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Citalopram tiredness 6 weeks

Posted , 4 users are following.

G55055
G55055

Hi 

?I have been taking citalopram 10mg for 6 weeks and am still very tired.  I know that the dosage is low but I am pretty sensitive to the side effects, I had daily diarrhoea for 4 weeks, scared to break wind. I was on venlafaxine 2 years ago and terrible trouble with the induction, panic attacks.  Took sertraline for 1 day before Venlafaxine but had diarrhoea within half an hour.

?I'm looking for some guidance as to whether it is too soon to give up, my depression anxiety has lifted a bit but the tiredness along with the morning nauseousness   and loss of appetite is getting to be bit of a drag.  My doctor has suggested that I continue for 2 more weeks and up dose to 15mg if no change and then if no change consider changing.

?I have concerns upping dose due to side effects, especially the diarrhoea, although  I still occasionally experience that.

?I have concerns about changing due starting the journey again with no guarantee  of a better outcome, dr has suggested mirtazapine or lofepramine, not to keen on the weight gain of M or the several times a day of L.

?has anyone experienced the tiredness reducing after 6 weeks, how long can it take to go.

should I just power on and for how long.

?I'm a mid forties man, I have had bouts of milder depressionthroughout life which have not required treatment but required treatment 2 years ago due to loss of dear friend, 4 years ago, and work stress.  I most probably stopped venlafaxine too soon 8 months, and fell back due to more work stress due to understaffing.

thanks

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • michelle45874
    michelle45874 G55055

    Posted

    I use to suffer with nausea every morning and excessive tiredness but at 9 weeks i was so much better x I did take proponol and also had one for the sickness but u will get there stick with it x
    • G55055
      G55055 michelle45874

      Posted

      Thanks, I had a tough day yesterday with a fair amount of anxiety and dwelling thoughts.  This morning was better, I think I am better when I have work to focus on.

      ​Dr has suggested that I might increase dose to 15 and take the increase in the evening, to smooth out decrease in meditation over night.  May do that soon or even only up by 2.5mg (with some careful pill splitter use).  Would you think this would work.

    • michelle45874
      michelle45874 G55055

      Posted

      I was on 20 to begin with last year was doing really well.manage to get down to 10 but took some anti biotics which sent my anxiety through the roof x It took me a few weeks with the doc giving me different tablets but knowing that they werent right for me i went up to 20 mg it was really tough took longer to get over this time . But by the 5 week.i seen a significant improvement i also practice meditation and listened to a app which i found really helpful x Its what u feel comfortable with i personally would go with the 15 if u go up 2.5 then have to go up again u will get side effects everytime x
  • Star1711
    Star1711 G55055

    Posted

    I started on 10mg of cit, currently on 30mg. Yes I used to feel extremely tired for many weeks and could barely keep my eyes open past 8:30pm. But then suddenly one night I got my energy back. Do stick with it, you will improve it’s just a very gradual process. 
    • G55055
      G55055 Star1711

      Posted

      Thanks for the support.

      How were you with appetite, mine did get a bit better but has dropped again I have probably lost 1 -2 belt holes in the last 7 weeks.

      ?Also did you sleep well, I am tired but wake during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.  

      ?I think I will be on these for a while, so want to make sure that they are right but don't want to quit and start the process over again, too soon

       

    • Star1711
      Star1711 G55055

      Posted

      I didn’t have a very good appetite to begin with, I would force myself to eat and I just felt nauseous upon waking. I’d feel a bit better in the afternoons and I was able to eat my dinner, slowly, but I did it. I’ve got my appetite back now. 

      I would wake up around twice every night, with my heart racing each time. It’s gotten a bit better now, I’ve found that I wake up once most nights. It would take me a while to get back to sleep, so I would read lying down in bed until my eyes would close again and I’d feel tired. I’m by no means 100% but I’m doing better, although I’ve been having a bit of a rubbish week with anxiety and it doesn’t feel like it at the moment. It’s really important that you go to bed at a reasonably early time as your sleep is interrupted and you feel tired so you can get as much rest as possible. I’m in bed by 9:30pm most nights, I don’t fall asleep straightaway but I like to get into my bed and wind down. You’ll get there, it just all takes time 

    • G55055
      G55055 Star1711

      Posted

      Sorry your having a bad week.

      ?I plan on a early night tonight, I have some zipoclone which I haven't taken yet but may take a very small amount to get a better nights sleep.  I may look to increase dose tomorrow evening once I have had a better nights sleep

    • will20275
      will20275 G55055

      Posted

      6 weeks your still a newbie. I had the naseau for the first 3 weeks and I had bad insomnia. I was up fir 6 days. It was freaking me out. I used Xanax to help me.  But still was waking up every 2 hours and had a hard time to sleep. I’m on 10 mg doing much better I sleep but still wake up but fall back. I read a little until my eyes get heavy. I just started week 15.  Just give your self some time. 

      Will😎

  • G55055
    G55055

    Posted

    Towards the end of week 7 and the diarrhoea is again daily. Fatigue is still bad i could hardly keep awake at work yesterday afternoon. I took a zopiclone yesterday night but still woke during the night as my blood sugar had dropped, I have type 1 diabetes, still tired this morning, may try nytol tonight. I think my anxiety feels different to before I started the citalopram.

    Any thoughts on the fatigue and diarrhoea, the diarrhoea did improve for a week or so.

    How long is reasonable to keep going?

    Thanks for the comments

    • G55055
      G55055

      Posted

      Also I am smoking cigarettes so much more, 25 - 30 a day from 15.

    • Star1711
      Star1711 G55055

      Posted

      6 weeks is still early days. I know there are some people on this forum who have stuck with 10mg, but my personal experience involved me moving on to 20mg after 3 weeks of being on 10mg. The doctor started me off on 10mg so my body could get used to the medication gradually. Perhaps you need to increase your dose? Speak to your doctor about it. Hope you feel better soon. 
    • G55055
      G55055 Star1711

      Posted

      Thanks Star, 

      ​I guess the billion dollar question which I, and everyone else I guess, am looking for an answer to is how do you know when to up your dose.

      ​I know that 6 weeks is still early days, and some of the symptoms are side effects, the loss of appetite, tiredness, insomnia, nauseousness, diarrhoea, morning anxiety are all likely to be side effects.

      ​I think my mood has lifted slightly but that is very difficult to gauge with the side effects.

      ​I guess my question Is how do I know if and when it is right to up my dose, and by how much?  The side effects make it so confusing.

      ​I might post this question in a new thread too.

      Cheers

       

    • Star1711
      Star1711 G55055

      Posted

      I’m not an expert, but I wouldn’t increase by more than 10mg at a time. My personal opinion would be to increase your dose to 20mg and hopefully that’ll help. This isn’t to necessarily say your recovery will suddenly speed up, as your body will need to stabilise on the increased dose, and you may continue to go through the side effects whilst this happens, but the increase may be what you now need.

      You sound like you’re doing well by going to work, I couldn’t leave the house by myself for a good month when I first started medication I had very bad anxiety and depression to go with it. 

      What you’re experiencing is all that I went through as well, but don’t forget your body also needs time to recover, so do bear in mind that the healing process will take time. So you’ll be experiencing side effects from the meds and the stress you went through. 

      Best of luck, let us know how you get on.

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