Have I done the right thing?

[maks]

Hi,

Need some reassurance / opinions today please?!?! I'm having a really low week and need a bit of support.

I've been taking Citalopram for about 8 weeks now, 40mg for General Anxiety with a bit of Social / Agrophobia thrown in just for fun I have also been taking a high strength mutli-vit and Inositol and being careful about what I eat.

In general, I was making very slow progress, but the steps were really hard and there was just no consistency to what I was feeling - one day I could get out by myself for an hours walk or so and feel better for it whilst I was out, upon getting home I would have panic attacks and the next couple of days would be really low again.

I kind of lost the plot this week and did a few stupid things - being very honest, I drank too much alcohol and I stopped doing the things to help myself....

So I picked myself back up I decided to see my GP again - her reaction was incredibly supportive (so lucky to find a GP who specialises in mental health) but surprised me. She tells me she refers to guidelines from the biggest medication study done for depression / anxiety ( Maudsley hospital in London I think?) so her idea on the next steps is not just her guess, but is supported by evidence. Anyway, she recommended, stopping the Citalopram dead that day, and starting the next evening on Venlafaxine at 37.5 mg and then a gradual increase up to 300mg to get the symptoms under control and then a review at that point to decide a dosage for long term. She also mentioned that this is a 'second line' treatment for people that don't respond to the SSRI's - that has got me a bit worried now I have had time to think - what is the third line - 'hospitalisation' ???? I guess I didn't really understand how bad the situation is and was kind of viewing the whole thing from a third party perspective?

I'm awaiting CBT / counselling (approx a month away) so I kind of agree with this approach as a short term way of getting the symptoms under control and then using the counselling to start to move forward. As I was feeling very low, I just did what I was told and started the Venlafaxine. I've got to say, last night, I slept like a baby for 8 hours (1st time in months) and so far don't have any nasty side effects. Actually today, the weirdest thing is that everything seems a little 'lighter and brighter' i mean actually the light I'm seeing - even though it's p-ing it down here today, it looks nice and bright outside - weird i know

However, since starting the venlafaxine, I've read some horror stories on what it can be like to come off, especially at higher doses, I know google should be banned for anyone with anxiety - but I just can't help looking - what I haven't found are many positives though - am a bit worried now.

Have I done the right thing just to move onto the new drug? Will I ever be able to get off of it? Is the effect I feel today going to last?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh - a million questions that won't stop I know that is the anxiety, but it's really feeding itself at the moment........

Really sorry to ramble, I just needed to get it all out today - Please offer me some words of wisdom

[Vanilla Sky]

Hi Maks
Your doc seems to know her dtuff and the fact it is backed up by evidence is great . So i think you have done the right thing changing your med . It's funny how you say about the brightness , thats what happened to me when i had depression and the anti d's started to work . As i have said before , i think especially on here lol , we put too much emphasis on side effects , it seems to be a huge talking point here , and the main reason why people are scared to go on meds ( that was myself included ) or scared to come of them. We are all individual and our bodies deal with it differently . Speaking personally if i had not gone on Citalopram , i don't know where i would be now.
I say go with the flow , and remember that our reactions to something we have read or heard is a result of the way we are feeling at that time , We revel in the negitive when we are down and also when we are trying to get back up again , we wobble at the first hurdle . You will know yourself when you are well , you will dismiss the negitive and look forward.
You are right when you say it is anxiety and boy its having a field day today .. yum yum lol.
Keep going as you are , you have a great doctor for support when its required. If you feel good , enjoy it , if you don't then you know it will pass, it's the yak yak in your head at the moment lol , tell it to shut up coz your not listening la la la .
Good luck Maks , we are here for you also

Paige xx

[harasgenster]

Hi maks,
I think you've done the right thing. Cit worked for me at first but then I just snowballed into a much worse depression than I had before taking it. My doctor also specialises in mental health and stopped the Cit dead, replacing it with Venlafaxine. To be honest, it didn't work for me, but it did wonders for my Mam. She found that Venlafaxine was just the thing for her - much better than SSRIs. Everybody is different and not everybody responds to SSRIs - I'm on mood stabilisers and find I am a lot calmer now than when I was on ADs. It doesn't really suggest that you are more ill, it's just about what suits you.

As for the things looking brighter and lighter - that's a good sign that ADs are working, so it looks like you might be on the right track! I've never been sure if the ADs make things look brighter or whether people who are depressed just see everything as a bit greyer and duller and its the fact you are becoming happier that the colours look bright, because you're actually entering a more normal mood.

Like I say, I don't know which of those is correct, but it sounds like the change was a good one if you are seeing things brighter.

Good luck, and don't worry about hospitalisation! They only hospitalise to protect someone against themselves, or to protect others (I believe). The third line might be mood stabiliers, tranquilisers or different types of therapy. I haven't got a clue what the system is but don't take the doctor's words as meaning you are very ill.

Oh, and I had no problems coming of Venlafaxine. Neither did my Mam. You can get a strange feeling in your head if it is stopped suddenly (mine was to put me on mood stabilisers) but it won't be like that if you're weaning down. I don't think it'll be any worse than coming off any drug.

[suzy-sue]

I cant add anything that hasnt already been said except ,I think you have done the right thing .Dont drink alcohol until you are on a dose that has made you feel well again and then in moderation when you do .Its a small sacrifice to pay for a short time .Wishing you a speedy recovery luv Sue x

[blueangel]

And for my two pennyworth as well - I definitely think you've done the right thing. Your doctor sounds very switched on about mental health issues (and let's face it, not all of them are). As someone else has already said, hospital is definitely not the third line treatment, there are all sorts of other things that would be tried before that became the option.

With any drug treatment, our reactions to it vary hugely on our bodily makeup, our metabolism and all sorts of other things, and what works for one person may not work on another. I take citalopram at the moment and they seem fine and dandy for me, but I did once try Prozac and they had the most bizarre effects. For the first three days, I felt invincible (in that rather scary, "you can fly off the top of this building" way), then they gave me blinding headaches, so my GP took me off them pronto.

So in the end, it's whatever works for you best. Don't worry about getting off them yet, as that's a while away, and in any case, your GP will be able to advise the best way.

Good luck and keep your chin up.

[harasgenster]

For the first three days, I felt invincible (in that rather scary, "you can fly off the top of this building" way

Ha! My experience exactly! Doesn't seem like they use Prozac as first response much anymore. Most people are on Citalopram nowadays, which is probably good if there were a few of us feeling like this!

[chasinghappiness]

From personal experience, venlafaxine is a srni, and i can tell you it is extremelly difficult to stop taking once you have been on it for a month or so, severe withdrawls so bad i was hospitalised whilst going through it.

Furthermore there are now updated prescribing details in the NICE guidelines for this particular drug, and a recent study that shows that over time it can cause heart problems.

[maks]

Wow, this site and the people here are great - thank you all for your replies, I'm always a little bit in awe of how people come together to support one another.

Paige - thanks for the reminder about revelling in the negative - it's easy to forget that a bit of positive thinking goes a long way

harasgenster - thanks for a positive story and great news for your mam - really good to hear that maybe coming off won't be such a hurdle....

suzy - thanks for your support, lesson well and truly learnt for the alcohol this week (the hard way.......)

blueangel - what a lovely post, you're right about the GP. I was very lucky to find her - thanks

chasinghappiness - I'm sorry to hear you had to go through that, I hope things are improving for you now.


I feel a bit better for getting this all of my chest today and everyone's support really helps.

Thanks again

[maks]

The last couple of days have been ...... strange

I've been ill with a sore throat and kinda cold for about 10 days now - that got really bad over the weekend and I lost my voice a couple of times and have been really shaky all the time.

It was my daughter's birthday on Saturday - we had a great day ( got her 2 rescued bunnies which she is in love with ) My anx was through the roof due to lots of family visiting to see her, but I coped ok. But by 17:00 that night I was dead on my feet, I went to bed and slept until 8 yesterday morning - unheard of for me - I did the same yesterday.

I've been getting in such a deep sleep since I've been taking these (never manage that usually) that I have had the most horrendous realistic dreams - not sure if it's the new meds though or cos I've been ill? I hope they stop soon.

I've also felt really 'spaced out' at times, just sitting and hours have gone by and I haven't noticed.

Today, I up the dose to 75 mg - regardless of how I feel I'm going to do it as I hope the positives of these meds will kick in quicker and the side effects should go soon? - I hope?

Anyway, thanks again for everyone's comments until now - here goes on the higher dose..........

[harasgenster]

Hi maks, Venlafaxine can make you feel a bit spacey and it does knock you out at first! I couldn't keep my eyes open! I think these side effects ease off after a few weeks, but if they don't and they're bothering you, make sure you let your doctor know because she might want to try something else