Mirtazapine Withdrawl or Citalopram Side Effects?

[Katemac]

Hi everyone,
I have been suffering with awful anxiety for a few weeks now...prior to this episode I was on 15 mg of Mirtazapine for sleep issues since May last year. When the anxiety started my GP put it up to 30mg but it really made no difference to how I felt (although still slept well) and so he referred me to a psychiatrist. She prescribed Citalopram and told me to reduce the Mirt to 15mg for 3 days and then stop it and start 15mg of Cit. I have been on Citalopram for 4 days now and have had awful nausea and diarrhea, boiling hot at night and unable to sleep and generally feeling awful. My anxiety has also increased. Is this to be expected? And for how long? Is it stopping the Mirtazapine or starting the Citalopram?
Thanks for your help.

---------- Post added at 19:23 ---------- Previous post was at 19:10 ----------

Sorry, should have said 10mg Citalopram - increasing to 20mg in 10 days.

[Shazamataz]

Sounds like start up effects of the citalopram. It tends to make anxiety a lot worse to begin with. I was so bad on it I gave up after three weeks, however a lot of people find it really helps if they push through the initial start up.

I'm on Mirtazapine now, week 6 on 30mg and it's only helped a little with the anxiety and sleep but not as much as I hoped :(

[SmilingAlbert]

Hey Kate,

Never taken Cit but it sounds like fairly standard SSRI start-up effects, I'm afraid. I'm sure the guys on the Cit board will be able to help here more than the Mirt people. Just take things one day at a time, and be positive that you'll turn a corner, soon.

Albert

[Istherehope?]

Hi, I've taken Cit and it does sound very much like the start up effects. If it gets really bad then a few days of diazepam can help. Like Shaz I had to stop after five weeks as the side effects were getting increasingly bad, but I had taken it a few years previously and after the first ten days things calmed and I had significant improvement. It is worth sticking with it for at least 2-3 weeks if you can, but definitely don't be afraid to keep getting support from GP/here or wherever you can.