1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Fluoxetine

Citalopram to Fluoxetine

Posted , 2 users are following.

ghostfreak
ghostfreak

My doctor put me on 20mg of Fluoxetine to help me deal with anxiety and stress, this is after a week on Citalopram (had some weird side effects from these).

I have to start taking these now on Monday as I was taken off the Citalopram today.

Has anyone been on Cita before then moved to Fluox?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Gaz
    Gaz

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I haven't gone straight from Citalopram to Fluoextine, but I have been on Citalopram in the past. I'd have to say personally, I haven't found a lot of difference between the two. It's almost inevitable you'll get some side effects when you first start taking SSRI's, but hang in there, it DOES make you better in the long run. So try and stick with them rather than stopping them prematurely, as that can make matters worse from what I've read.

    All the best, cheers.

  • ghostfreak
    ghostfreak

    Posted

    Thanks for the reply!

    Had to take one yesterday as I felt I couldn't cope (stress/anxiety) then I felt quite guilty after it - not going to take any more until Monday (when I'm supposed to start).

  • Janet_L
    Janet_L

    Posted

    I was prescribed these medications the other way round. I could not cope with flouextine. I ended up in Coronary care with them. I found they added to my anxiety and caused panic attacks. My heart rate was so fast I was taken to casualty and then transfered to Coronary Care. I swear by Citalopram. I have never had another panic attack since I started taking them. I would suggest that you give them a minimum of 3 weeks before giving up on them. I have a work colleague who had the same problem with panic attacks. I told her how they worked for me. Her GP prescribed them for her. At first she felt no different but after 2 to 3 weeks she could not believe the difference she felt. She has never looked back. Citalopram are highly recommended for anxiety/panic attacks. Personally I think your GP should have encouraged you to try them for at least another 2 weeks. Flouextine are not the wonder drug that suits everybody.
  • ghostfreak
    ghostfreak

    Posted

    Ok so I had the first 'awkward' customer while I've been on Fluoxetine. Pity they had to lower themselves to start swearing on the phone.

    Well my stress/anxiety levels went straight up as the call progressed, was breathing quite slowly to lower my heartbeat but didn't seem to do any use. Nearly locked up on the phone but thankfully didn't.

    Hopefully next time I'll be able to cope better smile

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.