Citalopram & Sleep

[Basha]

Hi;

Well I've now successfully managed 3 weeks on these, and I'm starting to gradually feel better. I still have panic attacks, but overall I feel calmer about them than I did before. I do find the panic attacks to be a bit more intense when I do have them.. is that normal? I know it can a while to fully feel the effects and I'm trying to ride them out.

Something else I've been noticing is that over the past week, my sleeping hasn't been as good as it used to be. Sometimes it feels like I'm dreaming, yet I have the sensation of being awake. On these occasions I don't feel very refreshed in the morning. I've also been having very vivid dreams, and last night I had a nightmare about dying in a horrific plane crash that left me crying and hyperventilating with really tense muscles at 3am. I'm flying back home to Canada for a visit in May with my partner, and this dream has left me absolutely terrified.

I'm not great on planes, and I know it's crazy but I feel like this is going to happen, and I'm almost tempted to cancel our flights. Just wondering really if anyone has experienced this sleep pattern whilst taking Citalopram? And if so, does it fade away as well?

Sorry for the lengthy post, I just find some of these sensations disturbing. I also find sometimes I'll be about to fall asleep, then jolt awake and taking a sudden deep breath in. Is this all normal?

Basha xx

"To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger; but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can."
-Sydney Smith

[Alexandra]

Hi Basha

Its perfectly normal with what you describe. I used to get that alot & put it down to an over active brain combined with worry about what i was going through at the time. Deep breaths, relaxing music even reading before bed should help you relax more.

Take Care


Alex

Many People Will Walk
In & Out Of Your Life
But Only True Friends
Will Leave Footprints
In Your Heart

[floatlikeabutterfly]

bit more intense when I do have them

Yes and no, they FEEL more intense because you are having them less and so are becoming less used to them.

Regarding, the sleep issue, can I ask when you take your pill?

[Basha]

Hi;

I take my pill first thing every morning...my doc mentioned that this should ease sleep problems. Could this be affecting my sleeping?

Basha

"To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger; but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can."
-Sydney Smith

[floatlikeabutterfly]

Can't say I did personally, but I was tranqued up to my back teeth and taking sleeping pills also during my first weeks of being on Citalopram.

From what I remember, what i did find is that I stayed awake much later and got up later for a while.

If you have had 3 weeks, you should be over the worst side effects period - try to hang in there a bit longer and do whatever you can to encourage sleep....music, camomile tea, foot rubs, warm bath etc.

By the way, I know that I did worry for a long while that anything minor that happened was down to the Citalopram effects. I think it is a worry that everyone experiences and understandably so.

[nomorepanic]

Found this one post for you so far....

cant sleep - am on CITALOPRAM (CIPRAMIL) (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5090)

Nicola