My positive experiences with Citalopram

[andreas]

I'm new here, I thought I'd add my fairly positive experience with Citalopram. I first got prescribed it at the end of 2010 after battling depression for a couple of years.

I started on 10mg then gradually got stepped up to the 40mg I take now. To start with, the side effects were quite strong. the first day I took it I got so dizzy I couldn't stand up, but that wore off after a day or two. I also suffered some sexual difficulties but those too wore off after a couple of weeks.

In terms of medical benefit, it has been a huge help. About 2 weeks after I stepped up to 20mg I started sleeping properly for the first time in about 18 months and that has continued. I also seemed to have a lot more motivation and concentration. That was followed by 40 mg which helped even more.

It took a while to start feeling happier, but the feelings and thoughts of depression started to be a bit more blunted and distant. What it has really done is taken care of most of the physical symptoms I was experiencing and given me space to try the CBT exercises my therapist recommended which have made a huge difference to my life.

After18 months on Citalopram I no longer registered as being depressed on the scale the doctors assess you with. My whole outlook on life has changed, helped by the CBT sessions, and things have improved significantly.

I got a new job which is better paid and more enjoyable, I'm a year into my first ever serious relationship and my circle of friends keeps expanding. Thanks to no longer spending money to make myself feel better I should have saved enough money to buy a flat soon. I've just finished taking it I'm still feeling good.

I give a huge amount of credit to Citalopram for giving me the space I needed to really get control of myself. For those of you worried about taking it, or suffering side effects early on, just give it some time and regular contact with your doctor and maybe it will work out for you too. It isn't a magic bullet, you still have to work hard to change thought patterns but it certainly makes day to day life that much easier.

Happy to answer any questions you may have, either reply here or send me a message. Hope this helps someone to hear a positive message.

[TJSMITH]

Lovely to read a positive experience.
I was on Cit for 4 months and now on Sert still waiting to be me but slowly getting there think its been 10 weeks on new med.

This post will help many people as the sort of thing i was looking to read earlier this year, certainly gives hope to people still strugglng x

[andreas]

Thanks, I hope this was still helpful. Now I'm at the end of my treatment I want to try and help anyone else going through what I did as much as I can.

[miles200]

Great news!!

I see you were put up to 20mg then 40mg... Do you know if this is the normal route for Citalopram?

My doctor put me on 10mg and said to me that if it works for me they wont put me to a higher dose.

Miles x

[andreas]

They will step you up as high as they need to, take the dose for two-three weeks and go back for an assessment was the pattern I followed.

40mg is a normal theraputic dose as I understand. 10mg was enough to help just my sleeping problems but it took 40 to really get to grips with things. Everyone is different I guess, some people even go up to 60mg.

[Lilac58]

Thank you for such a positive post andreas.

Like you, it took getting up to 40mg of citalopram for me to get the real benefit. I have been on it over 8 months now, I can't believe now how I have got to be where I am from where I was. I don't think I'd be here without the citalopram. I had an add on of quetiapine too, but the cit was the thing that kept me going.

I was lucky with side effects that I could cope with, it was so worth sticking with.

I wish you well.

[Sparkle1984]

Nice thread - I like reading these positive stories; it gives me the inspiration to continue even on the bad days. I'm 2 and a half weeks in, so it's still early days for me but I'm feeling a gradual improvement. :)

[little scientist]

I'd like to add here too - citalopram has been the best treatment for me.

Quite simply, I got ME back. Significantly fewer peaks and troughs, much more stable me :)