Scared To Start Taking Citalopram

[zengarden]

Hi, I was on Paroxetine fro 11 years and about 7 weeks ago changed to Fluoxetine. My anxiety has been terrible on them. Really bad. I ended up taking 3 diazepam on Sunday. Spoke to my Dr yesterday and he has changed my medication to Citalopram. I'm really scared to start taking them. (I have been on 10mg of Olanzapine daily and my Dr said to start taking another 2.5mg by cutting a pill in half.)
I'm scared I will feel nauseous as that gives me panic attacks, I don't cope very well with it, and have read a lot on here about anxiety getting worse.
I know no one can tell me how I'll react but I just wondered how common the anxiety and nausea are? I had bad nausea for about a week from taking the Fluoxetine.

[nicola1980]

Hi ive been taking 30mg of cit for 14 weeks (started on 10mg) and 5mg of olanzapine (just started), im not going to lie cause they did heighten my anxiety quite alot to start with and i had to use diazepam to help me, they made me feel slightly nauseas and i lost my appetite completely for a while, r u starting off on 10mg?, good luck xx

[zengarden]

Hi Nicola, thanks for your reply. My Dr has given me a prescription of 20 mg but I've read a lot of posts on here saying starting on 10 mg is better. Will be talking to a Dr later (Mine has left for the day.) about the possibility of starting on 10 mg instead.
Thanks for the good luck!

[nicola1980]

Id def recommend starting on 10mg especially with xmas coming, the pills cut in half easy! Hope u get on ok x x

[zengarden]

Well the Dr 'phoned. He said 20mg of Citalopram is the equivalant (Spl?) of 20 mg Fluoxetine and so I should start there. He also said he's had people say their anxiety is better within a week and I have to take into account that I am already taking a smiliar medication of the same family. Other people are going from not taking anything. That made me feel better for a while. I was still ummimg and arring until I've had to take another diazepam and felt bad with my mum here and without her being here. :( I've got to do something, this is getting stupid.

[nicola1980]

actually just thought my friend did a straight swap from citalopram 20mg to Fluoxetine 20mg and she was fine, had no side effects from the flouxetine at all?? maybe its because they are very similar drugs and work in the sort of same way?? u could well be absoutley fine and suffer no side effects at all if thats the case xx

[mikewales]

Its different for everyone, but I started on 20mg citalopram, and had no real side effects, and was feeling a lot better within a few days. Fluoxetine and Citalopram are both SSRI's and are quite similar, so a lot of people can change from one to the other without problems

[zengarden]

Thank you both for your replies. I haven't taken it yet, I plan to gulp it down then go to bed. I can't believe I'm so nervous about it!

[william wallace]

Just do it

[Catya]

Thank you.