New to Citalopram [Archive]

Neebie

02-09-06, 13:58

Hi everyone!

Sorry... I have another question! I took my first tablet (citalopram 10mg) yesterday (10am) and felt better straightaway (placebo effect???)apart from a slight headache and yawning a lot but I have to say that this morning I felt vile! I woke up after a nightmare and I felt sick, hot and sweaty and physically anxious like I was having a panic attack as soon as i opened my eyes - but instead of coming and going it was like all the time. I was also tired out too! I went back to sleep after about 2 hours (which was weird in itself as I was so anxious) and I feel a bit better now.

I was wondering though, is this the tablet wearing off, or is it the side effects from the tablet coming out? On the leaflet they seem to be the same symptoms! Or is it just me having a new panic that lasted much longer?

The doctor told me to take 5mg instead of 10mg if I had side effects (but to keep on with them as sometimes you feel worse before you feel better) and as I'm not sure if I have side effects or not I took 5mg just now instead of 10mg. But i really don't want to feel this much worse than i did before!!!!

Also does anyone feel like you're battling yourself in an attack? It's like I think of positive things and then my mind throws up something even worse than before... it's like that old fiddle/banjo? song! (the one where there is a competition or something?) I actually think of it that way and although it's funny ~ I'm not sure it helps!!!

Thanks all!
Neebie X

ceecee

02-09-06, 14:44

hi neebie i too had really bad side effects on citalopram i felt sick light-headed and generally really anxious,so i came off it,and am no going it alone(so to speak)so yes it could have been the meds,but then again a few people on here take it and it,s fine for them,so i think it,s just about finding the right meds for you!!!hope this helps
take care
rachel x

groovygranny

02-09-06, 18:21

Hello Neebie! :)

In my opinion, this sounds like the side effects of the Citalopram. I felt just like this for the first few weeks, never thought it would end and I would never get any better only worse. I think I must have had nearly every side effect on the list plus a few more! But, I stuck it out and am so glad I did 'cos after that I felt so much better. I was stuck in a circle of going to sleep at midnight or after, and then waking at 4.00am in a horrendous panic. Then one night I decided I would stay up and keep awake. I told myself that if I could stay awake past 4.00am I would break the circle - and it worked!
So try and stick it out, but as I said this is only my opinion!

Hope you will feel a lot better soon! :)

Lotsa Luv
xxx

'There are no such things as strangers; just friends we haven't made yet!'

Daisybun

02-09-06, 19:10

Hi Neebie, I had side effects for first couple of weeks, then I felt fine, just tired but I am getting on with my life

Take care
Daisybun

'This too will pass'

Kathy

03-09-06, 12:07

Neebie

04-09-06, 20:38

Hi there!

Thanks for all your replies, honestly they have been so helpful I can't begin to tell you!

Well, I've stuck it out and am still on 5mg of Citalopram and the nasty side effects are definately lessening. (Horrible though for first 2 days! Heart pounding, feeling sick, sweating... terrifiying!)

Hoping for the best tho!

I'm wondering now will I have to increase the dose? I don't really want to go up on it in case I have more side effects. Is 5mg enough for some people?

I'm trying hard to stop "what-iffing" - it's not easy tho - I think I've been doing it for a very long time actually. I only noticed I was doing it so much when I tried to counter it! On the positive side... if I'd never had a panic attack and got help and advice here, I still wouldn't know that I was "what -iffing" all the iffing time!

My best to everyone (and my thanks)

Neebie

NicolaCurrie

05-09-06, 10:02

Hi neebie - i just took my first citalopram last night and I feel sick. Feels like someone is sitting on my head too. I took seroxat years ago and I went through a similar situation then. I stuck it out and felt better after a few days. My hope is that this too will not last very long 'cause I feel pretty rotten just now!

Nicola

Neebie

05-09-06, 17:24

Hi there
I am 5 days in on Citalopram - still taking 5mg but the side effects are starting to wear off and I've had a good day today - maybe they are kicking in? Maybe not - I'm just thankful I don't feel as bad as I did. I'm glad i've stuck them out. Hope you do well on them too.
Neebie
XXXXX

KFox

06-09-06, 20:13

I was put on Citalopram back in January, and I only took one of the tablets because I couldn't take the side effects. The morning I took it I felt pretty good, but about 90 minutes or so after taking my first and only tablet I had a big panic attack and it took more than a day to recover from it. I went off the antidepressants altogether. Nowadays I take Valerian if I feel anxious.

lauraanne2009

02-03-09, 16:48

hi im laura ive just started to take my Citalopram 2day i got 10mg from my doctor is it border line i will have do u kno w

Plz Help :( x

Katie27jt

02-03-09, 16:56

I know the side effects are crap but stick with it!
Worth it in the end
Good luck
x

breeze25

02-03-09, 18:07

I had suide effects after taking them, but echo what others have said about sticking with it because it does get better.

Metal

07-05-09, 10:42

I had a horrendous reaction to Citaprolam. I was already in such severe anxiety that the tablets tipped me over the edge, I was up all night vomitting and having diarrhoea, altered perception, rapid heartbeat, sweating and, to be honest, almost suicidal with fear. I gave it a break and tried again with the same result.

I havent taken anything since, but am tempted to try again now my anxiety is less severe, but Im so scared of the "feeling worse before you get better" that I cant even contemplate it.

Sticking to Kalms and camomile tea and flower remedies at the moment.

KathXX

That is exactly the way i feel. I just couldn't cope with the side effects. My anxiety was made 10X worse on this. I was hyperventilating and shaking.
Since stopping i'm still anxious but after feeling the way i did on this, i know it could be much worse. It also made me so sleepy i was like a zombie. My GP said it was unusual and made me stop right away.

SarahP

07-05-09, 20:58

Neebie,
I'm in just the same situation as you at the moment. Was prescribed 20mg but after side effects from other drugs cut them in half and started on 10mg. I too found that I was fine at first then started waking up panicking from the second I opened my eyes. Also, I totally know what you mean about battling yourself, but the way I see it, every effort you make to fight those bad thoughts will help in the long run if not immediately! I'm sticking with the tablets for now, as I want to see if they help in a week or so, although it is scaring me a lot!

Nicola, can I just say that I totally know what you meant when you said it felt like someone was sitting on your head - I think that's exactly how I described it to my mum the next day!

Come on girls, let's stick it out and see how we go :)

Much love to everyone xxx

SarahP

07-05-09, 21:00

Lol, I really need to check to see if there's more pages of the thread, only read to the end of first page and didnt even notice it was from like 3 years ago! Duh.

:) xxx

kt79

07-05-09, 22:05

I have been taking Citalopram for about a month now. It does make you feel ill at first but stick with it and the side effects will improve and you will start to feel better in yourself

blooming

13-05-09, 16:13

Hi all
my story with citalopram and my "almost depressed fase"..
I was tearful all the time and very sad, with problems in concentrating at work. So decided to go to my GP. I've started 10mg 2 months ago. Felt dizzy, sleepy, tired, although a bit better - I seemed to be more stable (not getting to excited or too depressed). Silly me.. I kept socially drinking, some days I missed out the pills.. on the 2nd week I felt so terrible, crying and crying, hyper sensitive to everything, getting angry with people, etc.. 1 month after starting my GP increased the dose to 20 mg. On the day I had the first 20 mg pill I was "high", feeling great. And then stabilised. I also noticed, since the first time i took citalopram a decrease on my appetite, which is desirable (I tend to eat when anxious). Now, after 2 months, finally I'm feeling me again, the happy positive girl I've always been. Not getting upset anymore with stupid things..I'm still feeling tired and yawn a lot, which causes me a bit of stress at work. I seem to still have problems in concentrating, specially at the end of the afternoon. Now I only have 1 or 2 glasses of red wine to avoid the horrible hangovers that mixing alcohol with citalopram causes. I'm also doing massage and started to do exercise. Citalporam seems to be helping but essentially I need to take care of me and my thoughts. Hope sharing will help someone like me. thanks to all.

lady

18-05-09, 10:08

i started citalapram on thursay day five now first day was hellish but was mainly down to me making myself panic lol iam on 10mg and to up to 20mg on say 7 .the doctor gave me diazapam to calm the side effects and temazapam to sleep has been a savour as i couldnt have handled side effects without them . everyone doing it without extra help i take my hat of to you coz i ffreaked out and wasnt strong enough but iam now practically housebound long way to go xx