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Citalopram

Posted , 8 users are following.

elaine4
elaine4

Hi

I took my first citalopram yesterday, 20 mg and omg I feel absolutely dreadful. 

I feel as if my body is going at 100 mph. Can't sleep can't sit still. Scared now to take another one. 

Elaine

0 likes, 37 replies

37 Replies

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  • happydays
    happydays elaine4

    Posted

    Good morning ,the same happened to me and I was worried too so much so I did not take it again,then after a few days of reading up although there is a lot of scary stuff to read out there on it,anyway I took it still got the feelings has before then after a week I got totally the opposite feeling of sleepy and tired ,kept taking it ,gradually mine was increased as we thought it was needed the Gp and myself and kept on it to date and it really helps plus I used to get worse when my period was due and bad mood swings this little tablet sorted that out too ,so please give it a try if you feel you can regards Di X
    • happydays
      happydays

      Posted

      Ps I was on top dose in the end 60 mg well that was my top dose I think it is anyway in general and I went back to 40 just over a year ago,In answer to the other reply you had a bit mixed you need firstly to give it more than a few days and secondly your GP will advise when he or she agrees with you it's time to come off but there not a quick fix but a good one ,any sensible person would not just stop taking them anyway X

    • elaine4
      elaine4 happydays

      Posted

      Hello

      Like you I read all the not so good stories about citalopram but I'm determined to keep going with them. Just going to take one day at a time.

      Glad that they are working for you.😄

      Elaine

    • pete1066
      pete1066 elaine4

      Posted

      I'm in same situation Elaine. 20mg of Citalopram on 5th day. Have felt nauseous and spaced out. General anxiety up a bit. Not the effect you want when you have depression but hoping this is just initial side effects. From what I have read online most people get this and only feel benefit after a few weeks. Really hoping for great things and so will keep taking these meds. Will keep you posted. Let us know how you get on. Pete

    • elaine4
      elaine4 pete1066

      Posted

      Hello Pete

      It makes such a difference to speak to people who are going through this, at least we are not alone. I'm only on 3rd day at 10mg. Like you I feel a bit spaced out and agitated, it's not nice. I'm just taking one day at a time for now. Hopefully we will get through this. How do you feel today?

      Let's stay in touch and help each other.

      Regards Elaine

    • pete1066
      pete1066 elaine4

      Posted

      Hi Elaine. No yoy are not alone in this :-) It really helps to talk to others who are taking this med at same time and going through similar experiences. I'm on day 5 now. Feel pretty horrid in the mornings, nausea, anxiety, but generally improves through the day. Dragged myself to.the shower and pampered myself a bit. Done some housework to keep busy. I tire easily and have very low motivation but enough to keep going. The spaced-out feeling and nausea I had from day 1 is probably less than it was today. I would have given up on day 3 if I hadn't read other people's experience's here. Keep in touch Elaine and let me know how you are doing. Pete

    • elaine4
      elaine4 pete1066

      Posted

      Hi Pete

      Yes I'm the same mornings not good. I had to force myself to have a bath this morning and I too have done a bit housework. Just try to motivate myself but truthfully can't be bothered. Do you find you have no appetite, mines has gone but I know I have to eat.

    • pete1066
      pete1066 elaine4

      Posted

      Yes same. Normal hunger not there and the nausea makes me not want to think about food. I improve in the evening usually and feel a bit more food later on in the day or evening. Have to consciously think about drinking so regularly have juice and tea. I don't get craving of food and thirst like normal, particularly first half of the day. I'm eating and drinking through habit, not by craving and enjoyment of food. This med has really surprised me how bad side effects are. If someone has bad anxiety beforehand then takes this med I can understand why they just can't take it. But let's keep going :-)

  • ellen40147
    ellen40147 elaine4

    Posted

    My doctor started me off on 10mg to minimize side effects. I take it at bedtime and the first two weeks after starting it were the worst for me after that side effects diminished. Whenever an increase in dosage has been necessary my doc has had to me to do so gradually and I don't know if this is true for everyone but for me at least doing so has made side effects with each dosage increase much less and easier to tolerate. I bought a good pill splitter and increased the dosage a little every couple of weeks. I went from 10mg to 12.5 two weeks later and then two weeks after that to 15mg and so on until I was at the prescribed amount.

    • pete1066
      pete1066 ellen40147

      Posted

      Are you feeling well Ellen? Your first 2 weeks were the worst for side effects. What week after starting did you feel the benefits of Citalopram?
    • ellen40147
      ellen40147 pete1066

      Posted

      I started to feel some improvement within the first week or so but it was about the 4th week before I felt I was really benefiting from the Citalopram. Overall I can see a big difference in how I feel although I do still have days when the depression rears its ugly head. I am about 3 1/2 months into treatment with Citalopram at this point.
    • pete1066
      pete1066 ellen40147

      Posted

      Ellen. Are you overall better on citalopram than off it? Pete
    • ellen40147
      ellen40147 pete1066

      Posted

      Definitely I am better overall on it than off. Most of the time the difference is like day and night it's just that there are what I call off days when I will feel the depression kicking in again for maybe a day or two then I'm back to feeling better again. I even find myself humming at times which is something I would never be found doing when I was in the deepest part of my depression. As a matter of fact I found myself humming just this morning.

  • gillian176
    gillian176 elaine4

    Posted

    Hello Elaine

    It's scary isn't it

    I started a thread called Success on Citalopram

    Probably at about week 12

    Many people have posted on there including me!

    I would suggest you read it as there are many supportive posts which you need at the moment

    You need to keep going. But it's not a quick fix and you will feel despondent along this journey

    You will get a lot worse and wonder why you went on it before you get better

    I started to turn the corner at 6 weeks and slowly improved day by day

    I am week 16 now

    I had dreadful insomnia the first two weeks

    I took it just before bed 11/12mn as that worked ok 3 years ago but I changed to mornings to see if that helped wether by accident or deseign it did

    I still get the very vivid weird dreams every night. Another side effect

    I can live with that. I have the rest of my happy life back

    I still try help myself daily by mindfulness meditation calming music and being kind to myself

    I write a ...positive things that have happened today list... you won't be feeling like that yet but you will trust me

    Carry on.

    • pete1066
      pete1066 gillian176

      Posted

      Thanks Gillian, that's very encourging. I guess me being on day 6 I've got a bit of a way to go(!)

    • gillian176
      gillian176 pete1066

      Posted

      Yes. But people are always here to feedback the positive Pete
    • pete1066
      pete1066 gillian176

      Posted

      Thanks Gillian.  Speaking for myself ...the support and encouragment on this forum is a really important morale booster.  Its great to hear from people who have come through side effects and are feeling well and enjoying life on Citalopram.  Really difficult to keep going when some post negative comments on here, but I understand that it doesnt work for everyone and that they want to be heard also. 
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