Daily Headaches. Caused by meds??

[Overwhelmed]

Hi everyone! I am having a problem with these annoying headaches every single day. I take 1 mg of Lorazapam twice a day and 20 mg of Citalopram at bedtime. I also have .05mg sublingual Lorazapam for bad panic attacks. Has anyone else had headaches with these meds? I have onlybeen taking these meds for about 3 weeks so I know I am still getting used to them but will these headaches ever go away?? They are driving me more nuts than the depression! Lol. Any info would be appreciated!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Overwhelmed

[AJ]

Headache is one of the side effects listed for Citalopram. If you are getting daily headaches I would recommend that you see your doctor. It may or may not be drug related. Even if they started at the same time as you started your medication, it would be a good idea to have other causes ruled out.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/celexa-side-effects.html

[paul m]

Hello Overwhelmed. AJ has said it pretty well and you should check with your doctor. I will say that most people that I know who took Citalopram experienced headaches for about 4-8 wks and then they lessened or disappeared. Take Care. paul m

[imsosad]

overwhelmed, I tend to get headaches from a lot of the meds I try so my sympathies are with you. I agree with the advice everyone has given you about seeing your dr.

[Overwhelmed]

Thanks everyone! I did research side effects and headaches were one of the side effects. I go see my GP on Jan 14 and will mention it to him then if they are still happening. He has put in a referral for me to see a pdoc but I am still waiting to find out when my appt is. Until then Tylenol is my new best friend. Lol.
Take care everyone!
Overwhelmed

[astronaut]

I have never taken the meds you mentioned; however, every anti-psychotic medication I have taken has caused chronic headaches that never go away until I stop the drug. I also tend to get severe, chronic headaches from depression whether or not I am taking meds.

What I found frustrating with my psychiatrist is that she didn't seem to believe me when I tried to express how much pain I was in every single hour of the day from these headaches. She kept saying that it was unlikely to be the meds, or that the headaches would go away, etc. No pain killers or anti-inflammatories helped me. SO, when you go and see the doctor, make sure to tell them that the headaches are driving you more nuts than the depression. Emphasize how bad the headaches are and describe them to the doctor as best you can. There are different kinds of headaches and some doctors can identify which category your headaches might fall under depending on the whereabouts of the headaches, the intensity and the presence of other muscle tension in the neck or back.

Some questions you might want to consider before you see the doctor:

Have the headaches started only after taking the new meds?
Do the headaches get worse shortly after you take the med?
Do the headaches worsen just before you are going to take the med (i.e. when most of it is out of your system)?
Did you have headaches before you took the meds as part of your depression?
Are you prone to headaches in general?
Is there anything that relieves the headaches? Does something make them worse (i.e. bright light, watching TV, feeling hungry...etc.)?

Are you seeing any benefit whatsoever from the meds, regardless of the headaches?

good luck,
astronaut

[Overwhelmed]

Thanks Astronaut for good questions to ask! I am not usually prone to headaches very often so this is definately new. I take both my meds right before bed because they both make me drowsy. I do sleep great though. It is when I wake up in the morning is when they are the worst. They usually ease up a little bit in the afternoon and then the headache comes back again in the early evening. The headaches are almost like clockwork every day. I have never had so many intense headaches. I mentioned it to my GP on Monday but he said that they would taper off soon. I don't seem to have any other side effects at all. I was very tired all the time at first but that feeling is getting better. I do feel my mood is better than it was prior to the meds. Before the meds all I did was cry and had serious thoughts about hurting myself. (I even went to Emerg at the hospital 1 night to talk to the crisis nurse.) Now I feel kinda like I don't have any emotions at all. Almost like I am numb but better able to function with day to day things. (I even find the energy to shower every day now, whereas before I couldn't be bothered or too tired.) So for the most part things are improving, other than the headaches.
Take care Astronaut and thanks for your help!
Overwhelmed

[paul m]

Hello Overwhelmed. I'm not an expert on headaches, but you may want to try 1 or more of the following.

Try drinking an extra glass of water before going to bed. Dehydration is a major cause of morning headaches. For some reason some of our meds sometimes seem to dry us out.

Try taking a tylenol before going to bed, sometimes stopping a headache before it gets started works best.

Teeth grinding(Bruxism) is a not uncommon side effect of Citalopram(celexa) and it's cousin cipralex. This is one side effect that is difficult to notice, but can have major consequences in terms of both headaches and dental repairs. I add dental repairs as people who grind their teeth in their sleep often cause damage to their teeth. Some people get their dentist to make a mouth guard to help prevent this(especially if they have a dental plan). Take Care. paul m

[Overwhelmed]

Thank for your help Paul! I will try and drink more water after dinner and I never thought about taking a Tylenol before bed but I will try that tonight for sure! I might be dehydrated a little because of the Colitis too. My lips are dry and chapped, which is one sign of dehydration. Also my hair is falling out in clumps from the Colitis as well. I become malnourished quickly when my Colitis flares up so I do try to drink lots all day long. I may need to call my GI specialist in Hamilton soon if my Colitis continues. I already lost 10 lbs and since I am now 95 lbs I cannot afford to lose anymore!
Thanks again Paul for some good tips!
Take care,
Overwhelmed

[paul m]

Hello Overwhelmed. 95lbs!!! That sounds pretty light. I haven't weighed 95lbs that since grade 10. However in the years between grade 10 and now I've more than made up for my being too small in high school LOL.

But that's the way life is, some of don't weigh enough and others of us weigh a little too much.

I hope that you soon get your colitis under control. Take Care and have a good New Year. paul m

[astronaut]

How tall are you, Overwhelmed? 95lbs could be a very dangerous weight to be at. Also, losing that amount of weight in such a short period of time can have negative effects on us such as causing symptoms of depression, including headaches.

I am somewhat familiar with autoimmune diseases and I would suggest (if you haven't already been doing so) to note any changes in your colitis symptoms and when you have flare ups and see if they correspond to changes in meds. Some medications can have a negative impact on your colitis. I would talk to your GI specialist right away, especially if they don't know about the new meds you are on. It would be a good idea to tell the GI about your mood symptoms too because they could be related.

Do you have regular blood work done to monitor what the colitis is doing to your blood counts, hormones and nutrients/minerals in your body? When these things are out of whack, they can also cause symptoms of depression. You just want to be sure that you are not taking unneeded medications. If the problem is from vitamin/mineral/hormonal imbalances, treating the depression with psych meds is not going to help very much. If your mood problems have other biological factors besides neurochemical imbalances and environmental stressors, and you get those things looked after, that might help you to either refrain from having to take psych meds, or help you to find relief from the psych meds once they are taken in combination with treatment for the other things.

Sorry if you know all this stuff already. I'm sure you have lots of knowledge about this sort of thing. But I thought I'd add in knowledge from my own experience and understanding of the human body because sometimes doctors aren't very good at educating their patients about what is going on.

good luck with everything,
astronaut

[Overwhelmed]

Dear Astronaut:
I am 5'2" tall. I am going to call my GI dr this week. I have not had any blood work done since last April when I last saw my GI dr. I asked my GP if I should maybe have blood work done and he said he didn't think it was necessary right now. I just finished taking Prednisone for one month to try and control my Colitis but it didn't help this time. I have a problem with my Colitis every single day for 4 years now. Just some days are better than others. I know that I can't take Ibuprophen because it upsets my Colitis but that is the only drug so far that I know makes things worse. I also have Psoriasis since I was 5 years old which is also an autoimmune disease. Sometimes I think I have no immune system at all!
And Paul I did try taking Tylenol before bed the last 2 nights and the first morning it helped but this morning the headache was back. Astronaut may be right, the headaches could be from my Colitis too. Time to go see my GI dr again. She always runs all kinds of tests, including blood work.
Thank you both for your help and info! I appreciate all your feedback!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Overwhelmed

[astronaut]

Hi Overwhelmed,

I am glad that you are getting in to see your GI dr as soon as you can. Unfortunately, the psych meds that you are on right now can be A LOT harder on your system than Ibuprofen and I would not be at all surprised if they contribute to a flare up. The side effects of psych meds are not well understood because they can effect different people in very different ways. You must be pro-active and very carefully monitor and write down any changes you have in your mood, physical symptoms, and colitis symptoms while you are trying new meds to see if there is a correlation between taking the meds and having worsening colitis.

Your GP is WRONG when he says you don't need blood work. Having colitis itself, especially if it is very chronic or severe, is reason enough to have blood work done on a regular basis. Diseases like colitis can wear down the body and deplete so many of your vital nutrients. It is not uncommon to have deficiencies in iron, for instance. An iron deficiency can cause symptoms of depression. It is always important to have blood work done and a basic physical done BEFORE you start any psych meds.

Please be sure to tell your GI Dr. about your depression symptoms and the psych meds you were prescribed. I would suggest keeping a log of how you are feeling each day and recording the meds you took that day, and the hours of sleep that you got. When I say "how you are feeling," I mean, write down your mood (or lack of mood, i.e. "numbness"), fluctuations in your mood, and your basic energy level. Also, try keeping a log of the physical symptoms you are having including colitis symptoms, headaches, tight muscles, etc. Mark down the severity and duration of the physical symptoms.

A log sounds like a lot of work, but trust me, it is worth it. It is so important to have a log of what is going on, especially when you are dealing with more than one illness. The log will help you and your doctors see what treatments are helping and which treatments might be making things worse. Once you get into the habit of keeping a daily log, it will not take long to complete and it will become easier to do.

good luck and let us know how things are going,
astronaut

[Overwhelmed]

Thanks Astronaut for good ideas!
I tried to call my GI Dr today but they are closed so I will try again tomorrow. I know my body is really going through hell with my Colitis right now. The last major flare up was 4 years ago and I ended up in the hospital for 11 days. My Potassium levels were dangerously low and while in the hospital my bowel perferated and I ended up in emergency surgery. So needless to say I am very worried right now. I am hoping I can get in to see my GI Dr within the next week. I like the idea of keeping a log. I bought a book to start journaling but of course I haven't started it yet. I will keep you posted. Just praying I don't end up back in the hospital for this again.
Take care everyone!
Overwhelmed

[astronaut]

Hi Overwhelmed.

It sounds like you have had some pretty serious bouts of colitis. I really would watch the psych meds and the colitis. Who prescribed your psych meds? Do they know about your colitis? When you get through to the GI doctor's office, I would try telling the receptionist what is going on and the urgency of this issue. Sometimes if you just say you need an appointment, the receptionist will not work very hard at trying to fit you in and you may get an appointment too far down the line. It is easier to treat illness and prevent hospitalization if the problem is treated before it gets too far out of hand. I hope you can get an appointment soon!

astronaut