Positives to Citalopram?

Hello Littlemissjess,

when i first started taking this tablet it worked wonders for me i took it for 4 yrs and i was fine with it until i felt good that i thought i did not need it anymore..and this second time around i am just having a hard time and praying my body will adjust to it again..Good luck..it will work for you...

Littlemissjess,

I've also had a very long battle with anxiety with life events that dos nothing to help. After being quite reluctant about taking medication I started or on 10mg and progressed to 40mg. I can honestly say it was a great decision for me, I had horrible panic attacks, mood swings as well as battling an eating disorder. While taking it I found I was able to confront a lot of personal demons my attacks stopped and I finally starting feeling like I was getting control back. Unfortunately weight gain for me was not really something I can handle. Taking them lifted so much weight off my shoulders but shoved it in my hips instead hahah. Taking them I am happy but I'd rather lose the weight then continue to gain. That is honestly the only side effect for me taking it.

Hey,,,, I stared this med around 6 months ago on 20ml and it has made a difference,,,, I wake up every day not dreding the day now,, it takes time to work,, I still get my down moments but i think that is due to family problems so they have put me on 30ml as from today,,,, but give it time,,,I look at it like if I have to take one little pill per day to change my out look on life then it's a good thing,,,,

Hi there! I've been on them, 20mgs for just five weeks now. The only side effect is a little nausea just after taking the tablet, other than that, nothing. I felt on a high week one then ok for these past weeks. Feel a slight improvement and have had only one weepy day which was triggered by something someone said. I'm 47 and have been diagnosed with Bulimia and anxiety. I also need bereavement counselling. My doctor said stick with it, it takes around eight weeks to work...here if you need me xx

Hi Jess, I know it is very scary taking that first pill, it can be a bit rocky at first (but not all people experience this), I had hardly any side effects to talk about, but stick in there as they really do work and you will be surprised what a difference they make to your life x

 

Hi littlemissjess

This medication is brilliant.  I was ill for 15 years before finally being started on this meds ..... and then I recovered.  Have been well ever since.

Often the negative stories are from people who maybe haven't taken the medicine correctly or have given up too soon.

It can be tough taking them.  You will probably get side effects first and your symptoms may feel worse before they get better.  Don't worry as this is normal and will ease off after some weeks.

Recovery can come in patches.  Feeling good for an hour, maybe a day or few days, and then it's gone.  Again this is normal.  Your mood will be up and down for a while but in time this levels out and you'll find the good days start to outweigh the bad, finally ending with feeling good all the time.

When people get side effects or when they begin going through the up and down process, they often mistake it for the medicine not working and rush to get their meds increased.  It is working and often increasing isn't the answer.  You need to give your dose lots of time.  There is no quick fix - you have to give this medicine time ...... lots of time.

One good tip is to count recovery in months, not weeks xx

It can take 3-4 months or longer before you start seeing any signs, but some people see this quicker.  I recovered on 20mg, and after many years reduced it to 10mg for maintenance, and am now on 5mg.

So, in a nutshell - you may feel worse to begin with ... it takes time ... be determined and don't give up ... expect to feel up and down ... and above all - these will work for you xx

One more thing - if you ever want to stop the meds, you must not just stop them.  You have to withdraw very slowly over months, reducing the dose little by little.

There's many people on this site who will support you - ask any questions you want.

Youll get there.

Best wishes

K x 😉

I just wanted to say thank you all for your kind words, they made me smile and I feel a little braver facing this new journey. I have had months of CBT before taking this route, but felt it did nothing for me really, so this felt like the next step.

Another question, how did everyone feel about drinking alcohol when on these tablets? Is it as bad as some people say it is? I stupidly spent my whole night googling and found lots of horror stories to do with this pill, so you all really have put my mind at ease a little xx

Hi Jess,

Must admit I drink a bottle of wine every single night (something I am going to tackle next) and not that I would encourage drinking on any pill, I have not had a problem, though I know alcohol makes anxiety worst, but it is what I have used to cope and the next step is to break that habit

 

Even though I just joined this forum today asking for help in getting off Cit I want to tell you it worked really well with anxiety X depressive symptoms for me. So have a good spell of wellness but then work hard at developing relaxation X mindfulness skills  in order not to be on it as long as I did.