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[moonbeam121167]

Morning all, as alot of you now I have been suffering from headaches for years, been on Amitrypline for about 6 months and they have been not bad but this last month they got bad again so I upped it by half but still no help, went to the docters Monday and she now says they are tension type headaches and put me on citalopram, well last night was my second pill and today I have the most awful headache, my poor stomach is burning ( I also have been taking Lansoprazole for stomach issues and it has been good until today) my husband thinks I should stop taking them and go back to the GP but she did say they will take weeks to work, the thing is I am not depressed really or have any anxiety, I do get stressed from time to time but dont we all, its just these headaches they are making me depressed I feel like a hypochondriac , I just dont know what to do anymore, my HRT is going good my life in general is good, please can anyone help or advise 

[countrybumpkin]

The side effects from these types of drugs can be severe at first plus you have suddenly stopped the old anti d I assume, which will give you withdrawal symptoms regardless of what some Drs say!

I tried mitrazapine for insomnia a couple of years ago and the side effects were horrendous - I had severe acid reflux even with stomach drug and put on 7lbs in weight in 14 days so I just stopped them. The side effects were worse than the condition.

If it was me I would go bck to the Dr and ask if I could stop the cit and go back onto the old amiltryp ( you still had headaches but could cope better than now) and ask if you could have a referral to a neurologist who specilises in headaches. You will have to wait but they are the experts at treating chronic headaches.

Again its quality of life issue. If the side effects are so severe then you cannot be expected to put up with it for a month to " see" if it improves.

[Milamam]

Hi,
I am no expert on headaches but a note on citalopram and PPIS (lanzoprazol) - cit interacts with PPIs and should not be taken together. I think it is absorbtion issue. I am on citalopram low dose and was once prescribed lanzoprazole for acid reflux . My Dr at the time said no problem as long as I take the PPI in the morning and cit at night. I however ended up not taking the lanzo . Citalopram was more important to me at the time.

Hope this is helpful
Milamam

[coldethyl]

Seems a bit of a hammer to crack a nut. If you don!t feel particularly anxious then I'd have thought a referral to a physio might be first thing to try-when I had very bad headaches years ago my neck was in such a spasm that only working on that relieved my head pains. Also as CB said, a referral to a neurologist might be an idea as there are all sorts of headaches and lots of other treatments than an antidepressant.

[moonbeam121167]

Hi I have just finished a course of physio and he said I have a neck issue, I am not unduely depressed and don't have anxiety, I do get some stress but don't we all, don't want to take an anti depressant but want these headaches to go away, the trouble with the amitrypline is cause I work various shifts including nights they are hard to take, they start  from my neck and radiate up, its like a tight band around my lower part of my head, my neck hurts when I move it, just dont know what to do ..

[countrybumpkin]

I hadn't caught on to you also taking a ppi tablet. have the headaches come on since you started them by any chance? I only ask because for 26yrs I took ranitidine the old style anti ulcer drug for hiatus hernia and my Dr asked me to change to omeprazole as it was cheaper for him to prescribe but within a few days one of the side effects was a contant heacache and together with other side effects he agreed I could go back to my old drug and the headache went away.

I also have a prolapsed disc and very bad arthritis in my neck and this can give all sorts of weird head pains. I found physio to be far to intensive for my poor old neck and it made me much worse and settled for a gentle stretching and acupuncture with a chiropractor who knows my neck condition.

[moonbeam121167]

Evening all, tried the Citalopram but it caused major sleep issues and major headaches which lasted all night, went to see a GP, not my normal one, and all he said to stop all pills,  Amitrypline and Lansopazole,  I did and god my headaches eased so much, still get stressed and some headaches and my poor stomach was horrible but not as bad as they were, so I bought some Zantacs from Boots and it takes the edge off it, went this morning to see my normal GP and she has given me Prozac to try, as she believes I am stressed and they are tension headaches, any one have any experiences of Prozac

 

[CLKD]

You need referring to a physiotherapist.  You can do a self referral.  Prozac is an Anti-depressant medication.  It made me ANGRY    …….. and can be difficult to stop. 

Stress can be dealt with by other means, i.e. talking therapy, yoga, good exercise regime ……..