Have used for 2 weeks and am feeling horiable. any advice?

Stick with it for sure. It's very common for symptoms to actually get worse during the initial period on any SSRi and you find plenty of posts on this site to confirm that. But what you'll also find are people who have persisted and got the benefits. It's likely that you'll get a good day soon and these will become more frequent until they outnumber tha bad days Then the bad days will just be occasional and the good days will be normal. Just keep a close eye on things because you may need to adjust the dose. This is something you should discuss with your GP who, in any case, ought to be monitoring you closely and getting you back regularly to check how thing are progressing. If he/she isn't then you will need to do it yourself and make the appointments at least monthly.

If it's any help you can at least express your feelings in a post on here. You are very definitely not alone in what you are going through but it may be difficult for people around you to realise the depth of the problem. You won't find a solution to your relationship problems but you will find the means to cope with them. Try to keep strong.

Thanks for the reply.

Its really hard dealing with all this, and im just worried ill spend years on this mediaction,

Has this stuff got the potential to balance me out to the levil where i wont need it anymore or is it something im gona have to live with from now on?

I just want my life back, and am worried about storys of permanant dammage to ones sex drive..

iv booked an appointment for 2 weeks time making it a month to date from when i started...

But thanks for the support

Depression is largely down to a chemical inbalance in the brain and some people are very susceptible to it. If you need chemistry to correct this you don't need to be worried about it. If it was a visible physical ailment most people would accept treatment for as long as it was needed. I don't think brain chemistry should be looked at any differently. I expect to have periodic bouts of depression for the rest of my life and I'll deal with them in the same way each time - if I need drugs then I'll take them.

My own experience is that citalopram (and other SSRIs) get you to a stage when you can deal with the underlying problems and then you can come off them. You need to do this slowly though, something I'm sure your GP will tell you when the time comes. But if, at any stage, you need their help again then don't shy away from it. For most people they are not a cure but provide a means to re-adjust themselves to cope with life.

Although sexual problems are common with SSRIs I've not come across any instances of it being permanent. I experienced them with Seroxat but they returned to normal as I was able to stop using it.

Okay, lets look st the medical facts-citalopram is a make up of three invidual medicines, namely prozac, fluxotine and zoloft. Medication is not always the answer and im off to a visit to napiers as I think ive seen my gp too much and well imust sayI am better...but im not me! or is that another grieving processs i have to endeavour? What I am trying to say is medication is not always the answer and even though you may hopefully-im not sure of your circumstances, had Cpn advice etc- thee peolpe believe it ornot cannot diagnose -or would you want a diagnosis ? In a clinc.

Im sorry but I take a holistic aprroacj towards this-anyone on citlopram yeah - it helps-I agree-but does it sort things out? Does It?

Ive been arguing with myself for a period , change or just carry on , or even may change may come in time then I want have a need to carry on...thats where it comes form ...and please believe me I was not delivered on a plate with a silver spoon in my mouth!///The point is is sometimes depression is a reaction to some thing else thats happened in your life-whether it be 20 years ago, ten years afo-who cares.We live in a now moving technological society that is probably killing us anyway. basically humanity is lilling itself-suicide can wait it comes in a package of mobile iphones , blackberries and laptops!Burger King and Wifi! Anyway, ive lost my point as usual-but I think mentall illness is from carrying on like nothing has happened and then realising something is missing, like love , loss, or the grief of something you wanted but that could never be found. or itas just ther, the gukilt of hurting your own mum through childbirht, of killing your unknown twin-its still there...at the end of the day we carry on regardless ..that this is okay-is it okay? In not for the language nrmal or abnormal we all have vices tobear and guilts to repair and slefliss acts to reminish-but it doesnt stop us! Anyway, lost the plot comletely, i care-but do others?

In case anyone gets the wrong impression, prozac is the same as fluoxetine, zoloft is sertraline, and citalopram is none of these. Medication is not always the answer but it just as often is.

Fair enough ...and okay there is a lot of false information out there....( started it again because of my pathological crying and whinning on...but heres what I read:

Citalopram is in the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class that also contains fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft).

Sorry for the confusion-it was just those 2 words beginning with P that got me/thanks for the clarification John.

Not answering the phone today and going to bed-ptretending to write essays! M+e=Bad Girl!

Well thanks for the insight.

im gona keep it up as i think need to give it a chance to take effect.

Its just scary thinking that this may not be the end of it. Im just hoping they start to take effect soon.

Iv allways delt with things by simply \"forgetting\" about them as if if nothing is wrong. Maybe years of that has contributed to this situation.

Im only 27 btw, its a shame as my ex was also on this medacation and i thought she would understand a bit more.

I think the worst part is going it alone, ill give it time anyway, seems its helped a number of people, id love to beat this.

Soory for the interuption in your thread Gino. I think I must be getting better-as Ive got this rant in my head that says this...\"There is always awy!!!! The answer is there, you just need to find it ...orr maybe as its I stole a thread and had a whacky conversation with myself-give that agao.....maybe not on this site-thats maybe not the brightest thing Ive doen, but its you helping yourself. Instaed of damdaging yourself, and its you that makes you feel better. Talk to yourself as if you are tlking to your besest ever firend, who you can most trust! Taje care.

Heya, thanks for responding its fine

I think im just feeling worse because of loosing soeone i loved.

and the feeling of wasted time on that person.

But today for example, iv turned up to work and something is missing

i can act and talk like everythings peachey but somethings not right.

Like an emptyness that allways there inside of me :cry:

Iv been on 20mgs close to 3 weeks now and dont know if its working yet, although i dont burst into tears as easley

\"unless i see a photo or something that reminds me of a memory\"

2 weeks ago i could barley controll my emotions!

I however am getting some disturbing thoughts, Maybe when the stress of loosing my home is over, and im all settled into my new place ill feel a little better.

On my second week of 20mg citalopram.

First two days I was tired but ok. Then first week was heaven, I felt great, best i've felt in months, maybe years. Second week has been hell. Anxious, can't sleep, waking up drenched in sweat, I can feel adrenaline or some bad juice being released at intervals, like a panic attack. shattered.

I will keep taking them because that first week was great, given this, any advice on dosage? more or less or just tough it out?

Definitely tough it out if you can. For at least 4 weeks and preferably six weeks. 20mg is a fairly normal starting dose and if this isn't effective it can rise in stages to 60mg. But you don't want to do that if it's not necessary. See your GP after 4 weeks and tell him/her honestly what you're feeling at the time. Upping the dose may be the way to go but there needs to be a good reason to do it.

Hi John, Cheers! Im planning to stick it out

Also today i think im having my first good day, im not feeling quite as mixed up as i have been and my mood has actualy remained stable!!

Im not sure if its a random good day, but iv got the feeling that i may be picking up! However I did speek to my DR on the phone about the 2 1/2 weeks from hell which she thought was unusual?

Not according to many users though!

got another Appointment booked for the 9th btw, Follow up

Anyway thanks for the support, much aprecieated!

And stick with it people, at least for the 1st month or so..

Illl get back and let you know if it has helped \"fingers Crossed\"

Ill try and stay positive aswell, but last week it was so bad i just wanted to feed myself into a wood chipper! Not good lol

Cheers John. I will tough it out too. I've been back to docs about sleeping, he's swapped me from Temazepam to Diazepam. Apparently Temazepam is a short sharp hit, whereas Diazepam is a slower longer release. Nice stuff, I've had it before, but too nice, its got hooks. This makes sense as i could get to sleep ok, but woke every night at 3am wired. And with the horror, urrgh gruesome.

Thanks God its the weekend. 3 hours sleep followed by 4 hour anxiety attack followed by a days work. Frankly, its becoming a bit of a chore.

Take care all

gino55 good luck mate, well done for sticking at it. Two weeks in and the Citalopram is definitely making me feel more positive, not all the time maybe, but, I savour the good bits.