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Depression, anxiety and intrusive thoughts

Posted , 3 users are following.

anya68711
anya68711

Help! Been off work for 12 weeks. First day off my GP halved my citalopram to 20mg and put me on 15mg of mirtazapine. Felt no better after 2 weeks so mirt. was upped to 30mg. Had a week about a month ago where i felt more me-like but then went downhill again and citalopram was upped to 40mg about 3 weeks ago. Still feel no better, so up and down and really anxious with negative and intrusive thoughts - now being suggested by a psychiatrist that I go on to venlafaxine. I literally have no clue what to do or what will help. Been to counselling and yoga but nothing is working-my brain just feels broken with thoughts whirring round- really struggling 😥

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • nigel45109
    nigel45109 anya68711

    Posted

    Anya, my situation is/was similar to yourself. I was on citalopram, 30mg, for a few weeks, then went up to 40mg for 7 weeks. Anxiety went through roof, 6 weeks of raging anxiety. Lowered my dose, got even more depressed, saw a pysc, recommended quite a slow reduction in cit, and introduction of ven. Process was too slow, and actually got worse. I kept on pushing for ven increases, because it felt good to take. My increases were to slow, so it took a long time. Upshot is, im starting to feel okay. Venlafaxine has literally saved me. Long way to go but couldnt be happier with ven. This after almost being on my knees, 6 weeks ago.
  • nigel45109
    nigel45109 anya68711

    Posted

    I did a lot of research when it was going badly wrong for me. I decided i wanted to try ven next, fortunately my pysc recommended it. If ssris dont work for you, ven offers the best possible outcome if it works for you. Theres no guarantee that it will, if it does, then in my opinion and my pyscs, ven offers best outcome if it works for you.
    • anya68711
      anya68711 nigel45109

      Posted

      Hi Nigel, thank you so much for replying just feel at a loss at the moment and don't know what to do 😫

      Feel like horrible sense of foreboding over me. Have had an odd few ok days over the past 2 and a half months but generally speaking it's been mostly lows and the lows are pretty damn low!! Psychiatrist has suggested I go on venlafaxine which I was dead against a couple of days ago as I was feeling not too bad and didn't wanna upset the balance but I've gone down again so maybe I should give it a go.....SO hard to know what to do for the best. Hope you continue to improve and feel more like yourself!

    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 anya68711

      Posted

      I was in same position. I wanted cit to work, gave it 13 weeks, but had to reduce dose to lower anxiety, which then got me more depressed. Ended up so bad, would take me 3 hours to get up, didnt bother at weekends. Felt completely hopeless. Give it a couple more weeks max. If you notice yourself getting worse, possibly think about switching.
    • anya68711
      anya68711 nigel45109

      Posted

      Thanks for your advice,really appreciate it. Thing is I've been on citalopram for 15 years and it's always worked for me in the past but don't know what's happened with my most recent episode-just doesn't seem to be doing the job 😞 thought boosting it back up to 40mg would help but I'm 3 weeks in now and still feel bad - off to see a nurse with the mental health team this afternoon to see what they suggest. . . .

    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 anya68711

      Posted

      Thats different then. Sounds like cit has stopped working. They often do for no reason. I was on seroxat, which stopped working then nightmare with cit, then ven. Think this is why your pysc is revommending ven, as they think cit has stopped working for you. Google anti depressant poop out, for info. Chances are ssris, of which cit is one, no longer work for you, which is why your pysc has recommended ven, which is a snri.
    • karen_57593
      karen_57593 anya68711

      Posted

      Can i just ask I'm just with my go at the moment but I'm really struggling can i phone the consultant at hospital for advice or do I need too go thru doctor I was at doctor this morning they've gave me a sleeping tablet called zopiclone 7.5mg I've hardly slept for 3 weeks I am mentally n physically n emotionally drained with it all xx

  • karen_57593
    karen_57593 anya68711

    Posted

    I'm the same I'm struggling too never ever been off work but had too stay off today n no plans too up bk tomorrow not sleeping at all n very anxious n nausea x

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