4 weeks in

Hi Matt,

That's great news!! I can relate to this defo, it would be great if you could also post this on the forum = Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram? as there are a lot of folk on there that could do with this encouraging post whom are just starting on Cit etc

Many thanks

Anne

Hi Matt and Anne

I didn't get to bad with side effects , been on cit for 7 weeks, crying has stopped , anxiety still there but not as bad. Still not 100 percent but lot better than I was. Will get better as time goes on I'm told , so lets all just

hang in there and have a great 2014

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

I am just like u almost there and 9 weeks in but Doc wants me to increase to 20mg on 01.01.2014 so willgive it a go, but do feel so much better just now than I did, my crying has stopped, anxiety not as bad but still there sometimes,

Yes lets have a much better 2014 we deserve it !!!

Take care

Anne

Hi, just wanted to say thanks for this post. I've been searching online for positive stories about citalopram and it's hard to find (I guess people are less inclined to report things going well!)

I'm in a funny situation in that I've been on citalopram for four years for anxiety, at my most I've been on 40mg, made it gradually back down to 10, then worked my way back up to 30mg and have been jogging along nicely for about three year, in the meantime I got a great job and got married and was generally pretty content with life. About three months back my husband and I agreed that we would like to start a family so under my GPs supervision I gradually lowered my dose to 20 mg (by alternating between 20 and 30 a day) so far so good! Unfortunately my health has been pretty crap (I work with kids and they're germy little things) and I've been really run down as well as getting stressed out with work (I work in child protection which can be pretty draining)...I'll get to the point soon I promise....

There have been a few warning signs that my mental health wasn't great (loss of appetite, disrupted sleep, avoiding socialising) but as usual I soldiered on. last weekend I woke up crying in the night, spent the next two days crying and vomitting and barely able to speak. I forced myself into work on the Monday but had to go straight home after my first visit of the day because I could barely speak and I thought I would vomit there and then. I saw my GP that afternoon (who used to be a psychiatrist specialising in PND so he's ace and really supportive) who put my dose back up to 30mg and signed me off work for a week. I was still as bad on Friday so he agreed to put my dose back up to 40mg and has signed me off work for three more weeks.

I'm now 10 days into the higher dosage and I'm still feeling pretty crappy, I'm having some side effects which has never happened before (nausea, tingly skin, rushes of adrenaline) I'm having the odd breakthrough where I can feel quite positive but the rest of the time it's as if my personality, sense of humour and all those bits that make me me have been sucked out when I wasn't looking. I'm really tearful and have had to come home to stay with my mum so my husband doesn't have to worry when I'm at work.

I guess the reason I'm posting here is because I'm feeling as though the citalopram is never going to kick on and I can't imagine ever feeling like me again or being able to go back to my usual life. I was wondering a) if anyone has had a similar experience when they've decreased their dose and b) if there's any advice, tips or just words of encouragement anyone can offer me to get me through this?

I'm sorry about the long rambling post, just wanted to explain my situation as the majority of the people posting about citalopram have never used it before.

Thank you x

Hi Mrs VN

I have never came off yet, but please check out the other forum here called = Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?' there are lots of posts there from folk whom have decreased and come off so maybe copy and paste your post to that forum as a lot more folk on it.

Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?'

Take care and stay strong you will get better

Anne

Sorry, just realised I rather high jacked this thread with my rambling essay, i feel so guilty for feeling this way when I know there's nothing physically wrong with me but i just feel so hopeless at the moment....

Thanks Anne, it's amazing how some positive words can really help to lift my mood!

Hope you're hanging on in there too!

If it helps to give you some hope, up until this recent episode (I think linked to reducing my dose) citalopram has really helped me to live a happy and positive life free from panic attacks and anxiety.

Xxx

Thanks so glad to hear that, support helps so much x Anne

Thanks, Matt. I need this. I'm 10 days into taking citalopram (10mg) and while the horrible side effects are now reducing, I'm finding my mood is actually worse now than it was before I started the tablets....it's helpful to know others have felt the same way and are now picking up, it encourages me to keep going!

Hi Jules,

There's a thread about side effects from citalopram with quite a few positive experiences detailed on there. Really helped me when I was in 'the pit' a few weeks back if you want to have a look

Xx

Hi, Mrs VN,

Thanks! I had a look at some of it and it's really useful. I think these forums are great, in the support they give. Just what you need when you're fighting depression...wonderful.

Hi - I'm just new here. I'm 23 days in on 20mg and still have anxiety, head pressure and racing thoughts. Howling did it take for most people to notice some difference?

Thanks heaps!

I'm on day 21 of an increase to 40mg and am just starting to feel more settled. It seems to take some people up to 4-6 weeks to see a difference. I started to see small improvements after about 2 weeks but it was very gradual and other people tended to notice them before I did. I know when I initially started on citalopram I moved up in increments of 10 from 10mg and it wasn't until I went up to 40mg that I felt the full effects. There are lots of things that it can depend on, age plays a part (older people take longer to respond) and also whether your anxiety is due to a life event or whether it is more about the chemicals in your brain.

Hope that helps. There are lots of really helpful and supportive people on here and on the other thread I mentioned earlier in this one about people's experiences of side effects.

Xx

Thanks! I have a genetic predisposition to depression, and an upbringing that reinforced that. Counselling has helped a lot in the past, as does exercise and meditation. But ultimately I have a chemical problem that every so often goes out of balance. The menopause seems to have triggered this episode of depression. My life is absolutely wonderful. I couldn't wish for a better one (apart from having more money!) I just want to enjoy it, instead of waking up every day in a grey veil.

I am really finding this discussion encouraging. I was starting to feel better after about 14-18 days then 3 weeks on the head it as slightly creeped back down. Am trying to feel positive and I know from reading other positive things that the only way really is up lol