would. Twas naivety that got me through it.

Take care


Rich

Thanks, I don't think I would say I'm a warrior but appreciate the support! However as I mentioned I have gone back to taking just 10mg again as I was so freaked out by the jump to 20mg

I am probably going to try 20mg again on Monday, I went to the doctors and he told me I need to give it a go for two weeks and that the side effects should go. I just hated the feelings I got when I took them, did you say they eased off then came back again?

[bluejeans17]

Hi all

I was in the same boat as all of you this time last year. You have to give it time. All the literature says it takes 5/6 weeks for it to settle down but I found it took 5 months before I felt really well. I kept a daily diary which helped me because then I could see that the good days were increasing and the bad decreasing. Even when I had a bad day I would look back at the diary and see that the old bad days were a lot worse. You will notice improvements and the people around you will too. It is a slow process but it is like recovering from any illness, you need to give it time. I am coming to the end of month 11 and I can honestly say I feel better than ever - I have been on 20 mg all the way. The support from others on this forum will be a huge help and will help you reach the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope this helps you all as I know how horrible it is at the start.

The rocky road will get smoother!

Best wishes

BJ

[Beefy]

Hi Laura,

Ive been on Cit for a few months stick it out you do feel rubbish but after a few weeks in my case 6 weeks they really kicked in,im winding mine down now so its the side effects of coming off I have to now contend with

Dave:winks:

[JT69]

Hi Dave,

If you wean yourself down in the slowest dose possible you should find you dont experience any withdrawal effects. I am the worst to feel every possible side effect but when I took cit for a number of years when I came off them I dropped my dose so slowly that I did it without experiencing any effects.

Unfortunately this last time I took them and they were not effective enough for me I had to come down from 40mg-omg in 1 week I suffered the brain/body zaps for around 3 weeks and that with the side effects of the new drug I am now taking I was in a pretty bad way.

Nice to hear you are well and coming off the meds!! Good luck.

Take care
JO.