Gonna keep a record here of my citalopram journey!

[martbarr]

Well not too bad today - didn't sleep a lot again last night , and have felt sortt of fuzzy and not very mentally sharp today.
But I drove from Nottingham to Cardiff at 7am had a meetting and drove back, and never felt tires once. And the journey seemed to pass a lot quicker than it usually does. Maybe I'm not over thinking all the time? But I am a variable sort of mood chap anyway so could be the pills - could be me !

Otherwise not too bad - a little off food, but nothing puts me off that much.

Intend to try a nytol tonight to see what happens as can have a later start to work tomorrow.

[martbarr]

The nytol was great - slept a lot better - up for the loo once but straight back to sleep again as far as I can remember.
Definitely don't want to get going this morning though !!!!!!
But am ok besides this thick head feeling. I know it will pass.

Off to dr this afternoon to talk about the sleep and maybe mention the *other* side effect that I alluded to above
Although in the great scheme of things perhaps it's not that important.

Could easily go to sleep at my desk right now to be honest !
Not a good idea.

Will update later re dr visit.

[martbarr]

Saw the doctor - who suggested first that it was just the depression making me stay awake. I reminded her I slept like a log until I started taking citalopram, so she suggested that I stop taking them. But having put up with 5 days of side effects I said I'd rather persist.
So she gave me 14 zopiclone 7.5 mg, to be taken "as necessary", but to be honest they look a bit heavy duty, and I may just keep going alternating Clonazepam and Nytol nightly until I settle down to sleep pattern again, as I'm sure I will.
Otherwise not too bad so far.

Nice to have other folk to talk to, even if electronically.
Martin

[crissy]

maybe you could cut zipiclone in half, 3.75mg is what i have reduced too from 7.5mg they did help me get sleeping again,you could even alternate nytol, take the broken in half tablet with a good drink of milk because it will taste nasty, ask doctor for 3.75mg pills if possible then if you need you can take two. you will have a nasty taste in your mouth during day so get some sweets or chewing gum.
If you can do without it would be better, but i found with regular sleep i became stronger and more able to deal with the day in turn reduce sleeping pills.
nice to speak to you martin
take care love crissy xxx

[martbarr]

hi crissy,

Thanks very much - I love an excuse to eat sweets !!
I'll go without tonight - I do get the feeling that I might be getting a little better at sleep, and am only on day 5 - but it's one of those things, the harder you try to go to sleep the worse it gets!
So will update tomorrow.

thanks for the message .....
Martin

[martbarr]

Great nights sleep thanks to the clonazepam (half a .5mg tab), and other than being a bit far away and dreamy - not too bad today at all.

Starting to feel slightly optimistic that this stuff may actually work, but I know day 6 is very early days.
Starting to worry that if this works well I will want to stay on it for ever. And doubt my gp will allow that !
Although I do have a long history of panic and anxiety issues so you never know!

See you tomorrow !!!

[martbarr]

Dong well today - early start for church - I am keyboard player organist in St Martin's church in Sherwood - and it all went very well today - was worried I may be wobbly or unfocussed -but went great.
Still feel vague and forgetful of names and stuff - but beginning slowly not to care! Took Nytol last night - but will try a night tonight without anything and see if I'm settling down yet.
Otherwise doing ok.
Can't sense any hightened anxiety, maybe even a litle less than usual - so possibly kicking in? Like I keep saying us depressed folks are so variable it's had to attribute anything to pills until it becaomre very clear.

Thanks for reading - next update tomorrow from desk at work (where I have just been given notice of intended redundancy!!)

[crissy]

happy for you martin, keep it up, you are doing so well.

have a good day tommorowx

love crissy xxxxx

[martbarr]

Thanks Crissy

Well - I forgot to take any sleep aids last night as I had a late night - was a little restless but seemed to get sleep from 1am until 9am - blimey must be a record

I feel a bit vague still - and sort of slightly anxious - but nothing like I have been doing so something is working.

Nothing much to report otherwise - a slightly odd taste in my mouth - and slightly more tingly today - but nothing unmanageable.

Found that diet red bull does actually give me a bit of a boost.
Before cit, it used to make me so wired I couldn't think!
Not be overdone I suspect!

And - am another pound heavier today though (that's 2 lbs in a week), in spite of me *thinking* I am eating less.
Will need to watch that as I need to lose about a stone anyway!

More tomorrow !

[martbarr]

Nytol again - slept from 11:30 until 9am so catching up on some sleep at last.
Although feel "anyhow" today - a bit unfocussed, and sort of not quite with it.
But to be fair I often get like that when catching up on sleep.

Otherwise a very slight trembly feeling and feel a bit generally itchy today.

I feel like I'm at the point where citalopram is lifting me up over the side effects, and it's ceasing to be something I'm watching out for. Good news!

I know we're all different, and do feel very bad for those folk who get bad side effects, but so far I have to say it's not been anywhere need as bad as I imagined it would be.

Besides being harder to sleep, the only other big side effect is the very delayed, almost inability to e*ulate ( sorry ladies - no other way of saying it! ), which is frustrating, but will try to keep in perspective.

Thanks for reading - back tomorrow!