Week 6
Posted , 4 users are following.
hello all! I have posted before but honestly I cannot understand what is going on with this medication. I have been on this dose for 6 weeks and my anxiety has not changed. to make a long story short, I had been on this med for years with no problems until I went cold turkey for two weeks. that was in february. I have not felt well since before then and am at the point that I want to discuss with my Dr about getting off of this med. I am even in therapy and have gotten to the root of my anxiety, yet I do not feel better. I have read plenty of posts on this forum and they say you have to give this med time. I am finding that hard to believe considering I am doing everything to assist my med. any positive thoughts would be appreciated!
0 likes, 15 replies
Hope3578 Guest
Edited
Hi seth. I am now in week 6 10mg citalopram and I am personally feeling much better. But the first time around I didn't feel this good until around week 9.
Could maybe coming off cold turkey triggered your nervous system to become completely out of sync? I tapered off when I came off the first time with absolutely no withdrawal symptoms.
I think, if you are having therapy and have gotten to the route cause of your anxiety and you feel like you can manage or fight this without medication then maybe give it a try. But many would suggest giving it atleast 12 weeks to fully work, especially the second time around. This is your decision.
Guest Hope3578
Posted
hey....when i went cold turkey i went back to 20 mg for three weeks, then doc bumped me up to 40. after many weeks nothing stabilized then the doc bumped me back down to 20 mg and added buspar to augment the citalopram. that went 4 weeks and nothing! i came off of buspar and am only on the 20 now.
Hope3578 Guest
Edited
Perhaps the changes in medication have impacted you somewhat. To many meds I believe help some, but can mess with anthers recovery. That is just my opinion though and not fact or overall knowledge. My experience only.
So how long have you been on 20mg now?
Hope3578
Posted
Others*
deborah01458 Hope3578
Edited
It took me 3 months to adjust to the Meds, I'm only on 10mg and finally I'm feeling like myself. I was in your shoes thinking what the hell are these drugs doing to me and should I just quit taking or upping my dose.
When you up your meds you will go through the sideeffects again. You should give it at least 3 months on the same dose.
This forum helped me feel like I wasn't going crazy when starting the meds.
Don't read into the head chatter with the heighten anxiety from the meds. just feel the feelings and they will pass.
P.S. Doctor told me at 6 weeks I should feel better and that got me to worry more but Regular doctors really don't know much about this drug, people on this forum taking it has more knowledge than the doctor.
Guest Hope3578
Posted
20 mg by itself for prob 4 weeks now w/out the buspar. my nervous system is the problem. the flight/fight response is an all day feeling.
Hope3578 Guest
Edited
OK at 4 weeks you could still be experiencing the said affects which do cause heightened anxiety (fight or flight) I can totally relate and have had that feeling for weeks and weeks and it makes me so unwell. I think personally you should give this more time. Your just on the one medication now and you will level out. Push through the bad days and never go to bed without telling yourself tomorrow will be a better day. Even if you feel absolutely rotten. Because eventually you will have better days. Drop. In on this thread each week and let us k ow how you're doing, what your experiencing and keep your gp in the loop too. They will help and you'll be like me in the next 8 weeks advising others at the beginning to stick it out. I'm sure.
Hope3578
Posted
Side*
Guest Hope3578
Edited
thank you for the encouragement! i cannot believe that stopping for three weeks and restarting would cause this much distress. the therapy has greatly helped me with much of the source of my anxiety (ptsd, stress, ) so i am praying to my Lord and Savior daily & nightly that this will be healed and i will be better than before!
Hope3578 Guest
Edited
You will. Keep the faith. Be kind to yourself.
On your bad days...
Aknowledge how you feel....
Accept it....
Distract and gently carry on as normal as possible.
Don't worry about something you currently can't control. You're gonna start to see better days soon, this will not last.
Guest Hope3578
Posted
hi hope....thanks for the reply! so you think that 4 weeks at this dose is my body still adjusting? you don't think this med has lost its effect on me?
Hope3578 Guest
Edited
No I personally don't think it has lost it affect on you. I do believe your body is still adjusting, I think any dose will work in time. I was on 10mg before and it took longer to work then it has done this time around, so fir me this proves its helping me still and I don't need to increase.
Guest Hope3578
Posted
hi hope! I am coming up at 6 weeks and still struggling with anxiousness and morning anxiety. I cannot believe my meds haven't kicked in yet, so of course I start worrying that they won't help. should I stay the course or talk to my doctor?
Hope3578 Guest
Posted
I'm coming up to week 8 of my meds and I still have anxious mornings. But the good days are out weighing the bad for me now. How many good days are you getting out of the week? What's improved?
I think considering a increase is something the doctor would support now, however, you need to consider the fact that you may experience the side affects again and it may prolong your recovery, or it may not. This is a choice you need to make for yourself. If it was me I would give the dose atleast 10-12 weeks before tweeking the dosage.
Guest Hope3578
Posted
I am maybe getting one or two decent days every week. the anxiousness starts first thing in the morning and lasts throughout the day until early evening. I am in therapy which is helping, but of course my fears are that nothing will change these awful feelings. my mood is low and I am doing everything I can to minimize and flow with the feelings. I definitely feel as though I am still going through side effects so thats why I am concerned.