Increased anxiety still, after 26 days on 20mg. Help?

[LiveAboveIt]

Im happy to hear that, Jay! It sounds like youre on your way to recovery. I wish there was a shortcut to turning off the fear so I could get where you are. I just wanna feel mildly comfortable in my own skin again. I guess its just a waiting game.

Yeah, Jem.. I feel like I could dismiss the thoughts and everything else if I wasnt dealing with these flashes of fear and feeling overwhelmed.

---------- Post added at 15:54 ---------- Previous post was at 15:47 ----------

Oh hey, Jay.. did the Ativan help with the fear/physical discomfort feeling?

[Jem21]

It's so much easier to put things in perspective when you are not having that crippling anxiety. I was thinking about this last night, and it's so annoying because when you think about it anxiety is actually pointless.... It doesn't solve anything and yet we can't stop it.
The fear flashes are horrible, but i also hate that tight know that sits at the bottom of my stomach. We'll get there. Stay strong.

[LiveAboveIt]

I agree, Jem. I do the best that I can to stay positive, but I always seem to lose hope by the end of the day. I seem to wake up feeling very hopeful, but about an hour and a half after taking the Citalopram, I have excruciating anxiety for nearly 10 hours straight before it decides to settle down. I wish I knew how to remove my mind from the anxiety, but I'm hoping that it's just me getting used to the pill. 4 weeks today, almost there.

[Jaysmd]

Today has been a terrible day for me. The anxiety was all day, tired, headache, lack of motivation. Have tried to avoid taking lorazepam. Hopefully this is just a blip day. Doctor is still talking about increasing me to 30mg on Wednesday (which would have been 7 weeks on). I'm going to have to get used to some side effects again anyway! Why must anxiety be so crippling...what a waste of a Saturday

---------- Post added at 01:33 ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 ----------

Liveaboveit - the ativan helps, it sure does. I just try and get through it without. If I could just take it all the time I would feel great but I keep it as a last resort.

[Jem21]

Well it must of been all of us a I had a crap day too! Anxiety pretty much all day, headache and it was a total wipeout of a day! Even cried twice yesterday! Woke up this morning and it's still here, thought I was turning a corner but doesn't look like it now!

[LiveAboveIt]

I feel the same way, Jem. I feel worse this morning though, because I took my pill about 8 hours ago.

[wantpeace]

100% expected. Start up symptoms can last a lot longer than 3 weeks. 6 for me. When you're in it, it's close to impossible to see how it will improve, but it will. I've had all sorts starting up: extreme anxiety, restlessness, agoraphobia, panic attacks, shaking, the works. I had to have people keep repeating to me:

"this is only temporary."...
"this is only temporary."...

I've started to improve dramatically the past few days.

[LiveAboveIt]

100% expected. Start up symptoms can last a lot longer than 3 weeks. 6 for me. When you're in it, it's close to impossible to see how it will improve, but it will. I've had all sorts starting up: extreme anxiety, restlessness, agoraphobia, panic attacks, shaking, the works. I had to have people keep repeating to me:

"this is only temporary."...
"this is only temporary."...

I've started to improve dramatically the past few days.

How did you manage to find confidence that it was only temporary? Im so worried that the pill isnt going to work for me. I cant seem to find any sort of emotional or physical comfort, just keep having flashes of worry and agitation. Not a fun feeling.

[Jem21]

Give it time, side effects can linger and as want peace has said it's really hard when your in the grip of anxiety to see a way out but you will. You are still early in and there is always the option of an increase if you don't get enough relief on this dose. You can do this. I float when it gets real bad and it helps x

[R1CH]

Hi All

I experienced horrendous sides for 9 weeks until all of a sudden everything magically went. I was even hospitalised because of it. No wonder I am scared to start taking it again. However this morning I was so down and felt awful I decided enough was enough and I needed help so I took the evil little white pill, so I am now on day 1 of Citalopram and already I have sides.

About 3 hours of taking it I started to shake and yawn a lot, oh how that brings back memories. My anxiety went through the roof very quickly. Luckily the pdoc understands what I went through last time so I have diazepam on hand. I took 2Mg this morning and 2mg this afternoon at about 4. It stops the anxiety dead in its track and makes me feel normal again. The pdoc has actually prescribed me 5mg tablets and 2 max to be taken a day. I will not be taking that much as I will be asleep and wont be able to function in addition to probably taking me over the legal limit for driving.

I am going to be relying on the diazepam to get me through these tough times ahead but I feel I am on the right path for getting better now all be it with drugs. I will also be making sure I don't take too much diazepam and only use when necessary. I am hoping to try and work through the coming weeks so it will be interesting how that works out considering last time I was off work for 3 months!!!

Good luck all

I will post my daily struggles!

Thanks

Rich

---------- Post added at 19:10 ---------- Previous post was at 19:08 ----------

How did you manage to find confidence that it was only temporary? Im so worried that the pill isnt going to work for me. I cant seem to find any sort of emotional or physical comfort, just keep having flashes of worry and agitation. Not a fun feeling.

I was exactly the same but just hang in there, it will work, keep the faith. I kept on asking my mum constantly through the day "will I get better, will the tablets work" they will, just give them time to work. It's tough I went through absolute hell but you will recover, everyone does in the end.

Rich

---------- Post added at 19:11 ---------- Previous post was at 19:10 ----------

Oh and don't keep googling things like "will citalopram work" I did this about 100 times a day, it just makes things 100 times worse. Not many people post on forums when they are better so you will always see more horror stories.

Rich

---------- Post added at 19:24 ---------- Previous post was at 19:11 ----------

Today has been a terrible day for me. The anxiety was all day, tired, headache, lack of motivation. Have tried to avoid taking lorazepam. Hopefully this is just a blip day. Doctor is still talking about increasing me to 30mg on Wednesday (which would have been 7 weeks on). I'm going to have to get used to some side effects again anyway! Why must anxiety be so crippling...what a waste of a Saturday

---------- Post added at 01:33 ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 ----------

Liveaboveit - the ativan helps, it sure does. I just try and get through it without. If I could just take it all the time I would feel great but I keep it as a last resort.

Hi Jaysmd

Don't try to avoid taking the Lorazepam, it makes you feel better and when the cit kicks in you wont even think about taking it again.

First time around I took diazepam and was later prescribed lorazepam (in the hospital) and the crisis team just kept telling me to take it when I needed it. I was given 3 a day when I was in the hospital.

The problem I found with Lorazepam is that it doesn't last long. I found it worked for a few hours and then I started shaking uncontrollably again with anxiety. This time I have diazepam on hand and it lasts so much longer. I know these drugs are not to be abused but when you need them, you need them and if it makes your quality of life better for the time being don't avoid taking them. I kept beating myself up about this as well and almost feeling guilty about taking them. IMO that is wrong.

There are a lot of horror stories about people being addicted to them but I believe you have to really abuse them before this happens and that has been my experience. I took them for about 5 months previously.

Anyway I am on day 1 now as I can no longer live my life without a little assistance from Citilopram.

Good luck and I hope this helps somewhat.

Rich