Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

Hi gang 🙋

Anne, I'm good honey, thanks for asking, 😊

Just wanted to update you all on my journey. I've had 5 weeks now on cit , started off on 10 mg & the last 4 days I've upped that to 20 mg. NOW .... on Wed, my last day on 10, I felt AMAZING! No worries, no anxieties & no side effects 😎 When I increased the side effects returned but to a much lesser degree, a bit of a headache & some strange stabbing pains at the top of my head which I didn't care for much ( made me feel sick & a wee bit anxious for a few minutes) but they are so much easier to cope with because I just thought "oh, here we go again" 😂 I can feel the day coming when I am going to be so glad I stuck with this 👍 Before, if I had any pain, far less in my head, then guaranteed I would be at the doctor at least 3 times in the week a crying wreck. Now I'm thinking "Och, I'll just mention it the next time I need more CIT" 😁😂😂 Also, I'm sleeping SO much better now. Before, when my head hit the pillow, my mind would start racing but now it doesn't even get out of the starting blocks 😴 😊

Anne I'll be thinking about you & sending you hugs on Tuesday 💗 I wasn't affected like you when I had an MRI but I can totally understand about how you think it could happen again but it's just the mind playing these damn tricks again 😉 I feel uneasy when I go into Boots in Princes St after being carted out of there twice in a wheelchair by paramedics in two separate fainting episodes. One 15 months ago & one a fortnight ago so it's still very real 😕 Think I'll stick to Superdrug in future 😂

I've just copied Matilda's (hi Matilda 🙋) tip from last week & gave myself a manicure 💅 & pedicure 👣 & it feels lovely 😆

Dougie, I see a huge difference in you, keep at it mate, it can feel like a "marathon" at times (pun intended 😂) but the winning post is in sight pal 😉

To the rest of the gang (there's getting quite a crowd now eh 😎 ) enjoy the rest of the weekend & look forward to the 6 weeks of sun we've been promised here in the UK for the end of April & the whole of May 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 Ha! There's no pill that'll make me believe THAT 'til I see it 😏

Take care,

Love Loulyn x 😘

Oh & Spence, I meant to say, yeah, I get the freaky sensitivity to light too. It was quite bad for a couple of weeks then disappeared but now that I've increased I notice it's come back, so yeah, it'll just be those wee CIT gremlins up to their nonsense 😏 Father Time will eventually kill the wee b*ggers off I'm sure 😉

Loulyn x

Wow Loulyn

You sound great and thanks for sharing its great for everyone especially in the early stages to hear how well you are and how great you are coping with your increase, I was much like you with the increase expecting hell and damnation but it wasn't so bad. Hope you get your fainting episodes under control, maybe I will stay away from Boots too just in case ha ha and many thanks for your support for my MRI on Tuesday, I do know its all in my head its just what triggered my anxiety last time well one of the things as I felt like I was in a coffin but I am going to attend anyway see how it goes.

BTW good call treating yourself you deserve it.

Its great your sleeping well now too as that in itself is so helpful, helps your brain recover.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I really hope we do get this promised weather, I have my niece over 28th of May to go to see One Direction on 3rd June so planning a BBQ on 31st May so hope its a nice day.

Take care and keep in touch xxx

Anne

Hi everyone,

I upped my dose from 20-30 on Friday and have been having a hard time since... I've been so anxious I can barely sit still and have been crying a lot. I've been on cit for 12 weeks and it had been helping, just not enough. Has anyone else increased, and how long did it take to settle down? Xxx

Hi inthewoods

well done for upping your dose, remember hormones could be making you feel a bit off, so stick in there you will get better remember your deep breathing and try to keep busy try alternate thinking and trying to be positive, listen to calming music, when you are restless try popping for a walk get fresh air watch nature programmes hope you feel better soon,

Continue your counselling that will help too, and persevere you will get there, xxx just some folk take longer for their bodies to adjust but you will be grand, give it time, and be strong during this time,

Big Hugs

Anne xxxx

Thank you Anne, as usual you are such a lovely, comforting support xx

Dear Anne

I wish you all the best for your MRI scan on Tuesday, if we do not speak before. When I had mine I decided to use it as an excuse for a rest, as for once there would be no interruptions! What I found was that it was quite relaxing. My tip is to close your eyes for the entire time and then you notice nothing. I started thinking of nice times and places - remembering a lovely holiday we'd had, etc. Then believe it or not, I was working out a school budget and trying to remember the figures on a spreadsheet. That was quite a challenge, I can tell you! The scanner was quite an open one, with the thing only over my head for a couple of minutes out of the twenty.

So don't panic, you'll be fine!

I've had a bit of pain this week but doubled the dose on Tuesday so that will take another week to settle down. My tinnitus has never really come down since starting amitriptyline in January, at least down to what it was before. It does vary between being troublesome and tolerable. It rose again when I started Pregabalin, then settled down a bit, then rose again this week. So I think that these drugs have an effect. Also Fibro.

I do hope your latest tinnitus flare-up is settling down, and that you'll also have some success with the underlying level.

You are so supportive to everyone on this forum, and so I am sure many of us will be thinking of you when you go for your dreaded appointment on Tuesday evening!

Take care

Chris x

Aww Chris

You are very kind thank you so much for your ongoing support, I will adapt your ideas for a rest and work out my presentation techniques for my trip to Wales on Thursday, I have 2 meetings to prepare for so will use my hour wisely, I think its the thought of it been an hour that's putting me off too. I will defo close my eyes ha ha

I will remember your kind words on Tuesday to keep me calm xx

So sorry to hear your pain has been bugging you, hopefully settle soon, how are you managing with the Pregabalin ? do you think its helping? I do hope it is. is it the Pregabalin that you doubled?

Ha ha cant believe you were able to work out the school budget while in there, did u listen to music??

my tinnitus has settled down this week but some days its louder and others it is screaming , worse obviously is in bed at night as so quiet, except for sound of partner snoring ha ha sometimes that dulls it out for me, but coping with it. Hope urs settles that you just get used to it and don't notice it as you already have enough to contend with, but I do feel ur managing so much better these days, so stay strong Chris

I will let you know how Tuesday goes (there was a time any tests wouldn't have bothered me.)

Take care and speak soon

Anne

Hi everyone,

Tasha checking in. Amazing to me that as I took my medicine today I realized I have 7 tablets left; 25 days in and here's sort of where I stand:

The good:

-Far fewer headaches (I had these nearly daily, all day, pre-cit)

-Not feeling like I will cry at any moment or am "losing it"

-Functioning at a high level pretty well, and energy has increased as of week 3

-I am still avoiding a lot of life problems, but every day I try to tackle one unpleasant task (which is better than none)

The medium:

-I haven't found a therapist, which shouldn't be a stressful process but is here, & realize I need this to really get on course again.

-I feel "ok" but I think depersonalized is the best term.

The bad:

-I still wake up EVERY NIGHT between 2-5 am, and cannot get back to sleep right away. The stuff I think about has no business being on my mind at that hour... some of it rational, most of it not.

-I still feel or have returned to that anxious, pit-in-my-stomach feeling

-I guess this is common catching up on some of the posts but I have begun to wonder, "Is this it? Is this the best I will feel on this med? Do I need to change something?"

Trying to plug away. Best to you all, I'll try to keep up better this week. Last week was full of doctor appointments for myself (I am catching up on overdue medical visits and tests) and kids, and I have a few more of those coming up over the next 2 weeks, including a return visit with my GP.

Hi Tasha,

Good to hear from you

Well done on your 25 days in remember it is still early days, you are doing well and there is still time to improve, but if you still feel you need more then what about discussing an increase with your doctor say in 2 weeks time if your still feeling this way??

Do you sleep during the day? if you do you should try to cut it out to see if it makes a difference to sleeping thru the night.

The depersonalisation does go away, after a time. remember to practice deep breathing if you are feeling a bit anxious it will help to calm you.

Keep in touch and keep discussing with your doctor.

Anne

Hiya everyone, how are we all today??

havent been on in a while i can only apologise as i have been so busy, to the point im forgetting things

Hi Anne

hope all goes well tomorrow, we will all be thinking about you keep us up-dated.

I have an appointment with the docs today to receive more of my miracle workers and to see how i am coping on them. Still at the spaced out stage, headaches are coming and going and still feeling slightly anxious, but feeling a hell of a lot better since taking CIT. Would advise anyone who is starting off on CIT to stick with it, i know the symptoms can be crappy but its worth the wait i am half way there and can feel the benefits already and cant wait to feel the full effects...... so chin up people and like people have said before this forum is great for advice and help when needed

G XXX

Hi all, how's everyone doing today? Fingers crossed you're all doing well and carrying on the fight.

I just wanted to post an update today to let everyone know how I'm doing. I'm on Day 5 of the 30mg today and have to say the increase overall has been pretty straightforward. I really do feel like this is the right dose for me now, and I feel so much more settled and 'normal' than I have done for ages - it's amazing. It's not perfect yet, I still have the shakes a bit and am finding I'm quite tired at various times through the day, but more importantly I feel more positive and am slowly starting to think about doing things again that I had lost all interest in. If this continues, I'm onto a winner :-)

There are so many people on here that I would like to personally thank for all their support and kind words over the last couple of months, this forum has been invaluable to me, but I would be bound to forget someone. I will just say a huge Thank You to everyone on here, and if you are still fighting the side effects then keep at it and there IS light at the end of the tunnel - wow, I didn't think I'd be here saying that a few weeks ago!

Take care everyone, stay strong, sending you all positive thoughts (especially you Anne, fingers crossed for tomorrow for you).

Doug. x

Hi all

Wow loved reading all the positive posts over the last few days!! xx glad to hear so many of you are doing so well and feeling that your on your way xx

Im feeling better the last few days thankfully xx

Inthewoods hou are u feeling today? xx

Seems like alot of you have increased lately and are feeling the benefits xx will see if i increase on Wednesday when i see the doc xx

Anne good luck with your hospital appointment xx

Hope everyone has a good day xx

Louise

Hi all,

i've never posted on a forum like this before but really needed some support and advice. It's been positive to me to see that many of you are starting to feel better on Cit, i was just wondering if anyone could help me.

I've been on Cit for 37 days now, 24 of those on 10mg, the other 13 on 20mg, i was just wondering how long before others started to feel any significant change. So far i've noticed very little beyond the side effects. My anxiety actually seems of increased and my depression definitely has, everything just seems to be pointless and nothing is working and i keep getting bouts where all I can do is cry. I've been to see that doc and they seem to think that I should hold out on 20mg for a bit longer, has this happened to anyone here?

Hi Tom,

Welcome to the forum, you'll find plenty of people on here offering help & support when you need it most.

I'm still pretty new by comparison to Cit - I started with a month on 10mg, then another month on 20mg and have just recently (5 days ago) gone up to 30mg. It's been a rocky road with side effects coming & going, feeling worse before feeling better, up & down like a rollercoaster. But I have to say things are starting to 'normalise' now. So I would say, 37 days is still quite early and you could definitely still be feeling worse rather than better, but keep at it - I have only just started to feel the improvement towards the end of the 20mg and now with the 30mg.

If you need to vent, just post here and people will be about to offer support along the way.

Take care,

Doug.