Citalopram, high blood pressure and stress - any GPs/experiences/help

I was prescribed beta blockers then citalopram as they didn't seem to be working (this was about 7 years ago when I was going through some appalling work problems). Didn't get on with it (citalopram turned me into a zombie) and to be honest in retrospect I just felt the doctor was chucking pills at me to get me out of the surgery. There is a history of high blood pressure in my family (my mum's is sky high) but since the weight loss/exercise regime over the past year I've brought my BP from 145/90 to 115/75.

I'm on citalopram at the moment (for anxiety & panic) and am on the same dosage. For me, the side effects were terrible. I had pretty much every side effect listed (bar the erectile disfunction ?) and it was a pretty torrid 10 days. I was really sleepy - so much so that I fell asleep sat at my desk once! I also had upset stomachs, twitchy muscles, teeth grinding, nausea, feeling dizzy & faint - allsorts. It was bad enough for my H to tell me to come off them. I posted about it on here and people said to persevere as they only lasted for a short time.

But after that time it was like a switch inside me and I felt the effects immediately. I'm much calmer - I simply cannot raise the same level of panic as I did pretty much every day before I was on the tablets. I had a course of group CBT sessions about a month after I started on the tablets which helped enormously too. It didn't bring my blood pressure down, but then I have quite low blood pressure anyway. The CBT sessions I attended were self referral through the local mental health group - it might be worth googling for something similar in your area if your GP isn't helping.

BGB - Thanks for sharing, my circumstances are similar to yours with it being a work issue. I hated myself on Prozac, I became completely zoned out on it and it was as though I couldn't feel anything. With the BP my weight's not an issue, my BMI is only 22.5, so I don't want to/need to lose any more weight. I do about an hour of walking at least 5 days a week to/from work and usually more at the weekend. My BP has historically been very low (to the point of it being problematically low, so for it to swing so high is very worrying).

Whitty1 - thanks for that. I am going to look for a CBT provider. I just can't be zoned out at the moment or deal with the side effects. We're in our most horrendously busy time at work and I have to be on top of everything and in 100% working order until at least July. I'm not convinced pills are the answer.

I wasn't convinced about being put on them. I was really quite reluctant when my doctor suggested them but they have honestly changed my life. I'm not cured by any means but life is already immeasurably better. If you can cope with it for 7-10 days it makes a huge difference.

Whitty1 - I do understand what you're saying and you're probably right. The thing is, I've been on Prozac and I hated the person I became on it. I really don't want to go down that road again - in fact I've been in tears a few times this morning just thinking about it. I really do not want to take pills. I have to get a handle on the stress once and for all. This is what I do. I go 5 or 6 years utterly fine, then I have a complete wobble which lasts a year or so, go on tablets, feel okay and the cycle repeats. I think a talking therapy is the way forward to reprogramme whatever is going on inside my head.