what can i expect when starting 20mg citalopram?

[ddonaghey1989]

ive just been prescribed 10mg and im sooo nervous about taking them after reading horror stories. i am dealing with stress and anxiety. i dont get panic attacks but ive been dealing with dizziness which professionals are saying is due to stress so this is reallythe last thing i can try now. im going to start in the morning. am i going to have side effects as soon as i take the first one? im terrified can someone give me advice or success stories please xx

[Marty_67]

The side effects ease with time, but it takes time to kick in - could be as much as 1 or 2 months. But you need to stick with it.

This is my 2nd or 3rd time on it - I used to take 10mg and then 20mg. I am on 40mg and my side effects are mainly nausea and sleep issues. I am 3 weeks in and overall I do feel more me than I have for ages. I still have my triggers and anxious times but I do feel better.

Good luck with it, you may need to experiment with when you take it.

Stay in touch

Marty

[Kev-g]

Been on them 8 days now, sure it was all in my head but first few days I felt light headed, and broke out in sweats, but that went off after about day 5, I take mine first thing in the morning as my GP said they could impact on my sleep which was bad to begin with, but the side effects were very mild for me, im on 20mg, good luck

[ddonaghey1989]

thanks for replying. im going to take it in the morning as i get very anxious at night and this will make my anxiety worse just the fear of taking it. hoping it doesnt interfere with my sleep as i normally sleep really well. x

[Kev-g]

thanks for replying. im going to take it in the morning as i get very anxious at night and this will make my anxiety worse just the fear of taking it. hoping it doesnt interfere with my sleep as i normally sleep really well. x

As I say, no bad experiences here so far, clear you mind (easy to say I know) and go with it.

[Marty_67]

As I say, no bad experiences here so far, clear you mind (easy to say I know) and go with it.

Spot on :) We are all different.

[teej]

Don't forget recovery is a bumpy process. The times I could have thrown the damn things down the toilet was numerous.

I too was extremely apprehensive about taking them at first but I've had some of the best moments of the last decade recently whilst taking them, and some of the worst sadly - especially during start up but I've stayed strong.

It's a journey but if you want to find if they work for you or not it's definitely a 2 / 3 month process for some people.

NMP has been brilliant help for me.

[mandie]

Hi iv been on them for 4 weeks, but this is the 3rd time iv been on them. For the first few weeks I had a few side effects, dry mouth, sleep problems, increased anx, sweating but it will get better.

Everybody is different though, some people take them and have no effects

mandie x

[ddonaghey1989]

i dont find ny anxiety terrible but the dizziness is awful and this can make me waken feeling sick and shaking alot its stopped me from going on nights out with friends and i dont want tongo on holidays or stay away from home as i cant relax. im just realising i wrote 20mg but im actually starting 10mg. i can deal with side effects bt not making dizziness or spaced out feeling worse im afraid of taking a panic attack as soon as i swallow the bloody thing :( soo frustrated x

[NorthernGeek]

I only had the dizziness & disorientation for the first week too, it's just your body getting used to the mediaction.

I was on 20mg for the first five weeks & have now been on 40mg for four weeks, as the lower dose just wasn't working for me. Luckily I didn't have any new side-effects at all when the dosage was increased & the only side effect that seems to have stuck around is generally needing more sleep.

I do yawn quite a lot nowadays, but most people I know have gotten used to me apologising that I am not commenting on their company ;)

Hope you feel better soon

[EdnaLegume]

honestly, the first week I wanted to die. My anxiety shot through the roof, no sleep at night, I was in quite a state. Some nights getting only an hour or two of sleep.

The second week I started to feel less like i wanted to die but having anxiety if I had to leave the house. The anxiety "episodes" were the same times, so I knew to be ready... like early morning, evening and when I woke during the night. I just tried my best to ride it out and wait for it to pass. Knowing it was just a side effect of the meds helped . (Thank heavens for this website!)

By the third week I was having no trouble leaving the house. My doctor switched me from Xanax (too short acting) to Klonopin for sleep, which had already started to get back to normal. I was able to fall back to sleep easily when I woke during the night. Falling asleep when I went to bed was no issue by now too. Had a day or two where I had a bit of an anxiety 'flare up' but I just chalked it up to the Citalopram doing more house cleaning.

Now nearing the end of the fourth week and frankly, I feel pretty good. No real anxiety to speak of. Getting out of the house, while not a big deal at all, does cause me some minor apprehension if it's somewhere I don't go on a regular basis. I'm sure that will continue to improve. Sleeping much better, taking only a quarter of a .5 mg Klonopin at night. (probably more of a placebo effect at that small dose).

The only thing that's still bothering me is that I'm pretty tired during the day until evening and my TMJ is pretty bad. apparently jaw clenching is a side effect and it's still giving me grief. I still wake at least once a night but it's only long enough to look at the clock and back to sleep.

I've read over and over on this site that you have to stick with it to get to the holy grail at the end... I truly believe that's the case. I'm a LOT better now than when I started this med.

[Marty_67]

Hi Edna, I'm about at the same stage as you - just shy of 4 weeks.

I slept the best I have slept for 4 weeks last night! Waking up was a problem. I still have nausea which comes and goes but that has also eased.

My main issue at the moment is that although I start the day full of beans and with a 45 minute walk to work, I usually end up getting the bus home because I am pretty pooped.

However today is a good day. I feel generally quite positive. My wife is out and I am not so worried about her. I have just made a couple of calls on the phone (I hate using the phone at home) and I generally feel up for the fight that is life.

Let's see what tomorrow brings :)

[ddonaghey1989]

i still havent taken the 10mg citalopram yet :( ive been very emotional and my dizziness is through the roof i feel like im going to spin im so afraid of it making this feeling worse.

[fee73]

Hi there :) I've been taking Citalopram for 3 weeks now for depression and anxiety. Like you I find my anxiety horrendous at night time, especially when I go to bed. The only side effect I had on the 10mg dose was slight nausea and sleeplessness. This is the first week I've taken 20mgs and I have noticed that the nausea isn't as bad, however I've had a few headaches and feel a little "zoned out" at certain times of day. I'm also noticing my appetite has increased - something I need to watch. I'm not noticing a difference in my depression but there is a slight improvement in the anxiety and catastrophic thinking. Stick with it and PM me anytime if you want to chat x

[Marty_67]

Fee, I am just a little ahead of you at week 4 and just suddenly things seem to be coming together.

I still have a journey ahead of me but the last few days have been so much better :)