3 weeks down, 10mg Citalopram. My experience.
Posted , 14 users are following.
Hi to those of you on this journey with me, just thought I'd start a little thread and update you all over the next few weeks on how I am finding the first few weeks of my second citalopram journey.
Ok so, first day as expected within a hour or so I had almost instant diahoreah and my stomach felt a bit iffy. This continued for the next week and a half, very mild nausea and diahoreah but my mood and anxiety had improved as did my sleep and my appetite.
After 12 days I started to experience heightened anxiety, insomnia (not being able to go to sleep and waking up sweating) morning anxiety, extreme tiredness and nausea, continued diahoreah, headaches on and off, feelings of uneasiness and general low mood. (naturally) this lasted for 7 days. Then yesterday I woke up and the tiredness and nausea seem to have lifted somewhat, although still not back to my full energetic self just yet. Still no appetite but able to eat without feeling sick now.
Sleep still very hit and miss, lats night woke alot with sweaty palms, nausea and anxiety, but again don't feel as exhausted.
Every morning, is a challenge to get out of bed, I think the feeling of dread on how the day will pan out is ultimately the hardest. This is also due to the current situation we are in though, that feeling of groundhog day. Not working, kids home and not alot of distraction.
Heading into week 4 today and will keep you all updated. I do feel like my overall experience on citalopram the second time around has been a bit more challenging due to the side effects being much more prominent, but, its always important to remember even on those days that we feel like we're never going to feel normal again, feeling hopeless and exhausted that it will eventually improve and we will be fighting fit again. Physically and mentally.
2 likes, 81 replies
Geofferz Hope3578
Posted
Thank you for reply Hope I will hang in there and update in a couple of weeks.Reassuring to know it can take some time.
Hope3578
Posted
How's everyone doing?
anne13145 Hope3578
Posted
hello 🙂 I was feeling a little bit better the last 2 weeks. but today I feel right back at the beginning again.
high anxiety and agitation (panic attacks not present, thank god) really bad dizziness, blurry/halo/flickering eyes, head pressure and numbness and swaying/tripping out again.
just wish this could be over....
just keep getting used to feeling a little better, then bam! and it freaks me out all over again (I suppose you always quickly forget how bad it actually was) well I seem to anyway... how are you all? doing well I hope 😊
Hope3578 anne13145
Posted
You can forget absolutely. Especially when you've had a few good days and feel like your better. It's a very frustrating cycle isn't it.
I'm mostly OK, but to be honest this year has massively affected my mental health. I'm pretty sure without all this I wouldn't even be back here now as I was doing fine.
It will pass again as you go over the bumps of recovery, I guess the best way to overcome those days is to just try and accept you feel wobbly and uncomfortable and gently move forward.
anne13145 Hope3578
Posted
yes it is so frustrating, even on my ok days I'm still laid up but at least I'm more comfortable and not feeling like I'm on the edge of my seat.. think I jinxed myself in my last reply saying I haven't had a panic attack.. had my first one for 2 1/2 weeks while trying to get to sleep last night, most annoying time as nothing to distract myself at that time.
yes I think this year has been awful for everyone, especially for anyone who has had a mental health issues in the past or present. I know it has sent my anxiety and obsession thinking in overdrive and my hands are so sore from the constant hand washing. being in lock down hasn't really changed much for me (except when the schools were closed as my son who has autism really struggled not being able to socialise) I have been house bound 90% for the last 2 years. would be nice to be better for Christmas this year as would hate to not be able to enjoy a 3rd one.
just feeling a bit impatient and scared that I'm either not on the right antidepressants or that 10mg is not a high enough dose.
is it 10mg you are on?
I'm really glad to hear you are doing better and try your best to stay positive.. I know it's so difficult with how life is at this time. but we all have to keep hoping that it's not going to be this way forever.
Hope3578 anne13145
Posted
How many weeks have you been taking citalopram now?
I regularly get night time panic attacks because I have such a bad relationship with time and sleep. Think I need therapy for that.
Yes I'm on 10mg and it seems to be enough for me. It just takes the edge off I'd say,
I've been pretty much isolated fir the past few weeks annoyingly due to being in contact with people who ended up testing positive for the virus, but as yet I don't appear to have caught it yet. Or maybe I've already had it?
10mg is enough but it just takes time, plus everyone is different, some need less and others more.
How are you doing today?
anne13145 Hope3578
Posted
I'm just about to go into my 6th week tomorrow on 10mg. but was 5mg (half a tablet) for 2 weeks prior as I really get affected by side effects.
I'm still laid up but am a bit more comfortable today... just my eyes and feeling trippy that are affecting me the most.
I really hope 10mg is enough for me as I don't think I could handle a increase with still feeling like this.
it definitely makes everything harder having to be isolated, I know how you feel with that situation. I hope you have/ live with someone to talk to.
I find night times the worst as no one is around and it's even harder to find thing to distract myself with.
how have you been today?
Hope3578 anne13145
Posted
You should definitely start to see some improvements in the next 2 weeks now id say. It was good you increased gradually. I went straight onto 10mg both times I have taken them and I felt awful. But it does get better, although it doesn't feel like it at the time.
I'm a single parent so just me and my kids which has been hard. My daughter also is undergoing an assessment for asd soon and she's very hard to manage most days. It's intense. But I have lots of people around me to support and chat too and I'm studying so that keeps me occupied.
I'm feeling achey and tired today. Slept funny and my daughter woke me up through the night just went for a jog because I just needed the fresh air.
anne13145 Hope3578
Posted
thank you for the encouragement, I do hope things will improve very soon. would love to enjoy Christmas a bit more this year.
today is quite a bad day compared to the last 5 days.. so up & down.
best of wishes for your little ones assessment, obviously it wasn't a joyous moment having the diagnosis for my son, but I knew there was something going on. but on the flip side it has opened so many opportunities for help now that he has.
he has a EHCP so has one to one support at school, the school he is in are so helpful and have a great support system. I know of parent groups online and in person for support and ideas. I will join as soon as I am well enough as some parents have ideas that wouldn't cross my mind.
great that your getting out for a jog. I used to run on my treadmill before all this, I used to love it (never liked exercise in my life and jogging was the last thing I thought I would enjoy). hopefully I will be able to get back into it at some point as feeling a bit fat and sluggish.
on your recovery from the side effects, was it a gradual feeling better or all of a sudden? I've heard some people wake up one day and feel better or it's gradual.
I keep aching randomly for 2 or so hours on different days. keep freaking myself out that I've got covid.. it's that kind of flu bone ache feeling. hope you have had a good day
Hope3578 anne13145
Posted
It was more of a slow gradual improvement. You'll start to have better days and then a bad one again, then eventually the better days will start to outweigh the bad ones and your body will have levelled out.
My daughters school have been fantastic too, she has longterm play therapy, they've gotten the educational psychologist involved and they have lots of provisions in place to support her. They think she gets cognitive overload as her disruptive behaviour usually starts after lunch time and she just refuses to do any work saying she's bored and she cant do it.
She usually has meltdowns every morning before and then again after school. It's exhausting.
Felis Hope3578
Posted
Hi Hope
i have just started on lexapro since last Monday. ok for the first few days only on 5mg but now the side effects have kicked in and not pleasant! i will follow your progress with interest. i need to up the dose to 10 mg but i will wait another week at least before this.
Very hard for family and friends to understand what we go through!
Hope3578 Felis
Posted
It's always hard the first few weeks and you have to just be kind to yourself and tell the people around you that your not feeling 100% atm. You will get there. Keep us updated.
Felis Hope3578
Posted
Hi Hope
its Monday morning here in Australia,and i had a terrible night! Went to bed about 1030 then woke at 1.30 am with pounding pulse . Took a quarter of a xanax to try and help and eventually got back to sleep , then woke at six with more rapid pulse and a strange tingling,burning sensation in the arms. i feel shattered and its only the end of week one! im on 5 mg of lexapro and was on this six years ago but dont remember it being this bad,but then we do forget pain!
Thanks for replying to me , do you have similar symptoms in the morning and how do you cope?