citalopram

[andy2]

hi there. can any citalopram users please give me sound reassurance please.
i have been on the little suckers since monday and they don't seem as unpleasant as others that i have had. getting some side effects like tension in the jaw and that odd staring like feeling that you get in your eyes with big pupils from time to time.
my issue is that about 2 hours after taking them i am getting severe anxiety attacks and i mean severe. not panic attacks just intense anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. they last about 4 hours then disappear.

really hope this is a side effect as atleast then i know its just a case of riding it out. dont get me wrong.i am more than capable of that level of anxiety naturally but it never normally just fizzles out like it is doing just now.

i am only taking 10mg just now as i found 20mg was knocking me for six.
just to add one more thing. i am getting really sore legs.

oh the joy of meds

any advice please....... cheers:wacko:

[william wallace]

Andy, I started off with 20's about six weeks ago and after 4 weeks raised it to 30, then tonight to 40. The way I am progressing 40 should be enough, and maybe even back to work about the 17th. I had all of the side effects you describe, probably worse, and more of them, due to the higher dose.
They go away.
It gets better.
WW:)

[andy2]

Thanks sir William. Think they are helping a little bit but far to early to say. Suppose meds are like the first time you see your baby smiles and it turns out just to be wind. Never had much luck with meds so I will live in hope and take one day at a time.

[hyg]

Hi
Im in week 9 of cit and the first few weeks were the worst I felt sick had headaches, heart palps,muscle aches etc and more recently jaw ache BUT these SE s were not any worse than the anxiety I was suffering with. Grit your teeth and give it a good month to work-some people are lucky and have very little SE s. Im on 20 mg. GOOD LUCK x

[FriendlyBrunette1986]

I've been on Citalopram since 2009 (xmas) and all my symptoms seemed to have gone. I used 2 have severe headaches, daily and they were really bad :( now I get maybe 1-2 of them. I take 40mg as they are fab and without em I think i'd be a lost cause LOL. I know the side affects can be horrible but these will come with medication so just get on with it LOL you'll be fine hun

xxx

[fishman65]

All good advice from everyone,I don't feel I can add much else other than I too got the jaw tension,I seem to remember it lasted maybe a couple of weeks and my upper lip trembled as well :ohmy:

As for the high anxiety and hopelessness,when I changed from the citalopram to seroxat in 2009,I got these feelings too.I can remember feeling VERY low at one point,utter blackness.To be honest Andy,I think that when we have these psychotropic drugs floating about in our brains,there are going to be periods of disturbed moods before they 'bed in' and start to affect us in a positive way.I'm sure that once your citalopram settles in,you will soon start to feel better.A week for anti-depressants is very early days.Take care now,

Andy

[mandie]

Hi Andy

Iv been on these meds on and off for about 4 years.

The first couple of weeks i had the worst panic attack and very bad anxiety, which my doctor told me were side effects and would wear off in a few weeks.

They affected my sleep and i had headaches.

It did settle down after a few weeks

Stick with it and it will pass

mandie x

[andy2]

hi Mandie thanks for your reply. think i am starting to sound neurotic but would you say they helped you

Paul

[Glitterbugs]

I think I am on about day 9 now. Started on 20mg but side effects too much so down to 10mg and better!

My symptoms were similar to yours - achey legs, anxiety (very up and down), sleeplessness (on 20mg), the jaw thing (ouch), and loss of appetite. Oh, and yawning!

Reassured on here and by friends who take it that it is all normal and settles in time. I haven't seen an improvement yet but I feel better than when I started (as it made me feel worse!)

Stick with it! And keep us posted. x

[andy2]

Thanks glitterbug. Going to stick with it and see what happens. Upped my doze to 15mg the day and didn't notice a big difference from the s/e on 10mg. Going to stick on that for a few days on that then head for 20mg. Woohoo shooting for the stars:). How are things going with you?

[mandie]

hi Mandie thanks for your reply. think i am starting to sound neurotic but would you say they helped you

Paul

yes they definately helped me, without them i dont no how i would of coped.

Im only on 10mg now and although i still have the odd bad day, i have more good days than bad now

mandie x

[Glitterbugs]

Hey there...sounds sensible to me! Things good with me thankyou. I feel much better in myself overall but have the odd 'over anxious' day!

Helps talking to others starting out on the Citalopram for sure! x

---------- Post added at 22:07 ---------- Previous post was at 22:07 ----------

Oh, and trying 20 from today, split into 2 10mg doses - morning and evening. x

[andy2]

Yeah I thought of that. Might give it a bash but do you not think that that will just drag out the worst of the s/e. See what happens and keep in touch. You can be my med gunipig lol. Glad to here you ok. Take care

[Glitterbugs]

Ha ha! Thanks :) Took 10 last night and 10 this morning. Had a bit of an odd nights sleep but apart from that - OK! It may not even be down to the Citalopram anyway s had General Anaesthetic yesterday for Wisdom teeth out so I guess that (and the fact that it hurts!!) may have woken me....will keep you posted but nothing like when I took 20 in one go...that was nasty! x