I took 1 20mg Citilapram and never felt so bad. Is this normal?!
Posted , 7 users are following.
i spoke to the Dr about some slight anxiety i was having when taking my little girl out on my own due to fainting previously and worried what would happen if this happened again.
i took 1 x 20mg Citilapram on friday night before bed and i havnt been the same since.
i had some very strange dreams and woke up with what i thought was a mental breakdown. i couldnt control my tears, thoughts, nausea, tiredness. i did not take any more tablets.
Ever since this i have not been able to leave the house due to anxiety and constant tears. is this still a side effect or is there some thing more wrong with me?!
0 likes, 14 replies
toria_07298 melanie14653
Posted
hi melanie, please try not to worry, it will be the citalopram, it will subside but may take a little while xx
melanie14653 toria_07298
Posted
thank you for your reply.
its nearly been a week, how can one tablet do this to me?!
ive been given some beta blockers now, i hope they are not making things worse
silvia31661 melanie14653
Posted
i had bad side effects even after 8 weeks hopefully in your case the transitory period will be short
xx
toria_07298 melanie14653
Posted
no it will pass, its just time, if you can try no to take the beta blockers close to bed time, they can cause insomnia xx
melanie14653 silvia31661
Posted
how long were your on the tablets to have side effects for 8 weeks?
silvia31661 melanie14653
Posted
i have been on citalopram several times in my life. generally i took them for a minimum of 6 months to a max of of 1.5 year.
they always worked but the first month it has always been difficult.
i had several symptoms:
increase anxiety
vivid dreams
cold or very hot flashes
headaches
neckpain
we are all different so side effects can vary.
when i was on this medication in a another country i was also prescribed benzodiazepin for the first two weeks in order to smooth the temp increase of anxiety.
unfortunately gp s over here don' t like to prescribe them although the last time i insisted and eventually they gave me some valium to take in case of extreme anxiety in the first two weeks of starting citalopram.
i have never used betablockers although gp suggested it before starting citalopram.
toria_07298 silvia31661
Posted
i took benzos for 7 days and had withdrawals for months, some people are lucky and can just stop them xx
lois95799 melanie14653
Posted
yes it is the celexa.it happens alot with foljs taking one pill of ant antid.best regards .it will pass.
silvia31661 melanie14653
Posted
Hi Melanie,
yes it is normal to feel terrible when starting citalopram.
your initial dose of 20 mg is quite high as an initial dose.
normally i start with 5mg and slowly increase the dose to 20 mg within two weeks. The GP should have told you so also he/she should have explained that this kind of medication can make you feel much worse for the first few weeks.
Go back to Gp and speak to him/her.
citalopram works but it takes a while for your system to get used to it.
Especially for anxiety/panic symptoms get much worse ti begin with. Good luck
melanie14653 silvia31661
Posted
thank you for your reply.
i have only took one tablet and that was nearly a week ago. i dont understand how one tablet can give this effect.
im scared to take any more so doctors have given me a low dose of beta blockers.
looks like ive just got to wait it out
silvia31661 melanie14653
Posted
beta blockers work for some for anxiety symptoms .
just see if you feel better, keep a journal with feelings/symptoms that helps to also explain things with GP.
Carl1811 melanie14653
Posted
Hi Mel
My situation was similar to yours. I just randomly fainted one day and it freaked me out. Thought I was fine but then a few months later I woke up with really bad health anxiety and depression. It completely stopped my life.
I started Cit 20mg 2 months ago and now I feel like ive got my life back. Some days I feel better than I have ever in my life.
Cit is a very powerful drug that affects alot in your brain and body so all those side effects you mentioned are normal even from one pill. Plus anxiety itself can have some very horrible effects on the body.
You could always give cit another go but start on a lower dose and see how you feel. You just need to get past the first few weeks of the side effects as thats just the meds getting into your system as cit is a very slow acting drug.
If cit really isn't for you I would suggest talking to your gp about other alternatives or even CBT.
We're all here to help you though.
melanie14653 Carl1811
Posted
thank you for your reply.
im on beta blockers now to help calm me down and hopefully this feeling will pass. im too scared to take the tablets again. i cant afford to be ill when i work part time and have a 2 year old to look after.
i didnt think my anxiety was that bad until i took one tablet and its made me loads worse. but what im learning is that i have to give it time to pass.
toria_07298 melanie14653
Posted
these are strong meds melanie, ive been at a reduced dose for 11 months trying to get stable xx