Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Annidav on October 20, 2016, 09:57:59 AM
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hi- been to see ANOTHER GP this morning as wanted a general discussion about all of this and my continuing anxiety; she has prescribed me 20mg Citalopram - this is ringing alarm bells with me as I am sure I have read previous posts from ladies who have had bad experience of this???; she has also suggested I continue with the HRT as I am apparently on a high dose so she can't prescribe an increased dosage (I am on Elleste Conti Duet 2mg) and gave me a leaflet for an Anxiety Counselling Service so I have contacted them this morning and have an appointment on 9th November....
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Hi I have NO experience of anxiety meds although meno has brought on a degree of anxiety for me (more social anxiety) but like you I'm sure I've read on here about that med with side effects. Isn't there a sister drug similar in name that is more gentle ? Sorry I can't remember the name of it but it sounds like Citalopram x
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Hi fiftygirl - ADs/SRRIs are often needed alongside HRT to really get anxiety under control. Citolapram is a popular one I understand and suits many people very well. Like HRT and many other treatments it's often matter of trial and error before finding the one that suits. My gynae recommended Citalopram to me should I need it - so I would try this SRRI and see how you get on. Do read about some of the initial side effects so you are prepared as some people react quite strongly in the first 2-4 weeks on any AD or SRRI - however after about 2 weeks it should start to work it's magic.
I would definitely consider the counselling as this can be very helpful - CBT and Mindful Meditation are very good for helping control anxiety and low mood. The strategies that you learn need to be practised and done regularly to really help and can enable you to go forward in a very positive way. Good luck. DG x
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Annie, you're correct! It's Escitalopram and it is supposed to have a gentler start up. :)
Hi, fiftygirl! I'm sorry to hear you're another lady struggling with the dreaded anxiety.
Yes, SSRI's can have a bumpy start up but if you'd like to try it, your GP can prescribe a very short course of diazepam in addition just to get you 'over the bridge'. Don't be afraid of these - a short course is NOT addictive and using them initially can be the difference between sticking with the SSRI or not. Until it kicks in properly, initially anxiety may become more intense until the drug settles into your system.
If you're nervous, contact your GP and ask if you may have the diazepam to hand if you need it. It shouldn't be a problem!
Good luck!
xxxxxx
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My friend has just started citlopram 5 days ago alongside her hrt for anxiety,palpitations,panic attacks. She says it already has had a positive effect on her although she says she feels a bit tired on it but this should lessen over a few weeks time. Lots of us use both hrt and Ads.
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Fiftygirl, I've been on and off Citalopram for years and I've never had a problem with them. I was changed to Sertraline earlier this year and never want to repeat that experience ever again! Back on the Citalopram and back to normal thankfully. If you do go down the Citalopram route, I would only take 10mg to start off with and see how you got on and then up to the supposedly therapeutic dose of 20mg after about a month. I am so paranoid about tablets that I usually start on a bit of the tablet first to see if I react to it!! x
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Hi Fiftygirl. I have been on 20mg of Citalopram for several months now and it has been a life saver for me. Prior to taking it I was anxious and irritable 24/7 and was weepy at best on a daily basis and suicidally depressed at worst. I have tried HRT but every time oestrogen is introduced my anxiety/depression go through the roof.
I had moderate side effects for the first two weeks of taking Citalopram; slight nausea, chest tightening etc but from then on it has just been positive effects. I very rarely feel any anxiety these days and have not had that overwhelming anxiety since starting the drug. It has given me my life back.
I hope that you try it and that it helps you as much as it has helped me. X
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I'm on 20mg of citalopram and I've been on it for 6months now. It stopped my panic attacks straight away and has helped so much with the anxiety too. This is the best Ad I've been on!! but we are all different what works for one person may not work for another! Trial and error!
Take care
Jan x
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Hi fiftygirl
Does the anxiety coincide with a particular part of your HRT cycle and has it raised its head as you approach menopause? I only ask because the HRT that you are on contains norethisterone which can cause depression, headaches and anxiety - pms type symptoms - in some women.
Have you tried any other HRT - if not I am surprised this was not suggested to you? It would be a pity to start down the route of ADs unnecessarily if the anxiety you are experiencing is actually a consequence of your treatment!!
Just a thought...
Hurdity x
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Hi there.
I started on Citralopam about three years ago after peri and my now ex was cheating on me.
It can be bumpy in the start - say two weeks, or at least that's what happened to me. If you know it could be like that the benefits are enormous. I started on 10mg and now take 40 with no worries at all, it's a life saver and long term for me, after all I want a quality of life...
Hugs
Ms Saucy xx
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Take it. Because someone reports problems then that's not necessarily going to happen if you try it.
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Hello fiftygirl, I take Citalopram, and have done for about 10 years. I find it really helpful, at present I am on 20mg, but I have been on 10mg and 30mg depending on how I'm feeling. Oestrogen Really Helps my anxiety and depression, and the two work together fine. I do get some side effects of the Citalopram, a bit constipated and a bit sweaty, but these are both manageable. Hope you can feel better soon; anxiety and depression is a very horrible thing, and there is life beyond! x
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Well said Perimandy …………
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Citalopram and Escitalopram has helped me deal with painful and difficult psychotherapy this year. I have never taken a high dose and am now on a very low maintenance dose and do not intend to be on it long term, but if I had needed to I would have.
When you have less years ahead of you than you have behind you then anything that contributes to quality of life can be embraced.
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Hi there, I have been taking 20mg of Ecitalapram with Elleste Duet 1mg. It seems to be the correct dose and no nasty side effects. Oddly I do try sometimes to cut down to 10mg but, after a while, my anxiety returns so I up it again to 20mg. I keep trying to see if I can manage but it would appear not! I would certainly recommend it :D
Sooo glad I have found this forum - I don't feel so alone any more!
xx
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:welcomemm:
Samweller161
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Hi Fiftygirl,
I use 40mg of Citalopram along my HRT, I dread to think how I would be without it. I still get anxiety, more so from hormones, the only thing I would say is that I don't cry anymore as it suppresses it. Try it and see how you get on, if it doesn't suit you can always stop.
Shellb xXx
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Everyone - thank you for your replies which I really appreciate. Been away for past week and not been able to get on here to reply. Am going to get my prescription tomorrow and will give them a go. Thanks again. Also have an appointment next week with anxiety counsellors 😀
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Well I don't know if this is just a coincidence but I took my first Citalopram last night when I went to bed and have had just three and a half hours of sleep and am now wide awake with a headache.....
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Hi Fiftygirl, I take my cipramil in the morning not at night! Sometimes ADs can cause insomnia. So if I was you I would take it in the morning. As for headache can be of lack of sleep or side effect of Citalopram but give it a chance pls side effects will die off.
take care
Janx
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Fiftygirl - the first few days are the worst - I was so anxious I couldn't sleep or eat properly for several weeks, but it does get better. Yawning is a weird side effect and then tiredness. But you DO get used to it. I found it flattened out my moods for several months but I was then a bit lacking in feelings, if that makes sense, so I stopped gradually. But a lot of people take it and never look back.
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Thanks Jan68 and Urbanchick - I took the tablet last night because I needed to drive to the office again this morning and the packet has a warning that driving could be impaired however I think I will take the next one tomorrow morning as it is the weekend and no work so I will see how it goes taking it in the morning; I also have an incredibly dry mouth today and I see that too is one of the side effects; I will persevere with them though as I appreciate they can take time to start working positively!!
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I always take new medications at night so that I can sleep through any side effects. The head ache will go eventually as your body gets used to the ingredients. I began to get low grade headaches when taking Propranolol, 40mg at night - now I cut them in half with good result. It's about Trial and Error which can be tiring ::)
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It is trial and error Fiftygirl. I am lucky with Citalopram i didn't suffer any side effects and it done nothing for my sleep either but a god send with panic attacks and anxiety though. I'm alot better on that side of things now.
But I will tell you I had a week long nightmare on Mirtazapine when I first started on it. I had headaches I felt sick and I also felt weak in the legs too. Anyway I'm glad I persevered with it after 8 days it all passed and I'm actually on it to help me sleep which it does. I still don't sleep through the night but it sends me of to sleep and I manage on a few hours sleep which is better than none and on a good night I can go back to sleep too.
Let us no how you get on? As I said before I take my Citalopram which is 20mg in the morning and my Mirtazapine 15mg at bedtime.
Jan x
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Update - been taking the Citalopram for the past five days and have had hardly any sleep, extremely dry mouth, loss of appetite but worst of all, horrendous anxiety and panic attacks - this morning I have been awake since 1.57; I appreciate these tablets haven't kicked it yet and that, hopefully, long term they will help me. I have had to take today off to try and get some sleep as I feel so spaced out. My star of a husband has been awake with me all night, talking to me to try and calm me, stroking my hair and just supporting me. I don't know if I will be fit enough to work for the next few days - feel like closing myself off to the world and hibernating (if only I could sleep!). My memory has also been getting worse and whether the anxiety is making me feel this I don't know but I am starting to seriously think I may have early signs of dementia...maybe that is the anxiety......
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Sorry to hear Fiftygirl what youve been going through!!! If I was you I would speak to your surgery and speak to a doctor that's what I did when I started Mirtazapine and yes that too increased my insomnia and anxiety amongst other things.
Let us no how you get on?
Janx
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Some medications can have an opposite effect to what they are designed for. Have a chat with a Pharmacist?
There are several on the market so don't get disheartened. :medal: for the Husband ;-).
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I think it was round about the 5th day when I rang my GP surgery because I felt that I couldn't tolerate the side effects of this AD any longer. I spoke with the surgery pharmacist who felt that the increased anxiety and night time panic attacks were due to the uptake of the medication. He advised me to try and stick with it, but if it got no better to stop taking them and come back in to see my GP. that was all I needed. Each day I thought to myself 'if this gets worse I will stop them', but after day 5 it didn't get any worse although it was about 3 weeks before I noticed the side effects improving.
That was a year ago and I am so glad I didn't give up. they really helped me deal wth some difficult times and 6 weeks ago I reduced my dose by half and intend to wean off them in the new year as I am seeing the positive effects of 11 months of therapy.
They aren't easy to get along with but they can be very helpful.
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:thankyou: BJ
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Fifty girl - I was exactly the same. I lost nearly a stone over a month as anxiety killed my appetite. When the worst was over I found I was very tired in the afternoons and slept like a log at night, albeit with incredibly vivid dreams. I also had stomach issues and diarrhoea for about three weeks.
But it did ease and it helped me over a bad four months. I gave up then because I felt very emotionless and couldn't handle the constant yawning. But I know it suits some people long term. I think I am just sensitive to certain medication.
I think you are probably over the worst, but see you GP if you are still concerned. Good luck.
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Thank you all for your responses - I am off work again today and am going to see another GP this morning (the one I saw recently is not available at all today....) I want to ask if there is anything I can have to help me sleep until the Citalopram kicks in ....
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I have been given Zopiclone 3.75mg - not to take more than three in a week.
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Fiftygirl, Citalopram are really good if you can just stick it out. I hope the Dr gives you something to help. Ask for some diazepam just to tide you over the worst. They don't mind giving you those as a short term help and yes, they do help counter act the side affects. I was lucky as I never got any with Citalopram but boy, Sertraline was another matter altogether - never again! x
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Thanks Justjules - I am sticking with the Citalopram and will go back to see the GP to review after the month's supply has been used. In the meantime I have been given some Zopiclone to help me sleep. Sertraline was mentioned also but apparently I have had that in the past (!!!! My memory is so bad I couldn't remember having that previously).
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I was on Zopiclone for sleep a while back but now on Mirtazapine for sleep and cipramil for anxiety. They both work well together I think! still have my moments though but that's down to hormones and ADs can only help to a certain point I guess with that.
Jx
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Hi All. This is my first post and on a topic that I am also pondering at the moment. I have also been prescribed this drug on a starter dose of 10mg for anxiety. I don't want to do HRT because of my family history, but am really struggling to cope with the anxiety and mood swings. I am a bit worried about the long list of side effects and also the fact that it says don't mix with alcohol ! I am no alcoholic, but the odd glass of wine is what I have used up to now to chill out and I don't want to lose that particular crutch ! Is it really worth it and how much worse am I likely to feel in the first couple of weeks ? I work and am worried that I won't be able to function properly. Grateful to hear other's experiences.
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I took a zopiclone last night but I still woke before 4 this morning and am wide awake (no grogginess as warned) - slight improvement but am disappointed as I had simply expected it to knock me out until the alarm goes off at 6.30. Alig66 all I can say in response to you is that I am going to stick with the Citalapram for the month and see if things improve in that time but apart from tha increased anxiety before starting on Citalapram I was sleeping much better than this on the whole before taking them and the insomnia has increased my anxiety BUT I understand that most of these drugs can/are likely to make you feel worse before they make you feel better.