are these meds actually doing any help or should i just give up on them? [Archive]

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x0xrachx0x

22-11-10, 17:33

ButterflyWings

22-11-10, 17:39

ive only take citolpram for one period in my life so i cant give a lot of advice,
i was very dubious about taking them and i did feel anxious for a few weeks once they ajusted themselves into my system but after about 6 weeks things seemed easier to cope with , i have only stopped taking them now as im trying for a baby ,

i have a friend who also takes them, but once she feels better she stops, and then crashes, i tell her off for it ,

i tried for years trying to fix myself, but if im honest i should have been on them from day one x x x

suzy-sue

22-11-10, 17:42

Its early days ..Give the dose you are on at least another week .Then spk to your Dr about an increase .It takes several doses to find the one that is your Theraputic dose (the one that works for you ) Hope fully the next increase will do more .Its a good sign you have had the odd day time that you felt better ,this is an indication its starting to take effect .What dose are you currently on btw ? Each increas will take 4-6 weeks to become fully effective and the lower the increase each time will lessen the side effects ,they arent ususally as bad as the begining anyway as the meds are in your system .T/c Sue

ButterflyWings

22-11-10, 18:20

i was on 20mg and after a few months i started feeling frightened again and i was upped to 30mg, that suited me better x x x

michelle123

22-11-10, 18:22

i have been on cit now for just over 3 weeks, almost on my 4th week and just dont really feel any different to how i did before i started taking them, have had the odd good day but only about 2 days in total and just dont feel like these tablets are doing anything.

i know it doesnt happen straight away but the side effects the tablets are giving me just make me think is it all worth it? because in myself i feel just the same as i did before i started so i just dont know whether to just give up and try and fix myself on my own?? suggestions would be much appreciated. thank you everyone.. rach xx :scared15:

Hi Rach, please don't give up on these, they WILL help, I'm on week 7 (I was also on them 2 years ago for 12 months) and they helped me out a great deal. Your right the side effects do make you think "why the hell am i taking these?" but it will pass, what dosage are you on? Mines 20mg daily. I just feel tired at the mo, but i know that that will pass also. Please be patient with them, don't give up xx:hugs:

x0xrachx0x

22-11-10, 18:25

Hi everyone, thank you for the replies. I am on 20mg so the same as most of you. I have seen my GP since taking them and he says the way I am feeling is natural, it is just so hard as it doesnt feel like I am getting any better and had a bad day toda so just feeling to give up but I know thats not the way to be.

ButterflyWings - Do you feel like going up to 30mg has helped you much better then being on the 20mg?

Michelle123 - Do you feel now you are on week 7 that you are noticing some changes or do you still feel it is early days? I am also tired all the time and suffering from really bad insomnia which I think is getting to me the most xx

michelle123

22-11-10, 18:30

Hey Rach, yes i've definately seen changes the past week. the 1st couple of weeks i was still waking with the dreaded feeling of 'oh no, another damn day to get through':weep: but slowly but surely these feelings have crept away, I feel much more able to cope with lifes troubles now, rather than finding the negative in everything and fretting over every little thing. I'm shattered at the mo, but in a way that's a good thing, I think it gives your mind a bit of 'time out' and makes you too sleepy to fret. I too had awfull insomnia, that too will ease off, I bet within 2 weeks you will be much brighter, just get through this stage where your body is getting used to the good levels being topped back up. xx

HarrogateChris

22-11-10, 18:36

I am also tired all the time and suffering from really bad insomnia which I think is getting to me the most xx

Me too :)

Stick with them Rach, I'm only on day 18, but am determined to try and stick it out.

Sleeping badly definitely makes me worse, I am really struggling to do much at the moment, very hard to get out of bed unless I have something definite to do. Just laying there staring at the wall, letting the emotional storm in my head rage on.

I keep telling myself I just have to travel this path, so keep putting one foot in front of the other and I'll get through.

Chris

ButterflyWings

22-11-10, 20:03

i settled in with 20mg in quite nicely and after a while i did start to feel nervous and teary, my GP suggested that i go up to 30mg as i was a big girl lol,
when i started the 30mg i felt better like i had originally, and i stablised on that amount quite nicely

i did however mention my 20 - 30 increase as my doctor had thought because of my size i may need a higher dose to my CTB,
she found it amusing as the Mg has nothing to do with a persons weight, she knew small skinny people on a higher dose than 30mg
and actually pointed out that 30mg was a theraputic dose

x0xrachx0x

22-11-10, 20:34

Thanks for the advice everyone, I will stick them out just finding 3 weeks into it so still so hard but reading all your posts and some other posts i know that they can take a long time to settle in so i just need to be a little bit more patient, just so hard as i want to be like the old me before all this was happening. :weep:

Butterflywings - I am due to see my doctor in about 2 weeks times so if things are still the same should I maybe speak to him about the 30mg and see if he will try me on that one as maybe i do need to go up to the 30mg? x

heavenly

23-11-10, 09:41

Hi Rach, sorry you are feeling like giving up. I do understand, at the 2 week stage, I was almost going to give up, but seeing the doctor helped me and also a book I am reading has helped, which I know you have ordered. Stick with it for a month and go back and see the GP. Hang in there! And don't forget, you are going through an emotional time with other stuff, so that will effect how you feel. But you are doing so well with that, so give yourself some time. xx

amy3636

23-11-10, 22:51

keep at it, i felt suicidal 4 weeks ago, on my fourth wee now and feel much better

x0xrachx0x

24-11-10, 20:47

thanks for the advice everyone, i havent given up and have decided to carry on for a little while longer untill i see my doctor in about 3 weeks then will discuss things with him as to whether this is the right tablet for me. x

joannap

25-11-10, 19:56

x0xrachx0x

26-11-10, 09:15

3 weeks isn't very long. i remember when i was on them - going to my gp after 2 weeks of starting them and i don;t remember feeling much better although i wasn't crying as much lol so it was definitely a slow process. often people around you notice improvements before you do but i do remember seeing tiny signs of getting better at around day 15.

it may be that if you are not feeling any better after another few weeks that your doctor may want to try you on another kind. i have tried the older types - amitriptyline and dothiepin but they did not suit me at all - made my heart race and did nothing for my mood but ssris did work for me so try not to worry - there are always other options but i think that you will need to give them at least 4 weeks before you can tell if they are working x

Hi joannap, I have defiantly seen a tiny improvement, the same as you actually I was crying less and actually haven’t cried for a while and also I am finding it not as hard getting out of bed in the mornings due to the anxiety as before I started taking the tablets so they must be having a slight improvement on me, I guess I am just a little impatient lol. I saw my doctor last week and he has asked me to come back in a month, so by then I would have been on them 6 weeks, he said if neither of us feel there is an improvement then we will look at either upping my dosage or changing tabs, but hopefully by then I will feel a big change and wont have to change them. How are you getting on being off the tabs? Is the sleeping any better? xx

SJM13

26-11-10, 10:10

Hi Rach,
I think I must have started Citalopram about the same time as you and i am also on 20mg. I have good days and bad days. I find the morning most difficult, this is why i am here, sitting in bed!
I thought I felt better but I actually think I was kidding myself I decided to go back to work on Monday. Managed two 1/2 days but was so anxious I think it set me back and knocked my confidence.
I am going back to my GP this afternoon to get another sick certificate. I feel a failure coz I am not better yet....I am a total control freak!
My family/friends/colleagues say I need to relax and accept the fact I am depressed and give myself a break.
I am thinking of asking for an increase of Cit to 30mg but don't know whether 3 weeks is too early to change doses.
We need to stick with it and be patient, let me know how you are getting on. It's good to talk to people who are in the same situation.:bighug1:Love Sharon

HarrogateChris

26-11-10, 17:58

Hi Sharon,

I know what you mean about mornings being the worst and feeling a failure for not being better yet.

I need to give myself a break too! :blush:

Chris

joannap

26-11-10, 18:29

can relate to the last few posts - i am not on medication now and every day i analyse myself re anxiety levels - better or worse? and yes - mornings are always the worst.

my mum keeps saying - give yourself a break - if you feel anxious - you feel anxious - if you feel depressed - you feel depressed. she is of course right because if you accept that your nerves are tired/over sensitized - they cannot possibly heal until you give them space to do so and so you really do need to almost step away from yourself and just let yourself "be".

rach - haven't sucumbed to the night nurse yet lol - slept last night!!!! first night in 2 weeks i stayed in the marital bed all night! hoping i have turned the corner!

i feel i am at the opposite end to the other posters - you are waiting for improvements starting taking them - i have now been med free after 6-7 years of being on them and dealing with the effects of having recently come off but i do remember when i first started taking them that it took a good 6 weeks before i saw real improvements and started to feel normal again!

PoppyC

26-11-10, 18:32

Hi
I am now on 40mg and have been on them for two years next March.
The side effects do wear off eventually and not always at 6 weeks like some gps tell you. I started feeling the full benefits many weeks into taking them. The longer you are on them, the better they start to work, I have found. Taking them at the same time every day, with food and plenty of fluid helps too.
I would not be without them. I still get down days but then I have a lot more good days and compared to how I once was, they have made me feel so much better.

cazzaxXx

26-11-10, 19:48

hiya everyone i have only been on the citalopram 20mg for about 10 days and last night and today has been soooo bad feel edgey and shakey and horrible feel like im just going lose the plot and go mad so scarey but im so worried that im going to feel like this for aleast a few weeks really cant cope with that already feel as though im scared to be around people incase i harm them i sound crazy i know!!!!!. it feels to much today and feel like totally giving up dont think i could do with the presure off trying new med if these are not write for me please leave some advice sorry about all the rubbish i have wrote

HarrogateChris

26-11-10, 19:56

Hi Cazza,

I'm on Day 22, I remember it being worst around the 2 week mark. Give it a few more days and things will hopefully ease off a bit.

I found it helped to think "I know this is the meds and I just need to stick it out for a bit longer, I'll be OK"

Keep yourself warm, look after yourself, it's just a journey you need to make.

Chris

joannap

26-11-10, 19:58

i felt TERRIBLE until at least day 14 - i know its hard but they do take a minimum of a few weeks to kick in and so if you give up now - you will never know if they will benefit you so keep going! x

PoppyC

26-11-10, 20:35

I was told by my gp that it is better to start off on a very low dose and gradually build up and that way it minimses the side effects. I started on 5-10mg (I think) and now on 40mg with no side effects.
Try and push through the side effects - it will be worth it - but obviously if you are really suffering then maybe go and see your gp again and explain the situation.