hi, from a freaked out person

[bookworm]

hi, just taken my 1st dose of citalopram half an hour ago and feeling extremely strange and panicky. i was px 20mg, but after dithering around for 2 weeks cut 1 in half and swallowed.....
probably had intermittant depression for years. but recently went to the dr`s with probable menopause symptoms and generally feeling really crap and tired. very sympathetic lady, no lectures, referred me for some blood tests and got me to fill in one of those depression check lists.gave me a script for cit.
anyway got my bloods done -she ordered loads and loads. really freaked me out. went back last week, most of the results were ok.but sodium was out (gotta go back 2morrow for repeat)cholesterol was high and my blood pressures up a bit, though when i check it in work its ok!!!!
well all this has sent my anxiety sky high. already started a low fat/cal diet in anticipation of the results and had lost 7lbs, by the time i went back. just gone cold turkey with the fags. no terrible cravings, but physically feeling very unwell. so back to the gp -felt like motor mouth, she gave me some propanolol. had them before so didnt worry quite so much, but within half hour felt dizzy and spent the next hour on the loo wondering whether i would make it to work, lol.i must say i do have some genuine medical problems following cholycystectomy 4 yrs ago.
so i bit the bullet and started the pills.got to be worth a try.anyway thanks for reading(hopefully). good to get everything out
ps can i take co -codamol -500/8 with citalopram xx

[no_name]

You can feel strange while your body get used to the medicine. Nothing to worry about, the side effect list is long, but they will eventually go away after several weeks. Citalopram is one of the good medicines for sure, so it's worth trying.

[Ingenious]

I can remember last year taking my first Citalopram at around 8.30am then going to work, by 9am I felt terrible, thought I was having a full blown panic attack (I wasn't, it was the physical side effects from the Citalopram), this stress made it all worse, ended up going off work sick, phoned the doctors, was told "Perfectly normal and just rest, it will pass" and it did pass - over the next few days the effects lessened each day.

So, don't panic, hang in there - it WILL get better very quickly. Some people don't get side effects, some get mild effects, then for unlucky sods like us it's like being hit by a train :)

[bookworm]

thanks for your replies x i did feel pretty terrible last night - for most of the night.also been having pretty horrible and strange nicotine withdrawal symptoms, so not the best.
i wasnt going to take anymore, but have decided to give them a couple of weeks, unless the side effects get worse.
what did worry me was i took some co codamol for what has been a 4 day nasty headache. i have checked - nothing in the literature about being contraindicated and the only mention on a website was that citalopram can reduce the effectiveness of codeine. but after taking them felt awful . not sure whether it was the cit or a combination. anybody else had experience like that? i cant not be able to take analgesia. paracetamol just doesnt work and i know i cant take brufen, or any nsaids or tramadol

[iamspartacus]

hi, im an ex codeine addict. was taking anything up to 600mg of it per day and was on cit at the time. codeine makes depression worse and can affect the effectiveness of antidepressants. if im still alive after taking that amount of codeine with cit, then the amount you are taking wont hurt. just watch you dont get hooked though

[bookworm]

thanks, iamspartacus, for your advice. just that paracetamol doesnt really work and need to have the option of a painkiller if needed.as well as the bad heads im getting at the mo, im a nurse and tend to get frequent bad backs.
took my 2nd half pill a few hours ago and fingers x`ed and touch wood, dont feel quite so bad at the moment.
this forum is great, lots of support,advice and knowing you are not the only one feeling like me:yesyes: