Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

Do you mean the clipper sleep tea? I've found them really helpful too. Although they do contain valerian which I've heard should by avoided when on citalopram because it can slow the heart rate down but I assume that as it's in an infusion then it wouldn't be as strong as valerian tablets.

I agree, citalopram can do wonders for people's mental health. It really has done for mine in the past and I'm hoping it is beginning to do so again. It can be really tough for some people when they start out, everyone can react differently to it and have different side effects. Sounds like it's really helped you out which is great.

Hi Beco75,

I'm so sorry to read your post and that you're having to go through this on new year's eve and day.

It's difficult at the best of times, but particularly so at this time of year and people don't understand and expect you to be all normal and happy when you're experiencing all the side effects. Everyone hear knows what you're experiencing so don't feel alone, if you want to talk and just post, a trouble shared etc..

Your husband perhaps needs to be a bit more understanding and supportive.. does he realise how powerful this drug is and how difficult the adjustment period can be and side effects for the first 4-6 weeks? If he doesn't know, perhaps you can bring him onto the forum or explain to him?

When the drug begins to work and you get past the difficult weeks, he will benefit greatly too from having you feeling much happier and confident in yourself.. but you will definitely need his support and some space while you're adjusting.. your sex drive will definitely change and you might not feel like it as much. Sometimes that fixes itself in time, sometimes it doesn't, and you just have a lower limbo than you had before.. that could potentially cause problems in a marriage if your partner is not very understanding.. I think the main thing is to discuss it, and work around it if you can.

All the best, Happy New Year, and keep your chin up.. it will get better I promise.. It's made a new person and man of me.. I'm on month 4 now.. and enjoying life much more. Hang in there.

Paul

Hi Paul

Thanks for the lovely words.

My husband has been very understanding. I'm sure I'm quite difficult to live with at the moment. I'm over 8 weeks on meds and I really haven't progressed.

I also usually go to counselling on a Thursday. It's been 2 weeks today, and I won't be seeing him till next Thursday. I'm probably getting to dependent on counselling, but it's great to go and talk to an outsider.

My neighbour from hell arrived back from her home country on New Year's Eve after been away for 10 days. Now I'm back watching the driveway to see if I'm safe to leave the house. Hooefully the kids will want another Pj day so I won't have to leave the house.

Anyway hubbie is gone to work for a break !!!! Just me and the kids today.

Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Beco

Yes therapy can be very good for some people. My GP said its generally far more effective than meds in the longer term.. sometimes the meds can be a stepping stone to get you out the door and into the counselling.

When I developed severe social anxiety in 1990's I wouldn't leave the house or speak to anyone. I literally never left the house for 6 years continuously and was a complete recluse. I completely lost my sense of who I was, and lost all trust for people and the ability to communicate.

Counselling was what snapped me out of it, that and a very kind person who showed me love and support. I found meds didn't work for me back then, I just needed to find my humanity again and re-connect with people.

We shouldn't underestimate the power of talking and having contact with people... whether it's 1 to 1 counselling or just having a supportive group, a friend or partner. Keeping yourself shut away and bottling everything up does you no good, it can lead to stress and bad habits like drinking etc.

Confidence can be lost but it comes back when you start getting back to life and taking gradually more risks as I'm finding out. It's great to get the rewards of doing those things, You realise life isn't so bad, and people are nice if you're nice to them.

I fully sympathize about your neighbour from hell from people.. I had a neighbour from hell who lived in the flat below me and she made my life a living hell for 5 years with loud music and noise every night, drugs and people staying there etc. It took my own evidence gathering, and finally the threat of legal action against the Council by my solictors to finally get her moved. Now life is much better again. I hate inconsiderate people who make other peoples lives bad through selfishness, it causes so much stress and I'm sure that is what caused my own depression and other illness which I'm just recovering from (a bone disease).

Anyway, I hope you get them neighbours sorted out and can look forward to a happier New Year, and a fresh start with counselling..it will be good to have someone to listen to you and help you sort things out..think of all the things you'd like to do and places you can go when you feel better!

Hi all and especially Christine cmc46

I have just found 420 of these comments in my trash! Can someone tell me how to get them into the inbox..or maybe I just read them all there!

I will have to now read them all ...am sure I private messages some people so I apologize if I did not reply...I thought no one had replied to me...

Cmc u must have gone up on yr dose then? I am carrying on on 5 mg, have been on that for maybe 3 weeks and plan to stay on 5 mg another 4 weeks maybe as am on holiday at the weekend so don't want any other change

Considering the stresses in my family life with very poorly parents at the moment, I feel I have done amazingly well

However I do too keep very busy and not always by choice!

My husband wonders how I will actually relax and switch off

I have to say though I woke up this morning with some sad thoughts ...I thought..get up have a coffee distract yourself, nothing new has happened to cause this down. , in fact I could say I have done positive things to help matters...so this is just a thought..dismiss it and get on with it

Good luck to you all

Hi Gillian,

Well done at still keeping down to 5mg, I hope that you manage to get off completely at some point or stay at 5mg if that helps and you feel OK on it.

Yes I am back up to 20mg, I went back to 10 but still felt bad so it was back up to 20, I am now on day 18 of 20mg and hope it will kick in soon, I don't know how I feel about trying to cut down again at some time in the future but that won't be for some time yet and if I managed to get down to get down to 10 again and feel as good as I did last time on 10 I will stay there.

Keep going you are doing well.

Christine xxx

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd see how everyone is doing today? My husband's gone back to work today so I was a bit anxious this morning about being by myself all day but I seem to be doing okay. I've been signed off work for another fortnight so I've got time to make sure I'm properly well before I go back to work.

Has anyone else struggled with their attention span? I can't seem to stick at anything for more than 10-15 mins which is frustrating when I'm trying to read or watch a TV show! I've started taking omega 3 supplements to see if that helps.

Hope everyone's okay?

Xx

Hi,

Well done you on managing on your own. The same thought has crossed my mind as mine goes back on Monday. I'm still consistently better in the evening and am managing some housework. Went out with my other half to take dyson for repair (exciting.... Not! lol) and managed that. Feel my constant trips to use loo are reducing, still have my reflux cough and some sweats but they don't seem to be lasting so long. Getting some sleep at the start of the night then more broken sleep for the rest. Still slow in the mornings with some nausea and headaches, but again these don't seem so bad.

The big positive is my other half saying he feels like he's getting "me" back bit by bit.

Need to keep going but feel I'm making slow progress.

:-D

Awwww, it's great to hear you're seeing some improvements now Diane! It can be such a slow process that it's hard to see it getting better at times. I think when you're 'living it' it's hard to see the improvements, other people seem to notice the changes first! My GP commented on how much brighter I am and how pleased he was for me which gave me a real boost. I'll think I'm having a bad day/ a bit of a wobble but when I think back to how i was two weeks ago I've come a really long way!

Xx

Yeah, even when I feel a bit rubbish I only have to think a couple of weeks back when I was struggling to get out of bed for any length of time and was pouring with sweat.

Need to think of the long game - embrace the inner tortoise not the Hare!

Hi Mrs vn + Diane,

I think I,m going to steal your phrase about tortoise + hare. Saw psychiatrist yesterday really nice lady I,m booked for assessment on 14th january to see what cbt therapy is needed will be working in group of 5/6 people. As you say husband back to work aswel was anxious in morning but did okay.

Hope everyone okay.

xx

Hi,

Hope everyone is doing ok?

Having an off day today. Probably my worst in 2 weeks. Feel quite anxious not sure if its because I know that hubby is back at work next week.

I don't feel great in myself though sore throat, headache and tired so maybe that's contributing towards it. I have done so well and feel nervous that I have felt like this before and paranoid that I'm going to go backwards again.

Anyone else have off days like these? X

I think it's very usual to have 'off' days. I woke up feeling quite anxious this morning because I'm going out with friends today and like you thought 'oh no, here we go again...' But I feel much calmer now. It could well be linked to you feeling under the weather. I was anxious about my hubby going back to work too. I was fine though. I arranged for a friend to come for a cuppa to break the day up. Maybe you could do something similar?

Hope you start to feel better soon xx

Also, faraway girl and Diane,

I really like the hair and tortoise analogy too! I know you really struggled to cope at first Diane so really pleased for you. I'm really glad you got on well with the psychiatrist faraway girl. Sounds really positive and the CBT should really help you to manage things much more easily.

Xx

Thanks Mrs VN,

Think I had the best night's sleep so far. My mum says I sound much brighter on the phone too although I mostly speak to her in the evenings when I tend to be better. Am mindful of the fact I felt better at this time of the month last month and went backwards pre menstrually which is why I think there may be a hormonal component to my illness. I'll see if anything showed in my bloods when I go to the gp next.

Feeling less edgy too. Hoping it sticks!

Hugs to everyone :-D