[Allye]

After a really terrible year (aememia, panic attacks and anxiety, an operation, a miscarriage) I saw my therapist again as I felt the intensity of the anxiety had changed (constant depersonalisation, dizzyness, weepyness and a feeling of lethagy, tirednes). She told me I had depression. The doctor has now prescribed Citalpram 20 mg which I am to take alongside another course of CBT.

I have however terrified myself reading the potential side effects. I have just had another 2 days off work with a chest infection and really really cannot hav any more time off (I am already late each day as I am finding it increasingly difficult to get out of bed at all and have had 5 weeks off already this year 1 week for chronic aemamia, 3 weeks operation and recovery, 1 week miscarriage).

I am however also desperate to feel better - everything is falling apart around me and I just have not got the motivation to fix it.

So - is it OK to cut the 20 mg Citalpram in half. Would reducing the dose to 10 mg give me lessened side effects? Should I take it at night - with your experience would it reduce the potential side effects?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[willp]

Hi Ally,

It sounds like you've had a terrible year and you've done the right thing by seeing a doctor and trying a course of anti-depressants.

The thing to remember is that not everyone has side effects, and many will only have one or two mentioned in the leaflet provided with the tablets. What the leaflet doesn't tell you is what proportion of people taking the medication get the side effects. For some side effects it's very low - far less than 1% and the severity differs from person to person. It's also worth remembering that those writing about side effects on the forum are usually those who have suffered the most. Many of those who haven't had any problems with the medication won't have bothered asking or telling others about it, or wouldn't have hunted out the No More Panic website in the first place.

I believe from reading postings on NMP that Citralopram is the most prescribed SSRI in the UK and many thousands of people take it every day with no ill effects.

However, of course you may get side effects and if you do the thing to remember is that they will pass, and ultimately the medication will kick in and make you more able to cope with life in the longer term.

I've no idea whether you can cut your tablets in half, but my GP prescribed me 10mg for the first week and 20mg thereafer (apparently more effective for anxiety, which I was suffering from). I think the 20mg tablets I take have a dividing line down the middle suggesting you can, but I'm not qualified to give an answer. You should ask your GP, or if you don't want a quicker answer just ask a pharmacist.

Fianally, if you feel you can and it would help it might be worth warning you employer that you have started this medication and there may be side effects. Show them the leaflet and perhaps an appropriate page on a website such as mind.org.uk or NMP. That's what I did and they were most understanding when I had to take a little time off while it kicked in.

Good luck, and try not to worry too much about this,

Will

[willp]

Sorry, I should have added that my GP told me that I wouldn't see the effects of the medication if I stayed at 10mg, though I'm sure that others on this site are on 10mg so no idea if this is right or not.

Will

[CliveL]

I started on 20mg daily then 40 after 2 weeks, and finally up to 60mg

[Allye]

Thanks - will ask pharmacist

[CarmR]

Hi Allye

I am not on Citilopram but i am taking another SSRI and my Doctor told me to start taking 10mg at first if i wanted too, to help with side effects by breaking it in half down the dividing line as Willp said in his post...and then after a week go upto 20mg.

There are posts on here where i remember reading this and what others have done aswell..its just finding them,lol.

Is there no way you could call your Doctors surgery and ask to speak to him or get a message to him about this?.

I am sure more members will post soon about this too...sorry i cant help you more.

Take Care Carmel

[Yvonne]

Allye

Reading the patient info leaflet re side effects is the worse thing you can do of course. There are soooo many side effects listed and these have to be mentioned for legal reasons. All side effects which have been reported (to my knowledge) have to be put on the patient leaflet.

I would phone your gp and ask his advice. Tell him that you are scared stiff of the side effects. I am sure you can cut the citalapram in half but I would get his ok.

The thing is with the ssri's that they have a build up effect. The gp has given you 20 to start on which will build up a good dosage of the stuff quicker than what 10mg would have. He has given you the 20mg for a reason. However do ask his advice.

Good luck