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Citalopram and poor sleep

Posted , 5 users are following.

jen55046
jen55046

Hi

I am hoping for some positive stories or reassurance here!!

I have been taking Citalopram for 2.5 weeks for anxiety and am really struggling with my lack of sleep.

My Dr prescribed 7.5mg of Zopiclone for 2 weeks & I am now taking half a pill every other night. When I take one, I sleep well.

On the other nights, I get off to sleep well but wake up a couple of hours later in a panic. I really struggle to get back to sleep & feel like I am having lots of short naps with being awake.

My anxiety and mood feels better since taking the meds & the initial side effects of nausea have gone.

I took these tablets for around 5 years before & found the results amazing (I thought my anxiety was cured, so tapered off them gradually). I remember this sleeplessness side effect before, but can't remember how long it lasted.

Please can someone who has been in a similar position, reassure me that it will get better?

Thank you

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest jen55046

    Posted

    Hello Jen 😃 This is also my 2nd time on Citalopram after it worked amazingly years ago for me, back then i had NO side effects, it was bliss. this time round has been horrific!!! im now week 9, so MOST of the side effects have gone thankfully but my anxiety isnt fully recovered yet. seems to be taking much longer this time around. with regards to sleep - my sleep was messed up maybe even upto week 6-7, i was waking up at stupid hours completely wired, unable to get back to sleep and then in the day id get uncontrollably tired but couldnt nap at all, no matter what i tried. it was hell. I didnt take any sleep aids to be honest i just struggled through, it eventually went. I sleep fine now, i still wake up reletively early, 5am/6am but, i do sleep through most nights now. x

  • alan82302
    alan82302 jen55046

    Posted

    Hi Jen. I was the same as Jade, I used Citalopram in 2013 and worked amazingly well, no side effects, the l anxiety disappeared and I came off easily.

    I started citalpram 20mg in Jan 2021 for depression and it was horrendous. I had every single side effect going. Like you, from the very first tablet I just didn't sleep. No matter what, I woke up at 2am every day. I had a host of other side effects from massive anxiety attacks, running around the house for 18 on one day. I was talking in weird voices, crying all the time.

    I decided to come off them six days ago and tapered off for a week alternate 20mg and I had my first proper sleep last night which was the sixth day I was off and my head is no longer flying.

    My experience was similar and it happens a lot i think that tablets second time around don't seem to work the same way. It is all different for everybody of course.

    All the doctors kept telling me to ride it out and it gets better, maybe you've had the same? But I knew they didn't agree with me.

    I hope it all works out for you and hopefully they can settle down.

    Good luck and all the best

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