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My Citalopram diary

Posted , 16 users are following.

davidblue85
davidblue85

Well following a admission to hospital 3 weeks ago for extreme fatigue, weight loss and pains in my abdomen and many test including a colonoscopy which all came back 'all clear' I've been persribed anti-depressants for stress and anxiety.

I have always had anxiety since my early teens but have NEVER been medicated for this I have always just 'dealt' with it. However with the pressures of work and imminate house move and young family I think my body/brain finally gave in!

So I'm trying medication in the hope I can lose the anxiety and get my life back on track, after reading many scare stories of the side effects (which nearly put me off) I finally gave in and took my first dose tonight - I was given sertraline 50mg last week as the first option but after what felt like a heart attack (I'm 30 btw) on the 3rd day I threw the towel in.

Having researched since I now know 50mg was quite a strong dose to start on!! So here I am round 2 and a new drug - this time Citalopram 10mg and I started my first dose tonight...well when I say first dose I took a quarter of a tablet effectively (2.5mg) I'm starting slow this time and building it up, I also have Gilberts Syndrome which makes some drugs reactive differently.

I'm going to keep this thread going to help explain any side effects and hopefully dispell and scare stories and hopefully share my own happy ending.

Stay tuned!

1 like, 71 replies

71 Replies

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  • davidblue85
    davidblue85

    Posted

    Hi

    I've been quiet of late but I do check in and read some posts now and again.

    Well things have been very busy in my world, we completed on the sale of our house on Monday this week and had a last minute rush to get things packed up the week before so it's kept me very busy.

    I increased to 15mg nearly 3 weeks ago now and I have to say the minimal side effects I've encountered have been very manageable and nothing like the start up side effects I experienced. So for those looking to increase I wouldn't panic about experiencing bad side effects again.

    In fact if I feel the need to move up to 20mg I'm happy to do so, but hopefully things continue to improve as they are and I'll stick with my current dose.

    • davidblue85
      davidblue85 Marf

      Posted

      Yeah definately Marf, but I can't say if it's the dose increase or just more time has past I'll never know!

      What I do know is I was still experiencing some real low moments on 10mg and I've had very little instances of this since I've upped my dose.

    • Marf
      Marf davidblue85

      Posted

      I'm thinking it's time I went up a bit too, I've had a bad weekend and when there's a blip it makes you feel so horrid. Are you still doing 15? Do you just break one in half? xx
    • devin23
      devin23 davidblue85

      Posted

      Hi David, glad you are feeling good! I just started my Cit 5 days ago and I cut my 10mg to 5mg and today I took my first 10mg. I was wondering how long it took you to up your dose? And how were your side effects? I'm still feeling pretty down and that's expected since the pill won't actually start working right away. I hope to feel as improved as you soon

      Take care

      Dev

    • davidblue85
      davidblue85 Marf

      Posted

      Hi Marf, I would say stop suffering you've definitely given your current dose long enough!

      Yes I'm still on 15mg, I just break a 10mg tablet in half (it's a bit of an art form because they're tiny!)

      All the best x

    • davidblue85
      davidblue85 devin23

      Posted

      Hi Devin,

      I hope the start up side effects haven't been too bad for you...it can seem like a rollercoaster of emotions/symptoms during those early weeks but not for everyone I must add.

      I took 2.5mg for 1 week, 5mg for just over a week, then moved to 10mg for several weeks before increasing to 15mg. Side effects were worse during weeks 1-4, felt flu like, no energy, sleep was a bit messed up but then I would get breaks usually in the evening when I felt ok so I would make the most of that time.

      Be patient, stay strong and you'll be able to ride it out, good luck x

    • Lilyknightx3
      Lilyknightx3 devin23

      Posted

      Hey! I'm in the really early stages of starting this medication (day 3) i've started at 10mg as i'm only 18 and a rather small girl haha, was just wondering what side effects you have experienced so far?
    • davidblue85
      davidblue85 Lilyknightx3

      Posted

      Hi Lily,

      If you read through my diary you'll see some of the side effects I experienced...I must add that not all may have been a result of Cit but likely the terrible anxiety I was experiencing back then.

      My advice is don't go hunting for lists of side effects, just keep going with the tablets, be patient it's been a long journey for me (but I had let things go too far!) you'll likely be feeling much better in 3-4 weeks time.

      Good luck and stay strong x

  • davidblue85
    davidblue85

    Posted

    Good evening

    Just wanted to update my diary with progress, I guess (working it out from my last post!) I've been on 15mg for 6 weeks (ish) and things are still improving and life is a lot more manageable then when this journey began.

    The big news is I started back at work this week, I expected to be a wreak after nearly 4 months out BUT I was strangly calm, I walked into the office and spent most of the days just chatting and catching up with people...in a way it was like the last few months hadn't even happened!

    Anyway I know it did and so I'm looking to make some permanent changes so I don't end up in the same place again, I'm probably going to drop a day so I get another day at home with my wife and the kids and I'm going to take up an easier role at work.

    I'm using the whole experience as a wake up call, otherwise I'll probably be a heart attack victim next!

    For anyone starting out - YOU WILL GET BETTER! I doubted it so many times, would roll about in bed crying, felt so low and pathetic, thoughts ran through my mind which I have never experienced in my life. BUT...be patient and little by little days get easier until you suddenly realise you feel 'normal' again, I'm not going to use the cliche about the 'light coming on' from my experience it's not a sudden cure and it's little improvement day by day.

    Good luck X

    • lee1111
      lee1111 davidblue85

      Posted

      Good to hear that things are turning out well for you David. Well done on getting through the tough part. Do you still have any side effects and how long since you started? Good luck back at work. Lee.
  • kerry84695
    kerry84695 davidblue85

    Posted

    Fantastic, I am.back at work too, I have just completed week 8 and just started cognitive behaviour therapy, the changes sound like a good idea too, hope thinge continue to improve
  • davidblue85
    davidblue85

    Posted

    Thanks Lee & Kerry

    In terms of side effects...not really, I might randomly some days get shaky hands again but not the internal shaking like being wired up to the mains!

    If I'm getting any other side effects lets just say I'm not noticing them!!

    I would say the meds are doing their thing now, the only recovery I'm still working on is getting my confidence back and getting on top of work. But that's understandable given the state I'd gotten myself into, but hopefully by the summer all this will be a distant memory.

    Good luck

  • davidblue85
    davidblue85

    Posted

    I'm back!!

    I didn't think I'd ever be coming back to this diary but here I am!

    So firstly let's fill the gap of the last 2 years - I would say I recovered, got on and was enjoying life and freedom from anxiety. Since last summer I dropped my dosage down and finally stopping taking citalopram in Feb this year and life was good, everything has stayed in check, work has been manageable, I've holidayed abroad and pretty much lived like any 'normal' person! 

    So why am I here you ask? Well over the last 4 weeks or so I've been struggling with random anxiety attacks, generally feeling less calm than previous months, then that knot has returned to my chest and this week my digestive system has gone wobbly (is as much detail as I'm going to share!) so after trying to move past this the past few weeks I can see things escalating to a point I'd rather not get to again.

    When I stopped in Feb I was very adamant that if I needed to take cita again then I would happily do so, 8 months down the line I'm not so positive about the thought - I feel like I'm going to be stuck in a loop the rest of my life!

    Anyway I can't function at my best the way things have been these past weeks so I've just popped 5mg and I've bit the bullet! 

    I'd be interested to hear of anyone else's experience of hitting the Cit again and if it's likely to be a reoccurring thing.

    Anyway if it's like my first time, I can look forward to hot sweats and a bit of insomnia tonight!

    I'll keep you updated 

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