Citalopram

[n33d@br3@k]

Hope Springs Eternal...Or so the saying goes. Sadly I have not been feeling very hopeful for a long time now, and I finally decided to seek help after years of deluding myself into thinking that everything was ok. I have been prescribed Citalopram, and I am positively terrified of the side effects (to put it politely). I am especially worried about the potential memory loss, as my job is dependent on my memory. I would be most grateful if somebody could shed some light on whether this affected them; along with anything else that I should be forewarned about. Thank you very much.

[nomorepanic]

Hi n33d@br3@k

A huge warm welcome to nmp.

You'll get loads of advice and support here and make some lovely friends along the way.

Best wishes

[pinkdove]

:welcome: to nmp, i took citalopram twice,a nd the first couple of weeks were difficult , although it did settle down, but i have not had any problems with memory. hope this helps xx

[oneofus]

No problems with memory, but other ahems.... See elsewhere.

One of us :hugs:

[n33d@br3@k]

A huge thanks to you all!

[william wallace]

You dont say what dose you are on or why you are on Citalopram. If it's for anxiety there's a good chance that it will heighten your anxiety for a while. You can make things much easier on yourself by starting with a very small dose say 5mg for the first week, then 10 the second week and so on. You'll still feel some effects obviously (it's a very powerful drug) so good luck, and I hope you feel better soon:hugs:

[Lost_L]

Hi,
I started on Citalopram a week ago and after reading so many 'horror stories' and different things on the internet I was terrified to take it and so far *touch wood* it hasn't been anywhere near as bad as the things I imagined. We know that the mind can be a horrible thing (that's why we end up taking the tablets in the first place!) just forget about it all, what you've read or heard and only focus on the good things. If it's going to make you better and give you a better quality of life then its worth a couple of headaches.
Good luck!

It's not the only tablet out there, if it doesn't work for you go back to the doctor and try something else!

[Molly71]

Hi
I have taken Citalopram for 8 years and have ound it helpful-I have not found it to interfer with my job but it will make you feel a bit strange when you first start taking it until it gets into your system.
I was on 20mg per day and have recently stopped taking it, try not to worry :)

[GoldenJenny]

Citalopram is a relatively new type of anti depressant, and is in a group of anti depressants called SSRI's, which stands for selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. They are probably one of the most commonly prescribed drugs today because they are so safe and in general, have very little side effects. Anti depressants have come a long way in the last 10 years and our understanding of how they work has also developed a lot. SSRI's basically work by increasing the level of Serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (a chemical the brain uses to send messages) and it affect many things but is associated with our moods. It is thought that not having enough Serotonin in the brain is linked to higher levels of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD and depression. We don't know whether someone gets depressed/ anxious and that causes Serotonin to drop, or whether Serotonin drops, causing these problems, but either way, increasing the levels of serotonin by using SSRI's has been shown to be very effective. I used Citalopram for a long time in various different doses and found it to be very helpful and I didn't have any side effects at all. Side effects are uncommon with this drug and usually go/ get better after the first few weeks of taking them as your body adjusts. You can't get dependant or addicted to them, and if you take them long enough their positive effects should remain even after you stop taking them. I've never heard of them affecting people's memory and even if you found that they did slightly, the effects would not be permanent if you stopped taking them. In my opinion they are one of the best anti depressants (in terms of little side effects). Best of luck!!!!

[ewood79]

Hello Molly and golden Jenny..... What dose were you on or currently still on?

[pinkdove]

Hiya, ive been prescribed them yesterday and i am really worried about the side effects. I am terrified of having anything that makes my chronic dizziness worse. Now i dont know if my dizziness is in my head or is because of something physical but i cannot cope with this anxiety any longer and i suppose as other people say....in the long term if it makes us better then a few weeks of possibly being a bit 'ill' is worth it. I've given this anxiety too much of my life already and i want to win. I really want to go and take it now..right I AM! X

---------- Post added at 09:40 ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 ----------

Omg...i've just took my first one...fingers crossed.
you have taken it now, so please keep yourself busy and don't worry, think of it the first step to getting your life back. good luck with the meds xx

[pinkdove]

:D Good luck with it... you can do it !!

[GoldenJenny]

I started on 10 and went up to 20 and was on this dose for quite a while. It helped me a lot but in the end I went onto another antidepressant called Dosulepin because I had trouble sleeping and one of the side effects of Dosulepin is drowsiness, so I was told to take them at night before I went to bed. These helped me a lot too but are less often prescribed because they are an older type of anti depressant with more side effects. How is everyone getting on?

[JV82]

Hi there!

I was put on Citalopram last year for a while and the first week was the worst but the side effects soon wear off. It'll affect everyone differently I suppose.

Good luck x

[evernigt]

I have been taking it for almost 8 years my dosage just got decreased I was taking 60 but the FDA says it can mess with the heart so I am down to 40, I too was terrified of side effects (still am) but I found it to be very easy. I also take effexor... now thats a scary one, but so far doing okay.. but I am begining to feel like I have developed a tolerance for the meds because they do not seem to be working as well, but scared to try anything different.