Posted , 7 users are following.
I have been on citalopram 20 mg for about 6 weeks now, but only had about 2 OK days in that time .. is that normal.. I was hoping for better .. this is my second time on this medication . My doctor changed me from citalopram to sertraline in January and that med totally screwed my head .. any advise please ..
1 like, 12 replies
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Shorthair john09221
Posted
6 weeks is too early to tell yet but even 2 good days are a sign it's working. I would imagine the change in meds will have an effect for a little while, too.
keep going!
john09221 Shorthair
Posted
thanks shorthhair...I think maybe i'm getting too desperate..
joe55795 john09221
Edited
John,
Do not stress over this. That is the worst thing for you. I have been in your shoes many times and know exactly how you are feeling. Every morning you probably wake up wondering if this is going to be the day you feel better and get back to being your old self. The medicine is not going to fix all your issues, it will only put you in a place to recover. I have read and reread the same books over and over again to remind myself that the less I think about it, the better I feel. Do your best not to constantly evaluate how you are feeling.
john09221 joe55795
Edited
thanks Joe, I too have read articles re this horrible anxiety. but I agree I need to try and not let it get the better of me, which is EXTREMELY difficult... I am having a really bad day again and cannot shake it off...
joe55795 john09221
Posted
Check your private messages, John. I sent you something.
Hope3578 john09221
Posted
6 weeks is when you maybe feeling at your peak of side effects. But your negative thinking pattern will just be adding to your woes. Try to thinking something positive everyday and focus on that. If you feel anxious or panicky. Take a deep breath and call someone. Distract yourself even if you feel exhausted, it's important to just accept how you feel and gently carry on.
john09221 Hope3578
Posted
thanks so much Hope, I am still struggling to shake off this horrible feeling of negativity that is taking over, and am aware that it is the worst thing I can do.... I wish I could get to some kind of normality back in my life..The worst thing is the feeling of a tight band around the head. I'm hoping this will all go away soon.... Thanks again Hope..
lynda84120 john09221
Posted
Hi john how are you feeling now? I'm two weeks in and really struggling.
Ojh3 lynda84120
Posted
im 5 weeks in and seem to be getting worse. i really dont know what to do.
lynda84120 Ojh3
Posted
hi ojh3 from all the advice on the site I would keep pushing through! I was on cit for many years this is my second time! side effects are horrendous and anxiety seems to be a lot worse. I am seeing miniscule changes. then its snatched away again and I feel like it's all hopeless! it's not! the medication takes a really long time to show signs. the worst thing you cam do is give up and go through the pain of starting over. not sure I've helped you. good luck! look for posts from gillian and katecogs. they've really helped me. x
Ojh3 lynda84120
Posted
thanks lynda .
i spoke to a mental health nurse this morning and she thinks i should wean off the citalopram and change to ventalaxine ( sorry cant spell it) i thought by week 5 i would see a much better improvement, not worse.
maybe i should try and push through and give it another couple of weeks?
how long were you on it for last time? how long before you felt better? x
lynda84120 Ojh3
Posted
hey I honestly cannot remember when I got better just know I did. I was on it for a lot of years and had a lot going on in my life and became unwell. fast forward to now and many different ads without success I'm now on day 17 and feel awful! But as I said to you I'm keeping pushing through! the thing is the meds are not magic and it takes a long time to see the slightest change. I'm not a mental health nurse but I'm not sure it's the best advice to change just yet. did you look for katecogs and Gilllian? they're posts are really helpful. find and read through the posts before you decide x