Increasing anxiety and depression with Citalopram

Posted , 9 users are following.

Hi, I can see my problems have been posted a thousand times before but I feel that I am just unable to cope much longer. I have been on 10mg of cit for a week now. This is the second time I’ve taken cit, the first was 10 years ago and I remember horrible side effects then but I’m not sure they were like this!! I am so scared of how I am feeling, especially when I wake up at 3am panicking. I am planning to call my gp again this morning to see if there is anything else she can suggest as I really do not know how to rationalise my thoughts. Does anyone know if there is anything else to help me cope with the side effects. 

1 like, 21 replies

21 Replies

  • Posted

    I am 4 weeks on 10mg cit and feel worse than before I took it. Total insomnia so I take zopiclone and wake 5 hors later in a sweat. Have no appetite. Lost loads of weight. No energy or enthusiasm to do anything. Review with doc next week to either up dose or stop or change meds. Sorry not to be more positive. Also have body Rash, burning hands sensation and trembling. All a bit of a mess really.
  • Posted

    Hope the gp can help. Have you tried meditation, I do it off you tube and makes me feel really relaxed. The side effects of the medication can be horrible. I'm 6 days in to a dose Increase so hopefully would be feeling better soon myself. Hope you have a better day today

  • Posted

    Try meditating or if you are having heart pulpitation press in the centre of your ribs just below your nipple line. The palpitations should ease off that's what I do. Just remember that your not the only one going through it and it will get better. Believe me the first time I took citalopram I was so scared about the side effects I had a panicky attack before I even took it maybe try taking them before bed I find you sleep off most of the side effects. Good luck

    • Posted

      Thanks George, I spoke to my gp and she has prescribed a low dose of a beta-blocker for a week. Hopefully long enough to see off the nasty side effects of the citalopram. I might start writing a diary of how I feel each day just to remind me of the “normal” days. 
  • Posted

    Hey Steve you hobestly just have to pull threw I know it’s hard but just do it ... I started with 20 about two months ago and it took 4-5 weeks to feel something but still had bad anxiety ! Now I’m on 30 and I feel like myself again ! 

    Ask you gp for some clonazepam it really helped me threw until the cit started to work !! It helps calm your anxiety and those crazy thoughts 

  • Posted

    Mate people are suggesting meditation. Give it a try will take a bit of time and patience but it really works. My GP gave me citalopram during a difficult time. Fair shout he's the expert. But it was horrific it's not for everybody. I ended up flushing them down the toilet going cold turkey ( I survived so it works before citalopram lovers comment AND I'm not suggesting u do that) . Walking and using meditation techniques - and am no new age hippy- worked for me in the long run. Wasn't easy but months later I wasnt staring at the edge of the cliff which is where citalopram took me at the time. Your not alone and people have been there and out the other side -so will you.

    • Posted

      What happens when you have physical symptoms of anxiety does meditation works.. because it didn't for me..nothing work for me except the celexa..I wish it would of been easy to get rid of all my physical anxiety feelings with meditation...

    • Posted

      What happens when you have physical symptoms of anxiety does meditation works.. because it didn't for me..nothing work for me except the celexa..I wish it would of been easy to get rid of all my physical anxiety feelings with meditation...

    • Posted

      Lois. 2 things , na 3 three things actually . I did say it takes time and patience a LOT of it tbh. Mind bending drugs are not for everybody and 3 am no medical expert or Buddhist monk. But..... when the mind slows down SO does the body. If people on here are extolling the virtues of hanging in with the citalopram then try and hang in with a bit of mindfullness. Nothing to lose ?
    • Posted

      I try that and unfortunately the physical symptoms of anxiety not the mental symptoms.. physical like in actual pain..it was horrific..and I was very patience like for twenty years..so sometimes we need Medication as a tool to help us along the way.. because trust me celexa is not a cure is a tool..
    • Posted

      Ok point taken ( I think ?) that the only thing that helps for you is more drugs. I know what it's like waking up with the crushing stomach pains in the morning. Easy for me to sit here now -but I haven't forgotten a second of it- and say " try this" but the guy asked for alternatives and that was mine yours is different. You can't pop a dose of mindfullness down your throat but I only said give it a try. Concentrate the mind and the body follows. Depression is not a physical illness the brain holds the key.

    • Posted

      I totally understand you.but I don't have depression I have anxiety..is like having uncontrollable cholesterol or been a diabetic.etc..if it was that easy Every one of the 40million people on ssris would be med free...

    • Posted

      Depression or anxiety might not be physical illness ..but they cause physical pain...!
    • Posted

      The DRUGS are exacerbating the physical pain of anxiety. That's what they do but the drug companies won't admit it. You might ( eventually) after six weeks find some relief but it's fools good !!! No long term solution they want you hooked. Your right 40 million people addicted kerching !

    • Posted

      Ain't no different than been on diabetic drugs cholesterol drugs high blood pressure drugs ..cancer meds and the list goes on..but your exactly right isn't that what we want relief..from a 4$ a month pill...my mom and my best friend has been on celexa for over 20, years and counting and they are fine...no fools good there.. wouldn't it be lovely if we could control our minds to cure all illnesses...

    • Posted

      Ain't no different than been on diabetic drugs cholesterol drugs high blood pressure drugs ..cancer meds and the list goes on..but your exactly right isn't that what we want relief..from a 4$ a month pill...my mom and my best friend has been on celexa for over 20, years and counting and they are fine...no fools good there.. wouldn't it be lovely if we could control our minds to cure all illnesses...

    • Posted

      If you think that cancer drugs, diabetic medicine or high blood pressure tablets are NO different from a pill that the doctor prescribes ( short term remember that ) to get through an episode in your life then ...wow .... I'll leave it there. I need to go lie down and meditate.

    • Posted

      You can believe all you want with your meditation and your short term episodes it that s what you want to believe..without meds of any kind there would be alot of dead humans...I'm going to meditate with my celexa ...peace....brain power all the way...for you and only you.peace

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