Citalopram 20 mg for 4 days now...side effects or worsened anxiety???

Posted , 4 users are following.

I have been taking citalopram 20 mg in the morning for 4 days now and I have rough 4 days!!! A little history...I constantly feel like I am dying, mainly because of chest pains and other "heart" symptoms for over 20 years now. Have been on and off many different meds...lost my insurance a few years ago and been on virtually nothing since then. Found a doctor that works off my income and he cannot prescribe any controlled substances so some of my old meds aren't an option through him and the clinic. So I was in the emergency room once again about 2 weeks ago with chest, back, and arm pains, pressure, and tightness that had been going on for quite a while off and on. It got bad enough I thought I was having a heart attack again and went back to get checked out. They said everything looked fine and to follow up with my doctor. So as I said he gave me a script for citalopram 20 mg once daily and clonidine 0.1mg as needed for anxiety. I filled the scripts Friday afternoon but didn't start the meds because like a dummy I read the inserts that come with them and it warns about all these possible issues, like heart rythym issues and a possible problem with a water pill/diuretic which I am on for my blood pressure. So having health anxiety and med anxiety I sent an email and waited for a response before taking anything. I heard back that it was okay to take together and I took my first 20 mg citalopram on Tuesday morning. Now I was already feeling awful which is why I was at the ER and followed up to beging with but ever since starting the citalopram I have had a slower heart rate and have been having cold sweats and have noticed my heart beating all over the place, feeling like it was stopping and starting and almost like I could feel the blood gurgling in my heart...I know that doesn't make much sense. I don't know how to describe it actually. I have had very little sleep in the past few nights because these symptoms have had me in tears and on the verge of a total meltdown pretty much the past 2 days. I have another email into my doctor but wanted to know if anyone else had any experience with these symptoms from the medication. I have read about headaches and nausea and things like that but not much of what I am feeling. Also I have NOT taken the clonidine yet due to how awful I am feeling with the citalopram and blood pressure meds alone. I know that is what he gave it to me for but I'm worried that if it is from the meds adding another one right now is going to make it worse. Thanks in advance!!!

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    hi

    i had bad side effects as you are experiencing for first week very bad just on 2 weeks not not too bad

    and other meds issues so i know it can be tough

    x

  • Posted

    so what where your old meds your new doctor cant prescribe .just curious.best regards

    • Posted

      I was on clonazepam, amitriptyline, and escitalopram with little to no side effects

    • Posted

      why cant you go back to amitrip.and the lexapro .???if you had no issues with those meds .i know goverment clinics wont orescribe benzos or opiods in usa

    • Posted

      I don't know...he just keeps saying they can't prescribe any controlled substances...didn't think they fell into that classification but I guess he just either doesn't want to prescribe them or won't.

    • Posted

      the only control med on your list is the benzo the other two are not .one is an older antiphychotic and the other is an ssri.

  • Posted

    My doctor just replied to my email and is advising stopping the citalopram and has called in a script for venlafaxine...also something I have never tried before...so now even more nervous about stopping the citalopram and starting another entirely different and new to me med. All while feeling like I need to run to the closest ER or find a way to leave my body for a while!!! UGGG!!! Thanks again y'all!!!

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