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Sertraline VS Citalopram... PLEASE HELP

Posted , 4 users are following.

david39076
david39076

I had PTSD about 4 years ago due to an accident at work and managed my way through with CBT and 20mg of Citalopram daily. I was on this for 2 years and eventually weaned off and was ok .... BUT the dreaded anxiety came back after 6 months ish.

I went back to my doctor and said what had happened and how I was feeling and he gave me 20mg of citaloptam again. I was a little bit gutted to be going back on meds but I thought needs must.

This is where it gets interesting... I started taking the citaloptam fully aware what the side effects were etc as my experience with them the time before ... Long story short I was on them for 3 months and by the end of the 3 months I was worse than ever before , I couldn't understand how they worked perfectly in the past but this time round never !?

I came off cold turkey as even putting 5mg of the drug into my system sent me into overdrive with panic attacks the lot ( I wasn't even having panic attacks before I even started the meds)

So 4 months of my life was hell !!! I went to see a specialist in London Harley street and was diagnosed with GAD (general anxiety disorder) he then prescribed me Lyrica ... I heard some right nasty life breaking stories about this drug so I went against the advice of the specialist and didn't take them.

I then decided to go it alone and thought F*ck it I can fight this thing and overcome it , no matter how clean I eat and how much exercise I do and meditation and acupuncture..it was just always there niggling me every day and tiring me out and depersonalising most days.

I went back to my GP after much research and asked for some amitriptiline 10mg tablets which he gave me.

I started these tablets and had some success with them but still didn't eliminate the majority of my anxiety and the side effects were quite bad in respect that it made me very tired and I had to take them at 6pm on an evening so I had half a chance of waking up for work the next morning with a clear ish sort of head. The problem is it was very hard to have any sort of quality of life after finishing work because I knew I had to take it at 6pm and be stuck in the house like a zombie till bed time.

I'm 34 and male and have a wife and 2 young children of 3&5 years old. I don't drink , I don't smoke and don't eat a bad diet of food. I'm really struggling with understanding why I've ended up in this situation.

MY MAIN QUESTION IS .... Has ANYONE at all failed with citaloptam and gone on to be successful with using sertraline??

I'm just too scared to give up another 3-4 months of my life with failure at the end , ending up worse than when I started.

Please help me out guys and tell me your thoughts and experiences.

I just want my life back.

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • ilda1982
    ilda1982 david39076

    Posted

    Hi David,

    4 Yrs ago from nowhere I started getting sick. Many visits to A&E and all was ok. So I started asking questions how am I ok if I don't feel well?! So then my panic attack came and visit me I was running every where thinking I was having a heart attack. Crying I went to Gp that asked loads of questions and the answer was depression, anxiety and panic attacks... Lovely. He gave me citalopram ok I got home waited till next day to take it in the morning. 1st tablet I had side effects but was okish 2nd tablet I was begging my husband to take me hospital cause I was dieing!!!! And yes didn't work for me:'(. Sertraline came after... And yes miracle. Click on my name and read my storysmile best of luck.

  • emma800627
    emma800627 david39076

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I took Citalopram for 18 months it took me 4 months to get up to 40mg and for them to work. I weaned off and was off them for a year. Then bang out if the boy the anxiety came back.

    I am going into week 5 of Sertraline 2 weeks at 50mg and then increases to 100mg.

    It's a much kinder drug and I think has worked better for me this time. Less side effects and didn't increase my anxiety too much in the initial first few weeks.

    My doctor couldn't believe the difference in me having being on 100mg for just a couple of weeks.

    Personally I think Citalopram is hardcore, I was offered it again but refused, I know how it made me feel and I didn't want those nasty initial side effects to make me worse.

    I lost 18lbs in weight on Citalopram at the start I have lost 10lbs this time on Sertraline but I have completely changed my eating habits and lifestyle since the anxiety started again. I am really trying to look after myself. Caffeine is a massive trigger for me so I have cut that out also.

    Get yourself sorted and give the sert a go, I can't promise you'll have the same luck as me but you don't deserve to have to battle through.

    Let me know if you need to ask any other questions.

    Also what is CBT like I am going to get some this time around.

    X

  • pamela51740
    pamela51740 david39076

    Posted

    Did you ever feel better? I'm having a nightmare with my citalopram I have been on them for 7 years and the past few months I've had severe anxiety panic attacks I can't leave the house! I'm switching over to sertraline

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