Was just prescribed Cit, but reading about the initial side effects really worries me. help

Hi Peter don't think about it just take it! Honestly I was so like you put off taking meds for 3 years but 4 months in it's the best thing ever and I only take 10mg. The first 2 weeks are the worst for me feeling sick off my food and sensitive to sunlight but after 8 weeks all that completely went with occasional nausea for time to time but no where near as bad! 

Last week I took my children on a 3 day camping trip now for someone who has a really bad obsession with OCD and clean hands etc this was a big one it's was wet and muddy but I didn't care! We had a ball most if all the kids! 

Yesterday I took all of them through a carwash there was no way 5 months ago I could do it the thought of being trapped in a car that I couldn't get out of was horrendous but yesterday I did it! 

I now spend more time playing with the kids instead of cleaning and I've eaten dinner now the first time in a long time! 

Honestly try it and stick at it! 8 week mark was the change from negative thoughts to positive and now what I call the chatterbox in my head doesn't hardly speak and if she does I tell her to shut up and I get on with it  

Good luck

Chris xxx

It is a dilemma – as everyone reacts differently to Citalopram.

I have just finished my second session of Citalopram – the first session was about 4 years ago for a period of 2 years and the second session, (finished 2 weeks ago), only after a very short while of 5 months.

For me the side effects between taking Citalopram the first time and second time were entirely different; the second time the side effects were almost on par with the symptoms – I felt continuously drowsy, lethargic and was sleeping happily 14/16 hours a day. In brief I could not function and I knew it would only be a question of time before this had a negative impact upon my job.

The positive thing that came out of this, (for me), was understanding the effects an impact of the drug, and that it is a 50/50 effort (me and the drug) for the road to recovery.  

My advice to you would be to try it and see how you react – remembering that the effects are not immediate and again seem to vary between 2 and 6 weeks, (refer readers’ comments in this forum), and finally – remember that you are not alone.

Hope this helps.

 

Hello Peter.

try to keep in mind that the medication will help you.  The initial days you may feel off colour and some gastric disturbances and headaches or other side effects.  However within a couple of weeks they ease.  My advice is to start on 5mg for a few days, up it to 10 mg for a couple of weeks then gradually increase to your recommended dose.  Doing this lessens the effects considerably.  In fact I have increased from 20 mg to 25 mg with no side effects at all.  However when I first started I took 20 mg from the start and was very ill.  Had I known I could have started low and increased the dose I would have not suffered at all.  Please take the citalopram.  In a few weeks time you will be a new person I promise.  Try to keep thinking that way and look forward to  happier times. Good luck

Hi Peter,

I am so relieved to read the other replies. This is day 13 on 20mg Citalopram and I feel like a new woman this morning. Full of energy. I still sleep for 10/11 hours a night but I don't mind. I put off taking the med because I didn't believe I was suffering from anxiety. And yesterday I still didn't. I had so many tests which  all came back negative. So go ahead and start taking the tablets. You won't regret it. Best wishes.

Hi Peter, I am taking cipramil 20 mg about 3 years..... they will work and I can ensure you that you will remain your normal self. They will give you a calmness and will reduce your anxiety quite significantly. In combination with cognative therapy you can turn your life around and leave these anxieties behind you. Best of luck.

Mike

Hi Peter,

What mg did the dr start you on? I started at 10mg for the first two weeks and I am getting ready to bump up to 20mg today. I didn't have a whole lot of side effects. The anxiety got a little worse, but my dr gave me a small amount of xanax to take until the meds build up a blood level. I'm feeling 50% better than I  was & I am hoping that with the bump up to 20mg I'll start feeling even better than I am now. I suffer from anxiety, obsessive intrusive thoughts and slight depression. I was on an ssri many years ago for it and it was like night and day. It made all the difference in the world for me. I went off for a few years, but I recently realized that I need them again. Take the meds! You will see a difference...It doesn't happen overnight, but in a few weeks you will be happy you stuck it out. I was so severe with the anxiety and super scary intrusive thoughts that I started experiencing depersonalization/derealization. I'm not sure you're familiar with that, but it causes some very uncomfortable symptoms. It causes feelings and thoughts of not being here, not being in your body, things and people appear unfamiliar, etc. 

Give the meds a chance...I think you'll be really pleased! Good luck!

On 20mg a day for last 3 months. The only side effects I have still are citalopram was fatigue on a big scale despite lots of sleeping. At the start, I was getting abnormal dreams and had restless sleep but severe insomnia was part of the reason I went on it and the abnormal dreams went away straight after my exams, so it could have just been stress. I had asked my pharmacist about it when I went to get a repeat prescription, she said it was worth mentioning to my doc. but to wait 'till after exams in case the symptoms went away and they did so haven't mentioned it to my doc.

I did notice the tabs starting to work a couple of weeks in, although I found therapy more helpful and once I stopped I went downhill again a bit and I'm going to get more therapy soon. 

Overall though, apart from the tiredness, I have found the citalopram fine to take.

I didn't get nausea/headaches etc. like some people did so I guess I was lucky.  .. . Oh, I forgot, I did get depersonalisation at the start which went away within about 2 weeks. That wasn't nice but it wasn't too bad either.

DO try and stay on past the initial side effects because you will only see benefits about 2 weeks in For me the side effects weren't that bad and I knew it was going to help me get better. And even if you do get bad side effects, you can discuss with your doctor!  

Hope this helps!!