Celexa 1 week 10mg 4 weeks 20mg horrible

Thank you so much for your reply. I'm hoping for some progress and healing for the both of us. I had my appointment yesterday and he changed his decision, so indeed staying on the 20mg dose. It's me first time on these meds, in august my gp also gave me some kind of antidepressant but she made a serious medical mistake by combining ssri with maoi's which made me end up in the hospital, so i'm very anxious and suspicious about them.

Do you also experience this like tight feeling in your throat/chest ? It makes me crazy.

Were the meds successful for you the first time ?

I'm praying this nightmare will soon end.

Wishing you happy holidays and a great health for 2022.

Hi Robin, I'm so sorry your doctor did that to you! I'm suspicious of doctors too... I feel like I have to second guess everything and that they are all too eager to prescribe more drugs or increase my doses. Often compassion and reassurance go a long way... and also being reachable! And yes, I do experience the tightness in my throat and chest daily. I think that's pure heightened anxiety/difficulty relaxing as a result of Celexa. For me anyway, each time I've started an SSRI I get that heightened anxiety that is far worse than my normal drug-free anxiety. But it's usually temporary and I just have to breathe through it. Indeed it gets worse before it gets better. Also, yes I was successful every time before. You'd think I'd have more faith! But wow, it is SO hard. Every day is a mental and physical battle. My first experience was in 2009, Celexa (don't remember any side effects). Second time 2018 Lexapro and it took a while as well... I was prescribed it and Ativan to help me wean off Xanax. It took a while too but I don't know how long exactly because I had the help of the Ativan. I got off the Lexapro two years ago and then last year went back on last March (the worst side effects lasted about 3 weeks), then off again because of weight gain, and now I'm getting back on Celexa because I thought maybe less side effects. Boy have I been wrong. It's taking so long. I'm on day 26 and all these posts about months of struggle scare me. I need to work! I'm praying the nightmare will end as well! I'm rooting for you. Just know you are not alone!

Hi TaraLin

Yes, I share the same opinion, my gp gives me the impression not knowing much about these kind of meds, so I'm a little more at ease that a psychiatrist is doing the follow up know and even then... Just for your information, I also take half a pill of trazodone at night to sleep (for about 2 months now) Don't feel much of the trazodone anymore but they want me to keep taking it until i'm stabilised.

What did they give you as diagnosis ?

What bothers me most is that i'm just unable to do anything outside of the house such as a normal conversation for more than 1 or 2 hours, I get tired, derealisation, lose focus,... I really don't know what this is... Like my body is protesting. Before july 2021 I was completely normal and out of the blue got reduced to this. This was the main reason to start these meds. I'm just hoping my psychiatrist is spot on and it will help me recover, I'm so anxious that is is just this burnout thing or something else and that I will be stuck like this.

Are you also more tired on these meds ?

The previous time you took them, was there a moment you were back to your normal self ?

Merry christmas, i'm rooting for you too !

Hi,as someone who has taken all the SSRI'S over the last 30yrs for anxiety,and Citalopram on 3 separate occasions,I would recommend going to 20mg as the minimum effective dose. Minimum therapeutic dosages are given after all the drug companies testing are completed,and from my own experience on 10,20 and 30mg over years I would definitely go on 20mg to ensure recovery. I've found 10mg to be ineffective and 30mg to be too much. You are in the extreme stages of anxiety,you say you are panicking all day and it doesn't get much worse than that. I was in that position 11 years ago,in a very bad state,off work for 10 months. It is what they used to call a nervous breakdown, your brain is calling for a complete rest after a very long prolonged period of stress. There is no point in fighting it,your mind is telling you enough is enough and forcing you to stop. I didn't learn my lesson after that time and paid the price by falling ill again. When you are recovered sufficiently you have to reavaluate your life,look at what is causing this anxiety and panic and solve whatever is causing it. I can tell you from my own experience that antidepressants are only a crutch to enable you to get better and give you the opportunity for change. If you don't,the underlying reasons will remain and you will either have to stay with your crutch ( antidepressants) or will relapse again if you stopped. Recovery is long. Take care.

im

on week almost 3 and i have the tightness in my chest and throat oa this anxiety?

Hi Ian, thanks a lot for your reply and reassurance.

I also have another question, I don't know if you know this is common, but for the last few days I have this like tight feeling on my face (forehead, under the eyelid, side of my head) It's not a headache. It's difficult to describe but as if my face is being pulled back.

Hi Robin,your English is very good by the way. All the reasons for your current condition are written in your post. Prolonged stress,warning signs of tense muscles, headaches etc culminating in panic attacks and depression. There are reasons for your prolonged stress that only you know,but by ignoring the signs and not resolving those issues, your mind is now telling you enough is enough and shutting down on you by giving you these panic attacks and depression. It has been a long road of stress to get where you are and now unfortunately it's going to be a long road to recovery. Your whole mind and body are now out of equilibrium. Chemicals in your brain are unbalanced,sending the wrong signals throughout your sensitised nervous system of the body, cortisol and adrenaline, important minerals, everything is disrupted.

The first step to recover is staying on the 20mg Citalopram which will help raise your serotonin levels in the brain. Unfortunately for us,the original raising of serotonin will cause even more heightened anxiety. It is the cruel manner of this condition is that we have to endure even worse anxiety and depression before things improve,and that can take a long time. So,even though you think you're doing the wrong thing,you are on the right road. I would also recommend taking magnesium and zinc to help you recover quicker. Magnesium L Threonate and 15mg of zinc may help you.

While you are recovering you should try and look at the reasons for your stress in the first place and how you can resolve them. Wether it was work related, loneliness, family issues, physical injury,money etc etc. You can help yourself as well by using CBT to see if your way of thinking played some part, mindfulness to help you concentrate on the present,excercise to burn off the adrenaline you're producing and diet,fish,fruit and vegetables to heal the damage done by stress on the body.

In answer to your question,your sensitised nervous system is causing all the weird sensations and feelings and thoughts. Stress tends to target the neck and head area,pulling muscles which then affects eyesight,hearing,mouth, everything. All this adds to our anxiety,on and on it goes,more anxiety,more stress,more worry,more anxiety. Accept it for the facts I've just told you and your recovery will be quicker,fight it and you will never win a battle with your own mind. Take care.

im struggling today im on day 20, been down and crying and feel the tightness in my chest and throat

Hi Ashley... just saw your post and wanted to let you know you're not alone. So not alone. It's Christmas day too... so it's bound to be a little more difficult to tolerate these side effects. I'm on day 28 and struggling daily myself. I've cried a couple times today, pushing myself to eat and drink and return to the reminder that these are just side effects and that this is not me. It's just a process. The brain is adjusting and soon I will break through to the other side where the highs are more abundant than the lows. Take deep breaths. Let yourself cry if you need to, as that is a release of some anxiety. Rooting for you and wanting you to know that I'm with you!

you are awesome sunshine! i have cried, feel like i can again. tightness in my chest and feeling full. i am saying it is christmas and so much going on I am sating anxiety but it makes me low praying it isnt depression.

Hi Ashley

Just a little message of support. I broke down crying too. What a christmas... I'm rooting for all of us. The hardest part for me is the feeling of having to disappoint my partner. He's missing the old me for almost 6 months already, I'm missing the old me too and I wasn't able to go to the Christmas party. He's very supportive but I can see he's getting tired of it....

Hoping for a miracle for all of you guys 😃

I agree we are all in this together. Today was hard, I just didnt feel myself. I feel down, nauseated and this tightness in my chest and throat all day! Its going to get better we have support from each other

Hi, depression comes under the same umbrella of anxiety. Don't separate them, depression is sometimes caused by too much anxiety and having a sensitized body. Once you start recovery from anxiety the depression will lift as well. Have you read any books on how to recover from anxiety? There are a couple of great books that explain why we suffer with anxiety, the steps leading into it and the steps to help us get out of it. I can message you the books? Dx

Hi Denise,

Will you list the books? I'm curious! Ive read one called Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine that I thought was pretty good.

I'll have to private message you, as cannot post on here. D x

I've sent you a message D x