40mg citalopram and still getting anxiety!!

[Cruzer75]

Hi there

I've been on 40mg of Citalopram for approx 3 months now...previously 20mg for approx 6 months. I'm still getting really bad anxiety and feel it physically in my chest. It's like a big knotted ball in my chest and I take small things so personally.

I was signed off work for 3 weeks but have been back for about 2 weeks now. Employers are a bit useless but hey...what do you expect.

I'm going back to the doc's tomorrow. Do you think citalopram is for me of would anybody reccommend any other meds that would help with the anxiety??!!

Any advice would be good, thanks

[kirstyelizabeth]

personally id stick with them, ive been on 40mg a while now and although i still get anxiety it is a lot less than what i got before. I think you need to perservere a bit longer

[suzy-sue]

3months is quite a long time and you should discuss this with your Dr there are lots of alternatives if he feel s these arent giving you the desired effects you need .But it can take longer than the normal 8weeks to feel the benefits .Are you doing anything to help with your anxiety other than take medication ? It would be a good idea to ask the Dr to refer you for some CBT therapy .Tablets alone wont cure your anxiety ..All the best Sue x

[Jannie2948]

Hi Cruzer75

Sorry to hear you are still suffering with anxiety. I can only speak from my experience with citalopram, not been on any other meds for anxiety apart from 2mg of diazepam when I first started on the citalopram. I was on 20mg for 3 months then increased to 40mg and 9-10 weeks later I am feeling good. I still occasionally get bad days but I can cope with them better now. I too have hypnotherapy/relaxation from a therapist which also helps. Maybe have a word with your Dr and see what they suggest, perhaps you need to try something else or just have something else to help you through those days when you feel more anxious. As others have said it can take quite some time for you to feel the benefits from them, but I thought you would have felt at least some benefit from them by now.

I wish you all the very best.

Jannie x x

[Cruzer75]

Thanks everybody for your advice and words of encouragement. I'm going to my doc's today so I'll see what he has to say!

The most I've been offered in terms of alternative help is counselling!! I think I need more than counselling...I've been down that route before and I'm still suffering!!

I've suffered with depression for as long as I can remember, but never had it with anxiety before. It's absolutely horrid. After I left my message yesterday, I had a really bad anxiety attack and was physically sick too. I was at work and went into the toilets, sat on the floor and just felt so...helpless, frustrated, useless and strangest thing of all...I felt like I either wanted to smash something up or hit somebody! I'm NOT an aggressive person at all, so this was really strange for me. It's like I felt like I needed to release the anxiety somehow. That was when I was sick...it was awful! I sat and cried for about 10 minutes, still sitting on the toilet floor!! I then "dusted" myself off, rinsed my face and mouth and went back to work!!

I feel so useless at the moment. I'm a single parent of a 12yr old son and I just feel like a failure most days. I've got nobody to talk to about it. My mum and sister "don't do" depression...yeah right!! They just self medicate with alcohol...but that's a whole other story!!

Anyway, I'll update you all on what happens at the docs, and once again, thanks for your advice!!

Sasha x

[mollymoo]

Oh Cruzer I feel for you. You are NOT useless. I hope your GP has given you some leads to follow. If you do not get anywhere with him/her I would try to find another one who can refer you to more than a counselor. I have severe depression, PTS, anxiety, panic attacks and OCD. I take xanax for when the anxiety is really bad(in conjunction with 2 antidepressants). It does help me although it acts like a sedation but perhaps you could look into something along the lines of it? I wish you all the best xx

[JT69]

Hi Sasha,

You are not useless or a failure in any way so please dont think that. You just have a tough time of it and hopefully seeing your GP can get you some help which you clearly need. I think you do well being a single parent with a 12 year old, 12 year olds can be quite demanding and hard going at times.

Please make sure your GP helps and does not just fob you off in any way.

Let us know how you get on.

Take care hun.
Jo.xx

[Cruzer75]

Hey

Just got back from GP and he has increased my cit to 60mg!! I asked him what I can do in the meantime for my anxiety attacks until the increased dose kicks in and his suggestion was......breathe into a paper bag!! Jeez doc, thanks for that!!!!

He also said that I should just start taking 60mg straight away which I'm quite nervous of doing. I'm going to take 50 for a week and then go up to 60. I really hope it works.

He wasn't helpful at all and when I asked him about something in the meantime about coping with the anxiety attacks, that's when he suggested a paper bag!!

Does anybody else have any other ideas???? I feel like I'm going mad...literally and came out feeling worse and more anxious than when I went in.

Thank you all so much for your kind words...it's great talking to people who actually understand and don't just tell you to pull your socks up!!

Sasha xx

[Jannie2948]

Hi there Sasha

Sorry to hear you are still feeling so bad, not sure why your Dr doesn't give you something just to get you through this bad time that you are having. 2mg of diazepam used to really help me. Breathing in and out of a paper, give me strength!!!! Maybe for someone with hiccups but full blown anxiety, please!!! Have you tried taking any supplements or Kalms? I used to take Kalms and still do now sometimes you can take 2 of those 3 times a day and they didn't interfere with my citalopram. I'm on 40mg and find that I'm ok on it. Did you have more side effects when you've increased the dosage in the past? Maybe go to 50mg for a while and then up to 60mg. There will be others who will give you some advice I'm sure, but I can imagine how awful you feel but I'm sure you will get the help on here you need. It's hard enough being a single mum, I have been a single mum since my children were really young and they are now 37 and 29 and really lovely young men and I love them to bits and wouldn't swap those years for anything. You will get through this I'm sure.

I hope you start to feel better soon and wish you all the best.

Jannie x x

[Cruzer75]

Hi Jannie
Thanks for your reply. I'm allergic to kalms...I took them years ago and there's an ingredient in them that make me feally agitated, so I won't go down that road!! I don't think the doctor was particularly sympathetic and also, he was running late. I knida got the feeling he just wanted me out of there so he could finish for the day. I think I might go back on monday to see a different doctor who is much better...well I hope she will be anyway!

I don't know if it's just me, but does anybody else find that female doctors are better dealing with mental health problems than males?? Whenever I've seen a male doctor I've always come away feeling worse!!??

Thanks again Jannie

Sasha xx

[Jannie2948]

Sorry you can't take Kalms, what is it that you are allergic to in them, because there are others on the market you could try?

My really nice Dr that I see who totally gets what I am going through is a man, and he is really good. I never had to ask for diazepam he just gave them to me and said they would help me and they did. Not had them for some time now but I know that if I asked him for them again I am sure he would give them to me. He always says that he can see that I am not addicted to them because I never have to ask for them and that he would treat me just the same as he would treat someone who comes in there with any other illness. Hopefully you can see a better Dr and get the help you need.

Jannie x x

[Cruzer75]

Hi Jannie

I forgot to answer the other questions in your post!! I do get quite bad side effects, the worse being sweating, nausea, headaches etc. I'm definitely going to do 50mg first.

I've been a single parent since my son was born and it's been hard work because he also suffers with severe difficult to control brittle asthma. He's had 51 hospital admissions and I've had to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation 3 times!! He's better controlled now, but he takes a LOT of meds a day to stay that way. Like you, I wouldn't trade him for the world and he's the one constant that keeps me going!! I love him with all my heart!!

I'll keep you posted as to how I get on over the weekend on the 50mg.

Take care
Sasha xx

[mollymoo]

Sasha, I hope you find the increased dose helps. I was on 60mg and it helped me a lot for a few years but then stopped working. I think you should go back and see a different GP! paper bag......what a crock! Hopefully then you will be offered something to take while the increased dose kicks in. Good luck and take care xx

[newbie76]

Hi Sasha,

I can only vouch for Jannie: you should definitely try and go back on Monday and ask to see a different doctor and be determined not to leave until you get something to make you cope with your anxiety until the Citalopram increase kicks in.

I was being physically sick every morning for about 2 weeks so I know what it feels: you find yourself in the toilet floor and you think: "how did I get to this? Why I cannot be happy or just "normal"?". But eventually it does get better, it always does.

I wish you all the best, you deserve it, and please keep us posted.

Marco.

[Cruzer75]

Morning All

I took 50mg last night and boy do I feel a bit strange this morning!! I'm at work but I don't feel like I'm here if you know what I mean! I'm sweating too and have a REALLY bad headache!!

Marco, I know exactly what you mean about wondering how you got there. I look at other people and think to myself..."why can't I be like you"? I know other people have stuff to deal with, but after so many years of constantly struggling there comes a time when you just wanna say "what the heck...stop the ride now, I wanna get off". I'm so tired of "being strong"...that's what everybody expects but you know what, the only reason I "cope" is because I have no choice. If I don't do it for my son, nobody else will.

Sorry for the rant but it's good to get it off my chest!!

I'm going to phone the gp today and get another appointment asap.

Speak to you all soon

Sasha xx

[Jannie2948]

Morning Sasha

That is the exact feeling I had when I increased my dosage from 20mg to 40mg, but I promise you that feeling does go after a few days, I hope it does for you too and that you will start to feel much better. Try and have a good day at work and let us know how you are feeling. I know exactly what you mean about if you don't do it no one else will and "being strong" sometimes it is so wearing but you just have to "cope" and it is just what we do not only as women but more so because we are "single mums"

Jannie x x

[Cruzer75]

Been to doctors this morning and I've been prescribed propanalol, 40mg. Does anybody else take this??

Sasha x

[JT69]

Hi Sasha,

I take propananol along with my mirtazipine, it can help some people with anxiey as it slows the heart rate down when it races due to panic etc. I tend to take 10mg 1st thing in a morning as I find my heart is racing when I first get up, sometimes it if is bad I take a further 10mg and then another 10mg during the day if I need it.

Hope this helps.
JO.xx

[Cruzer75]

Hi

I went for what it hought was my first therapy session today...only to find out when I get there that it's only an assessment and I now go on a 9month waiting list!! I've already waited so long for this appointment...now I have to wait another 9 months...great!!

Not been having a particularly good week...but...tomorrow is another day and I MIGHT wake up feeling a little better...who knows!!

Sasha

[keta]

Hi Sasha

I don't think it's just a male doctors all my GP's so far were not that helpfull but hey hou ....life goes on. I think i would have asked to try different medication if you don't feel much difference on Citalopram after all this time, but that's just my opinion. Lot of people do say you need to experiment a little to find what suits you the best with this type of medication.
But hope this higher dose will work for you!!
Marketa

[PoppyC]

Hi Cruzer :)
I have been taking 40mg Citalopram for a long time now, and I have found that the longer you take them, the better it gets - my own experience anyway.
Most of the anxiety I had has gone :) and I never thought I would ever say that! however I still every so often get a down day or couple of days, but no one can have a good day every day can they, whether they are on anti depressants or not.
I would say persevere, but if you find that you can't, then maybe visit your gp to try another medication.
Are you having counselling as well as taking the medication?

[Danath]

I was on 30mg of it for ages and was still strugglnig with anxiety, ive had a med change and im still getting anxiety but im getting on a lot better than i was. Perhaps they aren't for you, you do seem to have been on them a while, best bet is to chat to your doc about it, make sure he understands.

Dan