Posted , 7 users are following.
Hey y'all,
Can someone PLEASE tell me that after experiencing my very first panic attack and anxiety that all these scary thoughts are coming from that? I've been dealing with this off and on for over a year. These thoughts pop up sporadically and I could just look at something that causes a scary thought. I'm on 10mg citalopram but I'm not sure if it's helping or make a it worse.
0 likes, 24 replies
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sun47 sandra07132
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sandra07132 sun47
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sun47 sandra07132
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sandra07132 sun47
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ellen40147 sandra07132
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sandra07132 ellen40147
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sun47 sandra07132
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hi again sandra, by scary thoughts im wondering if you mean anxiety? do you feel a wave of fear come over you and feel scared? perhaps for little or no reason about something which wouldnt bother anyone else.
if so, then perhaps the low dose of citalopram you are taking is not enough to tackle your anxiety. it's a difficult task to try to advise exactly what you should do next, but it seems increasing the dose or trying a different med are 2 perfectly good options
sandra07132 sun47
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katecogs sandra07132
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Scary thoughts are actually no more than a side effect of anxiety. Once the anxiety starts to ease, so too will all its side effects too. Hard to believe the thoughts will go, but they will.
Citalopram heightens anxiety etc when you first start taking it, so it can feel a bit daunting at first. Stick with the meds and in time they'll start working.
K x
katecogs
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People often get stuck in a cycle of anxiety / scary thoughts / anxiety etc ... the anxiety brings on scary thoughts, and then the thoughts in turn produce more anxiety, keeping that cycle going. The meds will help ease the anxiety over time, and the thoughts will become unimportant and will no longer produce anxiety.
I suffered with this for 16 years and with understanding what was happening to me and then the meds, it stopped within 6 months.
K x
sandra07132 katecogs
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I feel this is where I'm at. In a cycle. Some days are better then others, but for the most part I can deal. This is where I'm torn about upping my citalopram from 10 to 20mg. I've read some good and bad things about this medicine. I just don't know... I'm just exhausted mentally. The hardest part for me with the thoughts is how dare I think like that. I've never ever experienced this before. It makes you question your sanity. But I'm sure this is all from the anxiety.
katecogs sandra07132
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During recovery on these meds you will get some days better than others - shows the meds are working.
I recovered on 20mg but after a few years I reduced to 10mg as a maintenance dose. Its always difficult deciding which dose is best for you as we're all so different. Maybe give the dose another 3-4 weeks and if you decide to increase you could try just another 5mg maybe?
Anxiety and thoughts are very tiring, and we think of them constantly throughout each day.
Yes the thoughts can be alarming - I couldn't believe I had weird ones either - it was so unlike me. Remember though, this is not the 'real you' ..... they are just a symptom of anxiety ..... just the same as if you had a bad cold with a sore throat being a symptom. The thoughts will go when the anxiety eases. Anxiety always seems to latch itself onto thoughts, and we all have different ones.
People often write bad things about this medicine - it doesn't suit everyone of course. Also many people don't take it correctly, maybe been misinformed and not supported by their doctor, haven't stayed on it long enough to see results, have stopped abruptly .......... this medicine is tough.
People take medicine for all sorts of ailments - epilepsy, diabetes, heart, blood pressure ..... and I'm sure they all come with their own side effects. This medicine is there to help, and if taken correctly it will help you to recover and get back to normal again. Some people struggle along for a long time, not wanting to take meds, but that often leads to getting deeper embroiled in this illness. The meds are there to help. And they really do - if given the time they're needed.
Yes I questioned my sanity many times ....... but it really is no more than anxiety playing tricks on you. You can see it for what it is when you're recovered, but when you're deeply in the middle of it all you can only see a confusing mess, fear, no way out, negativity.
You will get over this xxx
sandra07132 katecogs
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BCse7 katecogs
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Did the meds take 6 months to work? I have been on 3 months and previously only took a month each time. Everything online says 4-6 weeks but I don't want to give up on them yet? X
katecogs BCse7
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For me they started to work at 3-4 months, but it was at around 6 months when I could say I felt fully recovered.
I'd say 4-6 weeks is pretty optimistic. Everyone is different - some feel better after that time but I'd say for the majority people it takes many months. There is no one rule for all.
Recovery also comes in waves. You'll start to feel well and then find you're hit with anxiety etc all over again. That's normal. You're not ill again, but thats a sure way to know you're on the right path. These 'blips' will happen time and time again. You can't stop them no matter what dose you take ... so increasing your dose 'to get rid of them' is useless, because you can't stop them.