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My positive experience on Citalopram / Celexa

Posted , 5 users are following.

glasgow21
glasgow21

Looking at everything everyone says on the forums made me worried and turned me into a a bit of a hypochondriac. Citalopram/celexa helped me through a rough patch. A bit weirded out because everyone makes it sound like starting A.D.’s was real hell as well as quitting them. Starting citalopram at 20mg I had no freaky symptoms. After a year of treatment, I decided to quit as I wanted to remember what I was like before the A.D’S.

Cons of starting them: None at all. Just had to watch how much I had to drink. Sex drive as if it were cut in half.

Pros of starting them: totally helped me with my depression, felt like a had a healthy serotonin level, like other lucky, normal humans who don’t get depressed. I felt fine.

Cons of stopping them: Obviously, brain zaps for a week and a half. Bit of a headache. My lifelong paranoia is back. I look around to see if someone is following me all the time. ¡Depression is gone for now!

Pros of stopping them: I’m much more conscious and careful about my responsibilities; as if a tad of anxiety gets me a healthily worried about exams and work. Stuff tastes yummier, and I can drink when I go out again. I’m less careless. Sex drive is back.

So to everyone who is starting them, don’t stop taking them because you read these extreme cases where people in forums are having seizures. Really, honeslty, chances are, you’ll have no secondary effects when starting, and only a couple of weeks of annoying brain zaps when you stop. Citalopram is a real life saver, it helped me put on a pair of glasses of clarity when I was really depressed, a year after, I can take them off and go on with my life. I don’t go oh hi, I’m x and I take citalopram.

Anyone can have a sick stomach, an earache, as much as you can have a mind that isn’t well. Don’t wallow in it, and treat it, if you can, get better and move on. If you cannot stop them, remember, AD’s don’t define you.

4 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • aj15433
    aj15433

    Posted

    I agree, it really helped me last year, and again recently when I had to increase back to 20 mg after a relapse. The side effects are also the actual physical symptoms of anxiety/depression which for everyone are different and some are heightened more than others. All I say is to anyone beginning cit, is to commit for a month. Otherwise any potential side effects you experience are not worth it if your not prepared to give it the time to work. You are lucky that you didn't experience any real sie effects, however I know what you mean by brain zaps decreasing.
  • julie253567
    julie253567

    Posted

    hi

    it was never my intention to alarm anyone taking citalopram, i have previously posted and stated that at the time i stated taking them, i was in a dark place and definately needed them, what i stated was that i dont think that i needed them for 15yrs and should have been regulary monitored and offered other support, ie, counselling etc.

    The positives of citalopram was it allowed me to function and live on a day to day basis following the death of my daughter.

    the negatives, it made me emotionally flat, which whilst was fine at first and was a very much welcomed, after 15yrs i wanted to feel emotions again.

    other negatives for me was that different generic brands of citalopram have me all sorts of side effects, i was sensitive to the fillers/coatings on the tablets, but with the Bristol Labs brand i was fine and i lived a normal flat life for 15yrs.

    So there are positive and negatives with everything, and people posting on a forum wish for their experiences to be known to others good or bad, but, it seems very odd that most people who post on here and are trying to come off citalopram are having the same side effects and symptoms.

    You have a choice if you dont want to read about others experiences then dont

    Julie

  • glasgow21
    glasgow21

    Posted

    Julie,

    Haven't read your post, on your experience, but upon reading your answer I'm supposing citalopram made you feel quite bad before you got used to them.

    I'm not saying citalopram doesn't have side effects, I'm saying for ME it wasn't that bad. I hope my experience helps others continue taking their antidepressants, just to make A'D.s a bit less scary. ¿Did you know statistics state most people start antidepressants and leave them because they don't brave out the initial yucky feeling? this is what I intended. Some people leave them because they feel sick, and then get REALLY sick with depression.

    Hey, and don't get your panties in a bunch haha.. wink of course I want to read about others experiences, every mind is an individual world. I do believe a lot of negative points about citalopram seem to abound, and none of the positives. I was creeped out into thinking I was going to feel horrible. ¡I wish you the best of luck!

    xxxxx

  • elba31959
    elba31959 glasgow21

    Posted

    I wanted to ask about other experiences but first I will share mine.

    About 10 years ago I had a what began as a mild depresssion which I did pay the proper attention to. It eventually developed into a major depression and I was started at the time on Paxil. Eventually, I was changed to Citolopram as my new doctor liked it more. The experience overall was very good. I did have initial anxiety but it gradually improved and I got well. I reduced the dosage from 20 mg to only 10 mg and stayed at that for a couple of years. Finally stopping it all together about years ago.

    Unfortunately, it seems I've had a relapse. It starts with my not sleeping well and the insomnia gradually turns into a depression. So yesterday the doctor again put me on 20 mg of Citolopram. I took my first dosage last night and this morning woke up with the most uncomfortable anxiety attack which has lasted throughout the day.

    I want to stick it out because I remember that I did well with Citolopram last time but I got concerned with this anxiety attack I experienced. I have been asking around (pharmacists and my doctor). It seems that anxiety is one of the possible initial side effects of starting on a regimen of Citolopram. I NEED SOME REASSURANCE THAT THIS IS THE CASE AND THAT I WILL FEEL BETTER AS THE DAYS GO ON. I want to stick it out but not at the expense of the anxiety of feel now. The doctor prescribed Clonazepan on a temporary basis while my body gets used to the Citolopram. I'm hoping that I will have as good an experience as I had when I first took Citolopram 10 years ago. Reading some of these forums really scares me though. I want to hear about positive experiences, not only about nightmarish ones.

    Hope to hear back from some other Citolopram users.

    • Ladyscarrington
      Ladyscarrington elba31959

      Posted

      I started on them today after being on fluoxetine. Ive been totally putnoff but just made myself take one. Now i have an irrational feeling of impending doom xx
  • Ladyscarrington
    Ladyscarrington glasgow21

    Posted

    Reading your post helped me loads. Day 3 and I've mentally shook off feeling of doom. Just tingly feeling like im 20 years younger and coming up on something good.

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