# Citalopram - Increased Anxiety?



## Si409 (Apr 8, 2011)

Hi. I've been reading these forums for quite a while now however I just registered because I've recently been having issues with Citalopram which I started taking about 3 weeks ago at 20mg. I also take propranolol sr 80mg which helps reduce the physical symptoms of my anxiety (blushing, shaking, sweating) but does nothing for the anxiety itself.

The first week on Citalopram I had increased anxiety and 'jumpiness', I was so on edge (i really didnt need this as Im anxious enough normally) but I perservered because my doctor had told me I may feel elevated anxiety levels initially. 

The second week I began to feel better in fact I had a few days of feeling better than I have felt in a long time. I found myself in situations that I normally would have avoided, and I wasnt focussing on myself or obsessing about what others thought of me. I could almost pluck my negative thoughts out of my mind and squish them before they had an effect on me! I was so hopeful i had found the cure for me. I even started to enjoy things that I used to do.

However at the weekend I went out and got a bit too drunk (but I had a great night out with friends). This week, the 3rd week on Citalopram I have felt so much more anxious, shakey and jumpy than I did before I started the drug and almost felt like I couldn't cope at work.

I am going to persevere for a few more weeks and hope I am still in the 'getting used to' the drug phase. I find it odd that I have very good days and very bad days though.

Also I have considered asking to increase my dose to 40mg or swapping to another SSRI but I will leave that for a while yet I think

Sorry for the long post but I just wanted to let people know my experience so far. I also wanted to know if anyone else had this increased anxiety on Citalopram? and if it is likely to eventually recede and hopefully if I can have (a lot) more of those good days


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## Aves (Feb 1, 2011)

Just found this post because I started Citalopram today and was searching the forums.
It could be the alchohol makes your anxiety worse?

It makes me hopeful to read about your 2nd week!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Here is my Celexa (Citalopram) story. May help you by reading it.

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f30/ssri-success-story-long-102245/


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## Si409 (Apr 8, 2011)

Jcq126 said:


> Here is my Celexa (Citalopram) story. May help you by reading it.
> 
> http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f30/ssri-success-story-long-102245/


Thanks, I had already read your story and it helped me persevere through the first week so thanks for that!

I'm starting to 'settle in' a bit more now, I have seen subtle differences in the way I think about situations that normally would have freaked me out. I am still nervous but it is manageable and I feel like I am still improving.

I haven't had a drink in a while so maybe that is helping too but the problem with that is that meetings with friends are kind of fuelled by booze so i can't really avoid just try and cut down a bit.

Goodluck Aves by the way


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## eejm (Jan 22, 2010)

I just started taking citalopram today. Your story gives me hope, Jcq.


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

I can't take ssri's. The shaking and panic attacks within the first week on half the usual starting dose is too much. I have no desire to wait it out and see if it improves. I also found taking other meds that increase serotonin in other ways that I become very sensitive to sunlight and exhausted easily on them. I prefer to avoid anything that increases serotonin. There are better neurotransmitters to play with.


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## Si409 (Apr 8, 2011)

Just an update...I haven't been on the site lately and for me this is (another) good sign 

I almost quit Citalopram at around 2 months, a week or two after I had upped the dose to 40mg. I just felt that although it helped me subtly it just wasn't enough. I decided to persevere a month or so more. I have never made a better decision in my life, honestly I came so close to quitting them and I am so glad that I didn't. 

I now feel like how I imagine 'normal' people feel. I still get nervous in certain situations however I can tell that its the natural kind of nervousness not the debilitating nervousness of SA. I get nervous about meeting a girl I like for example, but its not the prohibitive nervousness that I felt before. In the past few months I have found myself in many situations that would have made me depressed and nervous just thinking about.

Anyway i know everybody has different experiences with all drugs however if you are on Citalopram or an SSRI and are unsure if they are for you I would urge you to at least give them 3 months before you quit. I came so close to giving up on them I thought SSRI's are useless etc. but I am so glad that I continued taking them. 

I've been doing a bit of CBT as well like keeping a notepad of situations that made me nervous and the irrational thoughts that went through my mind and how I could rationalise them. Looking back now on a score of 1-10 of nervousness I started with all 8/9/10's and now in the past few weeks the highest I could find was a 5! 

Goodluck to everyone trying to find their cure for SA. I hope I don't need to visit this site again so bye for now at least


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## TTB (Mar 10, 2011)

I'm glad things are working out well for you. I just hate those SSRI's. I've been on quiet a few of them myself. They really kill your sex drive, and the tiredness can be awful aswell.


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## Si409 (Apr 8, 2011)

TTB said:


> They really kill your sex drive


You know its quite strange because I was expecting that but I have had the opposite effect, I find myself a lot more interested in women than I was before.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

If you have ADHD you are usually given a drug to boost dopamine and noradrenalin. It is given in such small doses. It is just to nudge you in the right direction. But if you are prescribed SSRI's for any reason the doses are massive. If you were to take an equivelent dose (I mean in subjective terms not mg) of ritalin you would be bouncing of the walls. I do not understand the rationale behind this method of medicating. Is it any wonder suicidality increases when starting SSRI's? 

I have been on citalopram also and aside from some quite enjoyable mania for the first 5 days it was terrible. Serotonin doesn't seam to be the issue with very much except maybe really severe depression. Health proffessionals should be more causious about dishing this stuff out. The attitude seams to be that because there is absolutely no abuse potential that they can hand it out like candy. Bad philosophy man...


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

Si409 said:


> I also wanted to know if anyone else had this increased anxiety on Citalopram? and if it is likely to eventually recede and hopefully if I can have (a lot) more of those good days


I had increased anxiety with citalopram, especially during first two weeks.


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## gilt (Jan 7, 2010)

That's great that the citalopram is working for you, Si409! I have been moving my dosage up or down depending on my circumstances, and the higher dosage can help.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

gilt said:


> That's great that the citalopram is working for you, Si409! I have been moving my dosage up or down depending on my circumstances, and the higher dosage can help.


Did you not read the full OP? I don't think his conclusion was that, overall, it was working.


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## gilt (Jan 7, 2010)

This is what I read from Si409 in a later post, to which I was referring:



Si409 said:


> Just an update...I haven't been on the site lately and for me this is (another) good sign
> 
> I almost quit Citalopram at around 2 months, a week or two after I had upped the dose to 40mg. I just felt that although it helped me subtly it just wasn't enough. I decided to persevere a month or so more. I have never made a better decision in my life, honestly I came so close to quitting them and I am so glad that I didn't.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

gilt said:


> This is what I read from Si409 in a later post, to which I was referring:


I have a tendency to skim. My bad...


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## Racheal77 (May 19, 2012)

*Celexa*

Yes actually. When I was first diagnosed with Anxiety/Panic Disorder my shrink prescribed me 40 mg of Celexa, and it was horrible. The first day I had a panic attack, and then the next day I was agoraphobic, I was scared of my dog, of my mom, I was jumpy, I lost my appetite, I couldn't sleep at all. By the third day I quit taking it all together and my symptoms have improved. Since then my shrink has put me on 100mg of Zoloft, I started out on 25mg. He prescribed me 50mg, and I had to cut the pill in half, and Vistaril. On day I had a bad panic attack and the Vistaril just wasn't cutting it, so he prescribed me .5mg of Ativan, well that didn't do anything at all, so now I'm on 1mg of Ativan along with 100mg of Zoloft. I feel better now than I ever have. So if you're having issues with your celexa, I know where you're coming from. Don't hesitate to ask your doctor for a new medicine. You'll feel 10 times better. Trust me.  :b:hug


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