10mg Cit daily diary 8 weeks. Positive results. Hope this helps others

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Due son in hospital (now recovered) & other stressful events this year inc repeated unexplained fearfulness & anxiety on family holidays over the last few years. I finally seen my Doctor who prescribed Citalopram 10mg for 3 months with Diazepam to calm & Zolpedam to help sleep.

DIARY

Sunday 14th Sept still not sleeping brain racing away & not shutting down so had to take half zolpidem sleeping pill 10mg about 1am then Slept right thru.

Monday half zolpidem again 1am then Slept right thru.

Tuesday 16th sep took the plunge & had my first 10mg citalopram at 10am buzz kicked in an hour later. Up & down feeling good & bad all day at work until bedtime.

Took 3 halves of Diazepam during day last one just before bed 9 to ease the buzz.

Got to sleep 11:30 without half a zolpidem but woke with a jerk 12:30  to go to loo. Deep consciousness & very low breathing but had to take half zolpidem at 2am Slept right thru.

Wednesday really tired yawning all the time & buzzing constantly. Up & down roller coaster all day & night. Diazepam & sleeping helping. 

Thursday still feeling panicky & sickly - did not go to pub highly unusual. 

Friday struggling with the feelings again but want to carry on with the course of tablets.

Saturday & Sunday much the same hard to cope with feelings but will soldier on. Noticed my bowel habits have become totally irregular - used to be like clockwork.

2nd week better.

Those awful Brain zaps not occurring anymore during the night in bed & horrible headaches gone & stopped taking daily paracetamol.

Not as much buzzing feeling from pills.

Less as tired as I was but still yawning throughout the day & night just less.

Still drinking lots & lots of water.

Thursday afternoon 25th sep did some exercise + 20 hard press ups straining neck.

Started feeling anxious sickly after tea but still went to pub had 2 1/2 pints ale got into bed terrible buzzing all over my body couldn't sleep had to take half a zolpidem 2am. Woke up feeling ok.

Friday hot flushes buzzing & panicking started again late in the day had to take half a diazepam but didn't really help. Should have taken full one.

Bed at 9 really tired but couldn't sleep half a zolpidam 1:30am

Saturday broke down & wept & talked to wife about situation. Felt much better afterwards. 

Did DIY jobs on house & gardening & cycling with son sat & sun. 

Took half Zolp sat & sun nights to get to sleep due wife snoring.

Monday still buzzing at work all day but felt a lot better later.

Tuesday ok till 3pm then butterflies in tummy & panicky all night. 

Wed affy feeling better.

Thursday 2nd October feel good

Had couple of pints at pub half a Zolp slept well feeling more normal within myself.

Friday slight ropey hangover feel normal still though. 

Less tired & yawning

Less headaches.

But worried about the first 2 weeks when it was 3 days ok then next 2 days crashed & buzzing.

Saturday 4th Oct mild buzz all affy took 2 herbal tabs for sleep really bad buzzing from herbs all night.

Sun ok due only 1/2 Melissa Dream herbal sleep tablet.

Monday 6th good 1/2 herbal sleep tab

Tues morn woke up with blocked ears right one worse than left all day & night quite worrying.

Wed morn ears just about cleared thank god was due to ear plugs wife snoring. still feeling good within myself. 

Thurs 9th Oct good again no bad headaches for days now. Had 5 pints at quiz bit ropey all day Friday & Saturday had another 5 pints Saturday ropey & buzzy Sunday had 1 diazepam. Monday 13th Oct still ropey hangoverish but manageable. 

Had no sleeping tabs of any kind for 5nights. Though got into bed Monday terrible buzzing all over my body & head and sweating all night couldn't sleep had to take half a zolpidem 1am. 

Tues 12th oct buzzing less but still feeling ropey took half diazepam 1:30pm

Had to take another full 5mg diazepam at 8pm. 

Wednesday 15th still ropey & took a full diazepam midday & then another after buzzing about 8pm. Slept really well.

Thurs 16th Oct

Okish all day tired & few battles against the buzzing finally took 5mg tab of diazepam at 7:30pm had 2 pints at the pub & felt much better & slept well. 

Fri not so bad but still not fully right. Thai massage helped & managed not to have a diazepam.

Saturday okish again but still not right then started to buzz badly 5pm eventually took diazepam 8pm went to bed at 10pm. Slept till 3 needed toilet & again at 6 then slept till 9.

Sunday okish again but still little buzzy half a sleeping pill 2am slept till 9.

Monday mild buzzing manageable again but headachy & have been for a week now but held out not taking paracetamol, diazepam or sleeping pil.

Tues 21st Oct much the same as yday but slightly better then much improved after lunch + no headaches. Head felt completely back to normal by tea-time.

Wed woke up fine & state of mind completely normal again for a 2nd day running. Took half herbal sleep pil to ensure wasn't woken by wife's snoring.

Thur 23rd woke little groggy due pil hopefully but otherwise normal again. Have noticed less pressure in head as usually I hold my nose & blow down nostrils everyday to release pressure build up in ears. Little panicky about going to pub but once there was fine & had 4 1/2 pints slept well.

Fri normal slight hangover. Sausage egg bap to cure. Felt normal again. Had glass of wine with meal slept well.

Sat started little buzzing lunchtime but eased off by bedtime & back to normal.

Sun again normal & played full game football & slept well tho dreaming about game for too long before nodding off.

Monday normal again.

Tuesday normal again little then medium buzzing late afternoon & took half Diaz before meeting friends at restaurant & then cinema. Slept ok.

Wed ok but tired & very mild buzzing took 2 herbal 'calms' pils in the afternoon & 500mg ginger capsules I n my tea at night slept well.

Thur 30th ok in morn but bit tired again & little headachey. Started taking the chelates magnesium, vitamin b6 & ginger tablets again. went to pub & had 5 pints.

Friday slight normal hangover otherwise good.

Sat good again.

Today sun 2nd November all good again seems everything is levelling out & the bad feelings are coming less & less & definitely more manageable. 

Had a blazing row with the Wife sun affy carried over to mon. Started worrying & buzzing little mon affy due to the row & took ages to sleep so took half Diaz 1:15am

Tues okish and decided to take 15mg of cit to see how it goes. Slight buzz again but much calmer after making up with wife slept ok.

15mg cit again wed. Ok morn & afternoon but mild buzz from about 4pm then all night.

Thur back down to 10mg & all fine. Theatre with family & 3 1/2 pints in pub.

Fri 10mg again & fine.

Sat 8th Nov long lie in bed good sleep so tried 15mg again & all good.

Sun 15mg again so far do good.

Everything is definitely levelling out & feeling absolutely back on track to normal life again.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    biggrinThat's good keeping a diary Carl - a really interesting read .... some of it made me smile as know exactly the feelings.  Love the bit about wife snoring haha ....... my husband does the same (especially when this medication messes up your sleep anyway)!

    Hope you're doing well.  

    • Posted

      Hi Kate

      Thanks for the reply & glad to hear I'm not the only one with a snoring partner driving you mental when you already feel like you're losing your mind anyway !

      Hope your well.

      At what dose & stage are you at in the Cit journey ?

      Best wishes 

      Carl

    • Posted

      Yes many a night I've felt sleep deprived, and listening to snoring doesn't help :-)  Strangely I wake up around 4am every morning for a while before going to sleep again.

      I'm now on about week 10 and am feeling quite good.  Each week gets better.  This is my second time on them, having been on them for 15 years before and having a break for a year.  I'm on 20mg, but before when I was on them I managed feeling good on 10mg, so will reduce them when the time is right.

      My 20 year old son had a melt down in August and is now on Prozac.  It was a shock to us and so weird he has exactly the same as me!  It's been very painful watching him suffer as I had done at his age, so hence me restarting my medicine again so I can be in a good place to help him.  He's on week 12 and has had a very rough time and says he feels the same.  This weekend though he looks brighter!  Anyway if no change, I shall suggest he change to Citralopram too.

      I'd forgotten how tough the side effects were and getting through those first weeks .... but things look brighter.

    • Posted

      Ha yeh many a night I've kicked the wife hard for keeping me awake. 

      Wow 15 years ! Did it just become s habit or had you tried to come off but crashed ?

      I'm going from 15mg to 20mg tomorrow as the quack reckons that is the most effective dose.

      Understand everyone's has a different story & I don't know yours but my mum had the same due she was a single parent when I was a kid with 3 brothers but I don't believe she was born with it or that I inherited anxiety from her. 

      I admire you for having to go through all those horrid side effects again to be there for your son but don't feel guilty as it may not be hereditary - it may be because of a series of stressful events that effected him like what happened to me.

      Hope it goes well for you both let me know.

      I'm still progressing well stronger every day very similar to your path.

    • Posted

      Yes 15 years is a long time on the medication.  I tried to come off them a few times but the depression returned each time. My doctor said they can be taken for life if need be (just as some people need heart pills etc) and aren't addictive.  So I carried on and eventually reduced them to 10mg then later on 5mg where I found I could maintain my depression well (winter months I upped the dose to 10mg).  Last year I stopped altogether and found I was fine, though I took over the counter 5-HTP and l-tyrosine instead.

      Yes everyone has a different story that triggers depression.  

      I didn't really consider the side effects when I restarted my medication - I just knew I needed help before it got bad.  I couldn't feel ill when I needed to be strong and well for my son.  When the anxiety hit me the first week of taking them it was awful.  Now on week 14 I feel back to feeling good again and all side effects have passed (though sometimes get a slight wave of nausea).

      Going from 15mg to 20mg might start the side effects again slightly, but I expect they'll soon pass - and yes 20mg seems to be a good dose to take.

      Good to hear you're progressing well each day.  Joy is around that corner :-)

       

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