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Need help / advise!

Posted , 3 users are following.

niels1987
niels1987

Hi all,

I'm currently 1 week on 10mg and almost 5 weeks on 20mg. The first 2/3 weeks were pretty awful with increased anxiety, awful mornings with nausea, and no appetite.

The last 10 days i have some sort of heavy head, headache, and can't really focus. I'm not as sharp as i used to be.

I"m also very shaky. Especially when i for example open up food packaging, i see my hands shake like i have parkinson's disease.

Are the symptoms still normal? of should discuss with my GP?

Thanks

Niels

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • shelly85064
    shelly85064 niels1987

    Posted

    THese are very common side effects....Ive had all of those....you will feel better...then take two steps back through out the process of recovering....going from 10mg straight to 20mg is a lot for some people. have you ever taken any other kind of SSRi? Can I ask you what you are taking them for?

    • niels1987
      niels1987 shelly85064

      Posted

      Hi Shelly,

      Taking it for my anxiety. my GP told me after one week on 10mg that i should move up to 20mg, as 20mg is the "standard" dose.

      Never been on any meds before.

      What mg do you use? how long? and taking them for?

      thanks for the reply

    • shelly85064
      shelly85064 niels1987

      Posted

      I have been taking citalopram for 20+ years. One time I went off of them for a couple of months and then went back on them. The first time around I believe I was on 20 mg can't remember how I started though. The second time around I did OK on 10 mg and until recently went up to 12.5 for a week and now I'm on 15 mg and this is day 19. Every time you change the dose you get start up side effects. I'm getting the heavy head thing today. It's a strange feeling almost like somebody is sitting on the top of your head. yeah many doctors do just put people straight on 20 mg and let them tough out the side effects. Way back when they probably put me on 10 mg and then 20 without anything in between. And people do OK doing it that route. But I seem to be very sensitive to any medication so I've been doing it gradually. I have generalized anxiety disorder and that's why I have always taken it and I do get panic attacks as well. Citalopram has helped me so much so I'm hoping that my dose settles here soon. It's quite a process especially for some people. But everything you stated here are definitely side effects . And some of it will be heightened anxiety as the meds start to work in your system and then things will calm down. You will take one step forward and two steps back, so don't panic if you have a bit of a setback from time to time. I had a couple of good days this past week, and now for the last couple of days, it hasn't been so great. But still better than when I first started out raising my dose.

    • shelly85064
      shelly85064

      Posted

      oh, so yes, 20 mg is the average therapeutic dose, however, some people do well on 10 and stabilize, while some people can stabilize at 15. Right now I am going to hold out on 15 mg for a while and see how I do. That doesn't mean some time I may not go up, I just have to see how I do and how it helps me with my anxiety at this dose

  • barb97671
    barb97671 niels1987

    Posted

    very normal Neil's. I was the same way. I still feel shakey by times when I get blips. which is every now and then. Thankfully I consider myself fully recovered as I don't worry about the little blips anymore because I know that it's only anxiety. But that was my fear having Parkinsons, MS or something of that nature. It's a horrible feeling, but remember it's only your thoughts, it's not what is. Your mind is not telling you the truth and it makes you worry. Your internal bell is always on guard and thinking you're in danger. But this isnt true. You've been in survival mode for so long, your body reacts to your fear. It was a long process for me to know what this meant, but I eventually learned.. some people recover faster some it's takes longer. Good luck. oh yes, my dosage now is 25mg and I started on 10 as well, but 25 is my sweet

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