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Sleep Problem on Citalopram

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thez1234
thez1234

Hello. I have been on citalopram for 5 weeks now. 2 weeks on 10mg and 3 weeks on 20mg. I have taken sertraline and flouxetine but switched to citalopram as prescribed by my Psychiatrist. I didn't have any problem with the switching..no start up and withdrawal effects. But lately, i have noticed, I'm not getting enough sleep. When i was at 10mg and after coming off from sleeping pills, the first two weeks, sleep was improving. I was able to get at least 4-5 hrs of sleep. But when i started the 20mg, sleep became worst. I will drift off easily however i wake up after 2 hrs and won't be able to fall back sleep. Is this normal when increasing dose? Should I lower my dose or give it time for the 20mg to level out? Any assurance that this will soon pass? Thank you!

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1 Reply

  • GraySeal
    GraySeal thez1234

    Posted

    I don't know how much help I can be since it was a while since I increased my dose to 30mg and I don't recall how long it took me to adjust. I will tell you this though: my sleep was affected on all the SSRI's I tried except Remeron (which had other side effects). Prozac was the worst. Citalopram was the mildest affect. Many years ago my psychiatrist added Trazedone to help me sleep. I take 25 - 50 mg a night of that. It works, maybe a little hangover of tiredness in the am.

    I would say, give your body a little while to adjust and if you still have trouble tell your psychiatrist (you can tell them now, actually) that you have trouble sleeping. They might want to add something or try a different medication.

    Good luck! Sleep is a precious thing 😃

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