Been to docs today and have been given 20mg of citalopram and being referred for CBT

[wendywooh]

so after a visit to the doc today i have been started on anxiety meds and he is starting me off with 20mg of citalopram and we will review in 2 weeks to see how i am getting on.

he is also referring me for CBT as well

so fingers crossed now.

my only question is when do i take the meds at night or in the morning

[wendywooh]

so i had another all night panic attack last night and as a result had no sleep and now all my muscles feel drained and my tummy twisted.

how long should it be before the meds kick in

[wendywooh]

had an all night attack last night, really hope that the meds kick in soon

also called the psychologist and i have an assesment telephone call next week

[Buttercup]

Hi there, I am on citalopram and have been for years. It can take awhile to kick in so you have to persevere with them. It took about 6 weeks before I noticed a difference. For the first few weeks I felt very tired and lost my appetite but the side effects do subside. It was the meds combined with therapy that helped me get back on my feet- it's a slow process though and hard work but once you get back on track it's worth it. Unfortunately it's not a case of waking up one day and being cured but the meds will give u a bit of a boost and make it easier for you to learn coping techniques and get to the root of the problem with your therapist. Good luck x

[wendywooh]

thanks buttercup these all night attacks are really starting to worry me.

i am doing medical and talking therapy so i have got everything crossed

[Buttercup]

You're doing all the right things to combat this so try and stay positive. You'll come out the other side a stronger person. I've been in the same situation as you and, as I said, it takes time but one day you'll realise that the panic isn't as bad and if you continue the way you are you'll get over this x

[wendywooh]

feeling awful today anxiety feels worse have no appetite , very cold and shakey but got to battle through it.

i have an assessment call from psychologist next week as well

[wendywooh]

so 5 days on the meds and i have flu like symptoms, dizzier than normal, hot /cold shakey i really hope this clears up

[Buttercup]

I remember feeling pretty rubbish for the first couple of weeks, persevere and it will clear up. Or maybe you do have a touch of the flu and it's not the meds. Rest up and look after yourself, your body is getting used to a change x

[Beautiful Disaster]

Is there any way your doc can give you a low dose benzodiazepine (xanax, ativan, klonopin, etc) for you to take for a couple weeks as needed while you wait for the citalopram to start taking effect? I really feel for you... that panic/anxiety feeling is debilitating.

[hopeNfaith88]

Wendy,

I am also on day 5 of taking citalopram! I was prescribed the pink 20mg pills but i Was so anxious about starting taking it that i have been taking a half per day at night before i go to bed. I feel no worse than usual, just tired and mildly nauseous with appetite loss. I feel like i have the flu too with goosebumps diarrhea and chills but thats because I kicked a two year oxycodone addiction the same day i started taking celexa so i know thats to blame for those symptoms.

The waiting game sucks. When you take a pill and still panic it can be discouraging and the anxiety of taking a new drug can make you feel even worse and possibly make you think the drugs making you feel worse. But its not. Everything will be alright you and i will get through this!!

[wendywooh]

feeling a bit better today.

also has a call from psychologist and i am being referred for a course of CBT

so fingers crossed i will crack this

[hopeNfaith88]

I had to stop taking it because my body wasnt tolerating it. The nausea, dizziness, insomnia and diarrhea were really debilitating for me. Im hoping to try a new AD with less side effects

[wendywooh]

right so i think i have now got through the difficult few weeks of adjusting to it, however the last few days i have had a really rapid heart beat any ideas ????

i cant feel that it is having any affect at the moment though but fingers crossed

[wendywooh]

has anyone experienced a raised heart beat taking citalopram and night sweats

[alankay]

Yes. That can happen and the effects can be delayed but they will fade. Sometimes a doc will rx a small amount of a long acting benzo like valium, clorazepate or klonopin to get you through the adjustment. Alankay

[wendywooh]

Yes. That can happen and the effects can be delayed but they will fade. Sometimes a doc will rx a small amount of a long acting benzo like valium, clorazepate or klonopin to get you through the adjustment. Alankay

how log would you say this last for as i have been on them for about 5 weeks now

[Yanni]

I, too, am on Celexa (the brand name for citalopram). For me, it took about two weeks to take away some anxious feelings, but I was flushing Prozac out of my system at the same time. If you've been having panic attacks at night, as your doctor for a low dose of some benzo, as BD suggested, to help you sleep if normal sleep aides just aren't doing it.
Celexa was a great med for me, but if it doesn't work for you that's fine. Lexapro is similar to Celexa and is another med most people with GAD or SAD that I know use and have great success.

Wendy,
it can take up to 6 weeks for Celexa to start working. If it doesn't, I would try a higher dosage. IF those side effects worsen, you may need to try a different med.
Night vs. Morning ingestion. If Celexa negatively effects you during the day, take it at night so you can sleep through the side effects. I take mine in the morning because I have a very good reaction to it.