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Anxiety worse is this all normal

Posted , 18 users are following.

nicola75516
nicola75516

i have just been put back on 10mg of citalopram and i am now on day 15 and the side effects are unbearable! i do remember it been pretty dreadful the last time too as i kept a journal of the experience but this time round i actually feel like im losing my mind, anxiety is so bad it is impossible for me to keep still, my heart thuds really hard, not racing as on Propanalol for that, i wake up with a feeling of dread and doom and see no end to it, the only way i can describe it is i feel like im losing my sanity as i feel petrified every minute of every day, just reaching out for any advice or help ive come this far dont wanna stop but its getting too much, 1st ever time posting on any forum, thanks

0 likes, 73 replies

73 Replies

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  • laura74902
    laura74902 nicola75516

    Posted

    hi all, i am new to citalopram currently on day 4 and this is the worst i have ever felt. i had no idea the side effects would be like this. My anxiety is at an all time high and the last two days my chest/arms/ sometimes legs feel like they are burning! i was overthinking this last night which then turned into a bad panic attack. If these effects last as long as yourself then i really dont want to feel like this much longer!!

    • LFS
      LFS laura74902

      Posted

      hi laura when i started on citalopram it was hell! the side effects were so bad. reading on here really helps as you can speak to people going through the same thing. when i started i had no sleep, crazy dreams, dry mouth, upset stomach, cold sensations on arms and anxiety was through the roof with terrible intrusive thoughts. also had no appetite. it did settle down after 3 or 4 weeks. i have now been on 20 for 4 weeks and moving up (i took 15 for a few weeks) wasnt as bad as starting, i am still along way from being recovered but nothing was as bad as when i started. hope this helps as i know how islolating all of this can be. your not alone. 😃 leigh

    • laura74902
      laura74902 LFS

      Posted

      Hi Leigh, thank you for your reply. ive started on 20mg. i dont feel so bad this morning hopefully they are starting to kick in properly now. however i do have an upset stomach today, hoping this doesnt last its quite uncomfortable. its good to see im not the only one who has gone through this. sometimes i think im crazy thinking this cannot be from the medication but seems like it is! laura x

    • LFS
      LFS laura74902

      Posted

      hi laura thats great your feeling better today. I only started on 10mg and really struggled dont think i would of managed 20. however i do wish i had moved to 20 sooner as i have just prolonged recovery. my anxiety has been really bad again last two days keep thinking i am going to be stuck like this forever. 😦

    • Blaths
      Blaths LFS

      Posted

      Hi. Has this settled now - I upped from 20 to 40 just before christmas and I think i may be levelling off but unsure as it is hard to tell.

      I have propanalol for stressful times (which have been many fold) and im not entirely sure which drug is doing what sometimes.

      Im looking for experiences to see if im following any patterns and can be happy that things are doing what they should be.

      Thanks

    • LFS
      LFS Blaths

      Posted

      hi I am still on 20mg and my anxiety and intrusive thoughts are still bad. im considering an increase to 30mg or a switch to sertraline as 20 mg hasnt really made any difference at all and thats been pretty much 12 weeks on 20mg. Did you go straight to 40mg from 20mg? Ive seen lots of people doing this and wonder why 30mg wasnt tried first as thats a very big jump.

  • TaraLin
    TaraLin nicola75516

    Edited

    Hi Nicola,

    I saw your post and have been wondering how you are doing... I see it's been 5 weeks since your post. A little over 3 weeks ago I started on Celexa/Citalopram 10mg. 10 days ago I upped to 15mg, and it has been hell the whole three weeks. I felt like I was maybe turning a corner before I raised my dose to 15mg. The doc had told me to go to 20mg but to be honest, I was scared. The adjustments are so hard. I'm holding out hope because I know these drugs have worked for me before, it's just never taken this long. It's so hard to stay positive. My mind keeps racing wondering if something is wrong, looking up all the things that could go wrong, from serotonin syndrome to QT prolongation, etc. Mornings are definitely the worst. My doctor prescribed Trazodone to help me at night and it has been a life-saver. I'm taking a very small dose, only 25mg and it does the trick from about 9pm to 6am, and sometimes I wake up for an hour in the middle with a terrible hollow feeling in my stomach, thinking I have to eat or I'll feel worse. Anyway, I'd love to hear about whether or not you are doing better. I haven't posted on this forum much at all, but your post resonated with me as your timing and dosage are similar. The ramped up anxiety has been excruciating and unrelenting.

    Hoping you are much improved...

    T

    • Blaths
      Blaths TaraLin

      Posted

      Hi there - how are you feeling now.

      I had the same "turning the corner" experience before upping, then not so good again.

      I think I might be levelling off now, but its hard to tell.

      Thanks

    • TaraLin
      TaraLin Blaths

      Posted

      Blaths,

      I've been feeling better this week, but my menstrual cycle is coming in a day or two and it's tanking me again. Feeling the anxiety and fatigue. It's tough to go through the waves, especially when you start to feel better and then have a hard day. I'm wondering if anyone else feels a dip at the same time as pms or menstruation...

      I definitely understand the feeling like you're levelling off but it being difficult to tell. I think it's because the improvements are so gradual it's hard to notice when you are getting better. I sometimes take notes of the things I notice from day to day that are better. Sometimes those things are as simple as "motivation to make a nice meal" or "more energy" or "able to focus on x, y, or z, instead of the anxiety" ... I'm finding the key is really holding on to those improvements and reassuring yourself along the way.

      Best of luck to you!

  • Blaths
    Blaths nicola75516

    Posted

    Hi there - how are you feeling now?

    I am on propanalol along with citalopram too and I want to find about the combination some more.

    Are you still on these please?

  • geoff10798
    geoff10798 nicola75516

    Posted

    hi i was just reading th posts, then regestered and found myself here on this page,i am a silver surfer and not tech savvy,can anybody help me out? how do i get onto the registration page to start with.then what do i do to talk to different people.who have posted on the forum,eny help would be appreciated, please keep it simple thanks

  • wayne9379
    wayne9379 nicola75516

    Posted

    hi nicola... how are things now have the side effects subsided yet

  • joshua17757
    joshua17757 nicola75516

    Posted

    hiya nicola. im josh and new to this site I've been reading through the comments and wanted to ask if I'm experiencing side effects to the citalopram my ears feel like there buzzing, I have belly ache, I go on and off been dizzy throughout the day I go dizzy and my hands sweat alot, I woke up this morning and started to go into panic for no reason at all and within 10 minutes I went back to my normal self, any help will be appreciated

    • jazmin86904
      jazmin86904 joshua17757

      Posted

      Hey Joshua,

      im a month in and i get ringing in my ears and im dizzy pretty much the whole day. I havent been driving because if it.

      has it gone away for you yet?

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