I have just been prescribed citalopram and just wanted to know whether it works and some experience you guys have had would be much appreciated.
hi emily, in my experience with citalopram, it does work. It takes about 4 weeks to really feel the diference , but you will notice some improvement after about 2 weeks. Some people have side effects when they start taking it but some don't. My husband had none at all. The first time I took it, I had none. I recently started back on it and had a lot of them. Mostly GI like nausea, dizziness, feeling wiped out, and the anxiety actually got worse which is normal. Those lasted about 10 days. There night be a nervousness when you wake up in the morning. That one hangs on until about week 4. Mine is starting to go away just now. Like I said, you may not experience any of this. I hooe you don't. But if you do, just hang in there. This message board was a life saver for me so that I could be reassured that everything was normal and would get better. I know I will never go off of my med again. Was off for 8 months and all of the old depression and anxiety just slowly started to creep back in. Feel free to ask for help any time. I want to give back what I was given.
When I took it it made my anxiety a million times worse I'm afraid to say. Maybe it would have settled in time but I wasn't about to keep taking it after that. Everyone's different though
Yes I think it's very personal and all depends on individuals bio - chemistry. I was slightly more jittery but nothing too bad. I started on 10mg and built up gradually to 20mg. I do wonder if us anxious people sometimes create symptoms where the meds are concerned ie expect to get them after reading the list of possible side effects! ☺
of course we do !!!!!!
Hi Kathy, only been on it a few days and got the dry mouth symptoms can't sleep and feel spacey and waking up feeling anxious like you said. At the minute I feel like I am never gojng to feel normal again but it has only got to get better right ? When it kicks in does if really help ? I just worry about everything and it's getting to the stage where I don't want to go away or even go out. Thank you it's nice to know someone else is going through the same
Hi Emily, i felt exactly the same way. I even told my daughter that I thought I would never feel like myself again. I felt like I had flu plus all of the nervousnes. I avoided going out as much as possible. When I was home I would pace around the house like an idiot or up and down the drive way. I just seemed to help. I was spacey too. Sometimes I would lay in the floor with my legs propped up the wall. For some reason that helped. Yes! You will feel better! One day at a time. Just keep moving forward. You may have an occasional set back, but tell youself it is just a bump in the road. Stay with this message board for support. I have been here a lot. Everyone here will hold your hand. Kathy
Thank you Kathy that is so lovely to here. Feeling emotional as it is today hahaa. I have been on 20mg for 3 days now and feel
Really not myself today do you think it's worth halving the dose for a few days? I can't get in to speak to a doctor for a few weeks!
Tha was suggested to me too, but I made a decision to keep going. It might help and is a common thing to try. I was afraid it would drag the side effects out longer and delay the benefits so just stuck it out. But others have sone that and reported that it helped. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Thanks for you help Kathy, I may try half for a couple of days then back to full. I couldn't concentrate at work today haha felt like I was high! I just really hope these feelings go soon can't go on like this and only been a few days
Typically, tomorrow won't be as bad as today, and the next day won't be as bad as tomorrow. Evryday will be a little better. I waa lucky. I did not have to work. I am retired.
I'm on day 14 and I have still symptoms of anxiety butch noticing gaps in the attacks so I'm hoping its tge citalopram starting to work 😀
Yes! Those precious gaps. That's the first sign that it is starting to work. Those will get longer but it is a slow process. I am onweek 4 and the anxiety is more managable, but still always lerking in the back ground. I have to stay busy to keep my mind from starting that search process for smething wrong to go with the uncomfortable nervousness. My mind can take off to doomsday in a flash. I know that every day is going to be better.
May I ask what mg are u on? I'm on 10mg and can honestly say the first week was the easiest my anxiety completely left me but the 2nd week I've been getting side affects which I can bear but my anxiety is always there!! I'm struggling with sore muscles in my back today to tge point it's sore to breath 😰
I am on 20mg. I have taken half today though to see if that makes a difference. Anxiety is suck a bugger isn't it!
It deffo is 😳
I've had them but did nothing for me just dodgy side effects I've had around 20 different meds for it non of which worked which is when I found that the distractions helped which is why I always have my music and that's basically my life now I go nowhere without it but in my case it works I still have bad days but I've kinda learned to live with it now the only strange thing is I've never been a emotional person but since my anxiety started I get very emotional over all sorts of things which I thought was strange
I found citalpram reasonable easy to cope with in terms of side effects but didnt stay on it as I several months it didnt seems to chnage my mood enough or me to function. It didnt make me worse but didnt make a huge difference either. You have to give the meds a chance thou they all work in a slightly different way on the receptors in brain
Hi Kathy hope you are well. Just looking for some advice. Been on citalopram for 2 weeks now 2 weeks yesterday to be exact and the first week was really hard but last week I felt good happy and saw the light at the end of te tunnel! I woke up yesterday and just feel low and anxious again and do today. I have only been on them two weeks but is this normal ?
Hi Emily
I've been on Citalopram for years for bipolar along with an antipsychotic called risperidone. It took a me a few weeks to get used to, having been taken off Prozac which didn't seem to help, but when it had settled down my depression just dissapeared, I can definitley recomend citalopram and stick with it for a few weeks at the beginning, things will get better. :-)
I also take diazepam in small doses for anxiety and I take my citalopram in the morning as I found it interfered with my sleep.
Hope that helps
xxxxx