Nearly 9 wks on citroplam 20mg still not better

Hi nicola

I stayed on 20 for several weeks and although it helped a bit I knew I was still unwell. Although cit can take ages and ages to kick in, I got to the point where I could not wait and continue to feel so unwell. I was scared to go up to 30 but it has made a huge difference. I did get weepy and a little nauseous for the first few days of the increase but nothing like the range of horrendous side effects I got when I first started citalopram. I think you have waited long enough on the twenty and would start taking your thirty. I imagine it must be very hard for you especially with a young family. I really think you will benefit from the increase xx

Hello Nicola! I am sorry you are going through these challenges with your meds. What I have read through the Internet and my own experience with cit is the more you take it the more you are sleepy and relaxed. It does take several weeks before you noticed these symptoms versus the ones that are upsetting. Your doctor did what was right to increase your meds to control your negative symptoms, you not taking it will not give yourself a chance to relieve the negative symptoms you say you do not want. The choice you can make is to try your meds. They are always trying to improve the meds. Perhaps the meds you took some time ago will be different and improve your symptoms. Good Luck!

Hi Nicola

I am exactly the same as you, I started having anxiety and panic attacks 8 years ago and my dr prescribed me 30mg of citlaopram and I can't remember how long the took to work hu they clearly did, I then had to come Off them to have my children but I had a little boy 17 weeks ago and my anxiety came back worse than ever 2 weeks ago. I am on day 16 of taking 20mg of cit again and beta blockers to stop my heart racing, some days I manage to get through the day others are just awful, I have taken my daughter to school once in 2 weeks and it was a dreadful experience for me I couldn't leave quick enough which I found so weird as I loved taking her to school and meeting the other mummies now I don't want anyone to speak to me I case I cry!!!!!

I know I will make progress but the question is when, it was successful before I'm just hoping it's as successful this time

Don't worry you are not alone in any of this and please keep on in this forum it really is great to chat to everyone as we are all having a hard time and going through it together xx

Dear Nicola don't give up...look up my story when u get a chance....I took 20 mgs for 4 weeks and I had some of the side effects...I was about to call it quits because I felt the same..hopeless..empty inside..no happiness...the Dr increased to 25 and send me Ativan for my Anxiety when I have it or just 1 at bed. I also switched my Celexa to before bed..never had a side effect again. I take both pills at night and sleep like a baby. I wake-up fine. Don't get me wrong I'm still a long roads away...I'm in a apt 24/7 because I lost my car so all I can do is think...trying to see how I can get a car and restart my life over again. For the sake of my kids who already lost one parent. Hang in there.

Much Love

Good Morning Nicola,

Yep, Cita takes as long as it takes, but it is one of the better "sticking plasters for the brain" and well worth the wait. I started on 10mg nearly a year ago and gradually raised by 10mg over the following months so that by March this year I was on 40mg.

I was very frightened about taking just 10mg, let alone 20mg, or more, when I started. However, there are a few factors that helped, my Dr is amazing and knows a lot about our and other such mental issues, I also had an understanding girlfriend (now Fiancee) who knew diddlysquat about such matters, but decided to get involved be my home nurse and read the posts here. Which brings me to the important matter of this forum and I don't think anyone can over state the importance and wonderful feeling of being here and how much it helps with our recovery. One time you are crying for help, the next, you are hearing others cry and help them!

In the early days of my (work related stress) illness, being signed unfit for work and taking Cita for the first time, I was somewhere I had never been before. It was fuzzy, hazey, I felt sick and I had some side effects that I could have done without, but I stuck with it - how? Just did! I let go and let everything happen and would be found wrapped up in a duvet downstairs not wanting or being able to do anything. My Dr and the amazing friemds here helped me through, you cannot do anything but let go and go with it. Not all of us get the same side effects, nor the same intensity either, what is lucky for some ain't for others, that's just the way it goes. I never thought that I had anxiety, for example, then here I was advised that Cita causes anxiety to be able to treat it, possibly panic attacks and shortness of breath are included too. Anyway, I gradually came through, not that I can remember how long it took as everything was all new to me and seemed to be hitting me at once. Like I said, I took advice here and just went with it because, when I was concerned about anything or thoughts came to me I came here and posted these (no matter how silly I felt some were) and I got all the support, advice and answers I needed.

There was and still is, one more matter I dealt with and that was me! Through all the crap I managed to decide to do my part in my own recovery. Afterall, my Dr, my Fiancee, a few friends (see below), my daughter and all the lovely people here, even those that don't get it quite right all helped me so, I thought I should try (and it was hard) to do something for myself. I have changed my lifestyle, gave up smoking, cut out daily drinking (to get by) and now have the odd bottle of ale at weekends and we go out perhaps once a month to catch up. I am now vegetarian (which was a challange, but one I enjoy as I love cooking - and I ain't  talking "nut roasts" possibly Yuk, but definitely boring!) which has helped my body and mind become fitter over the months, especially as I had a couple of actual health issues that needed hospital treatment and an op. Of course, when I started last year I did go through a period of thinking there was different things wrong with, but the Dr put me through tests etc, and proved I was ok! There was also a period of multiple vivid dreams that I went through however, I was advised here, to try changing when I took my dose, which I did. Initially I took it in the morning which I gradually moved up to tea time (as it was not good for me during the day) so when advised to move it up to just before bed time was not a major problem. I found, for me, taking it then meant it worked while I was asleep and the dreams dropped to perhaps just one a night. That was much better!

Friends! Interesting how I found out that at least 50% of those friends I called "aquaintaces" were just that and nothing more. My true friends and that other 50%, even if they didn't understand what I was going through, stuck by me. In fact I have found out that there are many that have or are suffering from modern day issues and I didn't know. So, definitely, nothing to be ashamed or worried about.

Finally, I removed myself from the thing that made me ill in the first place - work! I am now semi retired at 58, not signed fit for work yet and when I do I'll get a little part time job. We have and are managing, the lifestyle change has helped a lot, but a little extra cash will always come in handy.

So, "Welcome to the Club" keep posting, keep reading and keep believing things will, eventually, get better and don't rush anything!

Best Regards,

david