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Best time to take Citalopram?

Posted , 6 users are following.

Honeybee17
Honeybee17

My 18 year old son has recently started taking 10mg of citalopram (2weeks) after swapping from Sertraline.

It hasn't been a great 2 weeks we really saw a drop in his moods, so hoping they start taking effect real soon. The other thing is he is sleeping all day like until 2-3pm having said he doesnt sleep at night.

What time have you all found best to take them please? Also did anyone feel awful and suicidal in the first couple of weeks?

Thankyou in advance

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • debbie17569
    debbie17569 Honeybee17

    Posted

    Hi there. Ok, the first few weeks for me and a lot of people were hell but it does get better.  

    I take mine in the morning. It did play havoc with my sleep for a few weeks but that is now back to normal and I have been on them for 9 weeks.

    i did not feel suicidal but struggled badly with the feelings of anxiety. It was not a pleasant experience and I would not wish that on anyone to be honest!  

    My advice would be for your son to hang in there as it will get better.  As he's only young, I would be with him as much as possible, try and go out for walks and most of all, just try and relax. He needs time to recover but he will  be fine. Have a look at the 'anyone not had side effects on citilopram' forum on here, it saved my sanity!!

    there are also plenty of people on here who will also help so just keep posting if you need advice.

    debbie x

    • Honeybee17
      Honeybee17 debbie17569

      Posted

      Hi Debbie

      Thankyou for your reply, it's hard as a parent to watch and feel like there is not much help you can give. On one hand he is really low and on the other he is still going out with friends once he finally wakes up.

      i have tried to get him to look at these forums as I think they are very helpful, but he is the 'not wanting help' stage 

      Thankyou

    • debbie17569
      debbie17569 Honeybee17

      Posted

      Yes it will be hard for you as you cannot help him as such, you can only be there for him. I've realised that, with me, it has to be me that sorts this out! It's a very strange illness. It hit me after a health scare, which was fine, but I couldn't stop feeling panicky and anxious. Not like me at all. The citaloprsm did make me feel worse at first but I've stuck with it and it is working, no doubt. 

      As he is only 18, he will probably just want to sleep and not take any notice of what us adults have to say, typical teenager!! But as he is still going out, I wouldn't worry too much, but as his mum, you are going to worry.

      i hope he feels better soon x

    • Honeybee17
      Honeybee17 debbie17569

      Posted

      Thankyou that really helps to hear your point of view .... I hope that you continue to feel better every day x

      ps he takes his in the morning too (when I wake him and before he goes back to sleep lol)

  • marky_b
    marky_b Honeybee17

    Posted

    hi the side effects on these are awful insomnia is one of the worst i alays take mine at night 1 hour before i go to bed but sleep still isnt great 10mg is the lowest dose once you go to 20mg it gets even worse they say you should start to feel the benifits of these after a few weeks but thats rubbish i was on taking 20 mg for 6 weeks in the end came back down to 10mg as i had enough with these meds you really think your not getting anywhere it get so much worse before it gets any better i have been taking these for 4 months now and im thinking i have had enough havent felt any different just worse. but we are all different some people say there great they just take there time to start working. but this is a great place for info as we are all doing the same thing. good luck
    • Honeybee17
      Honeybee17 marky_b

      Posted

      Hi Marky b

      Thankyou for your reply. I hope you find something that works for you real soon and hope they start working for my son soon , it doesn't help that he has never been a great sleeper 

  • mel09274
    mel09274 Honeybee17

    Posted

    I had been taking mine just before bed but was having trouble sleeping. I know take it in the morning and sleep really well.

    I was also on Sertraline previously and must say it was a lot more effective and a lot less up and down moments but I put on 2 stone. So far I have not had the weight gain twith citalopram but a lot more up and down moments , its taken over 12 weeks to settle x

    • Honeybee17
      Honeybee17 mel09274

      Posted

      Oh dear I do hope they work for him! Also hope that they settle for you too.

       

    • anna78365
      anna78365 Honeybee17

      Posted

      Hi, they have worked really well for me. I initially felt pretty awfull.  They made me feel more anxious at times and then so sleepy at other times so that I just wanted to sleep most of the day. I had no motiviation, but I am starting to feel so much better now.  Week 1 was the worst.  Week 2 slightly better and so on.  Now week 5 I feel like I have reached a turning point and things are starting to look brighter.  The 1st 2 wks are the worst and then it improved for me.  Everyone is different but from all the forums I have read most people have a pretty awfull 2 weeks and then gradually start to feel better.  I was convinced they wouldn't work for me and thought about stopping taking them but now I'm so glad I didn't. 

       

    • Honeybee17
      Honeybee17 anna78365

      Posted

      Thanks Anna...I do worry that they won't work, so gives me hope. I notice a lot of people take 20mg, he is only on 10mg. Do you think this is because if his age?

    • anna78365
      anna78365 Honeybee17

      Posted

      Hi, I take 20 mg.  I've heard people say that's the therapuetic dose.  Maybe because of his age he needs to build-up to this dose.  It was pretty awfull for me the first 2 weeks.

      Best wishes to your son.  

  • jenni31235
    jenni31235 Honeybee17

    Posted

    Hi

    I'm kind of in the same boat as your son I'm 20 and I'm only on 10 mg of citalopram it's only been 13 days and I've had some days better than others but not where I want to be these past couple of weeks have been awful... And I usually take my tablet around dinner time as I havnt yet found a suitable time to take mine at yet I'm thinking the morning times maybe the best time for me to take mine.

    x

    • Honeybee17
      Honeybee17 jenni31235

      Posted

      Hi Jenni Sorry to hear you're not feeling great, I really hope the meds start to kick in for you real soon. You are doing the best thing by being on here and talking to other people though because as you can see you are not alone. 

      At the moment my son has his citalopram at about 9am as I wake him up to puppy sit, then he spends the rest of the time asleep on the sofa (but I suppose at least I know he is safe)

      Do you find you don't sleep well at night?

      Y

       

    • jenni31235
      jenni31235 Honeybee17

      Posted

      I found when I started taking my tablets that it took me ages to get over to sleep at night even though I was so exhausted that my eyes were nearly closing and my body Was so tired but it was like my brain wouldn't shut off and when I finally did get to sleep I woke up feeling confused as if I didn't know if I had slept or not but now I'm able to go to sleep at night I'm awake quite early in the morning well earlier than what I'm used to and can't get back to sleep so that's me up for the day I find myself quite tired during the day but I don't sleep cuz then I wouldn't be able to sleep at night

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