894 replies to this topic

[invalidusername]

Already got it Sir. Took first dose when I got home... after my AD's of course!

 

I took 150mg and it took about 45 mins, but I got around 3-4 hours relief. Judging by your comment, there should be more to come.. hopefully. And only 150mg once per day, right?

 

I was given an anti-inflammatory and a some flavor of painkiller (that thankfully I wasn't allergic to), but neither did anything to stop the pain.

 

You wouldn't believe the system over here. I'm grateful that I had a bed, but they were out of pillows!! The wife wouldn't swap and go on the bed - we tried and got in trouble! So I gave her my blanket, sheet and jacket. Least I could do. All this whilst combating her social anxiety in a crowded, stuffy hospital ward with no windows.

 

She really is an awesome wife.... A God-send.

[fishinghat]

Actually it is 150 mg twice a day. You should feel much better in 2 or 3 days.

[invalidusername]

Right you are...

 

Watch this space!

[invalidusername]

Er - people (Hat in particular) - just found an FDA guide for taking Lexapro;

 

https://ibb.co/F0X86Vc 

(original found at https://www.accessda...65s024MedG.pdf)

 

"If you take Lexapro, you should not take any other medicines that contain escitalopram oxalate or citalopram hydrobromide including: Celexa."

 

This may well be to long QT issues (which I assume I do not have unless doctors couldn't read EEG), but I think I need to do something here - quick. I am so dizzy today - have been all day. I don't think this is labyrinthitis.

[fishinghat]

https://www.drugs.co...=679-0,1013-565

Interactions between your drugs

Major
citalopram escitalopram
Applies to: citalopram, Lexapro (escitalopram)

In addition, combining these medications can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances (for example, magnesium or potassium loss due to severe or prolonged diarrhea or vomiting). Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor may already be aware of the risks, but has determined that this is the best course of treatment for you and has taken appropriate precautions and is monitoring you closely for any potential complications. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations during treatment with these medications, whether together or alone.

[invalidusername]

Yes - QT syndrome is a possible, but i cannot check myself as I do not have the paperwork. But a long QT is quite easy to spot on an EEG. 

 

That said, my dizzy spells have always been when I wake, and if they are not as I wake, they are soon after I take my cocktail of lex/cit. I am trying to recall whether I had a significant dizzy spell  over the last 24 hours during the time I had not taken my dose - if I did, it wasn't concerning. 

 

Today I woke with no dizziness or stomach pains, then 90 minutes after I took them I could feel both coming on, and by the turn of the 2nd hour I was strapped into my bed. It has just started to ease off now after 6 hours, but it is still very much there. Episodes have not lasted this long.

 

Oh, and the hospital gave me three doses of omeprazole, which according to sources should NOT be given to anyone taking more than a maximum of 10mg Lexapro (http://www.saferx.co...scitalopram.pdf), might explain what your p-doc was saying about zantac there Hat... maybe he could have a word with the NHS

[fishinghat]

"That said, my dizzy spells have always been when I wake, and if they are not as I wake, they are soon after I take my cocktail of lex/cit."

Maybe you could take one in the AM and one in the PM. That might help a little but I think you need to let your new pdoc knw about this reaction and see what he/she has to say.

"Oh, and the hospital gave me three doses of omeprazole, which according to sources should NOT be given to anyone taking more than a maximum of 10mg Lexapro (http://www.saferx.co...scitalopram.pdf), might explain what your p-doc was saying about zantac there Hat... maybe he could have a word with the NHS "

That is exactly what my drs said and it is also in the information sheets for the ssri/snri. These guys are crazy over there.

[fishinghat]

Oh yea, my smart phone (Samsung) has a free ekg app on it and it is good enough to see the QT issue.

[invalidusername]

I wrote to the p-doc (indirectly through the company) at the start of last week, but heard nothing. I will write again and follow up with a call I think.

 

I still think this is all pill related as the dizziness preceded the flu, labyrinthitis usually suggests vertigo and not dizziness, the stomach appears independent of the dizziness (in that they don't always co-occur), and labyrinthitis suggest sickness/nausea rather than cramps and acid.

 

Let's see what the p-doc has to say...

[invalidusername]

I'm in a real situation here and to be honest, I am very scared.

 

I had stomach pains all night, and they have continued all day and are still there. I took my Lexapro and Citalopram and within 90 minutes, I started to feel very dizzy again. This time, the dizzy spell has not passed. I also started shaking and feeling very weak about 2 hours ago. I feel in such a state. I have written for the third time to the p-doc and followed up and got no response.

 

Looking through my notes, I am seeing "dizzy 3pm", "dizzy 3.30om" - about 7 entries over the last 14 days. I take my two meds around 1pm to 1.30pm. I am sure there has to be something in it, but I cannot stay like this. I cannot get out of bed, and it is getting worse. If the hospital have done bloods, there isn't much more it can be, but can taking two AD's at the same time (especially so similar one) cause this much havoc??

 

I'm going to move times or something tomorrow, but I don't know what. All I know is that staying as I am is not going to help me.

[fishinghat]

"If the hospital have done bloods, there isn't much more it can be, but can taking two AD's at the same time (especially so similar one) cause this much havoc??"

Absolutely. there is even a drug interaction warning about taking these two together. I really think you need to go to 12 hours apart. That may not solve everything but it should help. I can't believe you can't get a response out of your dr by know. Drive them crazy IUN. How soon can you get in to see him if you make an appointment?

[invalidusername]

Thanks Hat - good to hear that from you.

 

I am going to switch to 12 hours apart. I think this is better than dropping doses at this juncture.

 

I assume it will take 3 days or so before the levels sort themselves out??

 

I cannot email the doctor directly - it has to go through the "front desk". I could schedule another appointment and that would be within the next 7 days, but at the end of the month, another £260 is difficult to find! I should be able to run a quick q&a past the doc. There is nothing more to discuss at this point. He said that he had not known any other patient to have been on citalopram and lexapro at the same time...

[fishinghat]

3 or 4 days seems about right.

Everytime I think about what you guys go through over there it just makes me angry!!!

[gail]

Scrat, all this money to be told to drop Celexa and take Lexapro only. Is it worth it?
Sorry to be so blunt, you do know what needs to be done my Sweet Scrattage!

At least, in the meantime, you will take them separately. Makes me angry also to see how screwed up your medical operation are.

[invalidusername]

Thanks guys.

 

The response from the p-doc was that he finds it unlikely that the pills would be causing the dizziness - nothing more than that. I also spoke to my doctor and he said that he was very angry with the hospital because the paperwork said that they discharged me because I did not look like I was in much pain (!). No diagnosis given, so he has told me to go back to hospital. 

 

For now I will see the results of my switch. I took my citalopram at 3am last night (rather than leaving it 36 hours without a dose as I had already lost a day over the weekend), and have just taken my lexapro now at 3pm - both times with food.

 

Lets see what happens... I will report back later with initial findings.

[invalidusername]

Reporting back for today - the good news is that I was waiting for the dizziness that usually arrives early on, but it didn't, and hasn't really occurred at all today.

 

I did however start feeling very weak and shaky just after work - the same as yesterday, but I wasn't to the point of staying in bed this time.

 

The stomach however, is still giving issues. It was relatively comfortable (and could ignore it) for the first 4 hours. Then it was around 90 minutes after taking the Lexapro that it suddenly started getting worse. This did coincide with going to work, so anxiety might have something to do with it. Since then, it has been constantly bad giving no relief whatsoever.

 

Early days. Need more data. But each day without relief just makes it harder. Hospital told me to go to Doctor. Doctor told me to go back to the hospital. Its the NHS doing their usual bang-up job...

[fishinghat]

"Need more data"

Yes Sir. A few more days and things will be clearer.

[invalidusername]

So woke up to feeling a red-hot poker going through the bottom of my rib cage and got myself back to hospital.

 

I refused bloods again for the third time as I saw no reason, and went straight to the x-ray. Turns out I have aggravated an unknown hiatus hernia. Stomach has been leaking acid in the base of esophagus. Makes a lot of sense now. The source of the over-production of acid is not known but can be calmed with protein pumps. Still on residual morphine, so I will enjoy the last of the effects from that for now

 

Just what I needed though - more pills!!  

[invalidusername]

QUICK IUN UPDATE

 

I split the Lexapro/Citalopram at the start of the week - the dizziness seems to have stopped - whether it was related I do not know.

 

Weds was back to hospital and acid reflux was diagnosed, but this also seems to have calmed down since the diagnosis? Maybe stress? I have therefore not started taking the medication as there seems little point. 

 

For the last couple of days I have had discomfort/nausea in lower abdomen and feeling very weak (especially in the morning), along with some not nice rear-end symptoms. Keeping hydrated but still not feeling great this morning. Potentially a viral infection. I'll give it the rest of the weekend... just getting really really tired of all these issues. One day to feel normal.. is that too much to ask?!?

[gail]

Scrat, no more dizziness, a good point. I was wondering how you were doing. Not completely over the hill yet.

Don't forget about The hidden grace of suffering. But a normal day would be quite appreciated, right? Don't I know about that. Lovage my sweet Scrattage.

[invalidusername]

Thanks Gailage. Yes - trying to look at the positive. Dizziness and upper stomach pains gone. Just lower stomach pains and weakness left to go.

 

It is really messing up my anxiety as I do not know what is wrong with me. I have been to see my friend this afternoon who is a food safety doctor, and she has told me to get checked for helicopacter pylori virus. It did cross my mind. If I need to take a load of antibiotics, then just bring it on and get it over with!!! I am so tired of feeling so lousy all the time...

 

I really feel for you too in a very similar state - it really sucks. Glad I have seen my friend, but that is pretty much all I can manage for today...

[fishinghat]

When I went through my digestive problems I thought it might be H. pylori but my pdoc said it was just my withdrawal and it eventually faded away.

[invalidusername]

I'm not ruling out the potential for withdrawal now I have seen what it is capable of...

[invalidusername]

Stomach got better after above post and went entirely from Sunday evening to Monday late afternoon. Returned until late last night and has now gone again. Maybe clearing up - maybe anxiety... don't know.

 

Still struggling with overall fatigue and dizziness feeling.

 

Really think I need to stop taking both AD's and be taking either Citalopram OR Lexapro. I think there are going to be continued problems all the while I am taking both - and there is no way of knowing which is causing what symptom.

 

All the physical symptoms (and illnesses!) are without a doubt the root cause of all of this. I need to sort it out once and for all.

[fishinghat]

"Really think I need to stop taking both AD's and be taking either Citalopram OR Lexapro. I think there are going to be continued problems all the while I am taking both - and there is no way of knowing which is causing what symptom."

So true. Just flip a coin. lol

[fishinghat]

I just did a review of 7 papers that compared the effectiveness of antidepressants. Lexapro, Remeron and Zoloft, in that order were considered the most effective. Celexa ran around number 6 on the list.

[invalidusername]

It does indeed seem that Lexapro offers the most favorable results. I reduced the dose because it was giving me the shakes, but this could easily have been the cymbalta withdrawal. 

 

Adding the Citalopram has only added more confusion. 

 

I am sick and tired of looking at my notes and reading dizziness, nausea, fatigue, shakes, etc. There hasn't been one day where nothing has been written for months.

 

I should go back to the p-doc, but £260 for him just to say, go on 20mg Lexapro and drop the Citalopram, and come back in 6 weeks... I don't have this sort of money to be throwing around.

 

The efficiency of one drug or the other cannot be gauged while I am taking both. Simple.

[KathyInFL]

My p-doc appt cost me $110 US because my insurance didn't cover it. Much cheaper than what you have to pay, IUN!

[invalidusername]

That's £80!!! 

 

Almost worth the plane ticket over there...

[KathyInFL]

come visit!!