Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

Thanks Louise, what dose are you on? I'm on 20mg but my doc has just upped it to 40mg. Is this what you'll be doing? x

Hi inthewoods

Im on 10mg at the min been on it for 7 weeks, going back to docs next week for review next week, it was going quite well until last week end then i seemed to have dipped again and its making me anxious xx

Day 3 starting out on 10mg of citalopram... I know it takes up to 3-4 weeks at least to feel full effect but how long does it take for the symptoms to subside.... Feeling very unwell!!

luck to you

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allyxx11 April 2014 at 06:15AM

good morning everyone. been checking in but not posting, hope you didnt miss me too much x

well I've had a good cple of days. even met my wife and a cpl of her friends (none of which i know) in the pub, although I zoned out and was a little shakey later I feel very proud of myself for actually doing it. had some good news yesterday, my wife has a new job so we will be moving, I will only be an hours drive from my friends and family. althought this is something I want to do the move itself is causing me some anxiety, got a lot of negative thoughts going through my head atm. we both hate it here but I'm worried I might hate it more were we are goin ? , what if I cant handle the stress and have a complete breakdow ? what if she finds someone and leaves me ? OMG I need to speak to people again !!

wish me luck with this one, it feels like a massive step

ally xx

Melanie, welcome! As a rough gauge, the side effects usually start calming down after 1-2 weeks. So hang in there, and post here whenever you need some support or reassurance. The side effects can be unsettling but they're very normal and they *will* pass. Good luck :-)

Ally, that's good news about going out with your wife and her friends, well done mate. As for the move - it's understandable you feel a bit anxious, but you will be able to cope with it. Some of those anxieties you mention are just the irrational part of your brain talking. You say yourself you'll be closer to friends and family, and you don't like where you live now. So moving sounds like a really positive thing - it could spell the start of a happier part of your life. When do you think you'll be moving?

How's everyone else doing? Rick, Mike, how are my fellow six-weekers? Paul, how have you been since your stag do?

I'm doing ok. I've had a couple of better days in terms of coping with the dissociation, and I've been going out on my bike to get some exercise. I've got CBT this morning and am going to talk about going back to work next week. (I've been working from home for the last 6 weeks.)

Ok, take care all.

Spence x

hi all,

i hope everyone is doing good. It been a few days since i been on. So thought i would give you an update.

I went to group wellbeing class on wednesday which i found really strange as there where a lot of people with similar feelings and alot worse which was abit scary.

In all i think i am fine. i just keep getting thoughts that i dont feel myself and think im going abit mad. It weird i feel abit not there if that makes sense. I have taken the last two days off work because i been so tired and finally been able to sleep so im making the most of it.

Just wondering if anyone else has these feelings and should i be worried.

Appreciate any feedback.

Thank you and have a good day

Regards

Paul

Hey Paul,

Really good to hear from you, and I'm glad to hear you're doing ok. Those thoughts and feelings you mention sound very common - quite a few of us on here have talked about them (including me).

It's most likely a bit of dissociation (aka depersonalisation or derealisation), which is a normal symptom of anxiety. It's also a side effect of Cit, so it's not surprising that Cit users with anxiety mention it. You definitely don't need to worry about it.

I've been struggling to see it as harmless, so my CBT therapist has started to call it "fuzzy", which is a bit less scary sounding! I also found a very reassuring webpage that explains what it is and how to cope, if you do want a bit more advice. Just Google "coping with derealization" and it should be the top search result. (The site's called Sound-Mind.)

Take care mate, and enjoy the rest of your time off. Rest up, you deserve it :-)

Cheers,

Spence.

Hi Spence,

Yea that sounds right and fuzzy is a good term as thats how my head feels. It weird as feel like im going mad and turning into a nut but on the outside i look and feel normal. Really od but i think it just something i need to learn to deal with and it will get better. Do you get any problems with your vision at all? I sometimes get blurred vision dunno mate just think im freaking myself out.

Got to say i like this forum as we all going through the same thing and looking out for each other which is great knowing im not alone.

I will have a look at that link now mate and let you know how i get on.

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul - yes, I totally relate to the way you describe it. But the problem is, the more we get scared by it and create more anxiety, the worse it gets as it's our brains' way of dealing with anxiety! So there's a really logical reason for accepting it and relaxing into it, even if it feels like the last thing you want to do.

(I'm getting symptoms of it right now, and believe me it's one you have to practise and practise!)

It's funny you mention your vision. (Well, not funny funny, you know...) At CBT for the last few weeks I've been telling him how my vision is one of the things that triggers all this. I don't get blurred vision as such, but sometimes if the light changes, or it's too bright, or I see things *too* clearly with my content lenses in, I start to get freaked out. It's odd isn't it? Again, I'm putting it down to a combination of anxiety and Cit!

I'm with you about the forum - it's just so helpful to know others are in the same boat. And particularly with something like this fuzzy feeling when you feel like you're losing it - it helps you realise it *is* just a symptom when so many other people are having the same thing.

Yeah, I hope you find that link useful. It definitely helps to reassure me every time I read it.

All the best mate,

Spence.

Hi Spence,

Yea it crazy with the vision thing but we still here and that the main thing.

I just had a read of that site. Thanks for pointing it out. Its very interesting and explains a lot if im honest. The thing is i know it the anxiety and tablets that are causing the feelings i am going through. Some days im perfectly fine with it and can switch off and some days it just keeps building and building and feel like i literally going to explode and go mad but i got to tell myself it only anxiety thats all it is. it will go. Just need to be positive and keep myself busy i suppose.

Anyways mate thanks again. im going to go for a long walk now and clear the head.

Cheers again

Paul

Hi paul & spence

I can completelty relate to what you have said in your last posts.

blured vision,feeling im going mad fuzzy head etc and feeling more tired.

I had a few bad days at the beggining of the week seems to have eased a bit today, but its knocked me a bit now im scared the next few days will go bad again. im due at docs again next week i think i will have to up my dose, im only on 10mg at min, before cit my anxiety was really really bad, it has took the edge off but still not 100% probably around 60%

Hi Ally

I have worrying "what if thoughts" all the time, its horrible!! i try to think a positive to over ride the negative, but its hard too sometimes. i think the move will do you good a fresh start, something to concentrate and focus on.

Hope everyones having a good day!! At least its nearly the weekend xx

Louise xx

Good stuff Paul, I'm glad you found it helpful. Probably the best tip for me is tip 5 - don't avoid anything because of the way you feel - but do it while telling yourself the truth about your symptoms. (Ok, I've been avoiding central London and the office by working from home, but I'm about to start challenging that next week!)

Have a good walk mate - I'm about to go out for a bike ride for the same reason!

Louise, I hadn't realised quite how common these feelings are until coming on here. I know it's still horrible when we're feeling bad, but it does help to know you're not alone doesn't it? It's probable that you'll go up to 20mg I guess - that seems to happen to a lot of people. Take good care - and yes, the weekend is on the horizon :-) xx

Hi Everyone,

This is the first time I've posted here but I visited a lot when I first started taking citalopram and it really helped and I'd like to share my experience.

I'm a 40 year old music teacher and after 13 years teaching I experienced a panic attack "out of the blue" towards the end of last year. It happened while I was conducting the school band in an assembly in front of 850 students and staff. Although I made it to the end of the performance I could hardly breathe, couldn't hear anything except my heart beat, and couldn't focus on anything and felt like, well I guess most of you know how I felt!

Shortly after this experience was the long summer holidays and I thought that after a rest I would be fine. So wrong! The time away from work made things worse and I began to worry about it all the time. I started having more panic attacks and thought I would have to quit my job - something I'd always loved and been good at. Thinking about work made me want to vomit and I didn't want to do anything and I started to find it difficult to leave the house. With the help of valium I made myself go back to work at the start of the year but every minute was a struggle. I'm a music teacher and noise, more than one voice at a time and having to make decisions on the spot would make my mind sort of shut down. I was always anxious, constantly on the verge of panic and very unhappy.

Anyway, I'm saying all this because after three awful weeks at work and a particularly bad Friday I went to the doctor and practically begged for medication. I started on 10mg of citalopram and for the first week had the most horrific side effects - nausea, diarrhea, very little sleep and when I did sleep it was a really strange, delirious sort of sleep. It also ramped up my anxious to unbelievable levels and the few times I managed to find the energy to get vertical I felt faint. I've never self harmed or had suicidal thoughts but I started to get really paranoid that I would do something stupid and I had to get my mum to come and stay with me! I spent three days on the couch totally convinced that I would have to be institutionalisd, I would have panic attacks just thinking about leaving the house. DON'T LET THE SIDE EFFECTS PUT YOU OFF!!

Because of the side effects I stayed on 10 mg for three weeks. The first week I had to take off work. Going to work in the second week was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but the side effects started to wear off during the second week.

After a couple of days on 20mg I started to feel really good. I've been on 20mg for four weeks and it's been a life saver. I like my job again - I'm good at my job again! I can sit in a cafe by myself and enjoy a cup of coffee! I can make small talk with strangers! I've even started dating a really nice man!

Every now and then I start to feel a little anxious and I'm considering upping my dose a little. But maybe my anxiousness is just because I'm doing so much stuff that's out of my comfort zone!

Anyway, I just wanted to say stick with it. The side effects can be awful but it is definitely worth it in the long run.

Best of luck!

Hi Amy

Really enjoyed reading your last post!! wow you have come along way!! well done xx

It sounds like we had the same sort of symptoms in the beggining, iv been on 10mg for 7 weeks back at docs next week and think i will increse to 20mg because still not 100%

But if i can feel as good as you on 20mg i will be happy!! your story has made me feel more positive xx

Thanks

Louise xx

Hi Louise / Amy,

Lousie maybe 20mg is best for you i would talk to your doctor. I was on 10mg for 6 weeks. had some good and bad days and recently uped to 20mg the last two weeks. I do feel alot better i just having some stupid thoughts that im going insane which is just a result of the anxiety but im going to fight this and get through it.

Any many thanks for your post. Its really nice knowing that you got through it and are doing well and like us all you having good and bad days. Im just going to bite the bullet and power on through this and try control my anxiety better and just stay positive and excersize as everyone keeps telling me that s the best cure. I used to go the gym every morning but not been in 4 months since my anxiety started. This could be what is wrong with me aswel.

Keep positive people and have a great day. Sun is out so get out there and enjoy.

Take care