well, started it today... Wish me luck! [Archive]

brit

10-07-11, 14:16

I have had the Citalapram in the cupboard for a week now, and decided today to start them.
My depression and anxiety is getting too much to bear now so today i worked up the courage to take mt first dose of 10mg.

I'm concerned about side effects, both mental and physical, but i'm hoping if i do have any they wont last too long.
I'm also concerned about whether the Cit will lift my depression and anxiety, but i guess only time will tell.

Thanks for reading :wacko:

smithdebbie264

10-07-11, 14:50

goodluck , i managed two days before my side effects got the better of me,lol but everyones different x

brit

10-07-11, 14:55

Do you mind me asking what dose you were on?

I took mine this morning, and about 30 minutes after taking it i started feeling a bit spaced out. I wasn't expecting to feel anything quite so quickly to be honest.

venusbluejeans

10-07-11, 15:05

Good luck:hugs:

I started 10mg of cit for 3 weeks and then went up to 20mgs and just finished 4 weeks of that. 7 weeks later i am sorting my self out getting back to the things i used to do beforei suffered this major episode

yes i suffered side effects and felt worse for a few weeks but stick with them.

debs71

10-07-11, 15:20

Hi,

I am afraid that starting meds is a bit of a no pain, no gain situation for most people taking them.

You will almost inevitably feel a slight worsening of your symptoms at first but you will start to feel better after that, and the effects far outweigh the living hell of depression and anxiety.It stands to reason that anything that is going to have an effect on our mental well being will feel a little strange at first.

Do try to bear in mind that 10 mg is a low dose to start off with, and depending how severe your depression/anxiety is, you may well remain on a low dose, so hopefully the effects should not be quite as bad.

Do stick with it if you can. It is a bit like walking through the eye of a storm but reaching the blue skies on the other side. You can do it!

xxx:hugs:

brit

10-07-11, 15:23

saro

10-07-11, 15:54

Ive been on them 6 weeks and they have worked wonders. If you get worried about the side effects just remember that you are only going to suffer anxiety without them anyway so you might aswell grin and bear it for 2 weeks.

Good Luck

Johno

10-07-11, 16:09

Thank you for your encouragement, i really appreciate it. :)

I expect i will be back here before long, i will try not to be a pain in the backside, but as i'm sure you know and understand, sometimes we need a bit of moral support to get through the tough stuff - and you guys are top at doing that!
Thankyou!
:hugs:

How are you feeling? Did you feel any different. I am now on 40mg a day. I did take 10 for two weeks then 20 for 4 weeks then 40. I had to be upped because stated by Debs 10 is a low dosage, however that may be enough. Dont' wory too much if you do have side effects, stick with it. I felt nausea, headaches, dizzy, more anxious and slept poorly for about two weeks. I used to take my medicine in the morning, but changed it when I felt sleepy afterwards. I now take it a 10pm before I go to sleep. That seems to work very well. I feel much better. :)

Chris_B

10-07-11, 17:55

Good luck.

I've been on them for a week now and I am getting some side effects but from what I've read on here most people say they gradually get better. I started straight at 20mg and have noticed that I feel more tired and keep getting 'yawning episodes' whereby I would yawn literally every minute or so - usually in the afternoon. I've now started taking the pills just before bed which makes it difficult to get up in the mornings but my afternoons are much better now. I really hope this med works for the both of us. :)

no_name

10-07-11, 20:11

Don't worry, 10mg is little enough, i am eating 40mg fo breakfast:D nothing bad will happen to you, you will get better soon, that's what you should think of

brit

11-07-11, 13:59

Well, day 2 today - and i'm not feeling well at all.
The main thing is i'm feeling VERY dizzy and spaced out - also a bit nausea's.

Is the dizzy/spaced out thing usual? It feels like the whole world is spinning!

VickiS

11-07-11, 17:46

Yeah it's totally normal to feel like that for a bit, try not to worry (I know easier said than done) just keep telling yourself it's a SE and will pass once your body gets used to the meds, good luck :)

brit

11-07-11, 18:02

Thanks, i will bear that in mind.
Its not good though is it! I feel like i cant even stand up properly without fear of falling over! :ohmy:

I have also noticed that my anxiety levels are through the roof, which i think may be adding to the symptons/side effects.
I have some 10mg Propanolol i can take but im worried about it making me feel even worse..

Jeez, i'm a mess...
:blush:

VickiS

11-07-11, 18:21

No it's not nice at all, some people get hit with the SEs worse than others, the first couple of weeks on cit for me my anxiety was awful to the point where I almost gave up, I'm so glad I didn't though, I've been on them just over 6 weeks now and I'm feeling much better, nowhere near "normal" yet but such a definate improvement.

Stick with them if you can, the SEs will Pass and you should start feeling better, it's a long,slow process but should be worth it all in the end :)

brit

11-07-11, 18:46

Thank you Viki.

Did you manage to find any ways to lessen the side effects?

natasha75

11-07-11, 22:35

im on 60mg of citr i don't no if they are doing me any good as i am feeling so frightened all the time and have i don't no how many panic attacks i have a day ,the constant fuzzy head its awful,i think it's just because i am having a real bad time it feels like no meds are helping me.i reall hope they work for you venusbluejeans hun take carexx:hugs:

VickiS

11-07-11, 23:55

Brit. I know a few people on here who have been prescribed diazepam to help with the SEs for a couple of weeks, they are supposed to really help, unfortunately I've been on Diaz for years and I'm in the process of coming off them as they don't work for me anymore. I kept myself busy, playing my kids games consoles lol, and lying down when I had to, listen to your body and do what it needs to you too to get you through, if you could get Diaz off your GP they would probably help loads just to help you get through the initial couple of weeks :)

Natasha
Maybe you should go back and speak to your GP, your dose may be too high or maybe cit just isn't for you, even if it's not there are plenty alternatives you can try, if you feel that bad I would defo go back and speak to them about it

Good luck hope you have a good day tomorrow xx

brit

12-07-11, 09:56

VickiS

12-07-11, 10:36

I'm sorry to hear that Brit, sleeping was awful for me too the first couple of weeks, if it's any consolation I now sleep with no problems at all, I even nap during the day sometimes.

I think most anti ds have side effects, I kept telling myself that the SEs meant that these pills were doing their job and they were going to work for me, you should maybe speak to your GP today and tell him you can't cope with the SEs, he could maybe give you something to ease them a bit.

Good luck

no_name

12-07-11, 10:54

Well, i dont think i can take anymore of this, i feel terrible....
I'm not going to take anymore, i cant cope with the side effects. I had no sleep last night, was just lying there feeling like the whole world was spinning.

Maybe there is an anti-d out there for me with bearable side effects..?
Don't give up! You have to wait for the side effects to go away, it can be a little too long time for you, but all that matters is that the pills will help you in the end. When i started taking citalopram the last time, i couldn't fall asleep for several nights, it was awful feeling just as you are describing it but it can't hurt you. You can ask your Dr. to prescribe you some sedatives, i was taking zopiclon till the insomnia went away.

Gabriel01

12-07-11, 12:32

Wish you good luck dear. I hope it should be effective.

brit

12-07-11, 13:51

I am going to speak to my Doc a bit later.
I have some Diazapam i could take, but i'm not really sure it would help. My head is so fuzzy and woozy already i'm reluctant to take anything that might make it even more woozy!
Has anyone reading this taken Diazapam and Citalapram together? I dont feel particulary anxious at the moment, my side effects seem to be more physical - but then i guess that anxiety can express itself in different ways.

I feel i'm at breaking point really - if i stop them i face severe anxiety/depression and the very real possibility of losing my family. If i keep taking them i face side effects that i really dont think i can deal with..

no_name

12-07-11, 14:35

It should be not a problem taking Diazepam together with Citalopram, it is some kind of "classic" combination (as my Dr. explained it to me). I myself was taking Xanax (other benzodiazepine medicine, like Diazepam) for 6 weeks and it really helps for the anxiety and panic attacks.

debs71

12-07-11, 14:40

Well, to be frank the diazepam will make you more woozy. It has a sedative effect. I think the theory is that it will 'relax' you enough to offset the side effects of the meds when starting them. It is a heavy duty drug and personally speaking, I wouldn't like to take it. I'm lethargic enough as it is! Maybe my vision is coloured my the fact that we gave it as a last resort to epileptic kids having a prolonged fit and it would always knock them out for hours and hours. Not something I would relish.

Don't give up the meds brit. Give them time, as things do get better. Yes, some anti deps just don't work for the individual and can be changed to something else, but all of them have one side effect or another. It isn't pleasant I know, and the anxiety gets a bit worse before it gets better, but you will see results. You just have to tell yourself constantly that these fellings are meds side effects and soon you will feel better. The dizziness and woozy feelings are par for the course. Once your body gets used to the increased serotonin levels that gets better as well.

Be strong. You can do it.

Distract yourself as much as you can if you are up to it, even if it is just watching a movie, reading a mag, going for a walk. You won't feel like it if you are sleepy, but try and do it anyway if you can. It helps the mental side effects to keep busy.

big hug to you.xxxx:bighug1:

brit

12-07-11, 15:52

Thank you so much all of you for your support, i really really appreciate it.
I have just spoken to my doc and he said that if i'm struggling this much i should stop taking them and try something else. I have an appointment to see him on friday.

To be honest i feel like i have let myself down by not carrying on with the Cit, but at the same time i just cant deal with the side effects...... I haven't taken one since yesterday morning and i'm still feeling horrendous, hopefully it will pass quite quickly now i have stopped.

The next game will be to find another one that i can tolerate. Do you know of any that are supposed to be fairly easy going?

Thanks again

debs71

12-07-11, 20:59

I personally have always been on Escitalopram Oxilate (brand name 'Cipralex') and have found it very, very good.

I have heard of folks having issues with 'Citalopram' before, so maybe this may work better for you.

I have been on and off Cipralex since 2003 and yes - it has side effects but they are bearable, but I guess it depends on your tolerance really. Sleepiness, a bit of nausea and heightened anxiety is what I felt when I started them.

I started on 10mg and have always been on that over the years. I am now down to 5mg every other day and I find even that low dose keeps me balanced, but as I say, everyone is different and it depends on your personal anxiety levels, or whatever you are taking the drug for as to what dose is effective enough for you.

I think meds are very subjective, and what works for one person, may be a problem for someone else. My cousins hubby was originally on prozac and had a horrendous time until the doc changed him to Cipralex which was much better for him.

So that would be my recommendation!

Big hugs.xxx:hugs:

brit

13-07-11, 11:23

Thank you Debs, i will certainly mention Escitalopram to my Doc and see what he reckons.

I feel especially low today as i had the opportunity of a job interview but have had to turn it down because of how i'm feeling. I feel i am letting myself and my family down - i dont know how my wife puts up with me. :shrug:

catecholamine

13-07-11, 12:02

Pretty much everyone I know who has taken Citalopram and stuck with it said their side effects went away. I was lucky, I never had an side effects. I was taking 60mg a day.
Well actually...I guess you could say I had a side effect. It triggered my first manic episode which ended up with me in a mental hospital after I'd done some crazy stuff and spend thousands of dollars! I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder It would have happened eventually anyway, but antidepressants (especially SSRIs) really speed up the process.

But that was just a fluke, I had the genetics and it was just a matter of time till it was triggered. As long as nothing as extreme as what I had happens, try to stick with it - if it helps, it'll be worth it. If it doesn't, there's bound to be another med out there that will.