View Full Version : First time on citolapram
Hi, it's day one on citolapram, I've been a bit down for a year and taking st johns wort. But last week something drastically changed, I was panicky , crying, having palpitations and I've lost all confidence. I'm sure it's to do with work as I hate my job and dread going, I wake in the night thinking of work in a sweat it's awful.
The doctor gave me amitriptyline last week but it's not helped me sleep (2 to 3 hrs per day ) or lightened my mood.
Anyway today I've got citalopram 20mg and just taken my first one.
Also got 14 zopiclone to help me catch up on sleep.
Can you offer any advice at all please?? How to cope, tips, what to expect and side effects??
Do some people have no side effects at all?????
Any helps appreciated as I'm a bit lost at the moment and not myself.
Sorry to hear you're having a bad time :( citalopram is good medication for most people though.
Yes it's true some people have no SEs at all taking them :) me personally it increased my anxiety, sore heads, nausea and I found it hard to sleep, all these past within the first few weeks though, I'm in the middle I'd increasing my dosage.
Hope you get on well
Cheers, hope it works for you !!! All the best!!!
I took the tablet 6 hrs Ago and no side effects just yet?? Im on 20mg, and go back in 2 weeks.
Also took a zopiclone 20 min ago, I'm not drowsy yet ?
Hi Yorkman :) I'm on citalopram too and have found it to be very helpful for me. Remember that side effects are something you MAY get, not that you will get.
When I started on citalopram, initially I was on 20 mg too, and am currently taking 40mg. Initially, it take make my anxiety feel a bit worse, but my doc had warned me that might happen and to persevere if I could. I did, and like I said, feel so much better now - in fact I'm starting to get ready to return to work, having been off sine April :)
It can take a few weeks for the cit to get into your system and start working, so it's not going to make you feel better immediately, but keep going if you can!
I also had zopiclone for my sleeplessness - again, it worked very well for me, and after taking it every night for a short period, then having some for occassional use, my sleep pattern is much better. I hope you managed to sleep last night, as I found it made quite a difference to my mood and anx if I had managed to sleep.
Hope you feel better soon and the meds work for you - there is loads of help and support here, use it all, it really helps to speak to people who understand how you feel and what your going through. One great thing I've found here - no matter how I feel, there are always others who have felt that way and got through it - I'm not as unique as I thought before coming here lol.
Thanks for the replies.
I feel a little spaced out this morning. Could it be the citalopram or zopiclone?
I only slept untill 4 am with 1 zopiclone tablet, may try 2 next?
Anyway when did you notice a lift or a better mood with citalopram please?
I know someone who was on Prozac and they called it the happy pill because they were happy all the time! Is this exagerated??? Have you felt this on citalopram?
Thanks
Hi
Citalopram can make you feel a bit "spaced out" ive never tried sleeping pills so I can really say anything about them, everyone seems to be different, for some people they notice a difference in a few weeks, others a bit longer. With meds like this you need to give them at least a couple of months to let them work into your system. Sleeping was a problem for me the first couple of weeks and I increased my dosage 3 days ago (so I'm back to not sleeping good) this should settle down in a week or 2. You're not alone I think I managed about 3 hours last night lol. This is just a SE though and will pass once the meds are in your system :)
Hope you have a good day :)
Cheers I am just relaxing today, back at the dreaded work tomorrow.
Hi
For me it took about 6 weeks for me to really start feeling better -was on 20mg for 3 weeks, then 40mg for about another 3, but as Vicki said, everybody is different. When my dose increased, I had some side effects again, but they didn't last for long.
My zopiclone prescription stated 1 - 2 to be taken, but 1 worked just fine for me, but again, evrybody is different andit may be that 2 is a better dose for you. It can be a bit of trial and error at the start to find what suits you best.
Hope you have a good day, take care :)
Thankyou, I'm finding it hard to get motivated to do anything, i generally feel crap, low, panicked and worried.
Im on 20mg , is it normal for the doc to up the dose? Or do some people stay on 20mg throughout the course.
Also I hope I function just the same at work? And it doesn't affect my memory?
For the first line of your post- it's absolutely normal to feel things like that. I doubt your Dr. will up your dose, 20mg is the usual dose (which most of the people take) but it takes time to do its work (up to several weeks). After that you just continue taking it for at least 6 months (again depends on the condition and your Dr.'s opinion). This period could be even an year or two in order to prevent similar future episodes of depression/anxiety. As for the functioning at work (or anywhere else)- don't worry, when you 'recover' you will be the same as before but until that you can feel a little unproductive (your memory may be affected too) but that's due to your condition, not only the pills. Wish you fast recovery!
Thankyou, I'm finding it hard to get motivated to do anything, i generally feel crap, low, panicked and worried.
Im on 20mg , is it normal for the doc to up the dose? Or do some people stay on 20mg throughout the course.
Also I hope I function just the same at work? And it doesn't affect my memory?
What you have described was how I felt when I was diagnosed, and my memory and concentration were also not great, but I think that was more due to the anx than the cit, and those symptoms did increase for me initially, but settled down again.
Have you told anyone at work what is happening? It can be helpful of you can do this, and support is a great thing to have, whether in or outside of work.
Try to be kind to yourself at the moment - hard I know, but try not to give yourself a hard time. You've started on a road which can be rough at first, it does get better, but there are no shortcuts. Take each day as it comes, and try not to dwell on things that didn't go how you wanted them to. I try to find something positive I did in each day - sometimes that was that I got out of bed, had a shower and got dressed :), but lately it has been that I am getting out and about more and am starting to think about getting back to work and not panicking about it.
Have a good day x
Thankyou for the replies. I never understood how people with anxiety and depression felt untill recently. I've been down for a year but now it's lots worse to the point ive had to get help from the doctors.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.