Need help with citalopram

[Lootoor]

Hi all,

I suffer from severe panic attack. But i am doing fine with citalopram. I am on 20 mg in the morning and 10 mg at night. My problem is that by around 4-4.30 i feel extremly stressed out as my child comes back from school and i get panicky. My hAnd and legs start trembling. I was wondering can i take one citalopram around 3.00 pm in evening and one at night around 8.30 pm . I goto bed by that time. Will it create any problem. Any help is appreciated. Thank you

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Hi there and welcome to NMP :)

About the Citalopram, it isn't actually going to make much of a difference when you take it as it doesnt work like that. It has to build up in your system and will then hopefully help you to feel better all the time in general and in turn help calm your anxiety.

It isnt a drug like a Valium or say a Paracetamol that you take when you need them and then it starts to work about 10 minutes later. Instead you just take Citalopram everyday so you have a steady amount in your system and it should help to make you feel more happy and less anxious. For example when you first start taking Citalopram it can take a few weeks before its does anything as its still getting into your body and brain.

I hope that makes sense?

[blueangel]

Yes, I agree with this. I presume that your doctor split the dose in case taking 30 mg at once made you drowsy (as this can affect some people). The way that anti-depressants work is that they build up to a certain concentration in your blood, and it's about maintaining the levels in the right place.

If you feel OK in the morning, then try taking the "morning" dose later on and see whether that affects how you feel a bit later in the day. If you're still only taking 30 mg every 24 hours, then you're still taking the right dose.

[Lootoor]

Thanks a lot. Its quite helpful