Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Annidav]

hello ladies - I have been on Citalopram (for anxiety) for just over a week and a half now; from the word go it has given me insomnia every night - I have no trouble falling asleep at bed time but then am waking every night without fail any time from1 a.m onwards (although this morning it was a couple of minutes after midnight); I also experienced horrendous anxiety over the first weekend which resulted in me being off sick from work all of last week and my certificate expires tomorrow; I also have not been able to eat properly, surviving on tea, coffee (both decaf) and Ryvita; I feel calmer (no doubt because I haven't been worrying too much about work) but am exhausted and muddled brain and cannot think straight ; I know the tablets take a while to kick in but I can't bear the thought of not sleeping again when I was much better for the last few months - I feel I have gone back to square one as a result of trying to get further help for the anxiety (which is worse when things hiccup at work but that is also due to a horrendous experience at work a few years ago for which I had counselling and which last weekend I was convinced I was going to have to go through again such was the level of my anxiety); I have an initial assessment at the Depression and Anxiety Clinic on Wednesday this week; I am currently waiting on a phone call from my GP to see if he will sign me off again for this week as in the early hours of the morning I felt I couldn't face going back to work just yet....however I have a little voice in my head saying I have had time off in the past and they will sack me if I have any more time off and I can't afford to lose my job....don't know what to do for the best and sitting here alone thinking about it and getting into a bit of a state..... Sorry to go o ... Just helps to get it out sometimes

[MabelBabel]

Oh fiftygirl, I'm so sorry you're having such a terrible time of things at the moment. I can't offer any advice on Citalopram I'm afraid, but I can relate to the sleepless nights.
I take Amiltryptiline for a compressed spine but my GP has told me I can up the dose if/when I need help sleeping, it has helped me a lot with that. I also practice a bit of self hypnotism, which can be good to help me slow down and relax my mind and body.

I am seeing my GP about it being peri tomorrow and my priority will be the insomnia.
I am very fortunate in that I only have myself to worry about and I work for myself. I don't know how ladies with family's and external jobs function, I honestly don't think I could.

Stay positive, we're all here to support you x

[CLKD]

If you are able to try for another 5 days then do so.  Or go to your GP and ask for something that might be better for you.

I had several attempts at various ADs in the 1990s until the GP found something that didn't give me nausea, fear, worse anxiety …… my biggest problem was not being able to eat and then my brain starts 'but you must eat or …… '

 

[Ms Saucy]

Hi honey.
I was just the same when I started Citralopam three years ago. Made me feel much worse until about two weeks when I started to see huge improvement......maybe try it for longer and look at mindfulness techniques to help in between, you can also get those rescue remedy sweets to help......
Always here if I can be- the first weeks of AD are harder .
Ms Saucy xx

[Annidav]

Thank you everyone for your replies.  I have just spoken to the GP who has advised me to stop taking the Citalopram as they are clearly not helping me.  He has also signed me off for the rest of this week to give me some time to try and recover from the effects and to make an appointment to see the GP who prescribed these for me to see if there is anything else I can take - I am very wary of trying anything else....   

[CLKD]

So was I! in case they made me feel worse than I already was but it was obvious that I couldn't continue without chemical support.

Rest.  Gentle exercise.  Keep hydrated.

[bramble]

When you say you are not sleeping and waken up at midnight - do you mean you cannot then get back to sleep? How many hours a night are you getting?
Are you practising good sleep hygiene before bed? ie no games or electronics an hour before you go; no caffeinated drinks after 6pm; hot milky drink just before bed; warm bath; no napping during the day to catch up on lost sleep; bedroom not too hot, not too cold; if you waken up don't toss for more than 20 mins, get up, read or do something relaxing, back to bed; get up at the usual time even if broken sleep etc etc etc. Routine has a lot to do with it.

B

[Burchers]

Hi I can totally empathise with you. I've been in a living nightmare since July. I was put on Sertraline and it didn't help. I went back to Escitalopram it's taken 6 weeks to build up my dosage. I got a fab gp who put me on Beta blockers and gave me a medicine called Promazine Hydrochloride as Diazepam made me ill. I have also started CBT. Every day is a battle to beat myself. My gp thinks my anxiety has been brought on by menopause as I have other symptoms to.