Dizziness and stress
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hi, I've been dizzy for several weeks since I stopped taking bendruflumethiazide 2.5 mg and citalopram 5mg. My doctor switched me to amitriptyline, then propranolol and ramipril, then to losartan and the bendroflumethiazde again, all in the space of three months. My pulse rate escalated my bp was all over the place, ended up in A&E. Bloods, ECG and BP normal. I am not on anything at the moment but the dizziness persists, I'm feeling down and I cry a lot. I am going to ENT on doctors referral. There is a lot of stress at home, my husband is ill and he has insomnia. My nights and more worry and stress. I really want to know if anyone can relate or offer words of hope. Thank you.
1 like, 22 replies
drokxytext jan32118
Posted
I'm seeing my doctor next week to discuss meds, I'll mention this to him.
shelly85064 jan32118
Edited
I think its all the med changes...ive gone though this before when i stopped cit then tried other meds within a very short period of time I finally went back to the citalopram started at 5 mg for about a week and then stayed on 10 after that. It took a good 6 to 8 weeks to finally start feeling better and like you my main symptom was dizziness/woozy Spacey feeling. It was truly devastating and debilitating. I am going through this again right now because I have changed doses of my citalopram and probably too many times within a short period of time. I am day 15 on 15 mg right now and still have the dizziness woozy feeling. Other things are getting better though. My doctor wants me to go to 20 mg eventually. But for now I'm just trying to hold out on the same dose for a while. I know it's tough, and I remember last time thinking I will never get over this, but I did it just took time. I feel that way right now, and I just keep telling myself the same thing, I will get past this it will just take time. Can I ask why you went off your citalopram? And what you were taking it for? And how long were you taking it?
jan32118 shelly85064
Posted
Hi Shelly, thanks for responding, sorry you are going through this too. I agree, I think it is the combination of meds that have kicked this off plus stopping 5.2mg citalopram cold turkey in September last year. Your symptoms seem very similar to mine. Our ages are approx the same, I started Citalopram 10 mg around fifteen years ago for mild anxiety, in hindsight I didn't really need them but went along with it. I was doing good on them but decided i wanted to come off a few years ago so started withdrawing. I was on 5.2mg before I jumped off in September when my doctor started me on other meds for migraine and blood pressure. First few weeks were ok but then all hell broke loose with horrible symptoms, dizziness, vertigo, headaches, neck and shoulder aches, more anxiety, feeling on edge, crying spells, sensitive to noise, feeling hot and then cold, dry mouth, urinating frequently and more. I've had a bad couple of days with vertigo, weird dreams, I feel like I'm losing my mind. I think I'm having withdrawal from that cocktail of meds plus protracted withdrawal from Citalopram. I've reinstated 0.5 mg citalopram hoping it would alleviate mg symptoms but I think I'm worse now. Don't really know where to go from here. I'm stressed out also with my husband being ill. How are you doing?
shelly85064 jan32118
Posted
Also, when this happened before, I was put through a battery of tests, ENT, bloodwork, upper and lower scopes, x-rays, allergy test, all kinds of heart tests. All came back normal. Back when this first happened I didn't know what was going on and apparently the doctors didn't either. I finally decided I just wanted to go back on the citalopram as it worked for me before. I then just played the waiting game and quit going in for a bunch of tests. And like I said, eventually everything calm down while being switched from medication to medication … Anti-depressants, it, of course, then started a slew of symptoms, and then all the tests which then cause more anxiety and my host system was just going crazy. I was truly in fight or flight mode while waiting for the citalopram to level out, I just rested as much as I could and gave myself time to heal right now I have to try to do the same thing.
shelly85064 jan32118
Edited
I think you probably made the right move as far as reinstatement of the citalopram. Right now you may be a getting starting side effects. When I first went off citalopram, I tapered, but it was all within like a couple of weeks… Too fast, apparently. So when I did reinstate, it was after about five or six months of my doctors, trying different anti-depressants and of course, that's when all hell broke loose for me. When I started back on citalopram, I started at .5 I can't remember how long, but probably like for a week then up to 10 mg I do recall it took me a good 4 to 6 weeks to really start feeling better. However, it wasn't too long after as I recall to feel improvement from how I was feeling when I was going on one medication to another. I had all of those side effects like you, I even developed Gerd or the symptoms of Gerd because I really didn't have it. But when I was off and on the medication, I had so many crazy side effects. All of what you describe, which was just so exhausting. I can only go by my experience, but if I were you, I would stick to the 5 mg for a bit and then maybe go to 7.5 and then get back to 10 mg. And stay there. Today is day 16 for me on 15 mg. My body was very achy last night who is very hard to sleep. Seems this is a side effect that hopefully will pass as well. I hope you feel better today, like I said, you may be getting start up side effects. Just hang in there. I know that is easier said than done for sure. You can message me at any time. I know this is a really rough road. i've been going through this mess this time since about October 2023. Once I get leveled out I am never going off of my medication again. I get it in my head sometimes that I just don't want to be on medication but I don't wanna feel like crap all the time either. We deserve to live a happy, healthy, fulfilling life, I will take these to my grave if need be if citalopram worked for you before they will work for you again. What I have read a lot on this forum is that the second third fourth time around on the same medication sometimes takes a bit longer, but in fact, it eventually does work .
jan32118 shelly85064
Posted
Thanks Shelly, it means a lot having someone to chat to who's going through very similar symptoms, even our timeline is the same. Reading your post sounds so familiar, I could have written it myself. I feel a little calmer this evening, symptoms still there but accepting them more with the belief that they are temporary. Yesterday was another story, I was really freaked out, thought I was losing my mind. It's been almost two weeks since reinstating a low dose Citalopram and like you said, these meds take time to work. I must not panic! Yes these meds cause all sorts of aches and pains. Mine just pop up and then it's replaced by somewhere else on my body the next day. I've had stomach aches, headaches, back aches, neck and shoulder aches, restless legs to name a few. I initially wanted to come off because I thought I didn't need them anymore and I get migraines and the only painkiller I can take is a combination of aspirin/paracetamol/caffeine (Anadin Extra here in the UK). The problem being you shouldn't take aspirin with Citalopram because of bleeding apparently. Anyhow, hope you have a good day, always here for a chat.
Take care x
jan32118 shelly85064
Posted
Hi Shelly, how are you doing? I had a fairly good few days, not symptom free but bearable. Today however I've been dizzy all day. I had carbs yesterday, not sure if that has as anything to do with it. I'm trying not to panic but it's not easy. I'm on edge all the time, I keep wondering if it's something else causing these symptoms and that just makes things worse. Hope you're making good progress.