Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

With all the brain fuzz, I'm keeping a symptom diary and also write down my meds as soon as I've taken them. Also helping me keep track of progress which helps reduce anxiety. Also I find acknowledging and reviewing how I feel helps too.

:-D

Hi Anne,

I know how you feel right now I've got myself in such a state leaving my tablet off tonight and having it in the

Morning instead to see if that will help me sleep, my head is all over the place.

Hope your ok now my meds have the days of the week on them but I didn't realise not all of them had it.

Take care and hope you have a better day tomorrow.

Maria x

Hi Diane, good idea with the diary, I am going to mark it on the calendar from now on, as I think I would forget the diary after a few days,

Thanks Maria I hope it helps you taking it in the morning, I have always taken mine in the morning, and my sleep came back and I now sleep 7 - 8 hours right thru, today tho I slept 10 hours which is why I think I forgot I had already taken my cit lol Hope I can sleep tonight I try not to nap during the day either, they say u should never nap after 3pm and if u do nap before that it should only be for 30 mins to get into a good sleep regime, so this is what I practice, as I was really bad when I couldn't sleep for days on end, I used to pace the floor at night

Hope the change works better let us know how it goes it will take a few days for ur body to get used to it mind.

Take care

Anne x

I hope it works to Anne this is why I am so on edge right now I just don't want to be more ill than I an now

That's what I'm doing right now I just don't know what to do with myself, I've left it so I can sleep and am more

Anxious than if I had taken it this evening I just hope it's the right thing to do.

Maria x

Hi everyone,

Am new to cit (day 4) and have just started following this forum - you guys are awesome! Am so glad I've found this place as I guess it's so hard for others to understand until you're in the pit yourself (I've certainly not been understanding in the past).

Apart from how to deal with the side effects etc, what has everyone generally done about their work situation? I initially went to the doc when I'd had two crushing panic attacks at work in one week (unable to do anything other than try not to cry or throw up). Had to take a day off work because I just could NOT face the day ahead. I was put on cit (and propanolol to take the edge off the panic attacks until the cit kicks in).

Thing is, I've a pretty stressful job. Do most people tell their work what they're going through? Definitely this whole thing has reduced my ability to do a great job and I'm sure performance is dropping. It's exhausting enough keeping up the game face the whole day, much less actually perform well. I mean, I'm taking propanolol just to get through each day, the anxiety is so bad. But I'd hate to admit this and for it to affect my career, especially since I'm the main income.

Hearing about everyones experiences with side effects has helped me cope with mine, so kind of hoping the same thing with what to do about work.

Cheers and have a happy Monday!

Carol x

Hi carol

Welcome to our forum, so sorry to hear your situation from what I have read I think most of the group have

Told them of their situation, I know I did with my manager who has been really understanding about it,

but unfortunately with my job I don't get paid if I don't go to work which has added to my stress. But I just do not feel well enough right now to go back even if I wanted to. It's true what you said people that has never

had any of these problems do not understand what we go through. I can only speak of my situation with my

Manager mental illness is not a cime we are just unlucky that's all but it makes us stronger when we come

Out the other side. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Maria x

Good morning everyone,

As you can see I've not had a very good night it seems everything I have achieved these past few weeks

Have gone I feel so low really on edge palpitations so tired but still cannot sleep. I feel as if this is never

ending, everyday I try to think positive thoughts and it seems I get another problem. I don't know if it is

Because I haven't taken my meds tonight, but I didn't feel like this when I was only taking the 10mg I feel as if I want to give up, i hate feeling this way. I just want to be me again.

Maria x have a good Monday everyone.xx

Morning Maria, (its 6.15am here) Please just stick in there, you will get there, I was where you are now feeling I cant manage if this is my life now, but its the anxiety telling you and making you feel like this, it will go, you do need to give it time, the alternative of giving up is to be always like this so stick with the Cit I promise it will work but your body needs to adjust, and all will be normal again, I didnt sleep well last night but I think I overslept yesterday as didn't get up till 10am then had another hour at 12 noon, so that was silly of me. Maria remember the deep breathing when in bed, counting 7 in and 11 out it really helps me xxxx

Morning Carol welcome on here, you will find it helpful, and you are in early stages so please stay strong all will be well again, you just need to persevere, my work sounds just like yours but they were really supportive, I told them everything, so instead of going off altogether I worked reduced hours daily and in that time I had reduced responsibilities and extra support if I needed it. It helped me not to be alone in the house at the start especially when my partner went to work, been at work just for a few hours gave me a focus, so speak to them, they will be supportive as the workplace has a duty of care to their employees. remember you need to get better to function.

let me know how you go,

Take care

Anne xx

Anne thank you I know I have to stick with it but its so tough right now when I've already gone through this

When I first started the meds most of my friends who I didn't know were on it have had no sidea affects at all I seem to have had their share. Ive taken the first morning tablet so I don't know what today will bring not

looking forward to it as I'm on my own all day as my husband is working. My husband does not wear his heart on his sleeve but he cried yesterday because he said he hates seeing me this way and doesn't know what to do. I told him just being there when I need him and understanding while I'm ill is all I need sorry to ramble

Anne I have no one I can talk to that's why I keep going on sorry.

Take care today yourself

Maria x

I don't appear to have any side-effects apart from weight gain.

Morning,

Maria, I know it might not make you feel better right now but you WILL get better. That feeling of hopelessness is again a horrible symptom of this horrible illness. I can remember saying 'I just want to be me again' so many times. I felt like an imposter, or that someone had sucked my personality out and replaced it with fog. Remember, I was where you are a few weeks ago and now I'm not. I feel completely like me again (so much so that I forget I've been ill sometimes and push myself to do too much) even when I had my little blip I still felt like me. I can remember I kept saying to my mum and my husband 'what if I never laugh again?' and I didn't believe them when they reassured me that I would. Now I'm laughing and smiling and making jokes as much as ever.

Carol, welcome to the gang! Just to answer your question about work, I initially hid my problems from work. When I first developed anxiety I was self employed so like Maria I didn't get paid if I didn't work. I would sometes be sobbing on retching on the bus all the way there and even felt like I couldn't breathe, but as I was walking up to work I'd take several deep breaths and paint on a smile and go and face the day. It was exhausting. I ended up changing jobs because that job was really stressful and heavy going. I then generally had no reason to tell anyone at work, other than on one occasion when I tried to decrease about 3 years ago and had a wobble, I was supposed to go to a colleagues leaving do but was feeling very wobbly and anxious so I explained the situation to her as I didn't want her to think I just hadn't showed up, to my surprise she confided she was on citalopram too!

With this episode I have had to tell people, I hadn't told my family or a lot of my friends about my anxiety or being on medication, mainly because I didn't want people to worry about me. Also, because I'm generally such a chatty, confident person I thought that people wouldn't believe me or would think I was blowing thiings out of proportion so I was very careful to hide it from most people. This time I had no choice as I was just too poorly. This time was slightly different though as I've been affected by depression rather than anxiety. I did drag myself into work, my first appointment of the day was in a families home, luckily our support worker was with us and she took over as I could barely speak and shook like a leaf all the way through. It took all my concentration not to throw up! At the end I muttered something about a virus and fled. That first week I was signed off work for a week. The doctor agreed to put vomiting on my sick note as I really didn't want to tell work. I was really worried and embarrassed because of the nature of the job (I'm a family therapist and I work on a team supporting parents with unmanaged mental health and/ or drug problems whose children are on a child protection plan to support them to come off drugs or to manage their mental health effectively) however as I had massive side effects this time I had to be signed off again and the doctor said he had to be more honest on the sicknote. Even though I knew that I wouldn't lose my job over it as that would be against the law I was so worried about what people at work would think. They've been so lovely about it all. They've sent flowers and one colleague has called in a few times for a coffee and a hug, even though she lives over an hour away. My boss rang this week and we agreed to sit down together on my first day back to come up with a plan of how she can support me and has suggested a phased return so it's not so daunting as coming back full time straight away and has consistently said she doesn't want to see me back until I'm completely ready.

I couldn't have done my job properly if I had kept dragging myself into work and would have probably made myself even worse than I already was. I've been signed off for five weeks so far and am off for the rest of this week. Initially I was mortified about being signed off but now I've excepted that I had no choice and that if I'd suddenly come down with appendicitis or broke a leg I wouldn't be ashamed, embarrassed or feel guilty so I shouldn't be about this.

I hope you make the decision that's right for you. Some people find that sticking to a routine of going into work helps to keep them on track, others find they need a complete rest in order to recover or others have no choice. It sounds like if you have a stressful job it might be an idea to take some time to recover and rest. Your work can't sack you or push you out for being ill. You might worry that people will judge you but I've found that everyone's been so supportive. If they're not overly supportive then sod em! Your health is more important than what people think of it! But I doubt that would happen any way. You don't even need to tell anyone except your immediate boss and perhaps they might need to inform HR or occupational health but other than that it's no ones business but yours!

Hope this long rambling stream of consciousness has been helpful in some way!

Xxx

Hi Maria,

Totally agree with you about people not understanding and there being a stigma attached to it. My Headteacher and class teacher also know of my situation but there are certain people who will not understand and to be honest even when i'm well i find them difficult to deal with. strange isn't it what the mind does. It's not a crime it is as you say horribly unlucky.

Take care

xxx

Sorry people,

I posted on the wrong page.

Maria sorry your feeling poorly its the pits!!! Take heart from Mrs VN she is amazing and gives great advice certainly helped me along the way.

Work is a really difficult issue as part of our problem is we are embarassed (hopeless spelling!) my doctor just put anxiety on my sick note but also my husband rang and explained more fully about the situation and I've had lovely texts from people.

Mrs VN I have felt a bit more positive yesterday and today. Fingers crossed.

Take care everyone.

xxx

Completely take back everything i just said I've been off 1 week and my head has just rung to say she needs to speak to me today as she has to refer me to occupational therapy. Please help what do I do can't deal with this right now its taking me all my time dealing with me!!

Can you get your doctor to ring or write to her and say you are not fit to do that, as it would make you worse?

My cousin, who was in local government, went through the same kind of thing - 'policies'!