Anyone NOT had any side effects on Citalopram?

Hi Sky!

Am still in the process of coming off Cit - i went to my doc after decreasing my dosage from 40mg to 20mg. After about a week I thought I had better go see her as I was gettting very teary and short tempered again.

She immediately told me that I was going about coming off them all the wrong way! She suggested that I keep to the original dose of 40mg, but just skip taking it one day a week. So, for example I skip Sunday for two weeks, then the following week I skip Sunday and Wednesday for two weeks. Then Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and go on like that until eventually I will just forget to take them and I will then be "off" without even realising. Am now in Week 3 of the docs regime, and feel fine and have even forgotten to take some in the week too! Am hoping that this will continue!

As for all the things one dreads when starting Cit, I have found that the two weeks of side effects are actually so small in comparison to how good it makes you feel when you finally realise that you are back to your "normal" self. I really do wish I had done it sooner - my and my family's life would have definitely been a lot smoother! Hindsight is a glorious thing.

Anyway, as for the no drinking - I certainly didn't follow that rule!

Good luck on your journey - I did a lot of soul searching (and internet searching!) before I went on them - hence my original post - and in my opinion, the benefits far far far outweigh any side effects.

M

So good to get your reply, and to hear that you've found a way that works for you, I will def be keeping that in mind for when its my turn. I know I can do without the 'brain zaps'? and all the other nasty stuff I keep reading online.

Ive read all of your posts and fortunately for me you are the one I relate to the most in terms of my own situation - Im taking it to reduce stress/over-reacting/anger/anxiety/impatient/mood swings.. and def not for depression or anything too major so its not like I need to take them, its purely my choice, so whatever happens to me because of it (feeling bad/spaced out/withdrawn/tired/not 'with it'/jaw clenching etc..) im doing by choice which i'm finding hard to deal with but It's really good to hear some positive outcomes of this, just what I needed.

I started 5days ago on 20mg and doc said I was prob experiencing side effects too much so last night dropped back to 10mg, had a clear head today and managed to get some things done! But not sure if that's cause I lowered dose or its been long enough for side effects to lesson??

Not too sure where im going to from here - hopefully only 3-6 months worth and get back to normal, I know the kids will really appreciate it and the hubby, and myself!

Hello again !

I took 10mgs to start and then went up to the 40mgs progressively - and I stayed on them for just over a year...

Everything will be fine!

Good luck! x

Hi everyone just started taking 10mg of Citalopram mainly for anxiety and stress, after a couple of days I wondered if I should carry on taking the has the side effects are horrid I felt worse then I did before I went on them but having found this forum I decided to carry on the nausea is the worse and agitation and panicky feeling ..im hoping after reading your messages that I will be ok .

Hi,

Give it time. You will be fine in a couple of weeks. I hate medication, but this drug has changed my life. I got light headaches with it at 1st. I'm on 20mg now, but until recently I was on 40.

Good luck with it. XX

Hi

Thanks for replying to my message ,it was a great relief ..well I am feeling less nauseated more in the afternoons now instead of first thing in the morning I am still feeling nervous and agitated and didn't sleep much last nite if any sleep at all .I am back at work tomorrow after two weeks vac at least I have had this time to start the meds not quite nine days ..thanks again

its good to get the support ..

Hi angela261

I felt exactly the same way as you. I started on 20mg for 4days but side effects were too much & I felt worse than before so dropped to 10mg for 3days and weighed up my options..

I did a lot of research and wasn't comfortable being on drugs that had more con's than pro's (for me): i.e feeling like I wasn't able to look after my kids properly cause I felt too 'out of it', grinding my teeth so bad I lost my cap off my tooth lol and couldn't sleep, but most of all the worry I had because of all these side effects and worrying about how long i'll be stuck on them for and how I'd go with withdrawal symptoms.. so I found a website that gives you what your body needs but in a natural way - using nutritionals.

They should be arriving this week, will give those a go & if they don't make a difference then I still have Citalopram in the cupboard if need be.

So glad you are feeling better and hopefully work will keep your mind busy enough not to think about/worry about it too much.

So just know that it will get better, and if not there's always something else you could try Who knows I may be back here again in no time...

HI to u

thanks for sharing with me I do feel a lot better today having gone back to work the sweats were awful but at least I could function. I don't want to up the medication.. I wont.. I will just stick it out ..no nausea today at all ..its day ten for me and im sure its going to work.. in the beginning it was the wosrst feeling ever

hoping things will get better I am so grateful to all those on the forum giving so much support

I love u all ..thank u

ANGELAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Skyhigh

thank you

HOPE U R OK

JUST NEW TO THIS MED IT WAS AWFUL TO BEGIN WITH I FEEL BRIGHTER BUT STILL HAVE A WAY TO GO JUST STICK WITH ..THATS WHAT I AM DOING XXXX

Hi everyone, I started on cit 18 mths ago for stress/anxiety. .doc gave me 20 mg which I swiftly dropped to 10 .I have to say I had never felt so terrible looking back I don't kno how I got thru it .I had nausea, diarrhoea, headaches double vision, slurred speach teeth grinding. The list goes on ! I then changed to escitalopram with is a more refined version of citalopram ....well within days I felt amazing !! So stick with it angela!!! Im on the slow process of coming off them. My pharmacist told me to take 5mg ! One day 10 mg the next for amonth and then 5 every day and so on ....I need to get the weight off ive put on @ thats a massive side effect ......the beach whale effect ....good luck everyone !

I've been taking Citalopram for 7 years. Started with 20mg then after 6 months, the tears started coming back so the doctor increased the dose to 40mg which I've been on ever since. I had no side effects whatsoever. Actually, it was like I wasn't taking them for the first 10 days... Then on the 10th day, I woke up singing and didn't stop for a couple of years. I started partying and made great friends. I started living! I did get very irresponsible with work and other responsibilties though. Nothing bothered me. After a few years, I met my now husband and finally calmed down a bit. Had a perfectly healthy baby at 39 with no fertility issues. I'm totally in control, I'm responsible, I have the ability to cope very calmly in very stressful situations. I can't imagine I will ever stop taking Citalopram.

Hi, have only just worked out how to get on this forum but the support is great. Yes skyhigh I too felt I was overreacting getting anxious irritable mood swings etc, all the things you said.

Not really depression..although I can see how people would "put it in that box"

I started in feb13 and my gp is now taking me off it

After the first 3 weeks of feeling even lower and worse than when I started I too sudden.y woke up one day and felt my brain had reconnected. I was very sleepy at first. Lots of yawning. One drink knocked me out but I seem to have got used to a couple of drinks now with no effects .inorgasmic..not everyone will tell you that's,

However mentally I felt so much better I wish I had pushed for it earlier

I too started wondering about coming off it right from the start which is daft isn't it

You can read a lot on the Internet and have to be careful .

I started coming off them about 2/3 weeks ago but am feeling irritable and short tempered again instead of letting things go.

I was a bit dizzy and lightheaded too at times

It worries me that I will go back to square one. This drug changed my life for the better.

I really feel my brain was missing a firing point and I wonder if I am victim of a chemical, in balance

I foolishly stopped taking vitamins with probiotics which I researched would help. I hope they arrive soon! Serotonin is manufactured in the gut and probiotics help apparently

My regime of 20 20 10 then 20 10 maybe is too quick

Someone today recommended a pill cutter so I can do 15 mg 20 mg..I knew this but you know you have to be pushed by others sometimes as you think oh yes I can just come off this quick..and you can't

I think I will be on it slowly over the winter months into spring .. but that's ok

Does anyone else get that sort of tinny zap in the head at night..it's most weird, happens only once, very occasionally twice