My Citalopram journey part two

[saltydawg]

I apologise to people who have read others accounts about what it's like to take this drug, but writing about if for me isn't just about the Citalopram, it's also helping me to try and understand my feelings at this time.
It's 6.30 on Friday morning and today will be my fourth day on medication. Yesterday was not a good day for me. To be honest it was hell. I didn't shower or clean my teeth and have gone off food completly, I do how ever know I need to eat so made myself eat pitta bread and humous which is not really enough to sustain a 52 year old bloke but it was something!
Either I was imagining it or I had some pretty strange side effects kicking in. I've not been sleeping well before Citalopram but now it seems I don't want to sleep at all. Last night I lay in bed with my eyes shut but heard everything around me. I constantly looked at the clock but seem to wake reasonably refreshed so am not sure if you sleep on a different plane or level. The only problem is, when I wake from any sleep I have a banging headache.

Yesterday my head felt it was someone elses, it was like my eyes were not mine, weird, I know, but I was kind of floating. This scared me as I thought I was going mad. I couldn't concentrate on anything, even typing this today, I still feel my eyes are'nt mine and it's still hard to focus. I also had mild tingling in the tips of my fingers too.

Last night I was convinced by my partner I needed a walk down by the canal and to the local. I'm glad I went as the fresh air did me good. I had a couple of glasses of wine and a starter as I didn't feel hungry but I knew I needed to eat. We walked back along the tow path then it happened. I had heard that the drug can upset your stomach but I have never experienced anything like this before. I felt dizzy and the pain was awfull, I ran the last hundred metres home but didn't make it, lets just say a full change of underwear, jeans and a shower were needed when I got home!!

This morning I'm kind of apprehensive about taking my tablet, as this disconection with my head is not a nice feeling, is it me, or the drug I don't know?
When I type anything I keep missing letters or type the wrong word even though I'm thinking something else, all part of that disconect.
Today I don't plan on going far as I don't want a repeat of yesterday evening!!
Thanks again for letting me ramble on.

[Raindog]

Hi SD,
Keep going mate, look on these as kind of reverse withdrawal symptoms, you're adjusting to the meds, they are trying to get to the root of what's making you feel so crappy so hopefully in a few days you'll see some improvement. This time last week I was feeling drained from the heat and felt like one of those Popeye Doyle in French Connection 2 when they have to tie him to the bed while he detoxes from the drugs the bad guys fed him while he was their prisoner, it was highly unpleasant, I wanted to go out but felt trapped by the heat and humidity. I also had a bad panic attack last Friday morning as well, something I hope I'll never go through again.

The problem you had on the way home may have been brought on by the wine, having eaten so little it probably didn't react well with the meds, so try to be careful with alcohol. I've had some IBS like symptoms over the past few weeks, which I think are due to the anxiety, but I've not had any accidents since I get the urge first thing in the morning when I get up.

You could try talking to your GP again if you continue to experience those symptoms so severely, but anxiety does tend to make the stomach produce more acid. In all likelihood as your meds start to take effect you'll start to get a bit more of an appetite and feel less queazy. Are you taking your pill on an empty stomach as that can make you feel pretty awful, I made that mistake in the first few days and felt queazy when eating my breakfast a while later.

Not everybody gets the same side effects, perhaps there are others who have had similar experiences, embarrassing as they may be, and can reassure you a bit that they went through something like you did but got through it to the other side.

Try and keep your daily posts in this thread too SD, it helps you read back through and see where you're making improvements, and you can see how bad you were once you start to feel better so you can relate. If you need to find your own posts you can just go to your profile and find them from there. It helps others too by reading through your single thread of multiple posts that will hopefully show a change from how you are now to how you will be once you've gotten through this bad patch and start to feel more together, it's a little legacy that others where you are now can read when they come here looking for reassurance and advice.

Better days mate

[Oddfish]

Please try to persevere! Awful as it is, it is just the medication at work. I'm at the end of my second week, having gone from 5mg to 10mg during the last week and share a lot of your symptoms - tingling hands and feet, total loss of appetite, inability to concentrate or think straight, unmotivated, feeling 'out of it', some visual disturbances, headaches. My sleep hasn't been too bad but I'm waking very early every day. I know how awful it is as you feel as if you are completely losing the plot which only adds to the stress that is already there. It gets worse before it gets better, but see your doctor again if the side effects are really getting on top of you. Just remember you're not alone :)

[JT69]

Hi,
Totally agree with the others...citalopram causes unpleasant side effects at first and I can remember when I took it and had some alcohol and didnt make it to the loo either so it may of been that...it certainly wouldn't of helped. The first couple of weeks are the worst. You may need to chat to your GP about something to help until the side effects wear off, I had diazepam and I also had zopiclone to at least give me a good nights sleep.

I hope you feel better soon.
Take care.
JO.xx