How long until it's out of my system?

Hi Kate,

Spoke to you the other week, need some advice. I've been on Citalopram for 11 weeks today, 3 weeks on 20mg And 8 on 40mg felt much better after 6 weeks but haven't been great last 2 weeks, especially around time of month, anxiety, intrusive thoughts and feeling flat and terrified gone back to square one. Do you think this means they aren't working or is it a blip, I did feel much better, but had a horrible day yesterday and I'm scared, all my rational thoughts seem to have left me. Thank you.

Chrissy

Probably nothing more than a blip. Could be a delayed reaction from bumping up your dose as well, even if it was eight weeks ago. I bumped from 10mg to 20mg, fine for a few weeks, then de-railed for a week. I still think it was something to do with increasing the dosage. 

Intrusive thoughts are horrible, common in anxiety and depression, but do go away eventually, so don't dwell on them too much. It's a passing thing. EVERYONE gets horrible thoughts, when you're anxious, you latch onto them. As the anxiety subsides, the thoughts subside.

Dont go reading up on them; it'll make them stick around longer and you'll just make yourself more anxious. 

I hope you feel better soon. 

Thank you so much Rhys, sometimes when I'm low I obsess about the intrusive thoughts and look them up, your right, it is by far my worse symptom & sometimes think I'm going to be stuck with them forever.

When I'm feeling better, they fade, but as soon as I feel anxious, they are back and feel worse, as I think they have gone for good. Does time heal? Thanks anyway, sometimes I think I am the only one who think such horrible things and forget I'm a kind over sensitive human.

Hi Chrissy

Yes in my experience it seems we start to feel good on these tablets, then get these blips every so often making us feel like we're back to square one.  Seems this is the general pattern people take.  If you try and just accept you're going through a normal blip, let it be there, don't try and make it go but let it go on it's own, as it will eventually.  These will come and go as you continue to get better.

Yes when we're in this dark place, rational thoughts do seem to go and we end up with racing, scary thoughts instead, but this is really just a symptom of anxiety.  The mind is tired, and these thoughts stick to a tired mind.  They'll lose their importance and go as the anxiety calms again.

When you're feeling well you can think clearly, understand the illness more, but when back in the dark place it all seems to go out the window.

Try and remind yourself that this is a passing phase, and it will go.  Go about life as usual, and don't try and force yourself this darkness to go - it'll do it in it's own time.  It might last a few day or weeks, but know that it'll pass.  Very difficult I know.

K xx

I think when the thoughts come back, I don't reckon they're worse, but that you've temporarily forgotten about how they feel.  Absolutely, time does heal.  I was ill for many many years before being put onto SSRI's.  I never thought I'd ever be free from whatever was wrong with me (it was never explained properly as I know now).  Not understanding was very scary as I thought I was losing my mind, but knew I was a normal person just wanting to be free from whatever it was.  I also thought I was the only one, and years ago there was nobody to share this with, no site like this, in fact no internet at all then.  I fought it all alone.  Thank goodness for sites like this :-). We're just normal humans with a illness that has typical symptoms.

As soon as the SSRI's kicked in and I began to get well, the thoughts faded and lost their importance and I continued to be completely well for 15 years.

Since being ill and now recovered, it's made me appreciate life so much.  It's kind of made me open my eyes 

See, you said it yourself, they fade when you're better.

You are absolutely not going to be stuck with them forever and it doesn't signal the start of some terrible, debilitating mental illness. It's just an anxious mind. Once the anxiety subsides, the thoughts subside. 

I've had bouts of this, once or twice. It has always disappeared and I've not been carted off in a padded ambulance. Nor will you. 

Time changes everything. 

Just to echo what Kate said as well, I've had seven years where I've been fine. Not scraping by, not hanging on, not plagued with negative thoughts and emotions, fine. Recovered. Normal, whatever that is. I owe that to Citalopram; or at the very least an admission that I needed help. 

You're going to be fine. The hardest thing is an admission that you need help. You've done that. I can't promise that it'll be easy, but you'll get through it to the other side. 

 

Thanks for replying katecogs ☺

I was first prescribed citalopram when my son was 6 months old for post natal depression. I found it a great help and wished I'd been prescribed it at 18!

However I would still suffer from very low times, often during winter months. I dreaded Autumn and would just long for spring, hating the five months between. Eventually in September 2014 I returned to my gp for help as I was having increasing suicidal thoughts. I was referred to mental health team and shortly after given a working diagnosis of bipolar 2. My psych dr now wants me to try lithium and encouraged me to come off citalopram before starting. I was petrified at the thought, but have actually managed it. Im now learning to live withought citalopram but am not sure how long it stays in your system for?

Thank you so much, your kind words have given me fresh perspective & hope, sometimes it all you need and means so much more coming from someone who understands. 😘

Thanks so much, your words & Rhys have helped me so much today, your both very kind and I appreciate your time, helps me Realise how kind people can be. Bless you both. X

Do you exercise at all? 

Running has been an incredible help for me; three or four times a week even for fifteen minutes has made a bad day into a good one. You don't even have to smash it, just a light jog. Something to think about. 

It's hard to have a clear perspective when you're in a bad place. Just don't think there's no hope, not for a moment. It's a passing moment in your life. The future holds much better things.

Been meaning to, gonna stick them trainers on tomorrow.

I always feel more alive in the summer, and have thought about getting a light box for the winter.  It's my birthday in a weeks time so think I'll ask for one as a present :-)

Years ago before I was on SSRI's I took part in a drugs trial whilst completing tasks in a controlled environment.  One of the drugs was lithium, and whilst I took this and was doing a computer task at the trial centre, I suddenly had this amazing sense of feeling really well, no anxiety, no depression, as if so eone had lifted it all from me.  It was the lithium.  It wore off and sadly I woke the next day back feeling ill.

I think coming off Citalopram the medication - depends on what dose you were on and how long you've been withdrawing from it I suppose, but I expect it will probably stay in your system around 6 weeks maybe, the amount of time it took at the start for it to build up.

I'm sure you'll find the right medication for you soon, and hope lithium works well for you.

K xx

Hi kate☺

Thanks for your reply. I too will be taking part in research, but just for lithium I believe. It reassures me knowing I will be monitored and scanned during this period and am hopeful it will really help.

My husband bought me a lightbox about 5 years ago but sadly it gave me headaches. It's a shame I cant lend it to you before you invest. Everything is worth a try I say. 😊

Yes they'll definitely monitor you well throughout the research.  Ooh a lightbox headache ........ hadn't thought it could do that.  

Hope the the research really helps xxxx

K x