-
Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Hi everyone hope your all well.
I thought it would be good to make a diary of how my journey on Citalopram is progressing. Always good to have something to look back on so I can hopefully see the gradual improvements in myself. Feel free to comment and post. Hopefully some of you relate to my story.
I suffer mainly from health anxiety but also Generalized anxiety disorder and ive been slowly getting depressed as all the stress of the non stop anxiety have been getting me down. I havnt left the house apart from visiting the doctor in about 4 weeks.
So just a breif idea of how ive been feeling on the Citalopram so far. Im on 20mg a day, today is day 15 on Citalopram and up untill about day 11 i didnt have many side effects, I just felt a bit groggy, had brain fog and was dizzy now and then, the anxiety levels were relatively low, it was at a level could deal with anyway.
Day 12
I woke up feeling ill, I was very dizzy and felt unsteady on my feet, my anxiety was still not to bad but as the day progressed so did the anxiety. I gradually felt light headed confused and disorientated, i also noticed my right pupil was bigger than my left, along with feeling like my legs were not attached to me and having to actualy think how do i move my legs before they would actually move. These symptoms sent my anxiety sky high, i was sure there was something wrong with my brain. I was on the verge of going to hospital but my mum managed to calm me down and convince me I was ok.
Day 13
Felt similar to the day before, high anxiety levels, foggy head, dizzy, light headed, dream world.
Day 14
Felt slightly better still, feel foggy, dream like. right eye pupil seems to still be bigger than the left. Anxious but not as much as day 12 and 13.
Day 15 today
Woke feeling really strange, had numbness in both hands and lower arms for a few minutes. Whole body felt really weak and tingly, it felt all floppy thats the only way i can describe it. Got up to go to the bathroom legs were like jelly i stumbled but luckily the wall was there to hold me up. Felt really light headed, really bad foggy head, felt like my brain was going to shut down. Was going to go hospital again, was waiting for my mum to give me a lift but i gradually started to feel a little bit better. The foggy head is still there and im still nearly always in a dream world state, feel so disorientated. The light headedness has calmed down. To be honest I dont feel much anxiety today, I just feel like crap, weak and not all there in the head.
This scares me as I still dont fully believe all my symptoms are anxiety, i havnt had a brain scan or any sort or checks on my brain. I also dont think the symptoms are down to the Citalopram as ive had most of them before taking it. But maybe the Cit is just increasing my symptoms and making me feel weak and ill at the same time.
I will post my progress from today onwards. Really hope i start to feel better soon.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to post if you relate and if you have any advice for me that would be great!
---------- Post added at 17:34 ---------- Previous post was at 15:37 ----------
This dream world i feel like im in is just so horrible, i feel like i cant even do normal thing like speak to members of my family because it freaks me out as none of it feels real.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Interesting diary; thanks for sharing your experiences. You're 5 days ahead of me (I'm currently on Day 10), but it's still early days yet so you will still get side effects and that's perfectly normal. My advice would be to try and stay optimistic that things will get better (although I know it's hard at the moment).
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thanks sparkle. How have you been feeling on them.
Ive also noticed my memory, mainly short term memory is completely useless now. I will be doing something and then completely lose my train of thought. Not liking all these symptoms.
---------- Post added at 19:33 ---------- Previous post was at 18:18 ----------
Also my left foot and toes have been twitching all day, very odd.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
I've got a diary on here as well so you can read that and hopefully you will find it helpful. I did have bad side effects for the first 4 or 5 days - mostly loss of appetite and insomnia. I've been feeling better since Monday evening though - still not 100% but much better than I was before I started taking them.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 16
Managed to get a decent nights sleep and only think I woke up once or twice in the middle of the night which is better than usual. Woken up and my anxiety levels are not to bad they are bareable but its the other symptoms that are getting frustrating now. I wake up in a foggy daze, feeling a bit dizzy and light headed, it does lift slightly as the day goes on but the fog is always there. Legs feel like jelly. My right pupil is bigger than my left again (cant stop looking at that now). Ive only been up for a couple of hours so I will updat this as the day goes on.
Anyone else feel like there in a permanent fog?
---------- Post added at 16:09 ---------- Previous post was at 13:07 ----------
update:
Just went out to walk the dog as i thought it was about time i tried to get out the house. It wasnt a very plesant experience, I felt dizzy and my vision seemed a bit blurry which sent my anxiety back up. Sitting at home watching tv now feel like crap, in a daze. Going to go to the doctor soon about all my symptoms and ask if I can be refered to see a Neurologist, as I had most of these symptoms before the medication and I still feel somethings rong.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
I am also on 20mg Citalopram and I have definitely found that my short term memory has become rubbish. I will start a sentence and then completely forget where it was going. I have to keep apologising to people!
I am sure it must be a side effect of the drug and it seems like a lot of people have similar experiences.
:)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Hi, I have just read through your post and thought id share some of my experiances. Im about 3 weeks in on 20mg of Cit, but started for the first two weeks on 10mg. I have many similar side effects to yourself... My anxieties are also health related but in my stomach, so anything that sets my stomach off makes my anxiety go through the roof. I have also woken up with numb/tingly fingers and hands and also have the weird one pupil larger than the other. I have good days and bad days at the moment so its swings up and down - there is no pattern other than most mornings are harder to deal with than the afternoon/evenings when i generally feel a little more robust.
I guess we just hold on in there until the cit starts working ... My doc has said that the benefits can take anywhere from 4 - 8 weeks, so we still have some time to go.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thanks Mrbenn, yea still a way to go for us but hopefully we see some benefits soon.
Also Just an update on how the day is going for the diary. Still feeling foggy and hazey, i have twitching left toes and foot which has been there for two days non stop now. My legs feel restless and like jelly. Anxiety is on the medium level id say. Been feeling a little bit nauseas today aswell which is an effect from anxiety or meds that I havnt suffered before.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Update:
In bed watching tv, not feeling to bad, but its up and down. Not feeling to anxious just have a slight headache and feel a bit groggy. Hopeing to feel some improvements tomorrow.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 17
Been up and awake for about an hour, my sleep pattern is all messed up, i sleep from about 5:30am untill about 12 or 1 in the afternoon. So i am getting around 7 hours sleep with a couple of breif wake ups which isnt to bad at all.
Feel slightly better today, anxiety levels are quite low but still have the brain fog and im in a bit of a daze, with a mild hedache. But its a new day so lets think positive and I will keep this updated as the day goes on.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
hey there just started on citalopram yesterday it has well and truely kicked in , feeling lifeless very dizzy and sick dont have an appetite which is odd for me as i love my food , have started shaking alittle and tingly feeling can still feel anxiety underneath all of this and im still grinding my teeth which tenses my back up , glad to see symptoms get better however concerned that foggyness stays for quite a few days i have to go back to work on 3rd sept so slightly worried, have to say night time is the worse still having what i think r beathing problems which goes into panic cant sleep have found hot water bottle on top of cehst helps to soothe tense feelings , but its great to follow your diary x:)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Hi Dizzzie, thanks for the reply.
Yea my appetites not so big recently either ive lost a bit of weight. Yea the foggyness is not nice at all im hopeing that will begin to ease off soon. Still early days so hopefully things should get better.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
these side effects are awful and i am going through them all again,just been put on beta blockers today x
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Even though my appetite has improved a lot since last week, I still don't think it's completely back to normal. I don't eat as large portions as I used to.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Yea I lost my appetite for the first 4 days, but now I seem to be constantly hungry! One extreme to the other at the moment!
My foggyness is definitely easing, its still there, but I can kind of push it to one side when I need to concentrate on something!
My teeth clenching comes after I yawn, it's the oddest thing! The need to clench my.teeth though is becoming easier to resist! Things do get better, I've been assured!
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Update on today:
Went out to walk the dog felt the usual foggy head and mild anxiety. Had a doctors appointment booked for later in the day and when I was about the leave I had a call from the doctors surgery to say my blood test results are back and i need to see the nurse. So naturally i was crapping myself. So i went to the doctors and saw the nurse first, she says everything on the blood test looks normal apart from my cholesteral which is very high. This suprised me as im only 24 and live a reasonbly healthly lifestyle, neither me or the doctor could work out why it is so high. Anyway going to try and exercise a bit more and eat a bit healthier, not that i dont already. My anxiety levels were very high while i was with the nurse and i was on the verge of having a panic attack but managed to get through it.
Went to see the doctor and told her about all my sypmtoms ive been having, the dizzyness, light headed, foggyness, twitching limbs, 1 pupil bigger than the other, headaches. She said it could all be the anxiety but it could be something else. She has sent me away saying to keep taking my citalopram and also take beta blockers and i have to go and get an eye test which i assume helps to tell if somethings wrong with the brain from the eyes. If there are no improvements in a week i am to go back and i think they will have to check and see if its something neurological.
Im just fed up of feeling like crap and being in a dream world non stop, i just want to find out whats rong (nothing i hope) and then get on with my life. Anxiety levels are obviously high as im worried about all this stuff and want to know whats wrong with me if it isnt all anxiety.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
It sounds like you're going through a tough time - I hope it will resolve soon.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 18
I have woken up feeling like total crap. I feel sick and my anxiety is through the roof. My legs feel like jelly, worse than jelly they feel like their not there. The fact that I dont no if its anxiety, the medication or something more causing this is just making it all worse as i am sick with worry that i have something nuerological going on. Going for an eye test at some point, whenever i build the courage to leave the house during this week. I Will update this as the day goes on.
---------- Post added at 15:30 ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 ----------
Update:
Just been to get an eye test as I was asked to by my doctor. Nearly had a panic attack while i was having it done but managed to keep it under control. The eye test came back ok, he said both eyes are healthy, my long distance vision isnt great but nothing major. He said he is not sure why my right pupil sometimes becomes bigger than my left so he has written me a letter to give to my GP so they can send me for some neurological tests. This has always been one of my great fears that something is going wrong with my brain. So i will send that back to the doctor and hopefully get referred. Hate all this hanging over me.
Apart from all that, ive been feeling in a bit of a daze, not as foggy as yesterday but its still there. My legs felt like complete jelly most of the day so far, felt like they were going to give way so i went and sat down. I just want to find out im ok and be reassured and then i can concentrate on beating this anxiety.
Sorry this has become more of a general day to day diary rather than all about the Citalopram. Any comments from my fellow sufferers would be great.
---------- Post added at 18:01 ---------- Previous post was at 15:30 ----------
Is this stuff really going to help me? I dont see a way foward right now. Any time I try and go about normal day to day activities and just feel so ill. So foggy, dizzy, jelly legs, panic attacks.
So I just end up staying in bed watching tv and on here, because its the only place i can feel reasonably ok. I dont feel ok at all to fair but atleast its bareable. Just want to wake up and be the old me.
---------- Post added at 21:33 ---------- Previous post was at 18:01 ----------
Update:
So was feeling really bad earlier, been a bit of an up and down day. I dont feel to bad now, i have calmed down a lot. Ive still got slight brain fog and a fuzzy feeling in my head, these have become my main problems rather than the anxiety. But i cant complain i feel better than i have done in the past few days.
Just chilling watching tv and on the laptop at the moment, trying to keep the intrusive thoughts at bay.
---------- Post added 23-08-12 at 00:14 ---------- Previous post was 22-08-12 at 21:33 ----------
In bed wathcing tv. Feel a bit nauseous with the usual slight brain fog. At times a get breif moments of like 10 seconds or so where it feels like my brain its fizzing/buzzing away like there is a strange surge of activity going on, feels weird. Anyway if anyones awake and reading this comment or pop in the chat room for a chat :)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 19
Woken up feeling anxious, body feels a bit light and tingly. I have still got the buzzing/fuzzy sensation going on in my head and I dont feel all there, a bit confused to be honest. I feel a bit nauseous. I just want to start to gradually feel a bit better but it doesnt seem to be happening :weep:
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Hey gotagetthroughthis,
Stick in there. I've read that Citalopram can take up to like 4 weeks or sometimes more to kick in. I started on Citalopram for general anxiety disorder. This is my 3rd day, feel similar to you foggy, cannot concentrate, greater anxiety. Felt nauseas earlier like I do when I have an anxiety attack so went to bed and managed to get an hours sleep which made me feel better.
Like you i'm struggling to fall asleep at night so sleepy all day :(
good luck!!
Miles x
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thanks for the reply Miles.
Yea im trying to hang in there but these feelings in my head are just so weird gets me so paranoid that something funny is going on. Dont no if its the citalopram or what, hopefully will see some improvements soon.
---------- Post added at 14:54 ---------- Previous post was at 13:54 ----------
Update:
Feeling so strange, foggy dizzy, fuzzy head. All these things bring on my anxiety now, not the other way round. I need to know if this the medication or something is going on up there in my head.
I had no side effects for the first 10 days i felt ok, just light anxiety which i had before taking the medication and then day 11 came and all these horrible symptoms have kicked in and havnt gone away. Is this normal, everyone else seems to get side effects from day 1 or 2 and then they gradually get better, mine started on day 11 and havnt improved, im not on day 19 and still no good effects have come my way.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Still foggy foggy foggy, dream world, fuzzy head feeling. Its like im looking at everything through sunglasses but in a way that is scary and depressing. I try go out for a bit and do normal things and it just seems to get worse so i have to go home. Right pupil is bigger than left again, seems to go back to normal in the morning and then as the day goes on it goes back to uneven pupils. Hate this.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Hey there great diary I too have been on citalopram for four days felt ok today however the night seems
To be the worse anxiety is highest at night therefore as soon as I shut my eyes feeling overwhelms me and the panic try's to set in have to feel breathe for about an hour is that because I take the tablets in the morning ???? Feel like its worn off at night have terrible acid burning aswell after I've eaten this is great to share stories with others x
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 20
So I woke up feeling a little bit strange and dizzy like usual but it wasnt as bad as the last few days to be fair. Still have brain fog but it has lifted slightly. Still just worried about my symptoms and thinking I have some neurological disease so the anxiety is still there.
I had a shower and felt a little bit refreshed afterwards, still light anxiety but less foggy and dream like than the last few days so its an improvement.
Went to the doctors as I had an appointment booked to explain all of my symptoms and I had a letter from the optician to give to my doctor that recommended I be referred to a neuro ophthalmologist as he was not sure why I have one pupil bigger than the other sometimes. So went to the doctor and explained my symptoms and gave him the letter, he said he cant really refer me as he doesnt have much reason to and its fine aslong as the eyes react to light. I told him about my dizzyness, brain fog, strange fuzzy sensations in my head but he said it may be the medication and to keep taking it for another 2 weeks or so and then come back if there are no improvements. So still havnt been checked for any medical conditions yet so this hangs in the back of my mind that something could be going on. But it also reassured me a bit that the doctor seems to think I am fine.
Went home and feeling reassured which seemed to make me feel a bit better in general. Quite relaxed for once. I just have a slight pressure headache that has come on in the past couple of hours that doesnt seem to be shifting but ill take that for now over the constant intense anxiety. Still slight brain fog and mild dizzyness but definitely not as bad as the past week or so. Hopefully this is a good sign.
Will update again later.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
It sounds like things are finally starting to get better for you - let's hope it continues! :)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thanks Sparkle.
Update:
Well the positivity didnt last that long. Over the last hour the headache gradually got worse and then i went to walk the dog, came back and now i have strong nausea, havnt quite been sick yet. I feel like im buzzing on a drug but not in a good way, full foggyness is back.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 21
Ok so I have hit 3 weeks on citalopram and I do feel a bit better than I did a week ago, nothing amazing because I have ups and downs anyway but I feel ok.
Woke up this morning feeling a bit strange and anxious like usual, felt slightly dizzy but nothing major. As the days gone on I have noticed im not having so many obsessive thoughts running through my head, and im not googling my symptoms every 2 minutes. My anxiety levels are definetely lower today. Still do have slight brain fog and dizzyness that comes and gos but again this is also less extreme than before. My brain isnt working on full wack as I do get slightly confused sometimes and my memory doesnt seem good at all. The only other downside is I have a constant dull headache with some head pressure and have on and off nausea now, but ill take that over the full blown anxiety and panic attacks I had before. 1 other thing I still dont have much of an appetite.
My days are still spent at home watching tv and on the computer but I will start to venture out soon and see how i feel.
So all in all some improvements which I am very pleased with, i hope this continues and the headaches and nausea go soon.
Feel free to post and comment :)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Update:
Anxiety is definitely reduced today and the thoughts of constantly thinking I have a serious illness have calmed down a lot. Still have the headache and a bit of dizzyness, with slight brain fog but the fog is also much less than the past few days.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 22
So it took me a while to get to sleep last night but once I did I had a pretty good sleep. I still have this thing where my right pupil is considerably bigger than my left, it comes and goes but seems like it is doing it more often than not now. The doctor said its ok aslong as it reacts to light but my pupils werent uneven when i saw him and he just thinks im a hypercondriact. So this still does worry me.
Apart from that I woke up feeling ok, best ive felt in the morning for a while, not much anxiety and only slight dizzyness. As the days gone on I still have the slight brain fog and slight dizzyness but anxiety still seems low. I do seem to feel sick all the time now though and I have a headache that gradually gets worse througout the day. I am a lot calmer then before. Will keep updated as the day goes on.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
hi i am on day 7 however i did go out yesterday which was horrid since then have had consyant anxierty trouble sleeping glad your doing well :)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thanks Dizzzie. Sorry to hear your having a hard time, stick with it and things should improve.
Update:
Just an update about the rest of day 22. So the day wasnt to bad, I still felt generally a bit strange with slight brain fog and dizzyness that comes and goes. I went out to walk the dog which just seemed to increase the brain fog which wasnt very pleasent. Also seem to get a fuzzy feeling in my head towards the end of everyday now. Also have the slight headache there most of the day and the one eye pupil that gets bigger is still going on.
Nowhere near normal and anxiety is still there but it is an improvement so hope that continues.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 23
So im still the same as the last few days, anxiety at medium to low levels but constant fog and dizzyness. Its like theres a lack of oxygen getting to my brain or something. I still want to be checked out but my doctor wont refer me. I still have one pupil bigger than the other periodically. Went out for a walk and to get some stuff from the shops and anxiety wasnt to bad, just the lightheaded foggyness that gets me a bit worried. When I was last at the doctors he said see how I am in 2 weeks so thats what im doing, even though i feel the dizzyness is not right.
---------- Post added at 19:20 ---------- Previous post was at 18:51 ----------
Also seem to be on the verge of passing out all the time, especially when i stand up i have to put my head between my legs or i would pass out. I no some people get this sometimes but it seems to be all the time for me now.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Hi there
I was just reading your post with interest re dizzyness.
I am now on Sertraline but was on Cit for 4 months and can assure you the dizzyness does get better at first i thought was due to the virus i had as that causes dizzyness even had an MRI.
I would say it take a good 3 months to completely go but it does so hang in there, i also had a feeling of detatchement which i didnt like at all but again this passed but to me it felt like forever so do know how you feel xx
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thank you TJSMITH
Yea its just the dizzyness, foggyness and being light headed that is really effecting me now. It does seem like my anxiety is lower already so if these other feelings go i will be happy.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
I promise you they will.
I noticed mine has come back this week but putting it down to increase in meds and its almed down again, i think it upset me so much before i made it even worse as dizzyness also a symptom of anxiety x
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Day 24
Woke up feeling probably the best I have for a good few weeks so that was a good start. Still felt a little bit jittery and dizzy but only mildly. Sat in bed watching tv for a bit and got a few starnge shooting sensations/headaches go thorugh my head.
Got up had a shower and felt ok so I decided to go and get my hair cut which is even a big thing for me now as I havnt done anything for over a month. Went in the barbers and there was knowone waiting so sat down to get my hair cut straight away. I felt ok for the first 5 minutes talking to the barber and then out of nowhere I got a strange fuzzy feeling in my head and went completely light headed, felt like i was going to pass out and then this set off a full blown panic attack while i was in the chair getting my hair cut. I was sweating the horrible feelings were rushing through my body, i was completely disorientated, I felt my pulse but it wasnt racing? I had all the panic attack feelings but no racing heart, this seems to be the case all the time now, strange? Anyway I was on the verge of saying can you stop to the barber, i need to get up and go outside, but I didnt as I didnt want to look stupid and I didnt want to let the anxiety beat me, even though at the time i thought i was dying, i managed to battle through and made it through the hair cut.
Got up and left the shop with my legs like jelly and dizzy as ever, so went straight home. Now im home i feel ok again i suppose. So a little blip but I hope it doesnt hinder my progress. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and when I feel ok for an hour or so I think im back to normal when really im nowhere near.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
hey there ggtt glad to hear you woke up feeling good i to had the jitters had to go to the supermarket managed to do most isles was abit irritated if people got in my way had horrendous dry mouth today and the runs have had a few moments where i had skipped beats but nothing too major, how have your dizzy spells been do u have any anxiety at night time for me thats when it is at its worst??? what are your plans for venturing out again ?? x:)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Well done for not letting the panic attack interrupt your haircut! Apart from that it sounds like you're doing fairly well. :)
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Thanks for the replys dizzzie and sparkle.
Dizzzie yes I do get bad anxiety at night, i usualy find the mornings a bit strange and then through the day im reasonably ok and then at night the anxiety catches me agian.
The Dizzy spells are still there yea. I get light headed and a fuzzy head a lot aswell, also a slight headache that comes and goes. Apart from that I feel my mood has definetely lifted the last few days, especially today.
-
Re: Citalopram diary - Day 15 - Here we go!
Update:
So a decent day today, have felt fairly good most of the time. A bad period earlier with the full blown panic attack while getting my hair cut but hopefully its just a blip. Im not obsessing about how my symptoms and how i feel every 2 seconds now, its more like every 10 mintues now so thats an improvement lol. Walked the dog earlier and my head felt quite clear for once. I am still getting some serges of high anxiety and dizzyness lightheadedness that comes and gos so im not going to get ahead of myself and I do get this horrible fuzzy feeling in my head which is the worst thing at the moment, but things do look like they are picking up :)