Firiel Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I just started on a daily medication for my anxiety/depression. I only started it several days ago, but I'm considering stopping it due to the side effects. The main one is that I can't sleep. I fall asleep fine but wake up between 1:30am and 3:00am and don't sleep much after that. I'm exhausted. This seems like a pretty common side effect, and I saw some horrible posts online, about people up for 40 hours straight. I am a person that really needs sleep, and it's taking an effect on me already. I don't have an appetite. Yesterday, I did manage a small lunch of meat and rice. For dinner, I choked down some noodles in broth and had about a glass and a half of chocolate milk. But I also ran 5 miles. I don't have a ton of weight to spare, either, though five pounds won't hurt me. This one is just annoying, but I had to get up TWICE last night to go to the bathroom. That is pretty much unheard of for me. And I didn't drink much water before bed, either. I don't think I drank past six or so. I know these side effects are supposed to abate after a while, but for those with experience, how long did it take? Do you think it's worth it for me to keep taking it until that point? Link to comment
relevart Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Don't quit the meds! Talk to your doctor. Getting the right meds down can be tricky. I was on them in my 20s and didn't like the side effects either. (I gained weight.) I'm not saying don't do research on the computer, but with these meds, I have a hunch that people who love them and swear by them aren't posting about them much on-line. Not as much as those who have problems with them. How you do the search can also skew the results. Plugging in "Prozac, bad side effects" would obviously skew the results for Prozac. (Yeah, I know, Prozac is so 1994. Just using that as an exmaple.) Medicating yourself is certainly worth it and it does take time. If it happened overnight, life would be great. Just hang in there and communicate these issues to your doctor. You might want to start a journal and record your eating habbits, how you feel and even trips to the bathroom. Doesn't have to be journal style, just bullet points with a date and time. Hang in there. The medseventually worked for me and got me through a rough stretch of time that some of us may remember as the 1990s. Link to comment
Clinton Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I agree with the above. Online forums about medications are a terrible place to get information. People usually come on just to moan and complain(sort of like here Getting meds right takes time and patience. But the end result can be worth it. It often takes time for them to work so be patient. Having said that they don't work on everyone so you may have to try different ones to get the desired effect. Or sometimes the side effects for an individual may outweigh the benefits. As has been said it's important to keep on contact with your doctor and discuss your treatment and how it's progressing. I found a good place for information was mycrazymeds. The articles on each specific drug were really good at giving pros and cons and the chance it might be effective. Good luck. I hope you can get them right. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Are you taking Wellbutrin? Sorry, I was just struck by the lack of sleep and appetite bit. Common side effects for that particular drug but they can go on for other antidepressants as well. I take 2 antidepressants daily, plus a third once in a while "as needed" and that one helps me sleep. I've been taking them for over half of my life. Aside from a bit of dry mouth, I don't have any other side effects. I've had medication issues a couple times with my doses but I worked those out. I would talk to your doctor asap. It may not be the right dosage or medication for you. If you're not sleeping right or you're not eating right, it's time for a change. There are many drugs out there and your doctor can try another one and see how you feel. Link to comment
WithLove Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 What meds are you taking? Don't stop them until you talk to your doctor.. The side effects of coming off of them are usually worse than when taking them. Link to comment
Firiel Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 It's citalopram. A pretty normal dose, though I don't recall right at this moment. I literally JUST started taking it only a few days ago. I've read that side effects are supposed to calm down after a month or so, so I'm not sure if I should try to stick it out or not. I don't think stopping right now would cause problems because it's been such a short time. Link to comment
WithLove Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I was on that for awhile too. They gave me nightmares and caused some sleep disturbance for me, too. I'm on Effexor now and it has the reverse effect... I'm so sleepy all the time. I sleep for 9 hours a night and never feel rested. I don't know which is worse! Link to comment
Clinton Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Sorry, the website is now crazymeds no "my" anymore. Citalopram\Celexa takes a few weeks to really work. Give it a chance, about 6 weeks before you decide. Link to comment
Firiel Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm just not sure I can put up with sleeping 4-5 hours a night and not having an appetite for that long. Link to comment
Clinton Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm just not sure I can put up with sleeping 4-5 hours a night and not having an appetite for that long. Talk to your doctor. They can sometimes prescribe other meds to help with specific side effects. I'm no expert but often anti anxiety medications involve some tradeoffs. You have to decide if the anxiety is worse than some of the side effects. I was on Lexapro after my divorce and it helped me with some issues in the short term. Unfortunately for me one of the side effects was anorgasma(inability to cum) my stamina was amazing but I was never rewarded ar the end I also had some sleep issues initially. After a year, I went off it but it got me through some crap times. Anyway talk to your doctor before you make any decisions. Link to comment
WithLove Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Clinton - that's awful!!! I was on a host of meds (I loved Prozac, but had an allergic reaction to it, along with Lexapro..). I'm still trying to find the right one for me, but Effexor is working for right now. It just makes me unbelievably tired all the time, and dizzy. Link to comment
sadchick83 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I know a few people on that one. For them it had sexual side effects. Basically no interest. I agree with the others. Give it a try for a few weeks. Going to a doctor who is very familiar with these types of drugs can be helpful--A psychiatrist over a regular family doctor. They know these drugs inside out and can get you on the right track. To the person who tried Wellbutirn, or remeron as it was called for me. That drug was horrible! I could drag it under my tongue and be asleep for 14 hours, When I would up I was as hungry as a bear and as ornery as an alligator. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Yeah I'm on Wellbutrin but it works well for me. It's a stimulant so it keeps me awake so I have to take it during the day only. It's horrid for some others though. For me, it also partially offsets the effects that prozac has on my libido. I think you should talk to your psychiatrist right away honestly. Yes, meds take several weeks to work but if the side effects are so bad that you can't handle them, talk to your doctor. If you were having mild effects like maybe dry mouth, mild appetite loss, etc. and could live with it, then I say give it a few weeks. If the side effects are making life very difficult, it's time to go to the doctor and try something else. You shouldn't be suffering like that. Link to comment
WithLove Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Welbutrin started out alright for me, but in the end I was getting terrible nightmares and couldn't sleep for more than an hour at a time. By the end of the time I was on it, I was miserable. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Go and talk to your doctor and stay the heck off online forums please!!!! Those online forums where people complain about their drugs and side effects are just hell. They will scare the ever loving crap out of you. Nope just stay off those things. Link to comment
agent1607307371 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Firiel - what time are you taking the meds? I was in citalopram and when I started taking it, I would take it at night. 3-4am Boom, awake. So I switched to taking it first thing in the morning. If the side-effects don't calm down (and I admit, other than the sleep thing, I had a fantastic run on it - lost weight, libido came back - pretty much the opposite of every side effect I'd been scared of) see your doctor. Just because they've prescribed it doesn't make it the right drug for you. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Welbutrin started out alright for me, but in the end I was getting terrible nightmares and couldn't sleep for more than an hour at a time. By the end of the time I was on it, I was miserable. I have very bad nightmares and have since I was child (before meds). I suspect Wellbutrin is contributing to that because my nightmares went from 3x a month to few times a week. 10 years of Wellbutrin use and I'm used to it. I always have a little anxiety when I sleep because I am not sure what I will see that night but that is a feeling I am used to because I deal with it my whole life. By all means, if a side effect is bad and disruptive to your life, don't put up with it. Go to the doctor and try something else. Link to comment
Firiel Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Firiel - what time are you taking the meds? I was in citalopram and when I started taking it, I would take it at night. 3-4am Boom, awake. So I switched to taking it first thing in the morning. If the side-effects don't calm down (and I admit, other than the sleep thing, I had a fantastic run on it - lost weight, libido came back - pretty much the opposite of every side effect I'd been scared of) see your doctor. Just because they've prescribed it doesn't make it the right drug for you. I actually started taking it in the morning the second I connected it to the sleep thing. It's been spotty. I had one fine night's sleep, another crappy one. I think the sleep thing is winding down. I still don't have much of an appetite, but it's better. For now, the side effects are manageable at least in the short-term, so I will stay on it for a month or so and see if the negative side effects have gotten better by then. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 It takes 6 to 8 weeks to work properly. But those forums will do your head in. Link to comment
Cheetarah Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I had a really bad dry mouth for awhile, and I felt almost manic for a little bit after initial exhaustion. A little funky but kind of welcome. Once I adjusted within a few weeks, it was good. I felt normal, just dry mouth. About a month or two ago my dose was increased, which created some nasty insomnia - Combating that with Klonopin and Benadryl, it's pretty good now. I also take the medication in the morning because of that sleeplessness. I was fortunate that Zoloft worked well for me and I responded to it. Of course I wasn't sure if I was going to with all the adjusting in the first month or so, but so long as the effects are not very disruptive, I would give it a chance. If the sleeplessness gets to a point where it's affecting your functionality, you could talk to your psyche about a short term sleep aid until you adjust. Link to comment
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