Citalopram 6 weeks

I started at 5 then 10 now 15. I have been on it a total of 5 weeks now. I have had good days and bad days. Usually 2-3 days after a dose increase I get heightened anxiety. overall I am doing better. I’ve been able to do some yard work and chores around the house. This am I actually woke up in a better mood but went back to bed stupidly and woke up not feeling so well. Next time I’ll just get up and do somthing! What are you on it for? Have you tried anything in the past? 

This is my first time trying anything. I’m on 20mg for anxiety, panic and low mood. 

My low mood has sort of gone, however it’s the intrusive thoughts that slightly scare me. I’ve spoken to my GP about it and he said to keep it going for atleast 8 weeks. I also see a CBT therapist once a week to help with coping mechanisms. 

Keeping busy is key! I almost have to force myself to get up and go, but once I’ve done it I feel a lot better. 

I hope you begin to feel yourself again. Good luck and stay positive. 

Been on 20 mg’s about the same amount of time. Went on it for the tingling in head and it hasn’t improved at all. Stomach definitely worse and many symptoms just like you. The bad thoughts come around 6 am and they got to somehow go. We can’t get any better with those.  I’m going to hold the fort as long as I can because every trip to the doctor just means more pills. I don’t want anymore than I have already.  Hang in there.  Good luck.

The bad thoughts for me tend to come and go.. sometimes I know in my head that the thoughts are insane and are from the medication, and other times I feel very vulnerable and think ‘oh maybe it’s not the meds? Maybe I’ll be like this forever’ which is very silly! As soon as the thoughts pass I feel so relieved that I know they’re crazy! It’s just reassuring myself when I’m in the bad places that I find hard. I’ll get there I know I will! Staying as positive as I can that I’ll be back to myself soon. Talking about my thoughts with people also helps! Make sure you have someone that you can talk too. They’ll understand you. EVERYONE has intrusive thoughts! It’s how we react to them that determines our feelings about them. 

Trust and believe this will all pass..I thought the same thing too.i thought that I would feel like that also...but it pass thank goodness...take care

Thanks Lois! 

Really helps knowing people have been through the same  

No problem always here to help...

Yes. It’s those intrusive thoughts that bother me the most. As far as I’m concerned they’re the cause of my whole mess. I’m going to have to try some of that CBT and see if I can learn how to minimize them.  As you said trying to keep busy is the key to limiting them. Good luck

Intrusive thoughts are actually just a side effect of anxiety - and then the thoughts produce more anxiety, and the anxiety produces more thoughts.  You get stuck in a cycle.  Once the anxiety starts to ease so too will the thoughts.  I had loads of bad thoughts and they just manifested over time, moved from one important one to another.  As I recovered the thoughts became unimportant and now no longer bother me.

People worry about their thoughts, but understanding they are no more than a side effect, just as a headache is a side effect of a cold, that really does help.  Don't try and stop them - doing that you're just making them more important.  If someone said to you 'don't think of a giraffe', then you'd automatically think of a giraffe.  Letting them be, not reacting to them and they'll lost their power.

Thoughts are very upsetting but if you can learn to just let them be, however powerful they seem, however much anxiety they cause.  By paying them attention you make them important ... and so they cling on.  They won't go away overnight or next week, but continuous practice and they you start to diffuse them.  Its like ignoring them, even though they're there.They will pass as you recover.  An anxious body goes hand in hand with an anxious mind.  Once you're better you think completely differently.  Honestly.

I just thank God there's a UK.😋

Because I don't know any forum or website that explains it like you do.in the usa..let alone a doctor...

Lol xxxxx 

 

Thanks Katecogs! 

My CBT therapist also said the same. I need to learn to not pay the thoughts as much attention as I do.

I’ll definitely give this a go! 

It is true ... 

Its not easy to not pay them attention when they demand it, but with practice it becomes second nature.  You will fail many times, its only natural, but practice, practice, practice.

Relaxing the body is also the way forward - whilst you move above, not sitting.  

K x

Hi Daniel! 

I have a spreadsheet that my therapist sent me of a survey taken on 300 students with 0 mental health problems and their instrusive thoughts. This just proves that we ALL get these thoughts, it’s how we respond to them that makes the difference. 

I can send you the file if you want  

True. I realize just about everyone has them but some just think once or twice about them and can then just let them go and some of us just keep thinking about them over and over again until it’s becomes unhealthy to the mind. It’s easy for some to toss them away and very difficult for others. That’s my problem and it’s something I have to improve.  Thanks for reply

Yes it happens and don’t fret about it. You’ll get there! 

Are you able to email to me? 

Of course I can  

Reapoded! Thank you in advance! 

The thing about taking something like this is the huge doubt in your mind that it’s going to help and not hurt you. Last night had no more than 2 hours sleep and there was nothing I could do about it. Been on this about a month and other than some bad side affects have had no good ones yet.  I’m still going to stick with it for I know if I go back to the doctor they’ll just load me up with another Med. My GP told me there was basically no way she knows what my brain needs and it’s just trial and error.,  It wouldn’t be so bad if I could catch a little sleep during the day but that’s just plain impossible to do. Right now I’m having my morning coffee, will watch a couple shows and then off to the gym. I’ve decided to just keep on going until I drop to the ground.  Lol. 

Hi Daniel I was reading through post and i too feel that taking an anti depressant can harm you (me) that’s my biggest problem at the moment ! I feel that the citalopram is making me loose my mind & making me appear dumb if that’s makes sense ?! Also I think cuz my partner has taken over the housework & looking after children I feel like I’m not even capable of doing it I’m not saying I physically can’t What I mean is it’s like I’m forgetting to do it all if that makes sense ?! It’s like I’m self obsessed and trying to find another reason as to why I had a panic attack other than because of anxiety, ocd & low mood

Nobody ever questions taking medicines for diabetes, epilepsy, heart problems, asthma etc etc, yet everyone always seem reluctant about taking an anti depressant.  All meds have side effects and have risks.  Even pain killers.  These type of meds are there for a reason, and if you have a problem then they're there to help.

It definitely is trial and error with both dosing and which meds.  SSRI's don't work like others though and you really need to give these a good 3-4 months initially to see if the dose you're on is the one, adjust it if not, give it more months and then maybe think about another type of SSRI.  These meds will heighten symptoms to start with and often give you insomnia - these fade over time and sleep returns.

Many people don't see any change for the first few months, though some do.  Also you get good and bad days, good and bad weeks ...... but perseverance does pay.  Many people give up after a few weeks or even a couple of months when they could so nearly be there.

Yes keep going.  Time really, really is the answer with these meds.  However bad you feel, whatever happens - just keep going.  You'll be surprised.

Well the self obsession is more than likely the reason we’re in this mess. For myself I know it is. I’ve been hanging on hoping this drug kicked in and showed me something positive but it just hasn’t happened yet. According to many it could take 6 to 8 months to kick in but a couple more nights without any sleep and I’ll be ready for the looney bin. It’s funny because my mind is exhausted but I couldn’t sleep a wink if I wanted to. It would be more tolerable if I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel but a drug like this that may or may not kick in months later just leaves a lot of doubt. It wouldn’t be so bad waiting if you had nothing you had to do but life is going on and as you and others on here realize can be difficult to do at the same time. Well I hung on for another day and now just praying I can sleep tonight. Good luck and I hope things improve for you. 

I have no problems taking an antidepressant because I’ve been on Imipramine for 40 years and have lived a fairly healthy life the whole time. Now to have my GP combine this drug with the other is what has my mind wondering if it’s a good idea. When I check out Imipramine and Citalopan together it states they have a Major warning  combining them. I’ve had a big problem getting anyone other than my GP to review my Meds and I have a long wait until I do. Plus in my mind it’s about a 50-50 chance of getting someone you can have confidence in and not someone that just wants to give you more Meds. If it wasn’t for you I’d have had no knowledge that this may take a long time and I’d have stopped after 2 weeks.  I started with 10 Mg’s . Then called GP and said nothing is happening which got me 20Mg’s. I’m not calling again and I’m just going to keep rolling along as long as I can. Thanks for the advice.,

Ah I see.  Sorry for the confusion.

Why did your GP introduce this drug with the other one?  Imipramine is a Tri-cyclic and Citalopram an SSRI - both affect Serotonin levels.  So you're on 20mg of Citalopram and what dose Imipramine are you taking?

I was on Try-cyclics for years (which did nothing for me) and was eventually switched to SSRI's and recovered within 6 months.  I never took both together.

Is your doctor tapering you from one to the other maybe?  I know some people take SSRI's and other meds too.

Yes true about finding a good doctor.  My first doctor was amazing and was with him when I was put onto SSRI's.  He retired after many years and the replacement doctor I found to be a complete idiot. 

 

No problem. I went in for the tingling in the head I was getting. Every other day and driving me nuts. My GP gave me the Citalopram with the Imipramine and said maybe later to ween off Imipramine. But last time I went she basically told me she doesn’t really have the experience to know what my brain needs.  So I started making calls to Pychyatrists or a nurse clinician to go over my Meds and get on some kind of plan I can be confident in. Going to be 2 weeks until I can see a therapist and then see what happens. It’s been quite a hassle to get help. The tofranil always worked fine for me and I’m just not sure if the mixture of the 2 is a good idea.  100 Mg’s of Imipramine.,

Hi I wasn’t questioning it in a bad way about the anti depressants ! I’ve been on citalopram before 40mg but I can’t remember feeling like this on them I don’t see a problem with them if they help ! I only came off them Oct 2016 & then I fell pregnant in Feb 2017 had a horrid pregnancy suffered from really bad migraines but now I don’t know if it was the migraines or anxiety ! I stopped eating through my pregnancy didn’t gain any weight at all apart from 1lb no lie ! Stopped going out locked myself away so to speak 

Then had my third child & it was like I was in shock ! Came home & my weight had dropped to 11 stone 3 still wasn’t eating couldn’t concentrate on anything felt all over the place just felt so tired ! Then had a panic attack on the 13th Oct & ever since then not been right thinking I’ve got this & that etc ! Then got put on propranolol 16th Oct hated how it made me feel so I then went onto citalopram 31st Oct ! 

Since then (I know these all sound silly so sorry in advance) I’m scared to eat incase it makes me have a sugar rush stupid I know ! I’m scared to eat incase it interacts with citalopram ! I’m scared to do anything incase It makes me have a panic attack ! Scared to be alone, where ever I get a racing heart or even just a slight increase i feel it & then the OMG feeling comes over me & im scared I’m going to have a panic attack ! Scared to go to sleep incase I don’t wake up etc !! Is this all normal signs of anxiety ??! Or is this paranoia ?! Is it the tablets doing it to me or myself doing it ! I’m worry if it sounds a bit much just I don’t know anymore that’s what’s making me think do I stop tablets ?! I’m not saying it’s like this everyday it’s deffo not as bad as when first happend ! Since first panic attack I’ve had 4 since !

Sorry for long post just looking for some advice !xx

Hi Nicola

I've been on these twice too and the second time they took longer to kick in and I had a different start up experience.

What you're experiencing are normal signs of anxiety.

Anxiety and panic often starts from stress.  Your body can only cope with its own personal limit and if you keep piling on more stress then it'll boil over and result in anxiety / panic.  That's often when you have a panic attack - its an outpouring of adrenaline.  

Being pregnant and childbirth is a huge task for your body to deal with - hormones raging about, tiredness, a child to nurture etc etc.  I'm assuming you've been checked for post natal depression?

Anyhow ... usually when you have a panic attack you often associate it with something you've done at the time or a place you're in at the time of the panic.  This actually has no relevance on the panic attack at all, but your brain tells you differently.  So you then associate this place or event with panic, and worry about going to that place or doing whatever you were doing at the time in case you panic again.  You then create a fear of panic, worry about panic and so start avoiding things.  Worrying causes more anxiety, and anxiety causes more fear and worry - so you get caught up in a cycle.  Anxiety also causes strange thoughts, and in turn these strange thoughts cause anxiety - adding to this cycle.  So then you find yourself in this strange place of fear, anxiety, worry, panic, sadness, thoughts, depression etc etc which will continue to churn around in a constant vicious cycle.  All these side effects and thoughts are due to one thing - anxiety.  Fix the anxiety and the side effects will go ... so in effect its pointless worrying about the side effects (but of course, we all do).

When you have anxiety you will think anxiously and negatively all the time.  You will not see anything positive and can only think of doom and gloom, fear and panic.

When suffering anxiety and panic we live in a state of tension - clenching our teeth together, holding the body taught, fighting 'this thing'.  Nerves are sensitive and tight and they need to be desensitised and calm / more soothed.  In order to reverse this cycle your body needs to start relaxing and calming.  But what do we do?  Instead we rush about hoping that keeping busy will distract us, we keep checking to see if 'it' is still there, and we question ourselves constantly and start the long search for answers and a cure.  All this just adds to that vicious cycle that keeps us ill.  But we can't see this because we're too entrenched in it all.

Eating and a sugar rush will not cause you to have a panic attack.  You are doing that by over thinking about this, tensing against it and avoiding it.

This medicine will help to calm the body in time.  Initially it'll only heighten all these side effects, which inevitably will make you fear panic all the more, but over time as the side effects ease off the body will start to calm and you'll start to feel happier (the meds hang onto our Serotonin before being reabsorbed, making us feel happier).  This takes a long time to take effect.

Don't stop taking the medicine.  It will take time to work - and it will help.  You have to give it time though.  Trouble is we all do not like the feeling of anxiety and panic, so we panic at the mere thought of it (adding to the anxiety pot).

As we wait for the meds to kick in it helps to accept that you will feel like this for a while yet, so don't expect to be well tomorrow.  Understand these feelings and side effects take a while to go.  You wouldn't expect a broken leg and all its side effects to heal in a week, so treating the anxiety / panic the same is helpful too.

Also as we wait for the meds to work we can help ourselves by stop rushing about, stop holding the body tight - let go of tension, slow down all the time.  This has the same effect as the meds does.  This takes a lot of time too - months, not days or weeks.  Some people say I've relaxed this afternoon but the anxiety is still there.  Of course it is - it'll take much longer than an afternoon.

Many people reading this won't believe that relaxing and slowing down will help, because they don't get instant relief.  There isn't an overnight off switch, but with continued practice it does work.  The body becomes calmer, thoughts become more logical and calmer, panic soothes, anxiety soothes .......

As said, fearing panic causes more anxiety and more panic.  I know this is extremely hard but going through panic is also the way forward.  Its our reaction to panic that is key - by fearing it will only reinforce it ... and of course the avoidance game starts, which further reinforces it.  When a panic attack strikes the best way to deal with it is to relax as best you can, breathe through it and just let go.  The more you tense and fight it the more you will feel frightened.  I know this is the hardest thing to do, but believe me nothing will actually happen to you in a panic attack.  It will build and it will pass.  Passing through it is like passing through a hurricane and out the other side.  You're re-educating your body to not fear it.

Everyone can overcome this - and I honestly know its not easy, having been there myself.  But I found learning about anxiety and panic, the process it takes to produce it, the process to reverse it, the medication all helped me overcome 16 years of it.

We all panic about panic - its only natural.  But understanding what is happening to you can help to take a lot of tension and fear away.  Knowledge is good - practice letting go and not fighting is good - and the meds are even better 

You will get better.

Sorry for the long post too 

K xx

Hi Kate thank you for reply really appreciate the advice & you make some very good points and a lot of what you was saying was like you was describing me as when I tidy house I tend to over do it & do it really fast to stop the thoughts basically & then I end up out of breath, bad head & tired & straight away would blame to tablets but realistically it’s due to me rushing around for an hour maybe more trying to be Wonder Woman I guess ! I love a tidy house but I also do it due to if I don’t then ppl might think I can’t cope having 3 children etc ! I’m not very good with criticism if ppl comment on how tidy my house is then It makes me feel good ! 

Yes I’ve been diagnosed for having post natal depression, low mood, ocd tendency’s & anxiety all after the first big panic attack looking back at it now though feels almost like a dream if that makes sense ! I was holding my daughter at the time & then after I sometimes couldn’t hold her if I was on my own cuz would think it could happen again & have nobody to pass her to if that makes sense I didn’t feel comfortable being on my own with her I didn’t feel strong enough to look after her alone & really scared me if I was alone !! I was put on propranolol but that just made me worse felt like they wasn’t allowing my heart to work properly silly I know but that’s how I felt I was constantly checking my pulse & if it was high or fast I would freak out !! That was my obsession it still comes round to haunt me sometimes but a lot better than before !! 

I don’t know if you no the answer to this but what would citalopram do to someone who wasn’t depressed ?! 

Also when I get nervous I tend to laugh for e.g I have a little fear that if I shout or get angry it will cause a panic attack cuz will make my heart race ! Silly again I know ! So when ever I feel like it might happen I tend to laugh I will give u an example my son was having a tantrum 9 year old tantrum all cuz he had been horrible to his sister & was throwing things around house so banned him from Xbox ! Even though I New what he was doing was wrong I couldn’t help but laugh under my breath because I didn’t want to get angry & it made me nervous but also as I New once he had finished it would stop ! By shouting at him all it would do is get him to continue !! 

Is this normal ?! Only reason I ask is cuz before when pregnant I would shout at him & sometimes even break down crying as felt I didn’t know what to do or couldn’t deal with it anymore ! 

Again sorry for long post !!xx

Ok post is being moderated because I mentioned a book.  Never understand why it only happens to my posts as other people can mention books.  After all its only to help people as not as if I've written it.  So here's my post again (I copied it) and I'll private message you with the book title.

Hi Nicola

Yes that's what we all do - race about.  I did too, and I'd get angry with it too.  I wanted this 'thing' to go and thought that keeping busy would get rid of it.  Nope.  You're just piling more tension and stress onto your already overtired body.

Have you had help and treatment for Post Natal Depression?

OCD is quite typical when you have anxiety - I had it and was a side effect of anxiety.  At first I tried to cope with getting my head around OCD, Obsessional Neurosis and whatever else I was 'diagnosed' with I came to learn that actually all these were just die effects of anxiety - and once my anxiety started to ease so did those too.  Its easier to worry about one thing instead of a multitude of things.  It gave me focus rather than floundering around.

I had many obsessions and scary thoughts - one was always more dominant than others, and as one would ease it would be replaced with another.  I had this for years.  Again I learnt they were just a side effect, and true to form as my anxiety eased so did they.

When you're anxious you'll have anxious thoughts - you'll obsess over things, over-think and make mountains out of molehills, frightening yourself, adding to the already present anxiety.  I did exactly this.

We all have a different path that brings us to this same point - and whatever is happening at the time you have your first panic attack or anxiety burst it will probably stick with you and you fear it.  You only had this reaction because your body was already trying to cope with stress and high levels of adrenaline.  

Anxiety and panic are a physical thing, yet the obsessive, worrying thoughts that are a side effect of these are the mental side.  So its starts as a physical ailment and we add the mental side to it.  Fix the physical side and the mental side will disappear with it.  Trouble is when you're in the midst of it all you can't see a way out, and all you can see is fear and frightening thoughts.  But they'll go as you recover.

Citalopram is for anxiety AND depression.  I didn't have depression but took Citalopram.  It didn't give me depression but know I was pretty fed up with having anxiety and it does zap your energy making you feel low.  But my primary problem was anxiety.

We all have little things we do to avoid feeling panicky.  Again though this is avoidance - exactly what you're doing with trying not to get angry so your heart races.  Nothing will happen if your heart races - its evolved over millions of years, stood by people when in battle, jumped out of planes with people, been in love and been broken when a relationship breaks up.  It won't break when being angry ...... if its coped with all manner of situations it'll cope with anger.  A racing heart is good for you - think of athletes  [wink]   In fact exercise helps to burn excess adrenaline which is pumping round your body (anxiety).  Your heart races for all sorts of reasons and being angry is completely different from having a panic attack.

So yes its quite normal for you to think like that at the moment - its because you have anxiety.  You're not well.  I hated being on my own when I wasn't well as I felt terrified and avoided it.

Hi Kate

Thank you for reply again 😊 

I’ve had a perinatal mental health nurse come round to my house once a week to talk so I guess talking therapy & then I’ve had an assessment with a psychologist who wants to offer me some sessions based on she thinks I have ptsd due to having my first daughter near enough on my own the paramedics only got there Just in time & id already pushed once ! & she thinks the birth of my third has triggered off some memory’s ! I also think it’s to do with low self esteem and hormones I don’t think my body copes well with hormones but don’t really want to go on contraception neither as I want to see if there’s a pattern to when I have monthly’s and when I don’t ! Plus my nurse has said not to go on anything just yet due to side effects that could trigger anxiety up again !! 

I don’t know if they are right in what they are saying I don’t know if I should even be on citalopram or not espically when I have good days it almost makes you think u don’t need them anymore but then I think back to yesterday and how crappy it was & then think well I do need them I just need to wait untill my mood is more levelled out & then can think of coming off them when time is right but only with guidance from mental health not gps I don’t have much faith in gps anymore they only know a little about mental health but soon as you say your feeling down they throw anti depressants at you !! 

I was told me anti depressants are there to help me a crutch a way of helping you deal with life when it gets a little bumpy and tablets won’t take anxiety or depression away they will just help & will help you through the dark times ! Which I guess makes sense as if it was as simple as taking a tablet to feel happy then everyone would be on them & no one would be upset down or depressed etc ! 

Thank you again for reply u should have your own page as you speak a lot of sense and have a lot of insight into it all !xx

Glad you had the post natal depression addressed - its very common when having a baby.  Hormonal changes, and yes can see how giving birth as you did can cause a PTSD effect.

I'm no expert in mental health by no means, but from reading lots over the years I see that PTSD, anxiety, and all these conditions are caused by stress - whether its over a prolonged period of time or instantly i.e. shock.  

Being on Citalopram will help.  They're there for a reason just the same as any other meds for other ailments.  You wouldn't expect someone with epilepsy to struggle on without meds - and so its the same if you're suffering with anxiety.

And yes - the meds can and do take away anxiety and depression 100%.  Did for me and they do for many others too.  16 years being ill and within 6 months of starting these meds I'd recovered.  My son had a melt down some years ago when he was 20 and, was very ill, couldn't work for 4 months and saw many doctors.  He was put onto Fluoxetine and recovered after 9 months.  He's completely back to normal and is now off meds.

These meds are not a crutch - they help you get well.  Its not helping you deal with life.  When you're in that anxious bad place you look at life differently, through fearful eyes - the meds work on your Serotonin, hanging onto it before its reabsorbed into the brain, and this abundance makes you feel calmer and happier, enabling you to heal.  When you're then in a better place you deal with life situations in a completely different manner.  Anxiety tricks you into thinking and behaving differently.

Haha you're not the only one to say write it down   These are just things I've learnt from years of illness, reading lots about the subject and recovering too.

K x

Hi Kate 

I had it with my other two children aswell again think to my body not being able to cope don’t know if it was stress shock or hormones could of been all of them & more who knows! 

It’s a shame so many ppl struggle with all different types of mental health some have it worse than others and some just need help for a little while but I guess that’s what tablets are there to do help you like you say other conditions ppl wouldn’t suffer and struggle so why should people with mental health it isn’t a choice people make no nobody would  choose to have any health condition ! But at least there is help out there for people and groups like this which can help people & I guess people like you who have been there and recoverd and there to help others ! 

Thank you again for talking to me u have helped me a lot and I appreciate what advice you have given me !xx

Blimey - I thought all GP's had an official catalogue or website to check drug for interactions.  True we all don't know what our brains need and it is trial and error on SSRI's as there's many types and some suit different people more than others.  I think that's probably the idea though - wean you off Imipramine eventually.  Glad you have an appointment to see someone - thats a start.  Yep - I've found its was a hassle getting help when I wasn't well and my son also had anxiety some years ago, and he was shipped from pillar to post before he had a melt down and then was seen urgently and weekly.  He recovered too.

Are you in the UK or US (sorry if I've asked this before).

USA

It seems like I may be getting a break through on the Citalopan.  Went into a store today and it seemed my blurred vision was gone. Also the tingling in head appears to be improving. It’s really the first time Im thinking the waiting game was the thing to do.

Hey that's great news!!  Yes the side effects do often go one by one and not altogether.  Little by little things start happening.

 

Stress can start from anything situation and maybe it is a sort of stress / shock / hormones that set this off with childbirth?  It certainly is traumatic going through labour as I remember.  Anxiety is born from stress - its an outpouring of adrenaline when the body can't cope with stress that's either prolonged or sudden.

Yes lots of people struggle with anxiety / depression etc and seems to be more common these days, probably due to our modern living?  Centuries ago people had a hard life ie servants, no work, no food, battle, no policing, prison / death ....... did people get stressed and suffer or were they just used to these type of stressors?  Mmmmm......

Anxiety is a physical ailment - its adrenaline, which is a physical thing, the symptoms are physical ..... trouble is we become afraid of anxiety / panic which provokes inward thinking which is the mental side all of which keeps us constantly in the anxiety / fear cycle.  I always say fix the physical part (anxiety) and the mental part (fear and thoughts) will disappear too without actually having to fix those.

Yes people wouldn't try and mend their broken leg on their own, their heart disease, their epilepsy on their own, - they take medicine (or wear a splint) which nobody questions, yet people with anxiety resist taking medicine thinking they can cope and often end up getting more embroiled in it.  Also other people attitudes (family / friends) never question someone taking medicine for heart disease yet would often be down about the same person taking an anti depressant.  Why?  Its medicine.  There is no shame in taking anti depressants and it doesn't mean you're weak either - in fact I think those who suffer anxiety / depression / panic are the strongest people around.

I used to read of other people recovering from panic, phobias, fear, depression etc etc and think I'd never be one of those who were successful ... But I did.  Everyone can recover ... medicine, understanding, relaxing, perseverance and time ..... lots of time.

K x

After what I thought was a break through the next day delivered just the opposite. It’s been really baffling that 2 days could be so different. It seems like the tingling goes on till your almost crazy and peaks and then you start a new day not very bad and in 2 days it peaks all over again.  Anyways I got to survive till I see someone next Friday and see where I go from there. It’s been 4.5 weeks on the Citalopan and with what happened yesterday I feel I’m in same position as before I started it. I’m going to stay with it until I can see someone that deals with Meds and hopefully turn this around. 

It took me 8months for that tingling in head to disappeared..I wish it would of went away in 4weeks...sorry your feeling that way..but the way you explain it it's the same way I was feeling...before the meds...then the meds highten the tingling feeling.then the celexa slowly gradually relief me of that horrible tingle feeling in my head/scalp...

Also I noticed when I took a Xanax it would disappeared for a few hours..but a few hours is way better than feeling like torture in your head ..

Well that’s funny. I was actually given a prescription for some Xanax but I didn’t have it filled because I didn’t want any more pills in my system. Some of these horrible days I’m sure it could help a little but I’m going to keep chugging along until I see someone next week .. This morning no tingling at all after a full day of it yesterday. The way it’s been if you get a good day you’d better live it up while you can for the next day anything can happen. Thanks for the reply

This is exactly what happens when recovering.  3 steps forward and 2 steps back - all the way through.  You will feel like you're back at the beginning many, many times but just ride it through each and those good days will come back.  These are called setbacks / blips and you'll get them on any dose - you can't avoid them and upping / lowering won't change anything.  Only if you've been on your dose for a good 3-4 months and you've had absolutely no glimpse of those good days then consider changing the dose.

I went through exactly the same and many people on this site do too.

Those good days will grow and the bad ones will get less.  If you start chasing recovery (upping / lowering meds too quick) you'll end up with more start up / withdrawal effects and STILL have to go through the setbacks on top.

Its perfectly normal.  Its how recovery works.  Honestly.

K x

👍🏻😃👎🏼😟👍🏻😃 

Not bad today. Just got to keep on rolling and will get there somehow....

Super - that's how it goes.  You will get there.  Don't rush it ... it'll come to you. xx

Up this morning and heading for third day in a row with no tingling. Something positive is going on with the Citalopan...

I still have a few reactions I’m not thrilled about but anything that can get of that tingling is great....Onwards I go...👍🏻😎

That’s great to hear! 

Yippie..so Happy for you..I remember when I was finally free from that tingling torture it was so bizarre..glad your feeling better..

These are my side effects too 5 weeks in craZy thoughts!

I think the head tingling is from a tight scalp, the tightning is caused by the anxiety. As the scalp begins to relax a little it tingles. I get it too and eventually it does go away.