citalopram making me feel very wierd?! help!

[nikkij31]

hi im new here and i realy need some advice about this!

---------- Post added at 01:54 ---------- Previous post was at 01:50 ----------

just started taking citalopram this is my 2nd day i have been on sevral diffrent meds before now and never experienced any strange side affects like this (just usual drtmouth/sick feeling) in first few weeks.

within the first few hours i of taking citalopram ive felt so out of it and high (not in a good way) v.shakey not been able to eat or drink only been able to lie in bed feel like a zombie v.foggy feeling. the problem is i have to go to work tomorrow and i carnt call in sick or have time off becauce its a new job!

im just worried i wont be able to do anything i feel so wierd and thinking about this is giving me a major panic! so bacicly i guess im asking if anyone has had a simmalar experience and if anyone was able to get on with there daily life?

[Anxious_gal]

I couldn't handle the side effects so I didn't last too long on this med.
From what I've read here , if you can take the side effects it does get better.
Also maybe trying out a lower dose since you've just started might help.
Always let your doctor know of any unpleasant side effects .
Hopefully someone with more experience will reply to you soon x

[morning_blues]

Hi Nikki,
My GP signed me off for the first 2 weeks that I started on cit (20mg) and it was very hard - not quite as extreme as you're describing though but very shaky, sweaty, super-anxious, upset stomach. From what I've read on here quite a few people have been prescribed diazepam just to help tide them over during this stage. I would definitely speak to your GP about what they can do to help. It's a really hard time to be starting a new job - good luck to you!
Oh and also as Michel mentioned quite a few people start on a 10mg dose to get used to it, so if you're on 20mg you could try taking half a tablet for a couple of weeks.
Good luck and hang in there!

[avasnana]

Hi, I found when I started straight onto 20mg they were too strong and I couldn't get out of bed! Maybe u should try 10mg for a week or two til it gets in ur system?

[nikkij31]

Hi thanks for the advice,:) i did feel realy awful- still do but i think im going to try and just take half from now on like suggested see if it helps. i think its how anxious i feel that scared me the most! seems like from what ive read alot of people get bad reactions. ive never tried a med that made me feel worse in that way. also going to fone in sick i know it looks bad and its only my second shift :wacko: but i feel so useless, think i picked a stupid time to swap meds! although there is never a good time to be going through all this x

[nicola1980]

Hi i felt exactly the same as you when i started on cit, id certainly recommend starting off on just 10mg for a week or so, there is no way i couldve coped on 20!! but this will pass i promise you, good luck xx

[Chanters]

I am on my 6th day I am have had the strangest feeling but they seem to be subsiding now.

Sweaty palms, dizziness, confusion, no appietite, sleepy and shaking (esp in my hands). I did boxercise last night and my concentraion was awful and my energy levels were low due to not eating.

I think my body is now slowly getting used too it. I know the last thing you want to do is eat when you feel sick but try have something it will help.

Im sticking too them so singers crossed for us all

Chantelle xx

[miss sleepy]

Hello,
It does make you feel weird, exactly as you said. I've been on it now for two weeks and the nausea has gone, but I still feel incredibly tired and am having trouble concentrating.
Things do seem a lot less foggy than the first couple of days though, that's for sure. Exercise has been tricky for me, I'm doing a bit less at the moment until I feel myself again. I don't feel I'll, just not quite right.
But, I'm not crying anymore and although it takes a little while to get up and moving, I am doing so.

[CameronG]

Hi Nikki, what does did u start on? ive been prescribed them but im worried of taken them lol:unsure:

[Mike.]

Hi I have just started on 20mg and have felt no side effects just yet but from what I've been reading and been told by others it is best to start on the lower doses and work your way up to one that is beneficial to you. I guess you just have to remember that anti-depressants are changing the way your brain/body works and it will take some time to get used to. Hang in there

[sars68]

Hello. I started taking them yesterday. Have started on a 10mg dose and have to increase to 20mg in a week if I feel ok. Within 2 hours of taking the first dose I had a really dry mouth and felt so sick. After 4 hours I had really bad diaorrea, which has totally freaked me as I have health anxiety specifically about bowel cancer!!!!! I slept badly last night.
Have taken todays dose and have felt sick on and off all day and also have a wierd neck ache.
I am really stressing about the funny tummy, becoming convinced it is a symptom of bowel cancer. Am so anxious that it will happen again.
Am hoping I can get through these first weeks as I so want to feel better.
Think I will take the increase to 20mg at my own pace.

[nikkij31]

hello again! to awnser your question CameronG they doc started me on 20mg that was 3 days ago, but as of today i have just taken half. i might sound crazy as its only been one day but i feel this dose is a tiny bit better already i feel like 20mg just overloaded my head!...although this could be for sevral reasons because it does sound unrealistic that i could be able to tell the diffrence so quick....... could be that everyday you just learn to handle the side affects a bit more than the last, as the first two where such a shock as ine never noticed any reactions to medication before. but i think from what i can see everyone just reacts diffrently to diffrent meds. i think just have to keep trying whaterer you can!:)

this got me thinking though if ive been fine on fluoxitene in the past (from what i can remember) and i feel so terrible on cit mabie i should ask to swap? does anyone know any pro's/cons of fluoxitene vs cilalopram? if anyone has had a experience with both is citalopram stronger? what is it best for?....sorry for all the questions lol just very curious thanks x

[Sophie123]

Hi Nikki, I know exactly how you are feeling and I can really sympathise with you. The first couple of weeks on Cit are really hard. I had panic attacks, shaking, palpatations and all my symptoms of anxiety went through the roof. I have now been on them for 3 weeks and I am coming through it and I am glad that I stuck with them. They did work for me before so I am hoping they will help me. You just need
to stick with them. As far as I know flux is prescribed more for depression and cit is prescribed for anxiety and panic though they are both very similar drug. Good luck and let us know how you get on :hugs:

[*clare*]

I'm on my 3rd day of 10mg. The first dose, within a few hours i felt really odd, a bit spaced out and light headed, almost like i was a little high and had stomach cramps. Generally i just feel more sleepy and am definately gonna stick with it, although i have health anxiety so i'm hoping it doesn't cause too many difficulties. Good luck with yours :)

[nikkij31]

hi thanks for the advice. after the first bad couple of days i did swich to 10mg felt much better-still don't feel like eating anything, and in general quite dysfunctional and forgetful but I'd probably be feeling like that anyway as im going through quite a bad patch at the moment. i think its a good idea when suffering from very bad side affects to try taking a bit smaller dose i think now can cope with them a bit better and will start taking 20mg again with hopefully less affects now my body's more use to it! clare i also suffer from health anxeity :weep: but for some reason i don't usually get too stressed about taking medication (i think for me its worse when i think symptoms or problems appear unexpectedly?)mabie meds i expect to feel different so its easier? this forum realy helps been able to read that your symptoms are normal and others have had the same hopefully this will be the case for you too! good look to everyone x