I was recently prescribed Citalopram , does it get worse before better ?

Oh thank you so much for the encouragement ,

i so needed to hear !

Seems like it takes forever , taking cit just over 5 weeks , getting discouraged , hopefully I'll feel much improved soon ,and the instrusive thoughts will be a thing of the past along with anxiety,

So great to hear that you recovered and are doing well.

Thank you and God bless !!

Did you get blips, I'm just over 5 weeks started on 5 mg went up to 10mg about week ago. Had a couple of not too bad days couple weeks ago, but last couple days anxiety and thoughts been absolutely awful like they were when I first started. Hoping it's just adjusting to dose. Mine due to zopiclone withdrawal had the thoughts over a year gradually got worse, but your post gives me bit of hope.

Hi, adjusting the dosage usually does affect your anxiety so hang in there! If you're having some good days then that's a positive, it will get better. As for blips i still get them now, they are short lived and i accept them as part of the healing process, they can last a few days or even weeks. Intrusive thoughts are an awful part of anxiety, as they stick. I was in the same situation where I thought I would never get better, you will, its just never a quick fix and takes time.

You're welcome. I was in the same position you are a few months ago, the intrusive thoughts were an awful part of anxiety. I honestly thought i would never get better! It will take time but you will get there.

Hi thanks does give me hope. Had you had thoughts for long before starting meds? Do think it's some sort of chemical imbalance. Tried all the CBT exposure therapy stuff for over 8 months did nothing. Probable didnt help myself as swapped from cit to sertraline which was nightmare then back again to cit. I'll stick at 10 mg anyway.

please let it give you hope. I had awful intrusive thoughts for about two weeks before being put on citalopram, anxiety however was something id suffered with for a long time and looking back i can see where it started to get worse. yes i would agree with a chemical imbalance, i also think hormones played a huge part in mine!! i tried CBT and think that some of it helped, i have also been very pro active, making time for me and swimming. i live in a very busy house so need that. Sticking with it is the best thing to do. i hope you feel better soon!

Thank you so much the thoughts seem most difficult to get rid of. Were caused by being made go cold turkey off zopiclone after 12 years started mildly got worse after going on sertraline. Apparently can take 2 years to completely improve from benzo/z drugs. Hoping the cit will get me through rest of withdrawal then maybe can eventually come off them very very slowly. Agree being busy is a help really difficult at the moment and can't go anywhere and everything shut. But does really help hearing from someone who has been there. Today has been slightly better, I do manage to go out for a walk everyday at least!

How are you doing Teresa hope you are improving. Another 2 weeks of lockdown here hopefully things ease after that lot of criticism of how things been handled here.

Hello !

Doing a little better , thanks ! Thought about asking doc to up dosage to max but after reading the other posts decided to stay at 20 mg and wait it out to 8 weeks , ahhh the waiting ..

Hope you're improving . Are you still on 10 mg ?

Think we have at least 2 more weeks on lock down as well , some states may he sooner .

Criticism here too, doesnt help situation .

Hope youre having a good day 😃

That's good you are improving, sometimes people seem to get worse on very high doses so sensible to stick at 20mg. I can't take more than 20mg because of my age anyway so will try stick at 10 hopefully level out soon. I'm still up and down as mine caused by zopiclone and had thoughts for a while think may be the three month mark before see lot of improvement seems to be quite common time for people to see a improvement then.. Not getting any worse have Ok days and not so OK and depression largely gone so could be worse. The criticism of corona situation here is wholly justified has been handled really badly here right from the start.

Hello! Didnt see your post til today ,

Hope you are doing better I'm sort of , still have a ways to go .

Think we're both at 6 weeks on Cit, today actually for me .Seem to have better days although those stupid thoughts pop in from time to time , ugh !!!!

Think we have a couple more weeks of lockdown and theyll slowly start opening things up , thats the plan anyway .

Praying the virus is contained and normalcy returns . I know it will help to get out the house and

Thoughts been quite bad last couple weeks but reading other comments seems it's caused by upping the dose to 10mg, have eased bit today seem can take 3 or 4 weeks to adjust. Think I'll probably take longer than you as have had them so long and was caused by the zopiclone withdrawal just have be patient which I'm finding difficult.

Think you will probably come out of lockdown before us, as Trump seems keen to get things back to normal again. They have opened chain of DIY stores and talking about garden centres opening next Month so hopefully improving.

.

Oh thats the pits , so sorry to hear that those pesky thoughts havent eased .

Maybe they'll be a very distant memory one day soon

Thankfully i have improved but not 100% , some days 90% other days , 50% .

So its still a struggle . Maybe we'll both be significantly better at the 2 mth mark like CHL 19 mentioned .

I certainly hope and pray so .

Oh by the way , does Cit give you a sweet tooth ? I have been craving sweets alot lately and ive always been a salt lover . Never had to have cake, cookies etc .

So looking forward to the restrictions being lifted . Think it may be awhile before normalcy returns but be nice to get out a bit more .

Hope you have a good day and better week ❤

That's good that you are noticing a significant improvement. Think mine will take a while as caused by stopping the zopiclone that can take up to 2 years to completely get over hopefully the citalopram will help. Also as did briefly go on it before then stop think I'll be nearer the 3 month marks. It has made me quite hungry recently, when thoughts really bad hardly eat anything, have been craving hot cross buns. There is talk of shops opening next month with restrictions. Need some weed kiler so will maybe go to the DIY place try adjust to normal life. Haven't been into town for weeks.

Good to know the med can make you crave certain foods , guess that can be good or bad especially since Im getting lazier by the day.

We havent been anywhere either except for drive through places and pick up groceries .

Has to be so discouraging for you, almost like starting over after the other med made you worse .Wish you had something to ease the anxiety while you're waiting for the Cit to do its job !!

Prayers that you have better results soon. I'm still having some rough times with the thoughts , oh how I hate them!!!

But i know better days are coming , for you as well ❤

Thanks sometimes think I'm never going to get better , the sertraline definitely caused more symptoms, at times think I'm permanently brain damaged by meds. Lived a normal full life 18 months ago can't imagine will ever get back to that .Sorry on bit of downer at moment just wish meds would start helping. Really pleased for you though that they are making a difference. Heavy rain today as well doesn't help!

Hello !! You will get better and are in no way a downer .You've just has a tough time from being on the wrong med that caused your set back .

Are you still taking the 10 mg ?

I called my doc , after taking 20 mg for 3 weeks I feel like i should be seeing more improvenent .

And i have been but its as if it wears off later in the day .

So the d

Doc upped to 40 mg .I'll let ya know how that goes .

Things are opening up here , larger stores etc .with restrictions of course .

Hope things are better in your area .❤

Have you read any of Katiecogs post she advises that can take up to 3 months to really see a difference and keep upping the dose won't necessarily make you get better any quicker. That's a big jump from 20 to 40 hope you get on Ok without too many side effects. Haven't been too bad today am accepting will just take time and the current situation isn't helping. I'm staying at 10mg, when I first started was on 10 but anxiety was too high so had to drop to 5mg. I don't intend staying on them forever so figure the lower the dose you are on the easier it will be to come off. Let me know how you get on 40mg is quite high dose so hope you are OK and cope with it OK.

I agree with you about the jump in dosage , not sure if i want to go that high , think its the max dose . Since I have improvement certainly dont want to go backwards !

Reading the posts have helped and ive read Katie's post so i am wary of the high dose ,,talking to you has helped as well 😃

I may trim the pill down to maybe 30 or may cut in half and stay on 20 mg a bit longer and see how it goes .

Really appreciate your advise and glad that you're seeing some improvement , just hate it takes so long right ?

Things are easing up here a bit so getting out and about will help !