Why isn't it working for me?

[Tori Frances]

Hi all,
Just wanted to vent some frustration that Citalopram seems to have worked for so many and yet I have been on it for 7 weeks, (40mg), and am no better, in fact if I'm honest I am a lot worse.
Also tried Clomipramine, prozac,Amitriptyline and Quetiapine with no success in the past. Am doing CBT and Yogatherapy and have been for a few months and yet again, no improvement. I at least used to have good days, now I honestly can't remember the last good day I had. They are all blurring into one long panic attack. I can't take this for much longer. What should I do?

[tara1987]

hi tori. my god..., you have been through the mill, trying loads of diiferent treatment! what has your doctor said? im pretty new to citalopram, so not yet quite knowing how im ment to feel. but it doesnt work for every one, so maybe you just need to change you medication again! (i no its a pain in the bum) but i would say, stay on it for a little while longer. because they say these type of tablets take about 6 weeks to get into your system, and youve only been on them a week longer then that, so maybe your bodys a bit of a slow absorber?? im hopeing they they kick in soon for you , and you feel better! x

[Lion King]

Hi Tori,

I have been on Cit for 7 weeks, but still get the odd anxiety problems, I find that I am starting to experience more good days than bad. I fthink that the meds don't entirely stop the anxiety but more mental control, by relaxation and positive thinking the symptoms seem to fade away, the more practice with this the more automatic it starts to feel normal! Don't let the bad days get you down and think of the feelings when you do have a good day and how you acheived that.

Hope things change for the better

Lion King

[Ryan82]

Hi Tori, just thought id share my personal situation with Citalopram, i had been on them for about 6 or 7 weeks and not felt any real benefits at all, infact i took a massive downward turn and my parents were worried about me - and thats saying something after years of sustained depression and anxiety. But yeh this first 6 or 7 weeks for me personally were amongst the worst of my life i felt more tearful than ever and like i was going to go into a fully blown, end of the world panic attack and this even got to the stage where i felt horribly uncomfortable making food in the kitchen with only my own family around. For some reason i kept going on Citalopram, i kept reading positive posts on here and a further week or two passed and just somehow i was thinking about things less, i was waking up without that massive feeling of tension in my shoulders, i was sleeping soundly and then gradually i found i could do more and more normal every day things (like going to the post office) that were terrifying me before. For me personally this has continued to get better and better and citalopram is playing a big part in my recovery. Im also working hard on keeping a diary to help control my thoughts and make them naturally more positive - and trying to find time every day for some form of exercise (its really hard to find the motivation to do this when you feel so depressed and anxious, but a massively important part) i find that this helps remind your body that it is in working order and not about to collapse on you - so when you get a panic attack you know your not going to collapse etc....

Im not out of the woods yet, and i still have my bad days, but then i have come to realise that that is just part of life, the bad days make the good ones that bit sweeter. All i say is keep with it, believe in it, and if you really want to change (i spent ages not being ready to change and confront and admit to my issues) then do as much as you can every day to make a difference. Be selfish and put yourself first and hopefully things will click into place for you.

Good luck

[sid]

Hi Tori. Like the other postings say I would agree that you need to give the citalopram a bit longer. It does take 4-6 weeks to get into your system but remember this is an average time and therefore you may just be the one that takes a bit longer to have the desired effect. I too felt awful for the first 4-5 weeks of starting citalopram, in fact I felt worse than I had originally, however, with perseverance the side effects diminished.
Remember that the drug is only part of the process for getting well. The tablets on their own are not a cure - you need to make sure you are working on your breathing, positive self talk etc. The tablets just help to point you in the right direction to motivate yourself to get well, its very hard work but you will get their in the end. Just try to stick it out and give the tablets a chance. Hope this helps xx

[Tori Frances]

Thanks everyone. I will keep going. I am having CBT and practising my positive thinking excersises, so I know its not the drugs alone that will help but my anxiety always seems to fight back and take over somehow. Its like the anxiety itself won't let me accept its presence if that makes sense. I keep telling myself its ok, just to let it happen, but as its constant and I don't get a break I can't help but feel desperate as I am constantly suffering and never seem to experience pleasure anymore. Am praying next few weeks see a little change on Citalopram.

[PoppyC]

Hi Tori
You have been on citalopram about the same time as me. I am having a run of bad days on it since increasing the dose and that is one of the effects but I must admit that I am not that impressed with the tablets. It has helped but not sufficiently enough and that is even with self help which I practiced long before ever taking medication. I am going to carry on with a few more weeks and see if they help and if not I am going to try something else I think.
You shouldn't be feeling worse after taking these for a while I think. Do you have any good days on them?

[Lion King]

Hi Tori, Poppy,

are you now starting to feel the benefit of being on cit?

I am on upped dose 30mg and just going through the side effects again, side effects can be so debilitating, and this is knocking me back a bit! Could do with some positive feedback!

Wish you all the best.

Lion King

[NoPoet]

Hi Tori, sounds like you have "treatment-resistant" anxiety which is harder to beat but by no means impossible!

If your anxiety is fighting back hard, you need to find other ways to overcome it as a stand-up fight is not working. You need to use your cunning to win.

Why do you feel that CBT and yoga are not working? What are your aims when using these therapies? Remember that a single type of therapy won't fix your problems on its own; you need to set a different target for each type of therapy. Eg yoga for relaxation and de-stressing, CBT for changing your thought patterns to combat panic and anxiety, counselling or calling the Samaritans or visiting MIND for 24/7 support and relief of negative feelings.

It may also be that you are suffering from depression as well as anxiety. Consider all options: look at whether or not you are suffering from depression and stress on top of anxiety. These three problems all mask one another and work well together. I have found that if you can isolate them (identify what problems cause which symptoms) and deal with them separately they are much easier to overcome than if they remain one nebulous, vague mass.

40mg is not the maximum dose for this medication. Maybe if your problems are being made worse by anxiety your doctor can increase it or try combining it with meds such as valium or beta blockers?

You could still be having side effects from your medication after 7 weeks which could be why your panic attacks are still occurring. There is no set timeline for recovery. It can take months before you start to get a grip on your problems depending on how bad those problems are and how effectively you are using therapies and treatments. Look into alternative treatments as well such as B-vitamins, Omega 3 and DHA which is found in fish oil.

Trust me mate, if your problem is fighting back and proving hard to shift you need to bombard it with everything you can. In world war 1 when standard trench assaults produced massed casualties, the British army invented "rolling bombardments" where infantry would advance behind a proceeding curtain of artillery shells. Before the enemy even had time to emerge from the trenches they were being swamped by Britain's finest -- a tremendously successful tactic. You must do something similar. Your medication, therapies and vitamin supplements are your artillery barrage, you must follow them up immediately with positive thinking and CBT aimed directly at the source of your problems.

[Lion King]

Quality post Poet, you sound like you are really kicking ass against your anx/dep!

Keep it up mate

Lion King