Citalopram

I havent but the problem with your bowel could be IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it is sensitive to anxiety and stress in some people, me especially and I get a lot of nausua and stomach cramps when my anxiety is high....so my recommendation is try natural remedies such as Tai Chi, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to gain control of you anxiety again....I have done for a few days now and I am feeling ever more positive and removing those scary thoughts about something not right....now I know everything is how it should be with IBS and anxiety and I accept my anxiety will come on and off, but when it comes, I am better equipped to deal with it...and this will go eventually following a strict routine of stress relief techniques...they really do work

I was on it for about 6 weeks or so, but side effects were too bad for me, like you suffered cramps and nausea. Doc took me off them and put me on venlafaxine

Steve, I have been on a Cit for exactly the same amount of time.  Everything you describe sounds like the start-up effects.  I've been on this forum a lot lately and 5 weeks is definitely within the normal range of feeling this. Mine calmed down after 2-3 weeks but I still get the pain in the chest if I feel anxiety. I think this is more of a side effect of anxiety and not the pill. 

On sleeping Cit is the best SSRI at surprising REM sleep. The research is out there if you want to read it. It made me feel better to know what is happening. You wake up at 5:30 because it is not allowing you to go into REM sleep.  This will eventually fade, but just know that is a big reason this drug works for anxiety and depression. 

Let me ask you when you wake up are you ruminating/worrying about things. If so, that is going to keep you in the cycle of depression. Check out the info on the clinical-depression uk site. There is great information on how to break the negative thought patterns. Plus it talks a lot about the sleep cycle as well. 

Hope you feel better soon. 

Hi Steve, it's typical of the illness I'm afraid, you do feel better then slip, then feel better.... You will find the feeling better days will get more frequent.

im not on CIT but Venlefaxine and week 9 ish and had some good days recently then not so good, you need to be aware of the trend really. 

I score each day out of ten and have noticed the average is starting to go up by a point each week, I also keep little notes next to the score to see if doing certain things improves the day etc.

id recommend doing it. N

Hi, Citalopram is a type of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug. It could produce side effects such as nausea, asthenia, dizziness, insomnia as well as somnolence. Generalized pain is very common with this drug. Any psychoactive drug may impair judgment, thinking or motor skills. Though these are very commonly associated side effects with Citalopram, you must notice for other medication, if you are taking. Keep watch for any abrupt behavioural change. If the complaints are unbearable please meet your GP to take a call on prescription.