Citrapram

Hi

So glad I found this as I feel so scared

I have had anxiety and panic for years but last July out of the blue I woke up with a severe panic attack

I have been on citrapram 40 mg for few yrs and my old self was back but as said last year woke up with this panic attack

I went to my gp who said they have maybe stopped working and have put me on sertraline went upto 100 and never felt the same so doc put me back on citrapram bout 2 months ago starting at 10 and now 20 mg

I wake with horrible nervous stomach and a doom feeling

Also I take diazepam to help me been on these around 4 months bout 2mg a day

I have like a drunken feeling in my head and I feel off balance and my vision gets blurry

I feel soo scared

Any advice would be so reassuring to me

I am not sure it’s its the citrapram or diazepam making me feel so crappy

Plz help ?

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It could be either. Remember the chemicals in your brain are being altered (for the better), so these could be side effects of the treatment. If you've taken the Celexa before, I wouldn't think you would have an entirely different experience with it....but it is possible. That said, Valium can cause dizziness and sleepiness. I would speak with your doctor or pharmacist just to be certain you have a safe combo. I would guess that 2 mg of Valium is not a high dose. You could try taking less or splitting the doses, but Valium does carry a very high half-life. If I had a second guess, I would think your anxiety and panic is also coming into play along with some fear factor of the medicines causing issues. Just to relate, when I began taking a new medicine and read Dr. Google's interpretation of the interactions, I began fearing an offending medication and writing it off. Getting assurance from your medical professionals on this should help. That the dose is correct and perhaps the best times to take them to avoid as many side effects as possible.

If I had to blame either of the medications for your feelings, it would likely be the Valium. Those are common side effects (not technically dangerous...don't drive or anything like that) for benzos. I think ultimately the best advice is to be assured by those prescribing the medications that what you're experiencing is normal, okay, and that these feelings will eventually reduce over time. This in turn should help with your own fears of something being wrong. Until you're able to make a call, I would say to do your best to relax. These are not just common side effects of the medications, but also of anxiety which it seems you're experiencing to a certain degree. Deep breathing, mindfulness, and plenty of hydrating. If things begin to get worse, have an action plan to get to a hospital for treatment. It's doubtful that you'll need to use it, but I find being prepared helps alleviate panic and anxiety even by slim amounts. Please feel better, I do hope this goes away, and keep us updated. I do think you'll be okay

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Woooow

Thank u sooo much for ur kind detailed thoughts

Your actually more reassuring than any dr I have seen

Thank u again

I think tbh when I first took Diaz 4 months ago it was a miracle drug it took everything away and thought omg this is my cure

But I have noticed the last month they are not having the same effect anymore

I have trouble sleeping and on edge everyday like I can’t relax .

I have a full time job which I damn struggle every single day trying to smile and put on this fake mask of happiness but inside I am so scared

I have just refered myself to a psychiatrist again

As last time I saw one they were so not understanding and sent me off with meds

So I am hoping I can see a different person to help maybe with my meds

Yest I had training and it was the worst day ever I was so fuzzy headed like a drunk feeling and I was trying so hard to cover it

Wat the hell is wrong with me

I will take ur advice and not take 2mg today

I will take 1mg and my 20 mg citrapram later and see how I go . I upped the cit about 3 wks ago so I hoping these will set in soon

Please could u stay in contact with me

As you have really reassured me today

Much love

Victoria

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Absolutely, if you ever need to chat or post on here, I'll be following along. I'm not sure how long you've taken the Valium, but after awhile of taking it daily, it can start fading off in terms of it works (tolerance). It can definitely be hard to function on them in the professional setting for sure. You can even ask whether the Valium and Celexa are interacting. It's not uncommon for both to possibly cause some side effects together. I believe it's listed as a "moderate" interaction, so you might mention at your next appointment. I do hope you are truly feeling better and let me know if I can help any possible way.

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Been taking Diaz for around 4 months daily

2mg and bad days 4 mg

I also upped my citrapram to 20 mg

I know deep down that the combination must be interacting

I am gunna try slowly to come on Diaz like u said cut in half so it will be 1 mg

But I haven’t taken any today I fought off my morning doom feeling

I normally take Diaz as soon as I wake which is sooo early as I wake up most mornings around 5.30 am for some reason and it’s thats doom feeling again

So anyway so far not taking Diaz

I am also thinking if I am on the wrong ad

Citrapram is working

And maybe need a different kind of anti anxiety med

Can I ask if u take meds and do they help ?

Thank u replying

Ur soo kind

Victoria

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I would take it slower on the diaz...you could begin with like 3.5 mg for a week or two. See how you feel and then reduce to 3 for a few weeks. The best thing I've read on reducing is the Ashton method. She came up with a great dosing plan to make sure you don't get horrible side effects from withdrawal or feeling so anxious. I would actually consult a doctor before cutting the dose completely in half. Maybe try taking smaller doses more frequently throughout the day. If you have 4 mg....1 in the morning, 1 mid day, 1 later mid day, and 1 in the evening. Spreading it out might help you feel a little less cruddy and without the doom feeling. Learning coping will definitely help: breathing, mindfulness, and meditation.

Absolutely, yes I take meds. I have taken a lot but I now use a beta blocker (Atenolol) for reducing heart rate (mine goes up when I'm very anxious). I am on Effexor usually but I had a night where my heart rate was 48 BPM which isn't too good. Oddly, it was the night I started back on Effexor, so I'm waiting to talk to my doctor before starting that again. I have taken Xanax but can only do so on certain days due to work these days due to our type of work. Xanax helps a ton for me, but I'm also at the point where my doctors all agree we need to stay to avoid addiction and long-term issues (I'm nearing 10 years on it). Unfortunately, the beta blocker and, when I can use it, Xanax are the best meds I have taken for help. I haven't had much luck with the antidepressants, but that could be a treatment resistant thing. I've tried a few others like trazodone, hydroxyzine, and Gabapentin. More of off-label type attempts. Hopefully your new psychiatrist might know of more options to try if the current meds are causing how you're feeling.

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Grt advice thank u

I will maybe take 1 mg later on and take my citrapram soon before I go to work

I am so glad I am not alone

As it has kinda changed my personality

I am usually very buzzy happy outgoing

Now I just want the day to end so I can hide away from everything

Thank u for telling me a bit bout u and I respect your advise so much

I will keep u posted on how I get on today

Regards

Victoria

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Morning

Quick update

I was actually ok today

But in the evening I became anxious so I took I mg Diaz

But as I was dropping to sleep I could hear a ringing noise in my ears

It’s soo odd

I woke up and it’s still there or it’s my imagination

Really scared

Also my ears feel blocked

Any ideas ???

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Just saw this, sorry! Could be tinnitus, an ear cold, or stress. Sometimes I hear ringing or buzzing. I try to remember our nervous system runs a lot like electricity. This is normal for anxiety, panic, stress, and even as a side effect for meds. That said, it's always worth mentioning to your doctor. Even now I can hear it. I try to let it fade and not pay attention to it. It generally goes away or subsides.