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Success on Citalopram😁

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gillian176
gillian176

I just wanted to feed back to you all how wonderful I am feeling week12 on citalopram 20 mg

This is my second time on this drug since 2013. With hindsight I should never really have come off it but stayed at a very low dose .

I spent hours..again ...researching the internet in the early stages. This time it took 6 weeks until I started to feel better. It had taken only 2 the first time

Yes I had all the side effects and felt much much worse whilst my brain waited to rewire  itself in those initial weeks

It may not be the drug for everyone but it's worked wonders for me 

So I just wanted to comfort and give empathy to those of you out there who are still on their journey

My path is now much straighter

Good luck all 

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  • ASportsman40
    ASportsman40 gillian176

    Posted

    Just wanted to say. Citalopram did wonders for me. Stopped my palpitations, breathlessness, chest pain, improved my sleep and cut out anxiety pretty much entirely. I have really been a different man for the last couple of years on 20 mg.

    I did have the usual reported side effects for the first few weeks (worsened anxiety, dizziness, vivid dreams, hot flushes - it was pretty awful but was worth it at the end)

    Now reducing my dose gradually trying to stop (I generally prefer to live med free) . Moving to 10mg was ok but now been taking 10 mg every other day for 3 weeks and suffering a fair bit. palpitations are back and now insomnia-barely getting any sleep for the 2nd night straight. Hoping it will go away at some point. We shall see.

    • babsyboo
      babsyboo ASportsman40

      Posted

      Hi

      that sounds like withdrawal symptoms I had does and then some

      as u get off Celexa more and more u will have does withdrawal symptoms

      they take time to go away sorry

      hope u get to feeling better soon

    • gillian176
      gillian176 ASportsman40

      Posted

      everyone has their own personal experiences needs and preferences

      I have learnt to accept that i need this drug to balance my brain chemistry

      I shall stay on 20 mg

      I too thought well maybe i could go down to 10mg

      I reflected on that as i had a meducation review coming up

      my gp said why reduce?

      your doing good

      I have learnt from experience !

      you may be reducing too quickly

      it took me a year to get off 20mg by tiny little 2.5mg reductions

      But i am on it again and will stay on it !

    • ASportsman40
      ASportsman40

      Posted

      An update. Now stopped Citalopram completely over a month ago. insomnia that I reported was probably just a coincidence as didn't have any after the 2 bad nights that I reported. had fairly bad lightheadedness for about a week after stopping despite of tapering slowly. also had some very bad moody days. other than that feel ok now . Generally pretty calm but do get triggered into anger or moodiness more easily than when I was on citalopram.

  • laura37392
    laura37392 gillian176

    Posted

    so glad to hear there is light at the end of the tunnel..i was on 10mg for 28 days and now on day 4 of the increase to 20mg.. I cant say I feel worse but I dont no how to feel.. bit edgy maybe and anxious..I love hearing success stories..I hope one day I can look back and see this as a distant memory..good luck hun xx

  • tamsin07572
    tamsin07572 gillian176

    Posted

    hi Gillian so you went off and then imon it again and it worked just as well the second time? i am on it again for the second time - should never have come off it. i am 6 weeks in, 4 on 20mg and if has been a hell ride! So much harder and slower the second time. How long did it take for you to work the second time? there are a few of us on here at the monent all at about the same stage having a really hard time. Thanks heaps

  • Potatoghost
    Potatoghost gillian176

    Posted

    can anyone give me a bit of reassurance. second time on citalopram ,20mg for 4 weeks and I feel horrific! so close to tipping over the edge anxiety wise like I'm on the verge of panic constantly.

    depression coming and going all the time

    my heart is constantly pounding and my thoughts about never getting better, I'm going crazy, theres something wrong with me, I'll be stuck like this forever,are killing me😭

    I feel a lot worse than before so I'm getting really scared now x

    • tamsin07572
      tamsin07572 Potatoghost

      Posted

      Hi P i really think you need to go back to the GP - you need some relief. What dose of propranalol are you on? try upping it - i thibk you said 10 but ny pysch said that willl do nothing - he prescribes 40 twice a day. Try 20 and if you dont feel lightheaded go up to 40. Havw you tried sedating antihistamines for relief? you can get hydroxyzine in the UK which is meant to be really good or try phenergan (promethazine) or benadry (diphenhydramine) which you can both get over the counter. But i think you need to see the doc to get some relief and reassurance. Can you see a psychiatrist? i had to pay to see one here but it helped a lot

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost tamsin07572

      Posted

      it's too expensive for me to be able to see a psychiatrist at the minute and to get referred on the nhs takes about 6 months x I do have diazipam for relief but try not to take them as they only just take the edge of and don't help the depression x

      how are you feeling atm?

      my doc will either tell me to switch or put me up a dose and if this is how I feel on 20mg I'm worried about going up to 30mg x

      how are you?

    • tamsin07572
      tamsin07572 Potatoghost

      Posted

      i really think you should try the things i suggested if youre not going to take the diazepam. the osych explained to me that we need to break the cycle as i was just getting more and nore anxious about being anxious and the meds not working which it sounds like you are doing too. the lorazepam is helping with that and it has helped with the depression. you need to take it regularly though for a few days not just here and there when youre really bad as that doesnt break the cycle. im really sorry yiure feeling so awful i have absolutely had days that like and its just horrible x

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost tamsin07572

      Posted

      thank you tamsin x how often do you take yours? and is it helping you break the cycle a little bit?

      what do you take all together to help? hope that's ok to ask x

      you're right that's exactly what I'm doing x my MH nurse has given me some CBT to do while I'm waiting for the meds to kick in so keeping that up, not helping yet but I hope it will if I keep trying x

    • gillian176
      gillian176 Potatoghost

      Posted

      i am

      posting some articles here for you

      second time round was bad for me too and its no way an easy path out

      do what your cbt nurse advises

      read back about my coping skills and what i have said

      you have to help yourself

      i so empathise

      i would say stick with it imageimage

      image

      image

      image

      imageimageimageimage

    • tamsin07572
      tamsin07572 Potatoghost

      Posted

      great glas youre trying the CBT - me too. im alsobdoing cross words, word games and patience to use a different part of my brain. re the meds i take 0.5 lorazepam first thing in the morning then another dose about 3.30pm. it is helping a loT. has made me able to think a bit more clearly and to think about what i need to do to help myself like exercise, healthy eating and mindfulness/meditation. it definitely seems to be helping to break the cycle. when i was just taking it randomly when things were really bad it didnt do much. so last week i took it twice a day. this week i am supposed to alternate the afternoon one if i feel ok but he said just to let him know if I thought i still needed to take it twice. Im also taking Bcomplex vitamins, magnesium and fish oil capsules.

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost tamsin07572

      Posted

      thank you Gillian that's great ill give them a read now 😊 it seems the second time for everyone is pretty tough!

      was it really hard for you too?

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost tamsin07572

      Posted

      I think breaking the cycle is one of the important parts for recovery! that's what I need to do x I'm glad its helping you x and hopefully giving you some piece of mind

      magnesium and fish oil is meant to be really good too x

      it's different with diazipam as they do not like to prescribe them at all x and are very sparing with them x

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