Citalopram after 5 weeks.

[Jon Dimond]

I've been on citalopram for 5 weeks now, the first 3 at 10mg and the rest at 20mg.

I'm finding it VERY difficult still. I've got almost constant negative thoughts and more depressive feelings than before. I even had a good cry yesterday. I still have no appetite most of the time and my digestive functions are interesting to say the least. I must say I feel quite bad. I reckon I'm down 20lbs in the last 8 weeks.

I've got an appointment to see my GP next week and I'm starting to wonder if I should continue to tough it out and hope they start working soon or try something else or a different dose? My gut instinct is to give it a while longer, but I do feel pretty awful.

Had anyone else still felt rubbish after 5 weeks? Did it get better?

[keithwms]

I am finishing week 2, so congrats to you!

One thing you wrote leapt out at me: "I even had a good cry yesterday." I have had many cries! I'm glad yours was a good one Can you remember what it was about and how it started? It might help you to think abotu the trigger and try to prepare yourself as best you can i.e. be ready to interrupt a downturn with a call to friend or family or something like that.

One of the things that the 'rough' phase teaches us is how to break the negative thought cycles.

As for 5 weeks, I went through this on another med and it appears fairly common to reach real benefit at 8 weeks. This is not to say that you will be miserable for 8 weeks and then suddenly see rays of sunshine; rather it is that there will be a mental battle going on, with a series of defeats and victories. And then around 2 months in, things reach a stable point.

Do you feel any good moments, when you start to think maybe you're getting a bit better? If so, I would suggest holding on to those, chronicling them, write them down and know that more are coming.

One question I have is whether you go through the same set of challenges all over again when you transition from 10 to 20mg. That may be, for some people. This is my worry right now, as I am on 10 at the moment because I tend to be very sensitive to these things. I suppose I'll just have to see.

I also had a lot of weight loss! But I was thrilled to have a few moments of restored appetite in the last few days. That was amazing. Little victories!

[Spot-the-frog]

I am on week 6 of citalopram, and my doctor is trying to sort out the dosage. I was on 20mg for 3 weeks, but as things were still pretty bad in the mornings he upped to 30mg. I seemed to be doing ok then I had a huge blip and he has now upped to 40mg. I am feeling a little bit better but not right. I still have a few side effects but not so bad as in the beginning. I worry that 40mg might be too much as I feel that I did not stay on 20mg or 30mg long enough to find out if they were ok. I am going with what my doctor tells me for now, but if I think 40mg is too much i will just cut back.

I also had a lot of weight loss in the first 4 weeks, but now my appetite is nearly back to normal.

Reading other posts on here it seems that this particular drug takes anything from 1-3 months to work. I am hanging in there for a while and keeping my fingers crossed that it works for me!

[Liviguy]

Hi there,

I was on 20mg of Citalopram for 8 weeks and was still getting side effect, although less severe than the first couple of weeks. I was then upped to 30mg and I have been on them for 2 weeks and I am feeling a little better. Not wonderful yet, but hopefully on the right track.

[Jon Dimond]

Whilst I'm in no way glad that you're going through this, it's comforting to know that other people feel the same.

My cry yesterday was I think bourne out of total frustration. I'd had a crap morning, had been alone at home all day. My partner came home and asked how I was feeling and I just burst out crying on her shoulder for 10 minutes. I don't know if it really made me feel any better, but it seemed to release a bit of tension.

I have felt a few moments of improvement, but not for a couple of weeks now. I feel like I'm becoming too fragile to fight the thoughts and break out of the cycle. I jusy keep holding onto the hope that the meds will start to help me rather than hinder in the next couple of weeks.

I have a big nemesis to deal with in the next few weeks too. I've got a large cyst in my neck which requires surgery. It's really peaking my anxiety and I'm struggling to keep it out of my mind. I was really hoping the meds would kick in and ease the anxiety a little so that I can deal with it in a rational manner.

I think I've been worse since the increase in dose, but I couldn't tell you why. I think I'll give it a little longer and keep my fingers crossed.

Thank you for your great reply, I really hope things improve for you too.

[Jon Dimond]

I woke up feeling dreadful again this morning. I've got lots of negative thoughts and my mind was running at 100 miles an hour. My body feels so drained and tired.

[MarkUk]

I woke up feeling dreadful again this morning. I've got lots of negative thoughts and my mind was running at 100 miles an hour. My body feels so drained and tired.

Mornings are bad for me, the moment my eyes open my mind starts turning in on itself, it's horrible.

You just need to distract yourself as much as you can.

[violet12]

I'm on day 10 of 20mg and the negative thoughts are constant. Mornings are worse for me too and I'm beginning to dread them. I also feel like I haven't got the strength to fight these thoughts.

[MarkUk]

I'm on day 10 of 20mg and the negative thoughts are constant. Mornings are worse for me too and I'm beginning to dread them. I also feel like I haven't got the strength to fight these thoughts.

I just keep telling myself that it will get better as it normally does over time. I can often look back at the bad bits & almost laught to myself how daft some of my thinking was but, as we all know, at the time it's all too real and horrid.

[violet12]

I know exactly what you mean. How easy it is to ignore/laugh at these thoughts when we are feeling strong & positive. I even have occasions now when i'm able to overcome them/rise above them but it only lasts a few minutes then i'm back to being afraid of them & letting them control me & my emotions. I know distraction works, but I find it difficult to motivate myself to do anything much at the moment as my head is so full of rubbish. If that makes sense. When the thoughts are not prevalent i'm like a different person.