Escitalopram start up - it can cause a lot of anxiety?
Posted , 5 users are following.
I posted a few weeks ago about how to cope with this and other side effects. I still have not got the courage to begin and am now in a deeper depression and feeling extremely ill and suicidal at times. I suppose only I have the answer and only I can do this.
It is ecitalopram I have to start but now I am wondering as of all the anti depressants it seems to cause the most start up anxiety in people and can also induce panic attacks. I'm feeling so ill I couldn't cope psychologically with feeling worse, let alone the insomnia and night panics. That leaves me stuck as I am but i got the antidepressant but am too fearful to start as I feel too bad. It is a painful position to be in and I can't find a way out.
0 likes, 7 replies
emma93780 caroline50055
Posted
Breath, count to ten and take them, if you are at rock bottom you couldn't feel any worse, meds do have horrid side effects but you need to think about what's worse, dont fear them, once you've taken them do something to take your mind of it, us anxiety sufferes find it difficult to take meds as we read to much about others people's experiences and we then fear that the same will happen to us, we are all different so you have to bite the bullet and go for it, it's common knowledge they heighten anxiety but honestly things nearly always get worse before they get better.
I've been on sertraline for 10 months and I still get anxiety they have just upped my dose but I just go with it as I know it's the meds, I still get scared as hell and have panic attacks and think I'm going to die but I've been on them a long time and I am still here.
Good luck ??
ashley31209 caroline50055
Posted
I have been on Escitalopram 10mg for a month now, i'll admit at first i was scared to start too, and yes the first 10 days or so i found my anxiety higher, however my Dr also perscribed me ativan to take once a day, he suggested at night however my anxiety was highest in the mornings so thats when i took it, only used them for about 2 weeks once a day when i started Escitalopram, now i feel sooo much better, i recommend to you to just start and maybe talk to your Dr about something like ativan to take with it to help the start up phase. I'm also in therapy as well which is helping me a lot.
stephanie61588 caroline50055
Posted
Hi caroline,
I have been prescribed citalopram and sertraline and only took each for one or two days but the side effects were so terrible i had to stop..
it was only physical se, nothing psychological though..
why dont you try half the dose?
that's what I did and that's what the psychiatrist told me to do if I was too scared at first.. step by step..;-)
diane524 stephanie61588
Posted
I didn't want to start Citalopram either, but did and was on 10mg and my anxiety did increase sometimes it was rougher than others. I was given Ativan 5mg to take every 8 hours as needed. They upped my Citalopram to 20mg and it didn't increase the anxiety and I felt a lot better right away around the 7th week. I still take 2 Ativan a day but will try to wean off to just one in the morning.
I am also in therapy to learn how to fight back the attacks. Distraction works best for me and going out and taking a walk to burn off cortisol.
caroline50055 stephanie61588
Posted
diane524 caroline50055
Posted
Yes, but my only systems were anxiety related.
No I didn't quit taking and glad I didn't because I am doing much better now.
caroline50055 diane524
Posted
Thanks Diane - I was asking Stephanie as she said she had terrible side effects and had to stop. Glad you are doing bettern 'though.