Re: Long term Citalopram Use
I've been on mirtazapine for 6 years. Have had other meds added too. I'm likely to be on it for the foreseeable. If it's still working I don't think there's a long term problem.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Hi
I have been taking Citalopram for 8 years on and off now also. I have had spells of 6 months where i have been off them but always ended back on them again(i think i had stopped them too quickly in the past) i have come to the conclusion now that if a tablet a day gives me a better quality of life then so be it, but im hoping to try and cut down slowly again and see how things go.
Hugs
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxx
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Hiya,
I have been on Citalopram 10mg for about 9 years now apart from a 6 month break.
I ended up starting them again after my anxiety kicked off again without them, and I found it did take them about 6 weeks to start working for me again.
I now think if a 10mg pill a day keeps my anxiety and panic attacks at bay then sod it I will take them forever, if I had high blood pressure and needed meds for it daily then I wouldn't think twice about it so why should taking a SSRI be any different if it is helping you have a better standard of living
Take care
Trac xxx
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
yes i agree with trac, if you have found a med that works then go for it, if it means taking it for a lifetime then why not ?
I just wish i could find something that helps, I was given saroxat but after reading all the scarey stories on here Im feeling so fed up, too scared to try it now :weep: .
Its not easy is it , I said to my hubby I dont care if i get dependant on drugs if they work, that is how desperate i feel.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
i was on seroxat for 8 years and wasfine to whole time, when i came off the trouble began. the anxiety started again after 3 months and when i started again i had severe side effects and in didnt work again, a common problem and no other meds have worked since,
Moral of the story, if it suits you keep taking it as all hell can break loose if you stop. i just thought if the anxiety starts up i'll just go back on, never in my wildest dreams did i think it would work again.
I wish everyday I'd never stopped
Love Joy
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Quote:
Originally Posted by
flatterycat
Hi there
I was wondering if anyone else on here takes ssri meds long term? I have suffered with several bouts of anxiety over the years and have taken Citalopram for nearly 8 years! I tapered off them at the beginning of the year and was doing well. However following a health scare I am now suffering anxiety again. My doc has put me back on the Citalopram 10mg 1 week, then 20mg for three weeks. I thought I was getting there but the last few days has been worse than ever. Despite this my doc says they have always worked in the past and will again. I suppose what I am trying to ask is if anyone has found that the citalopram can take so long to work? Also I feel such an oddity having to take these pills long term. They have helped but everyone I know who has used them only seem to take them for a few months and then are fine!
Thanks
Hi ..
I had a motorcycle accident in 1994 and received a minor head injury..and approx 1 week after the accident i suffered a massive Panic Attack for no reason...i really thought i was going to die..the Doc gave me Prozac which i stayed on for about 6 months and helped..i thought i was o.k. and stopped taking Prozac..i gradually went down-hill feeling depressed and started taking Panic Attacks..Doc put me on 20mg Citalopram which started working after 1 wk.(i had to take Diazepam as well because Panics were so bad)...i have been on Ciitalopram for about 12yrs now and am nearly always dizzy,tired,started getting heart palputations and if i was to run 100yards am very breathless ..and i sometimes take a Panic Attack when i become breathless..I am trying to come off these tabs as i am convinced these have done my overall health harm..i used to be very fit..now i cant train in case i become breathless and take a Panic Attack..
Bikerman..
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
hi - sorry - i don't agree with the reference to taking an antidepressant is like taking a blood pressure tablet - i used to think this but anxiety is a normal reaction that has got out of control and you can improve naturally if you deal with it the right way - e.g. acceptance etc. i too used to think ssris were lifesavers but not now that i know much more about anxiety. taking long term medication is not ideal for anyone - all drugs have side effects. i have developed stomach problems and recently read that taking citalopram is like taking a daily asprin and can lead to stomach bleeding etc so they are not to be taken lightly - however - i agree that quality of life needs to be weighed up against the risks.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mirry
yes i agree with trac, if you have found a med that works then go for it, if it means taking it for a lifetime then why not ?
I just wish i could find something that helps, I was given saroxat but after reading all the scarey stories on here Im feeling so fed up, too scared to try it now :weep: .
Its not easy is it , I said to my hubby I dont care if i get dependant on drugs if they work, that is how desperate i feel.
..........................
I took Saroxat for several years and it was one of the best anti depressants I have tried, I wouldnt listen to all the scarey stories as it effects everybody differently.
Being medicated for depression is a must or your quality of life can go downhill rapidly without you even realising it.
I have suffered from depression from the age of 15 and have been on and off antidepressants all my life ( Im 32 so not that old really:) ).
I have been through periods in my life where I didnt want to take medication and thought I could battle through and train my mind to think differently. As a result I hit rock bottom and couldnt even see that the person I used to be totally dissapeared. My friends and family stepped in when I started shutting everyone out and became unsociable and completely irrational/ paranoid they told me I had to go to the doctors and go on antidepressants again.
I have been on Citalopram for seven years, my doctor told me I shouldnt be on them long term so I came off them around christmas because my life is great and I have no problems or stresses at the moment.
I have now started having irrational thoughts, crying alot, having nightmares, have such bad anxiety that I feel sick and cant breath at times, I have an upset stomach alot because Im so tence and my stomach is in knots so I have to force myself to eat.
One minute I feel fine and happy and I think oh its all ok i can do this then the next minute when im on my own I want to burst in to tears?
Im not willing to let this get out of control again and have a bad quality of life, my doctor gave me the wrong advice and should have seen that through my past records and history, if im on antidepressants for the rest of my life so be it, im not willing to be half the person I am just so I can say im not medicated.
xxx
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
I'm in the trac67 camp now, will take it for a couple of years at least. I am at 10mg.
I read an entire book dealing with cognitive therapy. I decided it was not for me. Anxiety seems to be a chemical imbalance in my case. I can avoid the situations if I quite working and get rid of all stress in life and start swimming daily. But for now, work goes on, citalopram goes on.
I could actually deal with the panic attack itself once in a while, but as it happens only when I am driving, I have a slightly increased danger of crashing the car before I can get off the road.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
I have been taking dosulepin for over 20 years now, and now have citalopram added in too, and i expect if this continues to work for me this will be the same. I dont know many people who have been on meds for such a long time, but they are out there, and i suppose if it helps you, dont worry about the length of time, take diabetics who taken insulin everyday, or people who take blood pressure medication, i suppose they would all rather not, but you gotta do what you gotta do...
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Hi all
I have been on Citalopram twice before, the first time for severe depression, the second time for general and social anxiety. Both times I was on them for 6 months, and came off them. Lo and behold, I am now again in a place where I feel I am unable to function normally. I am terrified about normal day to day activities, assuming everyone thinks I'm stupid etc. I can't live like this!!!! There is so much stigma attached to being on meds long term, my mum especially is VERY paranoid when it comes to drugs, but my best friend JUST this second said to me - 'so, a pill a day makes you feel better, what are you waiting for?!'. When it is put that simply it puts EVERYTHING into perspective as far as I'm concerned. I have been through CBT, and although it felt as though it worked, I just constantly relapse. My parents both have suffered with anxiety all their lives, for me I do believe it is a genetic chemical imbalance.
Ideally, I wouldn't need to rely on drugs to feel normal, but then again IDEALLY, i would feel normal. I don't, and would rather live with taking a pill everyday forever, than feeling this bad. Although, I am training to be a counsellor, am I a fraud?! Haha
Good luck to you all xx
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Hi there,
Yes, I can totally relate to the fact you're finding Citalopram slow to take effect this time around. I've been on them twice before, though only for a few months each time. Came off them quite suddenly at the beginning of this year, but I was really suffering so my doctors presribed them again last month. I've been taking 10mg (same dose as previously) for 4 weeks now, and I'm really not convinced they're doing anything much. In the past I thought they'd kicked in quickly, but not this time. The only thing I have had this time is a myriad of side effects, which I'd never had before! When I spoke to my GP he said I shouldn't expect to improve until I'm 4 weeks in, and to concentrate on the idea I'll feel noticeably better by week 8. I've also been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome which means it's a bit difficult to tell when I'm feeling 'better', but I'm hoping some on the anxiety might subside soon. I hope your tablets start to take effect soon, and as others have said, I wouldn't worry about being on them long term. I think if they enable you to have a better quality of life, they're worth it :)
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
For my type 2 diabetes I have to take 2000mg Metformin, 80mg Gliclazide, 40mg Simvastatin every day for the rest of my life. If I have to take Citalopram and Propranolol in addition to this to be able to work and function "normally" for the rest of my life then thats what will happen, and shit happens:)
WW
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Hi ive been on and off cit for yrs, came off them may/june time as felt fine and then wham after some hard times the past month im back on them!! been on them just over 3 weeks (did 10mg for a week) but my god the side effects this time have been awfull so much worse than b4, my anxiety has been tripled on them, hoping it calms down soon!! strange tho that the side effects didnt kick in until 2 days into me taking 20mg?? its starting to settle slowly but im so inpatient thats my problem!!
Nicola xx
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
I think the crux of it is anxiety itself takes a long time to settle down. The AD's help to improve your mood, but it is the slow process of your body chemistry returning to balance that takes so long.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Been taking cipramil for 6 years. I have noticed some really disturbing side effects such as severe fatigue during the day even though I have been sleeping for at least 8 hours a night for a while now, major difficulty concentrating and noticeable memory loss. I've tried sessions with a psychologist which didn't work at all. At my wits end I decided to try hypnosis and booked an appointment with a hypnotherapist who turned out to be a spiritual healer. Not being a religious or much of a spiritual person at all I was incredibly anxious in the session. Having already paid for it I thought let me give it a try. She said that there is no reason why I should be on anti-depressents and that she would get me off them easily. She said she would rather try Pranac healing than hypnotherapy. So I went with it. I felt incredibly relaxed afterwards. next day was a sunday, not at work, so i though i would reduce my dose just to see what would happen, which I have never been able to do successfully in the past. Side effects when I've tried to reduce or come off previously have been severe anxiety, anger, depression, popping feeling in my head, complete inability to function. Day after my 'spiritual healing' on reduced dose I've had no side effects. Day 2 and still no side effects. Going for another session in a few days. Will give more of an update then.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
I had a massive panic attack when I was 18. It came unexpected and for no apparent reason. The after affects were terrible. I felt depressed for a few months, weird constant cycling thoughts. Questioning everything in the world and my life, felt like I was going crazy. My doctor put my on citalopram, I took them for a couple of weeks and they seemed to make me worse really emotional. I stopped taking them as I did not think they were working. I am now 28 and have had bouts of anxiety throughout my life. I have been able to control my anxiety thankfully by trying to understand it more. It is natural and gets out of control in some people. I find if I dont drink alcohol that helps. Hangovers are terrible. I personally did not find citalopram helpful but I agree with other posts that if they work for you and improve your life then keep taking. If I feel a panic attick coming on then 10mg diazapam normally works for me. Good luck to everyone dealing with anxiety.
Re: Long term Citalopram Use
Hi
You have probably seen my posts but I was on cit for 8 years and have tried to get back on it without success. I also tried Zoloft which I had also been on for 2 years. I have had a hellish 4 weeks on CIT and I have decided enough is enough. I wanted to finish things after experiencing awful symptoms and massively increased anxiety. Not sure of my next move yet.
Good luck
Rich
