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Thread: Positive comments about Citalopram please!!!!

  1. #1
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    Positive comments about Citalopram please!!!!

    Hi everyone

    Saw my GP this morning - the first time since the beginning of December.

    He is keeping me on 3 x 40 mg Propanalol each day - continues to refuse to give me sleeping tablets (even though my sleep is dreadful), and has now suggested I start Citalopram - he has given me a month's supply of one 20 mg per day and wants to see me next week.

    In fairness he spent 30 minutes with me, talked me through what he felt was happening with me, the anxiety and panic atacks, commented on where he felt there had been improvements, but still insists that my sleep will improve when the anxiety/depression issues resolve themselves. He is very anti sleepers and is anti any med that can lead to reliance or addiction.

    We spoke about why the adrenaline and palpitations are waking me up in the middle of the night (despite the propanalol) - Answer: because, as he says, I'm obviously still worrying about the problems we've had an are having still.

    Another GP at the practice prescribed me Prozac right at the onset of my problems; this had me bouncing off the walls, not sleeping and in a terrible state. After 10 days my visit to the surgery resulted in me seeing the GP I now always ask for, and although he is a "Tough love" guy, I think I have some respect for him and his honesty - even though I don't always want to agree with it. I came off Prozac immediately and was prescribed a limited number of sleepers (which didn't work), and the propanalol, which has helped.

    As a consequence, I was taken aback this morning when he suggested there was an argument to be made for me to take an anti-depressant. He told me that there should be no side effects, and that it wouldn't be difficult to come off them at the appropriate time.

    I've just read A LOT of postings about Citalopram, and to be honest, I'm a bit confused and a little worried.

    If I KNOW they could make me feel better, then great; if I KNOW that for MOST people there aren't any side effects, then great; if I KNOW they aren't too difficult to come off, then that's good too. BUT so many of the posts are critical of Citalopram, and I am now a bit concerned.

    PLEASE, PLEASE if any of you have GOOD or POSITIVE experiences (be it yourself or someone you know), please post accordingly. I really don't want to go through what Prozac did to me.

    He referred me for CBT at the beginning of December. I am still awaiting an appointment and asked if he could speed this up; his comment was that he didn't really feel my mind was "in the best place at the moment for CBT to be at its most effective". As a result he'd review that next week. He's quite young - middle 30s, and as such you'd expect him to be reasonably proactive and modern in his approach, but I just don't know any more!!!

    Thanks

    Sandie

  2. #2
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    Hello Sandie my doctor gave me Citalopram 20mg one's and to be honest they made me feel like sxxt so then he gave me 10mg one's and they did the same but i think it was my own fault because i don't give them chance to kick in if you know what i mean i was only taking them for 7 days i think i gave in to quick.

    Gareth.

  3. #3
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    Hi Sandie,

    I take Citalopram 10mg, I used to be on 20mg. Personally I have found it has suited me well. I am on no other meds other than the pill.

    On other anti-depressants I was dreadful, I was so depressed, had nightmares all the time and had quite obsessive frame of mind due to insecurities, my mind would be just thinking on the same things going in circles all the time. Citalopram definitely gave me a lift at a difficult time. I remain on a low dose to help ease my anxiety attacks, I suffer from social phobia again I have made a lot of progress but have still got a battle with that particular side of things.

    best wishes
    Willow.x

  4. #4
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    Hi Sandie Iv been on citalopram for years on and off.Was put back on in the summer.Im on 20mg.Gp started me on 40 but was reduced to 20 and thats what Iv been on since.The first two weeks I had side affects but they went away,and I have been happy on them since.

    Ellen XX

  5. #5
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    Hi Sandie,

    I've been on 20mg Citalopram for around 4 months now, and for me the side effects have been mild and tolerable.

    They have contributed to me getting back to work - I feel much calmer and I can "turn my head off" and not obsess about work problems. I doubt I'd have got back to work without them.

    If you decide to take the Citlopram, then stick with it for a couple of weeks if you can, in common with a lot of other people I felt worse during this "bedding in" period, but I feel it was worth it.

    Take care.

    Chris x

    "Don't tell 'em your name Pike!..."

  6. #6
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    Hi Sandie

    Ive been taking Citalopram for 8 years on and off, they have helped me so much, never really have any bad side effects(always started on a low dose then increased after a couple of months) and not too worried i have been taking them for so long, i just think if a tablet a day can make me feel better then i know which path i would prefer to go down. I also take them in the evening before bed, so any side effects should have worn off before morning.

    Hope that helps

    Love

    Andrea
    xxx

    "If you have a worry turn it into a problem, you cant solve worrys but you can solve problems"

  7. #7
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    Hi Sandie

    I have been taking 20 mg for the last 8 days! The first 5 days were not good, but nothing I couldnt handle.

    The side effects are now ok, just feel a little sick sometimes and just got back from taking the children for a walk. Something I havent been able to do for ages.

    I would give them a go, I certainly feel a tiny bit better, got a long way to go but hopefully in a couple more weeks they will be having full effect!!

    Good luck.

    Lisa

  8. #8
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    Hi Sandie

    I took citalopram for seven months and it was wonderful. They gave my head a total break and I was even able to have my holiday vaccinations (until recently I suffered an extreme needle phobia) and just generally floated about on a little cloud of blissful disinterest! There were a few side effects such as a slight jittering but then at least I knew they were working. I came off them easily - not without a few stomach cramps, a little nausea and headache, but no worse than bad PMT and it only lasted a few days.

    No relapse since and certainly no serious side effects as I was able to plan and single-handedly implement an entire wedding whilst on them, including printing all the stationery, altering, hand-dying and embellishing four bridesmaid dresses, shoes, matching accessories, hand embroidering and beading my shoes, making and embroidering a shirt for the bridegroom six days before the wedding and do all the decorating and table dressing on the day. I don't think I'd have managed that if the pills disagreed with me!

    I'd agree with your doctor about the CBT. CBT is a marvellous tool (it cured me of a 30-year phobia of needles) but it does require a lot of physical and mental strength so I think your doctor is quite right to want to "pre-wash" you with some anti-depressants before attempting the stubborn stains that underlie it. The anti-depressants will just take the reins for a while and allow things to stabilise - including your sleep, which you'll get plenty of, and help you get your strength back up before starting the CBT. There does tend to be a waiting list for CBT though, so it might be worth while discussing a plan with your GP and asking him to get you on the waiting list. I'm confident you'll see a firm improvement with the citalopram and it might be good to have a goal to work towards.

    Hope this helps and let us know how you get on with them, H :-)

  9. #9
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    Sandie,

    i took cipralex for two years,it is quite similar to citalopram. i only had a few side effects and withdrawal was bearable! i think you a very lucky to have a GP who doesn't imediatley give you drugs mine prescribed them after i had a migraine when i stopped breastfeeding! although it does sound to me like you need some help with your sleep. but if the drugs didn't work before they might not now. when i was really bad i was given zopiclone and lorazepam just for a few days and it worked well. sometimes just one full night is enough to remind your body how to do it! From what i know about SSRIs they do take about 3 weeks to kick in so try not to freak out if you don't feel better straight away. Citalopram and Cipralex are the drugs with the least side effects and they are quite new as well so they are thought to be the best ones ( i think )

    try not to concerntrate to hard on your meds just take them in the morning and forget about them for the day.

    koko

    ''my life is full of catastrophies, most of which never happened''

  10. #10
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    Hi everyone, and thanks for all your replies.

    Had an absolutely rotten night's sleep last night - a total of about 3 1/2 hours sleep. Woke at 4 am with a sever adrenaline attack which still hasn't gone (its now 3.30 pm). I took my first propanalol at 5 am, and my second at 12.45 - they've helped a little.

    Feel washed out and shivery, but as I only took one Citalopram this morning I'm assuming it's tiredness and not the effects of the med.
    Still unsure whether it's best to take the Cit just before bedtime, or first thing in the morning. If they are likely to help with sleep, then the answer's obvious. But if they increase the insomnia then that's the last thing I want.

    Would appreciate any comments about the effects of Cit on sleep patterns etc.

    Thanks

    Sandie

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