First Day on Citalopram

[Dangermouse99]

My husband has been begging me to begin taking these pills, they have been sat in the packet staring at me for weeks. I began taking them about 6 months ago but after being sick the first few days i got scared and put off as i have a vomiting phobia...so i stopped taking them, especially after feeling like i was going to vomit in public which is my very worst nightmare.

Well, this weekend i was worse than i have ever been...i stayed in bed the whole day on Saturday racked in Anxiety and feeling so low and i think i even scared my husband...so this morning i have taken 10mg of the drug and this time i will stick it out.

I have been feeling anxious since...strange and disturbing thoughts which is normal for me...but i got into a panic and considered getting my husband back from work as i feel very detached and nervous, but i'm not sure how much is the drug and how much is it me getting into a panic. I don't feel sick yet.

I went to my room to have a lay down but i feel i need to keep busy otherwise i get very intrusive thoughts. My bedroom freaked me out when i went in it...so i have come back downstairs. Still getting waves of anxiety.

...will update later.

[Vix86]

I started taking Citalopram 6 weeks ago. I had suffered for over a year with severe panic attacks which were massively affecting my ability ability to enjoy life. I got to the stage where I was fed up of being scared, fed up of wondering when I was going to have a heart attack, and fed up of feeling weak.

I have to say starting to take these pills has been one of the BEST things I've done. I was really nervous at first, and reluctant because of the stigma associated with anti-depressants, but the doctor I saw was so kind and understanding, and I trusted her advice implicitly. Although I was nervous the first day, I also felt a great sense of relief and hope that I could take control of my life again.

You do feel a bit funny at first (at least I did), sort of a bit numb and not really there. I also found the first couple of days that I lost my appetite, and had a funny feeling in my mouth, sort of tingly (a bit like when you take ecstasy so I'm told!) But, and I say this in complete honesty, since the first time I took citalopram I haven't had one single panic attack, and for the person who used to have them every 30mins or so, and spent every waking hour in fear of having one, that's a pretty big step forward. I don't know if you'll have the same experience, as everyone is different. Both my mum and sister took citalopram for depression, they really worked with my sister whereas my mum found it didn't really help. However, general consensus is that for anxiety disorders, they are fantastic - and that's certainly the experience that I have had.

My advice would be to stick with it, whatever you do give them at least one month - I promise you won't regret it. I wish I could have known what a difference they would make to my life months ago.

You've already crossed the biggest hurdle by taking that first pill and should be really proud of yourself. The only way is up from here.

[hartleysjam]

I'm a panic attacker too, I'm on day 9 now and no panic attacks from me either. Try and really focus on the positive aspect that whilst the first few weeks might be a little uncomfortable you're doing this so your future is better and you can enjoy life and you're doing a really positive thing you should be proud of yourself.
That's all I focus on if I feel a bit wobbily

[Dangermouse99]

Thanks for the kind words :)
Update...i spent the afternoon being sick and feeling paranoid, disconnected and just very very odd in myself...hubby came home from work and looked after me. I have now finished dinner with my family and i feel fine...the question is if i am brave enough to take another tomorow...i know i need to as i have taken the first hurdle and i am convinced i am doing the right thing :)

[Vanilla Sky]

You will get a few annoying side effects the first few weeks or so , its no worse than panic symptoms ( which are worse ) . The best thing i ever did was take Citalopram , i have almost fully recovered , feels great xx

[hyg]

Hi
I was so the same about taking cit-Id had the prescrition for months but was scared of any side effects so kept on suffering with bad anxiety when it got to the point where i felt like I couldnt breathe or swallow food i thought what the hell ive got nothing to lose. I admit the first few weeks for me were awful but no worse than what the anxiety was doing to me. Im now in week 8 and after the first month I really started to feel different-I dont feel scared anymore just wake

up and feel calm. I so hope you can stick this out-it will work and it cant be any worse trying than the way you were feeling. You ll get a lot of support from this site-there were many times when I wanted to give up and I always came to this site for reassurrance-and that is what Im giving to you now. GOOD LUCK x

[Dangermouse99]

Thankyou again :)

Update for Day 2

It's ma birrrthday! I opened up to a friend this morning about me starting to take the meds and it turns out that she had them herself during a difficult break up. she was very supportive and came to my house for a coffee and chat, i put off taking my pill until nearly lunch time, took at at 11ish and hubby came home at 12 to take me out for lunch.

Started feeling odd when we we were out...disconnected and could not make sense of what he was saying during our convo, few intrusive thoughts. i kept telling myself that i will feel weird for a few hours but great by the evening time which is what happened yesterday. Paranoia made me leave lunch early and we came home as i was scared of maybe being sick in public.

Feeling a bit better now, still a bit edgy and fuzzy headed. Need to chill a bit.
I take the drug for depression mainly, i do suffer anxiety but not massively...not constant panic attacks like some. I guess what i am feeling now is anxiety.

[Dangermouse99]

Day 3 on cit...weird.
Woke up in the middle of the night with intrusive thoughts but quickly got back off to sleep. Woke up this morning feeling like crap, anxious, jittery and paranoid. I feel like i'm in a bubble. I didn't care to do my make up this morning or really take care of myself like i normally do which is odd for me. I kept getting hot flushes and i keep taking a deep breath like i do often when i am anxious. Jaw clamping too.
I hope it isn't like this for long, i don't like it :( I'm missing my old self, my old self on good days that is...i feel like a different person.
I feel i need maybe to stop focusing so much on the fact that i'm taking meds but it's so hard when the side affects are so icky. Determined to see this through though...
Not looking forward to dose 3 today.

[Dangermouse99]

Slept most of the day today, woke up very twitchy though which was weird.
...oh, i feel fine! YAY!

[Pretty]

Stay on the drug. Keep your husband at home for a few days if you can or a close friend or family member. I had the exact same symptoms (I'm a nurse and mother of 3 small children under 5) they are scary and terrible, but they will pass. I am at 2 1/2 weeks in and feeling really good. I stared at my bottle for 7 months.....you'll be ok. Do not be alone right now. My mom is a psych nurse and my very good friend a psychiatrist. They convinced me to stick with it and I started at 10 mg......it was horrible!!!!!!!

[Ingenious]

If you can get through these early stages then you will hopefully find your body gets used to it very quickly from then on.

Although a lot of people here think 10mg is a small dose, some of us are very sensitive to it, I only took either 5mg or 2.5mg as my first dose and I felt awful, nauseous, sick, extremely worried it was a panic attack (it wasn't, it was the physical effects of the drug). But the effects were less and less with each dose and after a week, the only immediate effect from the tablet was feeling tired.

Hang in there!

[Dangermouse99]

Thanks for all the kind words and advice :o)
I seem to have taken to the meds quite well, the sickness passed quickly and the weird detached, panic feeling seemed to clear up too...although i did have a relapse on Saturday at my sons Rugby match but i didnt tell anyone and just made out i was fine.
Yes people are used to different doses, 10mg is a small dose, i was prescribed 20mg but i decided to build it up as i have problems taking meds, i always think they are going to harm me, i'm very paranoid.
So i will up the dose as soon as i'm ready. The pills seem to have relaxed me and i don't have the surging anxiety that i normally have. The low feeling has tapered off too- leaving me more positive. I still have the anger, i got more angry than normal this weekend and my patience levels are very low...i shouted a lot and i seemed less in control of my anger than normal...which is a worry and i don't know if thats to do with the pills or not...who knows...lets see.
Over all i'm glad i began taking the pills and now my mind is a bit clearer i can focus more on getting better.

[Bing1]

Hi Dangermouse,

I suffer from depression/anxiety after a miscarriage and today my doc prescribed 20mg of these. He said also to take beta blockers ( 40mg Propananol ) 3 times a day to stop the adrelanin pumping and reduce the disturbing thoughts. Have you tried these?

I took one earlier and have felt much calmer

I'm taking my first Citalopram tonight..

Going by other posts, they do work eventually so I guess there's light at the end of the tunnel!

[Dizzy_Dave]

So all the Docs are peddling the cheaper alternative Citalopram with the worse side effects now?

[Bing1]

Hi Dave,

What do you know about this med?

[Dizzy_Dave]

Hi Dave,

What do you know about this med?

It's cheap and that fits with the Tory cut backs.

[nicola1980]

It's cheap and that fits with the Tory cut backs.

Alot of people have actually found citalopram change their lives, yes bad side effects but that comes with all AD's

[piglet3640]

My husband has been begging me to begin taking these pills, they have been sat in the packet staring at me for weeks. I began taking them about 6 months ago but after being sick the first few days i got scared and put off as i have a vomiting phobia...so i stopped taking them, especially after feeling like i was going to vomit in public which is my very worst nightmare.

Well, this weekend i was worse than i have ever been...i stayed in bed the whole day on Saturday racked in Anxiety and feeling so low and i think i even scared my husband...so this morning i have taken 10mg of the drug and this time i will stick it out.

I have been feeling anxious since...strange and disturbing thoughts which is normal for me...but i got into a panic and considered getting my husband back from work as i feel very detached and nervous, but i'm not sure how much is the drug and how much is it me getting into a panic. I don't feel sick yet.

I went to my room to have a lay down but i feel i need to keep busy otherwise i get very intrusive thoughts. My bedroom freaked me out when i went in it...so i have come back downstairs. Still getting waves of anxiety.

...will update later.

Hi there

Stick with them.......I started on 20mg/day 7 years ago, and they were a godsend for me. However, I have until recently been taking 60mg/day (on my doctors instruction), and have now replaced them with Mirtazapine (30mg/day). So far, I am okay, but am wonderiing about going back onto the Citalopram, as I had absolutely no side effects with them.

Hope it all goes well for you.

:yesyes:

---------- Post added at 21:12 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------


Hi Dangermouse,

I suffer from depression/anxiety after a miscarriage and today my doc prescribed 20mg of these. He said also to take beta blockers ( 40mg Propananol ) 3 times a day to stop the adrelanin pumping and reduce the disturbing thoughts. Have you tried these?

I took one earlier and have felt much calmer

I'm taking my first Citalopram tonight..

Going by other posts, they do work eventually so I guess there's light at the end of the tunnel!

I also got given Propranalol along with Citalopram - I found them great for days when I thought I would be in a situation which might cause me anxiety/panic. I don't take them now - the Citalopram seem to have worked on their own. I still have them though, just for emergencies

:yesyes:

[Dangermouse99]

So all the Docs are peddling the cheaper alternative Citalopram with the worse side effects now?

Dave its funny you should mention that as years ago i was taking Cit for 6 months for PND, 20mg, and i had NO side affects at all...this time round after trying a 20mg pill i was sick as a dog, disturbing thoughts, shaking, sweating, a strange fuzzy feeling in my head, paranoid and just really unwell! i ended up getting scared by that and putting the pills away...which is why i am now breaking them in half and having just 10mg...which gave me milder symptoms which only lasted a day or so.
My point is...i was wondering why the heck i had reacted so badley to the pills second time round...now after reading Daves post i see why.
DO NOT let this put anyone off taking the drug as once the side effects went...ive been a changed person, it's amazing! i LOVE it...i feel happier, no anxeity and no panic...i can think with a clear head for once in a very long time.

[oh no_1]

i was prescribed some 3 weeks ago but still havent started them yet cos of stories i heard, stigma about it, dont want any more time off work etc etc

[Dangermouse99]

i was prescribed some 3 weeks ago but still havent started them yet cos of stories i heard, stigma about it, dont want any more time off work etc etc

I was really worried after reacting to the 20MG pill...so i broke it in half and just take 10mg, first few days i felt odd but stuck with it as i knew it would help...and it has...i feel great, even on just 10mg, i have my off days, especially when i have PMT as i suffer very much with that, but aside from that i have felt much better...give it a go and stick through any side effects you might get, its worth it... good luck :)

[John H]

Hi Dangermouse. I too have a sick phobia because I choke when I'm sick. As you can imagine I avoid situations of stress where I might feel sick. I'm on day 4 of Citalopram and I have never felt so sick.

Have you found that the meds have helped you with your anxiety?

[Barney]

I've been on Citalopram for about 4 weeks now, but after the first week my symptoms felt worse. I spoke to my GP as I wasn't sure whether it was down to my anxiety, or the medication. If you've read the leaflet that comes with the drug, you will notice that paradoxically the drug itself can cause the symptoms you are trying to eliminate. It was felt that it was worth percevering with the medication and I am now starting to feel the benefit. The time it takes to help each individual is different, but give it a fair go. If you still feel bad after 4-5 weeks, speak to your GP again as there may be another drug more suited to you. I hope you feel better soon.