Time to change?

that's amazing x how long were you on citalopram for. I tried sertraline and it didn't help although I wasn't on it very long at all

thank you for replying x

I was on Citalopram for 6 weeks before I changed. I did recover on Citalopram a few years ago though!

strange how the second time round can be so different for people isnt it.

glad you have found the one that is working for you though 😊 x

thanks for replying x whatvwas difficult the 3rd time on citalopram. was it just making your depression and anxiety worse the linger you were on it. sounds like it's doing the same to me this time round x

I'm terrified about switching but I'm gonna have to do something. I'm just worried I'll end up doing some permanent damage if I switch again

sounds silly I know x

yes I had really bad anxiety and depression the third time that was just getting worse the longer I stayed on it, also had many physically side effects, excessive sweating, could have slept 18 hours a day, aches and pains, twitching and burning sensations, headaches, loss 3 stone in weight from not eating and absolutely no motivation or joy for anything, never had any of that the other times I had been on it, was sent to the hospital for ss and after that was ruled out was put on a 2 week rule appointment for kidney cancer, which was also, thankfully, ruled out, just think Dr was at a loss at to what was going on, anyway after facing up to my fear and within 6 weeks of changing meds I was back in the land of the living and just progressed from there and now after 18 months am completely back to normal.

I agree that you need to give any type of this kind of medication lots and lots of time but there will also come a point when we have to face up to the fact that what worked well in the past and what works very well for others may not, unfortunately, be the best for us

thank you so much for your input x that must have been so horrible to go through all of that and not know what was going on while feeling the way you did. bless you x

I bet it must have been so scary changing when feeling that bad but sounds like you made the right choice x

what dose did you end up on?

did it take the whole 18 months to get back to normal completely? must have been scary still going for that long.

what was the first thing you noticed that you thought...yep these are working for me for sure? x

I only need 50mgs of sert, no it didnt take the whole 18 months to feel normal, I would say round about the 3 to 4 month mark, it was a gradual thing first couple of weeks all the physical symptoms died down then the intrusive thoughts followed by the anxiety and depression.

thats right I remember now you were on 10mg of citalopram before changing x did you try increasing to see if that helped or did you just change and not try the increase x

I wonder why it didnt work for you the 3rd time. strange isn't it x I always feel foggy headed. my mind is never clear. everything and headache. palpitations and the best way I can describe it is hungover all the time. then the depression is a wierd it's coming and going so it's so hard to know what's going on . it will go for a week then come back for a week stronger than the last time. uggghhh this really sucks x

oh and body jerks a lot and I feel like I'm shaking even when I'm not it's crazy x

that's k Katecoggs thank you for replying x

normally when I decrease I feel a lot better for a month and then have a massive crash! so you've seen people reduce and it's worked out a lot better for them? that's interesting x obviously being crazy anxious deciding what to do is so hard.

and am terrified of making the wrong move as this has been going on far too long and I just want to get better now. scared of changing doses all the time because I don't wanna end up doing some irreversible damage. I know that sounds silly but it does scare me. I think that's why I stuck it out for so long knowing nothing positive was really happening x I was convinced they would work again this time after the poop out but doesnt seem to be the case at all 😰 I need to get beer because the baby is due in 5 months and I feel so sorry for my partner dealing with this aswell bless her x

Yes I have seen quite a few on this forum who’ve reduced after struggling for a while, and then find things settle down.

Its always a pain trying to find that perfect dose (as well as finding the right meds too).

Remember though, it can take longer second time around on meds. My first time it took 6 months and the second time it took probably about 9 months maybe? Also my second time I had a different start up experience with it. There were times on the meds second time when I thought maybe they aren’t going to work this time? … but I kept going because I trusted in the meds and knew they worked for me.

Increasing isn’t always the answer, though that would seem the obvious thing to do, but its not. Its not always the bigger the dose the better and its doesn’t mean they’ll work quicker either. I’ve definitely seen people on this forum taking 40mg who end up with constant side effects and anxiety, reduce and things settle down.

There won’t be any irreversible damage. I took these meds for 16 years (am no longer on meds at all now), and I’m perfectly fine (still my usual crazy self mind you lol) 😄

I wouldn’t say the meds poop out either - these meds work in a weird way and never the same for each person, and never the same when you restart meds either. Your Serotonin levels will fluctuate along with your mood, anxiety and everything else, and when the going gets tough this is when people think the meds have pooped out. They don’t just stop working.

I don’t know why it takes longer to work either.

I know I’ve said this before, and its easy to say rather than do, but it is our mindset too that keeps the anxiety circulating. Anxiety makes us scared, makes us have constant thoughts about it which keep us anxious - change that and the cycle is broken, the anxiety calms. Hard, but it works.

Have I talked to you about Will Beswick? Don’t think I have …..

If it were me, I’d reduce a little and carry on.

thanks Kate x how would be the best way to drop down be. I would prefer to go to 20mg as 30mg just made me no better for 5 months if anything maybe a bit worse but it's hard to tell x so I dont wanna go back to 30mg again if that makes sense.

well done for getting off them that's amazing!!!

it took you a while but you finally done it so that's great x do you feel any different since coming off.

no you haven't told me about him. was that the perdon who had to change antidepressants every few years something to do with chemicals in his brain. or is it someone else x

did the anxiety make you just not feel quite right when you had it. I haven't felt myself for ages and that's pretty scary x hoping it is just the anxiety x thanks again x

Hi Potatoghost

I always think withdrawing is better done really slow, and if it were me I’d first go to 35mg. I used to cut my meds up (a 20mg into 4). But always talk to your doctor too so he knows - and be firm 😉

Yes I took meds for 16 years and finally came off them.

No, Will is another person who wrote a book which compliments the book link I initially sent. This one specifically deals with intrusive thoughts - really interesting. Continuous thoughts that crowd the mind daily keep the anxiety ticking over - Will explains how we need to let thoughts come but change the way we deal with them. With understanding, it breaks the anxiety cycle.

When I had anxiety I felt absolutely dreadful and terrified. People who have anxiety constantly look for instant relief - but there is nothing instant about this condition, but recovery and completely relief from anxiety comes over time, so you have to let it walk beside you as you recover. The more you try and rid yourself of it, the more it will cling. This is why yo have to not fight it 😉