Citalopram need advice please

[Rocker]

Hi I have been taking citalopram for about 6 months now but thing still don't seem right so please could someone give me some help as my doctor is not good at all.
I have had anxiety and panic attacks for about 17 years maybe more anyway I have always just got on with it up till last year December when I had a problem with my Throat so then my mind went thinking of everything you can think of wrong with me as most anxiety people do but this went on for about a week until the Saturday my panic attacks were just one after another I thought I was going mad so the Monday I was prescribed citalopram gr8.
I got told to start on 20mg big mistake I was already so high with anxiety it just made me feel like I was seeing moving walls shaking i could not even move and things like that so after 3 days I cut down to 10mg myself which nearly right away I felt a bit better but that only lasted 2 weeks then the anxiety got worse again so I went to 15mg then 20mg within 2 weeks I did feel really good on the 20mg for about 3 weeks then as like before I spoke to the doctor and he said 20mg should work for my anxiety that quit a high dose.
Anyway he said try 30mg which I did by going to 25mg which was very strange as all I wanted to do was eat all day and night still shaky so I thought 5 days later I should try 30mg when I was on 30mg thing were really good felt happy no anxiaty a bit to Fidgety which I could handle feeling so good doing everything i wanted o do this lasted about 8 weeks I thought I was were I wanted to be how wrong was i again.
I had a family prob with my wife I'm not sure if this caused the problem because 2 days later things started crashing my mood would be up and down within hours so I know it had to be the citalopram I felt happy then suddenly really down again I tried to see it out for a week which did but no change with moods going up and down really quickly so I ended up back at my doctors were he help loads again (not).
We decided to go to 40mg were I said at the biggening I would never go to as that is we're my brother is at.
Anyway this is we're I'm at now I only ever up 5mg at a time because of what happened at the beginning I have been on 35mg for 3 days now still getting anxious and mood keeps changing I'm not sure if the citalopram not working at all now because I have never had these mood prob before or should I try the 40mg and see.
The problem with me is ever since the biggening I have obsessed about these tablets which does not help at all maybe try coming of them will help but I'm really not better yet.
Please could some one give some advice with wot to do as my doctors is useless and he would not change my tablets for anything els but surly if they weren't working I would not have felt good at all.

[happycamper]

Hi Rocker,
Sorry to hear you're struggling with citalopram at the moment.
I have to say citalopram has been fabulous for me, however never been on any higher than 20mg. Do you feel you gave yourself long enough on the 20mg to see how they worked for you? You may not have been on a steady dose for long enough, in only 6 months you have had a lot of dose changes.
Personally I wouldn't rush to come off them altogether, I made that mistake several months ago and realise now it was too soon.
Are you doing anything else other than the meds to try and help your panic attacks? In 17 years of these, 6 months treatment is such a very short time still.

[southey]

Yes I think you need to stabilize on a dose for a while, try the 35mg for a few weeks and see how you go. How were you before Citalopram better or worse feeling?

I think also six months is not long enough seeing as though you have had problems for so long? Also have you tried any CBT therapy combined with your meds? Could be worth a shot?

Good luck,

Steve

[Rocker]

Thanks or replying happy camper you are prob right about not giving them long enough but what I don't understand is why I feel better for a while then it all crashes every time I think I might try 30mg again I only started taking 35mg 3 days ago.
The thing I can't handle is these mood swings the anxiety I could prob deal with but 1 hour your on cloud 9 then suddenly it goes down again it's really strange feeling maybe they are to strong what I'm taking and I did not give the lower dose long enough.
The thing is I start to feel a bit better I have a bit of a blip so I want to up the dose again.

I wish I did not start on these at all and just done what I did for 19 years at least I new what to expect.

Thanks again

---------- Post added at 20:42 ---------- Previous post was at 20:33 ----------

I am doing CBT at the mo and also read loads of stuff to help calm me down.
My family all have anxiety my brother been taking citalopram for 4 years with good reactions.
I'm just so confused what to do now go up dose go down as this might be the reason why I feel wired they might be to strong.

Sorry to sound so down just not sure what to do now about it.

Thanks again

---------- Post added at 20:50 ---------- Previous post was at 20:42 ----------

Another thing to add is I always take it at 7am on the dot by the evening most of the time I start to feel quit a bit better is that because the tablets are Wearing off a bit so that would show they might be a bit to strong.

Thanks rocker

[happycamper]

Rocker, blips are to be expected, you may be putting too much pressure on yourself to feel good, heck these are such early days in the long process of managing panic attacks/anxiety, which will take more than just meds, I'm in the midst of all this, thought I'd be sorted by now, nearly 2 years after starting on cit, but when you've lived your life one way for so long...in my case bad habits in thought behaviour which I've learned probably from childhood, you can't possibly expect it to change suddenly in such a short time...it is a long gradual process, but better to start this process than not, eh..?
Maybe reducing the cit will be wise, go see your GP, but if you're so wired, it's probably not being that beneficial right now.
Citalopram has a long half life of around 36 hours, i.e. it only become half as effective by this time, so it's unlikely their effects are wearing off after just 12 hours, more likely your anxiety is more heightened in the morning as it is the case with many sufferers.

[Rocker]

Thanks happy camper

I think you are right about all of what you said its just so hard when you start these meds and want to feel good so quick.
They were so bad at the biggining I know it's like this for everyone not just me
I will put everything I have to not just rely on meds as there not a cure they are a block so I need to train myself to make things better and I will get there in the end.

I have gone back to 30mg this morning and do feel a bit better I will spread to the GP about maybe going down a bit more to see if that was the problem I know it will be hard but I have been here plenty of times before in 19 years
I hope your feeling well today.

Thanks so much it does help when someone els understands what it's like this is the first time I have ever been a member of a forum.

Thanks again