8th day on increased dose of Citalopram 40mg

Hey Neil,

It's not great, still a feeling of dread about how I'll feel during the day and what's gonna come up!

However, the evenings seem to be improving.

Hi Neil

I'm the same I wake up wondering, after not a full sleep. It's there waiting for me the anxiety, and all I want is for the worry of it to go away. Take my pills and it just intensifies. Side effects joy.

I wake up at 4.25am with fear every morning. My meds make it worse. Sick of this.

Im pretty sure im the only person getting no improvement.

Hang in there , go back to doc if u need to .

Hey Neil, you are not alone. 6 Weeks tomorrow for me and the morning anxiety is excruciating. Feels like a combo of internal tremors, fear and tight chest with your head spinning with rapid thoughts. Truly awful, plus exhausting. This has to resolve soon. I am constantly amazed at the docs and pharmaceutical companies saying 2 weeks of side effects. In my opinion this is the worst side effect of all. I can put up with nausea and the other common side effects but this is intolerable and bloody frustrating.

Hang in maybe tomorrow will be a better start to the day for Us!

Hi there.

i can't see anywhere which says how long you've been on cit.  

Keep going, the morning anxiety was the last thing to go for me, it was with me for a good 3 months, with some good days in between.  It was horrid to be honest. You get scared because you think it's never going to go but it will. It takes time for your brain to adjust to the meds.  There is a lady on here called Katecogs.  Read some of her posts, they are brilliant.

I know it doesn't feel like it, but you will get there x

Hi Debbie thanks for replying. I've been on cit for about 15 years first on 30 mg and then on 20 for last 5. All started when my son developed mental health problems and I couldn't cope. Hence 30mgs at first. Had a period of relative stability and I got down to 20. Now another upheaval and my anxiety is sky high think I'm also descending into depression. My gp recommended going back to 30 a few weeks ago but I held off as remember side effects. Anyway had to start the increase yesterday as I couldn't stand it any longer. It immediately made me drowsy and I slept for two hours in the afternoon. Went to bed about 930 and woke up at midnight and stayed awake until I posted to you. (420) I took 2mg diazepam at that point and got

another hours sleep. Think I may take next dose of cit tonight as that is when I've always taken my previous doses of 20mg. I'm currently feeling high levels of anxiety and fear with that dropping feeling in my stomach. Really don't want to go out today! Did you ever feel like that?

Hi I think I replied to your reply to another person! Crazy fog head

Hi Shane does your anxiety get better as the day wears on?

I was on 10mg for 4 years. Then 20mg for 6 weeks with no real improvement...and heightened morning anxiety.

Hi Liz

Yes I did feel like that, the heightened anxiety when increasing was dreadful for about 3 weeks until it started to calm down. I suppose we have all got to remember that the cit can only do so much and we have to work with it once the side effects subside. It's been a complete rollercoaster ride for me for the last 5 months but definitely the anxiety was the worst feeling. I also lost my appetite and lost 1.5 stone, couldn't sleep, felt sick, scared, didn't want to go out but pushed myself. It's damn hard x

When did you start the 20mg? Was this 6 weeks ago? Did you have no improvement whatsoever for the 4 years? They do say 20 is the more therapeutic dose for anxiety. 20 wasn't enough for me and I had to go to 30 which appears to have worked as I've been 'normal' for weeks now! It was hard increasing the dose as all the bad symptoms got a lot worse x

Yes 6 weeks on 20mg. I was on 10mg for 4 years and that worked.. But my anxiety got bad about 3 months ago and doc suggested upping dose. So i did 6 weeks ago and all i seem to have is heightened anxiety.

Mornings are dreadful, evenings are quite pleasant.

I went back to docs and he suggested 30mg. Two days in and im tired as soon as i take the tablets and hot. Pretty much useless for 3 hours

Right yes, you sound almost identical to me except I haven't been on it for 4 years.  I did have it before when I had my kids and didn't have any side effects whatsoever so this time it really threw me!  My guess, and this is only a guess as I'm certainly no expert, is that the anxiety is a very strong emotion and it's that which takes the time to calm down.  I woke every morning with the worst angsty tummy, would fly out of bed as couldn't keep still and that stayed pretty much til mid afternoon when it all calmed down and evenings were great...and then it starts again the next morning! I was also very tired but found if I had a sleep in the day, I would wake very panicky so I made myself stay awake by trying to do things around the house or going out with the dog, even though I really didn't want to do any of it. I also made myself go to work and hated that. 

Yes hot flushes I call them and waking up sweaty as well.  

It really will calm down but you've got it give it time as hard as it is. I increased to 30 at the beginning of march and started to feel better about 3 weeks in.  I'm now at 2 months on 30 and am normal again, whatever that is!!! It's certainly the s********** journey I've ever been on and I do get still get scared  that it will kick off again x

I hope you are right...but what worries me is that my body is used to the long low dose and therefore the new one wont work.

Debbie you mentioned you are feeling 'more normal' now....how is your 'waking anxiety' now?

My way of thinking was that i couldn't feel any worse and so just persevered.  I have to say that when I saw others getting better in a few days or weeks, I really thought I was going to be stuck feeling that hideous anxiety for the rest of my life. They do say that starting an increase in the meds is like starting from scratch and yes that felt the same to me to.

oh that's gone thank god. It just gradually went from being there all day, to afternoon, to morning and then the first hour etc.  Now I don't wake in the middle of the night and wake at a normal time x

How long did that take?

I totally agree. I almost feel jealous of people that are feeling better. Even though im happy for them to be escaping this nightmare.

Im worried...knowing my luck...im the exception to the rule.

Overall 4 months. I did have days in between which were better but very few and far between! It was hell!

Yes I know, I felt that way too but was so happy for them too and it gave me more of a boost to keep going.

You won't be, just keep going, you have to give it time, I know that now.

Hi Lizard, it gradually starts to subside around lunch time however some days it kind of hangs around all day but not as intensely.

Definitely the worst side effect of this drug in my opinion.

Coming up to 7 weeks at 20mg. Hoping for better mornings Soon!

Shane

Sorry did not mean to call you LIZARD! Damn Auto fill! Shane

Hi Shane no worries lol. Hopefully you'll see some results soon. Citalopram is a good drug once it starts working. The extra anxiety is a killer and should subside soon.