20mg week 2

It's great to hear about your experience Cheryl, and thanks for the kind words.

I'm actually sleeping a little bit more of a night now, and dealing with most of the side-effects better. However, last maybe 3 days the problem has been headaches, and as you know for people with anxiety issues, headaches are always a bad one!

Still getting the stabbing pains, then the hot-flushes in neck/chest straight away, also in the temples, but now the worst is the dull throbbing in the back of neck/base of skull. Only goes away for a short while, and even then I can feel the pressure of it about to return!

I'm now back to worrying there might be something else wrong, however Doc has already done the standard eye-check and BP etc, and seems unconcerned.

What do you think Cheryl? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks, Andy

Hey Andy

I was the same as you I thought there was something else wrong with me an I was very upset an nerves etc... I had like brain zaps and I was convinced there was something in my head... but had a mri and all came back fine... i had very bad pain behind my eyes which was driving me insance. It's the side effects from the cit that causes your body all the stress and these feelings... they will dissappear but if you feel there really is something wrong tell your gp

When my anxiety started in October 2014 it was very hard for me as I emigrated to Canada in 2013 I'm originally from Dublin and my family are back there so it was very tough for me as my bf doesn't understand an I felt very alone and even suicidal but I'm much better now

I no its so hard dealing with these feelings day in day out but I promise it will get better like I said slowly they'll go one by one and in 3mths or sooner you'll look back an think how did I get thru it

Head up keep strong don't let anxity win

Thanks Cheryl, you're a great help. 

I hope you are right, but now at 4 weeks I can't see it myself. I'm either rushing around doing things quickly, manic-like, or lying in bed staring at the ceiling! Would just love to be able to put my feet up and actually 'watch' a tv programme and really take it in, not just stare at it!

Just made my daughter some noodles and I reckon it was just as hard to do as running a marathon would have been before I was ill, everything is a struggle.

Thanks again (PS Its weird you went to Canada, i've been looking into exactly that for a couple of years, but obviously on the back-burner at the moment)

It does take 4-6 weeks to see improvement but I'd say 8 weeks and if you still don't see an improvement I'd go back to your gp

for me I kept a daily journal I wrote down my thoughts feeling body pains etc everyday and slowly you'll recognise they get less frequent... I also bought a self help aniexty workbook which is a good help (haven't been reading it as much tho I really should)

I was the same everyday was a struggle...There would be days where brushing my hair putting make up on watching tele I just wasn't intrested all I want to do was cry day in day out but it passed an it will for you

Yeah I'm on Week 4 and get sharp headaches but was speaking to someone really helpful and has put my mind at rest as she was a neurologist and are bodys always give us odd sensations every now and again it's normal but the shooting headaches are to do with the citalopram but I've tryed not to worry anymore I just try and go for walks and stuff to get myself motivated a bit it helps

Thanks Cheryl & Shelby,

Last night was one of the most difficult yet, and i'm just about 4weeks through. Hardly slept a wink, most of the night tossed and turned with a terrible dull headache again at the back, plus periods of in the front and temples. Added to this that horrible burning/tingling right up the back of my neck. I am exhausted and now feel like i'm in a bubble.

Got Docs tomorrow morning, am torn between you're advice Cheryl, to give it another 2 weeks, or to point blank tell him I want an exit-strategy. This is worse than what I started taking them for in the first place, and I've seen some scary stuff on here about people even struggling for ages after coming off them.

Really don't know what to do, but not eating, not sleeping and feeling sick almost 24hours a day can't be the answer.

Cheers guys

Hey Shelby Andy

the shooting pains that you experience is from the cit but it doesn't last and I no its so hard to try not think about it but I really do hate saying this but let it take its course I no its unbeatable I've been there myself but it does stop.

The cit makes your anxity worse for the first couple of weeks and slowly you'll come down to normal level it's your body reaction to it... I felt awful in the first couple of weeks and I wasn't even on the recommended dosage as I'm anti tablets I was on 10mg for 3mths and even with half a tablet I felt I was a mess but slowly I did come back to myself but some days I did feel a little off so my doctor suggested I try 20mg which is the recommended dosage so I gave it ago an I'm on week 3 and I'm a little shaky and have tension in the back of my head but I no its the cit an I do no it will go away...

Andy I would suggest you give it a few more weeks as it does normally take 4-8 weeks to see some sort of difference but cit isn't for everyone so have a chat with your doctor to see what he recommends...

I wasn't eating at all and I lost 3 stone from stress an nor eating which isn't good but I have defo noticed a change now that I'm almost back on track..

I'm hoping to come off them in October which will be a year for me and slowly what happens you take 20mg one day the next 10mg I think that's how it works an you have to wean of them ypu can't just stop taking them as it makes you worse...

Yeah the tension is goin but the shooting pains are still there and did you experience s cold almost trickley feeling over your head to? It's hard to explain

Thanks Cheryl,

Its tough isn't it. as I suppose there is no real way of knowing whether they suit a particular person, until they've taken them for long enough? By then it will be even harder to come off them to try something else!

My Doc put me on 20mg from day one, probably why the first 4-5 days were absolutely awful. I'm also on 80mg propranolol (might have their own side-effects?) and sleeping tabs which I haven't yet taken. I'm usually someone who doesn't take anything so reluctant to be on three different meds.

So you're at week 3 with reduced side-effects, but not actually feeling a 'benefit' yet?

Cheers Cheryl,

I hate that one Shelby, it feels so unnatural therefore brings on more anxiety, well for me anyway

Yeah that feeling is horrible feels like the pain is behind my eyes like when i watch Tele it makes my head worse do you find that? find it so hard to concentrate feels like my eye's are pulsing in and out I no that sounds strange lol

I am only on 10mg and have been for 4 weeks so maybe need to up my dose