Sniffing....aggg!

[Catya]

Oh dear. I started Prozac in August and because of the intense anxiety it created went over to Citalopram last week.... but I can't stop this nervous sniffing??? It started slightly whilst on Prozac but has got much worse since I've gone onto the new drug. I just did a straight swap..no tapering or anything, with them both belonging to the same family.
Has anyone else developed nervous compulsive habits on these drugs..I do suffer from OCD too as well as the severe depression which led me back onto medication after being three years meds free.
Thank you.

[KK77]

Hi Catya
Sorry the Prozac didn't work out for you - it didn't do much for me either. Prozac stays in the body for a long time so it's probably making the citalopram side effects worse but it'll get better as the cit gets into your system. I'm on sertraline and get a complusive urge to keep moving my jaw, which is so annoying! It's definitely related to the meds so I wouldn't worry too much.
Good luck with citalopram! x

[JaneC]

Catya, it's not necessarily a nervous/compulsive thing - google "citalopram runny nose" and you'll see it's a well-recognised side effect.

I only know this cos I'm a week or so into Prozac, sneezed my head off when I got up yest and googled for a laugh really, not exactly expecting it to be another side effect to add to the list - and guess what?

[Catya]

Oh thank you for your responses. I've been trying to "laugh" it all off...but I can't. Added to my scenario now is this inability to keep asleep. I've probably made things worse but have upped my Nitrazepam (sleeping tab) to 10mg to try and help...but all that's happening is that a rather drugged body houses a wide awake mind. Horrible feeling! Hence my being on here at 6. 30 am having been lying wide awake since 4am.
I am very tempted to swap back to Prozac and put up with the increase of anxiety, particularly after a 3 year wait (thanks NHS!!!) I start a 10 week session of CBT in 2 weeks time.

I have been taking the Citalopram for just a week, do you think it will be okay to just swap stright back to the Prozac?

BTW Jane, the sniffing isn't related to a runny nose... it just seems to be a nervous thing that's developed.

Again, my thanks for your responses, they are very much appreciated.

[Duncan]

Hi, I think that you are wrong about Citalopram and Prozac being members of the same family of drug. I am on Citalopram for depression and a Benzodiazepam (Prozac is one of these) for anxiety. I have developed a nervous tic as I am tapering the Benzo, so your sniffing could be a withdrawal symptom from abruptly stopping the Prozac. Best wishes.

[Catya]

No Duncan?? Surely you are wrong there?
Prozac (fluoxetine) is an SSRI not a benzo. Yes, my Nitrazepam is a benzo...but not Prozac.
I just wondered if I could swap straight back?
Thank you for your response though...

[KK77]

You could swap back but I think you may need a few days drug-free to get the citalopram out of your system first. It really isn't a good idea to be mixing them because they're all long-acting drugs. Have a chat with your doctor first. Maybe you should give the cit a bit longer before you think of swapping back? A week isn't very long and my doc said that prozac isn't as good for anxiety as cit and doesn't cause as much insomnia either. X