citalopram waiting!!

Hi Becky

Hang on in there, you just need to give them more time!

It must be very hard for you to be away from your family with so much going on, its important to talk & theres always someone here to listen.

For most people Citalopram takes 4-6 wks to work. I've been taking them 20mg for 8 wks now & the side effects have almost gone & I'm feeling so much more positive. I've been abroad for the weekend which would have been impossible 8 wks ago. When I went on them I was convinced that I would never go back to work but I returned two week ago & its going well. I have also had to make myself have a change of attiude to my anxiety with the help of counseling. I can either allow it to control my life or I control it. I've decided to control it because I'm missing out on too much continuing feeling this way. Its very hard work, leaves you feeling exhausted but very rewarding, I cant believe how much better I feel!

My sleep has also been very poor then when I went on Cit for the first 6 wks I had trouble staying awake & had a 'can't be bothered' attitude which I'm pleased to say has gone.

Just give yourself as much time as you can to relax (I know thats difficult with two children!) but I find if I take 5-10 mins out in a quite place every 1-2 hrs it reduces my anxiety, it allows me to focus on what how i'm feeling & just give it some space.

A useful book to read is 'Focusing' by Eugene T Gendlin or 'Overcoming Anxiety' both available from Amazon books.

Good luck & keep writing here!

Annette

Hi Becky, I to had the same feelings when I first started Citalopram (or silly prats as we like to call them) I've been on them for a while now and take 40 mg a day,

I would just like to confirm what has already been said, these are not a magic pill that makes everything go away but with time they help to make the bad times better until there are no bad times and you feel much better.

Stick with it and try to talk to someone about how you feel, I find talking here helps enormously, even if you do have to wait a few days sometimes for an answer its worth it.

When I started I couldn't stay awake during the day but night times were really bad, when I did get to sleep I kept having horrible nightmares BUT these will pass and eventually I settled back into a routine and I know it is the cit. that has kept me alive during the worst stages of my depression. I don't intend to frighten you but this is my experience and thats all I know.

By the way I haven't felt 'bad' for a good few months now and I'm still on them as a means of coming off other (self medicated) drugs and alchoholism.

I haven't had a drink for almost a year, but I know I'm still an alchoholic and always will be.

Good luck to you and best wishes....Ian

thankyou so much annette and Ian for your reply, I feel a little better knowing that others have been in the same situation I feel quite embarrassed about being on medication and feeling depressed as I was doing so well before and now everything seems to frighten me and make me anxious.

Does the medication magnify things before it gets better? Does your anxiety get worse before it gets better? I seem to have one day thats ok and then the next day is bad this is a pattern that seems to have been happening since I started taking them. I just wish I could have some continuity which in turn would make my anxiety better. I keep wondering if I have done the right thing by moving to Australia and just feel terrible but the weird thing is I was actually happy here 6 months ago and quite positive. Will this come back?

I know these are not magic pills but just need the confidence to be able to work things out hope the depression will lift as I was taking these for anxiety not depression but feel worse now than before.

So sorry to be a winger and hope I have something positive to say soon.x

Dear Becky, I can honestly tell you that YES you will start to get better soon, the important thing is time, everyone on here who has experience of these 'silly prats' will say the same thing. No matter what you feel today, whether its more anxiety or sleepiness, dizziness or blurred vision it DOES get better. The side affects can be quite debilitating for a while but the end result is worth it.

I also would like to apologize about the 'magic pill' thing, it wasn't a very good example and a little patronising, please forget it and don't be to angry with me.

As Annette has said, talking is a key in getting better, I have the most fantastic wife who lets me babble away and doesn't mind if I've been up all night and am sleepy all day. Try to make sure hubby understands how your feeling, C, my wife, didn't understand at first but once she knew how I was feeling she was able to help loads more. For me it was the little things that made all the difference. A cuddle while passing, a kiss for no other reason than to tell me she still loves me, I know it sounds 'soft' or 'mushy' but for me it works.

Keep going and lots of love from UK...........Ian

Hi BigIan

I talked to my hubby and told him how I felt and he did exactly the same as your wife the little things like that really help.(for a while I felt a little trapped as he was watching me like a hawk as he didn't know what i would do and that frightened him) Chatting on here too helped. Although the sillyprats didn't work for me and am now on dosulepin which are begining to work.

Hope everyone else is ok.

Becky stick with it I'm sure they will work for you. It didn't work well for me as I had other underlying conditions that wern't helping.

Lizzy

thanks Ian so much for talking to me! Your wife sounds lovely and yes my husband is good too and does just give me a cuddle and ask if I am ok.I feel like I am pretending a lot as I want to be the best mum I can be and that is exhausting too. I have been off work the past week and have another week and a half left (i only work casual at the after school care here) but feel a bit worried about going back as I dont really like it and it doesnt keep my mind occupied. One of my main anxieties is that I will never really get a good job here and that means spending more time on my own once the kids are in school it is frightening but didnt seem to bother me when I first arrived.

I am a strong person and hopefully I will come out the other side of this like you, how long did it take you to feel \"GOOD\" and enthusiastic about things again?

I am definately not angry about the magic pill thing just so grateful you have taken the time to be there. A BIG THANKYOU FROM OZ!!!

Becky, Reading and chatting on here has taught me one thing, its a very personal thing. I started feeling better after about 2 months but to be honest that was when I realised I was feeling better, I don't actually know when it started, if you know what I mean. I've just re-read that and I'm not sure it makes sense ! :oops:

Give it time. I do know it takes a while to 'kick in' as my GP put it. She said 6 to 8 weeks to get through your system.

About 'pretending', in front of the kids, obviously, in public, definately but to hubby NEVER. he can only help if he knows exactually how your feeling. I don't seem to be making much sense today (I've been up all night with a poorly 6 yr old LOL) but never mind I find talking to others with the same kind of problems helps sooooo much.

Good luck and give hubby and kids lots of hugs and kisses. It'll make you feel good too............Ian :wink: