Feeling tired all the time.
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi All,
I have been on 20mg of Citalopram for nearly 7 months now, but I have found I am still very tired during the day, if I am up and about doing stuff I'm OK, but as soon as I sit down and relax I can easily go to sleep, I tend to get between 7-8 hours sleep a night, so I don't think that's much of the problem. I havi g also just started taking multi vitamins in case that may be a cause, but I never really felt like this before, it has only been since I started taking Citalopram. has anyone else had this problem? I am also contacting my GP to see if they can help.
Sorry if it is a bit off subject, I'm just trying to see if this is a normal side effect and if anyone has found ways around it.
thanks in advance for reading
Jade x
0 likes, 4 replies
sun47 jadelou93
Edited
hey Jade it's a really common annoying side effect unfortunately, do you find yourself tired after eating also? that's a problem i also get so now i tend to eat smaller meals through the day rather than a couple of big main meals, along with avoiding things with added sugar as that makes me really sleepy. hopefully your diet is ok and you dont eat junk food. i dont really have any sure suggestions unfortunately but i suppose a few you could try might be, perhaps seeing if getting a bit more sleep at night helps, say 9 hours? or also, if its possible you could try to have a nap in the afternoon? (this doesnt work for everyone though and some people say they feel worse if they nap, or sleep worse at night if they napped in the afternoon). another option would be to try 15mg citalopram instead of 20mg, but please note this of course could be risky incase you do need the full 20mg to keep your mental health in order. another option would be to try escitalopram instead of citalopram, it is really similar but some say there are less side effects with escitalopram. escitalopram is stronger than citalopram though so if taking 20mg of citalopram, the equivalent dose on escitalopram is 10mg ok. please be careful if you do decide to make changes in your medication as there is so much trial and error going on with this stuff, and it's all risky business as the last thing you want is for your depression/anxiety to suddenly come crashing back into play. ok i hope you manage to find something to help you, let us know if you do please! 😃
jadelou93 sun47
Posted
hiya Sun,
I can't really get more sleep as I also suffer from Insomnia, I also have 2 children, so it is hard, I some times have a nap but still tend to feel tired afterwards, it is very annoying. If I am active then I am OK, it's as soon as I stop and sit down for a bit.
Food wise I don't eat much, I eat breakfast and dinner, maybe a small snack at lunch, but I feel OK after eating too, I don't drink Caffeine either as I found it made my anxiety worse, and when I first started Citalopram I found it made the heart palpation more noticeable, which I hated, so I decided to cut out Caffeine, and i was someone who ran on Caffeine for quite awhile as my baby was in Hospital for the first 3 months of her life,(she has half a working heart) and also I think now that I have stopped the Caffeine I feel the tiredness more. But I do try to eat healthy, although lately I have found I crave sweet stuff, not sure why, But I aim to not give into it.
I'm not sure I am ready to attempt a med swap as my baby is due for her next OHS (Open Heart Surgery) and I am trying not to give myself any reason do allow my Anxiety and Depression get so low again, as it is a very hard and stressful time. But I honestly appreciate the recommendation, it's just not something I am ready for.
Thank you again for your reply 😃
Jade x
sun47 jadelou93
Edited
hey again i miss drinking coffee also 😦 .. like you i have found that coffee is a sure way to increase anxiety if you are susceptible, however i have found that i am ok with decaff coffee, but even that, i only use about half a teaspoon and avoid it in the morning but instead wait until the afternoon/evening. i also tend to only have 1-2 cups a day (ok, sometimes 3..)maybe u could try some decaff coffee in the afternoon also if you miss coffee like me. doing the above i dont have any increase in anxiety when drinking it, i even put in half a teaspoon of sugar 😃
jadelou93 sun47
Posted
I do this myself, I even have decaff Tea lol. I find it is so much better. I do t think anyone actually realises how much energy you actually get from a cup of coffee lol, not until you can't have it at least.
Hope you are doing well
Jade x