Please help - Citalopram and some frightening symptoms

[NoPoet]

Thanks mate, I'm sorry to hear that your doctor misinformed you so badly. I think doctors should be forced to take citalopram just once before telling patients that there are no side effects. It would certainly shut my doctor up. 60mg must have been horrendous for your first experience, I struggled with a third of that!

Update on side effects:

I'm still clenching my jaw (aargh!) and my tongue is moving about inside my excess-saliva-producing mouth like it's got Parkinsons, but the anxiety has only been about a tenth of its usual strength today and all other side effects are tolerable, if annoying.

I am so, so hoping the worst is over now.

I've actually started facing up to my problems today and this also helps; it's harder to let anxiety take over when you have shone a light on its reason for being.

Hope this helps!

[NoPoet]

Well I'm off to bed now fellow Pot Noodle fans, I'm gonna be like the bear who ended up with more than a nostril full of honey if I don't get more than six hours sleep. I'll try to stick an update on in the morning if I can. Don't know if anybody is interested. Might be worth something when I'm famous. *tumbleweed blows past*

[lex]

I have had 9 20mg tabs and feel like I have been the subject of some KGB psycho experiment! Every morning, sweats and hallucinations I can't describe. Plus all the minor symptoms like nausea and lassitude -spent half my time lying on the couch. I just can't take the morning symptoms any more so am going cold turkey. You are not alone! Have ordered some herbs from the Amazon instead!

Lex

[NoPoet]

Thanks for that mate. I'm sorry to hear you have suffered so badly. Good luck with the other stuff.

Well then Pot Noodle pickers, if you're reading this you are probably wondering if I finally had a full night's sleep. Let's not engage in false suspense: no I didn't.

[Danny_dingle]

Hey PsychoPoet,

Have just started taking the Citalopram 20mg myself (day three today, took my tablet about half an hour ago and still anxiously awaiting the side effects!) and am struggling quite severely too. So far have had headache, nausea, lack of breath, and general heightened anxiety with a whole host of consequent other symptoms! Irritatingly enough the heightened anxiety keeps making me read far too much into the symptoms and I keep worrying I am having an allergic reaction! Doubt that is the case though as the symptoms seems to be getting less severe. The first day was by far the worst! I felt like I had been hit by a truck! I also keep forgetting what I was going to say and my trail of thought just drops off a cliff... is that normal?!

It is good to know though (dunno if I read this in this thread or elsewhere) that if you are getting side effects it means it is working on you, as it is changing your chemical imbalances.

It is great to read about what is happening to you (well, not great for you I'm sure! But still, 'comforting' is the word I think!), especially as you seem to be staying so upbeat about everything; well done you!! I too am going out with friends; stocked up on books and DVDs to keep me entertained yesterday with my friend, as I have been signed off work for a month and will need to keep myself occupied!

I know completely what they mean by heightened anxiety levels now; I have just had a panic attack because my dog jumped on the settee unexpectedly whilst I was trying to put the net curtains up and I nearly fell off the chair!!

Are you getting gradually better as the days go on? I don't feel so sick any more but I keep yawning and my jaw keeps clenching, and my muscles in my hands keep going twitchy and achey. It is so strange!

Anyways, hope everyone out there reading this is getting on OK, keep your chins up; we are all on the path to getting better just by registering on here and finding out that we aren't alone or going crazy!

Take care guys!

Danny xxx

[NoPoet]

Thanks a lot for that matey, say hello to my buddy list

I'm sorry to hear you are suffering. Others have been there before, so you know you're not alone!

Today was looking like a bad day. I was tired, p***ed off, feeling REALLY down and starting to get agoraphobic. But although I did have to lie down for a couple of hours in the afternoon due to sheer exhaustion caused by seven crap nights' sleep, I have been out three times today. Once to do the shopping with my family (we pick my nan up and take her as well), once in the afternoon with dad (to save my sanity -- I was so tired it was getting me down) and again in the evening with dad when I took him to one of his talks.

This has made such a huge improvement in my mood. I'm still knackered, but I am very happy.

I've got tomorrow lined up as well. I've gone from having bugger all to do, to having a full calendar. Utterly essential if you're agorpahobic or panicky or feeling low.

My energy levels have improved and most of all, my appetite has come back. I've just got back with my dad and managed a "Wot Not in a Pot Noodle" (advice: make sure you remember to take the sauce sachet out BEFORE emptying the contents of the pack into boiling water) and other stuff.

It's important to keep in mind that if you feel depressed, tiredness is a MAJOR factor. Tiredness will ALWAYS distort your view of the world and your enjoyment of life. Remember this at all times!

I hope this reassures people that even if you feel tired, dejected, hopeless and frustrated, improvements CAN be made. There ARE breaks in the cloud and it is possible to see the sky.

I'll see you tomorrow, Pot Noodle fans!

[NoPoet]

Well if anyone is still reading, I woke feeling a bit crap again at 20 past 6 in the morning! I go to bed feeling wonderful then wake feeling stressed! So it's still up and down. I have dared to hope that the citalopram might have been kicking in but it still obviously isn't doing its thang yet!

Today is new, cos I don't feel down, I feel sort of hyper. It feels like my heart is racing. I'm tired too. I wonder if it's cos I spend most of the day sitting down instead of getting exercise? At times like this it's hard to believe I'll ever feel normal again. And I had such a wonderful day yesterday!

My mate texted me last night wanting to go to a shopping centre this afternoon so maybe it's just a touch of nerves?

Well I'm out with my dad shortly so hopefully when I get back I'll be fine.

[Danny_dingle]

Possibly a combination of nerves and still Citalopram side effects I'd say... you're a few days ahead of me with the meds, so thats what? About day 7/8 for you? Apparently you get the side effects for 2 - 3 weeks so maybe it just hasn't settled down properly yet...

If it's any consolation, I didn't used to get anxiety first thing in the morning until I started taking Citalopram, so I'm guessing it is responsible for the severity of your morning anxiety too! Bloomin' side effects, lets hope they pay off!!!

Keep going with them, you will get better soon I am sure of it!

Hope you have a nice time with your Dad,

Danny xxx

[joannap]

hi - when i started on citalopram i felt 10 times worse for about 2 weeks but stuck with it and then very gradually got better. i thought it might be the tablets but i was in such a state anyway it was probably a bit of both. my gp was really old school - he said if you think you feel bad now you will feel terrible when you start these so it is not unusual. i used to feel as though my mind was slipping away from me and my thoughts were so loud i could not concentrate on anything but it does pass. x

[NoPoet]

he said if you think you feel bad now you will feel terrible when you start these so it is not unusual.

My doctor would never tell me that! It would have ruined the surprise! Cheers Doctor Page

Danny_Dingle, it's my ninth pill tonight. Can't believe I have gone this far. I should get a cake or something.

To anyone suffering on citalopram I must once more repeat my mantra: Stay social! I feel a hundred times better for going out with my dad today. I'm off to my mate's in a few minutes and I have made arrangements for doing stuff this weekend. Please follow my example! Your quality of life will be better