View Full Version : how long do other citalopram users think it takes to work?!
hi all. i have been on 20mg citalopram for 12 days for pnaic/ga/ocd. i have had side effects such as jaw clenching, headaches, v little sleep (awful) and my mind racing with thoughts so fast it feels like its going to explode! how long does this go on for?! i have managed to get through the last 12 days through sheer acceptance but suppose i am starting to panic that they are not going to work for me although i have been on ssri's several times in the past and they have. the last few days therefore i have been feeling panicked and tearful again. how long do those out there on citalopram reckon it takes to kick in?!
hi ive been o n citalopram for 5 months for anxiety the first 2 weeks wer the worse /thats how long it took for it to get in my system .i was on 30m a day and theve worked that well for me im now on 10m .they will work for you hopefuly like they have for me .please keep taking them and soon you will feel the benefitand start feeling a bit better let me no how you going on with them .hope you feel better soon .
hi gromit
thanks for the reassurance! today will be my 2 weeks up so hopefully will maybe start to improve soon. did your improvement happen really quickly or just in tiny doses! x
hi,in my case i have been on citalopram for about 8 weeks,but only 5 weeks at 20mgs,i am still feeling pretty awful at times,nauseus most days jaw clenching so much that sometimes it hurts,still can't socialise much,although i still work,always refuse to go out with the girls on nights out,i make up some excuse or other,and would just like to go with them and enjoy myself,but i get all panicky at the thought of it,can't wait to feel okay again,but am getting fed up of waiting for the citalopram to kick in,don't get me wrong i do try to face things and am not souly relying on the medication,but it feels so hard at the moment.can't face going on holiday,so my poor partner is suffering as well,anway,fingers crossed we will both get better. patience is a virtue,but i have never been very virtuous,lol ....rozie xwx
They should take between 2-4 weeks, if your still getting sides after 4 weeks and they show no signs of improving then you should see your doctor.
I'm three weeks into mine and the effects (I think) are there - I am much more calm now than I was, although the panic attacks have been worse when they arrived - thats probably a side effect I guess. So I would say 2-3 weeks. Mine are 10mg I think
so,maybe the citalopram is not going to work for me,i know what works for one does not necessarily mean it works for others,but i will be so disappointed if these don't work and i have to start again,the side effects are not so intense as first started,but they are definately still there,after 5 weeks i should be feeling better than this.
hi rozie
don't give up yet! i think it can take up to 6 weeks especially if you started off on a lower dose. x
It takes on average 4-6weeks for SSRI's to work, so give them time to get into your system. :)
Dying_Swan
03-11-07, 18:48
Generally speaking - 6 weeks - to start helping and stop causing all the nasty side effects.
xx :flowers:
not felt so bad today, hey maybe these are working at last,fingers crossed.
I've been on cipramil for 8 weeks now. I was on 20mg for 6 weeks and then upped to 30mg but have reduced by 5mg the last week because I was getting dry eyes and painful skin. I too feel that they aren't working, the only effect I can see is that I feel absolutely exhausted all the time. Problem is I have tried venlafaxine, lustral, seroxat, prozax, reboxin and have had serious reactions to all so this is the only one. I've read many posts on this forum which say they took around 2 to 3 months to kick in, different response time for different people so am going to hang in there.
Hi Joan - Firstly I have to state I'm not "usual" when concerning medication - please bear this in mind.
I managed 2 weeks on Citralopram (the longest I've ever done on as SSRI) and had to stop because it made me feel worse. Seroxat lasted 2 days, Trazadone 1 day, and I've taken plenty in between. None I could take for more than a few days without losing the plot.
There are other options, you just need to discuss them with your GP. There is something out there for all, but often it takes time to find. Work with your GP and I'm sure you'll find the right thing for you.
BTW - there is a happy ending to my tale, although I'm not medically trained to give any advice.
Krakers.
krakers - fascinated to know about your happy ending?! x
Just to give the other side - I was on 20mg for 6 weeks, 30 mg for 2 weeks then reduced back down to 20mg over a 3 week period and have now decided to stop taking them. I'm now on 10mg and will reduce again to 5mg next week. They didn't have any positive effects for me. I had terrible nightmares, acute panic attacks out of the blue and my short term memory was not existent to the extent it was really scaring me. I had a day or two of withdrawal symptoms at first, crying and feeling very shaky but feel over the worst now and ready to abandon anti d's for ever. I'm just one of those people they don't work for.:)
I've been on 10mg for a week now & I can't feel myself getting better yet, a bit soon to expect I think. I got severe jaw clenching, pupils enlarged, reduced appetite (which I'm not complaining about) & I'm feeling tired throughout the day & wide awake in the night.
I still feel really paniky if I think of going out.
Hi Blacklily, 10 mg is a very low dose. 20mg is the therapeutic dose.Has the doctor told you to increase? I'm now on 30mg and feel a lot better.
Take care
julie x:hugs:
It was about 10 days before we could they had an effect on me... BUT I was on 10mg so if you are on 20 then I should think it will take longer.. Good luck xxx
hi i started on 10mg in morning for the first 2 weeks then doc put me on 30mg 10m in morning 20m at night ive been on them since may 2007 .im geting slowly better my doc as now cut them down to 10mg in the morning and im fine theve realy helped me alot .but im scared now cus docs taking me off them in the new year and im hopoing i dont have withdrawel symtoms .all the very best elaine xxxxx good luck xx
my docs told me soe people feel small changes as soon as 7-10 day..im on day8 and definatly feeling alot better than i had been before i started taking them..so im hoping everyday in am improvment..good luck xx
I've been on 20mg's now for a month and feel much better...the die effects were horrible at first and made me much worse than when I started out but I feel so much happier now and my anxiety has been very mild the past 2 days to non existant!
well for me im on day 8 and feeling alot better..!!
bluegirl09
12-01-09, 16:59
hi all. i have been on 20mg citalopram for 12 days for pnaic/ga/ocd. i have had side effects such as jaw clenching, headaches, v little sleep (awful) and my mind racing with thoughts so fast it feels like its going to explode! how long does this go on for?! i have managed to get through the last 12 days through sheer acceptance but suppose i am starting to panic that they are not going to work for me although i have been on ssri's several times in the past and they have. the last few days therefore i have been feeling panicked and tearful again. how long do those out there on citalopram reckon it takes to kick in?!
hiya i have been on 10 mg off citalopram for 2 months i was initially prescribed 20mg but was so sick and nauseas after taking the first tablet i came down in a low dose my mood picked up over the xmas period but has gone downhill lately i am very depressed and am very scared of taking the 20mg again that my doctor has prescribed i have been crying everday until my head feels like its been kicked i have given up work and as for a love life well maybe in the future i am soo scared i have too take the first 20 tonight apparantly if i have them at night the side effects will be less - im so ill and i feel small and scared .
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