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Been on Citalopram for 3 months and not feeling great :( support needed please.

Posted , 5 users are following.

kirsty85581
kirsty85581

Hi everyone, 

i have been on Citalopram for 3 months now, 6 weeks at 10mg and 6 weeks at 20mg. The word 'adventure' is an understatement! I have had nearly all the side effects in the book. I just thought I would be feeling my normal self by now.

i have had a few blips along the way but I still don't feel myself sad I don't feel happy I don't feel excitement anymore. Last night I had a scare I struggled to get to sleep when I did shut my eyes my thoughts were racing. My head felt dizzy/light and pressured and thick I just got frightened that something was wrong with me! im still getting a few side effects from the meds too, is this normal? Is it side effects after all these months or anxiety? 

Any advice please 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • ambrose1976
    ambrose1976 kirsty85581

    Posted

    I have been going through the same thing. They finally upped my douse to 40 but, I have only been taking 30 because I want to do it slowly. So, it has been around two weeks now that I have been on the 30. I am finally starting to feel better. Not happy or excited but, better. I am hoping that the 40 will do the trick. At least now the side effects are starting to lessen and I feel like I can go out and do things. Maybe, it would help you as well to have an increase. Keep me posted, please. I thought that I was the only one that suffered for a long time on this.
    • kirsty85581
      kirsty85581 ambrose1976

      Posted

      It's horrible isn't it! If I don't feel any better within a few days I will go and see my doctor. I just want to get up of a morning without constantly assessing how I'm feeling. Just not sure wether it's side effects or anxiety. I will keep you posted thanks for your reply x 
    • ambrose1976
      ambrose1976 kirsty85581

      Posted

      I do the same thing every morning. I have even called the drug store and asked if it was normal. They didn't really answer my question though. They just said everyone is different and it takes longer for some people. But, thanks for posting. It definitely helps knowing that we aren't alone.
  • katecogs
    katecogs kirsty85581

    Posted

    Hi Kirsty

    I like that word, 'adventure' ....... it sure is, isn't it.

    Some side effects and anxiety do linger around for a while, and crop up every so often, so I expect it could have been either.  It takes so very long for Citralopram to completely settle, so it's probably still making small adjustments.

    You're well on your way to getting better, and probably through the worst.  Recovery creeps up so slowly you hardly notice it.  You might start getting moments of feeling quite content, followed by feeling down.  This turns into an hour or so, then maybe a day or a few days, then a week or more.  It seems the contented periods are followed by flat/low ones, and follows along this pattern until you feel well all the time.

    It takes a long time to recover.  The happiness and excitement will come back.

    K xx

    • chrissy69015
      chrissy69015 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate,

      You sound to know a lot, so wondered if you could answer a question for me. I have been on Citalopram for 9 weeks today, first 3 weeks 20 mg and last 6 weeks 40mg, at around the six week Mark I felt so much better & felt almost 100 % for a good couple of weeks, with no anxiety, intrusive thoughts or depression, it was great, but the last week I've felt a little bit as if I'm going backwards, I know I'm on the max dosage & wonder if it is normal to have setbacks at this stage on the medication. Many thanks x

    • katecogs
      katecogs chrissy69015

      Posted

      Hi Chrissy

      Yes in my experience you get setbacks which seem to come at any time, and always seems to happen after you've started to feel good and you think you're better.  Then suddenly it hits you again and you feel back to square one.  I don't know why we get these setbacks, but seems everyone gets them.

      I've read some great books by Dr Claire Weeks who describes these setbacks (though her method is without taking medication in her books), but it still seems to happen when we recover on these meds.

      The pattern seems to be you get through the side effects, start to feel better, then go downhill again.  After a while you begin to feel better again followed by going down hill, and so this pattern repeats until you feel good all the time.  It's usually when people have this down time that they up their dose of meds because they think they're ill again, but it's only the normal pattern.  Upping a dose only means you'll go through these stages again.

      Always seems 2 steps forward and 3 back.

      Takes such a long, long time to get better on these meds, and sadly people often give up too soon.

      xx

    • ambrose1976
      ambrose1976 chrissy69015

      Posted

      Chrissy, I am going through the same thing. I was on paxil for a long time it worked at six weeks and I felt great. However, with this med it is taking longer but, I can tell it is working and it is going to be an even better med. I have definitely been having ups and downs but, with my past experience I can tell that this is going to be a wonderful med for both of us, once we even out. It takes so long because our bodies are so depleted of serotonin and it takes a long time for it to get right again. It will work. Hang in there, you are not alone. I am going through the samesmile
  • candace33298
    candace33298 kirsty85581

    Posted

    kirsty, i am having the same issues started out on 10 mg for 5 weeks , and now at 20 mg for 5 weeks, have been anxious off and on now for the past week but talked to a few people and they say that side effects can linger for a while, and its likely what they call a blip.  So i have decided to ride it out for a while longer praying that this works,  at the 20 mg dose, doc will not up it any higher that this , candace
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