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Citalapram 6 1/2 week

Posted , 5 users are following.

don45258
don45258

Hi all just looking for a bit of reassurance I'm 6 1/2 weeks in I'm 20mg lady Friday I had a best day I had in a long time woke up Saturday morning and felt low and intrusive thoughts my main problem is the intrusive thought they are getting me down.every morning wake up to them .

Is it still to early ? Do citalapram help with intrusive thoughts? I'm having group therapy as well but still feel stuck in my head if I go back to docs he mite just say up dose.

Anyone got any advice please

1 like, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Foxy_polly
    Foxy_polly don45258

    Posted

    Hi don

    Six and half weeks is still very early I was having a few good days then a bad week at that stage then more good days followed by less bad days as time went on! I'm on 16 weeks of 20mg and just these last few days have been bad but before that I had about 4 weeks of being really good! My doctor has reassured me it's normal and the blips will still happen! Hang on in there I know it's hard but the good days are so worth it! Xx

  • gwen1953
    gwen1953 don45258

    Posted

    Every individual takes a different amount of time to adjust and benefit from Citalopram. Having taken it myself it took about 4-5 weeks. You have to take into consideration two things. One Citalopram might not be for you and secondly it's addictive so you don't want to take it for any real length of time as you have to wean yourself off it if you do.  Personally I'd talk to your doctor and ask if you can switch to either Lithium or Depakote and see what the doctor says. Either should do the trick and be less intrusive.
  • Marf
    Marf don45258

    Posted

    Yes it's early days, I was still anxious at that stage, the low phases get less as time goes on but the more good days you have the more a bad day feels yuk!! Can you put your finger on what the intrusive thoughts are? Are they the same each time? xxx 
    • don45258
      don45258 Marf

      Posted

      Thanks for reply

      My intrusive thoughts are about all sorts but more about things with work don't want to leave my job because I loved it before all this happened

  • katecogs
    katecogs don45258

    Posted

    Hi Don

    Yes, absolutely Citalopram helps with intrusive thoughts.

    6 1/2 weeks is early still, though some people can start to feel better by the and some much, much longer.  We're all different and all take different times to heal.  Took my son 8 months.

    You will get good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks too.  It's how recovery works.

    Intrusive thoughts are a side effect of anxiety, and yet anxiety keeps the intrusive thoughts looping around our minds.  You get caught in a cycle, and these meds will help to break that cycle, calming the anxiety, and in time the intrusive thoughts will start to abate.  Eventually the anxiety will cease and so will the thoughts.  I had this for many many years and never thought I'd escape the daily grind of anxiety, intrusive thoughts and depression, but taking SSRI's helped to stop it and I recovered.

    Everyone gets weird and wonderful thoughts, and often they're only fleeting and don't bother anyone, but when you're feeling ill with anxiety and/or depression, then the thoughts seem bigger, more powerful, and frightening because your mind is tired and your body is quick to fire off anxiety at any small provocation.  Thoughts also stick to a tired mind, bouncing round and round in your head, causing more anxiety, and the anxiety causing more thoughts.

    As these meds begin to do their work you should find in time that you feel lighter, not so low, not thinking of those thoughts, not so anxious ......... then other days you may find it may all be back again.  That's fine, that's how it seems to work - but slowly, very slowly you'll start feeling better more and more, with some low times too of course, but eventually you should start to notice the thoughts don't bother you as much and the anxiety will be less.  As you recover and your nerves become calmer, so your thoughts will get put back into perspective and you'll be able to dismiss them and put to the back of your mind.

    I was plagued with intrusive thoughts for so many years, and only when I started SSRI's did everything start to calm down and eventually I was able to return to normal.

    These meds are not addictive.  Yes they can be uncomfortable to come off if not done correctly, but that does not mean they're addictive.  Addiction means your body become used to the dose and you have to rely more and more on stronger doses.  These do not work like that.  I took these for 16 years and if anything I reduced my dose and continued on a 'maintenance dose'.

    When withdrawing from this medication it's best done by 5mg at a time so your body adjusts slowly ..... just the same as how your body adjusted when first starting these.  By reducing by 5mg there should be no, or very minimal, withdrawal effects.  These are psyche meds which work on the brain and it's just common sense when reducing these.

    These are not addictive.

    K x

    • don45258
      don45258 katecogs

      Posted

      You are a star thanks that helps me so much xx💕
    • Marf
      Marf don45258

      Posted

      Hi, I personally think you need to give it a bit longer xx have you tried CBT? Xx
    • don45258
      don45258 Marf

      Posted

      Had Cbt now on anxiety group course
    • katecogs
      katecogs don45258

      Posted

      Mmmm I think you should stick with 20mg .... at least for a while yet.  I recovered on 20mg after being ill for 16 years.  A larger dose doesn't bring recoverery to you any quicker and you'll often still go through the same experience as a lower dose.  That's not to say that a larger would be better for you though.  I always think you need to try one dose only for many many months (maybe 6)? before you can decide if they're helping and before you up the dose.  Sometimes we even find the meds aren't for us and another type would be more suitable.  Everyone suits different doses and different meds.  It's trial and error ...... and time.  However, many people do recover on these meds and expect they'll really help you in time too.

      People do often make the mistake of starting these meds, battle through the side effects, don't see any change within a few weeks, either quit or get their dose increased which then gives them side effects again, don't see any change so either get the dose increased again or get them reduced giving themselves either even more side effects or withdrawal effects.  All this mixed together just delays the recovery process.

      It's best being on one dose only for a long, long time before trying another dose and trying that for a long time too.

      Best to count recovery in months, not weeks.  Some people are lucky though to feel well quite early.

      Make sure you have regular visits to your doctors though so he can see how you are.

      K x

    • katecogs
      katecogs

      Posted

      Sorry if I rabbit on a bit xx 🐇🐰
    • Foxy_polly
      Foxy_polly katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate

      Just need some reassurance from you please as I value your comments! I'm four months on 20mg of citalopram and I've been doing brilliantly the last few weeks then a couple of days ago bang anxiety back knotty tummy can't concentrate and foggy! The doctor said this is normal and I'm doing great but I feel disappointed after feeling I was getting somewhere! I've got my 40rh bday on Monday and I'm going away for a few days so I expect it's that that's has unbalanced me as its things like that and planning that gives me anxiety in the first place! Is four months still early to see full benefits?? Xx

    • katecogs
      katecogs Foxy_polly

      Posted

      Hey Foxy Polly

      Yes this is absolutely normal.  This is usual on the road to recovery - good days, bad days, good weeks and bad weeks ...... and even months.  It's probably your body just settling down.  Try and accept the bad times, and remind yourself that this is an enevitable part of recovery and it will pass.  Try not to make yourself better by Monday, you might be, but then you might not be.  Just go with it and just know it's temporary.

      Yes things do unbalance us.  Change of jobs, Christmas, Holidays, a weekend even, Monday morning, anything .......

      Four months - you're doing well.  In time the bad times should get less and less until they no longer happen.

      Have a great 40th birthday! x 🎂

    • Foxy_polly
      Foxy_polly katecogs

      Posted

      Thanks Kate it's always good to have some reassurance cos when the bad times happen it's easy to loose sight of just how far we have come and then I begin to doubt myself and the meds! Thanks for the advice it always helps.thanks for the bday wishes xx
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