can't cope with the Insomnia

[LIL6293]

Hi everybody, am into day 9 of 20mg of Citalapram and can say I am struggling with all of the nasty symptoms, still gagging although not been physicaly sick.

My biggest problem is the lack of sleep, have been taking the pills first thing on a morning and have been coping with the side effects quite well, thought I would be able to return to work quite quickly but thats been a none starter.

Anyway.

When I go to bed I feel I have to physicaly fight to get to sleep and seem to get strange feelings when trying to drop off, when I do seem to fall asleep I tend to wake within 30mins to and 1 Hour body tingling and in a hot sweat, neadless to say I then spend the rest of the night tossing and turning until the birds start singing, I'm absolutely off my feet with tiredness.

Is this a normal side effect with Citalopram, any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

[kestral]

insomnia is one of the early side effects, speak to your gp and maybe he will reduce your dosage or give you something to deal with it until the meds are properly in your system.

[Mick081081]

Hi Lil,

I'm just into week 3 of citalopram and had bad insomnia until a few days ago but I still wake every couple of hours although it is getting better, so battle through it.

I've had some SE's but they are subsiding slowly but surely. I've never had any AD's before so think it was a shock to my system and my body was trying to rid itself of the new medicine so have had a bad ride upto now.

It is gradually getting better though and I'd say it is working slowly but surely. Hope your side effects disappear quick and that you feel better soon. Stay positive and be patient that's what I keep telling myself as it will take time.

Take care,

Mick.:)

[Kendra]

My sleep was terrible but it eventually calmed down. It has been pretty much perfect until this week but have a few blip days but it will eventually go back to normal. I was so tired during the day but could I hell drop off it was a nightmare. Sleep when you can but just rest as much as you can as well. It does get batter, promise!! x

[LIL6293]

Not sure how to describe the funny feeling when trying to drop off sort of a tense numb your not going to sleep kinda thing anybody had something similar.

[Mick081081]

Know what you mean and I found when I was dropping off I was kind of half asleep and half awake and felt like I'd not actually been properly asleep if that makes sense!!!

Have you got any other side effects? My vision is still abit dodgy at times and I feel like my head is full of cotton wool it's either brain fog or depersonalisation and I just want it to go as its mega annoying. All my other side effects have gone apart from loose toilet visits.

Stick with it anyway I know it's horrible at present but if it starts working I've heard it's an amazing drug when it get to that magic therapeutic level which can take upto 8 weeks- hoping it works before then though!

Mick.

[LIL6293]

Still got the majority of the symptoms, mainly little or no appetite and really need to start eating again, again its the sleep that's knocking me for six, am in the spare room off an evening just to let the better half get some sleep, just hope this one tails off quickly, I can sorta cope with feeling sick.

[Mick081081]

I couldn't eat anything and lost a stone but not all bad as have seen my six pack for the first time in years and the Christmas flab has gone- lol! Try to eat as much as you can and get some multi vitamins I have a berocca everyday just to keep my levels up.

If I were you I'd ring the GP and see if they will give you some sleeping pills for afew nights just so you can rest I'm sure they would if you explain your situation. Not sleeping properly is what I've struggled with the most as sure it makes the brain fog/ depersonalisation even worse. But to be fair I am sleeping quite well compared to in the beginning. Hope you feel better soon.

[oldtime]

The insomnia was terrible for me on Cit, even after 2 months I was lucky to sleep 2-3 hours a night. I also had the strange feelings when in bed, tingling numbness, hot, and half dream awake type of sleep. My doctor added 15mg of Mirtazapine and the insomnia stopped from day one. I slept a full 7 hours a night and felt good. For some the insomnia will pass after a few weeks, if you still have insomnia after a month then talk to your doctor about adding Mirtazapine, you don't need to suffer.

[LIL6293]

Those were the symptoms I was trying to explain down to a "T"and as I felt myself going over they seemed to intensify, I then wake feeling exactly the same feelings, very disconcerting.

[kestral]

ive had some sleeping difficulties too often in that half and half state before waking with a loud snort to make me feel edgy and out of sorts.

[Mick081081]

Hi LIL,

Well I managed 9 hours straight last night (new record) so stick with it as it definitely improves the longer you have been taking the med. I think its a shock to the system taking Cit for the first time so it wreaks havoc with your body for a while. Just over 3 weeks myself so thought I'd let you know it has got better just to give you a bit of hope. Take care.

Mick.

[LIL6293]

Cheers Mick, felt really tired last night about 09:30 so went to bed, took a while to drop off but did eventually, woke after what I thought was hours only to be told it was 11:30, needles to say the tossing and turning started from then on, is there something in the med that tricks the sleep sensors into preventing the ability to fall asleep ?.

[oldtime]

There is something in the med that alters sleep. At night serotonin levels naturally drop and melatonin increase. The cit counteracts this natural process so that you continue to have higher levels of serotonin at night. About 80% of people taking cit get used to this. The remaining 20% continue to suffer from insomnia, that included me. Some people have the opposite effect and sleep better or even too much with cit.

[Mick081081]

It will get better pal unless you are one of the unlucky 1 in 5 but give it afrw weeks and see if it settles and remember everyone reacts differently to different meds so might take less or more time. Took me until this week to start properly feeling like I'd had a proper sleep and start sleeping through. Had a bad day yesterday but slowly feeling slightly better guess I'll be up and down for a while till it gets to that magic therapeutic level- come on Cit work your magic.

Good post Oldtime I never knew the reason why it messed with the sleep so thanks for that. Stick with it anyway and feel free to message me with any questions or anything at all and I'll try to help out. I'll be glad when this feeling of being drunk passes as really doing my head in- grrrrrrrr! Take care anyway and try to be patient which is easy said as I have no patience whatsoever.

Mick.

[LIL6293]

cheers all, gonna grab some soup while my apetite allows, thanks for the invaluable advice.