My first half a Citalapram - now what happens?

[hollymanussis]

hi,
just found this website and needed some help.Have been on Citalapram for at less a year, 10 and then 20mg.I wanted to stop so I did just that. However, a month down the line im in a real mess. Are these things really addictive or maybe its just in my head?
Any ideas?
H[^]

[polly daydream]

Hi and welcome, did you stop gradually or straight away? as it is always best to come of them slowly reducing the amounts week by week. 20 then 10 then 5. Just as you started gradually. The side effects apparently are alot less intense. They are not supposed to be addictive so the doctor says, this is why my doc put me on it which I am currently on now.

Best wishes,

Polly

[Daisybun]

Hi Holly, if you just stopped taking them without a planned withdrawal then you will have problems. As Polly said you need to come off it gradually so your body can adjust. i would go back to your doctor and check out what you should do.

Take care
Daisybun

'This too will pass'

[jacq]

iwas prescribed citalopram last year after my doctor took me off beta blockers, within hours i was terrified but not my usual panicky terrified it was as though all of my senses were heightened and i spent hours sitting on the floor with my body pinned to the wall and felt like something terrible was bearing down on me. i carried on for a week or so but i couldnt stand the side effects which were worse than any panic attack i had ever had everything felt so unreal all i could think was if it this bad now how will it be when the doctor decides i should come off them. I dont take anything now as the experience scared me so much i want to stay away from prescription drugs totally. Even though millions of people have very good outcomes on meds i feel better knowing that my symptems now as bad as they are, are my bodies own reaction and not medically induced.

courage doesn't always roar, sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying "i will try again tomorrow"

[nealorange]

Hi All,
I was put on anti depressants after I fell off the edge of reality when driving home. Had one almight panic attack, no idea what was going on and ended up in A&E thinking I was dying. I was struggling to get back to normaility and a doctor put me on one type of anti-depressant. Told me it'd take a few days to work and there'd be no side effects. Within a couple of hours of taking it I was a mess. It made me completely depressed, I couldn't eat, I couldn't swallow, and it was like being semi concious. Only took 2 tablets, luckily, and started to come round again. Went to see a different doctor who convinced me to give medication another go, he said there is so much choice out there you just need to match the person to the drug. He prescibed citalopram 20mg and said any serious side effects, then stop and we'll try another.
Very nervous after taking the first tablet but I had no real side effects. Took a few weeks to work but after a couple of months I felt great, I felt unbreakeable. I've since stopped and have never felt as strong as when I was on them.

[sherri32]

Hi guys
i have been taking citalapram4 a month now, and my fiance and family can see the difference in me, i cant still feel the same grotty and down, feel like i'm goin crazy, and it's hard2 control yourslf when u feel like that!!
The only thing that relaxes me is alcohol,i also find it hard2 sleep on these tablets, which makes thing's worse, and also i cant drink as much alcohol, i get drunk really easily. which i didn't before,,
any views. would help me,
thank's friend's. dont know what i would do without this site.
Sherri
xxxx

[carolyn]

hi, I have been using citalapram for 5months now and i have felt an amazing difference. Only now do I realize how disabling my anxiety and panic was. The first two weeks i experineced heightened anxiety however this did leave me. I also take my tablet (10mg) just after my breakfast. I have no intention of coming off this as i do not want to go back to what it was like (pure hell). I do still suffer but nothing near to what i had been going through. I urge anyone just starting this medication is to stick with it.

cmurphy

[seanuk30]

Hi
I'm Sean and just joined, excellent site and glad to see there is little negativity as I have seen on other sites. I started Citalpram 2 months ago and started feeling better after about 5 weeks but then started feeling worse a few weeks later, my doctor has put me on 40mg as I'm quite a big chap and I'm feeling very spaced out and more anxious. Do you think this is purely because of the higher dosage kicking in?

I have started smoking again which probably does not help and I still drink which does not help. I'm going to struggle to stop these or cut down but after reading posts its obvious that booze and fags don't mix with Citalapram

Sean

[Scarlett77]

Hi,

I've been advised to start Citalopram again this week for social anxiety and agoraphobia, but i don't know if there's much point? i've taken it before about 2 years ago, for 3 months 20mg, with virtually no effects, (not just side effects but ANY effects). Well, apart from feeling like i was completely off my head for the first day (this was kind of interesting, but not really very helpful lol). The doctor i was seeing then told me to stop as it obviously wasn't working for me. I did and had no ill effects from stopping suddenly, but i'm sure this can vary widely for different people. I then went through exactly the same thing with Fluoxetine.

The different doctor i'm seeing now says that the previous doctor was talking rubbish(!), and it can take six months plus for you to notice any improvement. So i guess i may as well give it another go

Scarlett

[seanuk30]

Hi Scarlett
I took Fluoxetine and it just made me a jibbering wreck, Citalpram seems to help but its been so long since I felt normal I not sure if its working ir not if that makes sense, fags and booze prob dont help :-)
Sean