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10mg for 6 weeks and then 20mg for 3 weeks for Anxiety. Feel worse than ever currently

Posted , 3 users are following.

K83JM
K83JM

Hello, i am hoping for some advice or at least some reassurance.

I am taking Citalopram for Anxiety. I struggle with day to day anxiety and a lot of physical symptons.

i started on 10mg at first and had some heightened anxiety, nausea and tiredness. This all went away after 2 weeks and i started to feel good, still had anxiety but it was much more manageable and i felt positive. Then at 6 weeks I hit a bit of a block and mood went down and anxiety fully came back. I spoke to the GP and they increased me to 20mg. i started on these ans felt OK suprisingly for 1.5 weeks

but then i got extreme anxiety (like shakey and buzzing feeling) and my thoughts are very negative. i have had this for a week now.

Can anyone help me understand what is going on? have i been on this lone enough or it to have worked? is this normal? what should i expect?

i try to accept it and carry on but i just i suppose would like to know should i carry on with the meds.

thank you for any help you give.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • lloyd50680
    lloyd50680 K83JM

    Posted

    hi these are all normal side effects to the medication iam afraid and horrible i know as you have increased so will the side effects . As i have learnt you basically start at day one again as you have increased and normally takes about 12 weeks to start calming down again that dose nt mean you won t have good days in this time its just the adjustment period your brain and body is going through again. it will get better you just have to push through and focus on keeping your mind busy and not on your symptoms . but to ease your mind what your saying is normal i went through the same and the increase . hope this helps you abit lloyd

    • K83JM
      K83JM lloyd50680

      Posted

      HI Lloyd, thank you so much for your kind reply. I am a bit worried as everything says they should work by 6 weeks. I also didnt realise that upping the dose was basically like starting from scratch.

      I have been concerned that they were just not working and that i would have to stop. I have two toddlers so really need to feel better for them.

      I just didnt realise that there would be increased anxiety when upping the dose. i think it tricked me too as i did feel OK for the first week when on the 20mg and then it all got so much worse.

      have these tablets been helping you?

      thank you again. This is my first time posting so wasnt sure I would get any replies.

    • lloyd50680
      lloyd50680 K83JM

      Posted

      hey iam afraid the doctors say alot of things that arent true with regards to theses type of drugs . i think unless you have been on them you truly dont understand what they do to a person . iam on 13 weeks of the same drug and upped my dose to 20 mgs 10 weeks ago . and had same symptoms and others . but they are normal iam afraid and it does take time for them to work . they bring out the anxiety more so it can then treat it thats why you think your getting worse . the meds heighten all that we started with and make things worse before they get better . and yes upping the dose does pretty much start you all over again . the doctors would disagree with mind . iam still getting side effects but iam seeing changes and things are moving forward . you will see these changes come and go for a time . your not getting worse its the meds fixing us . just think of it as the decorators are in mixing the ceiling lol . but things do get better as the weeks go along it just takes months not weeks to fully recover unless your very lucky and its sooner we all pray for that . hope this helps if you need a ear just private message or re post keep your chin up and keep safe lloyd

    • K83JM
      K83JM lloyd50680

      Posted

      thank u Lloyd. Sorry to disturb you on a Saturday. The extra anxiety at the moment i feel is unlike what i had before i started to tablets. i have never panicked at all and i feel panicky and stressed and really really anxious. Should i have this still at 4 weeks on the 20mg? i feel almost out of control with it. it doesnt feel like my normal levels of anxiety.

      thank you for any help and i hope you are doing well. everyone on here is so kind!

    • lloyd50680
      lloyd50680 K83JM

      Posted

      hi yes theres some very kind people on here that have seen it from all stages which is very helpful more so than doctors . and ian has given you some great advice as has lived trough this many times and has given me some great support and advice to .iam afraid yes it is normal to feel the way you do your in the acute faze of the increase which heightens every think i had the same with horrid intrusive thoughts and many other symptoms its best not to look at them as diffrent problems there all anxiety just bunch them together dont focus on each one . i know its hard but focusing on them all the time is adding another layer of anxiety and thats what we need to break other wise we keep going on the same cycle . this isnt easy i know. but to give you hope i was where you are and many others on this site we have had to push through it to get abit better as the weeks months go on . like i said before it will take about 12 weeks min for things to start easing more . but you will get moments when its not there . and then it will be back again this will happen but will get less as the months go on . theres no quick fix in this iam afraid but you will get better. please dont just stop taking them as you will have really bad side effects worse than you are now . i tapered 8 weeks off sertraline which i was on jan last year and then was hit with 12 weeks of side effects then a relapse so now on citalopram iam nearly on week 11 and iam having better moments now so i know things are improving . just keep posting on here if you need help or need to get things off your chest it does help ive done it when i was thinking what are these meds doing to me . we all have these days but like i said it will get better . try and get out for some walks to get rid of the adrenaline this does help . hope this helps alittle keep your chin up and keep fighting you will get there lloyd

    • K83JM
      K83JM lloyd50680

      Posted

      thank you for all of your help at advice LLoyd. i will stick with it.

  • harry09460
    harry09460 K83JM

    Posted

    Hiya, yes this is very normal new on a dose. I have always found when changing dose that weeks 2&3 are the worst then things should slowly start to settle. Your still early on 20mg, give it a good 6-8 weeks to see how its working. It sucks when you need to alter your dose to get better but know your going to have a rough few weeks ahead but unfortunately thats how these meds work. I disagree with Lloyds comment that your starting again. Its a road/journey your on when recovering and your a couple months down that road. Youll get blips along the way during recovery in which you'll feel lime your back at the beginning but it will pass. Keep going

    • K83JM
      K83JM harry09460

      Posted

      thank you very much for your message Harry. i will keep going on the 20mg. thank you

  • lloyd50680
    lloyd50680 K83JM

    Posted

    i hope your feeling abit better its very tough going through the symptoms worse than you was before starting and it doesnt make sense we take them to get better right . but the reality is things do get worse before they get better which is a tough one to take on the chin . i hope your one of the lucky ones to get over this period quickly and wish you all the best . its not easy with little ones to look after as well i hope you have some good support and understanding people around you to help . i do take l theanine for the anxiety as well its a magnesium supplement and does take the edge off alittle also omega 3 on its own i take two of each one morning and early evening . good luck and if i can help in anyway just message and would be happy to help if i can take care and keep safe lloyd

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