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Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

Posted , 526 users are following.

M68
M68

Hi there,

After much deliberation, talking to just about anyone I could find and generally scouring the internet for information, I have decided to go with the Docs advice and take Citalopram, starting today. And then I found this site....

Has anyone NOT had any side effects on this? It is making me feel very worried about taking it. Am I just going to have to sit tight and presume the worst? Are there people who take it and dont feel nauseous and tired or even worse to begin with?

I would really appreciate any comments.

Thanks

M

38 likes, 5315 replies

5315 Replies

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  • charlotte12343
    charlotte12343 M68

    Posted

    Hi folks was wondering if anyone could offer some advice?

    Am now on week 4 of my 20 mg dose after being on 10mg as a starter. Some times I feel as if things are beginning to feel better, then a day or two later it feels like I am back to square one again!! Has anyone else experienced this yo-yo ing effect and does it even out where you feel better enough to feel calmer?

    I just feel so discombobulated and have no where to turn.

    Any advice would be gratefully received

    • Inthewoods4
      Inthewoods4 charlotte12343

      Posted

      HI Charlotte, try not to worry. It's really normal for the journey to be bumpy. Keep going. I've been told it can take 6-8 weeks to feel the full affects. Enjoy the good days and tolerate the bad until this lifts! X
    • charlotte12343
      charlotte12343 Inthewoods4

      Posted

      Hi Inthewoods4 I hear what your saying but it is so hard to do as you probably know! How long have you been on citalopram for? It just seems that there are more bad days than good!!
    • Inthewoods4
      Inthewoods4 charlotte12343

      Posted

      Hi, what are you on the cit for? I'm on it for a relapse of pnd. I've been on it since jan, but I've gone up to 30mg very slowly. I was on 10 for a few weeks, then 15 for about 4 weeks, then 20, then 30 for the past 2 weeks. I think I should have gone up sooner. I know it's really hard, I still have not so good days but they are more manageable. It really will get better xxx
  • sjb27
    sjb27 M68

    Posted

    Hi all,

    How's everybody doing? I haven't posted here for ages, and I'm sorry about that. I hope everyone's been coping well and improving wherever possible.

    In all honesty I've been struggling and haven't felt like posting much recently. I've been through the 6-8 week period when I was hoping the sun would start shining again, but unfortunately it hasn't happened. (I'm now at 8 and a half weeks...)

    It's an odd situation, because on the outside I'm 'doing' more - I've started driving lessons (at the ripe old age of 41!), I went into work last week for the first time in 8 weeks, and I'm going out a bit more with my kids and with friends.

    I also haven't had a panic attack in about six weeks, so that all sounds great.

    But on the flip side I still have a very strong underlying anxiety, and my derealisation / depersonalisation has been pretty horrendous. The whole sensation of losing it just hasn't gone since I started taking Cit - in fact, it's got a lot worse, and yesterday I had a really rough spell of DP/DR.

    I've been thinking about this a lot, and I'm going to talk to the GP on Wednesday about coming off Citalopram. On balance, I'm in more or less the same place I was when I started taking them, with marginally less anxiety but a lot more derealisation. Having heard other people's success stories, I'm thinking that Cit may not be the right med for me. I'm upset that I've spent 8 weeks in quite a sorry state, but I do appreciate that finding the right med can take some time.

    Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted as to how I get on. My GP might suggest an increase of course (I'm currently on 20mg), but I'm inclined to suggest a steady withdrawal. I'll see how I am without meds for a few weeks, keep going to my CBT, and take it from there.

    Take care all, and I'll still see you around. As ever, a special 'hi' to my fellow 8-weekers and the other lovely people who have been with me on this journey.

    Best wishes,

    Spence.

     

    • charlotte12343
      charlotte12343 sjb27

      Posted

      Hi Spence, how did it go att he Drs today?

      What did he say?

      Like you am not feeeling the benifits of the cit fully yet and am on week 6 now,at time the anxiety feels like day 1 all over again.

      Keep me posted!

      Charlotte

    • sjb27
      sjb27 charlotte12343

      Posted

      Hi Charlotte,

      Thanks very much for asking. Well, it went ok, and we agreed that I'm going to stop taking Citalopram.

      In the end, even though I've not been having full-blown panic attacks for over a month, I've still been feeling very anxious and have had persistent depersonalisation / derealisation, and we agreed that Cit wasn't the best thing for me. (The doc said depersonalisation - the 'spaced out' feeling - was quite common with Cit...).

      So, today will be my first day without Cit - the doc said I can just stop (ie. without tapering down) because I've only been taking them for 9 weeks. If the withdrawal symptoms are strong, she said to take one every other day.

      I might move on to a different med in a few weeks, but I'm going to see how I get on without anything in the short term - I'm going to make sure I eat better, exercise more regularly, practise mindfulness, and all the other good stuff I should have been doing anyway!

      In the end, stopping Cit was quite an easy decision for me. I think I gave it a very fair crack, but based on other people's experiences (eg. usually starting to feel better around 6-8 weeks) I had to conclude that it just wasn't happening for me.

      Take good care, and I'll still see you around here,

      Spence.

       

    • anne2953
      anne2953 sjb27

      Posted

      all the best Spece, hope it goes well, keep in touch x

      Anne smile

  • Lib548
    Lib548 M68

    Posted

    I have taken citalopram on & off for years & not had any side effects.

    Hope this encourages you to take it.

    Libby

  • Mike_O
    Mike_O M68

    Posted

    Hi all,

    so I decided to talk to my doc today (see below post).

    They decided it would be best to stay on the 20mgs of CIT for at least another 2 weeks & then asses the options from there.

    im still taking some time off & have a meeting with OH at work, if I'm honest I'm not looking forward to that, it will prob be some kind of interrogation by OH....

    anyone had had a meeting with OH?

    your options are all valid, still feeling a little down tho, the doc did say the my admission to having depression was a big step, as I had been living with it for who knows how long before I asked for help.

    i just think my employer has blown it all out of proportion.

    thanks

  • G46689
    G46689 M68

    Posted

    Hi everyone

    hope you's are doing well!! Anyone got a good website for CBT!  Had got Reffered to someone through my GP and felt like I was getting somewere and now she is ignoring me..... Maybe she can't deal with all my problems haha

    not having a good start to the week, went out for a few on Saturday and still feeling the effects, I take it they advise you not to drink with CITbecause iv never felt this low! 😩 even contemplating going home from work 

    xxx

  • dougied85
    dougied85 M68

    Posted

    Hi everyone, hope you're all doing OK today.  Welcome to all the new posters on here - hopefully you've see that there's a lot of people going through the same as you and we're all here to support each other. :-)

    Rick/Spence, good to hear from you both again.

    Rick - keep at it mate, the instability could be a result of 10mg being too low, I know that I was pretty up & down on 20mg hence why my doctor thought an increase to 30mg might help - and it mostly has.

    Spence - it's great to hear you're out & about more and doing more in general, but sorry to hear you still don't think the Cit is helping overall.  Definitely worth a chat with the GP, it could be that an increase might help but it could just be that Cit isn't right for you.  I'm sure your GP will point you in the right direction, stay strong.

    Update from me today.  I'm actually on quite a downer today - I knew it from the moment I woke up, the feeling in my gut and the fogginess in my head, and the fact I just did not want to get up & do anything at all.  I have been quite settled recently, so quite why I feel like I do today I don't know.  I hope it's just a blip and that I'll be back to my steady state tomorrow as in general I'm feeling OK and able to just get on with things.  Be good to go back to the GP next week with some positive news, so fingers crossed.

    Still waiting to hear about CBT, should hopefully hear in the next week or two, interested to see what that does for me.

    Have a good day all, take care.

    Doug. x

  • amy_06092
    amy_06092 M68

    Posted

    Hello All

    My post from yesterday has dissapeared :-(

    Anyway woke up yesterday and had to face what is one of my worst fears, i had an abcess on my gums, nothing scares me more than the dentists (sorry rick!).

    Anyway got up phoned the dentist and off i went on my own! couldnt have been more proud of myself, no being sick, no rushing to the toilet, no panic attacks. Now on antibiotics and had to go for a scan yesterday afternoon as well ( i need alot of work done on my teeth and upto now have been avoiding it) the scan was a bit scarey but i coped with it, anyway my point is before starting on cit i wouldnt have even contemplated going to the dentist i would have just taken pain killers and put up with it. 

    I have also found a cure for the restless legs at night - drinking a glass of tonic water in the evening! it works :-) several people had suggested putting a potato in the bed however hubby said unless i could scientifically prove it worked i wasnt allowed to sleep with a potato!

    Good to hear from you doug, i thinks sometimes were all expecting everyday to be a good day once the side effects settle and you adjust to the cit, however i have come to the conclusion that even people who dont suffer with anxiety / depression still have off days, i had a great day yesterday and having said that the last week has been pretty good but like you this morning i felt a bit rubbish ( think it maybe the antibiotics as i felt like there was a wave machine in my belly during the night).

    Spence good to hear from you aswell not so good that you feel cit isnt right for you, i would chat with your GP as only you and your GP can decide whats right for you - hope things start improving tho :-)

    Loulyn - hows the jaw clenching? mine has easied a bit, i have stopped having to suck mints at night and doing deep breathing before i fall asleep and that seems to have helped with mine

    Anne - hope your ok too and having a good day

    Charlotte - my side effects started to ease from about two and a half weeks by 4 weeks were nearly all gone and i started to feel really good, i still having a few moments where i feel a bit anxious but not about anything in particular and it soon passes, deep breathing is great for calming. Everybodys different though and side effects vary from person to person, hopefully you will start to feel the benefits soon - im now starting week 5 (i think! - i have stopped counting the days now things have improved)

    Everyone else i have missed - hope your all having a good day and coping the best you can

    Amy x

    • anne2953
      anne2953 amy_06092

      Posted

      Great to hear from you Amy and you sound so well adjusted now, dentists, scans,going out, deep breathing, positive thinking you are well on the way to recovery and will be able to manage yourself now going forward, very proud of you and everyone will be so happy to hear this and thank you so much for sharing with everyone, 

      Yes the tonic water is good for leg cramps as well, not sure about the potato especially been Irish I may get some digging for it. ha ha

      BTW I think a few posts are going missing on here, and I have not been getting all notifications either sad

      Take care of that tooth hope its better soon, 

      Keep in touch xx

      Anne smile

    • charlotte12343
      charlotte12343 amy_06092

      Posted

      Hi Amy,

      I too am on week 5 alomost starting week 6 and over the last day or two it has been creeping back to how it was on day 1! Am fed up with this yo yo ing effect. Just wondering if this is normal or do i go back to the Drs agin?

      I hate the side effects, at times they are so unbearable I dont know whats best to do!

      Glad to hear the Cit. is working for you!

      Charlotte x

    • amy_06092
      amy_06092 charlotte12343

      Posted

      Hi Charlotte,

      I still have days when i feel like the side effects have come back - got the lump in my throat again this morning however i am just ignoring it, i am definately having alot more good days than bad days, i would try and stick with it if i was you, compared to how i was after two weeks on cit (felt like giving it up as the side effects were awful) i feel so much better and i have now accepted that not every day is going to be a great day. try doing things to take your mind off how your feeling, i definately find keeping busy helps.

      Amy x

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