Citalopram really works for my fear???

[Torombolo]

Thanks jt 69 for anwer me but can i ask you a question???if you dont mind?? For how long you took citalopram??? how many miligrams???
how long to start to work for fear and depression ??? and mirtazapine is working better than citalopram?? is mirtazapine a little sedant too i mean does make feel a little relax too??

[JT69]

Hi Torombolo
This last period I have taken citalopram for around 5 months but as it did not seem very successfull for me my GP changed me to mirtazapine last Friday. With the cit I started on 10ml as I knew from taking it previously it makes you feel worse before you start to feel better so the lower the dose the less side effects. I took 10ml for 1 week then went up to 20ml which I took for 8 weeks I went through the awful stage of starting the drug which lasted around a week (increased anxiety being the worse for me). After the 8 weeks I went up to 30ml and then finally 40ml (I have never previously being on this high dose 30 being the highest in the past). I did feel a little better but I was too up and down...would have a week of feeling o.k then a few days of feeling crap again hence the GP changing me to Mirtazipine. Mirtazipine does make you sleep really well and feel very drowsy for the most of the day and it increases your appetite, but I am new to this and am desperate for anyone to help me by telling me when this will wear off. I am also experiencing awful side effects from the withdrawel of citalopram (feels like brain zaps but going all through my body) this is because I came off the meds in the space of a week, I just wonder how long this will last. Is the the first time you have taken any meds??? Citalopram is a good drug and when it worked for me it did really help, I did take it previously for a number of years on a low dose to prevent a re-lapse and found I could cope with work etc when I had a bad spell. I am off work at the moment and have been for almost 4 months now, I am just hoping that these side effects soon disappear so I can return to work and get on with my life. Hope this helps and if you want to ask ANYTHING else please do and I will help you if I can. Good Luck. Jo.

[cabbytoes]

I'm the same as AJS. I'm in my 6th week of citalopram and have made gradual improvements. In the last week I've had a couple of days of nothing at all .... and other days only spells of anxiety and not at the crippling stage it was before.
I've taken this drug before and it does work but you do have to be patient.
Stick with it.
Carol x

[NotResponding]

Oh sry Torombolo, didn't want to worry you, I'll tell you that after 5-10 days you will start to feel releif. I did 10mg every two days, then everyday, then 20mg daily, for a few months. I have heard of some people doing 40 or 60mg daily.

It really will help, i said it felt odd, because it was just weird to NOT feel so anxious in town. But if you can't get out of the house, then that is what it's for, as a stepping stone to start the recovery process. It just wasn't for me personally. I didn't feel it was very strong, it only took the edge off for me, and I didn't like the side effects.

I would say, as you could be "stuck", to go ahead and give them a go, you will definitely feel some releif of the ol anxiety.
Good luck with it anyway

Hey, if you do decide to take it, post up on here how it's going.

[Torombolo]

Well thank you for you answer , and yess i am thinking on may be change medication or have and extra one i mean 2 a the same time because i am very worry just with this one i have been for more that tree weeks and i don't feel a change , i am still very nervous about everything and 2 days ago i had a panic attack just watching tv, and when i have to talk to anyone about something important i start to feel very nervous and anxious so i think this medication is not enough or stronger enough???? i really don't know but is not working , can anyone tell me which medication is better than this or what can i do?? please
Note: my depression still the same and i heard that with this medication the first thing that you improve is your depression then your anxiety so??

[JT69]

Hi Torombolo, You probably need to give the citalopram a bit longer to get into your system before you feel the real benefit from it. Having taken this medication on and off in the past, for me I always went through a stage of feeling worse before I started to feel better (this is not the same for everyone) but once the medication got into my system I did feel a difference. I think for me having taken it for so many years and mostly on than off it it has just lost the effectiveness and as I have just had the worst period of depression/anxiety in my life even an increased dosage of up to 40ml helped but not enough I was up and down too much, hence the GP changing the meds to Mirtazipine. Hope this helps, please feel free to ask anything, but personally I feel you just need to give it a little longer. Are you currently taking 10 or 20mg?? Keep posting let us know how you doing. Jo.

[JT69]

Sorry, just re-read the first post and see that you are on 40mg......did you start on this dose??? Jo.

[Torombolo]

Hello ,thank you all for your aswers i feel better, yes i am on 40 mg ,yes i did start on 40 mg i know is a high dose but thats how my GP told me?? i have been on it for 3 weeks and as i said not working yet?? JT69 for how many years on citalopram??? thank youit really worked for your fear??????

[JT69]

Hi again, Been on and off it for the past 9 years. i think the longest I took it was probably around 5 years (as a preventative and a low dose of 10ml). Yes it did help with fear but you need to be patient 3 weeks is not a long time, it can take up to 6 weeks for you to feel the benefit. Everyone is different. I understand your frustration, we all want these meds to start working straight away but unfortunatley we have to just hang in there until they do. I did find they helped me but it just takes time. Has your GP offered you anything else to take along with the citalopram? My GP prescribed some diazepam to take if I needed them until the citalopram kicked in. You could try that if GP would allow. I know they can be addictive but I just stuck to taking them when absolutely necessary rather than continuously. That helped. Let me know how you get on. Take care and things will improve you wait and see. Jo

[Torombolo]

Thank you very much jt69... you gave me hope againg !!thanks