Posted , 8 users are following.
Been on citalopram in the past and they were great.
I've been on 20mg for just over a week increased from 10mg and I dont feel good at all.
I'm so depressed! Like something I've never felt before. It's so scary and my anxiety is really high too.
Did anyone else feel like this when they increased.
Someone please help I'm terrified 😭
0 likes, 29 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
toria_07298 Potatoghost
Posted
aw bless you p really hope things improve for you soon x
Potatoghost toria_07298
Posted
thanks toria me too x I'll keep you updated x miss you ❤
mike07300 Potatoghost
Posted
Try reducing to 15mg ,I'm sure you will be more relaxed after that,good luck.
Potatoghost mike07300
Posted
i was gonna try reducing but I'm so indecisive atm anything I think about doing worrys me
what if what if what if so I'm a mess lol
mike07300 Potatoghost
Posted
Sounds to me like you need it mate,honestly if you don't feel well,its the best route to take,I was up & down for years,I'm now ticking over nicely on just 5mg.
Potatoghost mike07300
Posted
that's really good 5mg works for you x what was the highest you went up too?
lala25752 Potatoghost
Posted
Hey I am in the same position. I've been on cit before and also had horrible side effects for about few weeks. Now i am back on it and it has been 10 days. I had 2 days of 10 mg but then went to 20mg because i thought i should just go and do what I did last time. I would say count the side effects from the the day you increased the dose. My side effects are horrible anxiety particularly in the morning, nausea, hot flashes, racing thoughts, irrational thoughts, paranoid about being crazy not ever recovering no motivation to do anything I just spend all day in bed and watch youtube or netflix. I've been off from work for about 2 weeks and will not go back for another while the side effects are there because they are horrible. Anxiety does seem to decrease in the evening but I do need constant reassurance. However yesterday I had a semi ok day I went out for groceries with my partner was kinda happyish and quite liked being outside however did feel anxious at times. Today feel anxious and horrible, low all day. I do feel like second time round on cit is a bit worse than the first but tbh I am not sure because last time it was also traumatizing dealing with side effects. I literally know how you feel you spend all day researching citalopram side effects and people stories and freak yourself out and think that it will never get better. I logically understand its dumb but I will just take cit, suffer and wait. You are not alone so many people in our position. Does your anxiety or low mood lift a bit in the evening?
Potatoghost lala25752
Posted
hey thank you for your reply I really appreciate you taking the time x it sounds like you might be seeing some positives already x one sign is that the evenings get a little bit better so soon you will probably be on the mend so that's really good.
normally my evenings are a little bit better but since upping to 20mg my evenings and whole day are pretty terrible. I used to look forward to the evening but dont have that at the minute x thank you for replying and hope you're ok 😊
tamsin07572 Potatoghost
Posted
hi P you are not long into it - i felt terrible the first two and a half weeks and was also very depressed the second week. i went to the GP yesterday and she said 4 weeks from the start of 20 for benefits. we just have to be patient. take each day as it comes. my psych said stay off the jnternet and dont research anxiety all the time. weve recovered before and will again. do you have anything else to take? i have lorazepam and propranalol which help somewhat when its really bad. especially the L for sleeping. i reckon give it a few more weeks and we'll both be feeling heaps better
Potatoghost tamsin07572
Posted
hey I was wondering how you were getting on x how long into it are you now?
thank you for replying and your kind words x was your depression really bad and is it starting to lift a little for you yet?
I have diazipam for emergencies but trying not to take them as I dont get many and gps really dont like prescribing them.
I've been trying really hard to stay off google and checking everything as it only takes one thing to trigger us doesnt it x
beta blockers too but they lower my mood a bit so trying to be careful with those too x thank you and I hope you're ok 😊
tamsin07572 Potatoghost
Posted
Hi P yes my depression was terrible last week but isnt so bad now. still there but definately not as bad. its just the anxiety wearing us down. use the diazepam. my psych has told me to use it regularly at the moment and has said he will help me come off them when the time comes. i dont find the beta blockers all that useful but do take them sometimes when im really bad. how are you feeling now? How long since youve seen your doctor? are you able to see a psychiatrist? im seeing one privately here in NZ and its really great - so good to have that expert advice. Given all your chopping and changing it sounds like it could be a good thing to do
Potatoghost tamsin07572
Posted
I think I'm gonna have to start using it a little more often I think as it should definitely help a little.
I see a mental health nurse next week on the NHS and shes gonna come up with a plan of what to do next as I cant afford a psych privately and it's really hard to get a referral here in the UK x
how long did your depression side effect last for? as its kicking my ass at the minute and don't know how long I can carry on with it x
laura45992 Potatoghost
Posted
Potato;
Im so sorry you're going through this. Are you taking it primarily for depression? I know when I increased, it took me 3-4 weeks for the side effects to lessen. I wasn't better, but everything was less intense. I take it for anxiety, so depression was a side effect that was hard to handle. Ive never been depressed before but I definitely have my moments on these meds. Its possible that all these meds are still in your system, even at a small level, and all messing with each other. It may take you a bit longer to see a good effect if the other meds are still working themselves out. How is your diet? Do you take any supplements? I feel like I see much more good hours than bad when Im drinking enough water, taking vitamin, and supplementing with magnesium. Im 8 months in at this point, about 3 months steady on 20 after several dose changes, and am just really starting to see mostly better days. Ive still recently had a big dip, but I came out of it after about a week. This whole journey is so hard and I feel for you!! We're all in this together!!
Potatoghost laura45992
Posted
hi laura
have we spoke in the past a long time ago on here? I cant remember as my head is all muddled at the minute x thank you for your reply I really do appreciate it x
I was on it mainly for anxiety and maybe a little depression but I had only suffered depression years ago for about 2 weeks before meds and it was a lot milder then x yeah I definitely think I have a lot of meds going through me at the minute. I tried sertraline but that made me feel like I was completely losing my mind for 10 whole weeks. so came back to citalopram again.
I did increase up to 40mg last time and thought after 12 weeks that it wasn't working because I kept dipping. i know now in hindsight it can take an awful lot longer for some people.
so you got depression as a side effect too? how bad was it for you? and how long to pass?
I'm glad you are on the mend now even though setbacks can be so debilitating cant they x
I'm not gonna lie my diet is pretty poor atm as I dont eat much and when I do everything makes me feel sick so o end up having something bad. I drink plenty of water.
does the magnesium help x I've heard it is quite good x
thank you ❤
laura45992 Potatoghost
Posted
Yes, weve talked in the past!
Based on what you said, it really does sound like you need to give it some time. Stay on 20mg for a long time and see if you can level out once the sertraline is out of your system.
Yes, Ive definitely felt depression and intrusive thoughts as a side effect of the meds. Ive always been one of the happiest people you'll meet. Feeling those feelings are quite scary when youre not used to them, so I understand. I still get moments of it, but the worst of it took about three months for me. It slowly got better but not great. Now theyre more like passing thoughts unless Im in a dip.
I know the meds and side effects can make you feel gross and hard to eat, but when you do eat, try to make something nutrient rich. Easier said than done, I know. Yes! The mg (glycinate) does help me.
Take a deep breath and take it one day at a time. I cant look too in the future because itll get me all worked up. Take hourly and daily successes and hold on to them to get through the next day!
Potatoghost laura45992
Posted
thank you laura x yeah the depression is kicking my ass at the minute x it's really hard to cope with as I'm mainly on it for anxiety and mild depression. its terrifying isnt it.
how did you find the courage to carry on when your depression reared its head?
I've managed to convince myself aswell thatvim going crazy or I am crazy and theres something more wrong with me than just anxiety and depression.
I cant seem to rationalise it that it's probably just the anxiety and depression making me feel like that.
uggghhh I feel I cant do this anymore 😭 did you ever feel like that x
lois95799 Potatoghost
Posted
at times potato we may need less med not more.so again im going to suggest you lower dose .or if you dont want to suffer take your benzo.why have the benzo and not take it.and if you are taking med for mainly for anxiety lower doses do the trick .been stuck in a long limbo is not cute.just because you feel you might not get another prescribtion for the benzo that does not mean you should suffer.
lois95799
Posted
and also potato swapping meds n changing dosages come into play greatly so not only are you suffering with drawls from the sert plus start ups from the cit.remember that higher doses of ssri does not mean quick healing.my phychiatrist has men nof woman on 5milligrams.of cit and they are recover on there low dose.
Potatoghost lois95799
Posted
I have depression too even though anxiety is my main thing x depression is bad too. when I started years ago ten didn't work for me at all I only felt relief at 20mg
does this change anything ?
lois95799 Potatoghost
Posted
i just know these are some piwerful meds .and what you are experiencing within the last many months have been from from swapping meds.swapping =cold turkey