Is this normal? Day 5 on 10mg

[Supernova]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum and have been started on antidepressants to help deal with my depression and anxiety over some debt.

Originally I was prescribed 50mg of sertraline but day 3 and I had hallucinations it was awful.

So I went back and now I am on 10mg of Celexa. The first few days were great as I did not have one side effect. I even drank a few glasses of wine and felt fine. However, yesterday I was laying in bed and felt a burning sensation on my head and then neck and then my arms and I had a massive panic attack and now all day I have felt on edge and panic attacky and now the nausea has really set in. Is it normal to go from no side effects to bam suffering and feeling dreadful? My head feels heavy and light like I am going to faint all the time.

I hope this gets better.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum and have been started on antidepressants to help deal with my depression and anxiety over some debt.

Originally I was prescribed 50mg of sertraline but day 3 and I had hallucinations it was awful.

So I went back and now I am on 10mg of Celexa. The first few days were great as I did not have one side effect. I even drank a few glasses of wine and felt fine. However, yesterday I was laying in bed and felt a burning sensation on my head and then neck and then my arms and I had a massive panic attack and now all day I have felt on edge and panic attacky and now the nausea has really set in. Is it normal to go from no side effects to bam suffering and feeling dreadful? My head feels heavy and light like I am going to faint all the time.

I hope this gets better.

Oh yes! This is normal. These medications take a good few weeks to kick in before you notice any difference. As the chemicals in your brain change your body will go through some adjustment both physically and mentally.

Some people do fine with only mild side effects, some struggle. I've just quit them because of extreme tiredness 24/7, and terrible sleeping patterns. It's a shame because they was working for me. They say this should pass, but I don't know how long I can continue feeling that tiredness/lack of motivation.

Give them time to kick in. From most things I've read, and personal experience in the past, it does get better. You have to just ride the wave.

[Supernova]

Thank you.

I had no idea they could make you feel like you are literally dying X

[WiredIncorrectly]

Thank you.

I had no idea they could make you feel like you are literally dying X

I didn't get the nausea. I had more nausea with the anxiety before taking them so it was nice to have my appetite back. The only problem is I'm due to have 4 teeth out so eating is a problem at the moment lol! And worse still, because I've stopped my meds the anxiety will come back and I'll have to suffer with attacks at the dentist :(

But yeah they can make you feel dreadful. Especially the following day after alcohol. My mother is also on them, and she will have 1 glass of wine and get very sleepy.

For the first week it can actually make you feel worse.

There's a lot of discussion on the side effects of these meds. They're well known for causing hell.

[Supernova]

Thank you for replying.

I think because I had anxiety years ago but not really recently I forgot how intense a panic attack and how very real the symptoms can feel

[panic_down_under]

So I went back and now I am on 10mg of Celexa. The first few days were great as I did not have one side effect. I even drank a few glasses of wine and felt fine.

I suggest avoiding alcohol in the beginning as it can inhibit the mechanism by which antidepressants work. Some wine once on therapeutic doses and the med is working well won't hurt, but in the initial stages it may.

However, yesterday I was laying in bed and felt a burning sensation on my head and then neck and then my arms and I had a massive panic attack and now all day I have felt on edge and panic attacky and now the nausea has really set in.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem with SSRIs/SNRIs is they often make anxiety worse at the beginning (and after dose increases) due to the extra serotonin activity (despite the claims, serotonin isn't the "feel good" neurotransmitter, just the opposite). After a week or two the brain will adapt by reducing serotonin synthesis and expression and this will diminish.

I suggest you ask your doctor to prescribe a small dose of diazepam (Valium) to help get you past this hurdle, or of hydroxyzine (Vistaril), a prescription antihistamine with strong anti anxiety properties, if s/he won't prescribe benzodiazepines.

[Supernova]

Thank you

I woke up feeling terrible this morning and this nausea is worse than morning sickness. I think I am going to call the GP and ask to stop because I move house next week and I can't see me getting a thing done! X

[panic_down_under]

I woke up feeling terrible this morning and this nausea is worse than morning sickness.

Try ginger vitamin B6 supplements, which are often recommended for morning sickness, and/or ginger.

[Supernova]

Thanks down under

I am not actually pregnant I am comparing the nausea to when I was

[panic_down_under]

I am not actually pregnant I am comparing the nausea to when I was

However, B6 may work as well for SSRI induced nausea as that of morning sickness.