Scared to take Citalopram
Posted , 3 users are following.
I've had the Citalopram box in my bedroom for weeks but decided i wasn't ready. My anxiety is still there with moderate depression which all began in August 2016. I'm scared to start because I'm worried I'll feel worse on the drug than I do already, worried about weight gain and feeling like a zombie. I was prescribed 10mg of Citalopram mainly for anxiety but I also have issues with depression, which has now grown. Since having these issues my diet has been poor, I've become inactive, miserable and have gained weight - before I was obsessed with being healthy and active. So I'm curious if I should alter my diet (e.g. cut out sugar) to see if that changes anything - but I had these issues even when I was healthy and active, so I don't know if it's the answer. Should I just start taking Citalopram already??
I'd also like to know others experience on Citalopram.
0 likes, 2 replies
ellen40147 honestavocado9
Posted
It won't be easy at first but if you want to get started on the road to recovery then yes you need to start taking the Citalopram. 10mg. is a low dose. Same dose my doctor started me out on while I was getting used to the drug. It takes about a month for your body to become adjusted to the medication or at least that's what it took for me. The worst of the side effects lasted about 2 weeks in my case then started to subside. For me side effects weren't nearly as bad as what some people experience. I had off and on dizziness, looser than normal stools but not diarrhea, slight nausea, and increased anxiety. The only side effect that I experienced which is still present is increased sweating which I will gladly live with in exchange for feeling emotionally stable and being out of that dark place I was in before. For me it took about 3 1/2 to 4 months on Citalopram for me to feel like my old self again. I experienced blips along the way which I understand is normal process and means that the drug is starting to do its job. I don't recall exactly but I think that I started experiencing these blips at about the 6 week mark.
katecogs honestavocado9
Posted
I was ill for 16 years and took anti-depressants which never really helped - then I was put onto SSRI's (20mg Citalopram) and within 6 months I'd recovered. For me they were a miracle and I'd never hesitate to return to them if ever I needed (I came off last year).
Everyone reacts differently to the meds, and yes agree that 10mg is a fairly low dose - when I'd recovered I lowered my dose to 10mg as a maintenance dose and stayed on that for many years.
Yes Citalopram can heightened anxiety in the first few weeks / months - but it does wear off. These meds are no overnight fix and you have to stay on them for a few months before maybe even seeing any slight improvement. Along the way there will also be blips (a feeling of taking a step backwards with side effects again), but these pass and they become less and less as time goes on.
Maybe take 1 tablet and see how you feel ..... If you do start taking the course of meds though don't ever just stop taking them abruptly if you decide you don't want to continue, and going 'cold turkey' will make you feel ill. They need to be weaned off (this doesn't mean they're addictive, but just that your body has to adjust).
There are many people here on this site to talk to, ask questions, compare notes and generally ask for help and support if you feel things get a little tough.
Personall I tried everything before I started these tablets, and they were just what I needed as I got my life back together and became the happy person I used to be. I never thought a little tablet could do that ...
If you feel unsure maybe you could ask your doctor if you could try half the dose 5mg and see how that feels?
K x