nick1990: citalopram crap

[nick1990]

And also , is it plausible to think that once your body is used to tapering slowly , it doesn’t like it when the drug is held at the same level for a fair while and starts reacting negatively to the presence of it ? 

[brassmonkey]

Tapering off of a drug is very taxing on the body.  There are the normal symptoms to cope with and then there are the underlying ones that are hard to see and rarely get addressed.  Frequently people complain of body pain, aches and stiffness.  This is the body fighting the drug by tensing up.  We don't usually feel the tension because it is so ongoing that it just becomes a "normal' way of feeling.  But it is like constantly doing dynamic tension exercises and exhausts the muscles, becoming a major source of fatigue.  Also the mental gymnastics that go on 24/7 are mentally exhausting.  The result is intense fatigue and need to sleep a lot.

 

There are many other symptoms that are ongoing, but not acute.  Brain fog, mood swings, lack of coordination, language problems, there is quite a list. Basically if you're feeling it, it's probably a WD symptom. Tracking your WDnormal is the best way to see if there have been any improvements in this.

 

We frequently say that to hold is the best option.  Most of the time this is the case, but sometimes an over extended hold in the middle of a good taper can start to throw a person into poopout.  This would manifest by an increase in WD symptoms after a relatively stable period.  Not exactly a wave, but it could be mistaken for one.   The only way out of poopout is to decrease ones dosage by resuming their normal taper schedule.  There would be a period of adjustment while the poopout works it's way out where symptoms could swing more than usual. This will settle out as the taper progresses.

[nick1990]

Thank you Tom for your detailed description . It really helps make sense of this situation a lot more ! 

 

I think your right, this is just an extended wave . Symptoms are relatively minor , just been ongoing for 10 days now and I guess I’m just a little disappointed that a year out from my last reduction I’m still having some minor swings in symptoms . 

 

My taper up until that reduction in September 2018 went pretty smoothly , wasn’t symptom free , but symptoms were minor and would pass if I held for an extra week or two here and there - tapering was definitely just a background noise at most . I was definitely living my life ! 

 

 

Anyway , I shouldn’t be so negative - I’ve seen heaps of improvement in the symptoms over the past months . Heaps! 

 

Compared to how I was feeling earlier this year , this is a walk in the park. I feel like frustration and impatience just got the better of me and I want to be 100% stable now ! And this little wave has just indicated I’m not quite there .. 

ALTHOUGH , this wave wasn’t out of the blue , my trip to Aus , seeing my girl , panic on the plane, different time zone, late nights, less sleep than usual , lots of sugary food, surfing, emotional aspect of leaving my girl, then another panic on the plane , back to sleepy old NZ , depressed to be back , longing to be in Aus etc etc. Then had a few days of surfing to push through the depressed feelings, stressful job hunting , had a couple trials , got a new job which I started yesterday . 

 

haha , looking back on the past 3-4 weeks it’s no surprise I’m having a bit of a wave . 

 

I seem to recall, even throughout the taper when I was feeling well , I’d still go into a bit of a depressed wave if I overdid things.

 

 

 

 

[nick1990]

Guys, I need a bit of help. Not a crisis situation but I’m a little concerned .

 

Ive been stabilising slowly over the last 10 months or so , after a couple of years of accumulated cuts caused some WD.

 

symptoms had lessened significantly and I was feeling a lot better mentally and physically all round .

 

now I’ve been in this wave for over 2 weeks and although I’m functional , it’s pretty uncomfortable at times . 

 

Fatigue is intense at times , general body exhaustion feeling , mood up and down, vivid dreams and some minor anxiety.

 

i guess I was curious to know if it’s expected after coming close to stability to have a wave that comes out of the blue, so to speak .. 

 

Im sure it’s a wave , but just strange that it’s gone on for 2 1/2 - 3 weeks now .

Any advice would be appreciated - thanks team ! 

[bubble]

On 8/29/2019 at 10:26 PM, nick1990 said:

ALTHOUGH , this wave wasn’t out of the blue , my trip to Aus , seeing my girl , panic on the plane, different time zone, late nights, less sleep than usual , lots of sugary food, surfing, emotional aspect of leaving my girl, then another panic on the plane , back to sleepy old NZ , depressed to be back , longing to be in Aus etc etc. Then had a few days of surfing to push through the depressed feelings, stressful job hunting , had a couple trials , got a new job which I started yesterday . 

 

haha , looking back on the past 3-4 weeks it’s no surprise I’m having a bit of a wave . 

 

You answered your own question last week: you overdid it and it is not a surprise it's taking a while for things to settle. No need to question the process. It's only natural to jump at life full force when feeling better but our fragile CNS gets overwhelmed. It doesn't mean that the process of stabilizing is to be questioned.

 

Time, patience and being gentle with oneself will help it settle sooner. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by bubble

[nick1990]

Alrighty ! its time for this long awaited generic switch.

Little wave at the moment from overdoing things ... again haha.. 

Im actually not concerned about the switch anymore. I just want to get it over and done with . Im sure it'll be fine. I looked at the ingredients from my current generic and the new one and the fillers are the same . Here's hoping ! 

 

Anyway, I need help with the Math. 

 

CURRENT GENERIC - 20mg ai pill = 0.184g 

NEW GENERIC - 20mg ai pill = 0.124g

 

 

Of my CURRENT generic I am taking 1 x 20mgai pill weighing 0.184g AND a fraction of another 20mgai pill weighing 0.022g.

 

Im wanting to switch over in 4-6 weeks, so was thinking of doing 4 or 5 adjustments over to the NEW generic. 

 

I figured, it would be best to do my first week taking 1 x 20mgai CURRENT generic pill and the equivalent of the 0.022gpw fraction using the NEW generic . 

How do I figure this out ?! I'm going to try but might need some assistance. I really want to make sure I get the Math correct. 

 

From here I plan on doing the remainder of the switch changing 1/4 of the 20mgai CURRENT generic over to the NEW generic, ONE week at a time.

 

I really appreciate feedback and some help with the Maths would be fantastic !

 

 

Thanks all. 

Nick

[brassmonkey]

Hi Nick-- that's a fun one to figure out, something different for a change.

 

First thing we need to calculate would be the AIC (Active Ingredient Concentration) for both pills. AIC is the ratio of active ingredient per pill weight reduced to one. This tells you how much active ingredient you get for each one mgpw.

 

Current pill; 20 / 184 = .11AIC

New pill: 20 /0124 = .16AIC

 

So you can see you get more active ingredient for each mgpw with the new pills.

 

You are currently taking .022gpw so 22 X .11 = .00242gai

 

You want to know how much of the new pill you need to get .00242gai.  .00242 /.16 = .015gpw.

 

This means an equivalent dose of the new pill would weigh .015gpw

 

[nick1990]

Your good at this stuff Tom ! Thank you so much for you help , I really appreciate it . 

I haven’t started my crossover yet , realised I still have 8 weeks supply of old generic. 

Will start once this wave passes.

And about this wave , weird is all I can say , depressive feelings - not intense but kind of scary at times . Frustration and a bit of anger too. In saying this , I had a very active couple of weeks leading Upto it . 

 

The switch is happening and I’m not too concerned about that - however , trying to plan ahead , would it be OK to resume tapering after the switch if I’m still having these slight symptoms ? 

 

Its been a year long hold now ! Lol , i know it’s from the accumulated drops I did for nearly 2 years . @brassmonkey, what do you think ? 

Cheers! 

Nick

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed blasphemy

[brassmonkey]

Hi Nick-- thanks, I get a lot of practice here.  I'm always amazed that I'm the go-to guy for math, took me three tries to pass college algebra.  I guess it really stuck the last time. Being married to the Ohio Mental Math Champion helps too.

 

I think you've already noticed but I need to point it out.  It seems that you have a bad wave right after a period of really over doing things. It's happened several times now and might be something to pay attention to.

 

Until you are off the meds for some time there are going to be some sort of symptoms.  This is where the idea of WDnormal comes in.  When you're in your current range of WDnormal then it's okay to taper.  So having "slight symptoms" shouldn't be a problem.  It's when you're having big swings and aren't stable that the problems come up.  I'd hold for a month to six week before tapering after the switch, but then go for it.  I wouldn't worry about having a stash of the old generic, it might come in handy in the future.

[nick1990]

“Being married to the Ohio Mental Math Champion” ... haha this is classic ! 

 

Ive certainly noticed the symptom increase after increased periods of over doing things. It’s all a bit confusing though, as sometimes it’s not the case , though I think there is a fine line between being active and healthy and overdoing things. 

It is definitely something i need to start paying more attention to. 

 

WD normal seems to be likely where I am at right now , little swings , ups and downs , but generally the symptoms appear after an over active period . 

 

I’ll get onto the switch next week and report back here how I’m doing . 

 

I appreciate your help and words of wisdom Tom. I hope your feeling better than you were a week ago . 

 

Cheers 

Nick . 

[nick1990]

Hey guys , still haven’t started the switch , was away and had only my old generic with me. 

 

Just had a skin check done and need a mole removed from the underneath of my foot . Lol , of all places ! 

Anyway , need to have a local anaesthetic done , I know it’s very different to a general anaesthetic, but should I be cautious about it affecting me negatively? 

 

As in, should it be ok to start my switch and have the local anaesthetic done within the same time frame ?

 

i have enough for of my old generic for another 2 1/2 weeks before starting the switch but was wanting to get on with it now . The biopsy is on Monday next week

 

thanks in advance ! 

[nick1990]

Alright, so just found out the anaesthetic is Lidocaine. It’s obviously going to be a small amount as the biopsy is tiny. Anyone have experience with this ? I’m sure it won’t create an issue . 

 

Thanks 😊

[ChessieCat]

surgery-and-anesthesia

 

If it's a local anaesthetic, then it probably wouldn't cause any more issues than a dental injection.  Unless they give you a sedative as well.

 

You might get an a slight increase in symptoms, but that could come from the anaesthetic and/or the stress of the procedure.  You won't really know which.

 

[Terry]

I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy in a few weeks.  I'm wondering if the sedative they give is going to be a problem with my taper.  I tried to get out of doing it, but my doctor wants me to have it, says it will be the last time I'll have to go through this.  Has anyone else here had experience with this?  I don't know what to expect or what I can do about it.

[nick1990]

Hey @brassmonkey,

 

Im starting my switch tomorrow to the new generic.

 

Ive just been weighing up my pills and it seems that the new ones weigh closer to 0.127 mgpw,

 

My math is actually so bad, I can't even figure out how you got to that conclusion above. From what I've figured is that 0.127mgpw is still equal (after rounding to the closest 1) to 0.16 AIC. 

 

So I just divide  .00242 gai 0.16 AIC to reach 0.015gpw?

 

I plan on holding at this dose for 1 week before making a further change.

 

Thanks so much Tom, you have no Idea how much I appreciate this,

 

Nick. 

[brassmonkey]

You've got this. Best of luck with the cross taper. I'm really happy to be of help.

[nick1990]

Well day 1 of the cross taper and other than some anticipatory anxiety , with some fatigue and brain fog , I haven’t noticed any immediate changes , so I guess that’s good ! 

Dont know whether the fatigue and brain fog are related to the fraction of the new generic or if it’s just my WD normal fluctuating , but thinking its likely the latter. 

 

When i updosed a few years ago , I had fatigue and brain fog heavily, immediately after the first updose. 

My anxiety is comparing that experience to my current one . 

Anyway, just sharing how I’m feeling .

 

cheers

Nick. 

 

 

[nick1990]

Hey guys , it’s my third day on this new generic fragment of my dose. 

 

I had a late night last night and didn’t take magnesium for the first time in ages .

 

anyway , today I’m feeling really anxious and my thoughts are spiralling into me thinking that this anxiety is resultant of the adjustment I made 3 mornings ago .

I’m feeling uneasy and worrying that this switch of generic is going to result in another crash . 

I cannot afford to crash again , I have so much planned for next year and I just want this to be easy and to be able to do this switch just as everyone else in NZ did from one citalopram generic to another. 

 

Am I being irrational and catastrophising ?

or could this be that im feeling WD symptoms because this new generic has far less active ingredient in it than the last generic ? 

It is so hard to differentiate from WD anxiety and anticipatiory anxiety sometimes.

 

Please , I’d appreciate any words from

any mods .

 

thank so much 

Nick . 

[nick1990]

My apologies for the little meltdown.

Half way through day 4 today , and although I’ve had a little bit of anxiety, doubt and worry creep up - it wasn’t as significant as yesterday. Been good talking to my Mum about it all , we’re both very sure that I’m inherently anxious and an over thinker . I always have been . Now, being on a lower dose than I have in sooo long, these feelings can be more intense than I’m used to . 

 

I’ve been thinking about and worrying about this switch for over a year now , so I think its only natural for me to feel some anxiety when starting the switch.

 

I had the mole biopsy removed from the underside of my foot this morning . That anaesthetic needle hurt like hell ! Resting it for a few days and watching a lot of Netflix and reading books . 

[nick1990]

Well yesterday afternoon turned into a bit of a anxiety filled panic fest. I’m feeling pretty exhausted this morning to be honest and a bit anxious already .

 

Is it feasible to think that this tiny fraction adjustment has triggered this ? 

Im so bloody confused - I can’t tell if this is a wave that I was going to have anyway or if the change has brought it on . 

 

If it is the adjustment, then it only makes sense that the following adjustments will accumulate to compound the situation and result in increased symptoms. 

 

The way I see it , I continue on this track and adjust further on Friday (when I’m due to make another fractional switch from generic A to generic B ) 

 

If the symptoms then increase further , do I stick with it ? 

I only have 5 weeks of this old generic remaining. 

 

Or do I source the brand name Cipramil, which is manufactured in Denmark , and available in NZ (just bloody expensive).

And transition over to this slowly instead of this Indian made generic.

 

Honestly though , I still don’t know if this wave is just from the anxiety of knowing this switch was coming ( and I obviously have a vulnerability to catastrophise, as I’ve been through some very difficult WD before, and anything which reminds me of that sends me spinning)  , or if it it from the fraction of the switch. 

 

Advice would be so appreciated on where too from here ,

 

many thanks, 

Nick

 

 

[eymen23]

Nick,

 

I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with what might well be the transition to the generic tablet.

 

These situations can be difficult to navigate and being transparent, there is not always an immediate or obvious answer as to why we feel a certain way.

 

Reading your posts above I can see: 

 

> There is the worry and anxiety in regards to the transition

 

> There is the physical transition to the new tablet 

 

> There is the anaesthetic you mentioned 

 

> There are waves that tend to happen at any time throughout the process.

 

Given your symptoms are not severe, but rather uncomfortable at this stage, I think the sensible way forward is to continue with the current transition split between pills (I’m assuming 3/4 and 1/4 doses?). 

 

I would suggest that if the symptoms are still uncomfortable by the time you reach Friday, you hold on the same transition split until things settle. If they don’t settle after another week or two, and indeed transition into being severe, perhaps we need to think about alternative options like the brand name you mentioned.

 

Unfortunately, the type of symptoms you describe above will crop up from time to time, whether that be due to a dosage reduction, new tablet, overexertion, medical issues etc. I find that gently accepting that this will be a challenging journey with some difficult days mixed in, helps me to not ‘freak out’ when things do get tough. 

 

It sounds like you have added a layer of secondary fear, which in essence is the subconscious part of you saying ‘oh no, not this again. I can’t go through those symptoms I had before again’. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to withdrawal and indeed no guarantees when it comes to life. Some suffering is to be expected and those who weather the storm well tend to focus on how to get through the darkness, not get caught up on why they’re in the darkness or how long it will last. 

 

Try your best if you can to accept the symptoms, to even ‘lean into’ the difficult symptoms. Being able to invite and sit with difficult emotions and pain, really helps to take away some of the fear and general trauma from the experience. If we can find meaning even in the hard times, we become more resilient and actually tend to experience less emotional suffering in the long run. Once you remove the secondary fear, the original fear often starts to slowly diminish too. 

 

I think some self-care, patience and trust can get you through this. Although your nervous system might kick up a fuss, It’s unlikely the new generic is significantly under-dosed to the point you’ll have a severe crash again, and by transitioning slowly you are reducing the odds that much further. 

 

Admittedly, I too have a nature of worrying and overthinking. I know how difficult it is to sit with the uncertainty and doubt of what’s happening, but over time this builds a great sense of self-confidence. If we can get used to dealing with the uncertainty of whether a major crash or health crisis is around the corner, we can slowly become open to almost anything. 

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by eymen23

[nick1990]

Hey @eymen23

 

Thank you so much for your input . It is so greatly appreciated.

 

I did some further digging into the bio-equivalence rule of 80-125% and it does seem pretty confusing, however I did read an fda study that concludes that on average a generic comparing to the name brand active ingredient has a 3.5% variation. The article I was reading also stated that it is unlikely that a generic drug with a difference of as high as 10% from the brand name would pass approval and that a difference as high as 20% would be near impossible to pass approval. I found this comforting. 

 

I also find it comforting that there hasn’t been any fuss made in NZ nationally about the switch of citalopram generics. ( ALOT of people suffered when they changed generics of Effexor a couple of years ago and was mainstream news for a while) 

Not to mention , I’ve switched brands many times before without an issue. 

 

I had my foot procedure yesterday and it hurt like hell, and I’m sure I had some underlying anxiety about that too. It’s just all come at once and I think I just pushed myself into a wave. And then the symptoms from the wave created more anxiety and doom type thinking and it just spiralled. 

My mother and I both logically feel that this transition should be fine and that it’s mostly anxiety related to the change that has made me feel so on edge. 

 

I slept for 11 hours last night , I was knackered. Today,  well I’m actually feeling pretty much normal. I’m taking this as a good sign.

 

This definitely has brought up the elephant in the room which I need to deal with. 

There have been numerous times throughout the past few years of this tapering process, where my anxiety has escalated to extreme levels, through mostly psychological rumination and worrying, doom type thinking. 

I feel that if I had a real handle on this, that this whole process would have been soooo much easier so far. 

 

Right now, feeling calm, I’m thinking this whole switch over should only create minor issues if any, and not a huge crash. 

 

@eymen23 I will see how I’m doing by Friday, and if I’m feeling ok with just some minor anxiety symptoms, I’ll continue with the next fraction of the drug change .

 

 

[eymen23]

Nick,

 

All of the above sounds a lot more positive and I can assure you that if the transition was kicking up a huge fuss for your nervous system, you wouldn’t be feeling a lot more normal now. It sounds more like the ebbs and flows we can come to expect with this process. 

 

Fingers crossed you’re still feeling well on Friday. 

Edited October 1, 2019 by eymen23

[nick1990]

Thanks @eymen23

 

Heres a little something I should ask -

 

I’ve read that if you make an adjustment it takes between four and five half lives of that drug to reach a steady state in the blood and thus the resulting effects (WD symptoms) 

 

citalopram has a half life of 35 hours. Therefore it makes sense that your body will generally notice the change 4-5 maybe 6 days later.

It seems in the past , I’ve noticed adjustments around the 4 day mark. 

 

However , when this anxiety came up and started the other day , it was on Sunday morning , and I had only started with the new generic switch on Friday morning 

 

Say that there was a significant difference in active ingredient citalopram in this new generic - two days after, which was Sunday, would generally be too early to notice the reduction right ? 

 

Considering yesterday was Tuesday (NZ), it would make sense that had there been a difference in active ingredient, by body would have noticed it yesterday , whereas yesterday I felt pretty much normal. 

 

Does this make sense ? 

[eymen23]

Hi Nick,

 

It would make sense for it to take a few days (and you correctly note half-lives) to notice the reduction. However, it’s not uncommon for people to notice sooner. 

 

A good example is where people are late in the day taking a dose and find they are having brain zaps. I have also noticed reductions of Escitalopram as soon as 48 hours later (and quite intensely I may add), even though the blood levels are still reducing to a new steady state. There have been many instances of that amongst members. If I remember right @Carmie has experienced akathisia the same night as dropping a dose or switching brands (can’t remember the  exact scenario). 

 

Sorry to take away the opportunity for a more certain answer, but I think it will be difficult to pin this down. Fingers crossed things stay more stable.

[nick1990]

Hmm it is interesting , that variation that everyone has! 

 

It seems that we are all just soooo different.

 

For me , I’ve not noticed a change until at least 4 days after the change.

It seems that most accounts seem to be similar in regards to time frame. 

 

No worries in regards to taking away a more certain answer.

I am pretty sure now that I’ve just been in a little wave, most likely stress and worry about this transition has caused it. Plus the foot procedure. It never rains but it pours.

 

 

 

[nick1990]

Friday tomorrow, so am due to do a further  switch. 

 

I am going to need some help with the maths here please ! Haha .. 

 

so im wanting to cut the whole old generic into 3/4.

And the new  generic into 1/4

Old generic Pill weight is 0.185 , so I just divide by 4 and then times that by 3 ? 

 

Pill weight is 0.127 for new, so I just divide by 4 ? 

 

 

Regarding how I’m feeling . 

Well honestly , not great. 

 

Just an underlying anxiousness and sensitivity to emotional stuff. All anxiety based. 

Intensity wise , it’s only a 2/10 at present.

 

I really don’t know what the best call is from here .

Do I just continue with doing what I was planning and doing more of the switch over tomorrow?

 

I still am unsure whether this is just a wave from all the stress of this switch and my foot procedure, or as a result of the adjustment. I know that no one can answer this , but I’m just after a bit of guidance.

 

thanks team 

 

 

[eymen23]

Hi Nick,

 

Your maths is right. You will need to take:

 

0.185 x (3/4) = 0.139g of the old generic

 

0.127 x (1/4) = 0.032g of the new generic 

 

Perhaps it would be worth leaving the switch for another few days? If you’re feeling uncertain and a little sensitive at the moment, there is no harm in waiting a little longer. 

[nick1990]

Thanks @eymen23! 

Legend 😊

 

I figured that too , just that time is a little of the essence as I have 5 weeks old generic left . I still have 4 adjustments to make.

 

question - I have the option of getting Cipramil from the pharmacy if push comes to shove. As far as I can tell , Cipramil is a brand name version of citalopram NOT a generic . Could this be a good idea to look into ? Or would you recommend I continue with this switch and just play it by ear ? 

 

I currently pay $3 for a month of this generic . 

The Cipramil will cost me $80 a month . Luckily I don’t have many financial constraints. 

 

Would it just be throwing money down the toilet doing that or is there a better chance of me doing well with the name brand as opposed to this new generic ? 

(I’ve never taken name brand cit) 

[eymen23]

Hi Nick,

 

Although you don’t have many financial constraints, spending an addition $77 a month on the same drug isn't worthwhile unless you are developing noticeable symptoms on the new generic. There is nothing to say that you’ll be better off on the brand name citalopram, it is more of a ‘plan B’ as it were. I’d say your point to ‘play it by ear’ is probably the wisest decision. 

 

Please talk me through this transition as I have become confused. How much new generic are you currently taking, If tomorrow you plan to switch to 3/4 old and 1/4 new? 

[nick1990]

Yeh I thought that to be the case. 

I think that just playing it by ear is best. Atleast I have it as a fallback option.

 

So I have been taking 22.4mg approx of citalopram , so the first change I made was substituting the 2.4mg our from old generic to new.

 

Today , other than waking up feeling anxious (anticipation) and having a little anxiety /panic for 5 mins this morning I’ve been feeling normal.

 

[eymen23]

9 minutes ago, nick1990 said:

So I have been taking 22.4mg approx of citalopram , so the first change I made was substituting the 2.4mg our from old generic to new.

 

Sure, I understand now. So in essence you’re already taking 10.7% of your dose as new generic and will now be moving to 33%. You should technically have only 3 more changes that require a dose of the old generic, as your final change would be to all new generic. That means  you have 5 weeks to make the 3 changes you need with the old generic, meaning a day or two extra holding should be no problem at all. 

 

Glad that you’ve mostly been well so far today. With no intention of worrying you, I will be honest and say that switching Escitalopram generics was probably the most symptomatic change I’ve made in regards to my AD usage. I was unfortunate and had no choice but to swap generics overnight, and although it was tough, I got through it ok and ended up stabilising just fine. 

 

Given that you are transitioning at a much slower pace than I did (several weeks vs one day), I’m sure you will get through this just fine, even if there are some bumps in the road ahead. The fact you already have lots of tapering experience and a good attitude, really works in your favour.

 

Edited October 3, 2019 by eymen23

[nick1990]

Wow that’s interesting @eymen23

It does make me anxious hearing that , however I appreciate your honesty ! 

 

Looking at it logically , i understand that some people have an issue switching manufacturers, and some drugs and manufacturers are more prone to creating issues. In NZ, there was a national issue with the genetics of Venlaxafine being changed. Most people were affected by the sounds. 

 

Ive heard nothing about the citalopram switch causing issues with anyone other than one online account I found on a forum. 

 

My brother is on this citalopram and did the switch over a couple of years ago when it first came out and he didn’t notice a thing.

I have switched brands many times in the past and had no issues . Not to say that its an impossibility. Just feel like most things are on my favour regarding this switch over. 

 

The anxiety feeds the anxiety and I am struggling to stop the cycle when I have a symptom pop up . 

 

I have to be honest here too , it is only my fault , but I have an almost obsession with scrolling through this forum when I’m worried about something. Reading these accounts of people having troubles switching has just sky rocketed my concern. It has also sunk into my mind months ago that I’m definitely going to have issues. When I realise that is more unlikely than likely. 

It is something I need to work on , controlling how much I worry about things. I always have , ever since I was a little child , and now that I’m on so much less drug than I used to be , it is becoming apparent that it’s something I really need to work on as I taper further.

 

 

[eymen23]

30 minutes ago, nick1990 said:

It is something I need to work on , controlling how much I worry about things. I always have , ever since I was a little child , and now that I’m on so much less drug than I used to be , it is becoming apparent that it’s something I really need to work on as I taper further.

 

 

 

Hi Nick,

 

This is very observant of you and I’m sure some therapy and/or mindfulness would go a long way in helping you work on this behaviour pattern.

 

Please also remember to be kind to yourself. It’s normal to be anxious and it’s normal to look for reassurance in times of uncertainty. The problem is, the method of reassurance (repetitively researching) doesn’t work and in fact can make things worse. No matter how many stories and experiences you read, this is your experience and it will not be exactly the same as anybody else. Plus it will only take one horror story to re-trigger the feeling of ‘oh my god what if it happens to me!’. I think the key is to accept that there may be some challenges and be willing to sit with the uncertainty. It takes a lot of practice though! 

 

Edited October 3, 2019 by eymen23

[nick1990]

@eymen23 you’re such a champ.

Thank you so much.

 

I think that the therapy is a good call! 

I am fascinated with mindfulness and have had a lot of success with it in the past. Problem is , life goes back to normal and i begin to feel good again so i don’t keep up the practice , and then something happens that is anxiety inducing and I’m out of practice and down I go , into the spiral of panic. 

I think the key is to keep at it, even during the times when we don’t need it so much.

 

Thanks again mate 😊

I will hold off on the switch for a couple more days. Feeling fine this afternoon but should probably just wait until Sunday or Monday. 

 

I will keep my intro thread updated .

 

Nick. 

 

 

[nick1990]

Sunday afternoon update.

 

Well , I had a busy day on Friday out on the boat catching fish. Felt 95% normal.

 

Saturday I had another busy day doing some work on my tiny house . Nothing too labour intensive though . 

Had some depressed moments in the morning and then felt normal for the rest of the day . 

Last night i felt really good , almost euphoric but not really , more just in a really good mood.

Had a good, long sleep and woke up feeling a bit off and has turned into a pretty moderate depression/hopelessness wave.

 

I was having waves like this before the switch, but not quite as intense - although it’s hard to tell. 

 

Im due for my second partial switch tomorrow. 

 

So I plan on doing it , even though I’m in a wave. 

Unless anyone here thinks I should further hold. (5 weeks of old generic remaining) .

 

Thanks for your responses in advance 

 

Nick .