5 weeks on citalopram- need advice please!
Posted , 6 users are following.
I've been on citalopram almost 5 weeks now (first 2 weeks 10mg then upped to 20mg) and I still feel no better. I had a few 'okay' days this week, finally thought things were starting get better but now I just feel really awful again. It is my time of month so not sure if that's the reason? As I've seen on here people can feel worse around that time. But I'm just wanting abit of reassurance. I don't really feel like the tablets are doing anything. Although a few days ago I did start to see a difference but now gone really down hill. Feel so awful. Do I need to wait longer for them to work? Just need some advice please!
(I have both anxiety and depression if that helps)
1 like, 6 replies
debbie17569 916
Edited
Hi Mia.
Sounds very normal to me, having gone through the same. I would say keep going. My period messed me up too and took a while to calm down again. I have just increased to 30 with more side effects but that's calming down now too. I still get the anxiety on waking in the morning but it goes fairly quickly whereas before, it was all day long. It's a tough journey but hang in there, it will get better x
916 debbie17569
Posted
Hi Debbie,
Thankyou for the reply! How long did it take for things to start calming down again? So frustrating as I started to feel a little better! But like you say I'll keep going and hopefully will start to get back on track. Glad to hear things are getting better for you! X
debbie17569 916
Posted
Don't let this put you off!! I first started end of November, increased to 20 two weeks later. Felt great on xmas day and felt good for 2 weeks. So about 4 weeks. Then I got my period and the anxiety came back, nothing else. The anxiety hung about all through my period and calmed down again about two weeks later. It then hit again on my next period and again has taken two weeks to settle. However, my GP did increase me to 30 because my period seems to kick off the anxiety again. That was two weeks ago. So in all, I've been on cit for 3 months. At this point, I don't know whether my next period will start the anxiety off again. I'm hoping the increase may sort that out but time will tell!!! You're right it is so frustrating. I am also being tested for peri menopause as anxiety can be related to that x
916 debbie17569
Posted
Strange how it does that! I've always felt worse on my period before taking citalopram, just never like this. Good to know that it probably is my period causing me to feel like this then, and not just me getting worse. I just need to keep that in mind. Hoping it doesn't take as long as 2 weeks for it to pass though!! I'm glad that it seems to be working for you, hope that increasing your dose helps! X
katecogs 916
Edited
Debbie's right - 5 weeks is still early days and how you're feeling at the moment is quite normal, so no, you won't feel like the tablets are doing anything at the moment ..... but they are. Give them time and give your body time too. It can take some months.
Some people do take anti depressants for a long time, and that's fine. If you had epilepsy or diabetes then you'd need medication, so this is no different. They not a temporary fix - many people need medicaton to help them get back on the right road. You can stay on the meds for life if you needed to ....... they're there to help you.
Anxiety and depression are often caused by an overlead of stress. Our bodies can only take so much and when it reaches its peak its overflows and results in your body breaking down. Everybody is different and some cope better with stress than others. Often what happens then is that you get caught in a cycle of anxiety - fear - anxiety ..... you become afraid of how you're feeling, afraid on the anxiety. You then spend your time searching for an answer, worrying about all the symptoms you have ....... but those symptoms are all under one umbrella - anxiety. When the anxiety eases, so too will all the other symptoms. So try not to worry about your symptoms ..... its anxiety.
The meds will heighten these symptoms for a while. It takes a long time to become ill and so it'll take a long time to reverse this. You don't just wake up one day with anxiety, though sometimes it can seem to appear out of the blue ..... but I suspect it had been building up for a while.
Recovery often comes in waves, so feeling like you were starting to feel better only to feel awful again it perfectly normal. Its a blip / setback, and you'll have plenty of those as you recover. Yes periods can drag you back a little.
I'll private message you.
K x
chloe33818 916
Posted
Hey i have been on and off Citalopram as i suffer with ocd and intrusive thoughts and anxiety. I would say give it some time. It can get worse before it gets better. Although i am
seeking advice this time also as i was hoping i feel better by now as i have had awful intrusive thoughts and anxiety after coming off them a while ago. i have now gone back on them and took 4 weeks of 20 mg which i wasnt feel great so they have now upped my dosage to 40mg which i have been on for 10 days and feeling more anxious than before and intrusive thoughts have worsen. Can anyone give me some reassurance as i have also seemed to react well with this medication before but this time im struggling to see any improvement.
many thanks in advance