Not sure i feel encouraged by these responses or not. The last thing I want to feel is suicidal! I managed to get a reasonable nights sleep last night and I have got up, taken another cit and got ready for work. I don't think I am going to make the whole day there today and I particularly dread the evenings and night times. Just trying to get through the days and nights at the mo. just want it to be a month later.
I'm on my second go around with Escitalopram (Cipralex) which is very similar to Citalopram. Last time I had no problems on the meds, but I was on another SSRI and then switched to Escitalopram. However, this time...starting back on 10 mg of Escitalopram....I had horrible, continuous anxiety for about 5 days before I had a bit of relief. After about 4 weeks, my anxiety level was down to averaging 5/10. My dose was up to 20 mg about 2 wks ago...and I'm down to about 2-3/10 for anxiety.
I would suggest sticking it out for a few weeks if you can.....especially since it can take 6-8 weeks to feel the full effect of the meds.
I have been on citalopram for about a year and I am grateful for it. I couldn't cope without it.
I didn't really have a lot of side effects the second time I took it. The first time I was going through a lot at the time so when I took it, it didn't go so good. I was dizzy etc but I now realize that the dizziness was probably panic.
I am not sure how long you have been on the cit but maybe wait it out.
It certainly seems to be that way for most of the people I talk to, and worse if it is the second time around so the general advice you are going to get is to stay on it. This holds true unless you get very strong suicidal thoughts and this doesn't happen after the first two weeks. It is a good drug with fewer side effects than some. First time round on it I was okay with a panic attack, second try the panic didn't stop and I got suicidal. There were a lot of other things on my plate at the same time including a broken leg that got infected. You might be in the same situation trying to work and socialize at the same time. The panic might be just from information overload. I would say if it was me and I could talk the panic attack down I would stay on it. Unfortunately it didn't work for me because my problem was with Dopamine not Seratonin and mildly still is. Noradrenalin is made in the body from Dopamine so I can get short.
If you absolutely can not stay on it you will most likely be told to try a smaller dose and work up. At six weeks you will need an adjustment any way. SSRIs are the first like choice and have for the most part replaced Tricyclic anti depressants, still there are a few of us that need a Tricyclic (mood stabilizer) instead. In my case it has something to do with balancing my Blood pressure.
So again unless it is making you very very sick you will be told to tough it out. Weigh the benefits against the side effects, Right now it is probably heavily loaded to the side effects.
So this is just background till you can talk to your doctor.
Just finished my 3rd day on cit. did a full day at work after an hours walk, went to the gym, met a friend and then went to a talk. Wasn't too bad all day but had the most horrendous panic attack during the talk. Don't know how I managed to get through it. Now I'm home and feel really numb. So scared of the night ahead and don't know whether to stay on cit or not if I'm going to feel like that. Don't think I'm gonna make it to wk tomorrow. Anyone else had bad panic when starting cit. is this a case of get worse before better.
