Val asked me once whether I slept better or felt happier when we were abroad.

At the time I couldn’t answer truthfully because I had just started a course of antidepressants (Citalopram 20mg) and was on a daily high.

Wherever I was or whatever occasion I found myself in I felt happy, happier than I have felt for a long time. I didn’t care if I hadn’t slept the night before, it didn’t affect my elated mood one bit.

I felt the same as if I had had a really good night’s sleep, but every day.

The leaflet accompanying the Citalopram warned the drug might have the effect of a feeling of elation every day, of being hyper active and just hyper. This was not a good side effect apparently but I loved it. It said that if you are bipolar, the drug would make you have the manic phase permanently.

I have never been diagnosed as bipolar but understand how that feels as I am up and down from day to day but always put that down to lack of or a good night’s sleep.

Anyway one night I took a sleeping pill (Zolpidem 5mg) because I felt very tired and was fed up actually of not getting a good night even though I always felt on top of the world the next day.

Sadly I woke up the next day feeling depressed. The magical effects of the Citalopram had stopped working. I was devastated as I’d only been on them for a month.

Around that time, three things had occurred which in normal pre-antidepressant days would have plunged me into a deep state of anxiety/low mood. My OH had a potentially serious medical issue diagnosed and my next door neighbour had reneged on an agreement she had made when we bought the house three years ago to sell us an additional parking space. It’s a long complicated story but the upshot of her decision affected us badly and we don’t talk to her now and are seriously thinking of moving. Thirdly I caught a bad bacterial infection which needed antibiotics.

I am seeing the Dr on the 23rd of August and will ask her why the Citlopram is no longer working and does she think it’s added stress which caused this. Or should I try another anti-depressant.

I’d be very interested if others on Moodscope have experienced anything similar and if they could offer any suggestions as to why antidepressants can stop working suddenly.

Thank you.

Julia

A Moodscope Member