Citalopram? Advice Please.

[Tracietots]

Hi, just joined today and wondered if anyone can offer advice on the above. Started this on Friday and it has made me feel very spaced out, have no appetite at all and sleep is a nightmare. Is this normal and how long does it last?
Sorry if this is old ground but the info on the web is very vague and not from actual users.
Thanks

[amandaj]

hi it is usual i had your symptoms a few weeks ago when was on them ,im not on them now im on trazadone as i didnt like the way they made me feel if your symptoms carry on id go back to dr good luck

[ladygrom]

hi ive been on citalopram was on them for 6 months for first 2 to 3 weeks my anxiety levels wer higher my doc said carry on with them and the side effects ease in time which they did they realy helped me but im off them now been off them 3 weeks cuz i feel so much better.if you realy cant cope then id go bk to doc and explain but im sure they are the side effects and given time shud setle like mine did let me no how your goin on tc elaine xxx

[joy]

Just put Citalopram in rhe search button and you'll be flooded with posts

Joy

[yorkylover]

Im on citalopram,have been on them for a while now.The first two weeks of being on them was awful,I just kept wanting to sleep.It did pass.It takes a while for the body to get used it.

[Sax]

Ditto to the other posts, stick with them the side effects will pass!!!

I went onto 20mg citalopram in 2005 and they didn't do a lot so 6 weeks later I increased to 40mg which I remain on (largely due to a very stressful couple of years!). I am considering reducing them though.

Now when we reduce meds like this we have to do so slowly, this is because your body has learnt to adjust to them and therefore you need to ensure your body doesn't make you feel yukky by coming off them. In exactly the same way when we start them the body has to adjust. All they are doing are settling into your systems and when the effects wear off this is when we get the correct reaction from them we want.

My advice is to stick with them! They are renouned for increasing your symptoms initially however remember that is short term and they need time to work. Don't be hasty and trust your self that this is all normal!

[Tracietots]

Thanks all, I have felt shaky (tremors) really bad today and just cannot eat at all! I will stick with it and hope it does not last long!!

[Allye]

Hi
I started on 10 mg boxing day rising to 20mg (the full dose for me) last week.

I had virtually no side effects on 10 mg (but then I was on holiday so relaxed anyway). I upped to 20mg when I came back to work as this is where my anxiety lies.

On 20 mg I have had some side effects.

• My anxiety levels I feel increased initially but then it is difficult to separate what has happened to what would have happened in any event;
• I have also had some minor tremors in my hands – I am however also learning to relax through a relaxation CD so part of this could be that my body is learning to relax for the first time;
• For a couple of days I felt as if I had electricity flowing all the way through my body, especially affecting my legs;
• I have had some trouble sleeping but part of that I think is that I tend to scan my body all the time for worrying things.

Overall however the side effects to date have not been that bad. In terms of how I feel, I do still feel anxious but I kind of don’t care (does that make sense). I have not had a full blown panic attack since I started to take them, just minor blips now and then. I still feel “unwell” and “anxious” at work, but that is probably because I am suffering from stress-boredom and spend far too much time pondering and scanning my body. The symptoms more or less go away at the weekend.

In terms of depression, I could not get out of bed for work and used to have hysterics on the way as well as full blown PAs. This is all lifting slowly but surely although I still feel like crying sometimes.

As I mentioned before I am also using a relaxation CD in the evenings and am also having a second course of CBT (my next appointment is February as I am paying for private therapy and can only afford once a month).

There is a dedicated Citalopram thread under medications where you will find loads more.

[Deadgirl]

ive been on them for about 2 years now, i got the same thing, it only lasts about 6 weeks or so then you start to feel normal again, or as close as, a friend of mine refered to it as the loading period, just your body getting used to it.

[doglover]

Hi
Stick with it. I had two nightmare weeks then started to feel a bit better. Its a month today ive been on them. My anxiety is definately now lower although my physical symptoms (tension/back pain) are much the same. My dizzy spells have gone pretty much and i havent had a pa.
I could not sleep at all when i was first on them so the gp gave me some sleeping tabs to get me through. Also had to force myself to eat but lost 7 lbs (great) but am now eating normally again and have put it back on (not so great!)
I have gone from being borderline agrophobic at Xmas and felt like i was losing my mind to being back at work full time and doing all my normal activities.
DONT GIVE UP!!!!!
Donna