Citalopram side effects?

[nickypicky]

I was started on citalopram nearly six weeks ago. I was very worried about taking these meds, as like most people I automatically referred to the side effects and was scared witless. However i decided to take the plunge, and boy was I glad I did, I now feel much more positive and happy. I was started on 10mg, and that suited me, i think 40mg is way to high to start someone on, poor thing!, my brother in law was on 40mg but only after the dose was upped gradually so his body had time to adapt. If you can handle the side effects for the first couple of weeks, and keep saying to yourself, "its only my body adjusting", then you will feel the benefits, good luck .


Nicky.

[Pink Panic]

Hi

I am on 10mg Citalopram and it's my 12th day on it.. yes i felt crap for a few days but its passed now.. I am getting spasms but its setteling now.

All mediacation takes a while to settle.. having side affects fo a week or more is nothing compared to living with severe anxiety for years!! I have had severe anxiety and agoarphobia since the age of 13, and never been on medication properly before, you hea good and bad storys about all medication its diffrent for everyone.. but if we dont try it we wont know if its going to work, and if you do get bad side effects from some medication just try and relax and chill as they normally pass in a week or so!! If we keep reading all the side effects on the packets and googling them all time it's just going to add anxiety and even more symptoms!! plus I really think if there is any posts about people wanting help about side effect etc.. I think if you can relate well just say that!! but I dont think listing all how you felt really helps the person who needs advice in the first place as its just going to make them feel alot wose.. like I said
is diffrent for everyone so if one person gets some side effects doesent mean you will be the same!!!


The more positive you are about anything in life helps you through the bad

Kate xx

please note!! remember that anyone who posts are trying to get people to try and reduce there anxiety about taking the medication.. so help as much as possible please xx

Hi again

Having side effects from medication for me IS worse than living with severe anxiety/agoraphobia !!!!
I am happy that Citralopram seems to be working for you and i wish you continued success ...... in a perfect world it would work for everyone with an anxiety problem but life isn't like that so decisions have to be made and that's where Forums like this one come into their own as people can share their experiences both GOOD and BAD and others can make an informed decisions whether to use medication or not!

Pink

[flojo]

flojo,
Wow that was a bad reaction, were you taking any other meds, even over the conter ones that might have interacted with the Citalopram,St Johns wort for example ?.
I don't know what your history is but 10mg is the normal starting dose for a week then increased after that, people that have bad side effects can usually "jump off" in the first week but into the 2nd week should seek medical advice before discontinuing.
Has your Doc. suggested therapy at all ?

Best wishes
Decca.

I hadnt taken any other meds, dont even usually take painkillers unless i have a severe migraine and havent taken any herbal remedies either so taking any tablet is a big deal for me and this has done nothing to convince me that it os good!! The doc i saw was not my usual one , he was just qualified or still training i think so i now feel that he was at fault for giving me such a big dose.
I dont want to scare anyone off taking their medication at all, just interested to see if anyone else had reacted like me or had such a strong starting dose.
Thanks for everyones comments so far
xxx

[flojo]

I hadnt taken any other meds, dont even usually take painkillers unless i have a severe migraine and havent taken any herbal remedies either so taking any tablet is a big deal for me and this has done nothing to convince me that it os good!! The doc i saw was not my usual one , he was just qualified or still training i think so i now feel that he was at fault for giving me such a big dose.
I dont want to scare anyone off taking their medication at all, just interested to see if anyone else had reacted like me or had such a strong starting dose.
Thanks for everyones comments so far
xxx

Im on waiting list for pyschotherapy but will take 3mths + im told!!

[bellabum]

I've been prescribed citalopram, which I started taking 10 day ago. On Sunday I upped the dose to 20mg, as instructed. Boy do I feel bad! This morning I almost fainted and I feel incredibly sick and tired and feel like I can't breathe, much worse than the first few days at 10mg.

I ahve to see my doc next week - do you think I should lower the dose to 10mg again until I see her?

[DeeperDown]

I think you should ring your surgery and get an appointment asap. Not because I think you are at risk or because I think that the citalopram are not working (in fact what you describe is fairly normal for someone going up to 20mg for the first time), but because you are clearly worried about it and its not helping your general health. You shouldn't have to wait a week to find out what to do, nor rely on advice from (albeit well-meaning) lay people. You are ill, you are having problems, and you need help, that is what they are there for.

If you can't or don't want to do that, then at least be reassured that it happened to me (just as you described) during one of my many upgrades. I got through it, it was hell but I got through it, and if you can hang on a few more days I am sure you will to. But it might help you much more to hear your GP say those words.

DD

[steviebabe98]

Hiya I have been on citalopram for over 2 years, and because im going through a bad patch my Dr has just increased them to 40mg. I tried to come off them a year ago thinking im fine but soon started taking them again. any reduction should definitely be discussed with the Doc. take care

Stevie

[bellabum]

Unfortunately, my GP (the one who I actually want to see because she is so helpful) is on holiday until next week.

I just took one tablet last night (10mg) and although I haven't felt wonderful today, I haven't felt as bad as I did yesterday.

To be honest, tablets always seem to affect me so maybe I just need the 10mg - I have two small children, so I don't want to be fainting and leaving them to try to pick me up off the floor!

[happyflower]

Hi, I'm new here, but worried about citalopram.
I was prescribed last week and after worrying about taking them I started yesterday.
I'm on 20mg, today has been terrible, I can't stop shaking, it feels like I have the tremmors inside and out, and now I feel nausious as well and my tummy is not happy and I've had a headache all day and I'm tired but not sleepy.
I don't like it, I said to my Dr that I don't like taking med, I was put on seroxat years ago and came off them when the side effects were worse than what they were meant to be treating, in fact the drugs seemed to make me upset!
Has anyone else had this? Does it pass? Should I come off them?

[liveinhope]

i have suffered from clinical depression for years, and was on prozac for 3 years but unfortunately it had stopped working, the doctor has now put me on citalopram and i too have had the headaches, the shakes, feeling woozy, tired, lethargic etc so it is somewhat refreshing to hear that if i stick with it, these side effects should go away. Some of the posts from people who have said they managed to "pull themselves together" are lucky, not all of us are in such a fortunate position and it's hard to explain to people why depression and anxiety is an illness not just a state of mind. I tried everything but drugs for 4 years after i was diagnosed, and gradually got so bad that I had driven everyone away and was living in a dump because I couldn't be bothered to clean the house or clean my self!