Success on Citalopram😁

Hi Gillian

It's great that you post motivational stuff and I love reading what you do to Stuart the day and far far you have come , it gives me hope !

5th week on Cut 20mg , had a couple of good days , today not so much but still loads better than I was .

Tomorrow morning I'm going to try and get up when I wake even if it's early as it has been and do things to keep my brain occupied and hopefully start the day better, I'm sure it will.

Start the councilloring on Wednesday so hopefully that will help too, anxiety and stupid thoughts in my head are still exhausting but have been trying meditation and reading up on excepting the thoughts and then thinking of something else, it takes practice but I'm happy to keep trying.

Still positive that I will get ME back soon and counting the weeks lol.

Thanks again for your posts and support

Matt

You are going all the right things.

well done 👏👏

There are some podcasts Meditation Station by Stin Hanson. The picture is of a girl with head phones. I downloaded several and still listen to them regularly to back up my treatment

i have them on my iPhone iPad 

try them.....

Hi Matt I just posted a long article to Fernando ....above....which you may find encouraging. 

So keen was i to start my day I misread the clock thinking it was 9am and was only 8 😏

No worries more time to play around on my iPad etc😉 Before I go to work at 12

have a great day...

Hi Gillian

I've just downloaded them and will give them a go.

Thanks again

Matt

Hi Gillian and all

So at the moment I am getting myself ready to go food shopping, a shop with people in and decisions to make lol , feeling anxious and sweaty , so silly isn't it , it's just a shop !

Got up straight away this morning had a cup of tea then went for a walk , determined to stay out of my bed today , sick of the sight of it to be honest 😄

Just about 5 and a half weeks into 20mg of Cit , obviously better than I was o know I am but still struggling but know by reading all the posts on here that it will keep getting better just keep telling myself I've made progress.

Keep posting positive things people , it helps so much.

Matt

Yes I used to feel like that.  I remember it been a constant stress for myself to be stood in a supermkt thinking what I needed .....Xmas and family visits were a nightmare. I would feel sweaty and highly anxious. I still have issues with huge places and tend  to use smaller ones , not only cheaper! But less stressful

However I am basically ok about shopping now...but there was a time I wasn't! 

So it will pass

5 1/2 weeks is nothing. I didn't feel any help until 6 weeks but don't set that as yr gaol in case it's longerfor you

be kind to yourself, do a task then 20 mns relax

it helps. Keep going yr doing fine You will get there...don't stop now keep at it 👏👏💫

Hi Gillian

Thank you again , it's so reassuring to hear your posts.

I went shopping with my husband, it wasn't to bad , when we got home I cried for about 20 minutes , maybe it was the tension ?

I am at five and a half weeks now on 20mg and do know I am improving but do you think at this stage I should be back to normal?

It's such a terrible thing anxiety, it's getting easier but still have a head full of nonsense and churning tummy , not as bad though , should all that be gone now at this stage ?

Thanks again for your support and encouragement, I feel so needy it's a bit pathetic at my age , I'm 51 , it's like a want someone to tell me it'll be ok even though I know i am better than I was , silly really 😊

Matt

You know you are improving ??

No you will not be back to normal YET. ...... it's too early

Ypu will have these feelings 

I used to ask myself the same questions.  And I should know better...

I too doubted wether I would ever get there...wether the dose was right

But it was and I got there

you will be Ok. You will

Your not needy your just suffering like I was

Have a look at some mindfulness and meditation techniques...

Hello. Feeling much better on the Cit 10mg. I'm curious anyone else get PVCs palpitations? I have them daily. It's something I've suffered from prior to this med, heart always checks out ok at the Dr's after multiple tests. I wonder if it is anxiety or too much adrenaline from fight or flight shouldn't this med help it get better? Some days I feel them worse. Just want to be sure not something the med causes worse because I am feeling so much better! Curious to others experience.

Thanks

That's great ur feeling better 

i had those a lot ... years in fact ,before I went on cit 

But once I had settled on the 20mg they stopped.

..... in hindsight they were panic attacks 

the adrenaline and cortisol the anxiety created initially , causing the problem

I was given propranolol 10 mg, beta blockers. but have only taken 8 over the 6 months 

Hello. Still feel better but noticed a few blips this weekend. Sat afternoon felt side effects from the medicine which I have not felt at all in days. And this Mon morning woke up feeling nervous and anxious thinking of all things I have to do feeling overwhelmed and some intrusive thoughts. Haven't felt any of that for a long time.

I do have a lot going at home with a bedroom remodel and busy at work but when I feel good none of that tends to matter. Is this normal? This starts my 3rd week on the 10 consistently after coming off 15. Total of 7 weeks on the med.

thanks.

I still don't kniw if you gave the dose right am afraid

There are always ups and downs and I kniw what you mean about feeling good

So u cud either try reducing wats going on in yr life that's compounds anxiety

And stick on 10mg

Or

Review your dose

It's very hard I know when you first go on it with all the side effects and insecurities

I can only pass on my own experience

But what I feel today is the side effects from the drug. Not high anxiety which is what I'm taking it for, if I go up the side effects on got worse. I was great all week long. The only change was taking a different pill at 10mg feel side effects in the 2nd day so I went back to cutting the 20mg in half since I knew that pill worked for me and today on day 2 back on original i feel my worse. I guess I can't change at all once I'm in a groove. I know not all pills are the same. I'm hoping it doesn't take me too many days to feel back on track like I've been for a while.

I could understand if I was feeling better and had not side effects like last week and still felt moments of high anxiety then I may have to up the dose. But taking more in order to feel less side effects especially after already trying that doesn't make sense. I just know that you almost forget how bad feels when you get the side effects and everything you've been through already to get here. It's a real blow. Hard to stay positive. Your start asking yourself questions like will this ever just go away? Should I've even tried this to begin with?

Slightly loosing the dosage plot here but to go back to yr previous comment 10 mgs for 3 weeks is not long enough to stabilise

It can take 6/8/12/16 weeks people will say

My first time was 2 weeks which in honsifht was unbelievable

I don't think I was as bad as in jan when it took 6/8 weeks to feel anything at all that was better

That's true. I guess since this all started back in June I feel as though I've been on this for 2 months already not 3 weeks. I wasn't thinking that after being on 15 for week I was starting all over again at 10. Dr did say be patient and give another 4 weeks but that it shouldn't take that long start feeling better. And really it hasn't. Felt great last week and good the week before. I guess I thought I was in the clear.

Ha ha ! Yes it feels like a lifetime doesn't it

Stick on yr ?10mg

Don't mess with the dose at this stage

See how u go

Takes time....

HibGillian and all

I haven't posted for a few days as I wanted my post to be positive and it is!

I am now in week 7 of 20mg and life has started to get good again 👍 As you all know the first few weeks are really tough , anxiety and Cit side effects , felt like giving up so many times and felt I would never make progress and life would be that scary and horrible forever but it does get better I am proof of it !

From not being able to get out of bed to enjoying walks, doing my hair putting make up on and going to the shops , it's truly amazing . Don't get me wrong mornings can still be a challenge but I get up straight away, do the dishes which I purposely leave from the night before so I have something to do , go for a 20 minute walk and the meditate using the Head Space app, my day get better earlier and earlier every day .

All the horrid side effects have gone just tired and some blurry vision and sometimes mild headaches but apart from that all is good and improving all the time.

I am going back to work next week , phased in to start with , I have been off 6 weeks , scared but positive that I need structure again and this will help.

Keep going everyone it WILL get better , be kind to yourself and get outside and walk it really helps.

Thanks to this amazing website I have had great support when I thought I was alone , it has really helped me and of course you Gillian , you have been a big part of my belief that I would get better so thank you so much.

Still got a way to go I know that and I will have down days but at least I know know that I will get there.

Matt

Yeah. How long do these blips usually last? I felt better last night around 11pm and was able to go back to sleep. This morning as soon as eyes opened started feeling bad again. I haven't that feeling and over a week and a half. Now all of sudden it's back for like 3 days now. I feel like I'm going backwards.

Feeling horrid today. I miss How felt last week. Can't believe how I can have so many consecutive good days and then bam the bottom drops out 3 days

I truly hope and pray I bounce back quickly and experience good days again.

How long you been now consistently with 10 mg ?

Went back on 10mg on July 9th so 2 and half weeks on 10mg's. With my second week last week being the best I've felt in months. And now this week feeling bad again.

I am sooooo thrilled your on the better side

👏👏👏

Your doing all the right things

I think I prob told you them!!

Well done

Keep at it

Very positive post

You will have to keep going on 10 mgs for a while

Or seize the moment and increase

That's great to hear Matt! Awesome.

I'm hoping to get there myself. I was feeling really good on my second week and now on my third week I'm back to feeling bad again. ANyone else experience a bad week 3 after a good week 2 and if so did you bounce back after that? I'm looking for Some hope to hold on to as struggle through this high anxiety and side effects this week. Thanks!

Hi Gillian

So been back to work all week on reduced hours , was all going well but have felt anxiety return from Thursday!! Had a couple of brain zaps during a stressful conversation with a colleague and started all the worry and knotted stomach again , what's going on I was feeling so good and positive, I'm terrified I'm going back the way 😩 Obviously no where near as bad as I was but gutted I am feeling like this at week 9 on 20mg.

Any suggestions? 

Thanks 

Matt 

Don't be worry. You are still week 9 let's remember that and it's. Dry positive you have gone back to work

yes you had an anxious time with a colleague but that's almost an expected thing anyway even if you were totally 24/7 cured as that's what life is all about

your not going backward your moving on and it will keep improving

your  not as bad as you were...👏👏 you said it yourself

what happened was understandable

i can feel the same way myself sometimes with the same thoughts as you describe but take long slow breaths quieten myself read a book or take time out somehow

you will be fine.   It's all about learning to ride the waves in your life once the cit kicks in. There will still be anxious times

Does your colleague know of your past problems? It may be helpful to share that in confidence so they can be kind to you which will have an ongoing feel good factor for them too! It's like doing something for people where you ask for no reward. 

Keep going. You will be ok

Jill 

Hi Gill

This colleague is a gossip and he just wouldn't get it.

I know you have talked about blips so I'm hoping that's what this is , my councillor said it's likely due to starting back at work and feeling very proud and happy with myself the first couple of days and then dipping down and expecting to feel that high and sence of achievement all the time but I'm back to reality now!

I'm just trying to push on and pray I don't go back the way , that would be horrible and I just can't let that happen.

Thank you for your encouragement again , hope I get back on track very soon.

Matt 

Your absolutely right not to share then. 👏

Your councillor is correct too, I couldn't have put it better myself

i shall remember that for when I get a blip 

have a great day

jill

nucole asked me how I was doing today and I had found you comments on mind over mood and 1-5 but not sure what date they were and am not sure how to look for an individuals postings 

in fact I photographed those comments and keep looking at them!

maybe you could repost them. ??

It was about training your brain and that the medication has to run along with self help

I had a blip this week and am focussing on that and making a grateful list

In fact since I have been sat here this morning I have felt my mood lighten as I focus on the things I should do and be grateful for