Citalopram and depression
Posted , 5 users are following.
on Citalopram for 9 weeks now and marginally better
can any of you lovely folk relate to the following?
Mornings worse?
Lot's of thoughts about self and mostly health issue,real or other wise?
No energy and love for old hobbies?
Before Citalopram I could walk/exercise every day but now even that has become almost impossible due to tiredness and apathy!
Mostly negative about EVERYTHING?
Citalopram, for a fact, made things much worse and now i don't know if it's still depression i have or the meds are solely responsible for my plight !
Feel anxious a lot and biggest worry is i will NEVER get better!
Is 9 weeks still early days and at what point do I give up and say,* these meds ain't working*?
self obsessed/guilt feelings/sadness/no hope and nothing good to latch on to?
when i DO get out to walk up hills the effort is much harder since Citalopram.....will THAT pass too?
I am just looking for some peeps to say yup, that's what it's like for most of us here.....I think it would chill me a bit and give me some resolve to carry on
much love and thanks
John/Saltire
0 likes, 10 replies
Saltire
Posted
PS 20mg
john09221 Saltire
Posted
Hi Saltire , I am sorry to hear your situation , but I can totally concur with your feelings , as I could have wrote EXACTLY the same as you are feeling, and there doesnt seem to be any resolve??? . I hope someone can help with a few positive suggestions / ideas , I will be keeping an eye on your posts ....
Saltire
Edited
Thanks John 😃
Wot's YOUR story John09.........how long have you been on Citalopram and how are you feeling?
I have been at this exact same spot 10 years ago and it DOES take time to get to the other end, as I did then all those years ago
What confuses me a little is the conflicting evidence of Citalopram or most AD's for that matter.....for instance
It takes a while and there will be set backs/blips as your body and mind get used to new meds and it takes time to heal the anxiety and depression, it won't happen overnight. (this is the overwhelming thinking and advice from most patients and experts) and most on here too
Yet, separately you can read articles on "is my anti depressant working for me and how can I tell?" and the advice there is......it's probably not working for you if you are "up and down" with the meds or two months later there is little to no change to mood or anxiety.
Fri 15th Sept will be 10 weeks on 20mg Citalopram and I have had a few good spells and a few bad spells
It would appear i have feet in BOTH camps......camp one," it's just what to expect and this is proof you are healing"
and,camp two, "nah, after 10 weeks and still having good days/bad days is proof these are the wrong meds for you"
No wonder we are confused and who to believe.........
Best of luck and love John and hope you like myself can manage this difficult recovery process and see ourselves through it OK
John
john09221 Saltire
Posted
Hi Saltire, I too was on citalopram for about 10 yrs until having an operation on my back in 2020 ,that did not go well.. My GP then took me off cit and changed me onto a different AD ,that completely screwed me up.. I was given CBT by phone cos of covid and the psycologist changed my meds AGAIN.???? within 1 week I had to call 999 !! at that point I
stopped taking any meds .. But by November 2021 I went back to citalopram. I am now in a living hell wondering what next . ? sorry to ramble on , but as you know you get very little help with this horrible illness..Hope you are feeling OK.
robbie499 Saltire
Posted
Hey there.
I started on Citalopram for my second time (first time was 12 years ago) in Late May.
It took me a few months before I started noticing improvements and I found I needed to be on 25mg before I found benefits. I had many ups and downs, times when i truly felt I would never get better and that I was doomed to a life or years or anxiety and that I was loosing my mind. But then slowly the ups start to out number the downs. Id have a good week, then a bad week, then slowly it was 2 weeks and then a bad few days. I'm now at 4 months and have just had nearly 5 weeks of feeling good, with the odd hour or two of anxious or depressed blips. You just have to hang on in there. I know its hard and feels like its never ending and that the meds are not working, but they are working behind the scenes, you just need to give it time. Something that I was told on here that I found really helpful, was to try to relax into the anxiety and just to identify that it is just that, anxiety, it will come and go and knowing that it will pass was for me helpful.
Another big thing for me was excercise, even if you have zero desire to do it, do it. Even if its just a 10/15 minute run, start there. But get your heart beating and you will be rewarded with endorphins and you will use up some of the nervous energy, as thats all anxiety is, nervous energy that needs to be released. Also find some relaxing 10 minute meditations and an uplifting tv show to watch for me its the great british bake show or Ted Lasso or "Trying". You are both gonna get through this and as crazy as it sounds today, you may even be glad of this patch some day as it can really help with forcing to make some perhaps needed changes in your life. I wish you the best of look and if you have any questions, just reach out.
Saltire
Posted
Thanks Rob........that's just what I NEEDED to hear 😃
robbie499 Saltire
Posted
Anytime buddy!
You got this, the fact that you have taken the steps to get on medication and reach out to people is evidence that you will get past this, as its only people who dont seek help that end up suffering for years.
Saltire
Posted
Can any of you Citalopam veteran guys/gals help?
Going into week eleven on 20mg and often feel washed out with general weakness and no energy
Sometimes still can't motivate myself for morning walk and don't know if it's the meds or depression
Light exercise is sooooo much harder than pre Citalopram days......is this something YOU experienced and like the other side effects did it clear up?
Man, this sh*t is a MARATHON!
robbie499 Saltire
Posted
Hey Saltire.
Yes it took me a few months of being on Citalopram before I felt really motivated to exercise, but once I started forcing myself to do even short runs (or anything that gets your heart beating fast and creates a bit of sweat) it got less difficult with each day. I really think exercise is an integral component to getting better. But also, don't give yourself a hard time if you 100% can't do it. Each day you have had on citalopram is a day closer to it helping you feel less overwhelmed and more like your old self. It may not feel it, but the drug is working in the background, as hard as it is, just hang on in there and take each day as a little victory. You also may want to consider upping your dose, but talk to your doctor about this. I found that 20mg did not quite do it for me, but 25mg was my sweet spot where things started to improve. Best of luck with everything
Saltire
Posted
Thanks Rob....as i am over 65, 20mg is the max because of long QT dangers