2nd day on citalopram

[ruth76]

I have switched medication and think I am starting to regret it.The last 2 days have been horrible.
I have been taking fluxexotine 20 mg for 4 years. I saw a physchiatrist 2 weeks ago and he suggested I change them as I still suffer from panic attacks and that citalopram is better for anxiety.

So I thought I would give it a go I stoppped the fluxeotine for 5 days then started citalopram 2 days ago 20mg. The first day was not good had to come home from work as i felt so sick then felt very anxious. I took 20 mg of propranolol which didnt do much and i think kept me awake as I layed in bed for ages and couldnt sleep. I felt so bad the only way I can describe it is I could feel the adrenalin pumping through my veins it was like burning. My ears also felt like they were burning inside.
That evening i felt a little better but couldnt fall asleep straight away.
This morning I took my medication and was ok for a while. I went out to the bank and was talking to a lady when it hit me I thought I was going to be sick there and then. So I went home taking deep breaths with the windows open in the car all the way home! When I got home I was trying to be sick but it wouldnt come out so I took an anti nausea tablet and 30 mg of propranolol this just made everything worse except for slowing my heart down!I had continous panic attacks my vision went funny and I was terrified so I ended up calling an ambulance.They arrived and I felt such and idiot for calling them! But I honestly thought I was dying. All my vitals were normal as expected. They think that the propranolol was making me feel so ill and that I shouldnt take anymore. My husband arrived home really worried they left and i feel so stupid!! But I felt so bad. I managed to sleep this afternoon and now feel ok some pins and needles in my head but much better than earlier. So now I dont know what to do as I am terrified to take the citalopram tomorrow. I did think of taking it at night but I think it will keep me awake.Will it get better? I am 31 years old just started a good job which I really enjoy. Have a great family. Just want to get better.Did anyone else go through this at the beginning of taking them? Its friday night and I am in tears feel crap! My husband and I always have a few drinks tonite and now I cant even do that when I took fluexotine I was fine drinking but the citalopram leaflet says dont drink saying that I feel to sick to!
Take care everyone
Ruth

[nomorepanic]

Hi Ruth

Loads on here suffer horrible side-effects when starting Citalopram and it can take 2-3 weeks for the symptoms to reduce.

Have a read of the other posts in this forum - there are loads of them !

[nanny]

Hi i would be very surprised if it IS the citalopram making you feel like this, you have after all only been taking it 2 days and it takes a couple of weeks to kick in.

I would think the way you are feeling is most likely coming of the meds you have been on for 4 years and going without completely for 5 days.

Thats only my opinion but i really would be surprised if it is the new med.

Hope you feel better soon

[nikki39]

Hi, when first started taking 20mg of Citalopram I ended up in A & E after have a really bad Panic Attack whilst shopping. The Dr said that I should have started on 10mg and worked my way up as 20mg was far too much to start with. I spoke to a really nice nurse who was on the same meds and she explained that its takes about 12 days to really kick in and once they did she assured me I would feel brilliant.

I have now been on them 7 months and decided to come off them about a month ago but felt so ill after a couple of days and so anxious I have now gone back on them again but just 10mg and I am finding that is just enough if you suffer from anxiety.

I promise you that when the meds kick in you will feel a completely different person, I didn't believe that but i am feeling great now.

Hope you start feeling better soon hun.

Nikkixxxx

[willp]

Hi,

I started taking Citalopram a few weeks ago and felt dreadful for about 10 days. I started on 10mg for the first week and started feeling bad after a few days. I then went up to 20mg and felt like nothing I've ever experienced before - really horrible... BUT... now the side affects have gone, the meds are working and I am back at work and feeling much less anxious than before. It really does work.

If you can I really recommend you stick with it. From reading this forum it seems like many people feel bad at first but then once it starts working the benefits outweigh the pain of the first few days. Don't be put off by others' bad experiences. You may feel bad now but it will pass in a few days and the medication will help your anxiety. That's one of the things that kept me going and hopefully it will for you too.

Good luck... and keep thinking about the light at the end of the tunnel.

Will

[groovygranny]

Hello Ruth

I felt the horrible side-effects of Citalopram almost overnight. Very unpleasant for the first few weeks but I was fortunate in that I had a very good GP and support from a friend who was also a GP.

Both encouraged me to continue with it even though I wanted to stop just to rid myself of the awful feelings such as you described.

I will be forever grateful to them. After about three weeks the positive effects started to 'kick in' and I never looked back.

This is a very nasty time for you but I would like to encourage you - these awful feelings will pass, and then you should start to feel so much better.

The nausea was a very prominent side effect for me, but settled down considerably after the first couple of weeks. The visual disturbances were also very unpleasant but also passed. The burning sensation and also pins and needles I still do feel from time to time - usually in the mornings - but I have learnt to accept these as part of my life now and so I don't pay much attention to them.

It isn't as easy as it seems to keep on with this - but, in my opinion, it is so worth it in the end.

Big hugs for you

[KCornwall]

i've been on Citalpram for 4 days now... and have lost my appetite (apart from mince pies!) and feel sick every day... its horrible. Also woke up in the morning with a terrible headache and it hasn't seemed to shift at all. how long does it take for these feelings to pass?

[joannap]

i would say about 2-3 weeks for the initial side effects to pass. i also find it hard to believe that people feel "brilliant" on them. i have found citalopram does take the edge off anxiety - i feel very much improved - about 70% but feel like it is all still there lurking in the background!

[Allye]

on my second day starting 10 mg rising to 20 mg this thread is really helping. Am gonna try taking evenings

[shelldavis]

Hi all,
I'm on my 3rd day of taking 20mg of citalopram & its making me feel kinda rubbish, feeling sick, abit dizzy, really Really bad dry mouth & for the last 2 nights i havent slept at all but by reading i will have to grin & bare it. my GP changed me onto these because after a month of taking fluxeotine nothing seemed to be happening, i still felt the same, but hopefully citalopram should sort me out...