Going backwards fast!

[jenbo50]

Hi all...hope you're all getting along ok today?

I have been on 20mg Cit now for about 10 weeks for GAD. I have also had a year of CBT but only accepted meds may help a few months ago. At about weeks 5/ 6 I started to feel great. Just like my old self. No anxiety, lots of energy, really pleased with progress. This went on for about 3 weeks but then for no apparent reason the past 2 weeks I have just reverted back to my panic self. Constantly uptight, hyperventilating, panicky feelings, dizzy, blurred vision etc etc.

I don't understand. I honestly thought the Cit was suiting me? What shall I do? Do you think I need to ask for dose increase or is another drug needed instead? I am worried that I am taking a drug that is doing nothing but will be hard to come off??? Please advise peoples xxxx

[suzy-sue]

Oh dear jenbo :hugs:Sounds like you need an increase .20mg is a low dose and higher doses are usually needed for anxiety .I had to go up to 35mg to find the dose that worked for me .I also went back a few steps on 20mg .Try to practice the CBT AS WELL ,as it will help you long term .Its something you have to use all the time .You will improve and this is just a temporary setback .Hope you get to see the Dr soon, so you can increase your dose .Take care and dont worry ,nothing cant be fixed .Sue x

[jenbo50]

Thanks for the lovely reply SuzySue :-). I have managed to book an appointment for Tuesday morning to see my GP so fingers crossed they say it is just a dosage increase required like with yourself. That would be the easiest thing.....I really enjoyed feeling normal for a few weeks and would love to think it can happen again. I do use my CBT techniques all the time and they do help - especially to stop a panic attack or the feelings building towards panic. However I have not got so good at them the whole problem dissappears.....maybe one day :-)

I shall let you know how I get on. Thanks so much for the reassurance xxx

[NoPoet]

Hi, if you haven't heard of having a blip, you need to read my citalopram guide! What might have happened is that the meds started helping you to feel better, then just as you were thinking you were cured you simply had a blip (a temporary worsening of symptoms) which could have been caused by ANYTHING - a poor night's sleep, a stray thought, a bad memory, or simply a natural resurgence of your anxiety. Anxiety doesn't let go so easily!

Blips usually make you feel terrible because you were feeling so well beforehand. The contrast between being high and low is so shocking and unexpected that it causes all kind of problems, all of which are simply related to our thought patterns - we lose hope, we remember the bad times, then hey ho we're on the bus back to Anxiety Town.

I'd recommend you get hold of Self-Help for your Nerves and Pass Through Panic by Claire Weekes. In the long run, these could be your most vital tools of your recovery. And don't fear the blips too much, you may have a few, you may have loads, but they always calm down in time.

[happycamper]

Hi Jenbo,

I think PsychoPoet is right (not that suzy-sue isn't...), but blips are troublesome and the amazing feeling you get when citalopram kicks in is such a relief, it is incredibly disappointing and disheartening when any anxiety creeps back in. It has happened to me on several occasions, for no apparent reason, but I've learned now that some anxiety is a normal part of life and try my best to just accept it rather than fight it and end up in a viscous circle.

However you are right to see your GP, especially if it has gone on for some time.

Good luck x

[jenbo50]

Hi...another sunny day I see :-)

Thank you for taking the time to reply both all of you, much appreciated :)

PsychoPoet....I have read your guide a couple of times (it's brilliant!). My blip seems to have lasted 3 weeks though and I got the impression that the max a blip would lapse would be one week? Can they last this long do you think? Just seems to be going on & on....saying that today and yesterday have been an improvement?? Have no idea what is going on.....let's hope the GP has an idea :winks:

Happycamper...how long have your blips lasted?? Have any been this long?? xxx

[NoPoet]

Hi, in hindsight my wording in the Guide regarding the length of blips was poorly chosen and was based purely on my own experience at the time. Blips can last weeks, there is no upper limit, but they can be shortened by using well-practiced coping techniques. What's difficult to remember during a blip is that it WILL pass, that's nature, you won't feel the same way forever. That's why you have good and bad days, it's impossible to keep your mood level all the time. As you said you are already noticing some improvement which only goes to reinforce the fact that blips are temporary and can be overcome.

[happycamper]

Hi jenbo,

I had nearly 6 good months since the citalopram kicked in with just the odd bad day here or there, however since New Year I haven't felt as good, the blips are much longer, weeks at a time, however not debilitating, just simmering anxiety, strangely my GP advised me to drop the cit down to 10mg, a month ago as she said many people feel better once they are off them...who knows? I'm unsure if I should accept anxious episodes for the rest of my life, or if long term meds are the best option...

But certainly using coping techniques, as PP said are important to at least minimise these episodes.

Clare.

[suzy-sue]

Only you know whether you feel strong and able enoughto be off the medication Happycamper .Gd luck with whatever you decide to do.

Jenbo.I stand by what I said about a possible increase helping you ,The reason being is you are only at the beginning of your treatment .Its important to find your THERAPUTIC DOSE if you wish to have a better chance of a full recovery .However I dont always believe in just upping when you have just been having a rough period .If you had been stable on your current dose and were just having a more anxious time .I would say leave it, and see how you feel in a couple of weeks .But you have just started on them and you need to find a dose that you feel is helping you properly .The same goes for any medication .Its pointless taking it otherwise .Poet was on 20mg for months and still suffered with his Anxiety issues .He was advised by members including myself to up his dose ,But due to his fear of taking anymore it took months for him to eventually do this .He wrote about the difference another 10mg made to his stability on Cit .and wished he'd increased earlier ...Once you have been stable on a dose for a few months like Happycamper was and myself then you can think about reducing if you feel you,d like that ,But dont try to suffer the storm unecessarily if you can tweak your meds a bit .If an increase doesnt help then you can always cut back down .The dose you are on now is well settled down and you should be having more good days than bad at this present time .We all have days when we dont feel so good .we did before we took the meds .So this is perfectly natural .Its how we deal with it that defines how good we are progressing Good luck with the Drs on Tues AND keep applying the CBT .You might find relaxation and deep breathing helps with the Anxious bouts .I Know i have found it the most effective coping skill so far .Im sure you will be back on track soon one way or another .t/c Sue x:hugs:

[jenbo50]

Hi again...

No worries on the reduction front :-) I am expecting to be on these meds (or some meds anyway) for at least a year and it's not even been 3 months yet. I am certainly having more bad days than good at the moment. Again today I am struggling even though keeping very busy gardening in the sunshine (which I love!). It's been going on since the 9th of April according to my calender (which I keep for PMT reasons lol). I got quite upset last night and even cried - which in the 1st 2 months of Cit I couldn't actually do??). I really think it is a dosage increase I need. I am going to ask the GP in the morning and will let you know what she says then.

Thanks so much all of you for keep coming back to me.....it really means a lot at the moment xxxxxxxxx

[jenbo50]

Well have been to the GP this morning. She thinks it a bit unusual that I have regressed with no particular trigger for the anxiety? However, she tells me that it is very common for people to take a step backwards whilst the meds are settling so it is not necessarily that the meds are not working. I have been given a 10mg increase for now so am on 30mg. She has booked me in for a review again in 3 weeks time to see how i get on from here.....

Will start taking the extra dose tomorrow and hope the side effects are better than from going from 10 - 20mg which was awful :unsure:....

Strangely I started to feel better yesterday and today has only been a 4/10 on the anxiety scale as opposed to the 7/8 I have been feeling since April 9th/10th. Bizarre.....

Anyway we shall see how it goes one way or the other....fingers crossed :) xx

[suzy-sue]

Hi Jenbo .I didnt find the side effects as bad myself when I went from 20-30 .I had a few headaches ,felt tired /spacey but it didnt last long .Its not a huge increase and is more effective for anxiety than 20mg .It can be pretty hard to find the right dose sometimes especially whe you keep having up and down periods .Hope the increase stabilises you and makes you feel better soon .Perhaps you could take 5mg for a few days to get used to having more in your system and increase again when you know you are ok ..I did this and it did help .T/c Sue x:hugs:

[NoPoet]

It's not unusual at all to have a blip with no apparent trigger. A random thought or bad memory can start things all over again, and this is the case for every blip I've had. People wouldn't have so many blips if we needed a major, life-changing event to happen in order to trigger one.

[jenbo50]

Well yes that makes sense. My GP is a lovely lady, really kind and sympathetic. However, as with all GP's I do question her knowledge of mental health. For example she says the highest Cit dose is 40mg yet I see many people on here on 60mg? I also think the instructions say 60mg?

Anyway, that aside I have started on 30mg this morning and so far so good. Must say though my side effects on 10mg and 20mg only came on after 3 days so fingers crossed :-)) x

[suzy-sue]

I never used to feel the effects of an increase either until 3rd day Jenbo .Most Drs wont perscribe more than 40mg as there is no hard evidence doses after that are any better than 40mg ,apart from the placebo effect .That said there are members who have been on 60mg and felt better for it .If 40mg doesnt work for you they normally switch you to another type,or offer you a different type to take alongside it .Im sure you wont need to do that tho .Hope you start to see an improvement soon .Take care luv Sue x:hugs:

[jenbo50]

Ah ok Suzy Sue i understand now :) So far so good on the SE's anyway so that's something. Thank you for your replies & input :hugs:x

[nninno]

hii im on 20 mg of cit for 4 week now i been deal with anxiety and panic attack for a long time it wasnt like now its been 5 months now like the worse time for me srry my english is not good cuz im from libya and live in uk married to english the first week was so bad side effect then the sec week but started to feel better at the third week but the panic back last week when i seen my gp she said it take time so she gaved me another 20 again to see how it will go in 3 more weeks but u know 4 weeks ago i vudnt watch the tv with no panic attack and even usin the bathroom also as soon as i open the door and want to go out i just get panic attack and i all thoght it was heart attack and called 999 stayed one day in a hospital after they said my blood test fine and all the tests are fine so i knew it was the panic but its went wors spescialy when libya in a war now and im affraid abt the fam and everything
im not sure if iwll feel normal again like how i used to be ,
i used to get dizzy all time fuzzy and all that panic stuff but the wired thing now all that better but my belly goes wierd only still the same and have alot of wind so any ideas ?

hope u guys can share me ur comment and help each other here cheers nizar

[Floot]

I think it's just individual how bad side effects are with a dosage increase. I had a terrible time starting off (though did start on 20mg), going from 20-30 was a breeze, going from 30-40 is almost like going from nothing to 20, though different side effects. Don't panic!