Citalopram side effects?

[suzy-sue]

Thanks Poppy,Hope things get better for you soon,stay strong.hugs Sue

[cheryl72]

Hi everyone

I was prescribed citalopram last week, I found this website while trying to find out a little about it. I have read almost all the posts on here and have found them to be very helpful. After reading about the side effects I was really nervous about starting them. I have been prescribed 10mg for anxiety. The physical symptoms i was gettting with my anxiety were taking over my life, the dizziness, light headedness, the tight chest, palpitations etc.

After reading everyone's comments, and living with some of the mentioned side effects for the past 3 months I thought I would take the plunge.

I'm on my fourth day today, no side effects for the first 2 days, yawning the 3rd day, and today the yawnings back and a slight headache. So not much to complain about.

Good luck to all, I hope all is well with everyone xx

Cheryl

[clarex]

I was prescribed this in october 2008. I took them for 28 days and went to the doctor saying I was having TERRIBLE side effects and I couldnt stop shaking on them,& my sex life was becoming affected. He said what everyone else is saying.. stick it out because it will be worth it, - i didnt.

Since, Ive been having a lot of things going on in my life and took them for the first time again today. Around half an hour later I felt like I was hit with the worst hangover/sea sickness Ive ever felt in my life. I forgot how bad they were. I was so hungry but could not physically eat or even drink! I had to curl up in a ball and close my eyes to stop the room from spinning.

I wasnt aware I could go down to 10mg (Im on 20) Im seeing the doctor on Friday so will perhaps suggest this.

Leaflet suggests you take morning or evening, does anyone take before bed? I feel like this may stop the dizziness.

[emma321]

I was prescribed citalopram 12 days ago and after 10 horrific days I feel like I'm coming out of the other side of it! I'll say to anyone taking this drug, please stick with it as it is working for me and I never thought I was going to feel "normal" again. Everytime you have a side effect just remind yourself it's just the drug doing its job and nothing bad will happen to you. I'm hoping that every day just keeps getting better and better now. I'm being positive for the first time in a long time.
I'm on 20mg by the way
xx

[Angel with an A]

Hi everyone,

I am new and have been reading everyones comments for a few days. I have found them very helpful and until i found this site i felt like the only person in the world who has these horrible panic attacks.

I have been suffering since January with the panic, just happened one day and has got increasingly worse over the months until it got to the point where i couldnt fill my car up with fuel or go into the supermarket. I felt like my whole life had been taken over by some demon!

After several ecg's, a trip to A&E and some beta blockers, i broke down in tears at the doctors and am now on day 12 of Citalopram 20mg.
At the moment, panic wise, although not to good until about 10am on any given morning, i seem to be having 2 good days and 1 bad which is a huge improvement for me.

Apart from feeling spaced out over the first couple of days, my only side effects have been nausea and headaches.
I wanted to offer a tip that has cured my nausea completely from the moment i started doing it on day 4 :
I take my tablet in the morning and have never been a breakfast girl, but i have found that if you make yourself 2 slices of toast, eat one slice, take the tablet with water, then eat the other slice, it kind of sandwiches the tablet in your stomach and stops the nausea feeling completely!
It really worked for me and knowing how awful the nausea can be, i hope it can help some of you who are suffering!

Take care,

A XX

[jen5218]

Hiya eveyone,

I have been on Citalopram since 4th jan...started on 10mg and then 2 wks later went up to 20mg. At first i noticed my anxiety definitely was subdued and most of all my mood was sooo much better - this has been a god send-as an anti-dep medication they are great but i was actually given them for dreadful daily panis disorder which could go on for hours on end...immediately 20mg affected my slepping - wide awake at night time and broken sleep...this is still the case now...i would say around around mid march i was STILL getting horrible anxiety attacks but - something was different about them now i take these pills- went on a long time and more o general highly agitaed state - ive woken in the night in this state..at times its been unbearable...doctor decided to up it 30mg at beg April - again the first week or so it seemed alot better THEN this agitation which occures mostly at night has been worse, feel im back to sqaure 1 now...i also feel very gittery on them and at times it like being on a mild speed pill - i seem to get OVER excited at times its weird...doctor said it would have a slightly sedative affect?? er wheres that then?!....ok so been on them 4 mths now and ok i feel 'chirpier' but i take co-codamol just t help me sleep - im dessssperate for sleep n t feel a little calmer - any similar expereinces be most helpful...i thought the side effects would have gone by now??
Thanks people

[clarex]

Yeah Im the same, I took 20mg back in october 2008 for a month and stopped because of the terrible side effects and the fact that I was going to bed at 5/6am.. getting up at 8 or 9am then doing the same again the next night but I wasnt feeling tired!
The doctor gave me sleeping pills alongside citalopram!! and I was advised to take one a night, and they were useless, so I took 2 a night and still nothing.!

So Im back on citalopram for a week now and Im wide awake all night long! lol. Going to doctor tomorrow so will ask about it and post back if Im given any good advice or medication!

[Desprate Dan]

I really am glad i looked up this forum, i have read the post on Citalopram and its side effects and i have took some comfort that i am not the only person in the world who has been going through some side effects from these tablets..
I first started taking citalopram about 2 months ago 10mg at first then as my symptoms didn't improve so the doc put me on 20 mg after 2 months taking these tablets and finally i think they are just starting to work..
I was taking the tablets for Anxiety (Panic Attacks) and Depression after recent traumatic incedents in my life.
The doctor said that these tablets take time work but stick with them, the side effects from the tablets were the same as the symptoms i went to the doctors with in the first place, nausea, increased anxiety, trembling, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, tiredness, so i thought the tablets were not haveing any effect only in the last few days have i started to feel alive again and my appetite has came back and the trembling and panic attacks have also gone but i do still occasionally feel abit edgy from time to time and i suffer nausea on a morning after i have taken the tablets until i have had some breakfast then it seems to dispearse, what is the procedure for coming off these tablets as i am frieghtend that now i am starting to feel better in myself my doctor might stop them and i would hate to go back to the bad place i was before especially as it took me so long to get to the point of just about feeling normal again, i dont think i could face having to do it all again!!

Cheers

[deb-22]

hello !
I am new !
I was prescribed Citalopram, after 5wks i had to come off it, the side effects were too much to bare ! My anxiety was worse than ever, constantly thinking i was going to die...the Dr then prescribed me Seroxat, OH MY it was horrendous i felt awful, nausea, sick, heacaches, chest pain, you name it i had it, so currently cold turkey but having some awful withdraw after only being on meds for about 8wks in total...

Jo

im new too awfull side effects i just cannot tolerate as a single mom with a small son thought i was going to die started taking flupenthixol now I think councelling helps with anxiety never taking citalopram again .

[Oddfish]

Well, after 4 months on 20mg I've just started to come off them and I've reduced my dose to 10mg for a week so far. I had side effects for about 6 weeks when I first started taking these tablets but then I was absolutely fine. Now the side effects are back! It's not as bad as when I started as I'm gradually lowering the dose, but the yawning every 5 seconds, the loss of memory and inability to concentrate and the loss of appetite are there. Crucially though, I am like a new person. From feeling suicidal over Christmas my life has started to move on. I'm of the mind where I don't know whether the citalopram helped me or not, all I can say is that over the months I've felt a lot better and in control so that I could make some big decisions and help to turn things around, instead being paralysed with the blackness. I never thought things would get to this point. I'd like to give a shout to fellow sufferers and say that although you might think everything is hopeless, it NEVER is. Things always change eventually so hang in there.