Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

Hi Christy

Many thanks for your encouraging comments about FM. Remember over the next week or so that any side effects are temporary and you will get over them and feel so much better.

Maria - I too had burning skin and pains down my arms. My left arm would tingle and go numb with the burning sensation - most disconcerting! However it does pass.

Keep going everyone!

Chris

Hi Maria,

I also have episodes of burning in my arms, feels really weird, always happens when I have longer episodes of sweats and feels like the sweat is stinging my skin but when I check there's no sweat on my arms. It has pretty much resolved now.

I've decided to write today off as a blip. After this morning I felt really tired and nauseous. Decided to have a nap and woke up really hot and sweaty and "spongy head" was back and I felt quite teary. I don't feel anxious (at least I don't think so) just a bit frustrated that I ended up not going out tonight with my fiance to visit friends as I'm too tired.It might be that my body is telling me to slow down a little after a few good days. I just remind myself that I've had more good days than bad recently and that's progress!

Tomorrow is another day.

:-D

I reread my post and realized it wasn't that clear (lack of sleep). I have NOT had any nausea and it has been over 18 hours...hoping to be in the clear. no other SE seems to worry me.

Maria...I seem to have the burning skin feeling. It was bad last night in my face and ears. Blamed it on spicy tai food...but could be from cit, who knows. When you have anxiety, every strange sensation is cause for worry. I also have some pins and needles. Not so bad, just feels like a quick jolt to my foot...oddly, kind of pleasant...lol. I'm chalking many odd feelings today to a horrible night sleep. You will be feeling better soon. Stay strong.

Christy

Sounds pretty positive Christy! You might well avoid the nausea, if you do then that's great! At least now you have lots of helpful tips now to overcome it! Fingers crossed you won't need to use any of them!

Diane, I've had a 'wobbly' day too. Lots of worried thoughts, (about whether I'll be ready to go back to work next week, it's my sister's 40th next week and she's having a big party so I'm worried about going to that, Ive even been worrying that I'm posting too much on here and that it might be annoying people!) lack of concentration and 'tingly' arms and legs. I think because I've felt more like myself this week I've been overdoing things so I need to give myself a break but then I get so bored lying on the sofa doing nothing especially with my concentration being so poor, usually I would lose myself in a good book but I can't do that as I just can't concentrate!

I think because I've been waking up in the night for the last three nights I'm probably tired so that can't be helping either! I've bought some more nytol today so hopefully that'll help my sleep pattern get back on track again.

Like you say, I need to remind myself that I'm having more good days than bad and that even though I'm having a wobble I'm not back where I started! I'm so much better than I was. We need to embrace that inner tortoise!

Xxx

Hi Chris,

So glad you don't have the rheumatoid arthritis, but hopefully they can treat the Fibromyalgia really well, you know its very like my Arachnoiditis, much the same because at first Fibromyalgia is what they thought I had. Now you know whats wrong you will be able to do the right things to help yourself.

I hope your feeling better, get your Doctor to refer you for medically supervised exercise, its free and so helpful.

Take care everyone,

Anne x

Mrs VN

It's great that you post so often remember you are supporting everyone on here, we are all grateful for everyones support, as we are all going thru this together.

Group hugs everyone

Anne

Awwww, thanks Anne, that has made me feel better! This forum has been a real lifeline for me, especially as I feel so useless sitting doing nothing so it's been a real support for me and sometimes it's helpful offering advice to others because it reminds me of what I need to do to help myself as well as feeling like I'm doing something useful. I remember you were the first person to respond to my first post and you really helped me to soldier on so thank you for that! I really am so grateful.

Tomorrow is a new day, fingers crossed it'll be a good one for us all!

Xxx

Yeah Mrs VN,

Perhaps part of my problem today is due to me over planning my day. I've never done it before but was doing so well over the last few days that I thought "right.... Go pick up the dyson from the repairer, go to the vet with the cat, make a cake for tonight and go to London".

, he did the rest on his own.

Well I managed the cake....... And sent it with my fiance. My brain is saying "whoah, slow down" and so is making my fatigue worse to put the brakes on. Need to stop myself over planning and go back to being spontaneous.

Tortoise, tortoise, tortoise..... :-D

You're so right, the instinct when we're feeling good is to get all those jobs done that we've been putting off or avoiding and it ends up all being too much! My default setting is busy busy busy so it feels so alien to sit down and try to relax! I think I'm so impatient to get back to my ''normal life" that I'm overloading myself. One little job soon turns into several and then I'm exhausted!

I'm also kicking myself that I decreased the medication in the first place as I feel like none of this would have happened if I'd just stuck on the dose that I'd been functioning really well on for a couple of years and now I've ended up on a higher dosage again. I guess I can't undo what's happened. I just feel so cross with myself.

I'm sorry for sounding so negative on here today. I'm usually such a positive, cheerful person that it's really tough feeling like this.

I think I'm going to get an early night, write today off as a blip and get back in the saddle tomorrow!

Xxx

Hi Susie,

Thank you for reply, I know this is all from the anxiety, but because I have not had this for over thirty years it

Has been a real experience this time also because of the allergy I have. I did the deep breathing tonight and had a good cry to my husband which I have not done for a couple of weeks now, and felt a bit better this

evening, I have even forced food today as I really don't want to lose anymore weight which is my concern, so we will just have to see what tomorrow will bring.

Chris,

Thank you for your reply too I hope everything goes well for you. X

You and me both!

Early night and start again tomorrow. I don't think either of us are being negative, just realistic.

:-D

You sound so much brighter than you did when we first started out Diane! I'm so pleased for you! We'll get there!

Maria, I'm glad to hear you're feeling better this evening! Also glad to hear you managed to eat something

Xx

Hi Mrs VN

Sorry to hear your not having such a good day and like you I am so cross with myself not sticking to the dose I was on for 5 months last summer, I felt so well on 10mg, why of why did I have to try to go down to 5, if only we could turn back the clock but we can't unfortunately, if I ever get right this time I won't be in such a hurry when I am feeling good next time.

At the moment this is the best part of my day so feeling good but mornings are awful and I no it will be there again, this morning was bad but for some unknown reason I just couldn't take the propranalol, I don't know why it is, all I can remember when I was on it before I just wanted to get off of it and felt better when I had and yet for 7 months before going on the cit I was on just propranalol and it got me through some bad situations including having a colonoscopy and one of our pet steers having to be put down as it failed the TB test so if things really got unbearable I will take it but I am trying to put it off.

I hope you all have a better day tomorrow. xxx.

I think when I was feeling really well it was hard to recognise that it's because of the citalopram. I think now that I'm out of 'the fog' I'm feeling really disappointed because i felt like reducing the meds was a really positive step towards trying for a baby and now I feel like I've set myself right back and won't be emotionally or mentally ready for that for ages now which is really upsetting because I'm so broody and was so excited at the prospect.

I think as well, because I naively thought I'd just increase my dose and be back to normal in a week or two it's really knocked me for six to end up feeling the worst I've ever been.

BUT the positive side is that I have improved massively from where i was even two weeks ago so I will get better and I've learned so much from this episode; not to take good mental health for granted, what a fantastic supportive husband I have and a renewed sense of empathy for my clients at work.

I haven't fallen back down to the bottom of the mountain, I've just stumbled backwards a bit!

The other good news is that the citalopram has worked for us both before so it will again.

Maybe if you don't feel comfortable taking the propanolol you could ask your GP for something else to help with the anxiety. Did you find the rescue remedy and lavender oil helpful? I know you said they'd helped you before. I've found the night time bach's quite helpful to settle at night.

Xxx

Hi Mrs VN,

It is very difficult to know that you have to come off of cit to try for a baby, that must be so frustrating, I have to admit I am glad I haven't got that worry.

The strange thing was the Lavender oil did help before but this week I put some on a tissue under my pillow and I had the worst nights sleep all week, I hadn't thought about the night time bach's I only have the rescue remedy, I must get some of that.

As you say it has helped us before and it will again.

Have a good night xxxx